After the group split up, Qin He, Zhao Yan, and Li Lie followed the directions, passing through layer upon layer of drill grounds and barracks until they reached the Scout Camp at the very outer edge of the military camp.
The atmosphere here was utterly different from that of the inner camps.
There were no earth-shaking roars from drills, nor the bustle of soldiers coming and going. Everywhere carried a restrained, solemn stillness.
The vast camp sprawled between heaven and earth, arranged with orderly, simple sentry posts and rest shelters. Those moving about stepped lightly and kept their auras contained, maintaining a posture of constant vigilance even as they walked.
The Scout Camp handled the passage of messengers and the gathering of military intelligence. It was the eyes and ears of the entire camp.
Everyone understood the extreme divide inherent in this duty.
Ordinary message deliveries were safe and steady. So long as one knew the routes well and followed the rules, they could be completed smoothly. But once a task involved deep-space reconnaissance or border surveys, it became a journey where nine deaths awaited every one chance of survival.
Void turbulence, aberrations from beyond the domain, lingering restrictions—everywhere was a place where bones might be buried. Going out and never returning had never been empty talk.
The moment the three entered the camp gates and stated their purpose, a middle-aged man came to receive them.
He was exceptionally lean, with straight shoulders and back, his flesh clinging close to his bones. He looked slight, yet carried the hardiness of someone weathered by wind and frost.
The aura around him was calm and unruffled, yet no one dared underestimate him. This was the accumulated foundation of a Saint's cultivation.
"New arrivals?" the middle-aged man asked, his voice crisp and without