Team invitation, and the ghosts in the fog.

Just as Cao Xing and his group were marveling at the dangers of this Lost Royal City.

Beside them, Elisa had already jumped onto the back of the Frost Moose, Little Lan.

She turned her head and said excitedly, "Lord, stop chatting, let's get going!"

"There seem to be so many fun things in here!"

The little girl was always so lively, completely unconcerned about the dangers here.

Even Little Chuchu, who was beside her, seemed very interested in this place as well.

Seeing them like this, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's face.

He shook his head, leaped up, and jumped directly onto the back of Dabai.

Then he said, "Let's go. While the Mist Tide hasn't erupted yet, let's go explore the outer perimeter."

"Yes, Lord!"

With those words, the group moved forward together.

On the way, Cao Xing rode the Mammoth, Dabai.

Elisa rode the Frost Moose, Little Lan, and Little Chuchu piloted the Earth Dragon Mech.

Beside them were the Snow Storm Bear Volibear, as well as the Giant Clan's Jode, the Minotaur Chieftain Cain, and other behemoths.

Coupled with the large group of experts following behind, they looked quite imposing.

"Thump—thump-thump—"

Dabai's thick elephant hooves trampled on this ancient land, leaving behind deep pits.

Soon, they arrived at the adventurer camp.

The number of adventurers and mercenaries gathered here reached three or four thousand, making it a fairly large camp.

However, upon seeing Cao Xing and his group approaching, they all took the initiative to clear a path.

The gazes of these adventurers were filled with intense wariness.

It was as if what was approaching wasn't humans, but a group of ferocious beasts!

This Lost Royal City was fraught with danger, and the Survivors who could survive here were naturally no ordinary people.

They could sense how terrifying the aura of these newcomers was.

And no one who was blind enough dared to come up and cause trouble.

At this moment, Cao Xing was sitting on Dabai's back.

The height of nearly five meters allowed him to take in the situation of the camp and the expressions on the faces of those adventurers.

This time, he did not put Magic Dragon Bingbing into the necromancers bag.

Those adventurers looked at the young dragon, as well as the peerless beauty of Isabelle, Ilena, and others, with eyes hiding deep greed, jealousy, and envy.

In these ruins, a young dragon and such peerless beauties were extremely rare and precious.

For those adventurers and mercenaries who had spent years mingling in various dangerous places, this was undoubtedly a huge temptation.

However, they only dared to look; they didn't dare to make any unnecessary moves at all.

Cao Xing ignored these gazes and just patted Dabai's back, signaling it to continue forward.

"Thump—thump—"

The heavy footsteps sounded again.

They went through unimpeded, passing directly through the center of the camp.

Just as they were preparing to head towards the depths of the ruins.

A group of adventurers wearing leather armor and holding weapons blocked the path of Cao Xing and his group.

The person in the lead was a middle-aged man with a smiling face.

He rubbed his hands together, his tone carrying a hint of ingratiation: "My lords, are you going to explore the depths of the ruins?"

Cao Xing looked at him speechlessly and said, "Isn't that obvious? If we didn't come here to explore the ruins, would we be here for a vacation?"

The middle-aged man quickly apologized with a smile, "It was my loose tongue, please don't take offense, my lord."

"I see that you are probably visiting these ancient ruins for the first time. I wonder if you are interested in cooperating?"

"Cooperating?" Cao Xing looked confused.

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "That's right. Actually, we are members of the Iron Rose Mercenary Group."

"Our leader is named Talia Iron Rose."

"Perhaps you haven't heard of our mercenary group, but our leader is also a Hero-level powerhouse, and she is not far from the Legendary level."

Cao Xing waited for him to finish and asked indifferently, "And then?"

The middle-aged man was slightly stunned.

He had already stated the leader's name and strength, yet this young man was unmoved, which surprised him.

After all, their Iron Rose Mercenary Group was considered quite famous among the surrounding kingdoms.

Especially their leader; as a female Hero-level powerhouse, she was not only powerful but also stunningly beautiful.

She was known as the 'Rose Goddess on the Battlefield'.

Usually, countless nobles and powerhouses admired her and vied to show their favor.

However, to these suitors, she would always unleash a burst of battle skills, beating them until they fled in panic.

And she declared that if they wanted to pursue her, they must first surpass her in strength.

This single condition alone had extinguished the thoughts of countless suitors.

And more importantly, this woman was about to break through to the Legendary realm, possessing infinite potential.

Even several kings had secretly shown favor, wanting to bring the Iron Rose Mercenary Group under their command as their own aid.

However, the young man before him didn't care at all, as if even a Legendary powerhouse was not taken seriously by him.

The middle-aged man felt strange, and at the same time realized that this young man was definitely not an ordinary person!

After all, that kind of calmness and casualness could not be faked.

His expression turned serious, and he made his attitude more humble: "To tell you the truth, my lord."

"Our Iron Rose Mercenary Group has secured an important location in the outer area, which may contain some kind of powerful treasure."

"It might even contain a Relic left behind by some ancient existence."

"Our leader is currently leading people to explore it, but due to insufficient strength, she sent us out."

"She asked us to find some powerful partners here to explore that location together."

"As for the rewards inside, we can discuss how to distribute them after we finish."

The middle-aged man finally stated his purpose.

He saw that Cao Xing and his group had an extraordinary aura and great strength, so he came to invite them to join the team.

After listening to the middle-aged man's explanation, Cao Xing looked thoughtful and felt a bit tempted.

Because he heard the middle-aged man say, 'That place might have a Relic left behind by some ancient existence.'

For Cao Xing, there weren't many things that could attract him at the moment, and a Relic was one of them.

Thinking back, the middle-aged man said their leader was also preparing to break through to the Legendary level.

Then this matter was highly likely to be true.

However, he did not agree.

Instead, he turned his head and looked at Oran and Qinong, the two powerhouses who had been to the ruins before, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

City Lord Oran pondered for a moment and replied, "In the outer area of the ruins, some unexplored places do occasionally appear, and they may contain some important treasures."

"But at the same time, places like these with treasures also have corresponding dangers."

Qinong also nodded slightly, confirming City Lord Oran's statement.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man in front of them quickly struck while the iron was hot: "My lords, our Iron Rose Mercenary Group has almost cleared that area; we are just one step away."

"If we have the assistance of you few, we will surely be able to completely conquer this area in a short time and take away the treasures inside."

However, after hearing this, Cao Xing still shook his head and said, "No need. We want to explore on our own. You should tell your leader to find someone else."

The middle-aged man was stunned on the spot upon hearing his refusal.

He had already said so much.

An ordinary person would have likely agreed by now, yet this young man refused so decisively.

The middle-aged man was just about to say something else, but he saw Dabai's thick elephant hoof already raised high, approaching him with heavy pressure!

He was instantly scared pale and hurriedly dodged away.

Cao Xing continued to lead his group, walking straight ahead.

The middle-aged man and the mercenaries he led did not dare to approach from beginning to end.

Until their figures completely disappeared.

Only then did a look of annoyance appear on the middle-aged man's face.

A young member next to him looked at him and asked in a low voice, "Captain Jamie, what should we do now? This group is the strongest batch of people we've encountered entering the ruins in the past week."

"If they refuse, then the leader's side—"

After hearing this, looks of worry appeared on everyone's faces.

The middle-aged man pondered for a moment and sighed slightly.

"Sigh—there's nothing we can do if they refuse our invitation to team up."

"The other party is too strong; we can't use any forceful means at all."

"Now we can only continue to look for others and see if we can go over together."

"I hope the commander can hold out until then—"

Upon hearing this, looks of worry appeared on the faces of the other members.

At this moment, Cao Xing was riding a Mammoth, leading a group of people forward through this vast wilderness area.

"Thump—thump-thump—!"

Heavy footsteps echoed continuously in the surroundings. After becoming a Tier 7 Commander-level creature, Dabai's size had increased once again, reaching five or six meters.

Its body weight had also reached over a dozen tons.

Each time it took a step, it left a deep footprint on the ground.

Coupled with the Frost Moose, the Earth Dragon Mecha, Volibear—as well as Jode Ironfrost from the Giant Clan and the Minotaur Chieftain Kane Hoofblast.

Their group already had six behemoths.

When walking, the momentum could be said to be quite astonishing.

At this moment, Bai Zhi parted her red lips slightly, looked at Cao Xing, and asked: "It's clear that you are very interested in that place, so why didn't you agree?"

Hearing this, City Lord Oran, Qinong, and the others also cast their gazes over.

They were also quite curious about why Cao Xing had made that decision at the time.

Cao Xing looked at them and said with a light chuckle: "Because I felt something was wrong."

"Assuming what they said is true and there really is a Relic in that place, there could only be one at most."

"And their commander, Iron Rose, as a Hero-level powerhouse, is currently in urgent need of a Relic to break through."

"If it were you, would you voluntarily disclose such a place and invite others to explore it with you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone thought it over carefully and also felt that it was unlikely.

After all, a Relic for breaking through to Legendary is so precious, and the goal is right before their eyes.

Such an opportunity, no matter what, could not be missed!

Cao Xing continued: "So, regardless of whether that place really hides treasure, or if it's simply too dangerous for their commander to explore alone, I have no intention of agreeing."

"We have just arrived at this ruin and aren't very familiar with it yet, so our main task now is to explore on our own first and get a clear picture of the situation."

Everyone nodded one after another and did not continue to dwell on this topic.

After all, for them, the invitation from the Iron Rose Mercenary Group was just a minor interlude.

Next, the group continued to move forward through the fog-covered, desolate underground prison.

They bypassed those foggy areas along the way and continued forward for several kilometers.

At this moment, Cao Xing suddenly gestured and ordered: "Stop."

The team stopped in their tracks simultaneously.

Everyone was a bit confused and looked ahead.

At this moment, they also knew the reason why Cao Xing had called everyone to stop.

Because not far ahead, a narrow and gloomy path appeared.

Both sides of the road were covered in thick fog, with only a two or three-meter area in the middle revealed.

It was clear that if they wanted to continue exploring, they now faced two choices.

Either pass through this path.

Or take a detour and explore from another direction.

Just as Cao Xing was thinking about which choice to make, Sarah volunteered: "Lord, let me go ahead and investigate."

Hearing this proposal, Cao Xing thought about it for a moment.

With Sarah's strength, as long as she didn't enter the fog, she basically wouldn't encounter any danger.

So, he nodded and said: "Alright, go ahead."

"Yes."

As she spoke, a cold light flashed from the death gods dagger in Sarah's hand, which she gripped in a reverse hold.

Then, maintaining an elegant and nimble pace, she walked towards the misty path ahead.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Sarah arrived at the target location in just a few steps.

She paused for a moment on the spot, feeling the cold aura coming from the fog on both sides, her eyes showing no change.

Then she continued to walk forward.

This misty path was very long, about one or two kilometers.

Sarah's figure seemed to gradually disappear into the fog.

Just then, Cao Xing suddenly felt at least a dozen cold and eerie auras approaching rapidly!

They rushed out quickly from both sides of the fog.

The target was none other than Sarah up ahead!

"Clang—clank!"

At this moment, everyone drew their weapons, ready for battle.

Cao Xing raised his hand, signaling everyone to stay calm.

Because he didn't feel a very dangerous aura here.

At the same time, the thick fog was stirred up like a tide, as if something was moving rapidly inside.

Sarah held a dagger in each hand, her expression indifferent.

Under their gaze, the creatures in the fog suddenly rushed out.

They were a group of hideous-looking creatures.

Their pale bodies appeared translucent, like burial shrouds soaked in water.

Their body contours constantly twisted and deformed, sometimes stretching into three-meter-high slender ghost shadows, sometimes curling up to the size of a baby.

Under the disheveled hair, one could see a terrifying face.

Their mouths were split open, revealing a row of dense fangs, and the nose and eye areas were three holes dripping with black mucus.

The terrifying appearance of these guys would give anyone a strong visual shock at first sight!

"Good grief, these little things look so unique?"

Cao Xing was amazed, then quickly scanned the attributes of these monsters.

[Mist Wraith]

[Race: Undead]

[Level: 55]

[Potential: Elite]

[HP: 592412 / 592412]

[Mist Wraith Guard]

[Race: Undead]

[Level: 65]

[Potential: Boss]

[HP: 1129823 / 1129823]

After glancing at a few monster details, Cao Xing understood.

It was indeed as City Lord Oran said, these wraiths were high-level.

Among them were even many Elite and even Boss-level wraiths.

If an ordinary team ran into them, they would almost be wiped out in a short time.

However, for them, this level of monster posed no threat at all.

At the same time, in the misty path ahead.

Sarah was surrounded by a dozen wraiths.

They emitted waves of chilling aura; an ordinary person would fall severely ill or even lose years off their life just by coming into contact with it.

The terrifying facial features contained intense resentment, wishing to tear Sarah into pieces.

The next moment, these wraiths lunged at her simultaneously!

Seeing this scene, Sarah remained unmoved.

It wasn't until those sharp claws were about to hit her skin that this Legendary assassin made a slight move.

She tapped her toes lightly and raised her dual daggers.

The next moment, like a ballet dancer, she spun around in what looked slow, but was actually extremely fast.

The blades of the daggers silently slashed across the bodies of these wraiths.

Then, a dozen terrifying damage numbers appeared.

[ – 4155232! ]

[ – 3192352! ]

[ – 2852519! ]

[ – 3728214! ]

[ – 4923523! ]

Coup de Grace!

In an instant, the HP of these dozen-plus Tier 5-plus wraiths was instantly cleared.

Then, their movements froze in mid-air, and their bodies began to turn illusory at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if they were about to vanish from the world.

At this moment, the expressions of those wraiths became even more twisted and angry!

They looked at Sarah with a venomous gaze, then opened their large mouths filled with fangs, letting out angry screams.

"I am not reconciled! I am not reconciled!"

"Ah!!!"

A burst of wraith screeching passed by, and a system notification appeared:

[Your territory member: Sarah Blade Dance killed Mist Wraith * 13, accumulated EXP gained: 3250000 (Pale Lead | + Star of Salvation)]

[Combat personnel gained EXP: 1625000]

After the battle ended, Sarah picked up all the items dropped on the ground.

However, she did not return to Cao Xing immediately.

Instead, she continued to walk forward.

She went all the way until she walked out of this misty path, and then returned.

Sarah stood respectfully beside Cao Xing and reported: "Lord, I have gone to the end of the path and did not encounter any other danger."

"These are the items dropped by those wraiths, please take a look."

Cao Xing lowered his head and put all the things in her hands into his backpack.

[Obtained: Wraith Crystal * 158]

[Obtained: Wraith Dust * 44]

[Obtained: Large Spirit Book * 11]

[Obtained: Large Omnipotence Book * 2]

[Obtained: master-level elemental crystal * 21]