"Ah, then what about among the Demon Race? Do they not use their true names? Are names like Sifuer and Bailang fake?" Xia Yu asked, taking out a peach from his ring and biting into it, puzzled after hearing Pei Yan's words.

"No, these names are their real names, but not their full names. Their full names are quite long, and the aristocrats have middle names. They won't disclose their full names to outsiders. Typically, only direct relatives or closest friends and loved ones know their entire names."

Since Pei Yan did not accept the enraged state displayed by Sifuer's subordinates after she announced her name, he later found out indirectly from Lilia why it led to such a reaction. From Lilia's words, Pei Yan learned that if a noble swears an oath by her territory and her name in the Demon Race, it's a very significant oath. Rejecting or expressing disbelief is a grave insult and provocation. Despite this, Sifuer did not reveal her full name to Pei Yan and hid her middle name.

"Oh, so there's such a saying," Xia Yu nodded from his chair, saying, "That shows it's indeed something very important. So, what should we rename ourselves? Like Pei, damn, Shitang change our names to those of the Divine Desire People?"

Ye Ruozai spread his hands and nodded, "I don't think it's necessary; it would only cause confusion. If we don't need to know the full names, we can just use surnames when communicating—Ye, Xia, Zhao—and if formal introduction is needed, add numbers one, two, three, at the end. It's easy to remember, and even if they suspect something, it won't matter."

"That sounds good."

"Let's do it then!"

After everyone agreed, Xia Yu looked at Pei Yan teasingly, "I didn't expect this. You've changed so much coming here, well done—your acting's pretty convincing; you've intimidated them in such a short time and learned strategic maneuvering!"

"Ha, strategic maneuvering!" Pei Yan said, unbuttoning his shirt and instructing his mechanical puppet to prepare dinner, "It's just a guerrilla tactic before encircling Wei to rescue Zhao. Anyone with a normal education could come up with it. The Demon Race isn't dumb; they can't break through the Disaster Pillar, which gives us room to operate!"

"So what's your plan next?" Zhao Yuanhu asked, pouring juice into everyone's cups.

"Reconnaissance. Not now, but after the seven-day red catastrophe passes, there'll be half a month of clear skies. During that time, we'll conduct detailed reconnaissance of several Disaster Pillar locations nearby. Although the first action need not yield significant results, it must succeed to effectively mobilize these demons, have them charge on our behalf, hold off the Disaster Legion, and become free agents to help us absorb energy and enhance our strength." Pei Yan replied, taking a sip of juice.

Ye Ruozai agreed with a nod, "Yes, I concur; there's no rush. Safety is foremost. According to your statement, aside from most areas being intermittently covered by the red catastrophe, the surroundings of the Disaster Pillars are enveloped round-the-clock. We could pin our operation after the next full red catastrophe period ends. One, Miss Sifuer should have completed gathering manpower. Two, they can proceed unperturbed before the battlefield, preserving their strength and facilitating retreat if the situation turns unfavorable."

"Hmm, I guess that's what they're thinking too. Unless something unexpected happens, let's settle the battle plan as such. We'll reassess after reconnaissance based on specific circumstances." Pei Yan agreed.

After the next steps were decided, the four had dinner and returned to their rooms to rest, enduring the next few days under the red catastrophe in anxious wait.

On the first day after the full red catastrophe ended, the time-conscious Pei Yan prepared to contact Sifuer, asking her to send guides who knew the terrain for the reconnaissance work against the Disaster Pillars. He was about to leave after dressing up when Ye Ruozai stopped him at the door.

"Are you going to find Sifuer?"

"Yes!" Pei Yan looked at Ye Ruozai, confused.

"You can't go!"

"Why?"

Ye Ruozai took a deep breath, "If it were just you before, you'd naturally need to handle things personally. But now that we're here with you, let us handle notifications. Your past efforts have turned you into a flag, a banner representing our own dimension. It's our job to support this flag—especially in a place where status matters so much."

"Alright!" Pei Yan knew Ye Ruozai was right, raised his hands in concession, and backed off, sitting back down.

Ye Ruozai nodded at Xia Yu, and the two donned their uniforms and stepped out together. Time ticked by as Pei Yan anxiously checked the wristwatch, thinking they should have returned by now, considering both travel and meeting time.

While anxiously waiting, Xia Yu's voice suddenly came through the headset, speaking quietly, "Mr. Shitang, there's a bit of an issue here."

"Xia, what's going on! Is Sifuer uncooperative?" Pei Yan slammed the table, standing up in anger.

"They're quite cooperative. After our request, they quickly selected guides for us. But upon leaving their barracks, our people were blocked, led by someone named Leohard. He issued a combat invitation to Ye, hoping to spar under the guise of understanding our strength for better upcoming battle coordination. Ye did not immediately accept, saying he would follow your orders."

Listening to Xia Yu's words, Pei Yan, who had advanced to the door, halted once more, pacing back and forth. These damned folks were still probing our dimension's strength. Alright, alright, alright! You picked him! Just as I wanted to see the true strength of the one held in high regard by the investigation hall.

Thinking of this, he pressed the headset, asking, "Ye, confident about the win?"

"Absolutely!" Came Ye Ruozai's unflustered response from the other side.

"Then wait for my mechanical puppet to arrive, then defeat him! Crush him with your strongest power and ensure they never dare belittle or challenge us again!"

Hearing Pei Yan's rage in the headset, Ye Ruozai's expression remained unchanged, slightly tilting his head with a breezy smile towards Leohard.