Vast and desolate, the desert was ravaged by yellow sand. "Qinglin, are you sure this is where it is?" Xiao Yan stared in astonishment at the plain stretch of sand before him. The terrain was extremely ordinary, lacking any distinctive features that would catch the eye. Such flat sandy plains were countless throughout the endless desert—so common that it was hard for Xiao Yan to imagine that any traces of "divine flame" could be found in such an unremarkable spot. Behind Xiao Yan stood Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, along with several dozen elite members of the Mo Tie Mercenary Corps. However, at this moment, they all cast skeptical glances toward Qing Lin, the one leading the way. For these people, who had lived in Shishemo City for several years—or even decades—this place seemed utterly ordinary, as if nothing out of the ordinary ever happened here. In fact, some of them had completed multiple missions in and out of this very area, yet they had never sensed anything different about it. "There aren't any special buildings or unusual caves here, yet Qinglin seems not to be speaking in vain. Since there's nothing on the ground nor in the sky... perhaps it's beneath us." Xiao Ding glanced around, then suddenly knelt down, grasping a handful of sand and slowly spreading it out, smiling lightly. "Brother's suggestion—beneath the ground?" Hearing this, Xiao Yin was momentarily startled, expressing his surprise. "Yes. While many strong individuals can create mirages by distorting the air in deserts, the air distortion around Shishemocity isn't strong enough to produce such a phenomenon. Thus, that possibility is ruled out. Since there's no mirage to obscure our view and we still can't see anything with our eyes, the most likely explanation must be beneath us." Xiao Ding explained with a smile. Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan lightly stepped on the ground and then chuckled, "Even if the secret lies beneath, we can't just dig randomly, can we?" "Of course not," Xiao Ding smiled. "Digging haphazardly in the desert might well bury us alive. However, since the Medusa woman managed to descend, I suspect there must be a hidden passage." Shaking his head with a smile, Xiao Ding added, "We actually have several excellent members in our team who are skilled at terrain exploration. As long as they conduct a thorough survey, finding the underground passage shouldn't be difficult." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief and smiled, "Then it seems we'll have to rely on them." "Finding a passage isn't exactly a challenge... However, this is not far from Shishemo City. Our extensive exploration efforts will likely draw the attention of other factions within the city. The nights in Tago尔 Desert are quite short. If we only work at night, not only will we waste considerable time, but we might also miss some crucial locations due to the darkness. In Shishemo City, with our strength as the Mo Ti Guild, we're confident that smaller factions won't dare to challenge us. But the Sand Guild? They might very well step in and interfere." Xiao Ding shook his head, frowning with a sense of helplessness. "The Sand Guild?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. "The Sand Clan Guild is the strongest force in Shishemo City aside from the City Hall. Though our Mòtī Guild is equally strong in overall strength, our Guild Leader, Sha Luo, is a Grand Combatant—something you should be aware of, as the gap between a Grand Combatant and a Combatant is significant. Therefore, unless there's a major matter, we usually avoid direct conflict with them. However, if we make a large-scale search, their curiosity will inevitably grow. Under such circumstances, they will naturally no longer remain passive. Speaking of this, Xiao Li, somewhat helpless, remarked. "Heh, all these people here are core members of the Mo Ti Guild, the ones who've been with us from the beginning, steadily building our influence. Confidentiality is absolutely guaranteed," Xiao Li smiled, patting his chest. Yet soon after, he expressed a slight concern: "Can you handle Sha Luo from the Sha Guild? Your strength—?" "Brother Xiao, don't worry. I'll make this claim with confidence, because I'm certain of it. All you need to do is send someone to locate the passage," Xiao Yan said with a mysterious smile. Seeing Xiao Yan's air of secrecy, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li could only nod in resignation, though they both felt a bit more convinced. After all, they knew Xiao Yan wouldn't make such a serious claim unless he truly believed in it. "Indeed, this young one is becoming increasingly enigmatic," Xiao Ding murmured to himself, then glanced at Xiao Li. Both exchanged a look, seeing the same sentiment reflected in each other's eyes. "Very well. Then, Xue Lan, you immediately return to Mo Tie Guild to gather the members skilled in terrain detection. Make it your goal to locate the passage within one day." Xiao Ding turned to Xue Lan and issued the instructions. "Understood. I'll take care of this!" Nodding with a smile, Xue Lan swiftly turned and blew a sharp whistle. Instantly, a dromedary galloped from the distance, leaping gracefully onto its back. With a steady hand, Xue Lan mounted and rode off, stirring a trail of golden dust, heading swiftly toward the stone desert city. Watching Xue Lan fade into the horizon, Xiao Ding exhaled in relief, then slowly knelt down, inserting his palm into the hot sand, murmuring softly, "The strange fire... is there really beneath us?" "... Shortly after Xue Lan returned, she brought out all the personnel from the Mo Tie Guild who were skilled in terrain surveying. Half an hour later, these personnel arrived at the location where Xiao Yan and his team were. Under Xiao Ding's instruction, the forty-some surveyors immediately began their tasks with clear and well-defined divisions of responsibility. As one of the major forces in Shishuo City, their every move naturally attracted countless eyes. Thus, not long after Xue Lan led a large group out, several scattered troops and guards began appearing around Xiao Yan's team, staring in confusion at the Mo Tie Guild members slowly conducting their terrain surveys. The area outside Shishuo City, which might possibly harbor unusual flames, had previously been sealed off by Xiao Ding's deployment of personnel. As a result, these onlookers—both mercenaries and other staff—were firmly blocked outside and could not enter." As the exploration progressed, more and more people gathered around. Although Xiao Ding had publicly stated that the Mo Tie Mercenary Corps had launched a large-scale operation to hunt down a three-stage beast, the crowd continued to grow steadily. By the side, Xiao Yan, seated on the dune, smiled softly, gently lifting his refined face and narrowing his eyes to gaze at the blazing sun in the sky, a faintly cold curve forming at the corner of his lips. Carefully scanning the three brothers, Qinglin suddenly realized that indeed, they were true siblings—though their personalities differed greatly, each carried within them a certain cold determination that could be heart-wrenching. Such people, if not provoked, were merely tolerated; but once they were, they would behave like wounded, starving wolves in the desert, ever-watchful, relentlessly staring at you until you finally relaxed—waiting for that very moment of your vulnerability. How could Xiao Yan, back then, have endured the humiliation of Lan Yanran's sudden withdrawal of marriage proposals, and forsaken the comfort of his family life, persisting through relentless battles against wild beasts in the forests and enduring solitude and loneliness in the desert, diligently training for three years? How could he have shown such resolve for himself—how much more so when facing an adversary? … As the blazing sun in the sky gradually dipped toward the west, a sudden commotion arose among the crowd gathered at the periphery. A squad of at least forty mercenaries slowly parted the people, advancing steadily toward the designated isolation zone. "It's the Sand Mercenaries—this time, we're in for something interesting." "Heh, Sandro finally can't wait anymore." The murmurs of the onlookers immediately picked up as they watched the approaching troops. "I still overestimated his patience." Xiao Ding shook his head, offering a sarcastic remark. "Let's go check it out. Until the situation is fully clarified, Sandro hasn't stepped forward yet. The one leading the team seems to be Mo Xing, the second-in-command of the Sand Mercenaries after Sandro himself. Heh, a defeated subordinate still has the nerve to come after us." XIAO Li scanned the scene, then added with a cold smile. "Hm." Xiao Ding nodded slightly, then waved his hand. At once, twenty-some members of the Mo Tie Corps stepped out, holding their cold, sharp weapons in hand, moving past the isolation zone and quietly observing the approaching mercenary squad. The two groups slowly met, their atmosphere slightly tense—after all, as two of the city's major powers, they had experienced numerous conflicts in the past. "Please halt. The Mo Tie Mercenary Corps is currently on duty and would appreciate not being disturbed," Xiao Ding said, his voice calm and composed, as if it were a routine matter. "Hey, Xiao Ding, I haven't heard the Mercenary Guild issue any such task lately," replied a man stepping forward from the crowd of the Sha Mercenary Corps. With a slightly sardonic expression, he scanned the detection personnel stationed in the isolation zone and chuckled. "And within a few dozen miles of this city, the land is public territory. I'm not sure what's wrong with bringing my team here." "Moxing, if it weren't for Chalo stepping in last time, you'd probably be a complete wreck by now, wouldn't you?" Xiao Li glanced at the rather rude man, smiling with a hint of disapproval. The man known as Moxing slightly drew his face, casting a mixture of fear and resentment at Xiao Li before stepping back, and coldly replied, "Let's get straight to the point. Our team leader has also shown considerable interest in this area, so..." "Then you can just go," said Xiao Yan, his voice calm, suddenly spilling out with a smile as he had remained quietly observant all along.