Beyond the city of Shimo, the sun shone brightly, yet the members of the Mo-Tie Mercenary Company continued to carefully search the ground. "Brother, haven't you noticed that today, it seems as though there's not a single member of the Sand Mercenary Company around?" Standing atop a dune, Xiao Li scanned the surroundings, then slightly furrowed his brows before turning to Xiao Ding. "Indeed, not only here, but even within the city of Shimo, where the Sand Mercenary members used to wander freely, there are now far fewer than usual. Moreover, according to the information I've gathered—last night, Mo-Xing apparently passed away. Yet Sand Luo has not reacted at all, not even showing any signs of anger. On the contrary, she's as calm as if she were completely unaware of the matter." Xiao Ding smiled gently, his eyes glinting. "Little Yan truly is becoming more and more enigmatic. This treatment of the Sand Mercenary Company has managed to make Sand Luo utterly silent—what a feat! I can't imagine how he manages it." "Indeed, quite puzzling. Ah, in just a few short years, this young fellow has grown more enigmatic by the day." Xiao Li nodded, offering a wry smile. Xiao Ding smiled lightly, turned his head, and glanced toward a sandy dune some distance away—there, the youth had not entered the tent to seek shade from the scorching sun, but instead sat cross-legged on the hot sand, calmly absorbing the rich fire-energy flowing from the surrounding heavens and earth, his sweat pouring down his forehead like a steady stream, soaking his garments. "Back when he was younger, he certainly had a dazzling talent, yet deep down, that very brilliance had left him lacking in resilience and determination. I believe those three years as a 'waste'—though they brought him countless looks of disdain and mockery—actually served to repair the final, subtle flaws that would have hindered him from becoming a true master. After all, back then, young Xuan absolutely wouldn't have had the resolve to undertake such a grueling solo training journey into the Tagoor Great Desert." Gazing at the young man who seemed unwilling to waste even a single moment, Xiao Ding sighed softly, with a touch of admiration. "Indeed," Xiao Li agreed, nodding in deep resonance. To become a true powerhouse, talent was certainly essential, but without unwavering perseverance, one's achievements would remain merely above average—neither outstanding nor satisfactory. The Dragon Qi continent was vast, and there were naturally many talented individuals, yet only a few would ultimately rise to the pinnacle of strength. Thus, the period when Xiao Yan was considered a waste would become increasingly evident as he progressed on his path to becoming a strong one. At that time, he might finally realize that the three years he had spent as a mere waste were not setbacks, but rather a form of refinement that would shape the course of his life. "Commander! The third squad has apparently found traces of passages!" As Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were exchanging mutual admiration, a figure suddenly rushed toward them, shouting excitedly. "Traces?" Hearing the voice, both Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were taken aback, then their faces lit up with joy. They exchanged glances and turned their attention to the dunes. There, Xiao Yan had also opened his eyes, his expression now one of astonishment and excitement. Hearing the voice, Xiao Yan paused slightly before quickly stepping out of his meditative state, brushing off the yellow sand on his clothes and hastening to meet the approaching figure, eager to ask, "Have they found the passages?" "Hehe, it seems we've found some traces. Based on our experience, it's very likely that this is the passage leading underground." The arriving mercenary smiled warmly. "Great!" Xiāo Yīn enthusiastically clapped his hands together, eager to rush ahead. "Come on, hurry and show me!" "Sure thing," the mercenary said, glancing at Xiao Ding and Xiao Li who were quickly approaching behind, giving a cheerful nod before promptly turning and leading the way. After a few minutes of jogging northward, a large crowd gathered at a slightly sunken patch of sandy ground, chatting and murmuring among themselves. "Clear the way! Clear the way!" The mercenary, shouting loudly, cleared a path ahead. Xiao Yan stepped in, and upon glancing around, was pleasantly surprised to see that the uneven ground had been excavated into a half-meter-deep opening. He scanned the dark interior of the hole, where a faint warmth rose gently from within. "Is this it?" Xiao Yan pointed at the dark opening and asked, surveying the surroundings. "Ah, yes. The entrance was originally blocked by yellow sand. If it weren't for Qing Lin noticing some unusual traces of energy lingering here, we might never have discovered it," one of the mercenaries replied with a smile. Raised a thumb toward Qinglin, watching the little girl's face light up with a radiant smile, Xiao Yan smiled gently and slowly approached the dark entrance. He flipped his hand, producing a moonstone which he then tossed into the depths of the cave. The soft glow of the moonstone rolled and danced several times within the darkness before gradually fading completely. Observing the swiftly vanishing moonstone, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows slightly and murmured, "It seems this passage isn't a straight line at all." "Yes," the mercenary who had originally guided them replied with a wry smile, "we initially sent people to survey the area, and there are at least several dozen passages below, each winding and twisting like a giant serpent crawling through the tunnels." "Ah, so it is," Xiao Yan said, his brow still furrowed, visibly troubled. "How about I send people down one by one to search each passage?" His voice, suddenly echoing from behind, belonged to Xu Ding. Turning back, Xiao Yan glanced at Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, slightly shook his head, and said, "I have no idea what dangers might still lie ahead. The Murong Iron Guild has already invested so much manpower to help me find this passage—I'm already quite satisfied. If we now ask them to enter the interior, and something unexpected happens causing injuries, that would certainly not be something I'd like to see." "Hehe, Xiao Yan, don't worry at all. The Murong Iron Guild has no one who fears death." The Murong Iron Guild members around laughed heartily. "How about this—I'll select about fifteen strong members and accompany you down there. After all, we simply can't let you go alone. Should anything go wrong, our father would surely be furious and come straight from Wutan City to deal with us." Xiao Ding paused thoughtfully before offering a gentle smile. Hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before finally nodding with a sense of resignation, remaining slightly silent and speaking in a steady tone: "However, should any unexpected situations arise below, I hope you and the others can take the lead and withdraw first. As for my own safety, please don't worry about it..." Seeing Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's serious expressions, they exchanged a glance and gave a slight nod. After last night's successful resolution of the Sand Corps' issues, they had no longer harbored any doubts about Xiao Yan's true capabilities. "Um... Master... I believe there were traces of that person's presence lingering in the lower corridor half a year ago. I think I should be able to guide you to the correct path," said Qinglin's timid voice, which unexpectedly brought a spark of surprise to Xiao Yan's brow. "Really?" Quickly turning his head, Xiao Yan gazed at Qinglin, who looked as delicate and graceful as a porcelain doll, and expressed his delight. "Yes." Gazing at Xiao Yan's delight, Qing Lin gently smiled and nodded. "Such a little girl truly proves useful, huh!" After leaping over the archway, Xiao Yan patted Qing Lin's small head and turned to Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, chuckling lightly, "Then it's settled—let's go?" "Yes, excellent," Xiao Ding nodded with a smile, glanced around the area, quickly named a few individuals, then addressed the others in a firm tone, "Once we enter, strengthen our defenses right away. We mustn't let anyone disrupt us. This sand layer isn't very solid—should anyone make a mistake, and the sand collapse, we might end up burying those who've entered alive..." "Don't worry, Commander," the members of Mo Ti Corps immediately responded with fierce expressions, their voices rising in unison, "During this time, whoever dares to enter this area—no matter who they are—we'll have to take decisive action!" "As for your younger brother, after we descend, you'll need to take charge from up here. If we don't have someone stationed above to oversee things, I won't feel completely secure." After giving instructions to everyone, Xiao Ding still felt a bit uneasy and turned slightly toward Xiao Li. Hearing this, Xiao Li—originally planning to join them downstairs—could only nod in resignation. Once everything was arranged, Xiao Ding reached over from the side and pulled out a large bundle of ropes, tested their strength, then secured them to a wooden post that had already been firmly planted. He then tossed the rope into the cave. "The passage isn't particularly steep, and these ropes are merely for safety. Should anyone below call out, the people above can quickly pull us up using the ropes." With a satisfied smile, Xiao Ding waved his hands. Seeing how thoroughly thought-out Xiao Ding was, Xiao Yan sighed and stepped forward, heading to the dark entrance of the cave, then turned to call out to Qing Lin beside him. Seeing Xiao Yan's actions, Qing Lin hurried over, her unusual emerald eyes sparkling and attentively fixed upon him. Glancing briefly at his captivating emerald gaze, Xiao Yan silently admired him, then reached out, gently wrapping Qing Lin in his arms as she stared at him in surprise, and smiled, "Then you'll show me the way later." With Xiao Yan's arms around her, Qing Lin's cheeks gradually flushed, her face lowered gently, and she nodded softly. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's go!" With a light smile, Xiao Yan nodded to Xiao Ding and then stepped forward, grabbing the rope and leaping into the dark mountain cave. "The Strange Fire... really is down there, isn't it? I hope it doesn't disappoint me..." As he swiftly moved through the passage, Xiao Yan tightened his hold on Qing Lin and murmured softly.