Within the pitch-black passage, Xiao Yan clung tightly to the green-scale creature in his arms, their bodies continuously sliding down due to the incline of the passage. In the little creature's hands, a moonstone glowed with a soft, gentle light, allowing Xiao Yan to clearly discern whether there were any obstructions ahead. Nearby, behind Xiao Yan and the green-scale creature, a dozen faint glimmers trailed closely behind, the hissing sounds of their bodies pressing against the walls echoing steadily through the passage. As they slid downward, Xiao Yan glanced along the sides of the passage. After a while, he was momentarily stunned to realize that the passage was remarkably smooth—almost entirely devoid of any stones projecting from the walls. It appeared as though the passage had been forcefully carved out by an immense, powerful energy column. After the downward speed had continued for nearly two or three minutes, Xiao Yan could now see the bottom of the corridor. He slightly bent his feet, and after a moment, with a soft thud, his body arched and landed gracefully, fully absorbing the rebound force through the slight bend and stretch of his limbs. Upon landing, Xiao Yan loosened the green-scale girl in his arms and took a few steps forward, scanning the path ahead. Indeed, he found there were no less than fifteen dark, narrow passageways. Shaking his head in resignation, he smiled at Qinglin, "Feel them out, okay? Otherwise, it would take several days just to fully explore these fifteen corridors." "Hm." Nodding lightly, Qinglin held onto Xiao Yan's hand, her eyes blinking slightly. Around the edges of her emerald pupils, three tiny green dots appeared silently and imperceptibly. The light within the passage was quite dim, so even Xiao Yan failed to notice any change in Qinglin's eyes. As Qinglin gradually closed her eyes and sensed the atmosphere around her, the surroundings once again settled into a quiet calm. A few moments later, a series of faint, muffled sounds came from behind, signaling that Xiao Ding and his companions had arrived. Xiao Yan slightly turned his head, made a quiet gesture toward Xiao Ding and the others who had landed, then pointed to Qinglin, who was closed in meditation. Seeing Xiao Yan's motion, Xiao Ding nodded slightly and gave a signal; the others who had landed behind him responded instantly, silently suppressing their questions. After placing the rope securely, Xiao Ding and the other members of Mo Ti Company slowly drew their weapons and advanced cautiously, forming a protective shield around Xiao Yan and Qinglin, their vigilant eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. Silence lasted for a moment, then Qinglin gradually opened her emerald eyes, pointing gently with her small finger toward a passage slightly to the left and speaking softly, "Master, while several of the other passages still carry traces of residual energy, this one is the most intense. It seems that this person stayed here the longest—over six months ago." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's gaze shifted to that dark passage, which appeared notably long. As his eyes swept along it, the deep blackness stretched out before him, and he couldn't help but furrow his brows at the sight. Turning to Xiao Ding, Xiao Yan met his gaze and took a steady breath, intending to be the first to step forward—only to be suddenly stopped by Xiao Ding. "Wait a moment," Xiao Ding gently shook his head, then turned to a sturdy man and said, "Huang, go check if there's anything special hidden within this passage." "Understood." "Heard this, the tall man named Haim nodded and stepped forward to the dark passage, then bent down, pressing his side against the sand while firmly inserting both hands into the sand surface." "What is this?" Haim's unusual actions caught Xiao Yan's surprise, prompting him to ask. "Haim's elemental attribute is a variant of the Earth type—specifically, Sand. Therefore, in the desert, he can sense hidden energies that others might fail to detect." Xiao Ding explained. "In unfamiliar terrain, we must remain cautious. Haphazardly rushing ahead isn't a wise course of action." "Ah, the Haim Iron Guild is truly full of remarkable individuals. This kind of teamwork is certainly far better than me moving around randomly." Xiao Yan smiled, expressing a sense of appreciation. "Nothing remarkable—just some basic survival tricks." Xiao Ding casually shook his head, then looked up at the man who had just finished his detection. "How's it going?" "Not yet detected..." Hanmu shook his head, frowning, and chuckled with a touch of weariness. "I've scanned nearly five hundred meters and haven't found any other concealed energies. However, just as I was about to delve deeper, I noticed that the earth-based energy had completely vanished—replaced entirely by an intensely hot, fiery energy. Under such conditions, my detection capabilities have become utterly ineffective." "Has the earth-based energy truly disappeared?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan and Xiao Ding both were startled. In the heart of this desert, earth energy should be the most abundant—how could it have completely vanished here? "Indeed, something seems rather unusual," Xiao Yan murmured softly, a flame of excitement flickering in his dark eyes. The more strange the situation, the greater the likelihood of encountering the rare fire spirit. For Xiao Yan, who had been tirelessly searching for this elusive fire spirit, it was undoubtedly a most encouraging development. Seeing Xiao Yan's demeanor, Xiao Ding shook his head helplessly, and the words he had intended to offer to caution him had to be swallowed down. "Let's go in and take a look. If anything seems amiss, I suggest we retreat first, then reassess. After all, we already know the terrain here. With a bit of time, we should be able to reach our objectives." Xiao Ding spoke firmly. Xiao Yan smiled, gently running his hand along the Xu Cheng Chi on his back, exhaled softly, placed Qing Lin behind him, and then stepped forward into the dark passage. As he stepped into the dark passage, Xiao Yan felt a chill run through his body. He licked his lips, gently scanning the smooth cave walls with his eyes slightly narrowed, then rubbed his fingers on his jade talisman, quickly pressing a breath-restoring pill into his mouth. This routine had become almost instinctive—each time he began a task, as the faint qi might just prove decisive in determining life or death. … Several figures, illuminated by the glow of the moonstone, moved slowly through the dark passage. Uncertain of the dangers ahead, they all remained silent in unison. The only sound was the soft rustling of their footsteps, and otherwise, the passage was utterly still. In this deep, black channel, time seemed to lose its meaning. They advanced stiffly, as if walking steadily toward the very heart of the earth, yet the passage appeared to stretch on endlessly—its end always out of sight. This sensation… was as though they were progressing ever deeper into the earth’s core. As they journeyed further, Xiao Yan suddenly noticed the coolness that had enveloped him fade away, replaced instead by a gentle warmth. Feeling this change, Xiao Yan's steps gradually slowed, slightly turning his head to gaze at Xiao Ding and the others. Observing the astonishment on their faces, he gently licked his lips and spoke in a low voice: "So it wasn't the earth-energy that had vanished—it was rather that the fire-energy here was so concentrated that it had completely suppressed the earth-energy, making it nearly undetectable." "Given how intense the fire-energy already was merely upon entering this range, what must it be like further down? Could there truly be a unique fire beneath us?" Xiao Ding said, visibly amazed. Xiao Yan bit his lips, flames of yearning rising in his eyes. The strange fire—ever since he had practiced the Burned Technique—had always been his dream of a celestial wonder. Now, it was about to truly come before him. This sudden surge of happiness nearly made his body tremble with excitement. Everything arranged, Xiao Yan tightened his fists and then took another steady step forward, moving deeper into the increasingly profound passage. As the group progressed, the intensity of the fire-based energy around them grew stronger, and several members with slightly weaker capabilities began to struggle under the rising heat, eventually choosing to retreat. Although some withdrew, the advance continued, and by the end, only Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding, and Qing Lin remained steadfast, while the others could no longer endure the increasingly turbulent fire energy and all exited. As they went deeper, Xiao Yan's expression grew steadily more serious, yet beneath that seriousness, a subtle sense of exhilaration shimmered—because he could feel that the pathways of his Burned Technique were now automatically driving the purple flame qi into rapid motion, without any conscious effort on his part. This had never happened before in his entire cultivation journey. "It's finally here..." Turning the corner once more, a vibrant glow appeared at the far end of the corridor. Seeing this, Xiao Yan's body trembled with excitement, wiping away the sweat from his face, his voice hoarse and dry.