Chapter 77: Could It Be the Heavenly Flame?

As the moon set and the crows cried, a faint white light emerged on the horizon of the Tagor Desert, heralding the arrival of a new day.

A weathered-looking man ran excitedly up to the sand dune and shouted, "Boss! Boss! We've found the underground passage!"

"Good work, everyone!" Xiao Ding replied with a pleased smile, dismissing the man before turning to Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai had already sensed the moment the tunnel was breached—waves of intense fire energy had begun radiating from the opening.

"Qing Lin, Qing Lin, wake up." Xiao Bai gently shook the little girl sleeping in his arms, slightly exasperated.

'This girl refused to sleep in the tent last night, insisting she'd stay here to keep me company—only to doze off herself.'

Qing Lin blinked her large, bleary eyes, rubbing them in confusion before suddenly realizing where she was. She scrambled to her feet, nervously twisting her fingers. "Young Master, I—I—"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Xiao Bai stood and patted her head reassuringly before addressing Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, and Hai Bo Dong. "Let's go take a look."

As the group headed toward the tunnel entrance, Qing Lin bit her lip, chastising herself before quickly hurrying after them.

"Such dense fire energy!" Hai Bo Dong, who had been keeping a low profile these past few days, remarked as he observed the dark, gaping hole.

"That means we're on the right track. Let's head down," Xiao Bai said, pleased by the abundant energy in the air. With Qing Lin in tow, he led the way inside.

The passage wasn't a straight vertical drop but rather a steep, downward-sloping tunnel. Still, for this group, navigating it was no different from walking on flat ground.

"Big brother, you go ahead with that guy. I'll stay up here and guard the entrance—make sure no one collapses it," Xiao Li said seriously.

"Good thinking, second brother." Xiao Ding nodded approvingly. "I'll take a few scouts with me. Be careful up here."

As long as he's not facing Xiao Bai, my little brother is always so meticulous.

"You be careful too, big brother. And… remind that arrogant bastard to watch his step," Xiao Li added after a brief hesitation, gritting his teeth.

Xiao Ding nearly laughed. 'These two…' With a nod, he called over a few men and followed Xiao Bai inside.

---

Inside the tunnel, the glow of Moonlight Stones illuminated the darkness as the group advanced to where the mercenaries had stopped digging.

At the end of the sandy passage, they reached a rocky layer riddled with over a dozen branching paths.

"With so many forks, should I send some men to scout ahead?" Xiao Ding suggested.

"No need. Just follow me," Xiao Bai said, shaking his head before casually choosing a path and walking in with Qing Lin.

Xiao Ding sighed inwardly. He just picked one at random?

"Follow him. He won't be wrong," Hai Bo Dong said as he passed Xiao Ding, noting his hesitation.

A Dou Wang could sense and manipulate heaven and earth energy, and though Hai Bo Dong was currently sealed, his perception as a Dou Huang remained. By tracking the densest energy fluctuations, he knew Xiao Bai's choice was correct.

Xiao Ding watched the mysterious old man—who had kept to himself in the Iron Desert Mercenary Group—and smiled wryly.

All my schemes and strategies seem utterly useless now. Every one of these people is impossible to read.

As they ventured deeper, the tunnel grew increasingly hot and dry. Xiao Bai knew they were nearing the magma chamber and stopped in his tracks.

He glanced back at the mercenaries Xiao Ding had brought along. Their faces were flushed, drenched in sweat—they had clearly reached their limit.

"You've all worked hard. Head back now. I've placed Moonlight Stones at every fork—just follow them out," Xiao Bai announced.

He hadn't stopped them from entering earlier because he wasn't sure if their help would be needed. But now that he could sense the magma's location, there was no reason for them to suffer further.

"Can you still hold on?" Xiao Bai asked Xiao Ding, noting the sweat on his brow.

"I can."

Xiao Bai nodded, then turned to Qing Lin, who had been quietly following him. Despite being only a first-stage Dou Zhi Qi, she seemed far more composed than Xiao Ding, a five-star Dou Master.

Xiao Bai could sense a faint, icy energy flowing within her—this was what shielded her from the heat. What an extraordinary constitution, he mused.

He had initially assumed she'd need his protection to descend, but it turned out she didn't. Even Hai Bo Dong kept shooting her curious glances.

The four of them quickened their pace, and after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they rounded a corner—where a faint red glow illuminated the tunnel ahead.

"We're here."

Xiao Bai strode toward the crimson-lit end of the passage.

A small platform marked the exit, and as they stepped onto it, they were met with a breathtaking sight—a vast underground world of fire.

A massive cavern stretched before them, filled with slowly churning magma. Enormous bubbles rose to the surface, bursting with loud pops and sending molten rock flying like fiery fireworks.

"Who would've thought such a spectacular underground world existed beneath the desert outside Stone Desert City?" Xiao Ding exclaimed, his body enveloped in a deep green glow as he wiped sweat from his brow.

---

Meanwhile, at the tunnel entrance...

Xiao Li, standing guard, noticed movement near a sand dune about a thousand meters away. Several flame-red foxes had appeared, their eyes fixed on the tunnel.

Desert Fire Foxes—common First-Rank fire-attribute magical beasts in the Tagor Desert, highly sensitive to fluctuations in fire energy. They typically built their dens in areas rich with fire energy, and some fire cultivators even tracked them to claim their lairs for cultivation.

Though magical beasts, these foxes weren't aggressive. They fed on scorpions and venomous snakes, so Xiao Li dismissed them after a glance.

They must've been drawn by the fire energy leaking from the tunnel. As long as they kept their distance, he wouldn't bother them.

But what he didn't notice was the faint snake-shaped mark hidden beneath the fur of one fox's forehead—a mark glowing with a subtle purple-black light.

---

A thousand miles away...

Amidst the rolling dunes, a bewitching, curvaceous figure suddenly turned, her regal phoenix-like eyes narrowing toward Stone Desert City.

She could feel it—the seal on the Desert Fire Fox had been triggered, releasing intense energy fluctuations.

"Such dense fire energy... Could it be a Heavenly Flame?"