Searching for the Green Lotus Core Flame

What welcomed them was a huge compound, atop which was a flag swaying with the wind, where the words "Desert Metal Mercenary Company" were written in a large font. The drawing on the flag faintly emitted a firm atmosphere of blood and guts.

At the entrance, a few fierce, large men were carrying weapons in their hands and stood as still and straight as a pen. Their sharp gazes swept back and forth over the people walking past the compound. From the faint scent of blood they emitted, it was clear that they were men of iron will who had truly survived at the edge of a blade. Those novices who simply carried a weapon by their waist and thought they were mercenaries could not be compared to them.

"Qing Lin, where have you gone?"

Suddenly, a decently pretty woman dressed in tight clothing walked over, approaching them. Seeing the unfamiliar man and woman standing beside Qing Lin, she couldn't help but ask, "And who might these two be?"

Qing Lin answered timidly, "Sister Xue Lan, this is… this is Brother Li Xiao. He wants to see the Company Leaders."

Xue Lan sized up the masked Li Xiao and Lian Xue from head to toe. She couldn't sense any aura from these two people, but since they were looking for the Company Leader, they couldn't be treated poorly. She immediately made a gesture of invitation.

"Please, follow me. The Company Leaders are currently training the mercenaries. You can speak to them directly."

Passing through an alley and entering a courtyard, a burly man at the entrance greeted them with a smile.

"Yer' back already? Yer' ought to get supplies, no?"

"Something came up," Xue Lan replied casually, waving her hand. "Are the Leaders here?"

"Bet'cha," the burly man replied, and added at the end, "In the courtyard, training the newbies."

The burly man glanced at Li Xiao briefly, but then his gaze fixed on Lian Xue as if drawn by an invisible force. His eyes went wide, and he couldn't help but drool. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before.

Xue Lan kicked the burly man's thigh hard, making him grimace in pain.

"Ouch, what the hell yer' doin'?! That friggin' hurts!"

"Stop ogling, it's disgusting." Xue Lan, crossing her arms, shot him a death glare. "These two are guests. If the Leaders find out, you'll be beaten to death!"

The burly man scratched his head awkwardly, but Lian Xue's beauty was now etched deep into his mind, likely keeping him awake all night.

Ignoring the commotion, Lian Xue followed her master inside.

In the courtyard, two figures were sparring intensely. The surrounding crowd cheered loudly with excitement.

"Awesome!" laughed Xiao Li heartily, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Big brother, you're still so strong."

Xiao Ding, also drenched in sweat, replied, "Stop flattering me. I just wonder how Little Yan is doing now."

"Leaders," Xue Lan waved, "We have guests who wish to see you."

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li turned to look at Li Xiao and Lian Xue. Their eyes widened upon seeing Lian Xue, who possessed an ethereal beauty that could captivate anyone, even making women feel an urge to bend right away.

However, they quickly composed themselves, smiling awkwardly as they approached.

"Hello, I'm Xiao Ding, the leader of the Desert Metal Mercenary Group. This is my younger brother, Xiao Li, the vice leader."

"What brings you here?" Xiao Ding asked curiously.

"I have a commission for you to find something for me."

Li Xiao took out a map from his pocket and handed it over.

The brothers took the map, glanced at each other, and decided to offer hospitality. They immediately asked Qing Lin to prepare tea.

Qing Lin, without any complaint, left to prepare the tea.

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, the two brothers, looked at the map on the table, showing a trace of surprise. They had never seen such a detailed map, with even the locations of various forces clearly marked. It was simply unbelievable.

Xiao Li stroked his chin, pointing to a spot with a flame symbol on the map. "This place marked with a flame seems to be in the southeastern part of Rock Desert City, but there's nothing particularly unusual there."

"I led a team to search that area a few times during missions. It's just a plain desert."

Xiao Ding spoke softly, "What exactly is Brother Li Xiao looking for?"

"Forgive me, I can't tell you," Li Xiao said. "But, I can confirm the location is certainly in the eastern part of Rock Desert City. What I seek is there."

Saying this, Li Xiao took out a bag of gold coins and handed it over. "Here are a hundred gold coins as a deposit for the search. Once the task is completed, I will prepare another thousand gold coins for you."

Upon hearing this, the two brothers glanced at each other, exchanging gazes. They hadn't expected this person to be such a big customer, spending a total of one thousand one hundred gold coins just to search for something so vague.

Even an S-level mission would only earn them a few hundred gold coins, and that required the entire group's participation. But this man in front of them seemed unconcerned about such a huge sum of money.

"Then we shall give it a try."

Xiao Li couldn't refuse such a large sum of gold coins, so he nodded in agreement. The location given by Li Xiao was actually situated on the fringes of their rival, the Sand Mercenary Group's territory, but for the money, they were willing to give it a shot.

As the saying goes, "People die for wealth as birds die for food." If they didn't try, they would never know.

The Desert Metal Mercenary Group mobilized all its members for this search. For those below the Dou Master level, a few thousand gold coins were a huge sum. They wouldn't miss such a good opportunity.

Soon, they arrived at the Sand Mercenary Group's territory. Xiao Li led the search party, expecting results soon based on the original plan. However, to prevent interference from the Sand Mercenary Group, Xiao Ding arranged for patrols around the perimeter to alert them at any sign of trouble.

Lian Xue picked up a handful of sand, sensing the violent energy within. She turned to Li Xiao and said, "Master, we can confirm it's below us. We just need to find the entrance."

Li Xiao nodded. Finally, the nineteenth-ranked Heavenly Flame on the Heavenly Flame List, the Green Lotus Core Flame, was within their reach.

Lian Xue dusted off her hands. They had confirmed the flame was within this area, but finding the entrance was another matter altogether.

Xiao Ding approached with a smile. "Brother Li Xiao, don't worry. We have some experts in our group skilled in locating underground passages. It shouldn't be difficult to find the entrance."

Li Xiao nodded politely, also smiling. "Thank you, brother."

While the Desert Metal Mercenary Group searched for the entrance, Lian Xue looked towards a distant sand dune.

"Master, some pests are approaching."

"If they interfere, kill them."

Li Xiao's eyes which usually radiated warm and friendly feeling instantly turned cold. The Sand Mercenary Group was known for its evil deeds, and he had good reasons for picking the Xiao brothers over them.

Lian Xue nodded. If they dared to come, there was no need to hold back as the Pavilion Master also seemed to despise them greatly.

Time flew by.

The sky gradually darkened, and the temperature around them dropped significantly.

The search party hadn't responded yet. To avoid the cold night, Xiao Ding arranged for the group to set up camp and start a fire, so the brothers outside could have a hot meal upon their return.

"Leader, the third squad seems to have found signs of a passage!"

At that moment, a mercenary ran over, shouting loudly.

Hearing this, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's eyes lit up. They hadn't expected to find the passage so quickly. It seemed this money would be earned easily.