How could Gan Mingfeng have known any of this? Fortunately, he still had Meng Zhao to rely on. After hearing his guidance, he put on a show of pondering for a moment before saying,
"If they are merely some snakes and insects, Brother Xu can use that so-called Frost Condensing Stone to drive them all away. After all, snakes and insects possess little intelligence and mostly follow instinct. When faced with a force that may threaten them, their first choice is still to avoid it.
"But have you considered that those snakes and insects are currently clinging to the Fire Cloud Tree, sharing something akin to a symbiotic relationship with it? If we rashly strike with cold energy, I believe the more likely outcome is that it will trigger the fire-element power accumulated within the Fire Cloud Tree, causing it to erupt and turning the surroundings into a land of lava, wiping out everything."
This was not a conclusion Gan Mingfeng had reached himself. Rather, it was a warning and reminder Meng Zhao had delivered through his mouth.
It had to be said that Gan Mingfeng now felt much more admiration for Meng Zhao—not merely because of his peerless martial arts and extraordinary reputation, but because, after this encounter, he had been won over by Meng Zhao's broad knowledge and wisdom.
Xu Tingyun nodded repeatedly, somewhat relieved as he said,
"Exactly. Those snakes and insects are not difficult to handle; what is difficult is the relationship between them and the Fire Cloud Tree.
"According to what Little Meng said, this tree is rich in fire-element essence, something even Grandmaster-level experts may seek yet fail to find. Once it suffers outside stimulation and erupts, I fear we will all leave our bones buried here. We must consider this carefully."
Min Tao,