"Xu Yi is looking for clues about the Fire Spirit Land, isn't he?"
Ji Mengliang said with a smile. "If that's what he's after, I happen to know a place."
"The Netherfire Abyss!" Niu Bodang blurted out.
Ji Mengliang nodded.
Xu Yi was delighted. "Could the Fire Spirit Land be hidden in the Netherfire Abyss?"
Niu Bodang said, "The Fire Spirit Land has some very obvious signs: firebirds, Fire Ganoderma, and other strange beasts appear there in greater numbers. The Netherfire Abyss is home to large flocks of firebirds, so there's a good chance it could nurture a Fire Spirit Land. It's just..."
"It's perilous beyond measure," Ji Mengliang cut in. "Brother Xu is a sensible man, so you surely know that if such a treasure has gone unclaimed, it must be hiding some danger. The Netherfire Abyss really is perilous. Apart from the firebirds, Fire Ganoderma, and the like, which can come and go safely, no one has ever managed to venture deep inside. In all these years, I haven't heard of a single mighty expert entering it. It's precisely because it remains unexplored that the Netherfire Abyss seems all the more mysterious—and dangerous."
Xu Yi clasped his hands solemnly. "Thank you, Brother Ji, for telling me. I'll gather some information about the Netherfire Abyss and study it carefully. Since you two have a gathering to attend, I won't keep you. Another day, I'll host a banquet for you and Brothers Hu and Lang."
With that, Xu Yi took his leave.
Watching Xu Yi disappear into the distance, Ji Mengliang said, "Brother Niu, what sort of person do you think our Brother Xu is?"
"At any rate, he's not one of us," Niu Bodang said quietly.
Ji Mengliang raised his brows, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
Niu Bodang said,