After receiving the insider information, Jiang Kai immediately ordered everyone to pack up the camp quickly and head south from King's Valley.

  Time was tight, and the squad jogged down the fork leading to the Burning Pins.

  As they approached the Burning Pins, the surrounding terrain gradually transformed.

  The temperature rose steadily, the sky grew darker, and the once sparse, heat-resistant vegetation gave way to cracked earth. Through the fissures, faint red light glimmered as odorless bck smoke seeped upward.

  When the squad finally entered the Burning Pins, the ft terrain was riddled with cracks, and the dark sky seemed to merge with the rising bck mist.

  Perhaps the gloomy atmosphere of the pins itself was a result of this omnipresent bck smoke.

  Although the area cked direct sunlight, the temperature was even higher than in the Ironcd Drake's territory, as if the entire Burning Pins were a massive furnace.

  "It's so hot!" Ruan Yu compined, unzipping the side of his brown bear armor.

  Around them, scattered strange trees jutted out of the cracked ground. These trees were charred bck, with no leaves, only grotesquely twisted branches.

  "These are Heavenfire Trees," Su Nuannuan expined, gncing at her wristband. "Their bark is charred due to their unique properties. Trees over 30 years old can transform into Heavenfire Tree Spirits, which, when defeated, may drop Heart of Fire Trees—a material used to enhance fire-reted effects."

  Jiang Kai took a closer look at the trees, suspecting that his Pyromaniac skill might have been made using the Heart of Fire Trees. However, there was no time to study the trees further.

  In the first half-hour of their journey, Jiang Kai noticed several teams also heading deeper into the pins.

  "Captain Kai," Hu Yan began expining as they moved, "the Burning Pins are different from King's Valley. The monsters here are mostly from the Infernal category. Unlike other pces where beasts have well-defined territories, in the Burning Pins, multiple creatures share the same area. This makes their distribution broader."

  Multiple types of creatures sharing the same area meant a rger range for each region. Consequently, finding a specific creature was much harder.

  Jiang Kai checked his map and noted that the Ghoul King's designated area, the Ashen Lands, was enormous—seven to eight times the size of a typical Great Bck Ape territory.

  Just crossing the Ashen Lands would take four to five days on foot under normal circumstances.

  Searching for a hidden, injured Ghoul King within such an area was a daunting task.

  "Captain Kai, that's a Supreme Guild squad." Yuan Zhu pointed towards a group about seventy or eighty meters away.

  It was a five-person team with uniforms beled "Supreme – Python Squad."

  Their direction matched that of the Fire God Squad, and their cautious gnces suggested mutual wariness.

  There were even more teams heading towards the Ashen Lands. Roughly 200 meters away, a seven-person squad was also advancing, though they were too far away to identify.

  In the distance, shadows of additional teams moved steadily forward.

  "As expected, everyone who got the news is rushing over," Jiang Kai muttered. "And considering the teams already in the Ashen Lands, this contest will be far more competitive than I imagined."

  The Supreme Guild's team seemed stronger than Fire God Squad, quickly overtaking them.

  "They're all high-tier squads. We don't have the speed to compete," Ruan Yu remarked with a frown.

  Jiang Kai was also frustrated. He wanted to outpace the Supreme Guild team, but the disparity in levels and stats was insurmountable.

  He gnced back at Su Nuannuan, who had been quiet since reporting the Heavenfire Tree information. Her flushed cheeks and bored breathing made it clear—she was struggling to keep up.

  Despite being exhausted, she pushed herself silently to avoid falling behind.

  In previous battles, Yuan Zhu, as a core combatant, was prioritized for leveling. Ruan Yu, with his high starting level, was also brought to max level first. Hu Yan, already a second-tier level 10, didn't need urgent upgrades. Only Su Nuannuan, now level 12, gged behind.

  Despite this, she never compined about Jiang Kai's allocation decisions.

  As a low-level healer, her tenacity was remarkable. She refused to slow the team down, no matter how hard it was.

  This girl is just as resilient as ever, Jiang Kai thought. Not like your average healer at all.

  Suddenly, Jiang Kai stopped. "Everyone, take a break."

  The others, noticing Su Nuannuan's condition, immediately understood and paused.

  "Here, have some water," Ruan Yu offered her a bottle.

  "Sorry… for holding everyone back…" she stammered, accepting the bottle.

  Jiang Kai smiled. "What's this about holding us back? We're a team. Besides, aimlessly searching isn't helping either... "

  Hu Yan chimed in, "The Ashen Lands are vast. With so many teams searching for the Ghoul King, we can't compete in terms of speed or stamina."

  "Blindly running around won't help. Even if we were the first team there, it'd still be difficult to win against higher-tier squads."

  Ruan Yu nodded. "I was thinking the same."

  "What do we do, then?" Yuan Zhu asked, frowning.

  Jiang Kai pondered for a moment. "I was just thinking… Against all these high-tier teams, we're at a disadvantage. But does Fire God Squad really have no edge?"

  His question left everyone deep in thought.

  In a competition teeming with experts, what could Fire God Squad rely on to locate the Ghoul King first?

  While the team was lost in thought, Su Nuannuan suddenly spoke up, "Doesn't it just come down to luck?"

  Yes—luck. Beyond that intangible factor, Fire God Squad had no other advantages.

  "How about asking Hu Yan to divine our chances of finding the Ghoul King?" Yuan Zhu suggested.

  "I can't predict something that precise!" Hu Yan protested.

  However, Su Nuannuan's comment sparked an idea in Jiang Kai's mind.

  "Luck… no, it's not about luck!" Jiang Kai excimed, startling everyone.

  Ignoring their confused stares, he turned to Hu Yan with an intense gaze. "Our team's edge is you!"

  Hu Yan froze, overwhelmed by Jiang Kai's fiery determination. "W-What? You mean… divination?"

  "No, not divination!" Jiang Kai said, shaking his head.

  "Then… Praying for rain? But what does that have to do with finding the Ghoul King?"

  "Hu Yan, don't you remember? Your starting css is Feng Shui Master."

  "Most teams don't have a Feng Shui Master on their roster. But Fire God Squad does!" Jiang Kai expined excitedly. "Relying on luck is pointless. Hundreds of squads might converge here—why would we be the luckiest?"

  "The Ghoul King is injured and in hiding. A hellish creature like that would naturally seek the pce with the densest yin energy to rest, wouldn't it?"

  After a brief pause, Hu Yan's eyes lit up. "Yes, the most yin-heavy spot!"

  "Not necessarily the densest," Jiang Kai corrected. "It wouldn't dare encroach on a King-tier BOSS's territory. Eliminate King-tier and other Warlord zones, and you can use Feng Shui to pinpoint the next most yin-heavy location in the Ashen Lands. That's likely where it's hiding."

  Realization dawned on Hu Yan. His eyes sparkled with newfound confidence.

  "Feng Shui is my specialty. Give me a moment—I'll find where the Ghoul King is hiding!"

  ═?═?═?═?═?═?═

  patreon.com/AmbitiousTranstor

  ??Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.?? You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.

  https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y