"We can't?"
The crowd turned to look at Zhang Xuan.
"Un. The Black Sandstorm of Oblivion has shrouded the path ahead. Just like the lava from before, it's a trial. If we fail to clear it, we won't be able to venture deeper into the ancient domain.
"Un." President Han said.
"Un." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded.
That was indeed the case.
Only by clearing this trial would the formation for the next trial be activated. If one failed to clear it, they would be stuck in the same spot forever.
It was impossible for them to bluff their way out of this trial.
The one who had designed this ancient domain was most likely Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. How could an expert of that caliber possibly leave them with any loopholes?
Even if there were any loopholes, they wouldn't be able to pass through them with their current strength. If they were unlucky, they might even end up falling into an even more difficult trial.
"Based on the traces, Zhang Yinqiu and the others must have entered the ancient domain. But … how do we get in?"
Wu Shi asked with a deep frown on his forehead.
He had noticed the old principal's sword and the traces of a battle, so it was clear that they were headed in this direction.
However, the sandstorm before them was powerful enough to corrode even pinnacle Spirit artifacts in an instant. It was impossible for cultivators to enter it, and even if they could, they wouldn't be able to venture too deep into it, needless to say, walk out of it.
Ignoring the anxious gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the sandstorm with a deep frown.
Just like the sea of lightning, the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion was a massive formation as well. However, due to its size, it was impossible for them to decipher it even if they knew the flaws of the formation.
After studying it for a moment, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly.
Just like them, they had no other choice but to barge their way through.
"Along the way, we have either encountered Otherworldly Demons or been ambushed by them … But now, other than the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion, there isn't a single person in sight. Could it be that … if I'm not mistaken, we are heading in the wrong direction?"
Just as the crowd was at a loss, Lozosy suddenly spoke up.
"Heading in the wrong direction?" The crowd was perplexed.
"Indeed. We are currently following the traces left behind by Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu, but … if there really are Otherworldly Demons passing through the area ahead of us, the traces left behind might not necessarily be real. Perhaps, we should be able to follow the traces left behind by the Otherworldly Demons....
. "Lozosy explained her analysis.
"This …" The crowd was stunned.
"Indeed, Luo shi is right!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.
Ever since they entered the ancient domain, they had been searching for the traces left behind by the old principal. While there was nothing wrong with doing so, it would be disastrous if the traces were a trap set up by the Otherworldly Demons.
Of the Ten Great Kings of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Zhang Xuan had already killed seven of them and subdued one of them. Even though he hadn't met the Skyleaf King back at the Poison Temple, he knew just how fearsome the other party was. Under normal circumstances, the Skyleaf King should have come here after obtaining the map.
But now, he couldn't find any trace of it. It would be a lie to say that it wasn't strange!
Since the third and fourth ranked Jadeleaf King and Stoneleaf King were already here, and given how difficult it was to deal with them, the first and second ranked Jadeleaf King would surely be even more fearsome.
The fact that they hadn't made a move all this while meant that they were relying on the map to enter the area ahead of everyone else.
Since that was the case, the path they took was definitely the safest, and they could easily pass through.
"Check it out …"
Zhang Xuan leaped into the air and activated his Eye of Insight to assess his surroundings.
Previously, he had been focusing on the tracks left behind by the old principal, so he hadn't paid much attention to other areas. However, after taking a closer look, he soon realized that something was amiss.
There were indeed Otherworldly Demons passing through the area, and they had done so just a few hours ago.
"Feng Xun, I'll have to trouble you to use your Undefiled Mirror!"
Zhang Xuan said as he reached out his hand.
The Otherworldly Demons had intentionally erased all traces of their presence. Due to his current cultivation, he was unable to utilize his Eye of Insight to its limits. As such, he could only vaguely sense that someone had passed through the area, but he wasn't able to pinpoint the exact path.
The Undefiled Mirror of the Combat Master Hall should still be effective within the next few hours.
"Un."
Feng Xun nodded as he passed the mirror over. After asking about its usage, Zhang Xuan bit his finger and tapped on the mirror.
Weng!
The Undefiled Mirror flickered twice as it pointed in a certain direction.
Walking over, Zhang Xuan examined his surroundings carefully before turning to the crowd and saying, "The Otherworldly Demons have indeed passed through the area ahead. They should have entered the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion from here …"
"They entered the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion from here? Are they not afraid of the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion? "
One of the combat masters asked doubtfully.
"I don't know either …" Zhang Xuan shook his head.
Based on the direction that the Undefiled Mirror had pointed out, the Otherworldly Demons who had passed through the area several hours ago had entered from here.
However, he had also examined the area carefully, and it wasn't a flaw either. The sandstorm was still as fearsome as before, so even he couldn't tell how the Otherworldly Demons had managed to pass through the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion without sustaining any damage.
"Let me give it a try. Perhaps the sandstorm here might seem fearsome, but there might actually be an invisible passageway …"
Taking a deep breath, Wu shi walked up to Zhang Xuan.
"Be careful!"
Guild Leader Han was stunned for a moment before instructing.
This was a common occurrence in formations as well.
Even though it was the Gate of Life, it looked extremely frightening from the outside. It was impossible to detect through any means, and only by experiencing it personally would one be able to find out.
"Un." Wu Shi nodded. Taking a deep breath, he drove his zhenqi and formed a faint silver armor around his body.
Saint battle technique, Silver Armor of the True Dragon!
This was his strongest defensive battle technique, and it allowed him to shroud his entire body within it. It was perfect for dealing with the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion.
Thus, Zhang Xuan stepped forward.
Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!
As soon as Zhang Xuan stepped into the sandstorm, the sound of something crashing against the ground echoed nonstop, reminiscent of a torrential downpour.
After taking eight steps forward, Wu Shi was already forced to retreat with a pale face. The armor formed from his zhenqi had already shattered, and his face was ghastly pale.
"This won't do. Not only is the sandstorm here not weak, it's even more fearsome. It's impossible to pass through it …"
After recuperating for a moment, Wu Shi shook his head and said.
The sandstorm was extremely taxing on one's zhenqi. While he had been able to enter forty meters into the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion, seven to eight steps was already the end of the sandstorm.
"If it's impossible to pass through, how did the Otherworldly Demons enter without sustaining any damage?"
Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.
Even the Skyleaf King and Scarletleaf King, the strongest of the Ten Great Kings, couldn't possibly be so powerful as to enter the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion without sustaining any damage?
But why were the Otherworldly Demons able to enter the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion while they were unable to?
"Unless … they used some kind of artifact!"
President Han said.
"Artifact?"
"Un. There are some powerful artifacts that are capable of fending off the sandstorm. If we have a Saint high-tier artifact with us, we'll be able to barge through it without sustaining any damage …"
President Han nodded in agreement.
The Black Sandstorm of Oblivion was indeed formidable, capable of dealing damage to Spirit pinnacle artifacts and low-tier Saint artifacts in the ancient domain. However, before a Saint high-tier artifact, it was completely useless.
If they had a Saint high-tier artifact with them, they would be able to barge through the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion.
"Saint high-tier artifact … Where can we find one?"
Even though Zhang Xuan's words sounded simple, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible.
Despite his flawless tempering, the Golden Origin Cauldron had only barely been upgraded to a Saint intermediate-tier artifact. Not to mention, it was the weakest of all Saint intermediate-tier artifacts. The difficulty of forging a Saint high-tier artifact was unimaginable … As long as one was not an 8-star blacksmith, it would be nigh impossible!
"Actually, even if it isn't a Saint high-tier artifact, it's still possible to forge a Saint high-tier artifact! The Black Sandstorm of Oblivion possesses corrosive properties, and normal material artifacts won't be able to withstand it unless they reach a certain tier. However, if it's a Soul-type artifact, it won't be affected by the corrosive properties of the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion.
Lozosy assessed the situation for a moment before explaining.
As the descendant of a Sage Clan, she had seen many secrets and countermeasures to deal with formations.
"Soul-type artifact? Shouldn't that be harder to find than a Saint high-tier artifact? "
A combat master asked.
As long as one's blacksmith reached a certain level and had sufficient materials, it was possible to forge a Saint high-tier artifact. However, Soul-type artifacts were much more valuable.
Most of the time, Soul-type artifacts were formed naturally, making them extremely difficult to forge. Blacksmiths who were able to forge Soul-type artifacts were all highly esteemed, and they were even rarer than master teachers.
"Indeed! Soul-type artifacts are simply too difficult to find. Even our Qingyuan Conferred Empire's Mingshi Tang Academy isn't able to find a single one! "
"Our Yunxu College isn't able to find a single one either …"
The crowd shook their heads.
Even if Soul-type artifacts were able to ward off the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion, they were still unable to find one.
"It's a pity. I heard that the royal family of Hongyuan Empire has a Bodhi Saint Tree. It's a Soul-type innate plant. If only I knew that there was such an artifact here, I would have borrowed it directly.
That would have saved me a lot of trouble, "Mu shi remarked with a sigh.
"More importantly, who could have thought that there would be such a bizarre formation in the ancient domain?"
Wu Shi shook his head.
"Actually, it's useless even if they thought about it. I heard that the Bodhi Saint Tree of the royal family is already on the verge of death. Even if they borrowed it, it wouldn't be able to ward off the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion. Besides, the Bodhi Saint Tree is the lifeblood of the royal family, so there's no way they would lend it to us," Wu Tianqiong said.
"Indeed … How could they possibly lend it to us when the survival of the royal family is at stake? Unless they snatch it from the royal family or agree to certain conditions in the name of the Mingshi Tang Empire, it's impossible for them to do so!"
But before they could finish their words, they suddenly saw Zhang Xuan standing not too far away with a dazed look on his face. "What did you all say? The Bodhi Saint Tree … will work? "
"Of course. Even though it's not a Soul-type artifact, it's still a Soul-type innate plant. It should be able to ward off the Black Sandstorm of Oblivion …"
President Han nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, President Zhang flicked his wrist, and a huge tree appeared in his palm. He lifted it up and asked, "Is this thing … really going to work?"
"That's an entire … Bodhi Saint Tree?"
"President Zhang, did you … destroy the royal family of Hongyuan?"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
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