Chapter 1055: Luo Ruoxi's Suggestion

"Can't?"

Everyone looked over.

"Hmm, this Black Annihilation Dust Sand covers the entire road ahead. It should be a trial like the lava before. If we don't pass it, we can't enter deeper and will forever wander on the periphery."

President Han said.

"Yes!" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Indeed.

This kind of sealed trial only activates the next formation if you pass this one. If you can't pass, you can only stay put.

It was clearly impossible to use tricks to bluff through.

The one who designed this relic was most likely the ancient sage Qiu Wu. How could such a super-strong expert leave them loopholes to exploit?

Even if there were loopholes, their strength wasn't enough to exploit them, and they might fall into even more severe trials, with life and death beyond their control.

"Based on the traces, Zhang Yinqiu and the others definitely entered here, but... how do we get in?"

After circling the spot, Master Wu's brow was furrowed into a knot.

They had found the old dean's sword and traces of battle, clearly heading this way.

But this dust sand could instantly corrode even top-grade spiritual artifacts. Practitioners couldn't enter at all, and even if they could, they probably couldn't go deep, let alone cross the range.

Ignoring everyone's anxiety, Zhang Xuan frowned and looked carefully.

The Black Annihilation Dust Sand before him, like the Thunder Sea earlier, was part of a large formation. Its range was too vast; even knowing its flaws, limited by strength, he couldn't break it.

After studying for a while, he shook his head helplessly.

The result was the same as theirs: only by forcing through, no other way.

"Along our journey, we've either encountered alien clansmen or been ambushed by them... Now, besides this Black Annihilation Dust Sand, there's no trace of anyone. Could it be... if I'm not mistaken, the direction we're searching is wrong!"

Just as everyone was at a loss, Luo Ruoxi suddenly spoke.

"Direction of pursuit?" Everyone was puzzled.

"Right, we're now following the traces left by the old dean Zhang Yinqiu. But... what if alien clansmen really passed ahead of us? Those traces might not be real... Could we instead follow the traces of the alien clansmen? That way, it might be safer!"

Luo Ruoxi stated her analysis.

"This..." Everyone was stunned.

"Right, Master Luo is very correct!"

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

After entering the relic, they had been searching for traces left by the old dean. Although this approach wasn't wrong, if those traces were traps set by the alien clansmen, it would be disastrous.

Of the ten kings of the Qingtian lineage of the alien clan, he had already killed seven and subdued one. The most powerful, Tianye King, though they hadn't met in the Poison Hall, was known to be formidable... Under normal circumstances, having obtained the map, he would surely come here too...

But now there was no trace at all; it would be strange not to find it odd!

The third and fourth ranked, Yuye King and Shiye King, had both come and were so hard to deal with. The first and second ranked must be even more terrifying.

They hadn't made a move yet, indicating... relying on the map, they must have entered ahead, faster than their group!

If so, the path they took must be the safest and easiest to pass.

"Let me check..."

With a flicker, Zhang Xuan flew up, his Eye of Insight moving as he looked around.

Previously, he had focused on the traces left by the old dean and hadn't paid much attention to other things. Now, observing carefully, he soon noticed something amiss.

Indeed, alien clansmen had passed through here, just a few hours ago.

"Feng Xun, may I borrow your Stainless Mirror?"

Landing, Zhang Xuan reached out.

These alien clansmen had deliberately erased their traces. With his current strength too low, his Eye of Insight couldn't reach its limit; he could only vaguely tell that someone had passed, but couldn't find the specific path.

Within a few hours, the War Master Hall's Stainless Mirror should still be effective.

"Yes."

Feng Xun nodded and handed it over. After asking how to use it, Zhang Xuan followed suit, biting his finger and pressing it on the mirror.

Hum!

The Stainless Mirror flickered twice, indicating a direction.

Following the direction, after carefully discerning for a while, Zhang Xuan looked at everyone: "The alien clansmen indeed passed ahead. They should have entered the Black Annihilation Dust Sand from here..."

"Entered from here? Aren't they afraid of this?"

A war master asked doubtfully.

"I don't know either..." Zhang Xuan shook his head.

According to the direction indicated by the Stainless Mirror, the alien clansmen who passed a few hours ago had indeed entered from here.

But he had also studied it carefully; this place was not a flaw either. The wind and sand were still terrifying. How the other party had entered and emerged unscathed, even he couldn't tell.

"Let me try. Perhaps the wind and sand here look terrifying, but there's actually an invisible passage..."

Taking a deep breath, Master Wu stepped forward.

"Be careful..."

Startled, President Han instructed.

Such things were common in formations.

A life gate might look terrifying from the outside, undetectable by any means, only discoverable through personal experience.

"Yes." Nodding, Master Wu didn't say much. He took a deep breath, and true qi surged out, forming a pale silver armor on his body surface.

Saint-level martial technique: True Dragon Silver Armor!

This was his strongest defensive technique, capable of covering his entire body, most suitable for dealing with this Black Annihilation Dust Sand.

He stepped inside.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Entering the dust sand, the sound of impact came incessantly, like heavy rain beating on banana leaves.

After advancing seven or eight steps, Master Wu retreated with a pale face. The armor formed by true qi had shattered, his face pale, and he staggered slightly.

"No good. The dust sand here is not weaker but even more terrifying. There's no way through..."

After regulating his breath for a while and fully recovering, Master Wu shook his head.

The dust sand consumed a huge amount of true qi. With the lava, he could advance forty meters, but here, seven or eight steps was the limit.

"If there's no way through, how did the alien clansmen enter unscathed?"

Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

Even Tianye King and Hongye King, the top of the ten kings, couldn't be that strong to enter directly without harm, right?

But why could they enter while they had no way?

"Unless... they used some kind of treasure."

President Han said.

"Treasure?"

"Yes, some powerful treasures can completely block this wind and sand. If we had a high-grade saint artifact now, we could charge straight through without harm..."

President Han nodded.

Although the Black Annihilation Dust Sand was fierce and could damage top-grade spiritual artifacts and some low-grade saint artifacts, it was useless against treasures of the high-grade saint artifact level.

With such a treasure, even without finding a life gate, one could force through.

"High-grade saint artifact... where to find one..."

He said it simply, but Zhang Xuan knew it was nearly impossible.

The Jinyuan Cauldron, such a powerful treasure, after his flawless forging, had only barely advanced to a mid-grade saint artifact, and was among the lowest. The difficulty of forging a high-grade one was unimaginable... Unless one was an eighth-rank artifact smith, it was almost completely impossible!

"Actually, not just high-grade saint artifacts; some special treasures can also work. The Black Annihilation Dust Sand has corrosive properties. Normal material treasures, unless they reach a certain level, cannot withstand it. But soul-type treasures are different; they are immune to damage and can use their scattered soul power to block it..."

Luo Ruoxi observed for a while and said slowly.

As a descendant of a sage clan, she was knowledgeable and knew many secrets and countermeasures for formations.

"Soul-type treasures? Shouldn't those be even harder to find than high-grade saint artifacts?"

A war master couldn't help saying.

High-grade saint artifacts, as long as the artifact smith's level was sufficient and materials enough, could be forged. But treasures involving the soul were precious.

They were usually naturally formed and hard to forge. Artifact smiths who could forge soul artifacts held high status, not weaker than master teachers of the same rank, and were even rarer.

"Yes! Soul-type treasures are too hard to find. Even our Qingyuan Title Empire Master Teacher Hall can't find one!"

"Our Yunxu Academy can't find one either..."

Everyone shook their heads.

Even if soul-type treasures could block the Black Annihilation Dust Sand, they couldn't find one, so it was as good as saying nothing.

"What a pity. I heard that the Hongyuan Empire's royal family has a Sacred Domain Bodhi Tree, a soul-type innate plant. If I had known about this, I would have borrowed it directly and saved a lot of trouble..."

Master Mu on the side sighed.

"Who could have thought of so much? That there would be such a bizarre formation in the relic..."

Master Wu shook his head.

"Even if we thought of it, it's useless. I heard that the royal family's Bodhi Tree is almost dead. Borrowing it would probably kill it, and it couldn't drive away the dust sand. Besides, it's the royal family's lifeline; they definitely wouldn't lend it..." Wu Tianqiong said.

"Yes... It concerns the survival of a royal family. How could they lend it? Unless we directly attack and seize it, or in the name of the Master Teacher Hall, agree to certain conditions, otherwise it's impossible!"

Before their sighs finished, they saw Zhang Xuan not far away, looking dazed: "What did you say? The Sacred Domain Bodhi Tree... would also work?"

"Of course. Although it's not a soul-type treasure, it's a soul-type innate plant. It would definitely be effective against this Black Annihilation Dust Sand..."

President Han nodded and was about to continue, when he saw Dean Zhang not far away flip his wrist, and a large tree appeared in his palm, held up: "This thing... can it really work?"

"Is this a whole... Sacred Domain Bodhi Tree?"

"Dean Zhang, did you... wipe out the Hongyuan royal family?"

Everyone was dumbfounded.