Chapter 405: Abandoned
The Endless Sea of Sand was already desolate enough, but compared to the Deadly Sea of Sand, it still paled in comparison.
Inside the Deadly Sea of Sand, there was no trace of green, nor any sign of life.
As the three continued their journey, they had covered a considerable distance within the Deadly Sea of Sand, yet they had not seen any living beings.
The high mountains within the Deadly Sea of Sand had been mostly leveled by the fierce winds. Occasionally, they came across a few small hills, but they were heavily weathered and seemed close to disappearing completely.
The sand dunes were constantly shifting; after a strong wind, the original dunes would vanish, and new ones would form elsewhere.
In such an environment, there were hardly any distinctive landmarks to serve as reference points.
The three of them had to use their pathfinding spells frequently to ensure they stayed on course.
For some reason, using pathfinding spells in this place was exceptionally difficult and prone to failure, even for a cultivator like Meng Zhang, who had completed the Foundation Building stage.
They made their way with stumbling steps, and their speed was not particularly fast.
After flying a long distance, they took advantage of a lull in the wind and rested behind a wind-protected sand dune.
Without wasting any words, they took out spirit stones and began meditating to recover their true qi.
Once they had enough rest, they left the spot and continued forward.
Although Jin Qiao'er had heard a lot about the Deadly Sea of Sand from her master, she realized that it was one thing to talk about it and another to experience it in person.
Meng Zhang and Jue Ying had obtained a wealth of information from Luo Ye Daoist Master, but entering the Deadly Sea of Sand showed that the situation was much worse than they had imagined.
At this point, Jue Ying demonstrated her remarkable ability to adapt and survive in such harsh environments. Whenever they faced challenges, she was the first to come up with solutions.
Both Meng Zhang and Jin Qiao'er admired Jue Ying and were glad to have her as a companion on this journey.
During their travels, they encountered several groups of roaming sand monsters. If the number and strength of the sand monsters were manageable, the three of them easily dealt with them. However, if they encountered a large group, they chose to avoid unnecessary battles to conserve their energy.
The Deadly Sea of Sand was teeming with sand monsters, and killing them all was an impossible task. To save their strength, they actively avoided many unnecessary fights.
Only when they couldn't avoid confrontation did they engage in a major battle.
After this pattern of traveling, fighting, and resting, the three of them spent almost half a month before arriving near their destination.
Emerald Lake, once a vast lake known for its emerald-green waters, had completely dried up since the formation of the Deadly Sea of Sand, leaving not a single drop of water in sight.
With the lake water gone, the dry lakebed and high riverbed were exposed.
This was one of the few more distinct features in the Deadly Sea of Sand, often used as a significant reference point by those who traveled through it. The name "Emerald Lake" had been preserved.
Many smaller lakes and tributaries once surrounded Emerald Lake, but they had long disappeared.
Upon arriving, Jin Qiao'er pointed northwest and said, "There are many caves there where sand monster seed nests are born."
"It is said that every birth of a sand monster seed consumes Spirit Essence. My master deeply pities these sand monsters, considering them as squandering natural treasures."
Hearing this, Meng Zhang couldn't help but ask, "Miss Qiaoer, if your master disapproves of these actions, why doesn't she intervene?"
Jin Qiao'er shook her head and replied, "Other Gold Core Daoist Masters dare not enter the Deadly Sea of Sand. Although my master frequents the area, she cannot act easily."
"My master didn't tell me the specific details; I only know that it involves an agreement among Primordial Spirit True Monarchs."
Upon hearing the involvement of Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, Meng Zhang decided not to inquire further. For him, Primordial Spirit True Monarchs were on a level too high for him to get involved in their matters.
"Because Foundation Building stage cultivators occasionally come to seize Spirit Essence, the sand monsters migrated westward in recent years."
"I'm not sure exactly where they settled, but I know the general direction."
Jin Qiao'er felt a little embarrassed. It was evident that she had exaggerated her intelligence a bit to join the journey.
Since they had all arrived at this point, Meng Zhang didn't say much more. Jue Ying directly stated their next course of action.
"I'll go to the original location and see if there are any traces left by the sand monster groups."
Jue Ying's plan made sense, and they followed her lead, searching northwest.
To ensure efficient searching and prevent any oversight, the three separated and advanced simultaneously.
Within the Deadly Sea of Sand, Meng Zhang felt as if an intangible force enveloped the entire area.
This force weighed heavily on him, distracting his focus. His talented Divine Ability, the Deception Breaking Eye, was heavily affected here, making it challenging for him to see far ahead.
After flying a considerable distance, Meng Zhang made the first discovery.
Many large and small openings appeared on the ground ahead, leading directly into the depths.
Even more entrances had been buried by the continuously blowing sand.
Familiar with the habits of sand monsters, Meng Zhang could tell at a glance that these were abandoned sand monster nests.
When sand monsters abandoned their original nests and migrated, they would take away the most critical core of the nest and the Spirit Source Pearls. In abandoned sand monster nests, there would hardly be anything useful left.
However, Meng Zhang wasn't in a hurry because he had a lead.
Although he couldn't directly use the Grand Evolving Fortune to calculate the location of the Spirit Essence, he could use the Grand Evolving Fortune to calculate the whereabouts of the sand monster group that had once built their nest here, as long as there were no Third Rank sand monsters among them.
According to Jin Qiao'er, the nearby nests of sand monsters were all guards. Their duty was to protect the newly-born nest seeds.
Once new sand monster nests were born, they would find their way into the Endless Sea of Sand and slowly grow into a great threat to the Endless Sea of Sand Cultivation World.
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