Chapter 1736: Ice and Snow World

Calling it a spirit beast was inaccurate. After receiving its consciousness, Zhang Xuan understood. This entity was indeed a tree, not a Saint Beast.

Confucius had obtained it from outside this world and left it here to guard this area. It was called the Sand Fiend Wood. With enough power, it could turn anything it touched into sand and then imbue it with a spirit for its own use. This applied not only to humans but also to weapons and even Saint Beasts.

While this sounded formidable, its control was limited by its soul power; it could only manage a few sand giants. With its current ability, two late-stage Undying Realm entities were its limit. After its submission, Zhang Xuan, as its master, could also command this power. Even then, he could only control three additional late-stage Undying Realm beings at most. This meant that, including himself, they could command five late-stage Undying Realm experts, but forming an army was certainly impossible.

However, as its strength grew, its control would undoubtedly increase. It might even become a significant asset against the Qiling Tribe members. Overall, if used properly, this entity was more powerful than the Five Great Kings. After all, it could transform any deceased person whose strength didn't exceed its own into sand, and that alone was enough to terrify countless individuals. Although the sand giants weren't as strong as they were in life, they were immune to injury and fearless of death. As long as it could continuously imbue spirits, it effectively had endless life. Encountering them at the same cultivation level would undoubtedly be a major headache.

"I could give it to Wang Ying..." A thought sparked in his mind. Keeping this magical artifact for himself wouldn't be very useful, but if he gave it to Wang Ying, it would definitely enhance her combat prowess, perhaps even surpassing Zheng Yang if utilized effectively.

He recalled that Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and others, accompanied by the Combat Master Hall and the Spirit Awakener Guild, should have also entered, though he didn't know which world they had been teleported to.

"There must be an exit here somewhere. Where is it?" Pushing these thoughts aside, Zhang Xuan looked at the Sand Fiend Wood before him. This entity hadn't killed many people directly; those they fought earlier were merely re-animated beings. If it were truly bloodthirsty, Confucius likely wouldn't have allowed it to survive.

"Right beneath the great tree..." As it spoke, the Sand Fiend Wood's jade-like roots twisted. Boom! The ground shook, and all the sand vanished simultaneously, as if absorbed by something. Immediately afterward, everyone saw a spinning, portal-like seal appear where the great tree had stood.

"So the entire desert was under your control; no wonder your roots could extend to every corner..." Zhang Xuan exhaled in relief, storing all the beasts back into his ring. He then turned to the others and said, "I'm entering this portal. If you wish to follow, come with me. If not, you can stay here to cultivate. Without the sand, cultivating here should be significantly better than outside!" With the yellow sand gone, the air was no longer scorching. The spiritual energy was as dense as in the previous forest, and the 'Teacher's Aura' had returned. If they chose to avoid danger and cultivate here, they would certainly make rapid progress, making the journey worthwhile.

"I wish to accompany Senior!" "I think I'll stay. It's too dangerous, and a great opportunity is only useful if you're alive to enjoy it..." They quickly divided into two groups: some wanted to stay, while others wanted to leave.

"Consider your choices carefully before deciding. The passage will remain here, so you can leave anytime. I'll go ahead now..." Without further ado, Zhang Xuan leaped into the portal and disappeared. These individuals were merely passing acquaintances; they had no deep connection. Having saved them once, he couldn't constantly look after them. To gain more benefits here, they had to rely on themselves; no one else would be of use. Moreover, he still needed to find Luo Ruoxi. With the Temple of Confucius opening, Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, and others who had been captured would surely enter as well. Therefore, he needed to rescue them and had no time to bring along a group of strangers to assist them in their perilous journey.

Seeing Zhang Xuan leave, the powerful expert who had spoken on impulse couldn't help but shake his head. "If only we had been more decisive just now and followed Senior, we might have gained immensely... What a pity, the opportunity is lost!" That young man, though not old, was resolute in his actions and orderly in his conduct. Even amidst the numerous dangers of the Confucius Temple ruins, he would certainly find great opportunities. Following him, even if their gains were smaller, their cultivation would undoubtedly skyrocket, far surpassing what they could achieve now. But... the opportunity was missed, and there would be no second chance.

Ignoring the others' thoughts, Zhang Xuan felt the space around him twist again. The next moment, he appeared on an ice plain. With the experience from the previous two times, he showed no panic. Instead, he flew up to observe his surroundings. Similar to the jungle, the higher he flew, the greater the pressure. Even with his current strength, thirty meters was his limit.

"It's colder than the Ice Plain Palace..." Ice and thick snow surrounded him in all directions. The biting cold swept over him continuously, making even Gold Body Realm experts feel the urge to put on more clothes.

"This isn't the Temple of Confucius... I still need to find an exit!" He shook his head helplessly. He had initially thought that the opening of the ruins would lead directly to the Temple of Confucius, allowing him to enter. Now, it was clear it wouldn't be that easy. He had already traversed three different worlds, and there was no telling how many more awaited him.

"The jungle had the Five Great Kings, and the desert had the Sand Fiend Wood... This place must also have its core entity. Once found, that will be the exit..." He picked a random direction and flew straight ahead. His immediate priority was to find signs of life, whether unique to this icy world or experts from the Master Teacher Continent who had entered. Finding them would allow him to determine his bearings and successfully locate the exit.

After flying for half an hour, he indeed spotted a group of people moving slowly. "Qiling Tribe experts!" Just as he was about to approach them to ask about the specifics of this ice plain, a thought struck him, and he stopped.

The group ahead numbered over twenty, but the one at the very front and the two at the very back were tall and exuded a strong aura of slaughter, unmistakably indicating they were Qiling Tribe members. These three individuals had powerful, dragon-like auras and had all reached the Undying Realm. Although they were significantly weaker than figures like Wumu and Buxin, they were certainly considered masters among other cultivators.

The rest were all humans, but they appeared to be controlled, not daring to object, and moving slowly forward with expressionless faces.

"Hurry!" The Qiling Tribe member at the front bellowed, and the others picked up their pace.

"It must be some kind of special artifact that controls souls..." Seeing the expressionless humans being escorted, as if pulled by a fine thread, Zhang Xuan frowned. This situation presented only one possibility: their souls were being controlled. Otherwise, they would never be so obedient, following every step.

"Hu Yao Yao?" Immediately, Zhang Xuan spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.