Ning Beichen immediately looked over and saw a wall that Yan Xiong was pointing to, on which hung an ancient beast skin scroll.
When Ning Beichen walked over, he found that the beast skin scroll was not weathered and was hanging perfectly on the wall. Even when Ning Beichen took it down, the scroll was still intact.
The beast skin scroll was a map, likely of this area. The map also marked a specific location and a route, with several places denoted by special symbols.
These marked places were scattered along the route. It was unclear whether they indicated special items or dangers; it was impossible to tell from the scroll alone.
After Ning Beichen finished reading, he had already memorized the map from the scroll and then passed it to the others.
After seeing it, everyone had a similar judgment to Ning Beichen. They wondered what the marked location contained or what was there, and if it was worth exploring.
Ning Beichen was determined to go. His goal was to find the bronze fragment, and he wouldn't let go even with a 0.1% chance.
Su Su and the others discussed it and decided to go. Although it was dangerous here, with Ning Beichen and the others protecting them, they felt courageous.
As for whether there was treasure, she no longer cared. For them, being able to come in and witness this was the greatest treasure.
Since the decision was made, there was nothing more to say.
Soon, everyone left the empty ruined city and proceeded along the route marked on the beast skin scroll.
Outside the ruins lay a barren desert. Without the map and markings on the beast skin scroll, they wouldn't have known which direction to go.
If Ning Beichen were alone, he could have flown on his sword without any burden. However, with so many people, he couldn't use his sword-flying ability.
The reason was simple: among everyone here, only he could fly on his sword; the others, including Yan Xiong, could not.
Yan Xiong's strength allowed him to dash short distances, but dashing was nothing compared to sword-flying.
Therefore, Ning Beichen had no choice but to walk with them.
For him, it was just a matter of wasting some time, not a major hardship or suffering.
It was particularly difficult for Su Su, a delicate girl with no strength to even truss a chicken. Walking in the desert made her feel exhausted, and she had to rest frequently.
Ning Beichen didn't rush her. She had already done quite well to get this far, and there was nothing to blame her for.
The group walked across the desert, enduring the scorching heat. They walked for a whole day. By evening, Su Su's feet were already blistered and bleeding; she didn't even want to move.
Seeing this, Ning Beichen ordered them to rest on the spot. He then instructed Yan Xiong and the others to protect Su Su and the rest. Just as everyone was puzzled by Ning Beichen's intention, they heard a sword hum from behind him.
Immediately after, everyone was astonished to see a sword on Ning Beichen's back fly out and land at his feet.
"I'll go ahead and take a look. I'll be back soon."
After saying this, Ning Beichen unleashed a surge of power that spread out in all directions.
With a boom, Ning Beichen transformed into a streak of light and ascended into the sky, vanishing instantly. Only the dust and sand blown away remained on the ground.
Su Su and the others looked up at the disappearing figure in the sky, their mouths agape, as if they had swallowed an ostrich egg.
"This... this is Ning Beichen's ability?"
The shock in Su Su's heart exceeded her capacity to bear.
Before this, Ning Beichen had rarely displayed his strength in front of them. Most of the work was done by Yan Xiong and the others, while Ning Beichen seemed like an ordinary person, appearing to have no special abilities.
Now they realized they had all been mistaken. Ning Beichen was the most powerful and mysterious person among them.
No wonder even powerful experts like Yan Xiong were willing to serve him.
Putting aside Su Su's astonishment, it was Yan Xiong and the others who were truly shocked because they knew what it meant to fly on a sword. Therefore, they gazed at Ning Beichen's disappearing back with extreme admiration.
Ning Beichen left because he sensed a mysterious power in the desert, which led him to fly on his sword to investigate.
Ning Beichen's sword-flying speed was very fast, especially now that he was proficient. He was almost flying at supersonic speed, with the piercing wind blowing his clothes violently.
After about a few minutes, Ning Beichen descended from the sky like a meteor. With a deafening roar, he landed on the desert. Before him was a massive vortex.
A person was sitting cross-legged within the vortex. This person was wearing a yellow linen robe, and their hair had grown long, reaching the ground like wild grass, embedded in the sand.
Ning Beichen did not approach too closely, observing from a distance. He felt that the power of the vortex was terrifying, making him feel a sense of dread and not daring to get closer.
He also wondered if the person in the vortex was alive or dead.
Ning Beichen was unsure because he could not sense any life force from within.
However, if he were dead, the person in the vortex looked no different from a living person. Ning Beichen could even see that his skin had a faint reddish hue, which was not typical of a dead body.
"Senior."
Ning Beichen called out.
However, the person in the vortex did not react. It was unclear if they hadn't heard or were unable to hear.
Ning Beichen called out a couple more times, even channeling his inner energy. Still, there was no response from the person in the vortex.
"Senior, forgive my intrusion."
After calling out several times without a response, Ning Beichen decided to strike the vortex from afar.
Boom!
Ning Beichen's palm strike hit the vortex but elicited no reaction. His blow was like a grain of sand falling into the vast ocean.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ning Beichen struck the vortex three more times, each strike more powerful than the last. Yet, they all disappeared without a ripple, like a clay ox entering the sea.
Looking at the peculiar vortex, Ning Beichen blinked a few times. He was reluctant to leave, so he boldly walked closer until he reached the edge of the vortex, where he finally stopped.