Chapter 1713: Strange Pool Water

The oasis was not large, only a few dozen mu in size, with a crystal-like pond embedded in it like a gem on a crown, dazzling and eye-catching. A large tree took root by the water, its branches and leaves dense, casting a patch of cool shade.

"There really is an oasis!"

"Water, I need water..."

The crowd could no longer restrain themselves and rushed over hastily.

"Wait a moment..."

Frowning, Zhang Xuan hurriedly called out.

But by then, no one heeded his words; their eyes red, they went straight to the pond, cupped the water, and drank.

"Senior, is something wrong?"

The earlier cultivator who had a sudden inspiration looked over with confusion.

Although this man, to attract the sand giant, had not given them any spirit liquid to drink, he had indeed led them to the oasis. Coupled with his own formidable strength, perhaps he had noticed something and was trying to stop them.

"Nothing! Just found it a bit strange."

Zhang Xuan shook his head and explained, "We could find this place, so others surely could too... There are footprints leading here, yet no trace of humans. Where did they go?"

He had been delayed in the jungle for several hours, yet still found the oasis; others would certainly manage as well.

After all, those who could enter the Confucian Temple were all major figures in their own right, capable of discovering the sand giant's peculiarity and thus finding this place.

But... where were these people?

"There really are footprints..."

The cultivator with the sudden inspiration was startled and quickly looked. Sure enough, in the yellow sand before the oasis, he saw some shallow footprints, though they were already somewhat indistinct, buried by wind and sand.

"Great, this water works! After drinking, I'm no longer thirsty..."

The few who had rushed into the oasis, having tasted the pool water, shouted excitedly.

The water they had brought only made them thirstier with each drink, useless, and they had long been parched, nearly burning up.

"Let me try..."

Seeing that it could quench thirst, the remaining people, filled with excitement, also hurried over. Just as they cupped the water and were about to drink, they saw the middle-aged man who had just drunk water bleeding from his eyes, trembling incessantly, white smoke rising from his body.

"Ah..."

A miserable cry, as if something were strangling his neck, he rolled on the ground without stopping.

But the more he rolled, the more smoke emerged, as if he might burst into flames at any moment.

"I..."

Not only this man fell, but the three who had just rushed over and drunk water also collapsed simultaneously, like him, smoke rising from their bodies, as if enduring inhuman agony.

"Damn..."

His expression darkening, Zhang Xuan hurried over. With a flick of his finger, a stream of pure true qi shot out, trying to stop the burning before him. But before it even touched the man's body, the rolling figure before him shattered with a "crackle!" and turned into a pile of yellow sand.

"This..."

Everyone was so frightened that they simultaneously stepped back several paces, their faces pale.

If this man had burned to ashes or bones, they could accept it.

Coming to explore the Confucian Temple, they had long been mentally prepared for death... But turning directly into yellow sand? What was going on?

A person turning into sand after death... Could it be that the vast desert around them was all composed of dead people's remains?

The mere thought was terrifying, instilling fear from the depths of their hearts.

"Senior, save me, save me..."

After the first turned to sand, the remaining three showed intense fear.

They had thought that entering the Confucian Temple ruins would bring benefits and help them break through their bottlenecks; they never dreamed death would be so near.

Zhang Xuan was also shocked, but this was not the time to dwell on it. He quickly went to the three, pointed his fingers, and sent true qi along their meridians into their bodies.

Crackle!

As soon as the true qi entered, he immediately sensed a scorching flame within them, leaping incessantly, as if trying to burn them to ashes.

"Hmph!"

Raising his brows, he directed his true qi toward the flame.

Sizzle sizzle!

Colliding with the flame, Zhang Xuan immediately felt a powerful force surge, as if trying to ignite his true qi as well.

"Break!"

His power surged wildly, his entire body gleaming with golden light like a moving golden statue, as the Heavenly Dao true qi swept down.

His true qi, physical body, and soul could withstand even the Supreme Heavenly Flame; the flame within them, though strange, could not harm him in the slightest.

Whoosh!

Under the torrent of true qi, the flame was extinguished. The three, having brushed with death, turned pale, turned over, and knelt on the ground, their eyes full of gratitude: "Thank you, Senior, for saving our lives!"

"You're welcome."

Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan then looked around at everyone: "This place is strange. Don't linger by the pool; withdraw from the oasis first!"

Even without his words, everyone was already terrified.

Death was one thing, but being burned into yellow sand... without even bones left, anyone would be horrified and bewildered.

Instead of withdrawing from the oasis like the others, Zhang Xuan went to the spot where the man had been burned to ashes, casually picked up some sand grains, and examined them closely.

The man had been burned clean, not even his clothes remaining. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed a person could disappear so completely.

"Senior, what do we do now?"

The cultivator with the sudden inspiration came over, studied the sand for a while, found nothing, and looked to him.

"Give this spirit liquid to everyone to drink."

Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and tossed out several water gourds.

This was the spirit liquid he had collected in the jungle; he had drunk some before, and it could quench thirst.

He hadn't given it to them earlier because he wanted to lure the sand giant to find this place. Since they had arrived, there was no need to keep it hidden.

"Thank you, Senior!"

Taking the spirit liquid, everyone drank, and indeed, they no longer felt parched. They looked at him with gratitude.

Ignoring them, Zhang Xuan finished examining the sand and slowly walked around the pool.

The pond before him was cold; standing by its edge, he felt no heat at all. The water was exceptionally clear, seemingly unrelated to the flame that had burned people to ashes.

After circling once, he found nothing special and no other animals. He went to the edge, reached out his hand, and like the others, cupped some water in his palm.

"Senior, be careful..."

Seeing him touch the water, everyone was startled.

"It's fine..."

Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

His physical body could withstand the Supreme Heavenly Flame; even if that flame appeared again, it should be useless.

The water in his palm, he looked at it for a while, scanning it with both the Eye of Insight and his divine sense, finding no problem. Frowning, he raised his hand and, like those before him, drank it.

"Senior..."

"Senior, be careful..."

Their faces pale, everyone was startled simultaneously.

The man before had died after drinking the water... If something happened to this senior, what would they do?