Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

Or is there some other power here besides the Flower Goddess that can influence the earth's veins?

The sandstorm lasted for more than ten minutes and then stopped. Jiang Bai left the stone house and turned his gaze to the center of the storm. Without a doubt, the secret of the Thousand Ravines Sandy Land was there.

Aite followed his gaze and unceremoniously poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"Don't even think about going to the center of that sandstorm. It's blocked by a force, and you can't get close at all... No one has ever been able to get in over the years."

"Yeah……"

Jiang Bai didn't think there were any places he couldn't enter. Even if there were any barriers, he could force his way in.

However, this place looks very dangerous, so even if he were to go, he would go alone and wouldn't bring anyone else with him.

They maintained a steady pace and finally arrived at the massive ruins before nightfall.

It wasn't very clear when I saw it from a distance, but when I was standing on it, I could truly feel the immense size of this little treasure of a relic.

Jiang Bai stood next to the relic guardian's palm and gestured. If the relic guardian were to move, it could crush their entire group into mincemeat with just one finger, which showed just how big it was.

Compared to that, the scattered soldiers' main weapons seem like oversized toys.

Jiang Bai flew up with Hu Tao and circled the great ruins guard. In terms of appearance, it was not much different from the normal ruins guards. They were all one-eyed, but the design was much simpler and had fewer decorations that would be found on other ruins guards.

"Just how many of these mechanical creations does Kanria have..." Hu Tao couldn't help but exclaim.

Now, the land is filled with wandering ruins and guards, as well as massive war machines. It's hard to imagine how powerful Kanria was in the past.

"I'm afraid there are many..."

Dain said that the Canria believed the land was not plowed with farm tools, but fought for with iron and blood. The fact that they named the Ruins Guardian "The Tiller" reveals the Canria's attitude towards survival.

In the underground world, where conditions were probably not ideal, they created a vast kingdom using mechanical constructs.

There are probably more of these mechanical creations than their people.

It's unclear why these massive ruins guardians stopped here.

The sun's rays completely disappeared, and the temperature suddenly dropped.

Jiang Bai returned to the relic's folded hand, where the five folded fingers naturally formed a safe haven, making it extremely suitable for setting up camp.

The Sand Wolf Mercenary Group had already set up tents and lit fires, and were processing the food they had hunted during the day.

Although scorpions are quite aggressive and venomous, they are still a very good source of food in this barren desert.

"Don't think about going on adventures for now. You can decide where you want to go. We'll have plenty of time to study this ruin guardian when it's light tomorrow."

Aite handed over two roasted red berries, which he had picked from a cactus they encountered on the road. They couldn't be eaten raw; they were a rare source of vitamins in the desert.

After peeling off the outer skin, Jiang Bai took a bite and gave it high praise: "This Crimson Thought Fruit tastes pretty good, it's very sweet."

"You just like sweet things."

Hu Tao took a bite and gave him the rest.

"But it's true that the temperature difference is huge."

Hu Tao, wearing a large coat, sat in front of the fire to warm herself.

In just a short while, she felt the temperature drop by at least seven or eight degrees.

"It's probably because sand can't store heat... Plus, the desert is open and there's no shade, so the temperature drops even faster without sunlight..."

Upon hearing Jiang Bai explain the reason why the desert is cold at night, Aite couldn't help but sigh again.

“I heard a scholar say something similar when I was young, but I couldn’t understand any of the terms he used back then. Now that I’m older, I can barely understand a little bit of it…”

Chapter 779 came at just the right time.

The desert was silent at night, with only the occasional sound of the wind.

However, the starry sky here is exceptionally beautiful, with countless stars scattered across the sky. Without the obstruction of clouds, the silvery Milky Way, like a ribbon, is on full display.

Jiang Bai was easing the tension in Hu Tao's calves from the long journey and was about to ask her to look at the stars when he found that she had already fallen asleep in the chair.

Jiang Bai glanced at the two mercenary group members sitting in front of the fire playing cards, yawned, and went back to his tent to sleep with Hu Tao in his arms.

The temperature drops at night, so we have to hold the head of the hall to keep him warm in order to prevent him from getting cold.

Hu Tao slept soundly until dawn, then removed the hands from her waist, sat up, and stretched.

Jiang Bai groggily opened his eyes. "What time is it?"

"do not know."

Stepping out of the tent, Aite was already preparing breakfast, and Jiang Bai and Hu Tao simply ate what was ready.

That's the advantage of having a guide. You don't have to worry about meals, setting up camp, or keeping watch. The experienced mercenary group has experience in dealing with all kinds of situations. As long as they don't encounter particularly powerful enemies, Jiang Bai and Hu Tao don't need to take any action at all.

Jiang Bai was calculating how much he would have to pay when the commission ended. Although he felt bad for not showing any appreciation for their dedication, he had asked them to be his bodyguards and guides as an apology.

"Let's rest here for today. I'm going to study this ruin guardian."

"understood."

After eating and drinking his fill, Jiang Bai went to the palm of the guardian's hand and fiddled with it.

Based on yesterday's study of the entire defensive structure of the ruins, Jiang Bai believes that the entrance to the interior should be located in the palm of his hand.

While the soles of the feet could be a possible entry point, the hands are more suitable in terms of practicality and convenience.

Moreover, the hands of these ruins guards are usually very long, easily reaching the ground, making it perfectly reasonable to enter the control room, which is suspected to be in the core location, through the passage in their hands.

Jiang Bai studied it for a while and indeed found that there was a door here. This spiral door was currently closed. Jiang Bai fiddled with it for a bit and found the mechanism to open it.

Reaching out and pressing down, the spiral door, which hadn't been opened in a long time, creaked heavily. A wisp of sand fell through the crack, revealing a long, dark passageway.

"Wow, we can actually go in! Let's go in and take a look!"

Hu Tao couldn't wait to go inside. Entering this ancient, large-scale machinery gave her a sense of joy and excitement, like she was on a treasure hunt.

The shoes made a crisp clattering sound as they stepped into the metal space. Jiang Bai held a flashlight and surveyed the huge passageway, which was large enough to accommodate more than a dozen people walking side by side.

Following the arm upwards, you soon arrive at the shoulder.

Here, the space suddenly opens up.

However, they were blocked by a door, and no matter how much Jiang Bai fiddled with the surroundings, he couldn't find the mechanism to open it.

"Strange, does it need to be charged or what? And what kind of energy does this thing use..." Jiang Bai had a headache.

From the outside, the ruins appear to be well-preserved and intact, suggesting that they are likely without energy.

But the problem is, where will they find energy?

"Look at me."

As she spoke, Hu Tao's figure transformed into a ghostly butterfly, passing directly through the metal gate and arriving behind it.

After entering, Little Ghost crawled out of the door and made a face at Jiang Bai.

Can't get here, lol~

"Damn it! You're cheating!"

He's going to report someone here for cheating!

"Master, what's going on inside?" Jiang Bai shouted at the top of his lungs.

"It was completely dark, but I saw a few glowing crystals. I wonder if they're energy sources..."

Walnut tentatively removed a crystal from a nearby spot and placed it in a groove at the entrance. The moment it was placed in, the area around the gate became bright.

Walnut pressed what looked like a door opener button, and the door slowly opened.

……

In a cave not far from the ruins' guardian, a squad of Fools soldiers were watching the commotion.

"Captain, there's a mercenary group encamped at the Ruins Guard's headquarters. Should we go check it out?"

They are soldiers stationed here long-term, tasked with guarding this massive ruin. Of course, guarding is just a pretext; their real purpose is to study this ruin.

However, they were stuck at the first step and couldn't get in.

The ruins' guardian has lost its power, and it can't even open the gate.

In order to open the gate without damaging its internal structure, one of their teams headed to the Tukoluo Valley in the Lower Wind Erosion Lands, intending to extract an energy block from the damaged but well-powered Relic Guardian and bring it back to activate it.

The problem is that the person has been gone for a while now, and it's unclear when they will return.

"Let's go take a look!"

Just in case, the leader of the Fools squad brought along the blueprints for the Ruins Guard.

Aite quickly spotted the pair of heavily armed Fool soldiers and immediately drew his weapon, assuming a defensive stance.

"This is the Sand Wolf Mercenary Group's camp. What do you want?"

The squad leader glanced at the open door in the ruins guard's palm and frowned.

"on!"

Originally, the intention was simply to drive them away, but now it seems that the mercenary group's target is this ruin guardian.

In that case, things can't be resolved peacefully.

A fight broke out without warning, and the Fools, who were used to being domineering, did not offer any explanation for their actions.

Although he was slightly inferior to Jiang Bai, in terms of actual strength, Aite's strength was still quite good.

As for the others, let's not mention them.

"Fifth brother, you're the fastest, hurry and go in for help!"

Aite made a quick decision to call for backup; this kind of enemy was beyond their capabilities, and they could only leave it to their two strong teammates.

"Hang in there, boss!"

Although he had already sent someone in to call for reinforcements, Aite still tried his best to make the battle very intense, with attacks constantly hitting the arms of the ruins guards, and the sound of the metal striking metal easily carrying far.

"Hmm? Has something happened outside?"

Jiang Bai soon heard the sound transmitted through the metal connection.

"Go out and see!"

The two quickly left through the entrance, and halfway there they encountered Lao Wu, who had come to fetch reinforcements.

What's the situation outside?

"The Fools! The Fools have arrived, and without saying a word, they started fighting!"

"The Fools? Why so suddenly... Could they be after the guardian of this ruin?"

Jiang Bai thought this was the most likely possibility, since they hadn't provoked any Fools along the way, except for Alfonso.

Their sudden appearance and attack without warning suggest only one possibility.

"Then the Fatui should have information about the guardian of this ruin, right..."

These fools have come at just the right time.

Chapter 780 My hair turned white overnight from worry

Jiang Bai and Hu Tao quickened their pace and saw a group of six Fools surrounding several members of the Sand Wolf Mercenary Group.

Jiang Bai swiftly disarmed the six soldiers, and the vines sprouted from the grass element wrapped them up like cocoons, leaving only their heads sticking out.

Since revealing his special abilities to the doctor, Jiang Bai has become less secretive about using elemental powers. Although he still carries the Eye of God with him, he still uses other elemental powers as needed.

After so long, the Fools must have already learned that he was also an outsider.

After all, Teyvat has many ways of knowing things.

For example, through the ancient silver tree, through the World Tree, through astrology...

"Tell me, why did you attack us?"

"Hmph, you've messed with the Fools, do you know the consequences!"

Despite being a prisoner, Feng Quan remained exceptionally arrogant.

The Kingdom of Winter is their source of confidence.