Leroy and the Clear Tang members were temporarily traversing through the area to hone themselves. It was good to break from the plots on campus and the various Akademy students wanted to go home or just go have fun after studying so hard.

Of course, they had to look out for various dangers all over.

Tang Bo and Xiao Mei were getting married and wanted to spend the time getting stronger together. Taking off with a few students to the south to do so. Networking for themselves to find better people to trust.

Tang Xui was just wanting to travel like her father suggested to get stronger and also complete Akademy Missions still. The Clear Tang Family had a situation going on that her father refused to let her be involved in deeper still. Luckily she had enough resources on her own thanks to her mom's side to move about more freely.

Tang Xuan, the other Clear Tang members, and the Amp Flower Town members were in her camp per se', but something was amiss with Tang Xuan and Leroy they noticed further. The disagreement before had not been solved like most thought it would be.

After talking it over, the Amp Flower Town members were willing to throw their lot in with her even if it was death. Especially since Tang Bo mentioned enough about the Clear Tang Family's interworkings would not be kind to them unless they excelled honestly.

Also mentioned how they were on the rise with some Mine that was opening up finally. How they got the Mustard Gas taken care of, Leroy had no idea. Then again, Poison Masters or Alchemist could have done something to fix the situation.

"Are you sure there is something out here?" Pushing away some of the brush out of the way, Tang Xui wonder what they were going to get.

"Yes, besides we still get to explore on our own accord. Not to mention the Akademy points we receive by taking on these missions." Leroy of course did not tell them he was going to head to a place he knew from the Blacktiger Bihans' memory. "I also need to add some Demon Beasts to my group for better training."

"I for one feel grateful to be out of here. The Akademy was getting boring with all the practicing Teacher Jin had us doing." Tang Xui was tired of all the reading and wanted to experience more by fighting instead. "Better than heading back to the Clear Tang Compound."

"If only it was under better circumstances." Leroy eyed the people flying up above in the clouds with Spatial Sense giving him an accurate reading of their location. "This is gonna be a problem of all sorts for you all."

"You could always keep coming with us. An entire generation of students working together." Tang Xui leaned over smiling at him. However, she was met with cold indifference. Pouting she turned away as it was a bit of a reminder of how the Test with a few months ago. "One of these days we have to go into danger together my friend."

"Heh, hope that day never comes." Leroy walked forward and moved to the side picking up a boulder. His overall strength no less than someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm's upper Ranks. "That means someone is close to dying or worse."

Underneath the boulder, he collected some moss that grew underneath. A type of algae or moss that grew underneath. Something to check later on what it happens to be.

In the soil, he found some bugs and worms that were normal.

"Caw!" Spotter hopped off his shoulder and jumped down to gobble them up. "Ca ca!" He set the spot on fire and plucked the morsels up as if he was at a buffet. At least he was the cook at the fire.

"You seriously take your Occupations to the limits. Is this for Herbology or Inscription work?" Jasmine asked seeing this.

Her guards had been observing Leroy every chance they were able.

"Both and more. Also for Teaching as I do need to figure out what it is and be able to explain it to others if need be. Which won't be a problem once I understand it." Once Spotter finished eating he moved away and collected a few more samples from trees and the water. "A swamp land.. should have a lot of creatures within."

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Cutting his hand, he dipped it into the water and swirled it around. Using Spatial Sense and the Metal Seed he was fishing for anything and basically using himself as bait. Both the use of Radar and Sonar developed more but he could also feel Spatial Sense developing more on its own.

Almost able to stretch his senses out to locations and see what was there.

"I see." Leroy dived in with his Qi protecting him. Swimming deep into the bog for the creature he wanted as well as the treasure hunt he was on. With the use of Qi, it was pretty easy to keep from any agitation in the water messing with him. 'Dang!'

Deep in, he came across what was considered an alligator. But it was three times any he had ever seen. The worse thing was that it was dead and floating in the water still.

Sweeping it into a Storage Bag he swam forward and uncovered some dirt. A small cluster of eggs was there. If they were alive it would be hard to tell until he got out of the water.

*Bloop bloop!* Some water was disrupted as a few bubbles came up. Another gator but half dead tried to get him from underneath. Instincts apparently still there.

'Humpf!' Leroy was aware it was there before but couldn't tell if it was alive. Flipping behind it when it snapped at him, he put his strength into his leg and catapulted himself out of the water. 'Not gonna fight you underwater, that is just stupid!'

*Dush!* The water surface broke as Leroy shot out of it alerting everyone nearby. He landed on one of the trees and got ready to strike as soon as it came up.

"Come on..." In his hand, a spear was taken out that he pushed lighting Qi into and pulled back with his muscled tensed up. ".. almost there..."

On the embankment, the others wonder what he was doing but they didn't have to wait long. The half-dead gator came directly towards Leroy with its jaws wild open.

*Boooom!* Leroy threw it so hard his muscles in his back and shoulder tore as the spear was launched out. The shockwave actually caused damage to the tree he was in.

The half-dead gator had its mouth and the entirety of its back ripped out. The spear continued into the water unseen anymore by Leroy as the water was already covered back over.

"Tch!" Jumping away to a few trees and heading back to the embankment, Leroy didn't like that the alligator still looked to be alive. "Nothing else in the area really... best to do it!"

Signaling the others to get in order, they took out some Formation plates and threw them around this area of the bog.

"Here we go!" Miniori shouted as she led the Formation. It separated the water and gave room for what was next. "Ten minutes!" She shouted for how long she could hold it.

Leroy, Saiori, and Tang Xui jumped to the top of the Formation and pushed their Qi. The latter two using basic flame techniques they knew as Leroy used one from his Flamlighting Martial arts.

'Burning Fury!' A wildfire of blue-white flame shot out downward. It swirled like running serpents and evaporated the water on contact. "Don't breathe in!" He quickly shouted.

It was just in time as greenish smoke came up. Luckily the other two already had their defensive techniques deployed to keep them from getting to exposed.

"Haaaaa!" Leroy took a deep breath as the amount of green smoke kept coming. 'Yup, this shit burns!' Once in his lungs, he then transferred into his Internal Space and directly into the Flame Vortex to mitigate the damage done.

Once the smoke cleared, the trio landed within and looked around the area quickly. Thanks to the heat, the mud was hardened and decent enough to hold their weight without giving.

"Six minutes left!" Miniori shouted a reminder. "I think a few Demon Beasts were attracted to the Qi usage!"

"Got it!" Leroy put his hands into the ground and focused on the use of Metal Seed. "Go for what you need already Tang Xui!" She didn't need to be told twice as she immediately searched the area and stored away bones and various rocks.

"I think I can reinforce from inside if you think it will help." Saiori said a little reserved. "Another minute should help."

"No, I rather not risk it. This dirt... is deprived of all traces of Qi." His eyes glazed over as he continued to push the Metal Seed, he couldn't detect any metals or rocks pass a foot down. Not bugs or fish, and not even worms. "This is Desolateland!"

Pushing his Spatial Sense, he reached deep down and stored away a broken stone wheel. It was tossed directly into the Flame Vortex to be refined. Once the grime and dirt was removed, he would be able to figure out what the Artifact really was.

Like its namesake, Desolateland was something that could not harbor life. Both for normal people and cultivators. The fact the alligators were here was a testament to their biology or they just weren't affected yet.

"I have enough!" Tang Xui shouted, she jumped against the formation walls all the way to the top to get out.

"Let's go!" Leroy pulled his fingers out of the ground and shot out with Saiori. Once back on land, the Formation was dropped and the plates retrieved. "Eh!"

They watched in awe as several Demon Beasts smashed into the opening and started to fight. A bunch of Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts killing low realm ones.

"We should go." Leroy didn't want to take his chances after seeing a few Undead ones possibly mixed in. "Best to keep them from off land though."

Taking out the Mission bag, they took out flags refined by Formation Instructors in the Akademy. Deploying them around the bog, all the Demon Beasts would be trapped inside for now.