Because patrols guarded the borders of the River of Helplessness morning and night, Qiao Zhen'er still chose to enter at noon. That was also the safest time in the Nihility State.
Although they planned to enter at noon, they couldn't just leave at noon. They had to arrive near the River of Helplessness ahead of time, conceal themselves, and wait for the right moment to cross.
As the sun climbed to its peak, Qiao Zhen'er waved her hand.
Change clothes. Move out.
They stripped off their rough cloth garments in unison, revealing grayish-white martial attire underneath.
In the Nihility State, shrouded as it was in a faint mist, only this kind of clothing made it easy to conceal oneself.
Once they reached the banks of the River of Helplessness, Qiao Zhen'er used her element, the Flying Dart, to guide a heavy chain across a narrow bottleneck in the river.
After confirming the chain was firmly secured, Qiao Zhen'er patted her eldest apprentice.
"Lu Jiu, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and cross!"
Next to cross were two apprentices of the martial arts hall. Then, the two newcomers exchanged a glance.
One of them stepped forward and asked, "The element I fused with is quite special, making my body exceptionally heavy. Can this iron chain hold up?"
Qiao Zhen'er smiled faintly. "Don't worry. We've tested it—even three burly men clinging to each other can swing across. Of course, if your weight is truly that abnormal, then I can only ask you to withdraw from this operation."
The one claiming his weight was abnormal was a Level 4 Spirit Cultivator.
Qiao Zhen'er appeared entirely unconcerned on the surface, but inwardly, she was weighing her options. If this man withdrew, could she still successfully reach that location this time?
Satisfied by her answer, the man nodded, produced his iron ring, and swung across without a hitch.
Judging by how far the chain dipped, the man's weight was indeed unusually heavy. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to snap the iron cable.
Once everyone else had crossed, Qiao Zhen'er ordered her little maidservant to guard the chain on this side. A dart appeared in her hand. She leaped up, landed on the chain, and ran lightly across it as if walking on flat ground.
Thick mist drifted over the River of Helplessness, swirling in ways that beguiled the mind.
Even with Qiao Zhen'er's lightness skill, she swayed from side to side from time to time.
However, the dart in her hand was no ordinary weapon. As long as she gripped it tightly, she could realign her center of gravity and continue forward.
This was also the source of Qiao Zhen'er's boldness. Even without the iron chain, or if someone destroyed it, she could still travel back and forth across the River of Helplessness on her own.
In fact, she could fly across the River of Helplessness without even stepping on the chain, though she never let it show.
She kept this hidden for one reason: so she could launch a surprise counterattack if someone ever schemed against her.
Currently, she and the hall master were on outwardly friendly terms but deeply at odds beneath the surface. Her guard was up to the extreme.
After safely reaching the opposite bank, Qiao Zhen'er lowered the chain and fastened it to the ground. The iron cable, originally suspended a zhang above the river, sank entirely beneath the water's surface, perfectly hidden from anyone passing by.
Afterward, Qiao Zhen'er spent nearly a quarter of an hour observing the ruins before leading the rest of the group deeper into the Nihility State.
The two newcomers, entering the Nihility State for the first time, were naturally filled with trepidation despite their considerable strength. They had never set foot on this land before.
Only now did they understand why the hall master had forbidden them from making a move to eliminate Qiao Zhen'er during this operation.
"Sister-in-law," one of the martial arts hall apprentices stepped forward and asked. "Which direction are we taking this time?"
Qiao Zhen'er looked left and right. Though she had made her decision long ago, she feigned a moment of careful thought before picking a direction.
"That way. Zhao De, you'll still take the vanguard. Huzi and Zhang Tie will follow. You two brothers will flank the left and right, while Lu Jiu and I bring up the rear."
The seven-person team moved out in a rough triangular formation.
Zhao De's gaze swept the surroundings. Longsword in hand, he walked nimbly at the front.
Watching her youngest apprentice's performance, Qiao Zhen'er nodded in satisfaction. She didn't forget to urge her eldest apprentice beside her.
"Old Nine, look at Ah De. His Drifting Cloud Steps have grown even more proficient. You need to train harder as well. Don't waste the excellent element I prepared for you."
"Right, right!" Lu Jiu nodded repeatedly.
Tall and heavily built, he wielded a pair of Tiger-Head Hammers, his every step generating a vigorous wind.
This pair of silver Tiger-Head Hammers was the element Qiao Zhen'er had prepared for his advancement to Level 3.
Lu Jiu's talent was merely average; it had taken a tremendous amount of effort for him to successfully fuse with this mortal-grade, creation-type element.
Though it was only mortal-grade, this element was quite exceptional.
When held in its master's hands, it felt as light as a wooden mallet, but when brought down, it struck with a force of over a thousand jin. If not for its lack of any other abilities, it might have been rated as a fine-grade element.
Looking at Lu Jiu's honest and simple-minded appearance, Qiao Zhen'er could only shake her head helplessly.
Seeing Qiao Zhen'er shake her head, Lu Jiu's heart sank.
The group traveled upstream, staying a distance of ten zhang from the river channel.
Zhao De, leading at the front, walked for a while before suddenly signaling for a halt.
Everyone instantly went on high alert.
Qiao Zhen'er leapt directly to the front. "What is it?"
Zhao De pointed ahead. "I just saw some bizarre dark silhouettes over there. Should we take a detour around them?"
Hearing this, Qiao Zhen'er also looked forward. Ahead lay a dilapidated dock.
It was piled high with cargo choked by dust and unknown vegetation. One could easily imagine that this had once been a bustling hub.
Before the River of Helplessness changed its course, this place had also been a canal.
If not for the Mutated Element that transformed Yun Province into the Nihility State, this area would have been a rather prosperous town.
Qiao Zhen'er looked for a few moments but didn't spot the dark silhouettes Zhao De had mentioned.
However, she trusted her youngest apprentice. Refusing to let her guard down, she said, "We'll hug the riverbank and go around."
At this point, the other of the two newcomers couldn't sit still anymore. He stepped forward and said, "Sister-in-law, we've been walking for quite a while now with nothing to show for it. The docks ahead look rich in resources. Shouldn't we go in and search?"
He was clearly unaccustomed to Qiao Zhen'er's moniker here.
Qiao Zhen'er turned back and smiled. "My principle for exploring the Nihility State is this: if an anomaly appears that I've never seen before, I detour immediately. Of course, if Brother Shen feels this is inappropriate, you are free to enter on your own and scout ahead. If there's no danger, the rest of us will follow you in. How does that sound?"
Normally, if someone dared to question her decisions, she would have instantly turned hostile.
But right now, these were the hall master's so-called reliable friends. She naturally had to show them some respect, even if her words were far from pleasant.
The Level 4 Spirit Cultivator addressed as Brother Shen frowned.
Spirit Cultivator Chen, the one with the extraordinary weight, stepped forward. He patted Shen's shoulder and chuckled to ease the tension. "Sister-in-law has been here so many times, she definitely knows where the resources are abundant and where the dangers lie. We're new arrivals; we should just follow her orders."
Spirit Cultivator Shen's expression softened, and he nodded.
Qiao Zhen'er smiled and said to her youngest apprentice, "Let's go."
Zhao De continued to lead the way at the front.
However, even though Qiao Zhen'er had explicitly told them to hug the bank and bypass the dock district, he chose a narrow path that diverted around the docks by delving deeper into the Nihility State.
Seeing this, Qiao Zhen'er felt a faint stab of doubt, but she quickly realized that the dock district was vast and situated extremely close to the River of Helplessness.
If they tried to stick to the shore to skirt the docks and encountered danger, there would be very few places to take cover. It wasn't as if they could jump into the river, so taking a detour through the more spacious area on the opposite side was actually a better option.
Besides, they had explored that side before; there wasn't much danger there.
It seemed her own consideration had been lacking.
Her youngest apprentice was likely just saving her face by not pointing it out directly.
Qiao Zhen'er chuckled inwardly. Pretending she had never given that earlier order, she fell in behind the group and followed along.