In the boundless desert.
The haze hung like an ever-fading curtain, enveloping the sky tightly, with clouds heavy and low, as if they might collapse at any moment, swallowing the entire desert within.
Unlike the typical desert with yellow sands, here, as far as the eye could see, the ground was pitch black, covered by deep, unfathomable black sand.
They presented a profound and oppressive blackness, the grains glinting with a dim luster under the faint moonlight, resembling stars in the night sky, yet carrying an ominous aura.
Above the sky, a blood-red moon hung high, its light not warm but strangely chilly, casting the whole desert into an eerie depiction reminiscent of hell.
Even the black sand was tinted with a few vivid red hues, appearing even more sinister.
"Where have I ended up this time?"
Ian's expression did not seem particularly shocked; he actually had experienced this kind of situation several times in the past, knowing that he had unintentionally unlocked a new map of the Misty Illusion Realm.
"I have no direction of desire in my heart and have not obtained anything strange this time either. It surely couldn't be due to this useless Resurrection Stone Ring again."
Ian took out the Deathly Hallow he had sealed away for a long time, and after pondering for a moment, he realized the likelihood that the Resurrection Stone had led him into a new map of the Misty Illusion Realm was quite low.
After all, he had been carrying this ring around all these days, traveling back and forth to the Misty Illusion Realm several times without encountering the accidental entry into the 'Doomsday Volcano' again.
Ian even thought that his accidental entry into the 'Doomsday Volcano' was more likely related to Helena Ravenclaw. Surely founder Lady Rowena Ravenclaw wouldn't blame her daughter, but instead, suggest Ian and Helena Ravenclaw ended up there because the Resurrection Stone originated from that place.
"If it were me, I'd also want to distance myself from this connection." Ian fully demonstrated what it meant to measure others by oneself, not entirely believing even what Lady Rowena Ravenclaw said.
Even Teacher Morgan's words were sometimes inaccurate. Clearly, what he longed for in his heart was to deliver a mirror to Morgan, and the place he should be yearning for was that dim castle of Morgan's.
Who knew why he'd ended up in a perplexing desert again?
"Could it be related to The Mirror of Erised?"
Ian was visibly puzzled.
He was about to take out his Money Bag but was unbelievably surprised to discover an unexpected delight—the Elder Wand, which had never been able to come with him into the Misty Illusion Realm, was still intact, tucked in the Magic Wand Bag under his robe. The silent wand immediately filled Ian with a sense of security.
"I can cast magic! Then there's nothing to worry about!" The little anxiety Ian had in his heart quickly dissipated, the cold feel of the wand warming his heart.
"Perhaps it's related to my Magic Power upgrade... or maybe because I've embarked on the so-called Path of Legends?" Ian also somewhat doubted whether unlocking the new map was related to these two events.
Of course.
Whether it was due to the Magic Power upgrade or the Path of Legends, it was basically difficult to distinguish and to find out the truth, as he reached the Human World limit of Magic Power and set foot on the Path of Legends within just a few days.
The pace was too fast.
The interval time was too short.
"This might be the kind of trouble only geniuses can empathize with." Ian had a little moment of Versailles, then took out his Money Bag and brought out The Mirror of Erised he had long stored in it.
He compared the colors of The Mirror of Erised and the surrounding environment a bit; visually alone, the Mirror of Erised just didn't fit at all with these pitch-black sands.
"Perhaps the mirror surface was made from sand here?"
Ian speculated thoughtfully.
Of course, he knew sand could indeed be used to make glass, but he wasn't sure if that was the case here, so he squatted down to pack several tons of black sand into his Money Bag.
Yes, several tons.
The more outstanding the Alchemist, the more they feared lacking experimental materials.
Ian was no exception.
"Even if it's not the raw material for making The Mirror of Erised, it must be a kind of alchemical material with unique utility." Ian rubbed some black sand between his fingers.
The texture of the black sand was distinctive and unforgettable, seeming unlike normal grains of sand, under the faint light exhibiting a deep, cold beauty.
Continuously rubbing these black sands with his hands.
Ian felt an unusual texture.
They did not appear loose and fragile as ordinary grains of sand but were denser and more solid. As he gently slid his finger over them, he could distinctly sense a subtle gravitational pull between the grains.
"Could the entire desert be connected by some hidden link through this kind of gravity?" Ian looked up, seeing an endless black desert.
They seemed like fragments of stars drifting down from the depths of the sky, settling through eons of time before finally condensing into this mysterious black desert.
"Anyway, they're undoubtedly treasures." Thinking this, Ian stuffed more black sand into his Money Bag. He only regretted not having procured bird snake skin to further expand his Money Bag.