I'll have to take a look at this section to see how I could improve it, but the idea is that you have to run from the statues (Both in the overworld and in battle) until you find a certain gem in a metal chest, that gem makes dealing with the statues a piece of cake.
On the room to the north, you take a right and then go up, there will be a abandoned building in there, go inside and open the metal chest, which gives the gem and opens up the rest of the second area.