Chapter 438: Chapter 270: Deep into the Desert, Evil Spirits and Guanyin (Please Subscribe)_3
As they progressed, all that remained was the wind-driven yellow sand and the coarse stones.
Feng Ling’er took out the compass to check their direction.
Since she’d long harbored thoughts of avenging her mother, Feng Ling’er also knew that Jade Guanyin’s abode was within the desert, making her the most knowledgeable about the desert among the three.
Of course, her knowledge was only theoretical.
She had never actually set foot in the desert.
The three desert novices rode their camels through the sandstorm, gazing upon the vast expanse of yellow sand, feeling the sheer vastness and cruelty of nature.
Yes, this was no place for humans to survive.
Even though they were Martial Arts experts with abundant True Qi, they too felt the scorching heat and thirst in the desert, as if they were being barbecued, sizzling on a gigantic iron plate filled with yellow sand.
Duan Yun even felt that if he buried a beggar’s chicken in the sand here, it might cook through without the need for a fire.
All this showed was that martial arts could enhance their physical limits, and while ordinary people would probably die within two days of reckless travel in the desert, they could last for ten days or half a month without much problem.
But discomfort is discomfort nonetheless.
At dusk, the setting sun was like blood.
The sweltering heat of the day seemed to subside at this time, but this was not the case.
The wind quickly carried a chill with it.
It was as if the wind had split into two layers; the upper layer retained the heat of the day, while the lower layer carried a chill as cold as ice, truly a "world of ice and fire".
Consequently, a scene soon unfolded where Duan Yun wore thick trousers on his legs while his upper body was still bare.
The wind here was magical indeed.
Duan Yun, riding on the camel, could even feel that these two layers of wind were divided at the level of his navel.
At this time, the camels they had bought for a hefty sum of gold were also exhausted.
And the most embarrassing situation that could befall rookie travelers in Martial World soon emerged.
They were lost.
Feng Ling’er, despite holding the compass and possessing a fair amount of theoretical knowledge, had not led them to their intended destination.
The desert was as changeable as her crafted Human Skin Masks.
As the evening approached, both Duan Yun and Shen Ying cast doubtful glances her way.
Feng Ling’er couldn’t help but explain: "There’s something wrong with this compass. I’ve been suspecting that the seller was a swindler all along."
Immediately afterward, she surveyed their surroundings in an expert manner and said: "It’s not good to travel at night. We need to find a place to stay overnight and then look for the direction again tomorrow."
Subsequently, she professionally arranged the camels in a circle to ward off the sandstorm.
However, since they were in the path of the wind, they still ended up with a mouthful of sand.
Feng Ling’er could only pretend to be professional again as she sought a windbreak.
At times like these, Feng Ling’er felt her embarrassment was akin to that of the Murong brothers.
In the past, embarrassing situations were the sole domain of the Murong brothers.
But then, she suddenly froze.
For she saw a boat.
A wooden boat, its prow sticking up, thrust into the yellow sand.
What was a boat doing in the desert?
The dimming light of the evening lent the boat an eerie and mysterious aura, stuck there in the sand.
Duan Yun and Shen Ying also came over.
Shen Ying excitedly said: "There’s a boat over there; it’s perfect for shelter."
Feng Ling’er waved her hand with a look of professionalism and said, "Hold on, that’s a mirage."
A quarter of an hour later, Shen Ying was jumping on the old planks of the boat, and turned to Feng Ling’er: "This is a mirage?"
Feng Ling’er’s face turned red, and she said: "Are you deliberately picking on me?"
The wind blew even stronger, with sand and dust filling the air.
This half-buried wrecked boat provided them a needed shelter from the wind and dust.
There was a hole on the side of the boat, resembling the door of a house, where they tied the camels before entering.
By this time, both the people and camels were fatigued.
The camels had already settled down to rest.
And the trio of Duan Yun nestled within the confines of the boat, listening to the howling wind outside, which sounded eerily like ghostly wails.
Although Feng Ling’er experienced quite a few embarrassments today, there was one thing she got right.
It was completely unsuitable to travel by night here; just the blinding sand and dust alone made it impossible to discern any direction.
The three hadn’t eaten anything, and took out their wine and water to drink.
The place was filled with sand, truly making it hard to enjoy any food.
The trio of Duan Yun began to close their eyes and rest.
The wind kept on howling, loudly, as if many people were talking in the wind.
However, because they had consumed a lot of energy during the day and drank quite some wine, they all felt quite sleepy.
Especially Feng Ling’er - the expert, despite a mistake or two, had expended a lot of mental energy and soon fell asleep.
So did Duan Yun.
But not long after he fell asleep, he was nudged awake.
Indeed, Shen Ying had nudged him with her buttocks and communicated with lip-reading: "There’s someone."
Duan Yun immediately became alert.
In the dead of the night, in this god-forsaken desert where not even birds would defecate, apart from them, there were others?
Could these be decent folk?
He peered out through the hole in the hull.
The winds had lightened, and moonlight was spilling over the sands, creating a cold brilliance.
And in that cold moonlight were silhouettes of people.
Those people were sliding down the opposite sand dunes; some of their postures appeared as though they were calling for help, yet without any sound, forming a bizarre and eerie scene.