Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It was not that Zhang Zian and the group were particularly unlucky. The landslide and the black storm that they’d just escaped from were linked. The black storm had originally been caused by the violent disturbance of the air. The water vapor and cool air that were accumulating in the underground cavity for many years had flooded out of the Devil’s Sea. The hot air and water were mixed together, and the violent mix formed the storm.
Thus, the arrival of the black storm was not accidental. It was inevitable.
Zhang Zian already had some good feelings for the wild animals that had fled together with them, regardless of whether they were cute or ugly. After all, they had escaped tragedy together. He planned to give them some water and food before everyone dispersed.
Thus, with the sudden appearance of the black storm, these wild animals immediately abandoned him and fled. What an abrupt end to a relationship forged in difficult times.
Zhang Zian recalled Nabari’s words. When the storm came, the usual practice was to stop, wrapped oneself in a robe or blankets and stay close to camels. He should not hide in the sand dunes, as there was the danger of being buried by sand. Camels were able to cope with the storm. They would shake their bodies from time to time so that the sand did not accumulate on their own bodies.
However, this set of practices was not feasible in the face of a black storm that was enough to change the landscape. If one stopped and didn’t move, even if there was no sand dune, it was likely that they would be buried regardless. Even the sand dunes would be blown apart.
The only way was to drive forward. While they may get lost, as they were equipped with technology, they still might be able to cope with that.
The black storm was moving faster than expected, and the sky was darker than it had been five minutes before. A black wall appeared in the northern sky—a wall formed by a storm.
It got windy. Zhang Zian rolled up the car’s windows, and the elfins’ faces were stuck on the glass, staring at the storm that struck.
“Hey! It’s going to rain! Is it going to be cool when it rains?”
Before the storm completely blocked the light, Richard saw silver dragon-like lightning lingering across the sky.
“To hell with your rain!” Zhang Zian said.
“If it is not raining, how can there be lightning?” Richard was not convinced.
“Lightning is a phenomenon caused by electric charges. Clouds carrying a lot of electric charge may discharge it. Sand that is rubbed together may also discharge electricity,” Zhang Zian said and glanced through the rearview mirror. “If normal lightning is wet lightning, then this kind of lightning formed by the friction of sandstorms is dry lightning. No water droplets will fall from the sky. Though if I offer you as a sacrifice, perhaps the heavens will indeed make it rain…”
“Eh? Did you already lose your conscience in the desert and feed the devil?” Richard cried out in protest.
Despite bickering with Richard, Zhang Zian was very nervous. If they were hit by the lightning, they would indeed be very unlucky.
In the blink of an eye, the wind started blowing a lot of sand onto the window. It made them worry that the window would break.
Zhang Zian was wrong. It was really raining. A lot of water vapor rose into the air. However, the raindrops did not fall to the ground and instead evaporated in the hot updraft.
There were few obstacles in the desert, and wind speeds could reach incredible levels. The sand blown by the wind could cut through human skin at these speeds. If the wind carried stones, it would be even worse. If a person did not weigh a lot, they could get significant fractures. As for cars, it could potentially smash all the windows.
The visibility was extremely poor. The windshield wipers tried in vain to brush the sand away, but they could not keep up with the speed of falling sand. Zhang Zian’s eyes were fixed on the windshield, and he turned on the headlights as well. However, he could only see dust. Only when there was a streak of lightning that flashed across the sky could he see just a little further.
Their vehicle had completely lost its sense of direction. In order to keep from being buried by the yellow sand, they could only slow down and keep moving forward. However, no one could be sure that it was not circling around aimlessly.
The gusts of wind came one after another. The car suddenly became light, as if someone was holding it up by the rear wheel. It then trembled heavily and fell back to the ground, churning everyone back and forth. The sound of the sand hitting the roof was different from before. The wind had taken away the tents, mats, and blankets kept on the roof.
The most terrible thing was yet to come. The dust that had been rolled into the air with the updraft was now experiencing a downdraft. It suddenly came down on their car. A lot of it would be enough to bury a team of camels.
“Be careful! There is something up ahead!” cried Famous.
Zhang Zian also saw it. A streak of lightning illuminated the dark blue sky. There were several rows of masonry houses ahead. Judging by the style of the house, it should be an ancient product. All of them had collapsed. Nevertheless, between the ruins, there just might be enough space to accommodate their vehicle.
He estimated that this was a stopover station built by the ancient construction group of the pyramid, as many building materials and tools needed to be transported from the city. Or it might have been a place for slaves and workers to rest. Building a pyramid required a lot of manpower.
Nevertheless, no matter what it had used to be, it had once been buried in the desert, but now it had been blown out into the open by the wind.
Some wild animals were also in the ruins taking refuge. They did not budge even as the car approached them.
Driving aimlessly forward was not a good idea. The car could be hit by huge stones, not to mention the risk of being buried alive by the sand.
He stopped the car, turned off the engine, and pulled his clothes up to cover his nose and mouth. Finally, he put on his hat.
The strong winds from the outside inevitably blew dust into the car. Lots of fine dust entered through the gaps in the car. His mouth was full of sand. Even the insides of his nostrils were black.
Nothing could be done now. The storm was so loud that no one can be heard. They could only eat something to fill their stomachs and wait for the storm to stop.
After god knew how long, the wind seemed to get weaker. The group had been on high alert for a full day. Slowly, they started adjusting again to their surroundings.
“Hey! Wake up! The wind has stopped! The sun is out!” Richard’s voice woke everyone.
The windows on all sides were covered with sand, and only the reading lights in the car were turned on. However, one of the windows revealed a warm, soft beam of sunlight.
Zhang Zian had a bad headache, and his mouth was very dry. The elfins were not feeling any better and looked rather disheveled.
He tried to open the door. The door only opened a little but did not budge further. It seemed to be blocked by the outside sand. It was the same with the other doors. In the end, he could only carefully force down a window and climb out like Professor Wei Kang.
The sun was slowly setting, and the storm had stopped. Their car was half-buried in the sand.
They seemed to have reached the edge of the Devil’s Sea.
