After Bi Fan and the others retraced their steps, they estimated that dawn was still three or four hours away. They found a relatively open patch of ground to rest and recover.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, Shang Chenzong transformed into his true form and reopened the place they had buried the entrance the day before.
He poked his head out, saw that the sky had already brightened, then turned back and said with a smile, "The storm has passed. We can set off!"
Bi Fan smiled and nodded, leading everyone out through the entrance they had used the previous day.
The sky was a deep blue. A few white clouds drifting in the east had been dyed orange-red by the morning light, making a particularly beautiful sight.
The heavy rain had washed over the place, leaving the air damp. Bi Fan took a deep breath and said to the Giant Toothed Crocodile King, "Keep leading the way. Can we get there by noon?"
The Giant Toothed Crocodile King nodded with a grunted "Ouch," then set off at full speed on its four rather short legs. The others immediately gathered their spiritual power and followed behind.
The sun gradually moved from the east to directly overhead. The Giant Toothed Crocodile King stopped, its gaze fixed gravely on a spot not far ahead.
Everyone else stopped too. Seeing nothing but the seemingly boundless desert before them, they were stunned.
Jin Shanshan stared blankly. "What's wrong? Are we there? Why isn't there anything here?"
Bi Fan frowned slightly as he looked at the Giant Toothed Crocodile King. "Is this the place?"
It raised its head and nodded solemnly, then gestured in the air with both claws, making motions no one could understand.
Shang Chenzong couldn't help asking with a