Once the three had their bearings, they followed one side of the canyon toward the exit.
Lin Qing led the way, Yue Ling'er walked in the middle, and Ji Han brought up the rear.
They moved quickly, their feet seeming to stir the wind. None wanted to spend another moment in that land of death.
Beyond the canyon, the view opened up.
Moonlight spilled through gaps in the clouds, draping the earth in a gauze of silver-white.
On the distant horizon, they could make out low hills and weathered stone pillars.
Yue Ling'er opened her innate spirit body's senses to their fullest, guiding the other two around patches of quicksand and places where Baleful Fiends had gathered.
They walked for roughly half an hour.
Yue Ling'er suddenly stopped and pointed northeast. "There's a stretch of the Gobi Desert over there. It's sheltered from the wind and sits on high ground. It should be fairly safe."
Lin Qing looked where she pointed. Sure enough, a flat expanse lay in the distance, embraced by several low earthen hills that formed a natural windbreak.
He nodded, and the three headed that way.
Another fifteen minutes brought them to the Gobi Desert.
Fine sand and gravel covered the ground, crunching underfoot.
The surrounding hills were low, but they blocked the sand-laden wind from the north, leaving this small patch of ground remarkably quiet.
Several boulders lay scattered across its center. The largest stood more than ten feet tall, and even the smallest rose above a person's head—ideal for hiding behind and sheltering from the cold wind.
Lin Qing made a circuit of the area. Only after confirming there were no Baleful Fiends nearby did he relax and choose a level spot against a boulder.
The ground was flat enough to sleep on with a