Whooo-
The sky gradually brightened, but a sandstorm shrouded the area outside Huangming Mountain. Within it, darkness blotted out the sun, and one could barely see a hand before one's face.
Ye Jingtang stood atop a dune, his face wrapped in a veil that left only his eyes exposed, listening to the sounds around him. The dune beneath his feet visibly shrank under the howling wind, and he seemed engulfed in yellow sand.
Below the dune, Perfected Person Xuanji's and Fan Qinghe's skirts snapped in the wind. Although both had wrapped veils around their faces, the wind found every gap and still blew sand against their faces, making them spit from time to time.
Hua Qingzhi and Green Pearl, meanwhile, were suffering terribly. Pampered and precious since childhood, when had they ever witnessed such terrifying heavenly might? Pale-faced, they clung to Perfected Person Xuanji's arms with their eyes closed, afraid that the moment they let go, they would be blown away and buried alive.
Fan Qinghe shielded her face with her sleeve. Despite being so close, she could not see Ye Jingtang and could only shout:
"Well? Have you found them?"
Ye Jingtang could not really open his eyes either, and opening them would have been useless. He could only search for movement around them by ear. Hearing her, he said:
"They aren't nearby. Let's wait until the sandstorm stops before moving."
"Will Niao Niao be all right?"
Niao Niao had thick white plumage and was, strictly speaking, a snow eagle, highly resistant to cold but not extreme heat. Ye Jingtang was not worried, however, and said:
"Niao Niao went out at night. If a sandstorm hits, Niao Niao can keep flying higher and find the right direction somehow. If Niao Niao can't catch up, Niao Niao will return to