In order to search for the caravan that might be stuck somewhere, they headed in the opposite direction of the Snowfield and chose daylight to conserve fuel as much as possible.
But shortly after leaving the camp, the sky abruptly turned dark.
Although this location was outside the range of perpetual night, the daylight remained very short and completely unpredictable.
At this moment, darkness enveloped everything, with no stars or moon in sight, and even the path beneath their feet was obscured.
With no other options, Liang Xin’an and Jing Rou had to turn on the lights of the vehicle, trudging forward with difficulty.
Fortunately, for this operation, Kong Xiangdong managed to squeeze out another large barrel from the already limited kerosene reserves, enough for them to use for two days and nights.
But even the modified lighting vehicle could only illuminate a small section of the road ahead, with everything else being swallowed by the darkness so thick it seemed tangible.
Under such circumstances, most people would get lost before getting very far.
Luckily they were well prepared before setting out.
Jing Rou pulled out a Compass from his chest, using it to determine the direction as they walked.
Huang Liang gave him this before they departed.
Although it’s not extraordinary, it was Huang Liang’s treasured possession for many years, accurate and highly resistant to interference.
With this, Huang Liang could accurately locate and find precious minerals in the deep mountains.
But in this environment, even this special Compass became less effective.
The needle trembled nonstop like it was drunk, only vaguely pointing in a general direction.
After moving forward for a while like this, Liang Xin’an suddenly felt a chill on his face and looked up to see snowflakes falling from the sky.
In an instant, thick snow covered the path beneath them completely.
Moreover, the cold wind began to howl, and the weather turned extremely harsh.
Jing Rou wiped snow from his face and spat fiercely, "Damn, this cursed weather!"
"Senior Brother, this won’t do!" Liang Xin’an said gravely.
He wasn’t afraid of mere snow; he was worried that if the snow didn’t stop, it would seriously hinder their subsequent actions.
"Let’s keep going for now. If it gets too bad, we’ll find a sheltered place to rest," Jing Rou said in a deep voice.
The journey became more arduous, with the two taking turns pushing the vehicle, taking half an hour to cover four to five miles.
By now, the snow was so heavy it formed a continuous sheet, with nothing in sight but whiteness.
The good news was the snowfall dissipated much of the darkness.
The bad news was that under the thick snow, all visible reference points disappeared.
Traveling in such conditions was extremely dangerous.
Even with the guidance of the Compass, the lack of reference points meant you couldn’t tell if you deviated from your path.
As a result, as you walked, you might end up off course.
With no choice, the two found a sheltered spot to rest temporarily, planning to continue once the storm subsided.
To save kerosene, Liang Xin’an dimmed the light significantly and wrapped himself in a cloak.
Jing Rou dug out some dry branches from the snow, dipped them in kerosene, and lit a bonfire.
Jing Rou then took a small flask from his backpack, scooped some snow into it, and placed it over the fire.
Soon, the snow melted and boiled, and Jing Rou dropped some pre-chopped jerky into the flask from a small jar.
The resulting meat porridge not only warmed their bodies but also provided a significant boost of energy and warmth.
In this blizzard, any bit of warmth was extremely precious.
Liang Xin’an watched from the side, silently admiring Jing Rou’s extensive outdoor survival experience.
By now, the meat porridge was ready, and after a few gulps, Liang Xin’an felt thoroughly warmed.
But outside, the storm raged on, showing no signs of letting up anytime soon.
Jing Rou looked deeply troubled.
Having visited the Wuyang Sea several times, he knew the terror of this kind of snowstorm.
No matter your level as a Martial Artist, you need to stay put in such weather.
With even the slightest mistake, you could lose your way completely, and all your skills would be in vain.
Liang Xin’an sensed something was wrong and approached Jing Rou, speaking in a deep voice, "Senior Brother, should we head back to the camp?"
To Liang Xin’an, they hadn’t been away from camp for long, so they shouldn’t have gone too far.
But Jing Rou shook his head, "We can’t go back. There’s something in this area affecting the Compass, making it highly unstable."
"If the weather were normal, we could correct our direction by sight, preventing significant deviation."
"But with the snow covering everything, without reference points, any move is fraught with peril."
Jing Rou was not exaggerating.
Traveling across the Snowfield, the most crucial thing was finding reference points; otherwise, the endless snow could easily become a white hell, entangling you without realizing it until it’s too late.
Liang Xin’an nodded in agreement.
Knowing his own lack of outdoor survival experience, especially in such Snowfields, he sought Jing Rou’s opinion on every matter.