"Of course I was lucky." Zhao Hanyun counted on his fingers and told Zou Li, "Look, I was able to knock him out right when he went in, so he didn't fall into the wrong hands. I even made a profit. How great is that."
"It doesn't matter. We haven't reached the destination yet anyway. You should take a rest first." Zou Li patted his thigh. They had booked a private room, which was convenient for resting. Seeing Zhao Hanyun leaning on his legs, he used his hand to tuck the fallen strand of hair behind her ear.
With the roar of the train, Zhao Hanyun and his group's destination was getting closer and closer.
"Finally we're getting off the bus. If I don't get off soon, my old bones will fall apart." Yuan Zhicheng stretched his muscles and looked at the old man from the Jiang family who was holding on stubbornly. "Hurry up. If you fall behind and we can't keep up, you'd better go back as soon as possible."
"Can a small place like Korla stump me?" Old Jiang looked at Yuan Zhicheng with disdain, then obediently began to do warm-up exercises on the spot.
Korla, the capital of Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, is located in central Xinjiang, at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and on the northeastern edge of the Tarim Basin. It borders a branch of the Tianshan Mountains to the north and the Taklamakan Desert, the world's second-largest desert, to the south. Korla is a strategic point on the central route of the ancient Silk Road and one of the birthplaces of Western Region culture. It serves as a crucial transportation hub and distribution center for goods between southern and northern Xinjiang, and a major political, economic, and cultural center for the region.
"Korla" means "overlook" in Uyghur. It is also called "Pear City" because it is rich in the world-famous "Korla Fragrant Pear".
This is the first stop of Zhao Hanyun and his group's trip. They have decided not to spend the night here. Since there is still time, they might as well find a remote intersection and head directly south. The Taklamakan Desert there is the purpose of their trip.
From getting off the car to adapting to the entire environment, Zhao Hanyun has already experienced this extremely dry weather and climate.
Heading south, the desert reaches elevations of 1,200 to 1,500 meters in the west and south, and 800 to 1,000 meters in the east and north. Sand dunes reach as high as 200 meters. Some sources claim the Taklamakan Desert is the world's largest mobile desert. The Taklamakan Desert's heartland has been named one of China's five most beautiful deserts. Located in the heart of Eurasia and surrounded by high mountains, the Taklamakan Desert is imbued with wonder and mystery.
The Taklamakan Desert boasts a vast expanse of shifting sand dunes, typically 100-200 meters high, with some reaching around 300 meters. The dunes are complex and diverse, with complex dunes and ridges resembling giant dragons resting on the earth. Tower-shaped dunes, with shapes ranging from honeycombs to feathers and fish scales, create an unpredictable and dynamic landscape. The desert boasts two towering, distinctly red and white dunes, known as the "Holy Sepulchre Mountains." These are composed of red sandstone and white gypsum, respectively, formed when sedimentary rocks emerged from the surface. The wind-eroded mushrooms on these "Holy Sepulchre Mountains" are a striking sight, rising approximately 5 meters, their massive canopy capable of accommodating over 10 people. The Taklamakan Desert is flanked by majestic mountain ranges.
"It's a bit hot." Yuan Zhicheng wiped his forehead, which had just emerged and was blown dry, and looked around curiously: "Girl, are we not far from where we are? This place is well built, and some parts have already turned green. You are really capable, really good."
"Master, are you feeling better?" Old Master Jiang was the first person to feel uncomfortable. Zhao Hanyun set up a heat-insulating barrier around him and added some water. While he was regulating his breathing, he came to check on Yuan Zhicheng and found that he was just a little hot and his breathing was disordered.
"It's okay, I'm fine. Let's go see Old Man Jiang." They followed him out this time just to see the outside world. His unfilial daughter finally agreed to take over his job, but if he doesn't run away quickly, who knows if that unfilial daughter will catch up with him.
Zhao Hanyun was worried. Seeing that Yuan Zhicheng was in good spirits, he put up a barrier around him and handed him some water to replenish his water and other things.
Standing at the edge of the desert, the surface beyond is composed of loose alluvial deposits several hundred meters thick. This alluvial layer is influenced by wind, with wind-moved sand sheets up to 300 meters thick. The wind-formed landforms are diverse, with dunes of all shapes and sizes visible. The larger dune chains are impressive: 30 to 150 meters high, 240 to 503 meters wide, and 0.8 to 5 kilometers apart. The tallest wind-formed landforms are pyramidal dunes, 195 to 300 meters high. In the eastern and central parts of the desert, the network of sunken dunes and large, complex dune chains dominate.
Over the years, the Taklamakan Desert has moved nearly 100 kilometers closer to human settlements, prompting the country to attach great importance to this issue and accelerate desert control. After years of continuous efforts, some results have been achieved, with a large number of oases appearing in the desert, giving people hope for life.
"I'm old now. I can't even handle this." Yuan Zhicheng exchanged glances with Jiang Lao, then laughed heartily and said, "Old buddy, it's time to accept your age."
"Are they okay?" Zhao Hanyun, who had just confirmed that the two were fine, didn't dare to guarantee it. He pulled the vigilant Zou Li aside and asked, "How about we speed up the journey and gather together to rest when we get there?"
The gathering points Zhao Hanyun mentioned were the mobile gathering points that the people here had built at regular intervals to help them survive in the desert. Due to the fluidity of the Taklamakan Desert, these gathering points were constantly moving around. Even those familiar with the area could sometimes lose their way, and getting lost in the desert was a sure death. Zhao Hanyun and her group didn't have to worry about these issues. With her current sensing abilities, the nearby gathering points were all on her map, so there was no need to worry about getting lost.
"Okay, you and I will each take one." Zou Li nodded. Staying in the desert without a purpose would make even them feel uncomfortable. He put his hand on Jiang Lao's shoulder and said, "Relax, we can save some time and teleport over."
The same thing happened to Zhao Hanyun. After deciding with Zou Li which gathering point to go to, she immediately pulled Yuan Zhicheng over. She hadn't used teleportation for a long time, and her strength had improved a lot. She wondered if the range of teleportation had also increased. However, after looking at the yellow sand covering the surroundings, Zhao Hanyun gave up the idea of trying it. After all, she had just arrived here, and she had to familiarize herself with the rules of the game here first.
With two whooshes, the four people disappeared from the spot, and four people appeared out of thin air outside a gathering point in the distance. It was a pity that no one noticed them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
