Chapter 495: Pursuers

At this moment, the fatigue in Chen Ling's eyes had been swept away, and both his physical and mental states had returned to their peak level!

Although he had only closed his eyes for less than two seconds in the Era Archive, in reality, Chen Ling had already spent a month in the Ancient Treasury of the Drama Path.

During this month, Chen Ling's life was very fulfilling. His main task every day was sparring with his senior brother, Ning Ruyu. Ever since he swiped that boning knife, he felt its weight and length were very suitable, so under Ning Ruyu's strange gaze, he temporarily used it as a melee weapon.

Under the high-intensity combat load every day, Chen Ling's melee level skyrocketed. If he couldn't even last three moves under Ning Ruyu's spear before, now, holding the boning knife, he could trade twenty or so blows with Ning Ruyu... Of course, this was without either side using mental energy.

This was undoubtedly a qualitative leap. One must know that Ning Ruyu's "Strike" skill was top-tier even among the nine great domains. Chen Ling being able to trade blows with him in melee combat meant that his combat skills had reached a terrifying level, far exceeding those of the same rank or even the fourth-rank Soldier Path.

The rest of the time, Chen Ling spent learning to sing opera from his senior brothers and sisters, as well as collecting information related to the Emperor Path.

"You're rested already?" Yang Xiao said in shock. "Didn't you just close your eyes for a second?"

"It's enough. I'm in a very good state now... very good."

Chen Ling rotated his neck, making a cracking sound. His eyes were as bright as torches, and his spirit and energy were completely renewed.

"...You're a monster," the exhausted Yang Xiao muttered to himself.

At the same time, Su Zhiwei looked back at Chen Ling:

"Director Chen, can you explain now?"

Chen Ling had taken Su Zhiwei away without explaining anything at all. Both sides relied on pure trust and the friendship forged through shared adversity. To be honest, Su Zhiwei was still very confused about everything.

Chen Ling didn't answer but looked at Yao Qing in the driver's seat.

"Yao Qing is one of us," Su Zhiwei said.

"I'm Sister's person!" Yao Qing immediately added, staring at Chen Ling through the rearview mirror. "My anti-fraud awareness is very strong! I want to see what tricks you're trying to pull... I'm warning you, with me here, don't even think about deceiving Sister."

Chen Ling ignored Yao Qing's warning directly and, after thinking for a moment, slowly spoke:

"Dr. Su, have you... felt any changes in your body recently?"

Su Zhiwei was stunned.

"Changes?" Yao Qing's heart skipped a beat. "Sister! You're not sick, are you..."

"It's not sickness, it's in other aspects... for example, being able to sense something? Being able to control certain things? Or having some kind of energy flowing through your body?" Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly.

After coming out of Shennongjia, Yang Xiao had been able to vaguely perceive the existence of magnetic fields, and Su Zhiwei would likely also notice changes in her body. Starting from this point should make Su Zhiwei trust him more.

"Wow, you really are a con artist!" Yao Qing gritted his teeth.

"What era is this, and you're still here swindling people with superpowers and special abilities? My sister is a research doctor! How could she believe your nonsense??"

Su Zhiwei frowned and thought for a long time, then nodded.

"Yes."

This one word instantly stopped Yao Qing, who had been firing on all cylinders.

"No, Sister, you..."

"After coming out of Shennongjia, I've been able to vaguely perceive some things... It's everywhere, and it's all vibrating at a certain frequency. I can clearly hear their 'voice'," Su Zhiwei closed her eyes. "I thought I was hallucinating after fainting in Shennongjia, so I specifically asked for leave to go home and recuperate... But no matter how I practiced or calmed my mind, there was no sign of it disappearing; the voice has only gotten louder."

Su Zhiwei's answer was about what Chen Ling had guessed. He said in a deep voice, "You should be able to guess what you're hearing... right?"

Su Zhiwei opened her mouth, and after struggling for a long time, she tentatively said the hypothesized answer:

"Is it... 'strings'?"

"The theory you're researching is becoming your power... Dr. Yang Xiao should also have a deep understanding of this," Chen Ling glanced at Yang Xiao, who was also nodding. Chen Ling continued, "The changes happening to you will trigger a series of events in the future, and might even change this world... And now, someone wants to get rid of you."

"Director Chen, didn't you also enter Shennongjia? Did you also undergo changes?"

"No, I'm different from you... What I possess is the 'Divine Path,' the embodiment of spiritual civilization. Your 'theories' actually count as spiritual civilization too, but there should only be nine of you in the world with this authority."

"No, this is getting more and more outrageous!!" Yao Qing couldn't help but interrupt their conversation directly, asking Su Zhiwei while driving, "Sister Zhiwei, you don't really believe his nonsense, do you?! Doesn't this sound just like those evil cults?"

"Yao Qing, this world is not as simple as what you see..."

As a member of the exploration team, Su Zhiwei had witnessed a series of supernatural phenomena with her own eyes and walked on the edge of life and death. She knew very well that what Chen Ling said wasn't groundless.

But from Yao Qing's perspective, as a materialistic college student, he couldn't accept it at all for the moment. He only felt that Chen Ling was deceiving Su Zhiwei, trying to get her to join some evil cult similar to a pyramid scheme, where she would be swindled of money and dignity at best, and brainwashed into suicide at worst... He had seen too many such news stories.

Yao Qing was anxious. He stepped on the gas pedal unconsciously, and the vehicle crossed the main road with heavy traffic and flew onto another path.

"Sister, think about it again. I think something is wrong with this..."

Yao Qing was still trying to awaken Su Zhiwei's reason, but Chen Ling frowned, his gaze locking onto the several vehicles that had followed them out through the rearview mirror.

[Audience Expectation +3]

Seeing this prompt, Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly...

"Keep driving, drive to a place with fewer people," Chen Ling suddenly said.

"What's wrong?"

"Those cars have been following us since we left the Su residence," Chen Ling said in a deep voice. "There was heavy traffic on the main road, so I didn't pay much attention... Now it seems they are mostly likely coming for us."

"Is it Nie Yu's people?" Yang Xiao's face sank immediately.

"It should be. Knowing he couldn't come in a short time, he sent other men... It seems he is determined to kill Dr. Su."

As soon as this was said, Yao Qing, who was driving, felt his heart skip a beat. He also looked back, and indeed there were several cars following, but he had no impression of them... After all, there were too many cars on the main road just now, and they were all blocking each other. Who could remember the shape or license plate of every car?

"No way? There are usually a lot of cars on this road. Are you overthinking it?" he asked in confusion.

"They are indeed doing it covertly enough, but they can't hide from my eyes," Chen Ling's pupils flickered with a faint light. "Yao Qing, right? If you don't want your Sister Zhiwei to be involved in danger, then weld the gas pedal to the floor and drive forward. Don't worry about the surveillance cameras; they won't be able to capture you."

Although Yao Qing couldn't tell if Chen Ling was telling the truth, since it involved Su Zhiwei's safety, he gritted his teeth and stepped on the gas. The vehicle immediately accelerated and roared out, running through five or six red lights!

At the same time, the cars behind also suddenly accelerated, following closely.

"They really are chasing us!!" Yao Qing exclaimed.

"What now? It's almost impossible to shake them off on this kind of urban road network," Yang Xiao looked at the cars biting closely behind and asked in a deep voice.

Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at the remaining audience expectation value, and after a moment of hesitation, a boning knife slid out from his sleeve...

The mirror-like sharp blade reflected his face and those cold, flickering eyes. He said leisurely,

"Just keep driving forward... Leave the rest to me."