Chapter 335: One Without Missing

Had the magnetic field come to life?

Chen Ling was stunned, seemingly unable to comprehend the meaning of that sentence.

“I saw it too,” Su Zhiwei slowly raised her hands, her eyes empty as she grasped at something in the void. “I saw the strings… they are everywhere, constantly playing, transforming into electrons, into neutrons… I feel like I can touch them?”

“Wave functions! Mass-energy equivalence! Relativity formulas! Maxwell’s equations!!” Wu Tongyuan jumped up and down excitedly, gesticulating wildly.

“Numbers! The numbers are dancing!!”

Seeing the reactions of the other two, the confusion in Chen Ling’s eyes deepened. He sharply turned his head to look at the colossal object towering in the meteor crater.

It was it!

It was affecting them!

Chen Ling didn't know what was happening, but it must be related to the so-called "radiation" and the birth of the Nine Lords. However, he couldn't understand why he felt nothing.

Was it because he didn't understand science? Because the save file couldn't record the Scarlet Star Shard? Or because he ultimately didn't belong to this era?

As Chen Ling pondered, three disheveled figures emerged from the woods in another direction from the shard.

It was Lu Xun and two other research scholars. They were covered in dirt and dust. Seeing Chen Ling and the others standing there in the distance, their eyes immediately lit up.

“Thank heavens! You’re all safe too!” Lu Xun visibly sighed with relief.

Chen Ling immediately stepped forward.

“How did you get here?”

“I was so scared then, I just ran headlong in one direction… Thankfully, Dr. Lu caught up to us and led us to hide in a cave. We only came out after the monsters chasing us left,” one of the research scholars said.

“Luckily, the clouds cleared just now. Dr. Lu used the stars to determine our location, and then we made our way here…”

“We were worried something might have happened to you, but after getting close to here, we didn’t encounter any aggressive monsters. They were all lying on the ground, as if something was wrong with their bodies,” Lu Xun said, looking around. “Have Dr. Lou and the others arrived yet?”

“No.”

Chen Ling carefully observed the three in front of him. To be honest, aside from Yang Xiao and his two companions, he harbored a hint of suspicion towards everyone else… He suspected that among these ten people, he wasn't the only one from the future.

“Never mind that, you two start recording the shard’s parameters. I’ll collect samples,” Lu Xun told the two beside him. “Hurry up, the radiation from this thing is very strong; we can’t stay here long.”

“Okay.”

“Wait!”

Chen Ling saw Lu Xun turn and walk towards the shard, immediately intending to call out to him. But before he could finish speaking, Lu Xun, who had just taken a step, suddenly froze.

Seeing the same vacant look in Lu Xun’s eyes as in Yang Xiao and the others, Chen Ling knew that the “theories” in his mind had also begun to “come alive”… Although he wasn't sure if this description was appropriate, it seemed to be the origin of the Nine Lords’ power.

“Dr. Lu?” Seeing Lu Xun’s sudden change, the other two research scholars frowned and were about to step forward to check on him, when the next moment, they too froze in place.

This time, Chen Ling did not stop them.

He had stopped Lu Xun earlier, hoping he could explain the phenomenon before them. After all, with Chen Ling’s poor scientific knowledge, even if there was some scientific principle behind this shard, he wouldn’t be able to discern it… But Lu Xun was different; he was an expert in astrophysics and might have unique insights.

Now that Lu Xun had entered that state, and the other two research scholars weren't astrophysicists, there was no need to ask them either. He could still inquire once the exploration was over.

As Chen Ling stood beside the others, three more figures emerged from the woods, one after another…

Seeing these three, Chen Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Compared to Lu Xun and the other two, these three were in a strange state. Not only did they show no trace of blood or even much dust after enduring such a disastrous pursuit, but more importantly, they maintained a distance of several meters from each other. Although they came from the same direction, they weren't walking together, as if an invisible barrier existed between them.

Right, right… Nine ordinary people, ambushed by a large group of calamities in the Dark Mountains, scattered, and then all came out completely unharmed, huh?

Chen Ling scoffed inwardly.

He finally understood. Whether he led the way or not, no matter what kind of encirclement crises they encountered on the road, these nine people would always end up standing here, safe and sound… He would never believe that there was nothing suspicious about them.

Whether it was a wormhole, time travel, or a save-load return… the question now was, how many among these ten people harbored secrets?

With six people, including Yang Xiao, having fallen into a chaotic state, only Chen Ling, Dr. Lou, Dr. Ji, and another unknown doctor remained conscious in the meteor crater.

Chen Ling’s gaze swept over the three, his eyes narrowed as he spoke:

“How did you find your way here?”

At least Lu Xun had used the stars to determine their location and find the Scarlet Star Shard. But how did these three pinpoint its location?

Dr. Ji kept her eyes lowered, showing no intention of answering. The other unknown doctor scratched his head, looking bewilderedly at Dr. Lou… Dr. Lou was silent for a moment, then calmly replied, “We were fleeing in a hurry just now and seemed to have stumbled upon the shard’s location. We just followed it here… I suppose it was luck.”

“Luck?” Chen Ling’s gaze immediately locked onto Dr. Ji. Just as he was about to ask something else, a sudden change occurred!

Dr. Lou, out of the corner of his eye, glanced beside him. A glint of light flashed deep within his eyes as he swiftly pulled a pistol from his coat and aimed it at one of the figures who had fallen into a chaotic state…

His gun was aimed directly at Wu Tongyuan!

“You're asking for death?!!” Dr. Ji, standing nearby, saw this scene, her eyes widening instantly. She rapidly lunged towards him!

The scene unfolded too suddenly, and Dr. Lou’s movements were as fast as lightning. Dr. Ji had no time to intervene. The moment Dr. Lou abruptly pulled the trigger, an empty click echoed from the barrel!

There were no bullets in the gun.

Dr. Lou was stunned. He distinctly remembered the magazine was full when he had hidden this gun, but the next moment, he realized the problem… The gun in his hand was not the one he had originally carried.

At the same time, Chen Ling suddenly raised his hand, his gun barrel locked onto Dr. Lou!

A cold glint flickered in his eyes.

“Dr. Lou… you had better give me an explanation.”

Chen Ling had been suspicious of this group for a long time, so he remained constantly on guard. The moment he saw Dr. Lou raise his gun, he swapped the gun in Dr. Lou’s hand with the one he had emptied earlier!

Dr. Lou looked at Chen Ling, as if realizing something.

“You? You too are…”

His face turned extremely grim. Dr. Ji, who was beside him, was already lunging forward with a whistle, throwing a punch at his face!