The Return of Cambrian Period

72 Cambrian Consciousness Part 3

Wu Yu stared straight into Cheng Tianbi's eyes and said, "I analyzed it. The ability to create invisible resistance in the air and form invisible sharp weapons behind a person—" Wu Yu suddenly raised his hand, and in the palm of his hand, a mirror-like smooth and translucent ice appeared. In an instant, any sharp objects that came into contact with the ice surface were fiercely impaled, causing the ice to crack from the center!

Zhuang Yao opened the car door and shouted, "Cheng Tianbi, stop."

Wu Yu sneered, "A natural force-evolved individual who controls wind."

Zhuang Yao and Cong Xia both jumped out of the car. Cong Xia ran to Cheng Tianbi's side and whispered, "Tianbi, your injury hasn't healed, don't move recklessly."

Zhuang Yao walked up to Wu Yu with crossed arms and said, "You've said so much, what's your purpose? Yes, he is a natural force-evolved individual, and we don't want people to know about it to avoid harassment." Zhuang Yao looked at him sarcastically.

Wu Yu retracted his hand, and the ice also disappeared into thin air. He looked around and smiled, "I feel really unsafe. This ability is too terrifying."

Cheng Tianbi said, "If you don't want to die, seal your mouth and step aside."

Wu Yu chuckled softly, "You are the first natural force-evolved individual I've ever met besides myself. Seeing someone of the same kind feels even more amazing than I imagined."

Cong Xia frowned and said, "He is not the same kind as you."

Wu Yu shook his head, "Of course, you are his comrades. But do you really plan to just leave like this?"

Zhuang Yao said, "Do you want us to stay and deal with Chen Shao? You should have understood long ago that it's impossible."

Wu Yu said, "I know that Chongqing can't hold you, and I can't confine myself here either. But Chongqing is a perfect base. Its geographical location and the current situation make it capable of radiating across the country. This is a new era, an era of the strong. As natural force-evolved individuals with exceptional advantages, shouldn't we do something? Shouldn't we use this strength and stand at the pinnacle of this era?"

Cheng Tianbi decisively stated, "Our paths differ."

The corners of Wu Yu’s mouth slightly pulled and he smiled, saying, "If someone like Chen Shao, who looks down on others and lacks skills, takes control of the city, the people here will die quickly."

Cong Xia said, "If you really care about these people's lives, all you have to do is leave, and everything will be peaceful."

Wu Yu wore a sarcastic expression and said, "I finally found a suitable place to live. How could I leave? Chen Shao is no match for me. He either leaves or submits to me. It's just a matter of time. But with your help, I can achieve my goal faster."

Zhuang Yao sneered, "You're underestimating Chen Shao. He controls the military and the research institute. And you, besides individual strength, what else do you have?"

Wu Yu wasn't fooled by Zhuang Yao's provocation and said cautiously, "All those powers he controls will be mine."

Cheng Tianbi impatiently said, "I'll say it again, step aside."

Wu Yu sighed with regret, "In that case, I have no other choice. I have one last question for you. How did you kill Zhao Jin? I couldn't penetrate his skin."

Cheng Tianbi coldly replied, "Step aside."

Wu Yu looked at Cheng Tianbi slyly and said, "Then I guess we'll meet again someday. Farewell." After speaking, he slowly moved to the side.

The group got into the car.

Wu Yu watched them pass by, wearing a smile that held an unclear meaning.

Once the group was far away, Cong Xia said with lingering fear, "He's a terrifying man. Just standing face-to-face with him, you can feel immense pressure. It's truly frightening when a natural force-evolved individual is not on our side."

Tang Yanqiu nodded, "He is indeed very strong."

Zhuang Yao glanced at the rearview mirror, but Wu Yu was nowhere to be seen. He said, "I have a feeling that we will meet him again in the future. His ambition goes far beyond Chen Shao. He wants more than just Chongqing. I don't think Chen Shao will live much longer."

While they didn't sympathize with Chen Shao, the thought of a powerful and ambitious man knowing one of their trump cards gave them a sense of crisis. If Chen Shao couldn't defeat Wu Yu, there might come a day when they would meet in Beijing.

At that time, a direct confrontation and a battle would be inevitable.

Zhuang Yao looked at Cheng Tianbi and said, "Your injuries have almost healed. It's time for you to tell us how formidable that amphibious atavistic individual was."

Except for Tang Yanqiu, who was present at the scene, the other three were curious about the battle. But they didn't ask about it. Both of them were injured, and it was not a good memory. Zhuang Yao, for once, showed some humanity by asking now, but it was more likely that he had not found the time until now.

Cheng Tianbi said, "The characteristics of that amphibious atavistic individual are indeed formidable. After the mutation, he grew to nearly three meters in height, with a tail over one meter long. His skin is wrinkled like that of a crocodile, very sturdy and impervious to blades and guns. He can stand upright or crawl, with incredible speed, strength, jumping ability, and climbing power. He has numerous organs for offensive purposes, and apart from claws and teeth, his tail can also be used as a weapon. Whether it's defense or attack, it's impeccable."

Cong Xia took a sharp breath. Cheng Tianbi's description was straightforward, without much embellishment, but the image of a huge and powerful lizard-like being became vivid in everyone's mind. It was like a born killing machine!

Thinking back to Cheng Tianbi's injuries, especially the fatal wound under his ribs, Cong Xia felt that it was a miracle he survived an encounter with such a creature.

Tang Yanqiu said with lingering fear, "That creature's attacking power was stronger than the two of us combined. If it weren't for my ability to fly, we would definitely be dead."

Cheng Tianbi nodded, "Because Little Tang was suppressing him from above, his attacks were greatly restricted. With my current abilities, I'm afraid I'm no match for him in a one-on-one fight."

Cheng Tianbi spoke calmly, but a storm had already surged in everyone's hearts. Cheng Tianbi never made empty boasts, but he never underestimated himself either. According to his description, if he had gone alone to kill Zhao Jin, it was uncertain if he would have come back alive.

Zhuang Yao chimed in, "It seems you lack confidence in your own abilities. Even in a one-on-one fight, you can definitely win."

Cong Xia whispered, "Why are you so confident?"

Zhuang Yao took out a notebook, "This is a graph I drew based on our energy growth over the past month."

Cong Xia opened the notebook and saw a graph that rose at a steep thirty-degree angle. If it were in the stock market, it would be a month of nationwide celebration.

Zhuang Yao said, "Turn to the second and third pages."

Cong Xia flipped to the second page. Compared to the growth rate on the first page, the second page was much gentler, and the third page was even slower, barely showing any progress over the past month.

Zhuang Yao said, "The first page is Cheng Tianbi, the second page is Liu Fengyu's, and the third page is mine. My growth is slow because I spend too little time on cultivation every day, especially during these days in Chongqing when I've been fully focused on the research institute. However, their cultivation time should be similar, but the rate of energy growth is vastly different."

Surprise appeared on Cong Xia's face. If it wasn't presented so clearly in the form of a graph, Cheng Tianbi himself wouldn't have felt such a noticeable enhancement. But looking at this curve and recalling Cheng Tianbi's growth from when they first met until now, Cong Xia indeed had a feeling that Cheng Tianbi was making progress every day, and at a rapid pace. Until now, Cheng Tianbi was still the most formidable person in his mind.

Liu Fengyu took the notebook and looked at it, furrowing his brows, "Why is there such a big difference? I haven't been slacking off either."

Zhuang Yao said, "I currently don't know the exact reason for this. Either Cheng Tianbi has extraordinary innate talent, or his evolutionary direction inherently destined him to be superior to others. Natural force evolvers might not necessarily be able to match them in terms of individual strength during the early stages of evolution, as the most powerful individuals at that time could be the carnivorous mutants and atavistic individuals. Zhao Jin might indeed be stronger than Tianbi."

"You're only considering the present factors, but I'm considering potential." Zhuang Yao looked at Cheng Tianbi with shining eyes. "The most terrifying aspect of natural force evolvers is their potential to manipulate powerful natural forces. Even if he can only manipulate a little wind now, he could potentially unleash hurricanes and trigger tsunamis in the future. This ability is not a fantasy; it exists within his mutated genes. Even without cultivation, the evolution of all mutant species in the world hasn't stopped. Cultivation just allows us to progress much faster than others. Therefore, the mutated genes that can manipulate natural forces exist within him. I believe that in crucial moments, this potential can be unleashed."

Although everyone thought he was making it sound too extraordinary, no one refuted him. Because if anyone dared to argue, Zhuang Yao would use his powerful brain, akin to a database, to leave them speechless. Debating with Zhuang Yao was completely meaningless.

Cong Xia looked at Cheng Tianbi and sighed, "Tianbi, I really hope you have that potential, especially in times of danger."

Cheng Tianbi replied, "You have it too."

Cong Xia was taken aback, remembering the ancient jade. It did save him when he was being dissolved by the mushroom's digestive fluid, but it was too opportunistic of a thought. Who knows if the next time he's about to die, the jade would still care about him.

Cheng Tianbi looked at the steep rising curve on the notebook, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

It was over 300 kilometers from Chongqing to Mount Emei. According to Tang Yanqiu, his family lived in a town in the Emei Mountain Range, and the entire town belonged to his family. The place was nestled among mountains and rivers, with a broad view and excellent Feng Shui. It had been the ancestral home of the Tang family for generations.

They continuously adjusted their route based on the terrain, making slow progress. Driving the Road Bully had its pros and cons. The advantage was that it could carry a lot of things, but the disadvantage was its slow speed. If they were riding on Abu, they would have reached their destination in less than a day. 

But driving a vehicle, their average speed was only 40 kilometers per hour, and they had to figure out ways to overcome complex terrains. They traveled slowly, taking breaks along the way. With Abu by their side, no animals dared to bother them. Finally, two days later, they arrived at Mount Emei.

The road into the mountains became even more difficult as there were many steep slopes. They had originally planned to reach the town before nightfall, but they ended up stranded on the road after dark. To make matters worse, the temperature suddenly dropped at night.

Due to carrying a lot of things and the addition of Tang Yanqiu, who stood at 1.88 meters tall, the vehicle was cramped. They could barely sit inside, let alone sleep. Furthermore, Zhuang Yao wanted to save fuel, so he didn't let them use the heating. They had no choice but to wear thick clothes and huddle together inside Abu's embrace.

Abu curled up his body, enveloping the five of them inside, using his tail as a blanket, covering them.

Leaning against Abu's soft body, they nestled into his fragrant, thick, and warm fur. Without the need for someone to keep watch, all of them fell into a deep sleep.

Snuggled in Abu's furry embrace, with their companions' constant body warmth beside them, it was even warmer than staying in the heated car. The five people and one cat once again endured the harsh cold of the apocalypse in this way.

Early the next morning, Cong Xia cooked rice porridge and stir-fried some vegetables. They drank hot porridge to warm their stomachs and dispel the chill of the winter morning before continuing on their journey.

After a morning of arduous trekking, a small town nestled in the mountains finally appeared in their sight.

Tang Yanqiu exclaimed with excitement, "We've arrived!" He looked at the familiar scenery of his hometown, and his eyes became slightly moist. His heart couldn't help but pound uncontrollably.

At this moment, everyone shared the same concern—whether his fellow clansmen were safe.