This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 240 The Cold Blade Gleams, the Evening Breeze is Dry and Hot

After handing everyone over to the military and police who had arrived from nearby cities, Nie Weiyang and his companion parted ways with the others.

They walked into the forest as if nothing had happened and disappeared from sight, but just as they were out of normal sensing range, Russell punched a boulder, causing it to vibrate and rumble for a while.

"Is this some kind of provocation? Or just plain stupidity?" Russell was agitated, anxious, and almost vomiting. "Why the hell is this happening?! What good does it do them to turn people into this?!"

Nie Weiyang stared down at the scorpion fleeing beneath the boulder, and the scorpion stopped moving. Two seconds later, it died, but his gaze remained unchanged.

“People don’t need a reason to become monsters,” he said. “On the contrary, for most people, it’s not a reason to not become monsters.”

"Direction... um, this way."

"Let's go—let's go kill someone."

Russell took a deep breath, his face grim, and quickly regained his composure: "Shouldn't we bring Zhao Deming back? For interrogation and trial... and so on."

Nie Weiyang turned and glanced at Russell.

“I am the best interrogator,” he said with a smile.

……

Zhao Deming lay on the soft bed in the converted RV, the shock absorption system effectively filtering out the bumps of the journey.

The car interior was brightly lit and softly lit. His wife, Zhuang Zhen, was quietly brewing tea on a small table beside him, the aroma wafting through the air. Zhao Qian, driving in the front seat, still looked beautiful and captivating in the light emanating from the dashboard.

“Buying this car from that vending machine a few days ago was definitely the best decision I ever made,” Zhao Deming said with his eyes closed, sighing contentedly. “If it breaks down, I can find parts to fix it in the ruins of a former civilized city I pass by… It’s so convenient.”

This RV is not only comfortable, but also has certain defensive and concealment functions, which is why they were able to get away from the danger zone so quickly.

Zhuang Zhen gently agreed, "Yes, honey, you were so farsighted." She handed the brewed tea to her husband.

Zhao Qian, who was driving in front, seemed somewhat silent.

Zhao Deming narrowed his eyes: "What, still longing for a comfortable life?" His tone was unreadable.

“…No, no.” Zhao Qian’s voice came from the front, with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible. “I’m just a little…worried.”

"If Nie Weiyang catches up..."

"Impossible," her mother, Zhuang Zhen, immediately interrupted her, her tone certain. "We left so early, taking turns driving non-stop; he's probably still stuck with those animals..."

“Qian’er’s concerns are valid,” Zhao Deming suddenly said.

Zhuang Zhen immediately fell silent.

He kept his eyes closed, but his tone became serious: "Never underestimate your enemy, especially someone like Nie Weiyang. The Paladin is a hidden class; his beliefs must be extreme and powerful."

"Driven by extreme beliefs, a person's potential can be astonishing, and it is not impossible to catch up day and night without rest."

He paused, then continued his analysis: "Moreover, a typical knight class has several charge and speed-up skills, and a paladin, as a superior class, will only have more and stronger ones."

"What we're betting on is not that he can't catch up, but that he can't find the direction we're trying to escape in."

Hearing this, even Zhuang Zhen's face showed worry. Zhao Qian saw her parents' expressions in the rearview mirror, pursed her lips, and said nothing more. She just subconsciously glanced at her still beautiful face in the decorative mirror next to her, a complicated look flashing in her eyes.

Zhao Deming then turned over and took out a star map drawn on some kind of animal hide from his portable backpack. The star map had intricate lines and was decorated with many incomprehensible symbols and markings.

He stared at the star chart for a moment, his fingers tracing over one of the brightest stars. He hesitated and calculated in his eyes, but in the end, he carefully put the star chart away.

"It's not the right time yet..." he muttered to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it.

Outside the car window, night had fallen, and the stars twinkled, cold and distant. But for a moment, they seemed like countless eyes, excitedly watching this chase and escape that crossed mountains and rivers.

……

Meanwhile, at the Heido Research Institute.

The researchers were excitedly passing around the notebook containing the first draft of "An Initial Explanation of Pre-Civilization Languages," delivered by the giant metal eagle, as if it were a priceless treasure.

Meanwhile, at the Heido Observatory in the distance, daily observations continued. An observer, while adjusting the telescope parameters, chatted with a colleague: "The summer solstice is in a few days, the longest day of the year... I wonder how hot it will be then."

Before he could finish speaking, a spectrum analyzer next to him, which was radiating magical light, suddenly emitted a sharp alarm!

"What's going on?!" The observer instinctively rushed over. On the screen, the signal strength curve representing a certain point in the sky had suddenly spiked, almost instantly breaking through the upper limit of the scale! He abruptly looked up at the real-time imaging screen of the telescope in the corresponding direction—

In the image, a star that was originally dim and was numbered "GY-771" is now rapidly brightening in a way that defies the laws of physics, and its light even seems somewhat... restless?
"Urgent report! GY-771 is abnormally bright! Cause unknown! Intensity is still increasing!"

The observer yelled into the communicator, plunging the entire observatory into tension and chaos. No one knew what the anomaly of this star meant, but an ominous premonition stirred in everyone's hearts in the sweltering evening breeze.

……

At almost the same time, in the distant Zhongzhou Ancient City Prison.

The prison break alarm blared once again, as if it were a routine task. But this time, the intruders didn't directly storm the core cells. Instead, they remained atop the watchtowers on the prison's perimeter, using a magically enhanced megaphone to unleash a distorted, fanatical roar across the entire prison area:
"Time's up—!"

Deep inside the prison, in a special containment unit.

Ping Xingdou, who had been quietly curled up in the corner, suddenly raised his head!

The usual numbness and blankness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an almost manic anticipation and joy.

He ignored the hurried footsteps outside and the guards' stern rebukes, tightly clutching the star map slab in his arms. He trembled as he stroked the engravings, his eyes bursting with dazzling starlight!

"Stop him!" Liang Zhenduan, who had rushed to the prison, saw the strange condition on Ping Xingdou and his alarm bells rang. He shouted urgently.

But it's too late.

Ping Xingdou's body suddenly blurred, as if it had turned into pure light and shadow. Starlight burst forth from his body, instantly breaking through the specially made prison door and all restraint devices! He was like a star, flowing through layers of barriers, and merging with the shouting intruder outside.

Two beams of starlight intertwined in the air, then swirled at an incredible speed before disappearing into the dark night sky.

Liang Zhenduan watched them disappear from a distance, his blood rushing to his head, and he almost felt his vision go black.

But he forced himself to calm down, abruptly turned to the other side, his voice hoarse with anxiety: "Quick! Go check on Fu Nian! Quick!"

The subordinates rushed towards another special containment chamber. However, upon arrival, they were met with a horrifying scene—

Fu Nian lay quietly on the restraint bed, but on the center of her forehead, a strange crystal, crystal clear and seemingly containing the entire galaxy, was piercing her skin and slowly growing out!

This starstone had never been detected by any means of detection before, as if it had always been hidden deep within her skull—

The next moment, the star stone burst forth with an indescribable dazzling light!
The light did not simply spread, but rather twisted and deformed rapidly as if it were alive, instantly enveloping the entire Gushi Prison.

The surrounding scenery changed rapidly; steel walls transformed into dilapidated stone temples, and modern lights became flickering ghostly flames... Everyone in the prison found themselves forced into a completely unfamiliar phantom world!

The system prompts.

The temporary instance [Ascension of the Star Worshippers] is now open. Remaining attempts: 10.

[Instance content: You have become a member of a certain human race's civilization, and today is the end of the world. Current danger level of this instance: Extremely high.]

[The current location of the instance is now displayed on the global map: Huaxia - Zhongzhou - Gushi. The "New World Instance Archives" has been updated. Please browse the [Temporary Instance] section and pray for the warriors!]

In the distance, Liang Zhenduan, who had been sent flying by the starlight, was now truly unconscious. He almost vomited blood, choking for a moment before roaring, "...Damn it!" Then he pulled out a shattered energy creature from his pocket, even more devastated: "Damn it... Call Xu Fu! I need her to deliver a message!"

Soon, Xu Fu rushed over, disheveled and carrying a baby suckling from a bottle. Liang Zhenduan, completely disregarding where the child came from, lunged forward: "Contact Nie Weiyang, tell him the current situation. And tell him not to come back! Go and catch those Bai Xing gang and beat them to death! Beat them to death!!!"

Nearby, a vending machine was beeping and playing children's music. Pingdu quickly recorded this inexplicable anomaly: the criminal was fleeing, while the paladin and the nature caller were hunting him down.

For the first time, Han Jiangxue didn't seem so cold. She squatted on the roof of a house in a cult settlement in Zhongzhou, rubbed her hands together, exhaled a breath of cold air, and watched it quickly dissipate into the air.

Yi Jian squatted down next to her, shoveling rice into her mouth.

"What do you think Brother Nie is doing now?" he asked.

"I don't know," Han Jiangxue replied simply, "but I know what we're going to do."

Yi Jian laughed: "What?"

Han Jiangxue's gaze shifted downwards, landing on a group of cultists in the distance. Her gaze was as cold as ice, while their eyes sparkled like stars.

“Murder,” she said.

The cold blade gleamed, and the evening breeze was dry and hot.

(End of this chapter)