Chapter 687

Ning Chen silently chanted in his heart: "Use the 'Density Control' skill."

Perhaps because he had reached the limit of life and death at this moment, immediately after Ning Chen silently chanted those words, the skill took effect almost instantly. The bullets raining down from the sky suddenly condensed in mid-air, no longer carrying such immense impact force. Ning Chen closed his eyes and altered the density of the air; although its range was not large, it was enough to ensure Ning Chen would suffer no harm within that scope.

Thus, the people on Gayi's side witnessed a scene that shocked them beyond measure.

Those bullets were firing down from high altitude at extremely high speeds; they should have been able to pummel the people below into a sieve, but just as the bullets reached the vicinity of Ning Chen, it was as if something had blocked them, and all the bullets froze in place.

It was as if they had been suddenly frozen. Gayi had only seen such scenes in movies; he had originally scoffed at such plots, but now that he was experiencing it personally, for a moment he couldn't even close his mouth.

He finally realized what kind of powerful enemy he had provoked.

Ning Chen quickly contracted and expanded in his mind, completing the skill's transition. He rapidly altered the air's density again to reduce the impact force of those bullets, and only then withdrew the skill. At that moment, those bullets no longer possessed such strong attacking power.

For some reason, once those bullets neared Ning Chen, it was as if the air had suddenly been sucked out of them, and they all dropped down limp.

When had Gayi and the others ever seen such a scene? They were instantly dumbfounded, staring fixedly at the bullets falling beside Ning Chen, unable to react for a moment.

Immediately after using the skill, Ning Chen accelerated and left his current position. He knew those people had already detected his skill. Under normal circumstances, if not for the purpose of killing, he would not deploy the skill. At this time, to escape, he had no choice but to try using the skill.

At this moment, Ning Chen had already used the skill but could not yet kill Gayi and his group. One could imagine what huge trouble it would bring him in the future if the opposing side spread everything that happened today.

But Ning Chen did not want to concern himself with these matters now; the most important thing was to bring those three people back to his own country. So Ning Chen did not intend to stay here long, but instead increased his speed, preparing to go to the destination where they had just stopped. Ning Chen's movements, in the eyes of that group on the opposite side, were like those of a ghost or demon; they simply could not observe Ning Chen's next move. Even though they kept their eyes fixed on him, they always felt he might vanish at any moment. Just like now. Ning Chen's speed was very fast. From where he was currently staying to the next destination he intended to reach, there was a distance of fifty meters, and in the blink of an eye, he had already run to the other side. At this moment, Ning Chen hid behind a tree. He watched the sniper above, who was at his wit's end searching for his tracks, and slowly let out a laugh.

Gayi saw this scene, but he was actually not that surprised at this moment. Perhaps because Ning Chen had given him enough surprises already, so that now, even if Ning Chen performed a teleportation right in front of him, Gayi estimated he would not be as shocked as he was just now.

Gayi cleared his throat, held the walkie-talkie, and said: "In the situation where the opponent suddenly disappears, do not fire at one spot. Spread the firing range out. I don't believe we still can't hit anyone."

Since Gayi had given the order, his subordinates had to execute it, but spreading the firing range out also had a drawback: although it was possible to hit someone, it would not be enough to kill. If they missed this area, it would become even more difficult when they went to investigate later. However, they never dared to say anything about Gayi's fate. Even if the order he gave was mistaken, they could only follow it. One of the meanings in the hand signal Ning Chen had just made was to have them retreat. If they blindly hid in front, the enemy would easily figure out their state of mind, and by then, even if Ning Chen wanted to save them, it would be too late. Ning Chen just didn't know if they truly understood his meaning. His expression was anxious; he frequently turned his head to look at the predetermined hiding spot of the three people. But the distance between them was a bit far; neither side could see the other, so they could only rely on tacit understanding to communicate. Chu Muyu seemed to sense something at this moment. He rubbed his chin, poked his head out a little, and took a look outside. The position he looked at happened to be where Ning Chen was. Someone asked him what he was looking at. Chu Muyu said: "Perhaps I can guess what Ning Chen meant by those hand signals."

Having said this, he didn't continue to keep the secret, since this concerned matters of life and death, so he continued: "I guess Ning Chen must want us to go back." The girl hadn't said anything yet, but the curly-haired man immediately frowned: "You can eat recklessly, but you cannot speak recklessly. Maybe Ning Chen just wants us to retreat directly without looking back. If you guess his intention wrong, then going back would be tantamount to suicide." The girl also nodded: "Although I know we are desperate to escape now, I also think it's better not to guess wildly. Only Ning Chen himself knows what he means. Even if we want to guess, we don't have that kind of tacit understanding."

Chu Muyu gritted his teeth. For some reason, he inexplicably became firm in his own idea: "Trust me once. I remember what hand signals Ning Chen made. He must want us to go back; otherwise, he wouldn't have made the escape signal."

Having said this, the other two had nothing more to say. Chu Muyu's words were spoken with extreme difficulty, after all, a single misjudgment on his part would mean leading two people to their funeral.

Chu Muyu bore the responsibility for two lives on his shoulders, but even so, he still said: "... Let's take a gamble. If we win the gamble, we can withdraw unscathed. At least Ning Chen can still give us a chance to escape. But if we really move forward, look—"

After Chu Muyu finished this sentence, he pointed his finger toward the distance.

"The further we go in that direction, the sparser the trees become. By the time we get there, there will no longer be any tree shade to shield us. That is an open area; everyone is exposed in the open. Don't even talk about escaping; whether we will be hit by a hail of bullets is already a question."

The curly-haired man and the girl exchanged a glance. Finally, the curly-haired man sighed: "Alright, let's trust you once." At this moment, Chu Muyu couldn't even smile even if he wanted to. He was both nervous and worried, still concerned whether his idea was mistaken. If he really made a mistake, it would be no different from leading people to their death.

But there was no time left for him to hesitate. Chu Muyu grabbed the hands of the two people, and without even giving the two people time to react, he immediately said.

"Run!"

This "Run" was like an order. Before the words had even finished falling, Chu Muyu pulled the other two and started running. Fortunately, those two people were well-prepared and didn't make any mistakes at the start; they could also keep up with Chu Muyu's speed. No one dragged the team down on the road, so the running speed naturally became faster.

They ran those seventy meters in thirteen seconds. After all, their physical stamina had been greatly consumed, even though they were using all their strength. Fortunately, the tree branches overhead could block their figures, so they wouldn't be discovered by people while running. Ning Chen stood behind the tree where the three people had just been standing. He couldn't determine whether those three people could understand his meaning. Wait another ten seconds, Ning Chen thought.

Ten seconds. This was the last chance he gave the three people. If the opposing side couldn't catch up and Ning Chen had to personally go save them, even if Ning Chen tried his hardest, he could only save one person. And the person saved would have to be Chu Muyu.

Although Ning Chen also very much wanted to save the others, after such a long journey, his stamina was not much left. If he sacrificed his life to rescue them, it was very likely he would end up sacrificing himself too. There wasn't much time left.

Ning Chen counted the time second by second. His eyes looked at the direction where the three people were running last, trying to find their figures.

Five seconds remaining.

Only the last five seconds left.

Ning Chen waited and waited. This time was the last chance he gave the other two on the opposite side.

The last three seconds.

Ning Chen slowly sighed. He stretched his muscles and bones; he was ready, ready to go rescue the other three people.

But just as Ning Chen prepared to move out, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a few figures.

He recognized them almost instantly; it was Chu Muyu and the other two.

For a moment, Ning Chen's heart beat rapidly. His eyes followed the movement of the three people until Chu Muyu and the others stood before him, only then did Ning Chen barely breathe a sigh of relief.

Ning Chen looked at the three people bending over and panting heavily. A smile appeared on his face: "I am surprised. You actually understood my meaning... But it's good too; I can also lead you to break through the encirclement."

"Really?" the curly-haired man asked. "It's not that I don't trust you, but look up there. So many planes, everyone firing a gun down. We'll all die."

Ning Chen looked at the curly-haired man. A trace of a smile finally appeared in his eyes: "What, you still don't trust me? So you've forgotten how I brought you back all this way?"

Taking advantage of the gap while the three people were still panting, Ning Chen casually made a joke. Who knew it had no effect; the faces of those three people remained just as silent.

Ning Chen's smile froze on his face. He looked up again, then said: "At this time, they probably still can't see us. No need to worry too much. Even if something happens, I will do my best to protect you... Don't worry too much."

"How can we not worry?" the girl said. "But it doesn't matter. I believe in you. I think we should be able to escape. If we are lucky, we can also suffer fewer injuries."

Ning Chen nodded: "Just follow me."

When following Ning Chen, the three people almost didn't need to think about anything, because Ning Chen would arrange everything for them, and would even consider their physical conditions to formulate an escape plan.

The remaining escape route could almost be considered following one's whims.

Although the attack grew wider and wider, those bullets still couldn't hurt them. Ning Chen led them to dodge everywhere, and they actually managed to dodge several bullets.

Except for some bullets that were really hard to dodge and had very tricky angles.

But often, before this type of bullet came down, Ning Chen would notice in advance. Then Ning Chen would quickly use the skill, alter the density of the air, and make those bullets unable to get close to his body.

The current situation was already not good for Gayi's side. Gayi's subordinates had no way to deal with Ning Chen. They believed that what Ning Chen used must be supernatural power.

And how could human natural scientific power compare to supernatural power?

Gayi suddenly felt a bit of fear. He wanted to back down again. He really couldn't ensure he could resist Ning Chen.

And Ning Chen's side didn't know that Gayi wanted to retreat at this moment. If he had known earlier that Gayi would have this idea, he would have shown his skill in front of him long ago.

But until the end, Gayi still couldn't say those words: "Stop the pursuit."

Thus, the people above Ning Chen's head continued to pursue. Because Gayi hadn't given the order, no one dared to retreat.

Later on, no one dared to flee in the middle of the journey, after all, everyone clearly knew the consequences of offending Gayi.

At this time, Ning Chen and the others were already close to the border line. The people Ning Chen found to provide support were just behind the border line.

However, the matter of "support" was illegal. The people Ning Chen hired had a specific rule: do not cross the border line. That is to say, everything that happened in Cangbei had nothing to do with the people providing support behind the border line. No matter what happened on the Cangbei side, the people on that side wouldn't care. Even if Ning Chen died, they could still receive a large deposit.

This is a deal that guarantees profit with no risk of loss.

Ahead lies a patch of woods with slightly sparse branches and leaves; this is the final hurdle Ning Chen and the others must cross. Once they overcome this last obstacle, they can successfully escape danger.

Yet how easy is that? It's not that Ning Chen cannot use his skills; it's just that his stamina consumption along this path has been too great. Every time he uses a skill, it drains most of his stamina. Along the way, Ning Chen has actually been forcing himself to keep going.

Chu Muyu looked at Ning Chen's slightly pale face, pressed his lips together, and asked, "Do you still have stamina? Can you run to that side? Do you need me to carry you or pull you?"

After all, Ning Chen is the guide. As long as Ning Chen survives, they have hope to survive. If Ning Chen dies, they not only won't survive but might also be captured and tortured.

Compared to death, Chu Muyu and the others fear being captured by Jia Yi even more. After all, Jia Yi resorts to beating and scolding at the slightest provocation, and those targeted by Jia Yi almost never fare well.

Hearing Chu Muyu say this, Ning Chen let out a snort of laughter: "I still have enough strength to run. Compared to that, what I need more is your cooperation." After saying this, he nodded toward Chu Muyu, "What you just did was very good."

For an instant, Chu Muyu's gaze met Ning Chen's. They both saw familiar emotions in each other's eyes. For a moment, Chu Muyu felt as though, through Ning Chen, he was seeing himself.

Chu Muyu was a genius from childhood. He also knew his mind was sharp and useful. Having established his ideals in childhood, whether older or younger than him, everyone had to respectfully address him as "Senior."

Thus, Chu Muyu grew accustomed to being called that. In the past, he looked at people from below; as he grew older, it became looking down on them. For the following ten-plus years, Chu Muyu maintained this height. Suddenly switching perspectives made Chu Muyu feel somewhat unaccustomed.

And Ning Chen's strength was enough for Chu Muyu to look at him on equal terms, or even look up to him.

In that instant, Chu Muyu actually felt he and Ning Chen had reached a connection surpassing even soul resonance. This wasn't just because he understood the few chaotic hand gestures Ning Chen made; it was also because this was an absolute powerhouse of strength that Chu Muyu hadn't seen in a long time.

Many people admire strength; Chu Muyu was no exception. In fact, because he had stayed in this position for too long, he developed an even stronger affinity for those in higher positions. So Chu Muyu said, "Next time we encounter this situation, I think I can still understand. After all, you were gambling, weren't you? Gambling on the rapport between us and you... no, it should be the rapport between you and me."

Hearing Chu Muyu say this, Ning Chen smiled quite pleasantly. For a moment, Ning Chen even forgot where he was, feeling only that Chu Muyu was a friend he could confide in, even though Chu Muyu was his rescue target, his mission objective.

564. Life and Death on a Razor's Edge (8)

"—You're right; we do have some rapport, but it's not enough for us to escape." Ning Chen slowly added.

Chu Muyu was stunned.

Ning Chen turned his gaze away, a sigh in his eyes: "This time, my mission is only to get you out. But they, like you, are all targets I wish to rescue. Under these circumstances, I can only do my best to get you all out... The people coming to rescue us have already arrived."

After saying this, he glanced at the dozen or so aircraft still searching for them, then estimated in his mind the distance between the group and the national border, and slowly sighed again.

Before the others could speak, Ning Chen spoke first: "In a moment, I will lead you to run outward. During the process, you might feel a bit dizzy; just endure it."

Having rested for so long just now, his stamina had recovered somewhat. Although using his skills was still somewhat of a strain, he could now move at maximum speed while carrying three people.

Once they pass through this forest, they will see the national border. The people rescuing them are over there.

The group rested for a while, then all nodded to Ning Chen. Seeing this, Ning Chen told them to hold on tight and said, "I can only take you..."

"... a certain distance. The stopping point is not fixed. It's very possible I can carry you directly to the other side of the national border... or it's possible that halfway there, I'll run out of stamina and we'll be completely exposed in the open."

Hearing this, Chu Muyu only shook his head: "The greater the risk, the greater the reward. If I can run out of the group, I'll be very grateful to you."

Ning Chen didn't say much more; right now, the most useless thing was to speak nonsense. After instructing the three, Ning Chen said no more, grabbed their hands, and began moving toward the forest edge.

Ning Chen's strength was evident to all, but they hadn't expected his stamina and speed to be so outrageous. As Ning Chen moved, the three finally understood what he meant by the dizziness.

Chu Muyu could only feel the scenery around him flashing past his ears like a high-speed painting. The sound of howling wind filled his ears. He felt as though he were sitting in a high-speed vehicle; under Ning Chen's propulsion, he could barely see anything around him.