Chapter 606: A Strange Progression Path

"No," Li Xiaofei answered firmly.

The driver's face grew troubled as he voiced his concerns.

"You're afraid of the Governor, but you aren't afraid of us?" Zhang Zhihong deliberately threatened.

The driver's expression immediately changed as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Li Xiaofei shot Zhang Zhihong a glare before speaking gently to the driver. "Don’t worry. If anything unexpected happens along the way, we’ll leave immediately. We absolutely won’t cause trouble for you."

The driver looked helpless. Consequences weren’t something that could simply be promised away.

"Besides," Li Xiaofei added, "as Extraordinary Ones, we can provide you with protection. Consider it payment for the ride."

The driver hesitated. So far, their journey had been relatively smooth, without encounters with wild beasts or bandits. But the closer they got to Qinling Mountains, the more dangerous it would become. Vicious beasts and ruthless bandits would become increasingly common. Those doomsday bandits were utterly inhumane, pillaging and slaughtering anyone they came across.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Even though their convoy had been modified and equipped with weapons, these preparations would likely mean nothing if they encountered the infamous Qinling bandit organization, the Black Blades.

If they could secure the protection of two Extraordinary Ones, their chances of surviving to reach the refugee camp would undoubtedly increase. The driver glanced at the people standing behind Li Xiaofei. When his eyes fell on Ye Liuying, Bai Qiqi, and the other women, he felt slightly more at ease.

He had been observing carefully, and he noticed that Li Xiaofei’s group was well-dressed, composed, and full of energy. They were clearly not fleeing for their lives. After a moment of hesitation, the driver consulted with his companions. After some discussion, they finally agreed to Li Xiaofei's request. Li Xiaofei and his group were allowed to board the large bus in the middle of the convoy.

Every vehicle, including the motorcycles, had been specially modified with reinforced defenses. The modifications on the bus, however, were particularly meticulous. The body had been armored with steel plating, and all the windows were secured with steel wire mesh. If Li Xiaofei wasn’t mistaken, the windows were made from bulletproof glass.

There were indeed women and children inside the bus. They all looked at Li Xiaofei’s group with wary and fearful eyes. Some of the more timid women huddled in their seats and kept their heads down, too frightened to get close to the newcomers.

"Are we really that terrifying?" Ximen Piaoxue couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.

"They’re just afraid of strangers," Bai Qiqi replied.

Bai Qiqi and Ren Dong, both lively and outgoing by nature, took the initiative to interact with the passengers. They handed out food and water to ease the tension. Before long, they had won over a few of the younger girls, as they laughed and played together. Gradually, the other passengers also began to let their guard down around the two women.

After some friendly exchanges, Bai Qiqi returned to Li Xiaofei’s side.

"Things are getting really strange," Bai Qiqi began, her tone filled with disbelief. "This is undoubtedly Earth. They’ve mentioned names and places that only Earthlings would know. But history was altered six hundred years ago."

"The invasion of the star beasts happened on almost the exact same day as it did on our Earth. But instead of martial arts, this Earth developed something entirely different—extraordinary evolution."

"The evolved broke free from the limitations of ordinary humans, gaining various abilities. These ranged from controlling elements like metal, wood, water, fire, and earth to abilities like phasing through walls, super strength, duplication, flight, and invisibility. Collectively, they are called Extraordinary Ones. Thus, humans initially managed to gain some advantage in the war against the star beasts by relying on the Extraordinary Ones."

"But three hundred years ago, it seems there was a schism within the Star Council, which led to the creation of the Governor. This Governor quickly began a frenzied hunt to eradicate the extraordinary evolutionaries. The Star Council shifted from guiding humanity to fight against the star beasts to becoming the supreme authority ruling Earth. The Extraordinary Ones' alliance crumbled into ruin. This was almost an extinction-level disaster for humanity. But strangely, as the extraordinary alliance collapsed, the number of star beasts on Earth also plummeted..."

"Today, the civilization of this Earth is on the brink of collapse. Humanity is regressing. There are no countries, no governments. Bandits run rampant. Only those who submit to the Star Council are recognized by the Governor. Otherwise, they are considered undocumented residents or black households."

Bai Qiqi finished recounting the information she had gathered, her tone still tinged with disbelief at the sheer absurdity of it all. Li Xiaofei exchanged glances with the others. In their eyes, he saw the same shock and confusion that he was feeling.

Weren’t we supposed to have been transported to the cosmic battlefield to hone our skills and strengthen ourselves? How had we ended up on another version of Earth, one with a distorted history? Could this place actually be the cosmic battlefield?

As Li Xiaofei began piecing together the clues, a startling conclusion started to take shape in his mind. The Divine Envoy from Eden had previously mentioned that there were a total of a hundred thousand base worlds. The one they originated from was Base World 89876.

Perhaps this Earth was simply another among the hundred thousand base worlds, in other words, a parallel timeline in a separate dimension. This Earth shared a history similar to that of Base World 89876 up until the invasion of the star beasts.

But after the star beasts invaded, everything had changed. Martial arts had never emerged on this Earth. Instead, Extraordinary Ones had risen. The emergence of starforce qi on their Earth had given rise to martial arts, while the birth of Extraordinary Ones had led humanity down an entirely different historical path on this Earth. Supernatural abilities. Like martial arts, these abilities also strengthened individual humans.

But what could have possibly happened to cause the collapse of this Earth’s extraordinary civilization? How had the Star Council transformed from a guiding mentor into a butcher and tyrant?

Li Xiaofei focused inward as he carefully sensed the energy within his own body. On this Earth, his strength remained completely stable, unaffected by the environment. Then, all of a sudden, a feeling stirred within him.

Li Xiaofei raised his head and looked forward. In the fourth row, diagonally ahead of him, a young woman wearing a baseball cap hastily looked away. She had been secretly watching him just moments ago. Judging from her exposed shoulder, neck, slender waistline, and fair skin, the young woman was likely quite attractive.

Beside her sat a little girl, around six years old, with long black hair tied into braids. A small white flower was tucked behind her ear. The little girl turned her head to look at Li Xiaofei, her big, bright eyes sparkling with curiosity.

When she noticed Li Xiaofei’s gaze, the little girl flashed him a sweet smile, her dimples making her look utterly adorable. She raised her hand in a playful ‘peace’ gesture. It seemed she wanted to say something, but just as she opened her mouth, the young woman beside her quickly covered it and pulled her back.

Suddenly, the bus jolted and began to bump along uneven terrain. Li Xiaofei noticed the woman in the baseball cap sneaking glances at him as they continued on their journey.

Her gaze wasn’t friendly, in fact, it was filled with deep wariness. In contrast, the dimpled little girl by her side kept smiling sweetly at Li Xiaofei the entire time. Then, a commotion erupted from the front of the bus. The convoy came to an abrupt stop.

"It’s a patrol mothership!"

"Not good! Quick, hide!"

"There’s no time!"

Panic spread through the bus like wildfire. The communication channel crackled as the terrified shout of the heavy truck driver spoke, "The Governor. It’s here."

Li Xiaofei looked out the window, and his expression darkened. A massive black cuboid spaceship that was roughly a hundred meters long was hovering ominously in the sky above the convoy.

Black rectangular objects began dropping down from its tail, like a turtle laying eggs.

"It’s the Governor," someone muttered in despair.

"They’re here." The heavy truck driver, pale and trembling, shouted frantically, "Quick! Extraordinary Ones, get off the bus! Leave us! It’s over... we’re all going to die!"