215: Chapter 215 contained no malicious intent.

This was considered Ye Qingqing's first time piloting the aircraft on her own since learning how to fly.

It wobbled and shook during takeoff.

Fortunately, it finally managed to get airborne.

Ye Qingqing let out a sigh.

Yet, a wave of anxiety welled up in her heart.

In this world without network communication, finding a single person was an incredibly difficult task.

Moreover, the exact location of Deng Jiayu and the others was completely unknown.

But now, Ye Qingqing could only take a gamble herself.

If more time dragged on, Ye Qingqing had no idea what might happen next.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Ah Huang... where are you? Are you all right?"

Ye Qingqing murmured to herself while piloting the plane.

According to the positioning and navigation system developed by Deng Jiayu, the most likely destination for Deng Jiayu and the others was the southwest.

However, that area was full of mountains. Ye Qingqing speculated that Deng Jiayu's group's aircraft was most likely blown off course by the wind amidst those mountains.

Or perhaps they took a wrong turn and got lost in those mountains.

Apart from this possibility, Ye Qingqing couldn't think of any other place that could cause Deng Jiayu's navigation system to fail, preventing their aircraft from reaching its destination safely.

Once Ye Qingqing had a target in mind, she pushed the helicopter to its maximum speed.

Because heading southwest meant entering an area of mountains, and where there were mountains, there were Black Worms.

Furthermore, the food Ye Qingqing had given Deng Jiayu and the others wouldn't last very long at all.

Even with the most minimal consumption, that food could only sustain them for one day at most.

And that was the most optimistic prediction. If it took any longer, Ye Qingqing couldn't even imagine.

Therefore, Ye Qingqing was extremely anxious.

Ye Qingqing flew southwest according to the navigation system.

In just this short while, half a day had already been consumed.

Just as Ye Qingqing was nearing the southwestern mountains, she suddenly felt a powerful gust of wind hit the aircraft from outside, causing her helicopter to plummet straight downward.

"Oh no..."

Ye Qingqing muttered under her breath.

If Ye Qingqing were to fall from this altitude now, forget about finding Deng Jiayu and the others.

Even Ye Qingqing herself would likely be in grave danger.

Moreover, Ye Qingqing's piloting skills weren't great; a small gust of wind could make the aircraft she was in descend.

Simultaneously, a suspicion arose in Ye Qingqing's heart.

It was very possible that Deng Jiayu and the others had also encountered this wind, which blew their helicopter down.

On one hand, Ye Qingqing was struggling to control the aircraft, trying to prevent it from falling.

But the wind seemed to have eyes, fixated on Ye Qingqing's plane and refusing to let go.

Furthermore, the wind rose from the ground toward the sky like a dragon sucking up water.

There wasn't just one of these waterspout-like winds; three powerful gusts encircled Ye Qingqing, barely surrounding her.

Originally, when Ye Qingqing first arrived here, there was no such wind.

This wind was strange; it appeared suddenly, trapping Ye Qingqing's aircraft so it could neither advance nor retreat.

Ye Qingqing took a deep breath, already preparing for a crash.

Because the three winds before her seemed to have eyes.

No matter which direction Ye Qingqing moved, the wind always blocked her path.

Moreover, the three winds formed a circular encirclement, slowly closing in on Ye Qingqing's position.

Ye Qingqing felt the helicopter beneath her trembling more and more violently.

She immediately made a decision in her heart.

Ye Qingqing had never been one to linger in a fight.

So, with a thought, Ye Qingqing immediately retreated into her space along with the helicopter.

Strangely enough, after Ye Qingqing and the aircraft disappeared into the space, the three winds seemed to pause momentarily.

The three winds, as if suddenly possessing human-like expressions, froze in place upon seeing the helicopter vanish.

But how can wind freeze in place?

The air around the three winds seemed to stand still. The moment the helicopter entered the space, the three Wind Pillars stood motionless.

After about three seconds, upon discovering the helicopter was gone, the three Wind Pillars suddenly went berserk.

Though there were only three Wind Pillars, they thrashed about wildly in the air like a horde of demons dancing in chaos.

They looked exactly like a child who had lost its candy, crying loudly.

This scene was witnessed in its entirety by Ye Qingqing from within her space.

Ye Qingqing sensed something was off about the Wind Pillars before her.

What normal wind behaves like these three before her!

These Wind Pillars! Clearly! Possessed human-like consciousness!

Once Ye Qingqing realized this, her heart instantly clenched.

Because Ye Qingqing began to suspect that Deng Jiayu and the others might have been swept away by these very Wind Pillars?

If they were swept away by these Wind Pillars, were Deng Jiayu and the others even still alive?

"Ah Huang... Grandma... Grandpa... Grandpa Huo..."

As she thought, Ye Qingqing immediately grew frantic.

She even began to berate herself: "Why didn't I leave with Grandpa?"

If... if... she had left with Deng Jiayu and the others.

Then perhaps the outcome would have been different.

At least now she would know how they were doing.

Instead of being stuck here, unable to do anything.

Not even knowing where they were.

Ye Qingqing had never realized before just how vulnerable she could be.

Ye Qingqing slumped over the helicopter's pilot seat and began to cry, covering her face.

She was truly frantic, and truly worried.

She couldn't even accept the possibility that if she found Deng Jiayu and the others, she might only discover their corpses.

Ye Qingqing simply couldn't accept the idea of her family disappearing from this world.

Just the thought made her heart ache as if pierced.

Ye Qingqing couldn't go out now.

Because the three Wind Pillars outside the space were still thrashing about wildly, searching everywhere for the helicopter's whereabouts.

But Ye Qingqing made a surprising discovery.

Within the area where the Wind Pillars were, Ye Qingqing couldn't see any trace of the Black Worms.

The ground where the Wind Pillars were was all soil. Under normal circumstances, those Black Worms would easily burrow up from such ground.

Yet Ye Qingqing hadn't spotted a single one.

So that meant, in the location occupied by the Wind Pillars, those Black Worms simply didn't dare approach.

If... if Deng Jiayu and the others really were swept away by these Wind Pillars...

Then... perhaps they might still be alive.

Because Ye Qingqing noticed that although the three Wind Pillars before her seemed to be in a constant state of frenzy,

The places the Wind Pillars passed showed no damage to a single blade of grass or tree.

Even the large trees remained completely intact.

In other words, these Wind Pillars actually harbored no malicious intent.