448: Chapter 445 is okay, time to watch the CG.

Shen Mingyuan stayed in the tree for a while longer, making sure the group below hadn't caught up before finding a hidden branch to sit on.

He let out a long breath and pressed his hand against the armband. The matte black armor receded like a tide, revealing the sweat-soaked casual clothes underneath.

A sense of weakness surged up instantly. He leaned against the tree trunk, fished half a compressed biscuit out of his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth to chew slowly, and pulled out his phone with his other hand.

He opened the group chat and started typing.

Shen Mingyuan: Do you see my location? Who's free to pick me up? I'm a bit exhausted.

Shen Mingyuan: By the way, the tracker has been shot into that Jellyfish's body. You should be able to see the signal on your end.

After sending it, he stuffed the last bite of the biscuit into his mouth and stared at the screen, waiting for a reply.

Wei Ziqing: Saw it, saw it. Wait there, I'll drive over to pick you up.

Lu Jianchuan: We have the tracker signal. Ye Ouyang and I are heading straight after them.

Lu Jianchuan: You guys pick him up first. We're afraid they might discover the tracker and pull it out early. We'll regroup later.

Shen Mingyuan chewed his biscuit and typed.

Shen Mingyuan: OK, let Wei Ziqing come pick me up.

On the other side, Lu Jianchuan had already straddled the motorcycle.

The silver, black, and red motorcycle sat quietly before him, its engine emitting a low hum as if giving a greeting. Lu Jianchuan put on his helmet and looked back at Ye Ouyang.

"Get on, sit tight."

Ye Ouyang responded and hopped nimbly onto the back seat, wrapping his arms around Lu Jianchuan's waist. He shifted around to make sure he was seated securely.

Wei Ziqing stood nearby, glancing at the location on his phone and then at the motorcycle.

"Then I'll drive to pick him up." He paused, then suddenly scratched his head. "Come to think of it, I don't think I'm allowed to drive... forget it, it's fine. At a time like this, who cares about that."

He turned and walked toward a vehicle assigned to the base.

Lu Jianchuan said no more and twisted the throttle. The motorcycle let out a roar, its tires kicking up a puff of light smoke from the ground as it sped off in the direction of the tracker.

The motorcycle sped along, weaving through the city streets.

A few young people by the roadside stared wide-eyed as the silver, black, and red bike flashed past them.

"Oh man, so cool!"

Lu Jianchuan ignored them, focusing on the road ahead. The motorcycle handled steadily beneath him, weaving nimbly through traffic, and soon left the city behind.

Once out of the city, the road opened up.

Lu Jianchuan twisted the throttle, and the speed began to climb. The trees on both sides of the road zipped past, turning into a blur of afterimages. Ye Ouyang, who had been craning his neck to look at the scenery, was suddenly jerked back by the sudden acceleration and quickly hugged Lu Jianchuan tighter.

"Whoa—" his voice even changed pitch.

Lu Jianchuan's voice came from inside the helmet, tinged with a slight smile.

"Pay attention. This motorcycle is extremely fast, powerful, and very sturdy. Back in the city, I didn't go full speed because of the speed limit. Now that I'm going all out, be careful."

The speed continued to climb.

Strangely, as the speed got faster and faster, the roar of the engine actually grew quieter. The originally low roar gradually subsided, eventually turning into an almost inaudible, fine hum. The motorcycle was like a silent bolt of lightning, flying close to the road, with only the sound of the rushing wind as a reminder that it was moving at an incredible speed.

Ye Ouyang stared at the scenery on both sides; the trees were becoming a blur.

"Isn't this too quiet?" he couldn't help but ask. "How did you do it?"

Lu Jianchuan's voice came from the helmet, sounding a bit helpless.

"I don't know. Ask the Shaper when we get back."

He paused and leaned forward slightly.

"The warm-up is about over."

Before he finished speaking, the motorcycle accelerated again.

The push against his back this time was even more violent than before. Ye Ouyang was thrown backward, nearly falling off, and quickly clung to Lu Jianchuan's waist for dear life. The surrounding scenery turned completely into a blur of colors, and the sound of the wind in his ears was so sharp it felt like it would pierce his eardrums.

But the sound of the engine—it was almost inaudible.

There was only a faint hum, like a bee vibrating its wings in the distance. The entire bike seemed to melt into the wind, silently tearing through the night and racing forward.

"I should have worn gloves!" Ye Ouyang shouted, his voice torn to pieces by the wind. "The wind is making my hands so cold!"

Lu Jianchuan didn't answer. He focused intently on the front; the tracker's signal was getting closer.

They drove like this for a long time. Even at such a terrifying speed, they drove for a long time.

The surrounding scenery gradually changed. Plains became hills, hills became mountains, and mottled patches of white began to appear on the mountains.

"I'm slowing down," Lu Jianchuan suddenly said. "Get ready."

The tires let out a sharp screeching sound, and the speed began to drop. The surrounding scenery slowly became clear—they had entered the mountains, and very high ones at that. Trees became scarcer, and snow became more abundant.

"Screech—" The sound of brakes echoed through the silent mountain forest.

Lu Jianchuan stopped the bike, propped one foot on the ground, and looked ahead.

"The tracker's location is just ahead."

Ye Ouyang jumped off the back seat, crossed his arms over his chest, and rubbed them vigorously.

"My hands... my hands..." His voice trembled slightly. "They're frozen numb. There was way too much wind on the way."

He raised his hand and pressed it against the Transformation Device at his waist. Golden fluid surged out, instantly covering his body. The warm golden armor shimmered with a gentle light in the snow.

Lu Jianchuan also raised both hands, crossing two silver-gray bracelets and snapping them apart. Silver-white armor covered his body, shining brilliantly against the snow.

He looked down at the motorcycle.

"Stay put."

The motorcycle vibrated twice, emitting a low hum as if in response.

Lu Jianchuan nodded.

"Okay, I understand. I'll call you when I need you."

The motorcycle started on its own and glided silently toward the nearby forest, soon disappearing into the snow-covered shadows of the trees.

Lu Jianchuan turned and looked at Ye Ouyang.

"Let's go. We're close now, so we need to be careful and move slowly."

Ye Ouyang nodded and followed behind him.

The two stepped through the snow, walking up the mountain step by step. It grew quieter and quieter, with only the crunching sound of boots in the snow. The air was cold as a knife, but the armor blocked out most of the chill.

After walking for a while, the terrain began to get steep. They climbed onto a ridge, and their vision suddenly opened up.

Ahead was a mountain hollow, backed by even higher snowy peaks. In the hollow lay a long-abandoned village.

Dilapidated wooden houses were leaning every which way; some roofs had collapsed, and some only had a few pillars left standing in the snow. Snow covered the ruins, reflecting a pale light under the moonlight.

Ye Ouyang stood on the ridge, squinting as he looked down at the snow-covered abandoned village.

"Is this the place?"

Lu Jianchuan nodded, his gaze falling on the signal point displayed by the tracker.

"It's definitely here. An abandoned village in the snowy mountains."

Ye Ouyang looked left and right, then suddenly seemed to remember something and lowered his voice. "I've heard of villages like this."

Lu Jianchuan turned his head to look at him.

"Heard what?"

Ye Ouyang leaned closer to him, his tone becoming mysterious.

"Villages like this are usually abandoned because of bad internet, no electricity, or no water—the whole village just moves away. But what I've heard most is—"

He paused deliberately, lowering his voice even further.

"The reason they moved away is actually that this place is haunted by a female ghost. Woooo—"

As he spoke, he spread his fingers and waved them in front of his face, making a ghost face.

Lu Jianchuan stared at him for two seconds, his expression unchanging.

"Then maybe the female ghost is also some kind of Evolver."

Ye Ouyang was stunned for a moment, then withdrew his hand and scratched his head.

"What if she's not? What if it's a supernatural phenomenon? After all, aren't ghosts supposed to be made of those particles or something... Woooo—"

He made the "wooo" sound twice more and laughed first.

Lu Jianchuan ignored him and turned to walk down the mountain.

"Get ready. The tracker's signal is coming from ahead. I don't know what they're doing here." He paused. "Let's go. Be careful, and try not to be discovered."

Ye Ouyang stopped laughing and followed.

The two stepped through the snow, using the abandoned wooden houses and stone piles as cover, slowly making their way into the depths of the village.