Void Jigsaw Puzzle

"Zhang Chuyu? He's Zhang Chuyu?" This was the thought that popped up in Zhong Chenmu's mind involuntarily: "It can't be such a coincidence, right? Isn't Zhang Chuyu the first love that Sister Fan Ting has been thinking about? Could it be that they have the same name?"

Fan Ting's heart was in turmoil: "Is he Zhang Chuyu? I didn't notice him just now... Now that I look closely, he really looks like him... What should I do? What should I do? Why didn't I meet him earlier or later, but now? Should I go up and recognize him..."

But the development of the situation did not allow her to think.

She only felt a gust of wind coming from the front of her, and quickly dodged to the side, and saw a burly body rushing past where she had just stood. Then, under the influence of inertia, he could not stop and fell directly off the pipe.

All I heard was the sound of collision and screams from below, and nothing else.

Before Fan Ting could even begin to feel scared, she heard Zhong Chenmu shout, "Fan Ting, be careful! They're coming up again!"

Fan Ting quickly took two steps back and avoided another attack.

She was slightly surprised: "Xiao Zhong has never called me by my name, how come..."

Then she immediately came to her senses and looked quickly towards Zhang Chuyu.

However, Zhang Chuyu was so focused on dodging the attack that he didn't notice the word "Fan Ting" that Zhong Chenmu had just called out.

Zhong Chenmu also felt very sorry. He did have some thoughts in his mind in a split second just now. He hoped that Zhang Chuyu would recall his memories after hearing Fan Ting's name.

But obviously, either Zhang Chuyu didn't hear his call, or this was not the Zhang Chuyu of Fan Ting.

However, neither he nor Fan Ting had the energy to think about these things anymore, because the crazy crowd had surrounded them.

The five of them were originally standing on the same curved pipe, keeping a certain distance between the front and the back. The width of the pipe could accommodate three or four people walking side by side, but now, they have to act separately, otherwise they will be completely blocked.

"Everyone, listen up! We need to spread out and fully utilize our duality abilities. By switching between our virtual and physical forms, we can escape their pursuit. We also want them to collide with each other due to inertia. Ideally, we can make them all fall! Never engage them head-on. Their bodies and strength have been greatly enhanced by stimulants. We are no match for them!"

After shouting this, Zhong Chenmu disappeared first.

Then, Guo Ling, Fan Ting, Zhang Chuyu and Tan Ping followed suit.

The moment Tan Ping disappeared, the encirclement quickly closed and then collided violently with each other.

"boom!"

"Puch!"

Various noises were heard, followed by exclamations or screams, and many people fell again, falling into the abyss.

After this collision, the number of hundreds of people who had just surrounded them was suddenly reduced by one-fifth.

At this time, Zhong Chenmu appeared about three pipes away from them and shouted provocatively: "You bunch of losers! Come and catch me if you dare!"

Guo Ling and others also appeared at the same distance in different directions.

Just now, the five of them were besieged by a hundred people. A moment later, the pentagon formed by the five of them surrounded the group of people.

The distance between the three pipes was strategically chosen: not too far apart to force the group to carefully consider their pursuit strategy, but not too close to easily be captured or attacked. At this distance, they would more likely initiate a spontaneous pursuit based on subconscious judgment rather than conscious judgment.

Sure enough, this group of people was forced to split themselves into five different teams, each rushing towards several people.

Everyone's stress was instantly reduced.

However, they were still very cautious and quickly switched to virtual form, disappearing again before their figures were caught.

Then, continue with the same formation and surround the remaining people.

The same situation happened again, and each time they completed building a pentagon, the number of people surrounded became smaller.

After less than ten times, there were only five people left.

Zhong Chenmu couldn't help but take credit for it proudly: "How is it? This trick I just came up with is pretty good, right..."

However, before he could finish his words, a naked bald man with bloodshot eyes and a bumpy face suddenly jumped up from under the pipe where he was standing, grabbed him from behind, and pulled him up by the neck!

"Ah..." Zhong Chenmu felt as if his entire body was being torn apart. Before he lost consciousness, he finally completed the switch to his virtual form. At the same time, in that final moment between life and death, his eyes glanced towards the reservoir, his eyes filled with confusion.

Before he could even think, he had already switched to virtual form. He had no time to think, but instead observed the surrounding pipes with extreme vigilance before appearing about ten pipes away from the man.

"Cough, cough, cough!" He had just regained his body and started coughing violently. His neck was almost broken when he was lifted by that person.

He didn't care about his own fragility, and endured the pain to continue looking up at the top of the reservoir. After confirming that what he had just seen was not an illusion, his heart sank.

He was speechless, and couldn't warn anyone else. However, what happened in just a few seconds was already deeply imprinted in their eyes.

Before the remaining few people in the middle could pounce on them, they tacitly switched forms again.

Then they also learned from Zhong Chenmu, observing him repeatedly before gathering around him.

Now the number of people on both sides is equal, so there is no need to do the same thing as before.

"Xiao Zhong, are you okay?" Fan Ting asked with concern.

"It's... okay..." Zhong Chenmu seemed to answer, but also seemed not to. He just squeezed out a sound similar to white noise from his throat.

"Don't ask anymore. Does he look okay? I was scared to death at that moment just now." Guo Ling glanced at Fan Ting.

At this moment, Fan Ting was observing Zhang Chuyu closely, her heart pounding.

She became more and more convinced that this man was the one she had been looking for. However, she was a little disappointed because Zhang Chuyu's eyes had swept over her several times, but he seemed to be looking at a stranger.

But now is not the time to worry about this issue, let’s just survive first.

Because, the last six people seemed to have learned something from the previous painful lessons, or perhaps because they were far enough away, they did not rush forward as ferociously as before, but gathered together to discuss something.

Zhong Chenmu clenched his fists and wanted to say something, but his throat felt like it was being pressed down by a thousand-pound stone, unable to open.

At this time, the bald, naked man who had attacked him just now suddenly pounced towards them alone. The other five people did not rush forward impatiently, but began to disperse, following behind him like wingmen, forming a formation. Several people jumped and advanced quickly on the pipe according to the rhythm, and forced towards them synchronously.

Zhong Chenmu wanted to remind everyone, but he couldn't speak. He anxiously signaled with his eyes: "Hurry up and switch to virtual form!"

Because after changing into a virtual form, he can deliver messages.

Fortunately, Guo Ling and Fan Ting had a strong tacit understanding and immediately followed suit. Tan Ping and Zhang Chuyu saw this and immediately followed suit.

"This time, let's not rush into physical form. Let's observe their intentions for a while. Even if we do, we need to stay far enough away from them. Things are different now. They've changed their attack strategy, so we need to adjust accordingly."

"Xiao Zhong, it's great to feel your message again." Guo Ling said.

"But, if we stay in the virtual state for too long, won't we be easily infected by the turtle tribe? This is why we have to keep switching between the virtual and the real." Fan Ting reminded.

Zhong Chenmu delivered a devastating message: "Because they are no longer at the scene... Look, the platform above the reservoir has disappeared. It has returned to the dome, embedded beneath the house. And the door that had been open a moment ago has closed. The Carbon Clan members, along with the Hydrogen and Helium Clan members controlled by the Turtle Clan, have all left."

"what?!"

Everyone else was in shock. They had been concentrating all their energy on dealing with this group of madmen on stimulants, and hadn't noticed the changes happening far away at the top of the reservoir and on the platform!

Zhong Chenmu added, "Have you noticed we haven't heard from Hei Yi in a while? I think he's been suppressed or injured by the four people from the Hydrogen and Helium tribes. Just now, that bald lunatic nearly twisted my head off, and I accidentally saw what was happening on the platform. I switched to my virtual form and called Hei Yi, but there was no response. If you don't believe me, you can try and see if he will reply."

"no!"

"I do not have either!"

In the past, He Yi’s messages were replied to immediately, but now they have fallen into oblivion.

"What happened?"

Everyone was horrified. It could be said that Hei Yi, as the Hei Clan's supreme warrior, gave them an infinite sense of security. It was also because of Hei Yi's presence that they could switch between their virtual and real forms without too much scruples.

Zhong Chenmu quickly made a judgment: "I don't know exactly what happened, but it's clear that we've been isolated in this underground central water supply system. The only passage to the outside world is at the dome, and it's also been closed. We're also imprisoned with six lunatics who have taken stimulants."