Looking at it this way, it was no wonder those three charlatans could capture so many fanatical, die-hard followers in such a short time.
After all, with the boost from a special Superpower, their once-miraculous feats of playing gods and ghosts could gradually become reality.
But Lin Feng was considering things on a much deeper level.
’These believers are having their Spiritual Energy siphoned, and they become listless after witnessing the Prophet’s predictions. This is probably one of the costs of using the Superpower.’
’Is Daoist Zhang using this method to replenish his own spent Spiritual Attribute, while also spreading out the backlash from his Heaven-Peeping?’
As Lin Feng stared at the dazed Liu Ruojiao before him, lost in thought, Liu Yueqi was about to say something, but Han Yuxin, who stood behind Lin Feng, raised a hand to stop her.
Although she hadn’t spent as much time with Lin Feng, her understanding of him was no less than Chen Yanyan’s—at least when it came to his mannerisms.
Right now, Lin Feng was contemplating something extremely important and couldn’t be disturbed, lest his train of thought be broken.
Lin Feng himself also felt it—a faint, crucial connection that he seemed to be overlooking.
’These guys, preaching about some doomsday judgment and painting themselves as saviors... They must have some other, deeper objective, a more sinister plot...’
’Spiritual Extraction, Heaven-Peeping, Prophet, future possibilities, probabilities influenced by the present...’
’The influence of the present...’
’Calculating probabilities, system samples...’
In an instant, a flash of insight struck Lin Feng. He quickly connected the dots of what this group had been doing and deduced a terrifying, horrifying truth!
’That guy, Zhang Tianming...’
’He wants to turn a *possible* event into an *inevitable* one!’
’And to increase the probability of that event, he has to expand the sample size!’
’As long as he can get more and more people to believe in it, until he can influence all of surviving humanity and make them believe it will all come to pass...’
’Then the so-called doomsday judgment, the one destined for tribulation, and even the Child of Destiny who ultimately reaches Tier Four—all of it will come true, one by one!’
’And with the Doomsday Cult he personally founded, controlling a large number of faithful believers, he would naturally have no shortage of samples for his genetic sequence.’
’In this way, Zhang Tianming would truly become a Tier Four Human King, controlling humanity’s destiny and holding its future in his grasp...’
For a moment, Lin Feng was overcome with the urge to chase after Zhang Tianming and eliminate him.
But he calmed down just as quickly.
’If Zhang Tianming can foresee and calculate everything, then he surely must have anticipated this current situation.’
’A man that meticulous would never put himself in a dangerous position.’
’He probably has other countermeasures, an ace up his sleeve to ensure his escape. That must be why he risked meeting me.’
Just as a look of dawning comprehension crossed Lin Feng’s face, he heard Liu Yueqi cry out in pain.
Lin Feng glanced over and saw Liu Ruojiao, still in her niece’s grasp, desperately trying to break free. She had even resorted to biting down viciously on Liu Yueqi’s left arm.
The bite was so forceful that it drew blood through the fabric, the sharp canines digging deep into flesh.
Lin Feng glanced back at Han Yuxin, who understood immediately. She stepped forward and slapped Liu Ruojiao hard across the face.
The force of the blow knocked her jaw loose from the girl’s arm. A fiery red handprint instantly appeared on Liu Ruojiao’s blood-stained cheek, which immediately began to swell grotesquely.
But even so, dazed and on the verge of fainting, she continued to let out low snarls, trying to break free from Liu Yueqi’s hold.
"She’s already lost her mind..."
Han Yuxin said grimly, looking at Liu Yueqi, whose eyes were red.
But Liu Yueqi refused to let go, still gripping her aunt’s arm tightly, even as the woman was about to collapse from the force of the slap.
"Let her go. Unless you want to inject her with massive doses of sedatives every day from now on and keep this ticking time bomb, who could fly into a rage at any moment, by your side."
"This was her own choice."
"No one could have stopped her."
Lin Feng looked down at the trembling girl, continuing in a voice meant to make her face reality:
"Following that group will at least give her a sense of security and belonging. In this apocalypse, that’s not necessarily a bad thing..."
Finally, persuaded by Lin Feng’s words, Liu Yueqi slowly loosened her grip on her aunt.
Without a backward glance, Liu Ruojiao rushed out of the conference room and followed the others into the granary to help carry the rations they would need for the journey ahead.
With no fuel, they would have to travel the thousand kilometers to the Federal Capital on foot.
Fortunately, Daoist Zhang had prepared in advance and collected dozens of bicycles.
The bikes were incredibly useful in the current situation. They could carry several dozen kilograms of supplies, and one could ride for over a hundred kilometers in a day.
By the time they reached the Federal Capital, the great battle there would likely be drawing to a close.
Otherwise, if they had to walk the whole way, they’d wear through the soles of their shoes and still might not make it in time for the final decisive battle.
By then, all that would be left for them would be a wasteland overrun by the Zerg Race.
An hour later, Lin Feng and his group stood at an intersection, watching as the so-called believers of the Doomsday Cult rode away on their bicycles in a large procession, disappearing over the northern horizon.
Shortly after, several large buses appeared from the direction they had come, arriving in the northern town fully loaded with Support Soldiers from the temporary base.
Lin Feng sat under a camphor tree by the roadside, cooling off in the shade. Beside him, Han Yuxin pushed up her glasses.
"Why didn’t you eliminate them all? If you let them spread like this, they’ll become a stumbling block in the future and threaten the base’s security."
"Especially that young Daoist leading them."