Just then, Mu Xue, who had been standing beside Ning Yu, suddenly spoke up. Her gaze was fixed on the monster that was devouring the corpse, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. "I noticed..." she paused, a hint of uncertainty in her voice, "I noticed that these monsters seem to be very afraid of firelight..."

"Afraid of firelight?" Ning Yu's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he abruptly looked up at Mu Xue. "You mean..."

"Why don't you try and see!" Mu Xue didn't explain further, directly drawing a specially made flamethrower from her waist, aiming it at the monster, and pulling the trigger...

"boom!"

Searing flames erupted, instantly engulfing the monster. A chilling scream rang out as the monster struggled frantically in the flames, its grayish-white scales charred and curled, emitting a nauseating stench.

"It worked!" Ning Yu's spirits lifted upon seeing this, and he immediately ordered, "Everyone, attack with fire weapons!"

The team members pulled out their flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, and other weapons, and opened fire on the monsters that emerged from the darkness. In an instant, flames soared into the sky, screams filled the air, and the once-dark underground passage was illuminated as if it were daytime.

Under the fierce attack of flames, the monsters retreated and dared not approach easily again.

"It seems we're safe for now..." one of the team members said with lingering fear, but he dared not relax his grip on the flamethrower in the slightest.

“No,” Ning Yu shook his head gravely, “this is only temporary. I have a bad feeling…”

Before he could finish speaking, a series of low, guttural roars suddenly echoed from the depths of the passage, like the howls of ancient behemoths, sending chills down one's spine. Immediately afterward, the ground began to tremble slightly, and more and more dark figures emerged from the depths of the passage, their eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light in the firelight—far more numerous than before!

"What...what kind of place is this?" a team member said, his face pale, his hand holding his weapon trembling slightly.

Ning Yu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the unease in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "This is probably the lair of those monsters. We must leave here as soon as possible!"

However, just as they were preparing to retreat, one of the team members suddenly pointed deep into the tunnel and exclaimed, "What's that?!"

Ning Yu followed his gaze and saw a huge dark shadow slowly approaching them from the end of the passage...

The dark shadow drew closer, gradually revealing its true form. It was a gigantic monster, over ten meters tall, covered in thick scales, with two crimson eyes gleaming with a cold light, and a massive mouth filled with sharp teeth, sending chills down one's spine.

"Leader, what do we do? We...we are no match for it!" A team member's voice trembled slightly.

Ning Yu gripped his Tang sword tightly, his face grim. He knew that this monster's strength far exceeded their expectations, and if they chose to fight head-on, they would all likely perish here.

"Retreat!" Ning Yu ordered decisively, "Everyone, retreat immediately!"

The team members, relieved, turned and ran towards the entrance of the passage. However, the giant monster seemed unwilling to let them go. It let out a deafening roar and strode heavily toward them.

"Damn it!" Ning Yu cursed under his breath, then turned to Mu Xue beside him and said, "Xue'er, cover their retreat, I'll hold it off!"

"No, it's too dangerous!" Mu Xue grabbed Ning Yu's arm and said anxiously, "Your power is too depleted, you're no match for it now!"

“There’s no time!” Ning Yu shook his head and said firmly, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

After saying that, he shoved Mu Xue aside, and in a flash, he charged towards the giant monster.

"Ning Yu!" Mu Xue's eyes immediately reddened, but she knew this was not the time to act on emotion. She took a deep breath and shouted to the other team members, "Everyone, do not linger in the fight, retreat immediately!"

The team members knew the situation was critical, so they gritted their teeth, turned around, and ran towards the entrance of the passage.

Ning Yu, wielding his Tang sword, charged towards the giant monster. His movements were as agile as a ghost, weaving freely through the monster's attacks. However, his attacks felt like mere tickles, failing to inflict any real damage.

"roar!"

The giant monster seemed to be enraged by Ning Yu. It let out a deafening roar and its huge tail swept across with overwhelming force.

Ning Yu's expression changed, and he quickly leaped into the air, barely dodging the attack. However, before he could land, the monster's other giant claw slammed down with lightning speed.

The giant claw slammed into the ground with a deafening roar, sending debris flying. Although Ning Yu dodged the fatal blow, the impact still caused his blood to surge and his body to stagger.

"Ning Yu!"

Seeing this from afar, Mu Xue exclaimed in surprise, her heart leaping into her throat.

Ning Yu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging blood and qi within his body, a resolute look flashing in his eyes.

He looked up into the depths of the passage, where a faint light could be seen. That was their destination—an abandoned technological city, which likely contained a large amount of resources and energy.

Give up? Or take a gamble?

Ning Yu's gaze flickered uncertainly, and deep within his heart, it seemed as if two voices were fiercely battling.