The heavy metal door groaned in pain under Mu Xue's icy power, its steel twisting and its hinges creaking under the strain. As the last metal plate was torn apart, a powerful gust of air, carrying dust, rushed out, causing everyone to involuntarily take a few steps back. Mu Xue squinted, trying to make out what was behind the door.

Behind the door lay a vast, eerily empty space. In the dim light, a complex network of metal pipes, like giant pythons, coiled along the walls and ceiling. Scattered across the floor were various instruments and parts, as if the space had been the site of a violent explosion. In the very center of the space, a massive spherical device emitted a ghostly blue light, like a beating heart, both eerie and mysterious.

"Where is this place..." a team member murmured to himself, stunned by the sight before him.

"Watch out!" another team member exclaimed. Several dark figures darted out from the corner, bringing with them a nauseating stench.

"It's those shadow creatures!" Mu Xue reacted quickly, condensing ice into sharp blades in her hand and charging towards the shadows. The others also drew their weapons and engaged the monsters in battle.

The battle was exceptionally fierce. The shadow creatures seemed to have an extreme aversion to light and dared not approach the central device, giving Mu Xue and the others a chance to catch their breath. They stood back to back, using the terrain to their advantage, and maneuvered against the monsters.

"Sister Xue, look!" A team member pointed in the direction of the device, his voice tinged with excitement, "Those monsters seem to be terrified of that thing!"

Mu Xue looked up and, sure enough, the shadowy creatures dared not approach the device any further than a few meters away. They could only pace around it anxiously, letting out low growls.

"Could it be..." A bold idea surged into Mu Xue's mind, "This device might be related to Ning Yu..."

Mu Xue took a deep breath, suppressing her unease, and turned to her team members, saying, "This thing is very likely related to Ning Yu. We must go to the device and take a look!"

The team members looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear, but they also knew that this was their only hope.

“Sister Xue, we’ll listen to you!” one of the team members stepped forward and said firmly.

“Okay! Let’s go!” Mu Xue nodded and led the way toward the device.

The closer one gets to the device, the brighter the eerie blue light becomes, illuminating the surrounding environment. On the ground, besides scattered parts and tools, there are some strange symbols and patterns, resembling some kind of ancient script.

"Watch out!" Mu Xue, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped. On the ground in front of her, a black metal plate suddenly flipped over, revealing a dark gun muzzle.

With a loud "bang," a red laser beam shot out from the muzzle of the gun, heading straight for Mu Xue.

"Sister Xue!" shouted a team member standing behind Mu Xue, rushing forward without hesitation to block the laser beam with his own body.

"Ah!" The team member who was hit screamed and fell into a pool of blood.

"Xiao Qiang!" Mu Xue was heartbroken. Her eyes were red, and the power of ice in her hands surged, instantly freezing the metal plate into a block of ice.

"Sister Xue, don't... don't worry about me..." the injured team member said weakly, "You... you have to save... save the leader..."

"You'll be alright, I'll definitely save you!" Mu Xue held back her tears, took out a medicine from her pocket, and injected it into the team member.

The team member's complexion improved slightly, but he still weakly shook his head and said, "It's no use... Sister Xue... listen to me... this device... might be very dangerous... you have to be careful..."

After saying that, the team member closed his eyes and stopped breathing.

Mu Xue held her teammate's hand tightly, her heart filled with grief. She knew this was not the time for sorrow; she had more important things to do.

She stood up, her gaze fixed firmly on the enormous device, took a deep breath, and strode over.

The device's surface was smooth and cold, emanating a faint chill. Mu Xue walked around the device and discovered an operating table at its base, covered with strange symbols and patterns.

“This is…” Mu Xue gently touched the symbols with her hand. A strange energy came from her fingertips, and the symbols seemed to come alive, spinning and jumping in front of her.

Suddenly, a symbol flashed, and an ancient text immediately appeared in Mu Xue's mind:

"The gate of destiny, the key to life and death..."

Mu Xue's heart pounded. She had a premonition that this text was the key to solving the mystery before her, and might even save Ning Yu! She forced herself to calm down, focused her attention, and tried hard to decipher the ancient characters.

"The Gate of Destiny... the Key to Life and Death..." Mu Xue murmured softly, her mind racing through the various documents she had seen at the base, trying to connect the words to the present. "Could it be... that this device can control life and death, even... travel through time?"

Just then, the entire building began to shake violently, the ceiling above started to peel off, and dust and rubble rained down. The previously quiet shadow creatures also became restless, letting out low growls, as if they sensed some kind of threat.

"Oh no, this place is going to collapse!" one of the team members exclaimed.

"Sister Xue, we have to get out of here quickly!" another team member shouted anxiously.

Mu Xue gritted her teeth. She knew she couldn't give up now. If the device couldn't be activated in time, Ning Yu would be truly beyond saving! She took a deep breath and continued to decipher the ancient texts.

Time ticked by, and the building shook more and more violently, as if it would collapse at any moment. Mu Xue's forehead was covered in sweat, but she dared not relax for a second. Finally, she deciphered the last paragraph!

“So that’s how it is…” A look of understanding flashed in Mu Xue’s eyes. She quickly walked to the control panel and placed her palm on a groove according to the deciphered text instructions.

The instant her palm touched the groove, a powerful burst of energy erupted from the device, engulfing the entire space in dazzling light! At the same time, a beam of light shot out from the device, striking Ning Yu's body with pinpoint accuracy!

Ning Yu's body slowly began to levitate, and mysterious runes appeared around him, emitting a faint glow. These runes seemed to be absorbing the energy released by the device, constantly flashing and changing.

"Boss!"

"Team Leader Ning!"

The team members gasped in surprise, unsure of what this sudden change meant, whether it was good or bad.

Mu Xue stared intently at Ning Yu, her eyes filled with worry and anticipation. She wanted to approach Ning Yu to check on him, but the moment she took a step, the runes suddenly erupted with powerful energy, violently repelling her!

"careful!"

A teammate reacted quickly and caught Mu Xue, protecting her behind him.

Mu Xue steadied herself and looked up at Ning Yu in the air. She saw that the light emanating from him was growing stronger and stronger, and the runes were becoming more and more dazzling. The entire space was filled with this powerful force...