Ning Yu gripped his two daggers tightly, rubbing them against the stone again and again, sparks flying, but he couldn't ignite the fragile clump of moss. Sweat mixed with blood blurred his vision. He felt waves of dizziness, and the excruciating pain in his arms made it almost impossible for him to hold the daggers.

"I'll help you!" Mu Xue's voice rang in his ear.

Ning Yu turned his head and saw that Mu Xue had also sat cross-legged. Her less injured hand firmly gripped a sharp flint, while her other hand pressed tightly against the dagger in Ning Yu's hand. "Together!"

Mu Xue's firm and powerful gaze greatly encouraged Ning Yu. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and rubbed the two daggers together vigorously. The two daggers were joined together, and the frequency of the friction increased, producing more sparks.

One, two, three...

Time seemed to stand still, with only the screeching sound of metal scraping against metal and the two people's rapid breathing echoing in the cave.

Finally, a faint red light flickered in the moss.

"It's working!" Mu Xue exclaimed in surprise.

Ning Yu held his breath, carefully moving the dagger aside, afraid that even a wisp of wind might extinguish the hard-won flame. He gently blew on the tiny spark, as if tenderly caring for the breath of a newborn. The spark slowly spread across the dry moss, gradually turning into a tiny, flickering flame, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

"Quick, find some firewood!" Ning Yu roared, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Mu Xue immediately got up, enduring the pain, and searched the cave. She found some dry branches and fallen leaves, which she carefully placed next to the fire.

The flames greedily devoured the dry firewood, gradually growing larger and crackling as they burned. The warm firelight dispelled the darkness and cold of the cave, and also dispelled the despair in Ning Yu's heart.

The firelight illuminated Ning Yu and Mu Xue's faces, both of them showing joy at surviving a disaster.

"We...we succeeded!" Mu Xue's voice was choked with emotion.

Ning Yu looked at the leaping flames and felt a surge of inexplicable emotion. In this desperate apocalypse, these faint flames were not only a source of light and warmth, but also a symbol of hope.

However, just as the two were immersed in joy, a deep roar came from the cave entrance...

“Ning Yu…” Mu Xue’s voice carried a hint of fear. Her gaze was fixed on the cave entrance, and her grip on the dagger tightened. The flickering firelight illuminated pairs of green eyes at the cave entrance. The low growls of the wolf pack rose and fell. Intimidated by the firelight, they hesitated, but did not completely retreat. Several bold, hungry wolves, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, growled threateningly as they slowly approached.

Ning Yu's heart sank; he knew a fierce battle was inevitable. He carefully cradled the burning moss, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world. The flame was weak, yet it emitted a reassuring light in the darkness. He took a deep breath and waved the moss at the charging wolf.

"Get out of here!" Ning Yu roared, his voice echoing through the cave.

The flames flickered, scattering sparks that landed on the nose of the lead wolf. The wolf howled in terror, stumbling back several steps and bumping into the pack behind it, causing a commotion. The other wolves, though still watching intently, were clearly intimidated by the firelight; they began to pace uneasily, hesitant to advance.

"Add more firewood!" Ning Yu shouted to Mu Xue.

Mu Xue had already found some dry grass, and without hesitation, she carefully added it to the fire. The grass quickly caught fire, the fire grew larger, and the flames became brighter, illuminating the entire cave. The wolves let out uneasy growls, retreated, and some even turned and fled.

Just when the two thought the crisis was temporarily over, a strong wind suddenly blew in from the cave entrance, causing the flames to shake violently and almost go out.

"No!" Ning Yu shouted, shielding himself from the wind without hesitation. The wind made his clothes flutter, and the flames behind him flickered as if they might be blown out at any moment.

A wolf seized the opportunity and pounced, its sharp claws digging deep into Ning Yu's arm, drawing blood instantly. Ning Yu groaned, enduring the excruciating pain, daring not to move an inch. He knew that if the fire went out, they would truly be finished.

Seeing this, Mu Xue immediately brandished her dagger and stabbed at the wolf. The wolf was forced back, but it did not go far, still lingering at the cave entrance, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The wind gradually subsided, and the flames stabilized. Ning Yu then slowly turned around, looking at his bloodied and mangled arm, his face pale.

"Ning Yu, how are you?" Mu Xue asked anxiously.

Ning Yu shook his head and said through gritted teeth, "I'm fine, quickly reinforce the fire."

Mu Xue nodded and continued searching the cave for something to burn. Her gaze fell on a dry tree trunk. The trunk was thick enough that if she could light it, it would make the fire burn brighter and provide better protection against the wolves. However, the trunk was too heavy; she couldn't move it at all…

“Ning Yu, I…” Mu Xue’s voice was tinged with helplessness.

Ning Yu followed Mu Xue's gaze and immediately understood her meaning. He took a deep breath, struggled to his feet, and walked towards the tree trunk… “Together!” Ning Yu took another deep breath, waves of excruciating pain shooting through his arm, but he gritted his teeth and walked towards the withered tree trunk. Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge, but he knew that this tree trunk was their hope for survival.

"Ning Yu, you've gone mad!" Mu Xue exclaimed, "Your injury..."

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