Mu Xue also tried to touch a stone, but before she could feel the energy flowing in, she was thrown back by a powerful force and staggered a few steps before regaining her balance.

"Watch out!" Ning Yu grabbed Mu Xue and steadied her. "These stones are dangerous now."

The giant bear seemed to sense something. It stopped pacing, walked to a large rock, sniffed it, and then… the giant bear seemed to sense something. It stopped pacing, walked to a large rock, sniffed it, and then let out a low growl, violently ramming the rock with its massive head. The rock made a dull thud, shook a few times, and then moved to the side, revealing a dark, gaping hole. The hole was small, only wide enough for one person to pass through, and a cold, damp air emanated from it, carrying an indescribable stench of decay.

Ning Yu and Mu Xue were both stunned by this sudden turn of events. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"What...what is this?" Mu Xue's voice trembled slightly as she gripped Ning Yu's arm tightly, as if that would give her some sense of security.

Ning Yu didn't answer. He stared warily at the cave entrance, his eyes filled with doubt and unease. The appearance of this cave entrance was too strange, making him suspect that a greater danger was lurking within.

"Should we go in?" Mu Xue asked cautiously. She instinctively felt that the cave entrance was full of danger, but she also felt that this might be their only chance to leave.

Ning Yu hesitated. He didn't know what was inside the cave entrance, nor what would happen once he went in. But he knew that if they stayed here, they would eventually be swallowed up by this strange environment.

"Go in." Ning Yu finally made his decision, his tone firm and decisive. "We have no other choice."

He gripped the dagger tightly, took a deep breath, and headed towards the cave entrance. Mu Xue followed closely behind him, not daring to relax her guard for a moment.

The entrance to the cave was very narrow, and they could only pass through by bending over. The cave was pitch black, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face, except for the faint light emitted by the shimmering stones, which barely illuminated a small area around them.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, the stench of decay grew increasingly intense and nauseating. Ning Yu covered his nose with his hand, trying to acclimate himself to the suffocating smell.

"What's this smell?" Mu Xue's voice was tinged with gagging. Her face was pale, and she was clearly not used to this environment.

"I don't know." Ning Yu shook his head. "Be careful, there might be danger here."

They continued forward, and the space inside the cave gradually widened. Suddenly, Ning Yu stopped, sensing a strong energy fluctuation coming from ahead.

"What's wrong?" Mu Xue asked.

Ning Yu did not answer. He looked around warily, trying to find the source of the energy fluctuations.

Just then, a powerful gust of air blew out from the depths of the cave, carrying a chilling force that made their clothes flutter wildly. Ning Yu and Mu Xue involuntarily took a few steps back, their expressions growing even more grave.

"This..." Mu Xue opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Ning Yu narrowed his eyes, staring into the depths of the cave entrance. He could sense that this power was extraordinary; perhaps, this was the true secret of this place… He gripped Mu Xue’s hand tightly, his eyes resolute.

A powerful gust of air, carrying the scent of the cave's depths, rushed towards them, accompanied by a strange energy fluctuation, like an invisible hand shoving Ning Yu and Mu Xue. Mu Xue stumbled, almost falling, but Ning Yu swiftly caught her and steadied her. The gust of air came and went quickly, vanishing in an instant, leaving only an even stronger, more pungent stench of decay and an unsettling silence in the cave.

“This power…” Ning Yu frowned, his gaze lingering on the depths of the cave, “doesn’t seem to be naturally formed.”

Mu Xue also sensed the abnormality of this power. She leaned against the cave wall, her face slightly pale. "Could it be some kind of unknown energy? Or... some kind of creature?" She unconsciously tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white.

The two remained silent for a moment. The cave was eerily quiet, save for their soft breathing and the echo of water droplets falling to the ground. This unsettling silence intensified their unease, as if something lurked in the darkness, watching them.

Ning Yu took out a small detector from his tactical backpack. This was a technological product he had redeemed using the system, capable of detecting surrounding energy fluctuations and signs of life. After the detector was activated, a series of complex data appeared on the screen. The energy fluctuations were abnormally strong, while the signs of life exhibited a peculiar intermittent pulsation, as if something was dormant but could awaken at any moment.

“The situation is not good,” Ning Yu said gravely, looking at the data on the detector. “This energy fluctuation is very unstable, and these signs of life… are very strange.”

Mu Xue leaned closer to take a look at the detector, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "It feels like... a heartbeat, but not like the heartbeat of an ordinary creature. It's more like the pulse of some kind of energy."

Suddenly, a deep humming sound came from the depths of the cave, and the ground began to tremble slightly. The humming sound grew louder and the tremors more intense, as if some enormous creature was awakening.

"This is bad!" Ning Yu's expression changed. "We need to leave here as soon as possible!"

He grabbed Mu Xue's hand and turned to run out. However, at that moment, the cave entrance was suddenly blocked by an invisible force, and they were bounced back as if they had crashed into an invisible wall.

"What's going on?!" Mu Xue exclaimed in surprise, and tried to rush towards the cave entrance again, but was still blocked by that invisible force.

Ning Yu also tried to use his supernatural abilities to attack the barrier at the cave entrance, but his attack was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, without causing a ripple.

"Damn it!" Ning Yu cursed under his breath, his heart filled with anxiety and unease. They were trapped!

The buzzing grew louder and the vibrations more intense, as if something deep within the cave was about to burst forth. Ning Yu and Mu Xue stood back to back, watching the depths of the cave warily, their grips on their weapons tightening.

“Ning Yu…” Mu Xue’s voice trembled slightly, but she did not show much fear. Instead, she held Ning Yu’s hand even more firmly.

Ning Yu felt the warmth of Mu Xue's hand, and a surge of warmth welled up in his heart. He turned to look at Mu Xue, his eyes resolute, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."

Just then, a dazzling light suddenly shone from the depths of the cave… The light grew stronger and stronger, eventually illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime. At the center of the light, a gigantic figure slowly emerged…

"What is that..." Mu Xue murmured to herself, her eyes fixed on the figure.

Ning Yu gripped Mu Xue's hand tightly, his gaze sharp, and said, word by word, "Be prepared..."