A swarm of bees, dark as a giant black sphere, hovered above Ning Yu and Mu Xue, emitting a chilling buzzing sound, casting a shadow of death over them.

Mu Xue held the nearly unconscious Ning Yu tightly, despair surging into her heart like a tidal wave.

Escape is futile; hiding is impossible.

"System... activate superpower!" Ning Yu used his last bit of strength to utter a few words with difficulty.

A pale blue light flashed across his body, as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

The previous battle with the mutated creature had left him severely injured and his powers nearly exhausted. At this moment, he was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered on a chopping block.

“It’s no use…” Ning Yu closed his eyes in despair, feeling death approaching.

"No! There must be another way!" Mu Xue gritted her teeth, looked around, and her gaze fell on a huge rock not far away.

"Ning Yu, let's hide behind the rock!" She struggled to help Ning Yu up and moved step by step toward the boulder.

The boulder stood firm and unmoving, like a silent giant.

Mu Xue tried her best to push the boulder, but it wouldn't budge.

Despair welled up in her heart again, and she looked helplessly at Ning Yu, tears blurring her vision.

"No...it's too heavy..."

The buzzing of the swarm grew louder and louder, the black sphere slowly descended, and the shadow of death grew ever heavier.

Ning Yu's consciousness gradually blurred, but he could still sense Mu Xue's despair and fear.

He struggled to open his eyes, but the world before him was a blur. Only the enormous black sphere, like the Grim Reaper, was approaching step by step.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on an inconspicuous little hole in the ground. The hole was covered by rocks and weeds, and it would be difficult to spot without careful observation.

The hope of life, like a bolt of lightning, pierced through the darkness of despair.

"Mu Xue..." With his last bit of strength, he grabbed Mu Xue's hand, "There..."

Mu Xue followed Ning Yu's gaze and saw the small hole.

A glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes. Without thinking, she tightly grasped Ning Yu's hand...

Mu Xue understood immediately and without hesitation, she supported the almost unconscious Ning Yu and struggled to crawl toward the inconspicuous little hole.

The buzzing of the bees was like a death knell, drawing ever closer, the scent of death almost brushing against their backs.

Just as the enormous black sphere was about to collide with them, Ning Yu and Mu Xue finally squeezed into the hole.

Almost simultaneously, the swarm of bees crashed violently into the boulder, producing a deafening impact.

Countless mutated bees rained down, instantly corroding the surface of the boulder, creating numerous pits and emitting a hissing sound.

Blocked by the boulder, the bee swarm was temporarily unable to pursue Ning Yu and Mu Xue.

The cave entrance was narrow and cramped, and Ning Yu and Mu Xue were huddled inside, panting heavily.

Before the joy of surviving the ordeal could even well up in my heart, it was replaced by overwhelming fear.

They didn't know where the hole led, nor whether the swarm of bees would come after them again.

The cave was pitch black; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

But gradually, Ning Yu discovered that there seemed to be some faint light deep in the cave, flickering like fireflies, indistinct and unclear.

“There is light…” Ning Yu said weakly, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

Mu Xue also noticed the faint light, and a glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes. "Shall we...go and take a look?"

Ning Yu nodded and struggled to stand up.

The cave floor was rugged and covered with gravel and dirt.

With each step Ning Yu took, his wounds aggravated, and the excruciating pain was almost unbearable.

Mu Xue held him tightly, carefully feeling her way forward.

As they ventured deeper, the light inside the cave grew brighter.

The light did not come from outside the cave, but from a strange mineral deep within the cave, emitting a faint blue glow that illuminated the surrounding environment.

"What is this..." Mu Xue looked at the blue-glowing minerals in surprise, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Before Ning Yu could answer, a rustling sound came from the depths of the cave, breaking the brief silence.

Ning Yu turned around abruptly, his eyes warily fixed on the depths of the cave, his hand tightly gripping a sharp stone fragment he had broken off from the cave wall.

"What was that sound?" Mu Xue's voice trembled slightly as fear gripped her once more.

Ning Yu didn't speak, but just gripped the stone shard in his hand tightly, staring intently into the depths of the cave, as if some terrifying creature was lurking there.

He felt a strange chill rise from the soles of his feet...

Ning Yu leaned against the rock wall, his heavy breathing echoing in the narrow cave.

He endured the excruciating pain, his gaze sweeping over the cave entrance and the surrounding rock walls.

The sound of the bees swarming together was still clearly audible. Although the boulder had temporarily blocked them, Ning Yu knew that this was only a temporary measure.

He had to find something to defend himself with to buy more time for him and Mu Xue.

"Will the swarm of bees... come after us?" Mu Xue's voice trembled slightly as she clung tightly to Ning Yu, her gaze anxiously fixed on the cave entrance.

“Yes.” Ning Yu’s tone was unusually calm, as if stating a given fact. “We must be prepared.” His gaze fell on the cave wall, where the protruding rocks reflected a cold light under the glow of the dark blue ore.

He reached out and touched it, finding the rock to be incredibly hard.

An idea flashed through his mind, and he began to forcefully pry open the protruding stone pieces.

The sharp edge cut his fingers, and blood flowed down the rock face, but he didn't care at all and continued to use force, breaking off sharp pieces of stone one by one.

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