The mutated rhinoceros fled in panic, disappearing at the end of the desolate street. Ning Yu, however, felt no joy of victory. He staggered back a few steps and knelt on one knee. It felt as if a raging fire was burning in his chest, searing his internal organs.

"Ning Yu!" Mu Xue was extremely anxious and rushed to Ning Yu's side, but dared not touch him easily. Ning Yu's originally rosy face was now deathly pale, his forehead was covered with large beads of sweat, and his body was trembling uncontrollably.

"Don't come any closer..." Ning Yu gritted her teeth, forcing out a hoarse voice from deep within her throat, "I'm fine..."

"How could you be alright!" Mu Xue's eyes reddened, her voice trembling with tears. "Look at yourself now, what happened?"

Ning Yu didn't answer. He tried to calm the violent power within him, but it was like a wild horse, rampaging and wreaking havoc inside him. He felt as if his blood vessels were about to burst, his bones were being crushed inch by inch, and the excruciating pain almost made him lose consciousness.

"Ah!" Ning Yu could no longer hold back and let out a painful roar. He gripped his clothes tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force, his body curled up in a ball, rolling on the ground in agony.

Mu Xue looked helplessly at everything before her. She didn't know what had happened, nor how to help Ning Yu. She could only watch Ning Yu struggle in pain, powerless to do anything about it.

"Damn it..." Ning Yu managed to squeeze out a word through gritted teeth. He felt his consciousness gradually fading, and the scene before him began to distort. He knew he was in danger, but he was helpless.

"There must be... there must be a way..." Ning Yu endured the excruciating pain, trying to concentrate and find a solution. However, the violent power within him grew stronger and stronger, as if it would completely devour him.

Just then, a series of light footsteps approached from afar. Ning Yu struggled to open his heavy eyelids, only to see several dark figures slowly approaching him… The hoarse roars startled the creatures hiding deep within the ruins. Several small, mutated rats, their scarlet eyes gleaming greedily in the dim light, tentatively peeked out from the rubble, cautiously approaching Ning Yu step by step.

Mu Xue also sensed the danger. She turned around abruptly, drew her long sword from her waist, and stared warily at the mutated rats. Although these mutated creatures were not large, they were extremely fast and had incredibly sharp teeth. If they got close, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Get out of my way!" Mu Xue brandished her long sword, trying to drive back the mutated rats. But these mutated creatures seemed to be attracted by Ning Yu's weakened state. They were not afraid of Mu Xue's threat and instead approached even more boldly.

Ning Yu naturally sensed the approaching danger. He struggled to stand up, but found that he couldn't even stand steadily. He tried to mobilize the power within his body to drive away these troublesome guys, but each attempt was like adding fuel to the fire, and the intense pain almost made him faint.

"Don't come any closer...cough cough..." Ning Yu warned through gritted teeth, but to the mutated rats, his weak voice sounded more like the mournful cry of someone struggling to die.

A bold mutated rat launched the first attack, arching its back and lunging at Ning Yu. Mu Xue reacted swiftly, cleaving the mutated rat in two with a single stroke, its foul-smelling blood splattering all over her.

However, more mutated creatures swarmed in from all directions, like sharks that had smelled blood, greedily eyeing their prey and waiting for their chance to strike.

Mu Xue wielded her longsword with all her might, the blade flashing as she slew one mutated creature after another. But these monsters seemed endless, one wave after another appearing, and gradually, Mu Xue began to feel her strength waning.

Ning Yu anxiously watched everything before him. He wanted to help Mu Xue, but he felt powerless to do so. He kept telling himself to stay calm and find a solution, but the situation only made him more and more desperate.

Taking advantage of Mu Xue's momentary lapse in attention, a mutated rat leaped up, its sharp claws leaving a bloody gash on Mu Xue's arm. Mu Xue groaned, and with a backhand slash, she killed the mutated rat, but she herself staggered from the pain.

"Mu Xue!" Ning Yu's eyes widened in horror as he desperately summoned the last ounce of strength within him...

"No..." Mu Xue tried to stop him in terror, but before she could finish speaking, a powerful energy surge erupted from Ning Yu... The stench grew stronger, and the mutated rat swarm almost surrounded the two of them. Ning Yu could even feel their heavy breaths on his face, carrying the putrid smell of death. He struggled to get up, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree; he could only watch helplessly as those repulsive fangs approached.

"Don't worry about me... run!" Ning Yu shouted hoarsely, his voice almost inaudible. He couldn't let Mu Xue be implicated; even if he were to perish in the rats' bellies, he had to fight for her survival.

Mu Xue didn't speak, but instead swung her long sword even harder, blood staining the blade and splattering across her face. But her eyes remained resolute, showing no sign of backing down.

"I said... let's go!" Ning Yu's eyes began to moisten. He hated his own incompetence and even more so for dragging Mu Xue into this disaster.

Despair overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, but then a flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered that every time he used his mysterious power, he would fall into a state of frenzy, which could only be gradually calmed by fully merging his will into it.

“Perhaps… this is the only way…” Ning Yu murmured to himself.

He closed his eyes, concentrated all his energy, and tried to sense the violent power. The excruciating pain arrived as expected, as if countless steel needles were ravaging his body. He gritted his teeth, trying not to make a sound.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!