Underwater visibility is extremely low, as if you are in a chaotic world, which makes you feel inexplicably depressed and afraid.

But Xi Xi did not back down. She tried to open her eyes wide and see her surroundings through the hazy sand and fog.

Gradually, she vaguely saw what appeared to be an exit leading forward.

But before she could even get close, the oxygen in her lungs had already been exhausted.

Left with no other choice, Xi Xi had to surface hastily, panting heavily.

Xi Xi decided to use primitive diving methods to increase her underwater breath-holding time—by taking multiple deep breaths to expel as much carbon dioxide as possible from her body, allowing her myoglobin to be filled with oxygen, and then gradually increasing the number of dives and the duration of breath-holding to improve her ability to stay underwater.

Immediately afterwards, she submerged herself in the water again, held her breath, and swam slowly forward.

Although she could only hold her breath for a few dozen seconds at first, with each attempt, her breath-holding time gradually increased.

Xi Xi was making plans in her mind, paying attention to the direction of the underwater exit during each test dive.

Finally, she made up her mind, took a few deep breaths of oxygen, and then quickly dived into the water, swimming in the direction she remembered.

She skillfully navigated the narrow crevices between the rocks, and with the experience and skills she had accumulated, she successfully reached the water on the other side.

As soon as she surfaced, Xi Xi eagerly took deep breaths of fresh air, her body trembling slightly from the exertion. After finally regaining her strength, she scrambled onto the shore using both her hands and feet.

This appeared to be the interior of a cave. Xi Xi looked around and frowned.

The place was dark and damp, with a depressing atmosphere in the air, and the water she had just emerged from was stagnant water in the cave.

Xi Xi was soaked to the bone, and the cold was ever-present. Shivering, she took off her backpack and coat, wrung out the remaining water from her clothes and hair, and then started doing push-ups.

This is a good way to quickly increase the body's heat energy, and it was something that Captain Li Zhongmin mentioned unintentionally during an outing in the second year of the apocalypse.

When the human body temperature drops below 36°C, it may cause hypothermia, leading to problems such as poor blood circulation, arrhythmia, hypothyroidism, and respiratory failure.

Xi Xi initially thought about finding something nearby to start a fire, but after looking around, she gave up.

The cave was completely sealed off, narrow and low, with no other way out except for a cave that stretched forward.

As Xi Xi knows, the temperature of the rocks in these caves is very low. A fire would quickly increase the temperature of the rocks above, causing them to expand and potentially causing the roof to collapse.

In addition, lighting a fire in a poorly ventilated place may consume a large amount of oxygen, causing carbon monoxide poisoning.

Therefore, Xi Xi decisively abandoned the idea of ​​starting a fire. She frowned, deciding that a swift resolution was best. If she backed down now, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?

So, following the map's guidance, Xi Xi began her journey deeper into the cave.

The cave was pitch black, but fortunately, she had night vision talismans and a head-mounted searchlight, which prevented her from getting lost in the darkness.

She cautiously groped her way forward, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

After finally emerging from the narrow cave, Xi Xi arrived at a clearing in the rocky area. She straightened up from her half-squatting position and stretched her muscles.

Suddenly, Xi Xi noticed a large patch of tiny red dots appearing at the top of the light screen map.

Her heart tightened suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, and she instinctively stopped in her tracks.

She decisively turned on the light screen camera and aimed it at another cave extending into the distance, thus consuming a precious high-powered scope access privilege.

With the help of a high-powered lens, Xi Xi finally saw the true nature of those red dots—it turned out that countless bats were hanging upside down from the top of a cave not far away.

Xi Xi's heart sank, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead...

In the chaos and darkness, these bats hung densely in the crevices of the rocks on the cave ceiling, like a living black curtain, swaying gently with the faint air currents.

Occasionally, one or two bats would suddenly flap their wings, making a fluttering sound that was particularly noticeable in the silent cave, like whispers from hell, sending chills down one's spine.

Xi Xi immediately felt that the sound was very familiar, as if it were exactly the same as the terrifying black shadow from last night. She suddenly realized and covered her mouth. Then her gaze darkened and she hurriedly thought of a solution.

Xi Xi covered her nose and slowly retreated a few steps. It is said that bat caves contain a lot of bat droppings, and inhaling too much can cause histoplasmosis.

Clearly, in this narrow and cramped cave, facing such a large number of bats, Xi Xi was no match for them.

At this moment, her brain was like a high-speed machine, with all sorts of thoughts flashing through her mind as she constantly pondered how to deal with the situation.

She pondered for a moment and realized that bats mainly rely on the echo of sound waves to locate and identify objects, but the invisibility talisman could only block vision and was completely useless.

However, the smoke talisman was completely different... Thinking of this, Xi Xi immediately took out the smoke talisman and checked the item prompts again.

[Item Description: One-time consumable. Releases smoke that blocks the five senses of surrounding creatures for 5 seconds.]

Xi Xi wasn't entirely sure if the smoke talisman would work, since bats use more than just their ears; the nasal-like leaves on their mouths and noses, as well as the special skin folds around them, are all unique ultrasonic devices.

But with things having come to this point, she had no choice but to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless, and resolutely threw the talisman in her hand deep into the cave.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!