Night fell, stars dotted the deep night sky, and the cool moonlight spilled over the desolate ruins. Ning Yu's figure darted through the dense jungle, following the direction indicated by the system, stealthily making his way towards that mysterious valley.
Silence reigned all around, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects and the distant growls of wild beasts, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Ning Yu's steps were light yet steady; years of teetering on the edge of life and death had honed his keen perception and exceptional vigilance.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the trees gradually thinned out, and a secluded valley appeared before them. In the center of the valley, a huge rock emitted a faint blue light, and the surrounding energy fluctuations were unusually strong, perfectly matching the markings on the system map.
"This is it!" Ning Yu thought to himself. He cautiously approached the rock, and an invisible pressure rushed towards him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
He reached out and touched the surface of the rock. A powerful electric current instantly shot through his body, and the intense pain made him groan and stagger back a few steps.
"What a powerful restriction!" Ning Yu was shocked. He sat cross-legged and mobilized his internal energy to try to suppress the surging blood and qi within him.
After a short rest, Ning Yu stood up, his gaze fixed firmly on the rock before him. He knew that behind this restriction lay a key that could change their fate.
Time ticked by, and Ning Yu, ignoring his exhaustion and pain, tried various methods again and again to break the seal. The pain from his old wounds made his face pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Cough, cough..." He clutched his chest, coughing violently, a trickle of blood even seeping from the corner of his mouth. But the light in his eyes grew even brighter, for he vaguely sensed that he was getting closer and closer to success...
Finally, during one attempt, Ning Yu sensed a slight loosening of the restriction. His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he muttered to himself, "Now!"
With a soft "click," as if a stone had broken the sky, Ning Yu felt a sudden brightness before his eyes. The boulder slowly rose up, revealing a dark opening.
He was overjoyed, but also felt a wave of dizziness; breaking the seal had almost exhausted all his supernatural abilities. He staggered into the cave, where a bright and clear view suddenly appeared before him. Countless crystals sparkled brilliantly in the cave, and the rich energy fluctuations were exhilarating.
"Found it! Finally found it!" Ning Yu clenched his fists excitedly. These energy crystals were enough for them to survive a long period of resource crisis, and could even be used to forge more powerful weapons and equipment to fight against those covetous enemies.
He dragged his exhausted body back to camp, eager to share the good news with all the team members. However, to his surprise, he was met not with the cheers and jubilation he had expected, but with a chorus of doubt and indifference.
"What? You went to the forbidden area alone? And you even broke the seal?" A burly man stood up, questioning him in an unfriendly tone, "Ning Yu, do you know how dangerous this is? What will we do if something happens to you?"
“That’s right, we’re already having a tough time, and you’re going to take risks? You’re playing with everyone’s lives!” another team member chimed in.
Ning Yu, suppressing his discomfort, explained, "I know this is risky, but I'm doing it for everyone, so we can survive in this apocalypse..."
“Survival?” A sharp voice interrupted him. “I think you’re just trying to satisfy your own desires, aren’t you? Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been wanting to monopolize those resources for a long time!”
Ning Yu was stunned. He hadn't expected his good intentions to be misinterpreted like this. He looked around and found that his teammates, who had previously trusted him, were now looking at him with suspicion and wariness, as if he were some heinous criminal.
"Enough!" Mu Xue, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up. She walked to Ning Yu's side and coldly swept her gaze over the crowd. "Do you have any conscience? If it weren't for Ning Yu, we would have already..."
Before she could finish speaking, another voice interrupted her, "Mu Xue, don't forget you're just his woman, of course you're taking his side! I think we..."
"You..." Mu Xue's face turned pale with anger. She wanted to say something more, but Ning Yu gently tugged at her sleeve. He shook his head at her, signaling her to stop arguing. He knew that nothing he said now would make a difference; these former comrades-in-arms no longer trusted him.
“I know everyone is worried and it’s been tough for you all,” Ning Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness in his heart, “but I can guarantee with my life that everything I’ve done is for all of us, so that we can find a safe place to live in this apocalypse.”
"That sounds so high-sounding!" the burly man sneered. "Who knows if you're doing this for yourself? How do you plan to allocate those resources? Will you keep them all for yourself?"
"I..." Ning Yu opened his mouth, but didn't know how to explain. He never intended to monopolize the resources; he only wanted everyone to be able to survive. But now it seemed that his good intentions had been misinterpreted as selfishness by these people.
"I think we should elect a new leader!" one of the team members suddenly suggested. "If we keep going like this, he'll lead us astray sooner or later!"
"Yes, elect a new leader!" the others echoed.
Ning Yu's heart sank completely. He hadn't expected that all his efforts would result in this. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed all his emotions.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
