"This won't do!" Ning Yu gritted his teeth, knowing that things would only get worse. He suppressed the surging blood within him and focused his attention on observing his surroundings, trying to find a way to break the deadlock.
On the cave walls, some strange runes caught his attention. These runes shimmered with a faint blue light, just like that mysterious power, yet they seemed to carry a hint of restraint.
"Could it be..." Ning Yu's heart skipped a beat, and a bold guess surged into his mind. He endured the excruciating pain, moved his feet, and carefully observed the runes. The runes were ancient and mysterious, exuding an aura of vicissitudes, as if they were whispers from ancient times, telling unknown secrets.
Time ticked by, and Ning Yu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, his face growing paler and paler. His mental energy was completely depleted, and his body was beginning to succumb to the backlash of that power, but he still did not give up. His gaze was fixed on the runes, trying to find a glimmer of hope within them.
Finally, after a series of difficult attempts, Ning Yu had a flash of inspiration and found the key to breaking the runes! He took a deep breath and poured his last bit of power into the runes.
The runes shone brightly, and a powerful force instantly filled the entire cave. The mysterious power seemed to have met its match, trembling violently before finally dissipating.
Ning Yu's vision went black, and his body slumped backward. In his last moments before losing consciousness, he seemed to see Mu Xue slowly open her eyes, a relieved smile appearing on her pale face.
"Ning Yu..." A faint voice echoed in the empty cave, mixed with deep worry and a hint of barely perceptible tenderness.
Unaware that Ning Yu, still unconscious, was witnessing the awakening of an even more hidden and powerful force the instant he deciphered the runes, which was now watching them intently...
"Should we... continue?" A team member asked in a hoarse voice, looking at the unconscious Ning Yu and the weak Mu Xue, his tone filled with confusion and fear.
The other team member paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings before finally settling on the depths of the cave, into that unknown darkness. His eyes hardened as he said, "We've come all this way, how can we leave empty-handed? Besides..."
He paused, not saying anything more, but everyone understood what he meant. They had already lost too much; they couldn't afford to lose hope as well.
Let's go!
The cave returned to silence, with only a faint light filtering in from the entrance, illuminating the weary faces of the group. Ning Yu slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was Mu Xue's pale face, yet with a hint of color. He felt a sense of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing, but then a strong feeling of weakness washed over him, almost causing him to faint again.
"Ning Yu, how are you?" Mu Xue's voice was still weak, but it couldn't hide her concern. She struggled to get up, but Ning Yu stopped her.
"Don't move, you're badly injured." Ning Yu's voice was hoarse, revealing deep exhaustion. He looked around and saw that his teammates were either sitting or lying down, all of them exhausted, and some had even fallen into a coma.
"Should we...keep going?" one of the team members asked weakly, his voice filled with confusion and fear. The mysterious force that had invaded them earlier still lingered in their minds, and now they just wanted to get out of this hellish place as quickly as possible.
“But…” another team member hesitated, his gaze falling on Ning Yu and Mu Xue. He knew the purpose of this trip and understood the responsibility Ning Yu bore, but looking at the scene before him, he couldn’t bear to let them take any more risks.
Silence fell over the cave, the atmosphere oppressively suffocating. Ning Yu struggled to his feet and walked deeper into the cave, his gaze fixed intently on the unknown darkness. He knew that their mission was not yet accomplished, and they could not give up.
"Mu Xue, how are you? Can you still hold on?" Ning Yu turned around, looking at Mu Xue, his tone firm yet gentle. He knew Mu Xue's character; if he chose to continue, she would follow without hesitation, even at the cost of her life.
"I'm fine, I won't die." Mu Xue smiled slightly, forced herself to stand up, patted the dust off her clothes, and spoke in a relaxed tone, but her pale face could not hide her weakness.
“Okay!” Ning Yu nodded, saying nothing more. He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his voice low yet powerful, “I know you’re all exhausted, but we can’t give up! For our homeland, for our future…”
He took a deep breath, his gaze intense, and his tone firm, "Forward!"
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