A single, glistening tear slid down Mu Xue's cheek, but she had no time for grief, no time to wipe it away. She remembered Ning Yu's words: "We are each other's sword and each other's shield." Now, Li Qiang had bought them time with his life, and she could not let this sacrifice go to waste!
Mu Xue took a deep breath, banishing all distracting thoughts and focusing all her attention on the enormous stalactite before her. She could feel her supernatural abilities rapidly diminishing, but she gritted her teeth and persevered, gathering her last bit of strength between her hands.
"Break it!" Mu Xue roared, thrusting her palms forward with a powerful surge of energy that slammed into the stalactite.
"boom!"
A loud bang echoed through the cave, and the stalactites trembled violently, revealing fine cracks on their surfaces. Yet, they stubbornly remained connected to the cave ceiling, as if mocking Mu Xue's futile efforts.
"Not enough!" Ning Yu, who had been silent all along, suddenly roared, a resolute look appearing on his previously pale face. "I'll help you!"
Having said that, Ning Yu disregarded his own weakness and forcibly mobilized the little supernatural power he had left. He stretched out his palm and injected a stream of pure energy into Mu Xue's body.
“Ning Yu, you…” Mu Xue turned around abruptly, but was interrupted by Ning Yu’s firm gaze.
"Trust me!" Ning Yu's voice was weak, but it carried an undeniable power.
The two different supernatural abilities intertwined and converged into an even more powerful force. Mu Xue could feel the surging energy within her body, as if it were about to burst her apart.
"Ah!" Mu Xue let out a clear whistle, unleashing all of this powerful force.
"Snap!"
This time, the stalactite finally succumbed to the immense force, emitting a crisp cracking sound. Huge chunks of rock plummeted from the cave ceiling with a deafening roar…
Deep within the cave, the giant python seemed to sense something, suddenly letting out a deafening roar that echoed throughout the cave. It writhed wildly, its hard scales scraping against the cave walls with a piercing sound. The rocks that had bound it were smashed apart by its brutal force, sending fragments flying and dust billowing everywhere.
"Not good!" The team member who had been tightly coiled around the giant python's body paled instantly. He felt an unprecedented ferocity and power emanating from the python. He tried his best to control it, but against this immense force, he was like a leaf in a storm, tossed about by the python, on the verge of being flung away. Yet, he gritted his teeth, his hands gripping the python's scales tightly, his knuckles white from the strain, but he dared not relax for a moment. He knew he was a line of defense; if he gave up, everyone else would be in danger.
"Hold on!" Mu Xue shouted anxiously when she saw this, but she had no time to care about others at the moment. She had to concentrate all her energy on controlling the stalactite that was about to break and buy more time for the others.
The broken stalactite made a teeth-grinding sound, began to teeter precariously, and finally snapped with a deafening roar, crashing down upon the giant python. A massive shadow loomed over the python, and the aura of death was palpable.
Just at this critical moment, the giant python suddenly roared, its scarlet forked tongue waving wildly in the air. With a sudden burst of strength, it flung the team member who was tightly wrapped around it like a cannonball towards the falling stalactite!
"No!" Mu Xue cried out in despair as she watched helplessly as her teammate was flung away by the giant python, crashing into the massive boulder...
"Old Zhao!" Ning Yu roared, his eyes bloodshot. He rushed towards the teammate, trying to pull him back, but it was too late...
He watched helplessly as the massive stalactite crashed into the team member with a chilling sound...
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Ning Yu watched helplessly as the giant python mercilessly flung his teammate towards the stalactites, the immense impact engulfing him in rubble and dust. His pupils contracted sharply, his heart felt as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and a suffocating pain instantly overwhelmed him.
"Old Zhao!" Ning Yu roared in agony, his heart-wrenching voice echoing in the empty cave, but unable to rouse the life that had already passed away. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, and blood dripped from between his fingers, but this did not alleviate even a fraction of the pain in his heart.
The massive stalactite didn't land entirely on Old Zhao; the python, unable to dodge in time, was also struck by some of the falling rocks, letting out a painful roar. Its once-hard scales were cracked, bleeding profusely.
But the python's pain paled in comparison to the grief and rage in Ning Yu's heart. His eyes were red as he stared intently at the python writhing in the rubble, wishing he could tear it to pieces.
"Roar—" The giant python, in pain, became even more enraged and lunged at Mu Xue, Ning Yu, and the others without regard for anything else. Its enormous head was raised high, and a foul stench assaulted their senses, like a demon from hell, ready to devour them all.
"Prepare for battle!" Ning Yu shouted, suppressing his grief. He knew this was not the time for sorrow; they had to unite to fight for a chance of survival in this struggle against death.
Although the team members were exhausted and injured, not one of them backed down. They gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed resolutely on the raging beast.
"Boom—" The giant python's massive body crashed into the rock wall, producing a deafening sound. Rock fragments flew everywhere, dust filled the air, and the entire cave trembled violently.
Mu Xue stood not far away, watching the giant python pounce wildly, her heart filled with despair. They had already paid such a heavy price; were they really all going to perish here?
"Old Zhao..." she murmured softly, the image of Old Zhao's honest and simple smile appearing before her eyes, one of the few sources of warmth she had in the apocalypse.
The giant python drew ever closer, and the shadow of death loomed over everyone. At this critical moment…
Mu Xue watched the giant python pounce, her heart filled with despair, but remembering her fallen teammates, her eyes blazed with renewed fighting spirit. Ning Yu felt the same way; he clenched his fists, his supernatural power barely commencing, "A desperate fight..."
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