The stone door slowly rose, the heavy scraping sound echoing in the silent cave like the deep breath of an ancient beast. A dark passage leading to the unknown appeared before Ning Yu and Mu Xue, carrying an aura of mystery and danger. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing in each other's eyes the relief of surviving a disaster, and the trepidation about the unknown ahead.
Before they could even recover from the joy of their escape, a series of heavy footsteps shattered the brief silence, coming from the depths of darkness and growing ever closer. The sound was deep and powerful, each step seeming to pound on their hearts, freezing the air itself.
Mu Xue's expression changed, and she gripped Ning Yu's arm tightly, her body trembling slightly. The chill of the cave seemed to travel from her fingertips to Ning Yu. Ning Yu took her hand in return, offering her silent comfort, while warily watching the direction from which the sound came, a cold glint flashing in his deep eyes. He gripped the stone tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
"What is it?" Mu Xue's voice trembled slightly as she tried to control her breathing and remain calm.
Ning Yu did not answer. He listened intently to the footsteps, trying to determine the identity of the person approaching and the distance. The footsteps were heavy and slow, like those of some enormous creature, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.
"We must be prepared," Ning Yu said in a low voice, his tone grave. He put the stone back in his backpack and drew the sharp dagger that had accompanied him all the way from his waist, its blade reflecting a cold light in the dim light.
The air inside the cave seemed to solidify, so oppressive it was hard to breathe. Time ticked by, the footsteps grew closer and clearer. Ning Yu could even feel the ground trembling, growing stronger with each passing second.
In the darkness, a faint light flickered, like the eye of some creature. Mu Xue's breathing became rapid, and she instinctively hid behind Ning Yu.
"Don't be afraid." Ning Yu sensed her fear and comforted her softly, "I will protect you."
His voice, though deep, carried a reassuring strength. Mu Xue took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She knew that in this situation, fear would only make them more vulnerable.
The footsteps stopped at the entrance to the passage. In the darkness, a huge, dark shadow slowly emerged…
"Prepare for battle." Ning Yu's voice was deep and firm, and he gripped the dagger in his hand even tighter.
Mu Xue nodded, took out a specially made crossbow from her backpack, strung it, and aimed at the dark figure in the darkness.
"What...what is that?" Mu Xue's voice trembled, almost unrecognizable from its original tone.
Ning Yu squinted, trying to see the true face of the dark figure.
"It seems... to be..." "It seems... to be... a stone?" Ning Yu's voice carried a hint of doubt. In the dim light, he finally saw the true form of the shadowy figure. It was a gigantic stone giant, formed from countless piles of rubble. Its rough, uneven surface resembled a small mountain slowly moving, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly. The giant's head had only a pair of eyes that gleamed with an eerie red light, like two burning embers, appearing particularly strange in the darkness.
"A stone giant?" Mu Xue's voice trembled even more violently. "This...how is this possible?"
The stone giant strode heavily toward them, its enormous body almost completely filling the passageway. With each step it took, pebbles fell from its body, producing a chilling scraping sound.
Ning Yu's mind raced, trying to find the giant's weakness. However, in the dim light, he couldn't even make out the giant's specific structure, let alone find its weakness.
"We have to find a way to get out of here!" Ning Yu made a quick decision, grabbing Mu Xue's hand and trying to back away.
"But...where can we retreat to?" Mu Xue looked around. The cave was empty; there was nowhere to hide. The entrance to the passage had been blocked by the giants, and they were like turtles in a jar, with nowhere to escape.
The giant's footsteps grew closer, his heavy breathing seemed to be right next to his ear. Ning Yu could feel the giant's oppressive aura, like Mount Tai pressing down on him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
"Hide behind it!" Ning Yu suddenly had a flash of inspiration and pointed to the narrow gap behind the giant.
Mu Xue was taken aback, but then she understood Ning Yu's intention. Although the crevice was narrow, it might be their only way out.
"Okay!" Mu Xue didn't hesitate at all and followed Ning Yu to run behind the giant.
The two men huddled carefully against the cave wall, trying to make as little noise as possible. The giant's footsteps were deafening, as if each step was pounding on their hearts. They held their breath, their hearts pounding, terrified of being discovered by the giant.
Just as they were about to reach the giant, it suddenly stopped. It slowly turned around, its enormous body blotting out the sky and casting them into shadow. Its eyes, burning with a red light, stared at them like the gaze of hell.
Ning Yu and Mu Xue froze, too afraid to move. They felt like prey being watched by a giant python, their bodies ice-cold and unable to move.
The giant walked up to them and raised its enormous fist to smash it down. The force of the punch, carrying pebbles and dust, hurtled towards them. Ning Yu reacted quickly, grabbing Mu Xue and dodging to the side. Boom! The giant fist slammed heavily into the ground with a deafening roar. The ground trembled violently, sending debris flying. Ning Yu and Mu Xue staggered several steps, nearly falling.
"Cough cough..." Mu Xue coughed, choked by the dust filling the air, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
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