Chapter 142 The Great Fire Absorbs the Crystal Core
The battle was over. The corpses of the two peak-stage mutated golden eagles, both at the third tier, lay scattered on the ravaged open ground.
Da Huo was panting heavily, his wounds bleeding, but his eyes remained fierce. Lin Yan and Zhou Min were also exhausted, breathing slightly heavily.
Ruan Ning quickly walked to Shen Yan's side. He had lost too much blood, his face was ashen, and he was already in a semi-conscious state, but he was still tightly clutching the broken knife in his hand.
"Stop the bleeding first." Ruan Ning decisively tore open the clothes near his wounds, rinsed them with clean water, and then used her wood-type ability to cover the deepest wounds with a weak healing energy, temporarily stabilizing the injuries. She also fed him some spiritual spring water.
Shen Yan barely opened his eyes, looked at Ruan Ning, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he still fainted.
Ruan Ning examined his injuries; his bones were broken, he had internal bleeding, and his external injuries were severe, but his life was not in immediate danger.
"Take him with you and get out of here first. The smell of blood will attract other things," Ruan Ning said to Lin Yan and Zhou Min.
They quickly cleaned up the scene, dug out two third-order attribute-free crystal cores, and then, with Da Huo carrying Shen Yan, they quickly left the area and returned to the relatively safe temporary camp they had found earlier.
Upon arriving at the temporary camp—a sheltered cave—Ruan Ning carefully examined Shen Yan's injuries.
External injuries were cleaned and bandaged again with clean water and cloth strips, and fractured arms were immobilized with branches and cloth strips.
The most troublesome issues were internal bleeding and potential organ damage. Ruan Ning used her wood-elemental abilities to gently channel healing energy into his body, focusing on protecting his heart and the damaged internal organs. She also fed him some spiritual spring water.
Shen Yan's breathing gradually calmed down, and his face was no longer so pale, but he was still unconscious.
After treating the wounded, Zhou Min walked to Ruan Ning's side and lowered her voice, saying, "I took a closer look just now, and it really is Shen Yan. I've heard of him at the base; he's a famous lone wolf in the outer city, very strong, with a third-tier metal-type ability. He usually works alone, doesn't join any faction, and rarely interacts with people. He only takes on high-difficulty solo missions, which are highly rewarding but extremely risky. I never expected him to be your senior."
Ruan Ning nodded. She wasn't surprised. Anyone who survived the apocalypse and possessed third-tier strength was no ordinary person. She just hadn't expected to reunite here, in this way.
Lin Yan handed over the two crystal cores she had dug out of the golden eagle's head. They were about the size of pigeon eggs, pale blue in color, and were attribute-free crystal cores of good quality.
Ruan Ning took it and looked at Da Huo, who was lying to the side, its wounds had stopped bleeding but it was listless and licking its paws. It had put in a lot of effort in this battle and was also seriously injured.
"Da Huo, here you go." She placed one of the third-tier attribute crystal cores in front of Da Huo.
Da Huo looked up at her, then sniffed the crystal core, letting out a low growl, knowing it was a good thing.
It curled up the crystal core with its tongue, swallowed it, then went to a corner, curled up, and quickly fell into a deep sleep. A faint golden light and subtle fluctuations of air emanated from its body.
It needs to digest the energy of this crystal core, and may go into a dormant state for a period of time to upgrade.
Looking at the other crystal core, Ruan Ning glanced at Lin Yan and Zhou Min.
Lin Yan said directly, "Give it to Zhou Min. She's a mental type, and mental type crystal cores are hard to find. Although this one isn't a mental attribute, its energy is pure, and it will be more effective for her to absorb after she reaches the third rank. I'm focused on strength enhancement, so I can use a regular non-attribute crystal core or find one of the same attribute."
Zhou Min didn't refuse, took the crystal core and put it away: "I'm still a little short of the third tier, I'll keep it for now and use it after I break through."
Shen Yan remained unconscious, and Da Huo was also fast asleep. Ruan Ning checked the mission deadline—one day left.
She called Zhou Min and Lin Yan over: "The mission deadline is approaching. You two take the collected samples back and hand them over. I'll stay here until Da Huo wakes up and also look after Shen Yan."
Lin Yan frowned: "You're leaving yourself alone in these deep mountains? It's too dangerous."
"The fire should escalate within the next day or two, and Shen Yan's injuries also need to be watched over. I'm more mobile on my own, and it'll be easier for me to escape if trouble arises."
Ruan Ning said calmly, "Drive back, hand in the mission, and collect your points. Then go to the old temporary housing where Sun Hong and the others lived and check on the remaining people. Give them some points and food. Also, find out what the Black Rat Gang and the research institute have been up to lately."
Zhou Min knew that once Ruan Ning made up her mind, it was hard to change it, and what she said made sense. The three of them being stuck here together could indeed cause them to miss the mission deadline. "Okay. Be careful. Keep your communicator on, contact me immediately if there's an emergency."
The three carried the unconscious Shen Yan to a more secluded, dry rock in the cave and placed him there. Ruan Ning used plant vines and stones to create simple camouflage and protection at the cave entrance.
Then, Ruan Ning escorted Zhou Min and Lin Yan along the way they had come, all the way to the edge of the forest, near the road. Along the way, they cleared out several first and second-tier mutated beasts.
Once on the highway, Ruan Ning took out the off-road vehicle and put some extra food and water in the trunk. "Be careful on the road. Everything will be normal once we get back to base. Don't cause trouble, but don't be afraid of trouble either."
"Understood." Lin Yan got into the driver's seat.
Zhou Min got into the passenger seat and gave Ruan Ning one last look: "Come back as soon as possible."
The car started, drove onto the bumpy dirt road, and gradually disappeared into the distance.
Ruan Ning stood still until the car disappeared from sight before turning and re-entering the forest. Her steps were light, her mental energy spreading like an invisible net, avoiding several areas of abnormal energy fluctuations, and she quickly returned to the temporary camp.
Back in the cave, Shen Yan was still unconscious, but his breathing was steady. The fire was still dormant, and the golden light around him had completely subsided. His aura was calm and heavy, like a volcano about to erupt, gathering its power.
Ruan Ning chose a spot with a good view near the cave entrance and cleared a small area. She took out some simple utensils, boiled some water, and slowly ate her dry rations.
Night fell. The night in the mountains and forests was not peaceful; various rustling sounds could be heard in the distance, occasionally interspersed with the roars of beasts. However, in the area where Ruan Ning was located, due to the territorial aura of the golden eagle and the faint pressure emanating from the upgraded fire, nothing dared to approach for the time being.
She sat cross-legged, keeping watch while circulating her supernatural abilities. Water-based energy flowed smoothly within her body, nourishing her meridians. Her mental energy extended outwards, maintaining vigilance.
The newly awakened wood-type ability core is also slowly absorbing the rich life force of the surrounding forest. Although the growth is slow, it is indeed consolidating little by little.
In the middle of the night, she heard a slight noise coming from Shen Yan's side. Ruan Ning immediately got up, took an emergency light, and went to him.
Shen Yan woke up. He first looked around warily, and only when he saw Ruan Ning guarding nearby did his tense body relax slightly. He tried to sit up, but the movement aggravated his wounds, and he groaned.
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