Liu Feng's mental breakdown plunged the entire stronghold into a brief silence.
A sense of oppression and heaviness filled the air, as if time itself had stood still.
Su Li tried to stabilize his condition with the antidote, but the effect was minimal.
She lowered her head, sighed softly, and the syringe in her hand gleamed faintly in the dim light.
Lu Zhaoming stood by the bed, gazing at his former brother's pale face, and said in a low voice, "We still have time." His voice was deep and firm, like a sharp knife that cut through the silence of the room.
He slowly turned around, looking firmly at Xiao Hu and Su Li: "I'm entrusting Liu Feng to your care. You must find a way to stabilize his condition."
Xiao Hu's eyes were red and brimming with tears, his voice trembling as he said, "You must save my brother." Lu Zhaoming nodded, his eyes shining with determination: "I promise you."
Stepping out of the room, Lu Zhaoming gathered Qinglian and the survivor team, sitting around in the simple conference room.
He shared the latest intelligence with a heavy heart: "We have just received news that the Red Owl's core facility is about to activate 'Subject Zero.' This is not only a threat to us, but also a crucial step in completely dismantling the wasteland order."
Qinglian nodded and added, "Chixiao has deployed a large number of defensive forces in the northern ruins, but we can bypass some of the defenses through underground passages." Her words carried a glimmer of hope, but her eyes revealed deep worry.
Lu Zhaoming quickly formulated an action plan, his tone low and firm: "We must complete all preparations within 48 hours. Qinglian, you lead a small team to scout the underground passage and ensure its safety. The survivor team is responsible for preparing equipment and supplies, making sure that every detail is flawless."
To ensure the success of the operation, Lu Zhaoming decided to personally test the ultimate power of the Judgment Storm.
He chose an abandoned mining area as a test site, using the terrain to simulate a real combat environment.
Standing deep within the mining area, Lu Zhaoming took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and seemed to be conversing with the power deep within his heart.
When he activated the skill, the supernatural energy fluctuations within his body went out of control again, and a powerful force erupted from his body, causing the ruins on the ground to shake and dust to fly.
Lu Zhaoming felt a sharp pain in his chest, but he gritted his teeth and persevered to keep from collapsing.
Suddenly, Qinglian's voice rang in his ears: "Zhaoming, be careful! Your energy is being used up too much. You won't be able to hold on if this continues!"
Qinglian intervened in time, using her supportive abilities to help him stabilize his energy output.
She gently placed her palm on Lu Zhaoming's back, and a warm power flowed into his body, gradually calming the out-of-control fluctuations of his supernatural abilities.
Lu Zhaoming opened his eyes, panting heavily: "Thank you, Qinglian."
He realized that although the trial storm was powerful, it was taking a far greater toll on his mental energy than he had expected.
Lu Zhaoming frowned and fell into deep thought.
Just then, a warning popped up on the system interface: "The host must defeat Crimson Owl within 24 hours, otherwise the trial system will be forcibly shut down."
Before he could finish speaking, Su Li's urgent message came through the communicator: "Zhaoming, Chixiao has detected our movements and has sent new reinforcements to seal off the northern ruins." Lu Zhaoming quickly changed tactics, and a plan quickly took shape in his mind: "Qinglian, you take the squad and split into two groups. One group will deliberately release false signals to attract the enemy's attention; the other group will infiltrate the underground passage to scout the situation."
Qinglian nodded.
Lu Zhaoming turned and walked toward the exit, his steps firm and powerful.
A firm belief welled up within him: no matter the cost, he had to end it all.
As he reached the door, he stopped and whispered, "Wait for my message." Then he disappeared into the night, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a brief silence, as if everything was awaiting the coming storm.
On the night of the operation, Lu Zhaoming, like a ghost, silently infiltrated the depths of the mining area.
The mine was pitch black, with only the crunching sound of his boots on the gravel and the faint echoes that sent chills down one's spine.
A musty smell filled the air, irritating his nostrils. This place would have been a favorite spot for adventure streamers in the past.
Suddenly, a voice darted into my ears like a venomous snake: "You think you can win?"
Lu Zhaoming jolted awake, turned around abruptly, and the Blade of Judgment in his hand was instantly drawn, drawing a silver arc in the darkness.
However, the surroundings were empty, without a single hair.
The system interface flashed wildly, and the scarlet warning text stung his eyes: "An unknown threat is approaching, danger level: extremely high!"
"Tch, what a charlatan." Lu Zhaoming spat, but his vigilance was heightened to the extreme.
This feeling is like a high-energy warning suddenly popping up while playing a horror game, making your anus tighten.
He gripped the blade of judgment tightly and slowly reached forward.
In the darkness, something seemed to be wriggling, yet nothing seemed to be at all.
"Heh, a rat dares to call itself king?" The voice came again, this time closer, as if it were right next to his ear.
Lu Zhaoming narrowed his eyes and smiled coldly: "Hiding your head and showing your tail, come out and fight me one-on-one if you dare!"
His response was a chilling low laugh.
Immediately afterwards, a dark shadow emerged from the mine wall like a ghost, blocking his way.
"Tsk tsk, you have a path to heaven but choose not to take it, you have no way to hell but choose to barge in." The dark figure made a shrill sound.
Lu Zhaoming looked closely and saw a distorted face, as if it had been corroded by sulfuric acid, making him want to vomit.
Even more terrifying was the madness that gleamed in those eyes.
“Red Owl…a defeated opponent?” Lu Zhaoming spat out a mouthful of saliva.
“No, no, no,” the man shook his head, letting out a sickening chuckle, “I’m here to send you on your way.”
His smile vanished, replaced by endless madness and ferocity.
A gust of wind swept by, and Lu Zhaoming felt a tightness in his throat, instinctively stepping back.
However, the speed of the dark figure far exceeded his expectations.
"Looks like tonight's going to be interesting." Lu Zhaoming licked his chapped lips.
Before Lu Zhaoming could finish speaking, the figure pressed forward again, accompanied by a suffocating pressure. Lu Zhaoming only had time to hold the Blade of Judgment across his chest.
clang--!
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