After much effort, the upgrades to the safe house and vehicles were successfully completed, significantly improving everyone's survival capabilities. However, as the high-temperature apocalypse continued, a new crisis quietly emerged—water scarcity.
Su Yao's system issued an alarm, indicating that available water sources in the vicinity were rapidly decreasing. In the high-temperature environment, rivers dried up, and groundwater became extremely scarce. Since the human body needs a large amount of water every day to maintain life activities, they would not survive for long without water.
“We must find a new water source, otherwise…” Su Yao frowned, her eyes revealing worry.
After pondering for a moment, Ling Yu said, "I have heard that there is an ancient underground river in the mountains to the northwest, and there may still be water there. However, the journey is long, and there are bound to be many unknown dangers and high temperatures."
"No matter how dangerous it is, we have to try. It's better than sitting here and waiting to die," Su Yao's father said firmly.
So, they prepared ample supplies and set off in a modified vehicle towards the northwestern mountains. The journey was unbearably hot; the scenery outside the window resembled a scorched earth hell, with scorching sand swirling in the wind, occasionally forming small sandstorms that assaulted the vehicle.
To conserve water, everyone endured their thirst and tried to minimize water consumption. Su Yao used her spatial abilities to slightly lower the temperature inside the vehicle, relieving everyone's heat.
As the vehicles reached the foot of the mountain, a vast area of scorching lava appeared ahead, blocking their path. The lava churned and bubbled, emitting a suffocatingly high temperature.
"What can we do? Vehicles can't pass directly," Su Yao's mother said anxiously.
Su Yao activated the system's detection function, attempting to find a path around the lava area. After some exploration, the system indicated a narrow path to the left of the lava area, but the path was surrounded by high-temperature mutated creatures—fire lizards.
"We have no choice but to take that path. Let's deal with those fire lizards first," Su Yao said, clenching her fist.
The group got out of the car and cautiously approached the path. The salamanders sensed their presence and darted out from their hiding places. These salamanders were covered in hard, red scales, their eyes gleaming with ferocity. They moved with incredible agility, seemingly at home in the high-temperature environment of the lava.
Ling Yu launched the first attack, wielding his ice sword and unleashing several ice blades towards the swarm of fire lizards. However, the fire lizards easily dodged the blades and then swiftly pounced on the group. Su Yao's father picked up his homemade flamethrower and, working in tandem with Ling Yu, attacked with a mix of flames and ice blades, temporarily halting the fire lizards' onslaught.
Su Yao used her spatial abilities to move some huge rocks into the salamander horde, knocking down many of them. However, the salamanders were too numerous, and they continued to charge.
In the midst of the fierce battle, a gigantic fire lizard leader suddenly leaped out of the lava. It opened its gaping maw and spewed a pillar of scorching flames straight at Su Yao. Su Yao had no time to dodge and could only desperately erect a spatial barrier. The pillar of flames crashed into the barrier, and Su Yao felt immense pressure; her energy consumption increased dramatically.
"Everyone, focus your attack on the fire lizard leader!" Ling Yu shouted.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attack towards the fire lizard leader. Su Yao's mother also picked up a weapon and joined the battle. Using a homemade crossbow bolt, she shot the fire lizard leader in the eye, temporarily disorienting it. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ling Yu launched his strongest attack, gathering all his ice-type abilities and lightning power on his ice sword, and stabbed it fiercely into the fire lizard leader's abdomen.
The salamander leader let out a painful roar, writhing and struggling on the ground. Seeing their leader injured, the other salamanders retreated.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the group followed the path through the lava area and continued deeper into the mountains. Finally, they found the ancient underground river. The entrance to the river was blocked by a huge rock, but Su Yao used her spatial abilities to move the rock aside, and the clear river water flowed out slowly.
Overjoyed, everyone took out containers to fill with water. Just as they were about to fill them and return to the safe house, Su Yao's system suddenly detected a powerful energy fluctuation coming from the depths of the underground river.
"Oh no, there might be danger here, everyone be careful!" Su Yao said warily.
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