From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Excitement? Yan Ruyu caught the word, and alarm bells rang in her mind. Was this guy some kind of lunatic?

The black cloak concealed the newcomer's figure, revealing only a pair of deep, cold eyes that seemed to see through everything.

He was tall and imposing, like a majestic mountain peak, and just standing there exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

He made no move, yet it felt as if he could tear the heavens and earth apart at any moment.

Xu Lin'an silently shielded Yan Ruyu behind him, his long sword humming as if facing a formidable enemy.

His facade of innocence had long since crumbled. At this moment, his eyes were sharp and his killing intent was palpable, like a drawn sword, ready to fight at any moment.

The air seemed to freeze, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and even the wind stopped blowing.

The crowd in the square had already scattered in terror, leaving only a mess on the ground and the air thick with fear.

The mysterious man slowly raised his hand, and a visible black energy gathered, swirled, and expanded in his palm, eventually transforming into a black lightning bolt that shot straight toward Xu Lin'an.

The lightning was incredibly fast, accompanied by a whistling sound that tore through space. Wherever it passed, the ground cracked, stone pillars collapsed, and charred marks were left behind.

Xu Lin'an dared not take the blow head-on. He lightly touched the ground with his toes and his figure darted backward like a ghost.

However, the black lightning seemed to have eyes, relentlessly pursuing him, drawing a strange arc in the air, and striking Xu Lin'an once again.

"boom--"

The black lightning grazed Xu Lin'an's sleeve before exploding with a deafening roar, leaving a huge crater in the ground and sending debris flying everywhere.

Although Xu Lin'an dodged the fatal blow, the shockwave from the explosion caused his blood to churn and his face to turn pale.

Yan Ruyu frowned, her heart filled with anxiety.

This mysterious person's strength far exceeded their expectations; even Xu Lin'an found it difficult to withstand.

"Left!" Yan Ruyu suddenly called out.

Without hesitation, Xu Lin'an leaped to the left, and almost at the same time, a black lightning bolt streaked across the spot where he had just been standing.

A series of attacks left Xu Lin'an exhausted and in grave danger.

He was secretly alarmed. This mysterious man's attacks were not only incredibly powerful, but also unpredictable and impossible to defend against.

“His attacks…” Yan Ruyu stared at the mysterious man’s movements, her eyes flashing, “They have a pattern!”

Yan Ruyu's eyes lit up, as if she had caught a glimmer of light in the darkness.

She discovered that before each attack, the mysterious man's cloak would flutter slightly, and the amplitude and direction of the trembling corresponded to the direction and force of the next attack.

"His clothes! Look at the hem of his clothes!" Yan Ruyu shouted urgently to Xu Lin'an.

Upon hearing this, Xu Lin'an immediately focused his attention on the hem of the mysterious man's clothes.

Sure enough, just as Yan Ruyu had said, the black hem of her clothes would tremble slightly before each attack.

He was overjoyed; he had finally found a flaw!

The next moment, the mysterious man's clothes twitched again, pointing to Xu Lin'an's left rear.

Xu Lin'an was prepared and dodged the attack with a quick movement.

The black lightning whistled past his body, creating a scorching shockwave that sent a chill down his spine.

“Three inches to the left!” Yan Ruyu reminded again.

Xu Lin'an moved three inches to the left without hesitation, and the black lightning missed its target again.

On several occasions, Xu Lin'an accurately predicted the mysterious man's attacks and successfully dodged them.

A confident smile appeared on his face.

The mysterious man seemed to realize that his weakness had been exposed and his attack rhythm had been disrupted, and he roared in anger.

However, Xu Lin'an had already seized the initiative.

He seized the opportunity, and his longsword transformed into a streak of silver light, piercing straight into the mysterious man's chest.

Caught off guard, the mysterious man's clothes were slashed by the longsword, leaving a shallow bloodstain on his chest.

"You..." The mysterious man clutched his wound, looking at Xu Lin'an in disbelief.

Xu Lin'an pressed his advantage, wielding his long sword with impenetrable speed, forcing the mysterious man to retreat repeatedly.

During the fierce fight, a piece of gravel flew out and cut Xu Lin'an's arm.

Bright red blood flowed down the wound, staining his clothes red.

Upon seeing this, Yan Ruyu felt a pang of anxiety and quickly ran to Xu Lin'an's side, tearing off a piece of her sleeve to bandage his wound.

Her movements were gentle, and her eyes were full of concern.

Xu Lin'an looked at Yan Ruyu with gentle, tender eyes.

The surrounding noise seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them.

"It's alright," Xu Lin'an comforted softly, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

After bandaging her wound, Yan Ruyu looked up and gave Xu Lin'an a bright smile.

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

Suddenly, the mysterious man stopped attacking. He looked at the two of them with a complex expression and slowly said, "I... have a request..."

The black mist surrounding the mysterious man seemed to be parted by an invisible hand, revealing his pale face.

His expression was calm, but his tone carried an undeniable air of authority: "Give up the search for the secret of the strange light, and I will not pursue the matter further." This request was indeed rather strange.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an exchanged a glance.

Both of them had doubts written all over their faces, but their eyes shone with determination.

This is like someone telling them to give up the melon they've already eaten—it's absolutely intolerable!

The surrounding air seemed to freeze; the broken walls, the scorched earth—everything awaited their answer.

Xu Lin'an's lips curled into a playful smile, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "Not going to pursue it any further? You're overestimating yourself. The 'strange light' you speak of is probably related to your life, isn't it? Now it seems you're the one who least wants anyone to uncover your secrets."

The mysterious man's expression changed drastically. "You...you're courting death!" He gritted his teeth, and black energy once again condensed in his hand, exuding a murderous aura.

Xu Lin'an was not afraid at all. He swung his long sword, and the sword energy was like a rainbow, pointing directly at the mysterious man.

Yan Ruyu was also ready for battle, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.

A war is about to break out.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!

The strange light suddenly began to flicker, its color changing from gold to an eerie purple, its brightness shifting like breathing, as if something was about to burst forth.

Everyone, including the mysterious man, stared in disbelief at the beam of light.

"What...what is this..." the mysterious man muttered to himself.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an were also stunned, a strange unease rising in their hearts.

The light flashed faster and faster, the surrounding space began to distort, and a powerful suction force pulled them towards the center of the light...

"Not good!" Xu Lin'an grabbed Yan Ruyu's hand, his expression changing drastically.