From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an followed the trail of the golden light and finally arrived at a valley shrouded in thick fog.

The swirling mist, like a thick veil, obscured the view inside the valley, leaving only an unsettling stillness.

"This place is gloomy and eerie, a bit like the sign of that blind fortune teller at the east end of my hometown village, all mysterious and cryptic," Yan Ruyu said in a low voice, rubbing her arms.

Xu Lin'an held her hand tightly and gave her a reassuring look. "Don't be afraid, I'm here." He appeared calm, but he was extremely vigilant inside, wondering what dangers might be lurking in the thick fog.

The two cautiously stepped into the valley, whereupon the thick fog instantly engulfed them.

The ground beneath their feet was slippery and the surroundings were completely silent, save for the sound of their breathing echoing in the mist, adding to the eeriness of the place.

"It's so quiet, it's making me a little uneasy," Yan Ruyu said in a low voice.

Suddenly, several green lights flashed in the thick fog, accompanied by a rustling sound, getting closer and closer.

"What is that?" As soon as Yan Ruyu finished speaking, several ape-like creatures darted out of the mist. They were agile and fast, their eyes, which gleamed with a ghostly green light, stared intently at the two of them, and their sharp claws gleamed coldly.

These creatures attacked without hesitation as soon as they appeared, their sharp claws tearing through the air and aiming straight for the two men's vitals.

"Holy crap! There really is an ambush!" Yan Ruyu exclaimed, quickly drawing her sword and standing back-to-back with Xu Lin'an to defend against the oncoming creatures.

Although the two were highly skilled in martial arts, the sheer number of these creatures and their rapid attacks left them somewhat overwhelmed.

The surrounding fog churned as these creatures moved about rapidly, making the environment appear even more chaotic.

"These things don't look easy to deal with!" Yan Ruyu said while parrying with her sword.

Xu Lin'an's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Be careful, their claws are poisonous!"

"Poison? Playing this big?" Yan Ruyu dodged an attack from a creature, her expression turning serious.

"Yu'er, protect yourself, I'll take care of you..."

Before Xu Lin'an could finish speaking, a sharp cry suddenly came from the thick fog, followed by more green lights flashing in the fog, and more creatures surging in from all directions...

"Holy crap! Is this some kind of living hell?" Yan Ruyu couldn't help but swear.

Xu Lin'an's eyes sharpened, his gaze like lightning, as he captured the trajectory and pattern of these creatures' attacks amidst the interplay of thick fog and green light.

Although they are fast, their attack methods are limited, and they let out a low growl and reveal their sharp fangs before each attack.

The weakness lies in those fangs!

"Yu'er, attack their fangs!" Xu Lin'an shouted, his long sword dancing like a dragon, the blade aimed directly at the base of the fangs of a creature that pounced on him.

"Alright!" Yan Ruyu immediately understood the instruction.

She let out a delicate shout, and with a nimble turn of her sword, the tip of which precisely pierced the fangs of another creature.

Several shrill screams rang out, and the creature struck by the fangs collapsed to the ground in agony, writhing and struggling. Green blood gushed from the base of the fangs, staining the surrounding mist and making it appear even more sinister and terrifying.

Seeing this, the other creatures seemed to feel fear as well, their attacks weakened significantly, and they began to flee in all directions.

Xu Lin'an and Yan Ruyu pressed their advantage, and with flashes of sword light, creatures fell one after another, and the green light in the thick fog gradually disappeared.

"Phew, it's finally over." Yan Ruyu sheathed her sword, let out a long sigh, walked to Xu Lin'an's side, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. "How are you? Are you hurt?" Her tone was full of concern, and her eyes were gentle as water.

Xu Lin'an looked at Yan Ruyu, who was so close to him, his gaze gentle and tender, a doting smile playing on his lips. "I'm fine. This little situation is no problem for me." He reached out and took Yan Ruyu's hand, feeling the warmth of her palm, a warm current welling up in his heart.

The thick fog around them seemed to sense the affection between the two, and gradually dissipated, revealing the true scenery inside the valley.

The valley is filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and the air is filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, making it a fairyland.

"This place is quite beautiful," Yan Ruyu remarked, looking around.

"Yes, she's beautiful." Xu Lin'an's gaze remained fixed on Yan Ruyu, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew by, carrying a faint smell of blood...

“Wait, this smell…” Yan Ruyu frowned and looked at Xu Lin’an.

Xu Lin'an's expression changed, and he gripped Yan Ruyu's hand tightly, "Be careful!"

The two had just breathed a sigh of relief when they suddenly realized that the smell of blood had not disappeared.

An even stronger stench of blood wafted from the depths of the valley, accompanied by a deep and powerful roar that seemed to shake the very earth.

"This...this voice!" Yan Ruyu's face instantly drained of color, and she gripped her sword tightly.

Xu Lin'an's expression also turned serious. He quickly shielded Yan Ruyu behind him and cautiously looked around.

At the end of the valley, a huge black shadow slowly emerged, gradually revealing its form.

It was a gigantic creature, its entire body covered in black scales, its muscles bulging like hills, and its fiery eyes flashing with a fierce light in the darkness.

"This...this monster is much stronger than those little brats from before," Yan Ruyu said in a low voice, her voice trembling slightly.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Xu Lin'an held Yan Ruyu's hand tightly, while his mind raced, trying to come up with a solution.

Just then, the system's voice rang in his mind: "A powerful enemy has been detected. Activate special abilities?"

Xu Lin'an nodded without hesitation, and the system immediately prompted: "Special ability [Lightning Blade] has been activated. The holder can gain the ability to generate electric shocks on the blade for a short period of time, increasing attack power by 30%."

A look of surprise flashed across Xu Lin'an's face. His sword emitted a faint blue light in his hand, and tiny sparks danced on the tip.

He looked at Yan Ruyu, his eyes filled with determination: "Yu'er, are you ready?"

"Of course!" Yan Ruyu shouted, her sword flashing beautifully as she and Xu Lin'an faced off against their formidable foe once more.

The enormous creature seemed to sense the threat posed by the two. It let out a deafening roar and lunged forward with its massive body, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Xu Lin'an and Yan Ruyu worked together seamlessly. With the help of electric sparks, Xu Lin'an's sword repeatedly stabbed at the monster's vital points.

Each flash of sword light left a deep wound on the monster, and blue sparks of electricity spread along the wound, causing the monster to roar in pain.

"Hit!" Yan Ruyu shouted excitedly. Her swordsmanship was equally precise, and she and Xu Lin'an worked together seamlessly.

The monster's movements gradually slowed down, and finally it let out a shrill roar, fell heavily to the ground, twitched a few times, and then stopped moving.

"Phew, finally solved." Yan Ruyu breathed a sigh of relief. However, as soon as she finished speaking, a strange sound suddenly rang out in the valley, like countless tiny metallic clanging sounds, accompanied by a slight mechanical noise.

"What is that sound?" Yan Ruyu frowned, her expression turning tense again.

Xu Lin'an's eyes sharpened. He gripped Yan Ruyu's hand tightly and said in a deep voice, "Be careful! We're not out of danger yet."

The two cautiously surveyed their surroundings. The atmosphere in the valley grew even more sinister, with countless unknown dangers seemingly lurking within the thick fog.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, carrying a chilling coldness, as if telling some ominous premonition.

Xu Lin'an held Yan Ruyu's hand tightly, his eyes resolute, and said slowly, "Let's follow the sound and go take a look."

The two walked with firm steps toward the source of the sound, a strange light faintly shining through the thick fog behind them.