From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Xu Lin'an groaned, his face turning pale.

He struggled to his feet, helped Yan Ruyu up, and asked with concern in his eyes, "How are you?"

Yan Ruyu waved her hand, enduring the pain, and said, "I won't die, but it feels like my bones are about to fall apart." She looked up at the puppet leader.

The runes on the puppet leader's body flickered erratically, like breathing, emanating an eerie aura.

These runes are complex and mysterious, like an ancient script or an abstract picture, making them difficult to understand.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an stared at the runes, trying to decipher their meaning.

Their brows were furrowed, and they were completely focused, as if trying to etch these runes into their minds.

The surroundings were completely silent, with only the sound of each other's heartbeats, heavy and powerful.

Just then, the puppet leader launched another attack.

This time, its attack was even more swift, so fast that it was almost impossible for the naked eye to detect.

Moreover, this attack was imbued with the power of runes; streaks of red light, like lightning, hurtled towards Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an.

"Watch out!" Xu Lin'an shouted, tackling Yan Ruyu to the ground and narrowly avoiding the attack.

The red light grazed past their bodies, tearing black cracks into the surrounding space.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an were desperately dodging the puppet leader's attacks, like a small boat in a storm, which could be swallowed by the giant waves at any moment.

"This can't go on. We must find a way to break these runes!" Yan Ruyu said anxiously while dodging the attacks.

Xu Lin'an nodded.

While dodging the puppet leader's attacks, Yan Ruyu's sharp eyes scanned the surrounding environment.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had discovered a new continent, and excitement danced in her pupils. "I think I've discovered something!" she exclaimed excitedly, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Seeing her expression, Xu Lin'an's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. "What? What did you find out?" he asked impatiently, his tone full of hope.

While dodging the incoming red light, Yan Ruyu quickly said, "Don't you think the puppet leader's attacks seem to be related to the patterns on the surrounding stone pillars and walls?" She pointed to the stone pillars and walls covered with intricate patterns.

Xu Lin'an observed carefully and, as she said, the puppet leader's attacks were indeed mysteriously connected to the patterns in the surrounding environment.

His face lit up with even more delight. “Really! You’re a little genius!” he couldn’t help but praise, his gloom vanishing as if he saw the dawn of victory.

The two exchanged a glance, their fighting spirit rekindled, and they exuded an unstoppable aura, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Yan Ruyu wiped the dust off her lips, her eyes brimming with confidence: "This time, we're not just going to hide, we're going to fight back!"

Xu Lin'an held Yan Ruyu's hand tightly. His palm was large and strong, conveying unwavering trust and strength.

"Believe me, we can definitely do it." His eyes were deep and gentle, as if they could pierce through all the fog and reach the heart.

Yan Ruyu grasped his hand in return, feeling the warmth of his palm. Her eyes hardened, shining like stars in the night. "Of course I believe in you, and I believe in us." Her voice carried a powerful force, as if it could shake the surrounding air.

At that moment, the surrounding air seemed to change. The originally lifeless stone pillars and the patterns on the walls seemed to gain a bit of life because of their tacit understanding, and began to glow slightly.

“Let’s try…” Xu Lin’an looked at the shimmering patterns and was about to say something when he suddenly stopped.

His gaze was fixed on the patterns, a hint of doubt on his face, as if he had discovered some new clue.

Yan Ruyu noticed his unusual behavior and was about to ask him something when she saw him suddenly raise his hand and point in a distant direction.

The two looked in the direction he was pointing, and their breath caught in their throats for a moment.

Yan Ruyu pointed to the patterns on the stone pillar and excitedly shouted, "If we walk on these patterns, we might be able to disrupt its attack!" Before she finished speaking, the two of them moved as lightly as swallows, leaping between the stone pillars, trying to use the direction of the patterns to avoid the attack.

However, the runes on the puppet leader flashed, and the red light actually changed direction, still heading towards them.

"Holy crap! This thing can track?!" Yan Ruyu exclaimed.

They then tried to deflect the attacks using the patterns on the wall, but the runic power absorbed their attacks like cotton.

"What kind of runes are these? They're absolutely invincible!" Yan Ruyu couldn't help but swear, her delicate face full of helplessness.

Xu Lin'an's handsome face was also tense, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The air seemed to freeze, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

The surrounding stone pillars and walls, suppressed by the power of the runes, appeared even more sinister and terrifying, as if they might collapse at any moment.

Just as the two were at their wits' end, Xu Lin'an suddenly froze, his gaze becoming profound.

He recalled an ancient book he had obtained from the treasure trove, which contained various strange runes.

"Wait!" he whispered, closing his eyes and trying to recall the contents of the ancient book.

Yan Ruyu watched him nervously, not daring to breathe too loudly, for fear of disturbing his thoughts.

Time passed second by second, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Suddenly, Xu Lin'an opened his eyes wide, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

"I remember now!" he exclaimed excitedly, a look of sudden realization on his face.

“Ancient texts record that this kind of rune fears…” He paused, looking at Yan Ruyu,

Xu Lin'an took out a small bottle of phoenix blood from his pocket and carefully dripped it onto the puppet leader.

The rune light flickered once, and then...

The puppet leader let out a deafening roar, and the runes on his body became even more dazzling, radiating a chilling power.

Its originally stiff movements became agile, waving its huge arms like a mad beast, frantically attacking everything around it.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and worry in each other's eyes.

The surrounding stone pillars and walls began to shake violently, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

"It seems things have become more complicated..." Xu Lin'an gripped his sword tightly and said in a deep voice.