From cannon fodder villain to superpowered queen

Beyond the shattered barrier lies not the smooth path one might imagine, but a deeper and more eerie dark forest.

Thick fog rolled and churned, like a giant beast baring its fangs and claws, swallowing everything in its path.

Visibility was less than a meter, and a chilling atmosphere filled the air, carrying a heavy, nauseating smell of decay.

"What the hell is this place?" Bi Yao muttered under her breath, instinctively tightening her grip on Jiang Ruiyuan's hand.

In the thick fog, some twisted black shadows could be vaguely seen moving about, like ghosts lurking in the dark, sending chills down one's spine.

The wind blew by, bringing with it a series of teeth-grinding friction sounds, like the whispers of some creature, sending chills down one's spine.

"Watch out!" Jiang Ruiyuan pulled Bi Yao behind him, and the two stood back to back, cautiously looking around.

"This feeling... isn't good." Bi Yao swallowed hard, her palms sweating profusely.

The two cautiously explored forward, taking each step with extreme care.

"rustle……"

A faint sound came from the thick fog, growing closer and clearer.

Suddenly, several furry little animals darted out of the thick fog. They had round bodies, big eyes, and looked harmless, even somewhat cute.

"What an adorable little guy!" Bi Yao couldn't help but exclaim.

However, Jiang Ruiyuan suddenly pulled Bi Yao behind him, saying, "Don't be fooled by their appearance!"

The eyes of those small beasts gleamed with an eerie light, making one feel dizzy.

Jiang Ruiyuan's eyes gradually became confused, and a strange smile appeared on his lips.

"Ruiyuan! What's wrong?" Bi Yao's heart tightened, and she anxiously called out Jiang Ruiyuan's name.

Jiang Ruiyuan did not respond, but stared intently at the small animals, walking towards them step by step.

"Ruiyuan! Wake up!" Bi Yao shook Jiang Ruiyuan's body vigorously, but she couldn't wake him up at all.

The small animals emitted sharp cries, like the wailing of babies, which were unsettling.

Bi Yao felt a strong wave of dizziness wash over her, and the world before her eyes began to distort and deform.

"Damn it! These little beasts are weird!" Bi Yao gritted her teeth, enduring the dizziness, and gathered her energy to prepare for an attack.

Just then, Jiang Ruiyuan suddenly turned around, his eyes vacant, a strange smile on his lips, and slowly raised the long sword in his hand...

"Yao Yao..."

"Ah—" Bi Yao cried out in pain, covering her eyes. Hot liquid seeped from between her fingers, and the intense pain made her almost unable to stand.

She felt as if her eyes were being pricked by countless needles, and the world before her was blurred, with only distorted light and shadow jumping wildly.

"Yao Yao!" Upon seeing this, Jiang Ruiyuan panicked instantly. He grabbed the swaying Bi Yao and supported her. His deep eyes were filled with worry. "How are you?!" He carefully moved Bi Yao's hand away and saw that her eyes were bloodshot, which was shocking. The faint smell of blood filled the air, which made his heart ache even more.

"I...I'm fine..." Bi Yao endured the pain, her voice trembling slightly. She knew this was not the time to be weak; she had to persevere.

"These little brats are definitely up to something!" she gritted her teeth, her anger burning fiercely within her.

"Damn it!" Jiang Ruiyuan cursed under his breath, a powerful energy fluctuation emanating from his body.

A resolute light shone between his brows, and a faint golden halo gathered between his hands, enveloping him and Bi Yao.

Just now, Jiang Ruiyuan felt a flash of inspiration in his mind, as if a new door had been opened and he had grasped a brand new mental defense technique.

This technique can create a powerful mental barrier to resist the mental attacks of magical beasts.

The small beasts that had been baring their teeth and claws suddenly seemed to be paused. The eerie light in their eyes quickly faded, replaced by deep fear.

The screams turned frantic, as if they realized they had lost control of their prey.

"What... what's going on?" Bi Yao felt the warm light on her body, and the pain in her eyes was slowly lessening. She looked at Jiang Ruiyuan in surprise.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Jiang Ruiyuan said softly, his eyes gentle and his lips slightly upturned.

He held Bi Yao tightly in his arms and gave her a comforting look.

"Thank you, Ruiyuan." Bi Yao's eyes were filled with gratitude.

Jiang Ruiyuan chuckled softly, a sharp glint in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Now, it's our turn to fight back..."

Bi Yao was slightly taken aback, then felt the energy within her body stirring, a powerful force awakening within her.

She felt that something was changing in her body.

Hidden dangers lurk in the dark forest; wisdom and courage overcome countless obstacles.

The eyes of those small beasts gleamed with an eerie light, making one feel dizzy.

Jiang Ruiyuan's eyes gradually became confused, and a strange smile appeared on his lips.

The clarion call for counterattack

The golden halo in Jiang Ruiyuan's hand shone brightly, like a small sun, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

Bi Yao's special physique began to take effect, and a faint silver light appeared on the surface of her body as she absorbed the attack energy of the surrounding phantom beasts.

"Watch this!" Bi Yao shouted, and silver light quickly gathered into an energy ray that struck the phantom beast at the front.

The little beast let out a miserable cry as its body was instantly pierced by energy, turning into a wisp of green smoke and disappearing without a trace.

Not to be outdone, Jiang Ruiyuan unleashed a golden sword beam from his longsword, which, like lightning, cleaved the other phantom beast in two.

The fall of the phantom beast triggered a chain reaction, and the remaining small beasts scattered in terror, but none of them could escape the pursuit of the two.

In the forest, the screams of phantom beasts rose and fell, light and darkness intertwined, creating a breathtaking scene.

The leaves fell one after another under the impact of the energy fluctuations, and the ground trembled as if the entire forest was shaking with their power.

"Well done!" Bi Yao laughed loudly, and with a flash of silver light in her hand, another phantom beast turned to ashes under her attack.

"Victory is in our grasp!" Jiang Ruiyuan exclaimed confidently, his golden sword light stretching endlessly until the last phantom beast was completely annihilated.

A brief moment of tranquility returned to the forest, with only a gentle breeze bringing a breath of fresh air.

Before the two, the corpse of the phantom beast had vanished, leaving only a patch of ground scorched by energy.

"This...this is unbelievable!" Bi Yao felt the powerful force still surging within her, and she looked at Jiang Ruiyuan excitedly, "We really did it!"

"We're not just going to do it, we're going to keep moving forward!" Jiang Ruiyuan said with a determined look in his eyes, gripping Bi Yao's hand tightly.

Just then, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled, and a crack appeared in the earth, from which a mysterious rune rose.

The runes emitted a deep blue light, like the brightest star in the night sky, radiating a mysterious and powerful energy.

"What the hell is this?" Bi Yao asked curiously, squinting her eyes.

"I don't know, but there's definitely a big secret!" Jiang Ruiyuan frowned slightly, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

The two cautiously approached the rune, trying to find out its origin.

Just as they were about to touch the runes, a huge roar suddenly came from the forest, as if a more powerful creature had been angered by their actions.

“We’re in trouble…” Jiang Ruiyuan said in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with determination.

Bi Yao held Jiang Ruiyuan's hand tightly, and the two stood side by side in front of the runes, ready for battle.