From cannon fodder villain to superpowered queen

“I think I saw a shadow…” Bi Yao repeated, her brows furrowed slightly, her gaze fixed on the distance, like a hawk catching its prey.

Those eyes, which were originally clear as water, were now shrouded in a mist, making it impossible to fathom what she was thinking.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, even the wind held its breath, and only the occasional bird calls from afar added to the silence.

Jiang Ruiyuan followed Bi Yao's gaze, but only saw an empty forest with nothing in it.

"You must be mistaken. Who else is here besides us?" He chuckled and ruffled Bi Yao's hair, his tone indulgent.

"Impossible!" Bi Yao denied it decisively, her tone firm. "My intuition is always very accurate, it's absolutely right! That shadow was very fast, and... very strange." She tried hard to recall the shape of the shadow, a strange unease spreading through her heart.

This seemingly peaceful forest seems to be hiding some unknown secret.

Seeing Bi Yao's insistence, Jiang Ruiyuan stopped arguing. A glint of light flashed in his deep eyes: "Since that's the case, let's go take a look." The two walked side by side toward the direction where the shadow disappeared, their feet crunching on the withered branches and leaves, the sound particularly clear in the silent forest.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a huge energy barrier appeared before them, emitting a dark blue light, like an insurmountable chasm.

The barrier's surface shimmered with iridescent light, yet it also gave off an extremely dangerous feeling, as if it could devour anything that approached at any moment.

Jiang Ruiyuan stepped forward and tentatively touched the barrier with his hand. A sharp pain shot through his fingertips, as if he had been pricked by a needle.

He frowned; the barrier's restrictions were more powerful than he had imagined.

After several unsuccessful attempts to break through the barrier, a hint of frustration flashed across Jiang Ruiyuan's face. This barrier seemed to be more troublesome than any enemy they had ever encountered.

"It seems we'll have to find another way..." Before he could finish speaking, Bi Yao suddenly reached out and gently pressed her hand on the barrier...

The moment Bi Yao's palm touched the dark blue barrier, a burst of blazing white light erupted from her body, like a volcanic eruption, instantly illuminating the entire dark forest.

The white light was pure and powerful, carrying an unparalleled aura. Wherever it went, even the air seemed to be scorched and distorted.

The barrier opened up like tofu sliced ​​open by a sharp blade, and where her palm touched, a gap large enough for one person to pass through appeared.

As the light faded, Bi Yao withdrew her hand, her expression remaining calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

"Holy crap, that's amazing!" Jiang Ruiyuan was so surprised by what he saw that his jaw almost dropped. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

What kind of incredible skill has this girl awakened this time?

The barrier that he had struggled with for so long but couldn't break through, she opened a gap with ease. The difference in their abilities is just too great!

Looking at Bi Yao's confident smile, Jiang Ruiyuan was filled with admiration. His wife was indeed a goddess, and he had to work even harder!

Bi Yao took the first step, passed through the gap, turned back and raised an eyebrow at Jiang Ruiyuan, signaling him to follow.

Jiang Ruiyuan quickly followed, even more convinced of Bi Yao's strength. This was truly "a queen, radiating confidence."

The two had just passed through the barrier and hadn't even had time to carefully observe their surroundings when they were surrounded by a deep roar.

Deep within the forest, countless scarlet eyes flickered in the darkness, radiating a chilling light like will-o'-the-wisps.

Immediately afterwards, one after another, enormous monsters covered in barbs emerged from the darkness.

They bared their teeth and roared, as if controlled by some force, and pounced madly on Bi Yao and Jiang Ruiyuan. Their sharp claws left deep marks on the ground, and the air was filled with a heavy smell of blood, which made people's hair stand on end.

"Be careful, something's not right with these guys!" Jiang Ruiyuan warned in a low voice, his eyes sharply fixed on the magical beasts, his body tense, ready to fight at any moment.

Bi Yao also dropped her previous relaxed demeanor and became serious. She could sense the powerful energy emanating from these magical beasts, indicating that the upcoming battle would not be easy.

The two stood back to back, warily watching the approaching monster. A great battle was about to break out. Just then, a mysterious smile suddenly appeared on Jiang Ruiyuan's lips.

"Today, I'll show you my newly mastered ultimate move!" Jiang Ruiyuan smirked and shouted, "Thunder Shakes the Nine Heavens!" In a flash, he moved swiftly among the magical beasts, his hands conjuring dazzling bolts of lightning that crackled and danced like silver snakes.

Each strike was incredibly precise, carrying an overwhelming force that instantly blasted several magical beasts away.

"Awooo—" The monster let out a shrill scream as its massive body crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The monster that was hit stared wide-eyed in terror.

Bi Yao wasn't idle either. With a wave of her hands, the surrounding energy surged into her body like a tide, then transformed into a series of sharp attacks, forcing the remaining magical beasts to retreat in defeat.

Her attacks were swift and ruthless, each strike aimed directly at vital points. The monsters were like paper in front of her, utterly powerless to resist.

"That's it? I thought it was something more impressive!" Bi Yao smiled dismissively, exuding a queen-like aura.

After the battle, Jiang Ruiyuan walked to Bi Yao's side and gently wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead with his sleeve. "Yao Yao, are you alright?" he asked softly.

Bi Yao was a little embarrassed by his sudden gentleness. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head shyly, whispering, "I'm fine..." Their eyes met.

Just then, a powerful aura came from ahead. The two looked up at the same time and saw a vortex emitting black light appear not far away, like the gaping maw of an abyss, exuding a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.

"What is that?" Jiang Ruiyuan's eyes narrowed, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.

Bi Yao also felt a sense of unease. She gripped Jiang Ruiyuan's hand tightly and said in a low voice, "Be careful, I feel something's not right..." The two cautiously walked towards the whirlpool when Jiang Ruiyuan suddenly stopped and grabbed Bi Yao, "Wait..."