We agreed that you, a weak strategist, would fight against three heroes by yourself?

Blacksmith Zhao picked up the jade flute that had fallen to the ground, feeling the cold touch of the flute. He looked at everyone with ecstasy.

Xiaohong helped the injured man in white up with heartache...

Xiaohong hurried to the man in white and carefully helped him up.

Her eyes were full of love and worry. She gently stroked the wound on his chest, tears streaming down her face: "How are you? Does it hurt?" The man in white gazed at her tenderly, a smile appeared on his pale face, and he shook his head weakly: "I'm fine, don't worry." He held Xiaohong's hand in return, feeling the warmth in her palm, and a warm current surged in his heart.

Luo Xiaoyu struggled to get up and staggered to Doctor Zhang, her eyes blurred with tears.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Zhang, I..." She choked and couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Everyone looked in surprise and found that new runes had appeared on the ancient scroll. These runes were like tadpoles, twisting and wriggling, emitting a mysterious aura.

At the same time, the originally clear sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds, lightning, thunder, and howling winds, as if something huge was about to happen.

Everyone looked at each other, feeling an inexplicable uneasiness in their hearts.

"This... what's going on?" Blacksmith Zhao's voice trembled, and the ancient scroll in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

Everyone gathered around the ancient scroll, their eyes fixed on the newly appeared runes...

The runes on the ancient scroll wriggled like living things, emitting a strange light.

Everyone gathered around the ancient scroll, staring at the mysterious symbols nervously, worry written all over everyone's face.

Blacksmith Zhao's hands were shaking slightly, as if he was holding a red-hot iron.

The originally clear sky was now covered with dark clouds, blocking out the sun. The light around it quickly dimmed, as if it was swallowed by some force.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur, making people feel suffocated.

The cold wind whistled past, blowing up the fallen leaves on the ground, making an eerie rustling sound.

Xiaohong's heart was pounding and she felt an inexplicable force attracting her.

She reached out her hand involuntarily and gently touched one of the runes.

In an instant, the rune burst out with a dazzling black light, and a beam of light shot straight into the sky, tearing a huge crack in the gloomy sky.

As the black beam of light appeared, a huge figure slowly descended from the crack.

It was tall and its entire body was covered in black flames. Its pair of scarlet eyes flashed with fierce light as it stared at everyone.

Shadow Demon!

Fear surged into everyone's hearts like a tide, and they involuntarily stepped back.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to protect you!" The man in white stepped forward and stood in front of everyone. A long sword emitting a cold light appeared in his hand.

The shadow demon let out a deafening roar, and the sound waves spread like a shock wave. Everyone covered their ears and squatted down in pain.

"Children, don't be afraid! We will definitely be able to overcome it!" Grandma Lin's voice rang out in the crowd. Although her voice was trembling, it was full of strength.

Everyone looked up and saw Granny Lin's determined eyes. The fear in their hearts gradually faded away, replaced by an indomitable fighting spirit.

They grasped their weapons, ready for a fierce battle.

The shadow demon opened its bloody mouth and a thick black flame gushed out suddenly, like a roaring wave, instantly swallowing up the place where everyone was originally standing.

The scorching temperature scorched the air, the ground was burned black, and even wisps of green smoke rose.

Everyone screamed and dodged in all directions. Sparks flew everywhere, falling like raindrops and burning their skin.

Blacksmith Zhao raised the huge hammer in his hand, trying to block the raging flames.

However, the black flame was like a thorn in his flesh, instantly enveloping the hammer and transferring the high temperature quickly to his hand.

He groaned, his palms were numb from the shock, his whole body was engulfed in flames, he staggered back several steps, and hit the stone wall behind him heavily.

Hunter Li, who was standing by, widened his eyes in horror. Looking at the miserable appearance of Blacksmith Zhao, the hunting fork in his hand slipped off involuntarily.

The man in white saw this and his eyes became stern. He turned the sword in his hand and silver-white sword energy burst out from the air and pierced the shadow demon.

The sword energy was like a rushing river, carrying with it a fierce murderous intent, but when it came into contact with the black flames of the shadow demon, it was instantly swallowed up, like a drop in the ocean, without causing a single ripple.

The shadow demon roared disdainfully, swung its huge claws, and swept towards the crowd with a whistling sound that tore through the air.

The wind from his claws was as sharp as a knife, and wherever it passed, grass and trees were shattered and dust flew.

Everyone dodged, but several people were still hit by the aftermath and fell to the ground screaming.

At this moment, a golden light lit up from behind the crowd. A mysterious old man held an ancient wooden staff with runes shining on it. At the same time, a rune elf was suspended in the air, and a soft white light condensed between his hands.

The two forces converged together to form a dazzling beam of light, which rushed towards the shadow demon.

The beam of light collided with the black flame, making a deafening roar. The two forces intertwined violently in the air, and the surrounding air was stirred into chaos, twisted and deformed like boiling water.

The strong energy fluctuations caused the ground to tremble, as if it was about to collapse.

During the fight, Luo Xiaoyu was unable to dodge and was hit by the shadow demon's claws. His body flew backwards like a kite with a broken string and fell heavily to the ground with a dull sound.

When Xiaohong saw this scene, she was extremely anxious and her face was full of worry.

She wanted to rush over, but was blocked by the chaotic crowd.

The crowd was suppressed by the shadow demon and retreated step by step. They all had wounds of varying degrees on their bodies and their clothes were stained red with blood.

Their breathing gradually became heavy, their physical strength began to be overdrawn, and the despair in their hearts surged like a tide.

The atmosphere was extremely depressing, as if it would completely collapse in the next moment.

Doctor Zhang wanted to get closer to the wounded and offer a helping hand, but the shadow demon's attacks followed him like a shadow, preventing him from getting close at all. He could only watch anxiously from a distance, the enormous pressure making him feel powerless.

Just when everyone was about to collapse, the usually reckless Luo Xiaoyu suddenly calmed down. She gritted her teeth, with a strange light flashing in her eyes, and slowly climbed up from the ground...

Luo Xiaoyu struggled to stand up and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes were unusually calm.

She had been observing the Shadow Demon's attack pattern and discovered that although it was powerful, its attack method was rather simple, and there would be a short charging action before each large-scale attack.

This discovery gave her a glimmer of hope.

"Everyone, pay attention! Its attacks have a pattern! It will pause before each large-scale attack, and then the rune on its chest will flash!" Luo Xiaoyu shouted loudly. Although the voice was weak, it was clearly heard by everyone.

Everyone looked at this usually reckless girl in surprise. They didn't expect that in such a critical moment, she could remain calm and discover the weakness of the shadow demon.

"Attack the rune on its chest!" Luo Xiaoyu shouted again, while quickly dodging another attack from the shadow demon.

When everyone heard her words, they immediately understood what she meant and turned their attacks to the runes on the Shadow Demon's chest.

The man in white took the lead and the sword in his hand turned into a silver light and pierced straight into the chest of the shadow demon.

Then, the hammer of Zhao the blacksmith, the hunting fork of Li the hunter, the talisman of Chen the elder, and the weapons of other villagers all fell on the shadow demon like raindrops.

The Shadow Demon's attack was interrupted and he let out a painful roar.

It waved its claws angrily and tried to fight back, but each attack was cleverly dodged by everyone.

Luo Xiaoyu took the opportunity to observe the shadow demon and found that after each attack, its eyes would close briefly.

"Its eyes are its weak point!" Luo Xiaoyu shouted again, "Attack its eyes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately concentrated their strength to attack the shadow demon's eyes.

Rays of light flashed across the night sky like meteors, accurately hitting the shadow demon's eyes.

The shadow demon let out a shrill scream, and its huge body trembled violently. The black flames gradually went out, and finally turned into a ball of black mist and dissipated in the air.

Everyone cheered and the joy of surviving the disaster was on everyone's face.

At this moment, a ball of black light slowly floated down from the dissipating black fog and merged into Luo Xiaoyu's body.

Luo Xiaoyu felt a powerful force surging into her body. She looked up in surprise, with a strange light flashing in her eyes.

"I..." Luo Xiaoyu murmured to herself, feeling the surging power in her body, an unprecedented feeling surged in her heart.

"This is..." Elder Chen looked at Luo Xiaoyu, his eyes filled with shock, "The power of shadow..."

Xiaohong rushed forward excitedly, hugged Luo Xiaoyu tightly, and said with sobs: "Xiaoyu, you are so great! Thank you for saving us!" Luo Xiaoyu winked playfully, patted Xiaohong's back gently, and smiled: "Hehe, it's nothing! We are good sisters, it's only natural!"

The man in white walked quickly to Xiaohong, gently held her in his arms, and asked with concern: "Are you hurt?" Xiaohong shook her head, snuggled in his warm arms, feeling his breath, and her heart was filled with a sense of security.

She looked up at him, her eyes full of tenderness.

The man in white held her hand tightly and gazed at her lovingly.

The survivors sat together, sharing food and water and bandaging each other's wounds.

After experiencing this life-and-death battle, the feelings between them became deeper and the trust between them became stronger.

Laughter and joy echoed in the valley, dispelling the previous haze, and the warm sunshine sprinkled on everyone's face, as if blessing them.

Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of victory, Elder Chen suddenly exclaimed: "Oh no! The runes on the ancient scroll have changed again!" Everyone hurriedly gathered around, only to see that the runes on the ancient scroll were twisting like tadpoles, emitting an even more bizarre light.

An ominous premonition hung over everyone's heart.

Suddenly, a huge roar was heard in the distance, and the earth began to tremble, as if some huge monster was approaching.

Everyone's faces changed drastically, and they all looked in the direction where the roar came from...

"What is that?" Blacksmith Zhao's voice trembled, as if he saw something terrible.

In the distance, a cloud of black fog rose from the horizon, accompanied by a dull roar, like the breathing of a giant beast, beating on everyone's heart again and again.

Everyone was nervously watching the black fog that was getting closer and closer, and a feeling of uneasiness was growing like weeds.

The earth began to tremble, first slightly, and then more and more violently, as if something huge was breaking out of the ground.

Hunter Li held the hunting knife tightly in his hand; the sweat on the handle soaked the rough leather, and his burly body trembled slightly.

The black fog dissipated, and a huge monster appeared before everyone.

It is huge, like a small mountain, covered with a metal shell that reflects a cold luster in the sun.

The complex mechanical structure, the flashing indicator lights, and the huge metal claws all exude a suffocating sense of oppression.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene, and fear surged into their hearts like a tide.

The man in white took a deep breath and stood up. He tried to communicate with the mechanical behemoth in a calm tone: "We are..."

Before he could finish his words, the giant mechanical beast attacked without warning.

A dazzling laser shot out from its head and headed straight towards everyone.

A scorching breath swept over in an instant, burning a deep groove on the ground.

Everyone screamed and dodged in all directions, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

"Everyone be careful!" Granny Lin's sharp cry echoed in the valley, startling everyone who was still in shock.

They hurriedly sought cover to avoid the sudden attack.

The giant beast's metal claws stomped heavily on the ground, making a deafening sound, and each step seemed to hit everyone's heart.

"Boom!" There was another loud noise, and a missile was launched from the mechanical monster, dragging a long tail flame, straight into the sky, then drawing an arc and falling towards the direction where everyone was.

“Get out of the way!”

The attack of the mechanical monster poured down like a violent storm. Laser beams and missiles intertwined into a web of death, forcing everyone into a desperate situation.

The blazing laser cut through the air, leaving behind charred marks, and each sweep was accompanied by a teeth-grinding cutting sound.

The missile dragged a long tail flame, drawing a twisted trajectory in the air. The shock wave of the explosion brought with it rolling heat waves, making the ground bumpy.

Blacksmith Zhao roared and swung the huge hammer in his hand, trying to block an oncoming missile.

However, at the moment the missile exploded, a powerful shock wave blew him away and he fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud.

His burly body twitched a few times, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and the hammer in his hand slipped out of his hand and rolled weakly to the side.

Elder Chen looked at Blacksmith Zhao lying on the ground with his brows furrowed.

When the man in white saw this, his eyes became stern, and he quickly formed seals with his hands and muttered something.

An invisible wave of magical power spread out from him, trying to interfere with the mechanical monster's attack system.

The movement of the mechanical beast indeed paused for a moment, and the frequency of laser beam emission slowed down significantly.

However, this brief pause did not last long. The indicator light of the mechanical monster flashed a few times, and then it resumed its previous attack frequency, even more violently.

Just when everyone was feeling despair, the mysterious old man suddenly opened his eyes. His hair and beard were standing tall, and his eyes were as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath.

He slowly raised his hands, palms facing upward, and a powerful force surged from his body, interacting with the rune spirit standing beside him.

The rune elf emanated a dazzling light, and countless runes flew out from her body, interweaving into mysterious patterns in the air.

With the combined efforts of the two, a huge energy shield appeared above everyone's heads, blocking all attacks.

The surrounding air was distorted by the fluctuations of energy, making a buzzing sound, as if the space was being torn apart.

However, the mechanical behemoth's attack did not stop, but became even more frantic. Laser beams and missiles continued to bombard the energy shield, making a deafening noise.

Under the ruthless attack of the mechanical behemoth, many people were unable to dodge and suffered wounds of varying degrees. Luo Xiaoyu's arm was scratched by the laser, leaving a shocking scorch mark. When Xiaohong saw Luo Xiaoyu injured, her eyes instantly turned red.

Everyone was forced into a small corner by the giant mechanical beast, with almost no way to retreat. An atmosphere of despair hung in everyone's heart.

The surrounding explosions, screams, and sounds of metal colliding intertwined together to form a symphony of death.

Doctor Zhang anxiously treated the injured, but in this dangerous environment, simple bandaging was difficult. Sweat beads appeared on his forehead, his teeth were clenched, and his face was pale.

Just when everyone thought they could not escape, the taciturn Zhao the blacksmith suddenly struggled to stand up. He stared at the giant mechanical beast in front of him with sharp eyes, and a strange smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Blacksmith Zhao struggled to stand up, his eyes were unusually firm, as if the torch of hope had been rekindled.

Everyone looked at him in astonishment, wondering how he could still stand up at such a critical moment.

Blacksmith Zhao's eyes were fixed on the leg joints of the mechanical beast, which was the most vulnerable part of the mechanical beast and the only line of defense that could be broken through.

"Its legs!" Blacksmith Zhao suddenly shouted, his voice was hoarse but extremely clear.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, but they quickly reacted.

The discovery of Zhao the Blacksmith brought them new hope. (End of this chapter)