I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

"Don't worry about what he says, brothers, let's do our best to beat this big guy!" Lin Xuan raised his fists and shouted, his muscles bulging, looking eager to try.

And in this split second, the stone statue finally took action and launched the first wave of attack on this group of brave men.

"Hey, you guys really don't fear death!" An old crow standing nearby sighed, fanning the ethereal air in front of him with his wings. "I wonder if they can get away with it like they did last time."

The battle intensifies, both sides are fighting back and forth, and the final outcome remains unknown...

Just as the battle was in full swing, the surroundings suddenly seemed to undergo a subtle shift. The originally tense and intense atmosphere suddenly calmed down, as if some unspeakable force was quietly approaching...

Amidst the roar of fierce battle, the surroundings suddenly became unusually quiet, as if time had stood still. Lin Xuan, Mo Nianran, and the others paused, their gazes warily surveying their surroundings, a sense of foreboding filling their hearts.

"This is not right," Mo Nianran whispered, his voice was particularly clear in the silence, "Could it be that a new enemy has appeared?"

Lin Xuan nodded, his eyes sharp: "Everyone, don't take it lightly."

At that moment, a low, playful laugh echoed from not far away, shattering the brief silence. Along with the laughter, a figure in a tattered robe appeared, slowly stepping into view. "Ha! Interesting adventurers indeed! I didn't expect to meet such courageous people here." The man smiled playfully.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Elena asked quickly, her eyes fixed on the person in front of her, trying to find any possible signs of threat.

The man did not answer immediately. Instead, he continued in a mysterious voice, "My name is Ryan Dark Night, and I am one of the gatekeepers of this misty forest. You have successfully passed the first level - the fear and challenge in your heart, but the real test has just begun..."

Hearing this, a flock of birds hiding in the nearby bushes peeked over and chirped. "Look, even the guardians here have been drawn out by them!" a small parrot exclaimed excitedly, and another colorful bird beside it echoed, "These people are really interesting. They can actually get such a big, tough guy to move."

Elsewhere, several seemingly ordinary but actually intelligent old oak trees quietly chatted, "My goodness, these guys are truly remarkable. They even managed to get Lord Ryan, who rarely shows up, to show up in person to greet them."

Meanwhile, led by Ryan Darknight, the four arrived before a massive stone gate. "Before you open this door, remember my words: Everyone will face their own final test. Only after overcoming it can you gain the strength needed to advance to the next stage."

Yunying sighed softly, "It sounds like another difficult matter... But no matter how difficult the road ahead is, we will not back down."

Mo Nianran nodded firmly: "That's right, let's move forward together! No matter what happens in the future, the team will not fall apart."

After she finished speaking, the stone door slowly opened, revealing a beam of light that illuminated the entire dark area. "Come, friends, what awaits us is an unknown fate and an unprecedented and exciting journey..." Elena whispered softly, her eyes gleaming with immense anticipation and fearlessness for the future.

Just as the four of them were about to step into the stone gate, the words left by the man named Ryan Dark Night rang in their ears again -

"Remember, where light and darkness meet is where the truth lies, but how you choose depends entirely on the guidance of your own beliefs..."

As the last words fell, the volume gradually decreased until it disappeared. The air returned to silence, leaving only the beating of four young and unwavering hearts echoing in the ancient forest...

Just as Mo Nianran, Lin Xuan, and their group were about to step through the stone gate, an invisible force made the air even heavier. The surroundings suddenly became silent, as if the entire forest was holding its breath, awaiting the next major event.

"Hey, you guys are so brave!" The old monkey quietly popped his head out of the tree and whispered to the little monkeys beside him, "Did you see that? Even the guardian showed up to greet them. These adventurers are definitely not ordinary people."

A little squirrel jumped up to the old monkey, its eyes full of admiration. "How cool! That young man with the sword is so impressive, and that muscular guy over there... he looks like a legendary hero!"

"Don't just stare, you should learn from their bravery," another slightly larger squirrel interjected, his tone mixed with admiration and a hint of envy. "If only we could be like them."

Elsewhere, a few curious foxes, hiding behind the bushes, were also discussing the scene. "I didn't expect to see such a spectacular sight today!" a white fox exclaimed with emotion, his eyes filled with wonder. "And each of them is truly remarkable! That girl exudes a gentle yet determined aura, and the other boy possesses a charisma that's hard to ignore."

At that moment, a gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, interrupting the private conversation among all the creatures. Ryan Dark Night turned to the expedition team and said one last, meaningful word: "Remember, when light and darkness meet, please follow your truest thoughts and make your choice..." His eyes, which seemed to be able to see deep into people's hearts, stared deeply at everyone before he slowly retreated and disappeared.

Looking at the gap at the edge of the stone door that was gradually closing, the friends exchanged glances with each other - no need for too many words, at this moment everyone was ready to face all the unknowns that were about to come.

Yunying let out a light breath and tried to calm himself down, then said in a firm voice: "We must persevere to the end no matter what. Since we have chosen this path, we cannot give up halfway!" His words were concise but full of determination.

Elena nodded immediately and gave her companions a morale-boosting smile. "That's right! No matter how difficult it gets, don't forget your original intention. As long as we work together, there's no difficulty we can't overcome."

At the same time, the two male team members standing in the front nodded in agreement: no matter how big the challenge is, we must not give up easily!