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

As the last member stepped over the threshold and completely entered the space behind the door, the entire entrance closed completely with a bang, isolating it from the outside world.

At this moment, several whispering voices came from behind a huge rock in the distance:

"See? These four people are truly remarkable!" a little fox whispered, its voice brimming with excitement. "Yeah, yeah, especially the one with the longsword. His movements are so impressive!" Its companions chimed in. "Hey, what do you think will happen to them?" a curious bird flew over from the branches, joining the discussion. "One way or another, I hope it has a happy ending." As the stone door closed completely, the group was plunged into pitch darkness. Only a faint light flickered around them, the soft glow emanating from the ancient gem in Mo Nianran's palm.

"Hey, it seems we have really come to an unknown place." Lin Xuan broke the silence, his tone filled with anticipation, "But don't worry, as long as we are together, nothing is impossible."

"Well said!" Yunying's voice echoed in the darkness, filled with unbreakable determination. "But we'd better figure out where we are first."

At this moment, a faint light pierced the darkness, shining from afar. Everyone subconsciously covered their eyes, and slowly lowered their hands after the light stabilized slightly. What appeared before them was a long, winding passage.

"Wow, this is so spectacular! Have you ever seen such an ancient and magnificent place?" Elena's voice was filled with excitement that was hard to conceal, and she almost jumped towards the light.

"Hmm...it's definitely worth exploring." The usually reserved Mo Nianran showed a rare expression of curiosity. He walked in front, lighting the way for everyone.

At this moment, they didn't know that in a hidden cave not far away, a group of small animals gathered together, quietly watching all this happen:

"It's amazing! This group of people actually entered the legendary ruins like this?" said a young squirrel, shaking his tail excitedly.

"Oh, I don't know what will happen." A slightly worried old mountain cat sighed nearby. "I hope these outsiders won't destroy the tranquility that has been maintained here for thousands of years..."

On the other hand, several adventurers are full of fighting spirit for the upcoming challenges, and do not realize that they are actually approaching an unprecedented crisis.

After walking for a while along this path, eroded by time and almost unrecognizable, the scene suddenly changed: the once confined and narrow path opened up into a vast, open space. In its center stood a massive statue cast from a strange metal. It depicted a stern-faced wise man, staff wielded. Even more awe-inspiring were the several stone tablets engraved with runic symbols suspended around it.

"It looks like this should be the place where 'light and darkness meet' that Ryan mentioned." Yunying said after a brief silence, looking ahead with a firm gaze.

Just as everyone was immersed in the shock of the bizarre sight before them, a deep, powerful sound of footsteps suddenly shattered the silence. "Huh? Is there someone else?" Elena, ever so sensitive, was the first to notice and react immediately.

The next thing that appeared in the field of vision was a mysterious figure wearing a black robe and shrouded in the shadow of a cloak...

The mysterious figure stopped and said coldly a few steps away from the four people: "We finally meet..." He raised his face - a young but extremely vicissitudes of life face was exposed, and his eyes seemed to hide countless stories.

As the two sides confronted each other, the voices of onlookers talking could be heard again from the depths of the forest outside:

"Isn't this the long-lost Shadow Mage Castel? How did he show up here?" the old mountain cat could barely contain his surprise. "Grandpa said this guy was one of those great demons that even the strongest warriors back then couldn't defeat," the little squirrel said fearfully.

At the same time, the four explorers standing in front of Castel also had their own thoughts - what should they do next in the face of such a powerful enemy?

Mo Nianran slowly clenched his fists and whispered to his companions for advice: "What do you think? Should we attack immediately or..." Before he finished speaking, the other party showed a hint of a sneer and interrupted his question:

"Don't be nervous... at least there's no need to fight right now." Castel said slowly, then turned and prepared to leave. "This is just a heads-up. The truth will be revealed in due time. But for now, please enjoy this rare quiet time."

He left the scene with a lot of suspense, making the whole scene confusing.

"Do you think he will keep his promise and not bother us?" Lin Xuan looked at his companions and asked.

"I don't know..." Elena sighed and shook her head in response, "But one thing is certain, something even more incredible will happen next."

Mo Nianran and Yun Ying smiled at each other and responded in unison, "Then let's face it together!" Just as everyone was immersed in the impending unknown and crisis, a voice suddenly came from behind: "Wait, there are other people here!"

Startled, they turned to see several men in expedition gear standing nearby, their faces filled with surprise and curiosity. One man was tall and muscular, with a sharp gaze, a seasoned veteran. The woman next to them appeared petite and delicate, but her eyes shone with a tenacity unmatched by anyone else's.

The man first observed the surrounding environment vigilantly before slowly asking, "Excuse me... did you come in from the outside world?" His gaze finally stopped in the direction where Castel had just left, and there was a hint of imperceptible tension in his tone.

Elena was the first to react, nodding and replying, "Yes, we just happened to have just arrived here." She deliberately didn't mention anything about the man in black robes, believing that the fewer people who knew about this, the better. "Excuse me, how many of you are there...?"

"Oh! Excuse me!" The woman, as if realizing her abruptness, quickly introduced herself. "I'm Lucia, and over there are my teammate Ron and a few other friends. We heard there's been some unusual activity here lately, so we came here to investigate." She paused before adding, "I didn't expect to meet such like-minded friends."