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

After saying this, he quickly returned to his original position and carefully explored the seemingly ordinary stone sculpture. Soon, accompanied by the sound of a mechanism turning, the huge stone gate that had been blocking the road slowly opened...

The monsters waiting outside the door roared in despair, attempting to halt the intruders' advance. "Go ahead, friends! No matter what happens next, as long as we trust each other and unite, there's no difficulty we can't overcome!" Mo Nianran's resolute gaze swept across each of his companions, his words of encouragement instantly igniting the fire of courage deep within each of them.

Led by Mo Nianran, the eight people stepped forward again. At that moment, Azeroth's voice came from afar, "Be careful, the final test is ahead..."

"No matter what challenges await us," Lucia gripped her sword tightly, her eyes as firm as steel, "we will fight side by side to the end."

As they receded, Castel chuckled softly in the distance. "Will this wonderful show end as I planned? Stay tuned..." Just as Mo Nianran and his companions gathered their courage and prepared to face the final test, a strange sound emanated from the depths of the palace, like an ancient chant, echoing throughout the space. The surrounding fluorescent light seemed to grow brighter, illuminating the path ahead.

"This place is incredible!" Elena exclaimed softly, her eyes fixed on a huge stone gate that gradually appeared in front of her. "If our legends are true... then what is hidden behind it will change the entire world."

Lin Xuan tightened the dagger in his hand and whispered, "I hope this dagger is sharp enough. No matter what monster it is, it must be driven back!"

The moment they passed through the stone gate, everyone involuntarily paused. The space before them was even more magnificent than anything they had seen before. In its center, towering was a massive altar intricately carved with patterns, inlaid with a massive, irregularly shaped gem that emanated a warm glow. Surrounding the altar were countless murals depicting various scenes and runic patterns.

"Oh my God!" A wanderer who seemed to have been lost for a long time suddenly jumped out from the side and shouted in surprise, "I thought I would never see the outside world again in my life, but I met a group of people like this!" He looked disheveled but his eyes were still bright.

"Oh? You mean you've been here for a long time too?" Lucia turned her head and asked.

The wanderer nodded and said, "Indeed! There is indeed a priceless treasure hidden here—the Heart of Light. It is said that it can bring infinite light and hope... Unfortunately, I have never been able to find a way to open it."

Hearing this, everyone immediately became interested. Ron walked forward and asked, "So, my friend, do you know how to open it?"

The wanderer pondered for a moment and replied, "Hmm... I vaguely remember hearing an old story from my grandfather when I was a kid. It mentioned a special way... one that involves using one's heart to empathize with all the suffering and joy in the world..." He then laughed, "Oh, I'm so sorry, guys. I just thought it was cool! Haha... Actually, I'm confused too."

Despite the disappointing answer, it actually sparked the explorers' deep-seated curiosity and determination for the unknown. "So what if we don't know the method?" Mo Nianran said firmly, "As long as we work together, there's no difficulty we can't overcome! Let's try it ourselves."

Then, the eight of them gathered around the Heart of Light, closed their eyes, and quietly felt the connection between them...

Not far away, Castel and his men had already set up an ambush. "Now we just have to wait for them to solve the mystery so we can take advantage of the situation," he instructed his deputy.

At this moment, the atmosphere surrounding the Heart of Light reached an unprecedented level. As the connection grew closer, the gem began to tremble slightly, as if responding to this emotional resonance...

"It's... starting!" Lucia exclaimed. Everyone opened their eyes to find the gemstone gradually emitting a brighter and more brilliant light, connecting everyone's souls tightly together...

Suddenly, accompanied by a loud noise, the enemy troops that had been lurking outside for a long time swarmed through the barrier and attacked! "Oh no, everyone get ready for battle!" Azeroth's anxious voice sounded in the air.

"Hmph, plans can never keep up with the pace of change!" Castel sneered, slowly walking towards them with steady steps...

"You want to destroy all this? It's not that easy!" Mo Nianran stood in the front, with flames of anger burning in his eyes, and roared at the enemy.

"Heh, I'm looking forward to your next performance." Castel raised his lip slightly. "Let's see who will have the last laugh." He raised his staff and pointed it in the direction of the Heart of Light. "But first, you must survive this night."

As Castel finished speaking, the two camps immediately entered a standoff. The air was almost frozen. Everyone knew that this decisive battle meant life and death, but they also firmly believed that only unity and cooperation could bring ultimate victory.

"No matter what lies ahead," Lucia gripped her sword tightly and gave her teammates an encouraging look, "as long as we have faith, we can overcome all difficulties."

Mo Nianran nodded in agreement, "Then let's fight together!" Just as the tension reached its peak, a sudden commotion erupted from behind Castel's camp. Several civilians, dressed in civilian attire, rushed into the open area in panic. The young man in the lead gasped and shouted, "Run! Those monsters have broken through the defenses!" His face was filled with fear.

This unexpected situation stunned everyone present, including Castel who was about to launch an attack and looked slightly surprised.

"Wait...what? Who broke through the defense line?" Azeroth quickly stepped forward and grabbed the man covered in mud, asking anxiously.

After taking a few deep breaths, the man was finally able to express his thoughts more clearly: "No, it's not just one or two monsters... I've never seen so many different creatures moving at the same time... It's like the end of the world!"

Hearing this, Mo Nianran's eyes flashed with determination, "It seems that the real test has just begun. But now we need to deal with the threat in front of us as soon as possible."

After saying this, he turned back to Caster and said, "Do you really think it's profitable to continue this fight at this time? If the situation outside is really as he said, then what we will face next may be the survival of the entire world."