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

Zhao Yan reached out to take the items and looked at them one by one, his heart filled with infinite anticipation for the upcoming new journey.

At this moment, a strong vibration came from below, interrupting his thoughts...

Zhao Yan looked at the others and asked, "Did you feel the ground shaking?"

Lin Xi said nervously: "Oh no! It seems like something is approaching here quickly..."

"Get ready for battle," Genos gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his expression serious.

Cass had already begun to survey the surroundings. "No matter what kind of enemy this is, we must not retreat even a single step!"

The ground shook more and more intensely, as if some enormous creature was rapidly approaching. The surrounding rock walls began to tremble, and small pieces of rubble fell with a crisp sound. The four of them immediately formed a circle, back to back, on guard.

"Stay alert," Zhao Yan said in a deep voice, holding the broken knife he had just received from the old man in his hand, his eyes determined. "No matter what it is, we can handle it."

Genos nodded, his grip on the sword tightening. "I'm always ready," he whispered, awe-inspiring in his tone.

At that moment, a huge black shadow suddenly rushed into view, accompanied by a deafening roar. It was a giant lizard covered in thick scales, its eyes flashing scarlet, and its long tail lashed in the air, raising a cloud of dust with every swing.

"Everyone be careful!" Lin Xi shouted, her bracelet gleaming in the light. "This is one of the guardians guarding the altar. It's very difficult to deal with!"

Cass grinned, his face full of fighting spirit: "Let's give it a try! I won't back down!" As he said that, he pulled out a sharp dagger, and a hint of determination flashed in his eyes.

The giant lizard seemed enraged by this sudden burst of courage and pounced at the four people with its bloody mouth wide open. For a moment, the scene became extremely intense.

Zhao Yan brandished his broken blade, and he and Genos blocked the beast's attacks from left and right. Each strike pierced the air, slicing through the scales of the giant lizard. "We must hold on!" he shouted to his companions, his voice filled with inspiring power.

"That's right, we can't fall here!" Lin Xi echoed, her bracelet emitting a soft glow, providing continuous protection for her teammates. At the same time, she also reminded everyone to avoid the monster's fierce tail attack.

Cass nimbly weaved in and out of the battle, looking for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the beast. "Quick, give me a chance to strike while it's not paying attention!" He quickly winked at Genos.

After receiving the signal, Genos cooperated tacitly, and the two of them worked together to divert the lizard's attention. At this moment, Zhao Yan suddenly jumped up and used all his strength to plunge the broken knife into the giant lizard's soft abdomen.

A shrill roar echoed throughout the space, and the giant lizard's body began to shake violently, blood pouring out like a fountain. But it did not fall down, instead struggling even more frantically, trying to fight back.

"It's not over yet!" Zhao Yan shouted to his companions while struggling to prevent his weapon from being ejected. "We need to deal with it quickly!"

Lin Xi's mind moved, and the bracelet glowed even brighter. A beam of light directly hit the injured monster's head. This time, the giant lizard was finally unable to resist and fell to the ground with a loud bang, motionless.

"We did it..." Looking at the giant lizard lying on the ground, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were exhausted, their hearts were filled with joy after victory.

Just as they were about to take a break, suddenly, the old man in the white robe appeared in the air again. He looked at the four brave young men with a smile on his face.

"You have performed exceptionally well, warriors." The old man's voice was calm yet powerful. "Next, the true test is about to begin. Please remember what I said—the Heart of Elements not only concerns this world, it will also determine the fate of each and every one of you."

"We understand." Zhao Yan answered seriously, and the other three nodded in agreement.

"Well, now it's time to set off to the next level." After saying that, the old man slowly stretched out his hand and lightly tapped in the air, and the door to the unknown area slowly opened.

Through the crack in the door, they could vaguely see the road ahead shining with strange light and unknown challenges waiting for them...

"Are you all ready?" Zhao Yan asked, his eyes scanning the faces of each of his comrades in turn.

"Always ready!" Genos spoke first, full of confidence.

"I will never give up no matter what!" Lin Xi responded gently but firmly.

"As long as we're together, I'm fearless!" Cass patted his chest, his eyes flashing with determination.

"Let's go!" Zhao Yan said finally, and then led his companions into the gate.

As their figures disappear at the door, a new adventure is about to begin...

"Can we really find the Heart of the Elements?" After passing through the gate, Genos couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"We can definitely do it," Zhao Yan turned and looked at his three closest comrades. "As long as we unite as one, nothing is impossible."

"Yes," Lin Xi echoed softly, "No matter how difficult and dangerous the road ahead is, we will work together until the last moment."

As the words fell, a dull sound grew closer, as if a gigantic monster were charging towards them... After passing through the gate, a flash of intense light made the four people squint. As they adjusted to their surroundings, they discovered a world completely different from their previous one. Dense forests blanketed the land, and all sorts of strange creatures swarmed through them. Strange noises echoed in the distance. A faint mist hung all around, adding a touch of mystery to this unknown place.

"This... what is this place?" Genos asked in surprise, the sword in his hand ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

Zhao Yan looked around warily: "No matter what, we can't let our guard down. Now that we're here, we have to keep moving forward."

At this moment, Lin Xi suddenly grabbed Zhao Yan's arm and pointed to a tall stone tablet not far ahead. "There seems to be some markings there. How about we go take a look?"

Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement. As they got closer, they saw the stone tablet was covered in complex, ancient runes. Just as they were trying to decipher the information, Cas suddenly cried out, "Wait! Look over there! There's movement!"