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

"Could it be that he also knows some information about the secret realm?" Yun Shu guessed.

Lin Chen pondered for a moment and nodded, "It's very likely. A person like the Black Boss wouldn't pursue me relentlessly for no reason."

The group continued on, passing through the woods, and finally arrived at the foot of the hill. The path was steep, forcing everyone to climb carefully. Zhang Xun, who was exploring the way ahead, suddenly stopped, turned back, and whispered, "There's a cave ahead. It seems to be the entrance to the secret realm marked on the map."

Lin Chen and Yun Shu exchanged a glance, both feeling a surge of excitement. They hurried forward and, as expected, saw a cave entrance covered by vines. In front of the entrance stood a stone tablet with faint ancient inscriptions engraved on it.

"This should be the secret realm." Lin Chen said affirmatively.

Yun Shu took out a torch from his bosom, lit it, and handed it to Lin Chen. "It's dark and damp in there, be careful."

Lin Chen took the torch and walked into the cave entrance first. The cave was narrow and dark, with water dripping from the walls and the air filled with a damp smell. The sound of everyone's footsteps echoed in the cave, sounding particularly clear.

After walking for about ten minutes, the passage suddenly opened up, revealing a huge underground palace. The palace was richly decorated with various strange carvings, and in the middle stood a huge jade platform, on which a glittering object could be vaguely seen.

"Is that the legendary ancient artifact?" Yun Shu exclaimed.

Lin Chen frowned, "Something seems to be wrong here. Things that are too easy to find are usually not that simple."

Before he finished speaking, a low mechanical sound suddenly came from all around, and then countless mechanisms began to start, and the stone door slowly closed, blocking the retreat.

"Everyone be on guard!" Lin Chen shouted.

Suddenly, dozens of men in black jumped out from the shadows around the palace, holding various weapons and surrounding Lin Chen and others.

"Who are you?" Lin Chen asked coldly.

The leading man in black sneered, "We are the secret guards protecting the secret realm. Anyone who wants to take the artifact must pass our test."

Lin Chen raised his eyebrows and said, "Okay, then let's have a competition."

The battle was imminent, and the two sides engaged in a fierce exchange. Lin Chen and Yun Shu teamed up, their swordsmanship flowing like clouds and water, quickly repelling several enemies. However, the well-trained secret guards quickly adjusted their formation and attacked again.

"Mr. Lin, these people are very skilled, so don't underestimate them," Yun Shu reminded.

"I understand." Lin Chen nodded, his eyes fixed on the enemy's movements.

At this moment, a voice came from the platform: "Enough, stop!"

Everyone looked up and saw a white-haired old man slowly walking down from the high platform, holding a long staff in his hand. He was wearing a black robe, with a dignified face and deep eyes.

"Your Excellency is..." Lin Chen asked vigilantly.

"I am the guardian here, responsible for guarding this artifact." The old man said calmly, "I have observed your battle and can see that you are all extraordinary people. Since you can come here, it means that you have considerable strength."

"Then why did you stop us?" Lin Chen asked in confusion.

The old man smiled slightly, "This is not an obstacle, but a test. Only those who pass the test can obtain the artifact."

Lin Chen and Yun Shu exchanged a glance, then nodded and said, "We are willing to accept the test. Please give us your guidance, Senior."

"Very good." The old man nodded and pointed to the stone wall next to him. "You need to solve this puzzle first. Only by solving the puzzle can you open the secret room where the artifact is located."

As they approached the stone wall, they saw an ancient text and a complex diagram engraved on it. Lin Chen studied it carefully and suddenly realized what it was.

"I understand. This is a puzzle about astrology." Lin Chen said, and then entered several key symbols on the stone wall.

A burst of light immediately appeared on the stone wall, and then a hidden stone door slowly opened, revealing a passage leading to the inside.

"You can go in." said the old man.

Lin Chen and Yun Shu led the way into the passage, passing through the winding path, and finally arrived at a spacious secret room. On the stone platform in the center of the secret room, a divine artifact lay quietly, shining brightly.

"This is the legendary ancient artifact." Lin Chen said excitedly.

"Once we get the artifact, we will face greater danger." Yun Shu warned, "The prince's men and the black boss will not give up."

Lin Chen nodded, "Indeed. But we can't retreat. We must find all the clues and solve this mystery."

The two carefully put the artifact into their bags and prepared to leave the secret room. However, just as they turned around, they suddenly heard a loud noise and the entire palace began to shake violently.

"What's going on?" Zhang Xun exclaimed.

"Oh no! We might have triggered some mechanism." Lin Chen said hurriedly, "Everyone, get out of here!"

Everyone hurried back along the way they came, but the passage had begun to collapse, rocks kept falling, and the situation was very critical. At this moment, a group of men in black suddenly appeared in front of them. They were the men of the black boss.

"Lin Chen, you are really cunning. You actually found this place." The leading man in black sneered.

"Black Boss is really persistent." Lin Chen sneered, "But I'm afraid you won't be able to get the artifact."

The two sides once again engaged in a fierce battle, but due to the collapse of the palace, the scene became extremely chaotic. At the critical moment, another group of people rushed in from the other side, led by Li Hu, followed by several black-clad guards.

"Mr. Lin, you can't escape this time." Li Hu grinned.

Lin Chen gritted his teeth and said, "Li Hu, you really are haunting me."

"Hahaha, you think you are smart, but you don't know that you have already fallen into my trap." Li Hu said proudly.

Just as the two sides were in a stalemate, there was a sudden loud noise, and the rocks on the roof of the palace fell one after another, completely sealing the entire palace. Everyone was caught up in this sudden disaster.

"Mr. Lin, what should we do now?" Zhang Xun shouted anxiously.

Lin Chen glanced around, a look of determination on his face, "We must find the exit as soon as possible, otherwise no one will get out alive!"

Several people quickly ran towards the possible exit, but the scene before them made them gasp - a bottomless abyss lay in front of them, and the only suspension bridge was shaky and in danger of breaking at any time.

"We can only take this suspension bridge." Lin Chen said decisively.

Zhang Xun glanced at the shaky suspension bridge and felt a surge of fear in his heart, "This... This is too dangerous."

Lin Chen patted his shoulder firmly and said, "There is no other choice. We must face it bravely."