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

Everyone immediately became alert and quickly moved towards the light source. The light, shining from beneath the rubble, seemed somewhat unusual.

"What is this?" Lin Chen asked with a frown, walked forward and took a closer look.

"It seems like something is buried underneath." Zhang Xun also moved closer and tried to move some gravel with his hands.

Suddenly, a faint groaning sound was heard, and everyone was stunned. This sound was obviously not coming from any object, but the sound of a living creature.

"Could it be a human?" Yun Shu asked in surprise.

"We have to dig it up quickly." Lin Chen said in a deep voice, and then motioned for everyone to help.

Everyone worked together to move the rubble, gradually revealing a half-hidden cave entrance. Faint breathing sounds could be heard from within the cave, along with a few torn pieces of clothing.

"There's someone inside!" Zhang Xun exclaimed. He quickly entered the cave, followed by Lin Chen and others.

The light in the cave was dim, but one could barely see a ragged old man lying on the ground, his face haggard, his eyes half-closed, and he seemed to be dying.

"Grandpa, are you okay?" Yun Shu hurried forward and asked softly, carefully helping the old man up.

The old man slowly opened his eyes and saw the people in front of him, with a look of surprise and gratitude on his face.

"Who are you..." the old man said weakly, "How did you find your way here?"

"We were looking for clues in ancient ruins and happened to discover this cave," Lin Chen explained.

"I am the guardian of this place..." the old man said intermittently, "I am guarding an important thing, and those men in black have been looking for it."

"What is that thing you are talking about?" the sage asked curiously.

"It's... the 'Key of Time'..." the old man gasped, "It is closely connected to the 'Key of Destiny' in your hands. Only when the two are combined can the ultimate secret of this land be unlocked."

"Where is the 'Key of Time'?" Lin Chen asked anxiously.

"It's in these ruins..." The old man raised his hand with difficulty and pointed to a high platform in the center of the ruins. "There is a stone tablet there, and underneath it is the 'Key of Time'... Please be sure to protect it..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man's hands suddenly dropped and there was no movement.

"Grandpa!" Yun Shu exclaimed, and quickly checked the old man's breath and found that he had stopped breathing.

"Thank you for your guidance, old man," Lin Chen whispered, then turned to the crowd and said, "We must find the 'Key of Time' as soon as possible and act according to your guidance."

"But this place is too big. How do we determine the exact location?" Zhang Xun frowned.

"Let's go check out that high platform the old man mentioned," the cloaked man suggested. "Maybe there's a clue there."

Everyone moved quickly, following the old man's instructions, and arrived at a high platform in the center of the ruins. On the platform stood a huge stone tablet, engraved with complex symbols and patterns.

"Is this the stone tablet?" Yun Shu looked up at the stone tablet, his heart filled with awe.

"It seems to be correct." Lin Chen nodded, then carefully observed the symbols on the stone tablet, trying to find a way to open the mechanism.

"These symbols look like some kind of ancient writing," the sage said. "Let me try."

The sage stepped forward, gently stroking the surface of the stone tablet, muttering something to himself. After a moment, the stone tablet trembled slightly, and a tiny crack appeared at the bottom. Then, the stone tablet slowly split open, revealing a small secret chamber.

"This is where the 'Key of Time' is hidden!" said the sage in surprise.

Everyone immediately entered the secret room and saw an exquisite wooden box inside, with a crystal emitting a faint glow inlaid on the box.

"Is this the 'Key of Time'?" Yun Shu asked in surprise.

"That should be it." Lin Chen nodded and carefully opened the wooden box. Sure enough, there was a crystal emitting a soft light lying quietly inside.

Just as everyone was amazed, suddenly, a powerful dark aura surged in from all directions, and then several men in black rushed out from all parts of the ruins, led by the former enemy - the black-clad leader.

"Do you think you can escape our pursuit?" The black-clad leader sneered, "Hand over the 'Key of Time', or don't blame us for being rude!"

"You won't succeed!" Lin Chen shouted angrily and rushed forward with a sword.

The battle began again, with the men in black outnumbered, but this time they faced not only Lin Chen and his men, but also the powerful support of the Far Eastern Sages. The battle was fierce and brutal, but Lin Chen and his men gradually gained the upper hand with their unwavering faith and the power of unity.

"Damn it, don't even think about stopping us!" the black-clad leader roared, swinging his weapon to launch a final attack.

At this moment, the little girl's voice rang out again: "Brother, I will use my strength to help you!"

The girl once again radiated a dazzling light, and a powerful force burst out, pushing the men in black back. Seeing the situation was not good, the leader in black hurriedly led his remaining men to retreat.

"We succeeded!" Zhang Xun shouted excitedly, "These guys are defeated!"

"But we must not let our guard down," the sage warned, "greater challenges await us."

"Then, what should we do next?" Lin Chen looked at the sage, his eyes flashing with determination.

"We now have the 'Key of Time' and the 'Key of Destiny'. Next, we need to find a way to combine them," the sage said. "It is said that this process can only be completed in a specific location."

"Then let's go." Lin Chen nodded in agreement.

Everyone packed up and prepared to leave the ruins and continue their journey. The future of the village and the fate of this land are still full of unknowns and challenges.

"Brother Lin, will we succeed this time?" Xiaohu looked at their receding figures, his heart full of anticipation.

"Of course!" Little Tiger's mother replied firmly, "As long as they persist, there will be no problem."

Night fell once again, and the village was completely serene. Yet, on this land, a new journey had just begun. The group swiftly advanced through the ruins, finally arriving at the platform the old man had mentioned. The massive stone tablet atop the platform, standing in the dim moonlight, seemed particularly mysterious. Yun Shu looked up at the tablet, filled with awe.

"Is this the stone tablet?" Yun Shu asked, looking up, with a hint of trembling in his voice.

"It seems to be correct." Lin Chen nodded and carefully observed the symbols on the stone tablet, trying to find a way to open the mechanism.

The atmosphere around them was tense and solemn, as if the air itself had grown heavy. Suddenly, a villager came running from a distance, panting and shouting, "Hurry up and leave! The men in black might catch up here at any moment!"

"Don't worry, we will be careful." Lin Chen said in a deep voice, "Thank you for the information."