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

"That was an invasion by dark forces," the old man said in a heavy tone. "They tried to seize the sacred objects here and were eventually sealed here, but they caused the destruction of this land."

"So, those villagers were captured because of this?" Lin Chen asked doubtfully.

"Yes," the old man nodded, "the dark forces haven't completely disappeared. They occasionally awaken and capture nearby people as sacrifices."

After hearing the old man's explanation, everyone couldn't help but feel angry and uneasy. They decided to find a way to completely resolve this crisis.

"Then is there any way you can help us?" Lin Chen asked.

"There is a way, but it's very dangerous," the old man sighed, "We need to find three artifacts to completely defeat the dark forces."

"Then let's go find it!" Lin Chen said firmly.

Just as they were about to act, a strange sound came from the depths of the stone chamber again. This time the sound was even louder, as if some giant creature was struggling.

"Listen, what's that sound?" Xiaomei asked nervously.

"We must leave here quickly!" the old man said anxiously, "The dark forces are awakening!"

"But what about those villagers?" Lin Chen asked worriedly.

"We can't hesitate any longer, or the consequences will be disastrous!" the sage interrupted. "We must first ensure our own safety, and then find a solution."

While they were discussing, a villager ran in and said palely: "Oh no, there is a monster outside!"

"Damn it, are they coming again?" Zhang Xun said angrily.

"Don't panic, everyone. Follow me!" Lin Chen said decisively.

So everyone quickly followed the old man and the villager to a hidden passage. They passed through a narrow gap and finally came to an open area. There was a hidden river leading to the outside, but the river was fast and dangerous.

"This is the only exit, we must pass through as soon as possible!" said the old man.

"Okay, let's divide into two groups, one group will protect the villagers, and the other group will be responsible for dealing with possible threats." Lin Chen ordered.

"No problem!" Zhang Xun and several villagers jumped into the river first and swam to the other side.

Lin Chen and the others stayed on the shore, ready to deal with any danger that might arise. Suddenly, several huge monsters rushed out of the cave, their faces ferocious, roaring and rushing towards them.

"Quick! Stop them!" Lin Chen shouted.

Everyone quickly drew their weapons and attacked head-on. Although the monsters were ferocious, they gradually fell into a disadvantage under the heroic fighting of Lin Chen and others.

"These monsters are too strong!" Xiaohu gasped.

"Don't be afraid, we will win!" Yun Shu encouraged.

When the two sides were fighting fiercely, the old man suddenly took out an ancient talisman and chanted a string of spells. The talisman emitted a dazzling light and instantly drove away all the monsters.

"What is this?" Xiaomei asked in surprise.

"This is a sacred artifact left by our ancestors. It can temporarily seal the dark forces." The old man explained.

"That's awesome!" Xiaohu said excitedly.

"But we can't relax. The dark forces may awaken again at any time." Lin Chen reminded.

The group continued to move forward, finally crossing the dangerous underground river and reaching the other side of the cave. At this time, a villager said excitedly: "Thank you, if it weren't for you, I'm afraid we would have died!"

"This is what we should do," Lin Chen said with a smile, "As long as we unite as one, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome."

"There will be more challenges ahead," Yun Shu said, "but we will not back down."

"No matter what, we will face it together." Lin Chen said firmly.

"Yes, we will face all difficulties together!" the little girl said firmly.

At this moment, a familiar sneer came from afar, and the mysterious black figure appeared again: "Do you think it's over? This game has just begun..."

"Who are you? Why do you always go against us?" Lin Chen asked harshly.

The shadow didn't answer, but just let out a low laugh and disappeared into the darkness again.

"This person is so hateful!" Xiaomei said angrily.

"We must not let him succeed!" Lin Chen said firmly.

"No matter what dangers lie ahead, we will not retreat!" Yun Shu said with clenched fists.

"So, what should we do next?" Zhang Xun asked.

Lin Chen looked into the distance with a determined gaze, a hint of a smile on his face. "Let's continue moving forward, searching for those three artifacts, and completely resolve this crisis."

"Well, we will support you!" Yun Shu held Lin Chen's hand and gave him the greatest encouragement.

"Yes, we will find the answer!" the little girl said firmly.

In this way, Lin Chen and his companions continued to move forward in the dark cave, heading towards an unknown destiny. And the mysterious shadow was still silently observing them in the dark, waiting for the arrival of the next challenge.

"What will be waiting for us ahead?" Xiaohu asked nervously.

"No matter what it is, we will not back down!" Lin Chen replied firmly.

They continued on through the darkness, each step filled with uncertainty and challenges, but their unwavering faith remained unwavering. Lin Chen and his companions passed through the gloomy cave and finally reached an open area. Fluorescent moss still shimmered on the surrounding rock walls, bringing a faint glow to the darkness. In the distance, strange noises continued to drift, as if something ominous was approaching.

"This place is really eerie." Xiaohu gripped the dagger tightly in his hand and looked around. "What if those monsters come again?"

"Don't worry, we will protect each other." Yun Shu comforted softly. She held the little boy's hand tightly, giving him a sense of security.

At this time, a villager ran over and said palely: "Oh no, there are a few more monsters outside!"

"Damn it, why are you here again?" Zhang Xun said angrily. He quickly drew his weapon and prepared to fight.

"Everyone, don't panic. Follow me!" Lin Chen said decisively, "Let's keep going forward and find a safe place to hide."

Everyone quickly followed Lin Chen down a hidden path. They passed through a narrow gap and eventually arrived at a hidden stone chamber. Inside the chamber lay an old map and several ancient artifacts.

"What is this place?" Xiaomei asked curiously.

"It looks like some kind of secret base." Lin Chen carefully observed the surrounding environment. "These items may be helpful to us."