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

"It's them!" Leo recognized them immediately.

"Follow!" Lin Chen ordered, and everyone carefully followed the shadow deeper into the ruins. After some exploration, they came to a spacious underground hall. Inside was a huge stone tablet with puzzling patterns carved on it.

At this moment, the figures in black robes were already busy surrounding the stone tablet. "Captain, how should we proceed?" Leah asked softly.

Just as Lin Chen was about to respond, one of the black-robed men suddenly turned and looked towards their hiding place. "Someone!" the man exclaimed, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

A fierce battle ensued, both sides engaged in a fierce fight within the confined space. With their rich experience and tacit cooperation, Lin Chen and his companions gradually gained the upper hand. "Hurry, don't let them succeed!" Lin Chen shouted, swinging his sword at the last enemy.

However, just when the situation seemed to be under control, a mechanism on the stone tablet suddenly activated, and the entire space began to vibrate, as if something was about to break out of the ground...

"What is going on?" Leah grabbed Lin Chen's arm tightly, her face full of fear.

"I don't know, but we must leave here!" Lin Chen said decisively, and at the same time, he led his teammates to run towards the exit.

When they finally escaped from the crumbling space, they looked back and found that the entire ruins had disappeared, leaving only ruins and endless questions.

"What should we do next?" Leo asked, his eyes full of fatigue but still determined.

Lin Chen was silent for a moment before saying, "We only know that there are greater dangers waiting for us. No matter what awaits us ahead, we must face it bravely."

At this moment, Xiaojie suddenly said: "Captain, I have a suggestion..."

To be continued

"What's the proposal? Tell me quickly," Arnold urged impatiently.

Xiaojie took a deep breath, a determined look on his face. "I remember there's a legend in the village that says there's an ancient secret room hidden in this area. Perhaps it holds more answers to the puzzle we're looking for."

"If this legend is true," Leah's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "then can we get more clues?"

Lin Chen nodded thoughtfully, "It's worth a try. But before that, we need to return to the village and rest for a while. Everyone has worked hard tonight. We will discuss the specific action plan tomorrow morning."

"Okay, Captain!" Everyone responded in unison, their eyes filled with a complex mixture of longing for the future and uncertainty.

At the end of the night, a bright moon hung high in the sky, illuminating their path. No one knew what miracles or crises they would encounter on this road full of challenges and unknowns...

"I hope everything goes well tomorrow," the guardian whispered, bringing this unfinished adventure to a close. The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone into the village, Lin Chen and the others were already geared up and ready to go. The villagers gathered around, having already heard about the events of the previous night. Each of their faces wore a complex expression—a mix of curiosity about the adventurers and a touch of worry.

"Are the warriors setting off again?" a young mother asked softly while holding her child, her eyes flashing with curiosity and admiration for the unknown world.

"Yes," Leah responded gently, "We must seek answers to protect our home."

"You must be careful!"

On the other side, the village chief came to see them off in person. He patted Lin Chen on the shoulder and said, "No matter what difficulties you encounter, please remember that this entire village supports you."

"Thank you, village chief!" Xiao Jie was very grateful and secretly made up his mind to live up to everyone's expectations.

The team set out on another journey, this time to find the legendary secret chamber. According to information provided by Xiaojie, the entrance to the chamber lies within an ancient forest, rumored to be home to many dangerous creatures. But Lin Chen knew the real test had just begun.

After half a day's trek, they finally reached the edge of the forest. The trees here towered into the sky, and the sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows. Everything seemed so primitive and mysterious. "Wow, this is the so-called 'Dark Forest,' right?" Leo exclaimed.

"That's right," Xiaojie explained, "Legend has it that all kinds of strange creatures live here, and there are many unknown secrets."

As they went deeper into the forest, the surroundings became increasingly dark and eerie. Suddenly, a strange sound came from the front. "Something's approaching us!" Leah said immediately, alert.

Just as everyone was preparing to fight, a petite figure emerged from behind a tree. "Don't be afraid, I'm the guardian of this forest," she said. It was a girl dressed in green, holding a longbow, with a pair of bright eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Arnold asked puzzledly.

The girl smiled slightly, "You can call me Elena. I know what you are looking for. Follow me, and I will lead you to the secret room."

"Really? That's great!" Xiaojie said excitedly, "But how did you know where we were going?"

Elena turned around and gently stroked the bow and arrow in her hand. "Because I once embarked on the same journey to explore those secrets..."

Following Elena, the group journeyed through the dense forest, encountering many bizarre sights along the way. On one occasion, they were nearly devoured by a giant snake; another time, they nearly fell into a trap. "It seems reaching the secret room isn't easy," Lin Chen sighed.

Before nightfall, Elena led them to a hidden cave entrance. "Go in here, and you'll find the answers you seek," she said, and then she disappeared.

"Let's go and uncover the mystery." Lin Chen said firmly.

"But is it really safe in there?" Leah asked worriedly.

"As long as we trust each other, there is nothing we can't overcome." Lin Chen encouraged.

Just when everyone was ready and about to enter the underground passage, suddenly, the ground began to shake violently, as if some huge monster was attacking them.

"Run! There's danger here!" Leo exclaimed, and everyone immediately turned around and fled.

"Could it be that there is a bigger secret hidden behind that secret room?" Xiao Jie asked loudly while running.

"I'm afraid that's the case." Lin Chen frowned, his heart filled with more doubts and expectations, "But no matter what, we must find the truth!"