I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Heavy footsteps approached, accompanied by heavy breathing, as if some enormous creature was approaching them. Lei Yi held his breath, his heart pounding violently. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his palms covered in sweat.

"Roar--"

Another deafening roar echoed, and Lei Yi felt the cave tremble slightly. Dongfang Liuli remained calm, pulling Lei Yi along, and using the huge rocks as cover, they quickly moved deeper into the cave.

"We have to find a way to get rid of it." Lei Yi lowered his voice, a hint of anxiety in his tone. Dongfang Liuli said nothing, simply pulling him quickly through the intricate cave.

The cave was deeper than they had imagined, with numerous branching paths, like a gigantic maze. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli wandered around in circles, the roar of the beast behind them sometimes distant, sometimes near, but never lingering.

"They must be in there!" Elder Qin's angry voice came from the cave entrance. "Search, even if we have to dig three feet deep, we must find them!"

"Yes!"

Accompanied by a flurry of footsteps, it was clear that Elder Qin's men had also entered the cave. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli were trapped deep in the cave, attacked from both sides, and their situation became even more dangerous.

"What should we do?" Lei Yi looked at Dongfang Liuli, his eyes full of worry.

Dongfang Liuli's face was solemn. She looked around. The cave walls were damp, clearly a place without sunlight for years. The air was filled with a damp, moldy smell that was quite oppressive.

"Cough cough..." Lei Yi suddenly coughed a few times. He covered his mouth and nose, feeling a little difficult to breathe. "This cave is closed. Will there be insufficient oxygen?"

Dongfang Liuli also noticed this. She frowned slightly and scanned the wall of the cave quickly, as if looking for something.

"Lei Yi, look!" Dongfang Liuli suddenly pointed to a depression on the upper wall of the cave and said, "There seems to be something there!"

Lei Yi looked in the direction Dongfang Liuli pointed and saw a few faint cracks in the depression, barely noticeable without careful observation. "Looks like... ventilation?" Lei Yi tentatively placed his hand near the cracks and, sure enough, felt a faint, cool breeze blowing through them.

"Great! The wind means there's another way out!" Lei Yi breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of joy on his face. Dongfang Liuli also nodded slightly, feeling a little more at ease.

"Let's rest here first, and then find a way to get out through the ventilation duct after dark." Dongfang Liuli said, and walked to a flat stone deep in the cave and sat down. Lei Yi observed the surrounding environment vigilantly, not daring to relax at all.

At this moment, a black shadow suddenly jumped out from a fork in the road beside them and pounced towards Dongfang Liuli like lightning!

"Be careful!" Lei Yi was shocked when he saw this. He rushed over without thinking and protected Dongfang Liuli under his body.

"hiss--"

Accompanied by a sharp hissing sound, Lei Yi felt a sharp pain in his arm. The black shadow had bitten his arm fiercely.

"Lei Yi!" Dongfang Liuli exclaimed and quickly got up from the ground. Only then did he see clearly that the black shadow was actually a small black snake, which was currently coiled on Lei Yi's arm. The triangular snake head was raised high, and the scarlet snake tongue was moving in and out, making a threatening "hissing" sound.

Lei Yi endured the severe pain, grabbed the snake's vital point, pulled it off his arm, and threw it hard to the ground.

The little snake was dizzy after being thrown down, but it quickly reacted and twisted its body to try to escape.

"Don't let it run away!" Dongfang Liuli was worried that the little snake was poisonous, so he quickly drew out the dagger from his waist and stabbed at the little snake.

Lei Yi didn't even bother to check the wound and hurried forward to help.

The two of them worked together and quickly subdued the little snake.

"Are you okay?" Dongfang Liuli asked anxiously, looking at the wound on Lei Yi's arm.

Lei Yi shook his head and was about to say that he was fine, but he suddenly felt dizzy, his vision went black, and his body fell backwards uncontrollably...

"Lei Yi!" Dongfang Liuli was quick to act and supported Lei Yi, but found that his face had turned pale and the wound on his arm was turning black at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was obvious that he had been poisoned.

Dongfang Liuli's heart sank. Although she knew some medical skills, detoxification required specific herbs, and she had nothing on her right now... Dongfang Liuli's heartbeat almost jumped into her throat. She checked Lei Yi's wound with trembling hands. The black color on the wound was darker than before, and was spreading upwards along his blood vessels. The situation was worse than she had imagined.

"How could this happen..." Dongfang Liuli murmured to herself. Although she knew some medical skills, snake venom required specific herbs, and she had nothing on her now. Where could she find any in this remote place?

As time passed, Lei Yi's breathing grew weaker and weaker. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt heavy as if they were filled with lead. He sensed Dongfang Liuli's anxiety and helplessness and wanted to say something, but his throat felt like it was clogged with cotton, and no sound came out.

At this moment, a chaotic sound of footsteps came from the cave entrance, accompanied by several rough shouts: "Search carefully, that kid must be hiding in this cave!"

It's Elder Qin! Dongfang Liuli's alarm bells immediately rang. She knew that Lei Yi couldn't possibly escape in his current state, and she herself might not be able to escape unscathed either. She acted decisively, supporting Lei Yi behind a boulder and whispering, "Hide here and don't move. I'll lead them away!"

"No..." Lei Yi opened his mouth, but only a weak breath came out. He knew that Dongfang Liuli was taking a risk, but he didn't even have the strength to stop her.

Dongfang Liuli ignored Lei Yi's attempts to stop her. She took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the dagger at her waist, and then resolutely walked towards the cave entrance. She deliberately made some noise, successfully attracting the attention of the searchers.

"There!" A loud voice sounded, and then several figures chased in the direction of Dongfang Liuli.

Dongfang Liuli's figure quickly disappeared into the darkness, but Lei Yi's heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand. He struggled to stand up, but to no avail. He knew that he was now Dongfang Liuli's only hope, and he could never give up like this!

He endured the severe pain, tried to concentrate, and observed the surrounding environment. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a narrow branch deep in the cave. The branch was very hidden and difficult to find without careful observation.

Is it...

"Liuli..." Lei Yi used all his strength to squeeze out two words from between his teeth.

"Liuli..." Lei Yi's voice was as weak as a wisp of silk, almost inaudible in the empty cave.

Dongfang Liuli turned around suddenly, and in the dim light, she saw Lei Yi struggling to reach out his hand towards her, his deep eyes filled with worry and... a hint of imperceptible hope.

Following Lei Yi's gaze, Dongfang Liuli noticed a crack in the stone wall behind him, barely noticeable without careful observation. She hurried forward and shone a tinder in her hand, discovering that the crack was actually a narrow passage, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

"You want to..." Dongfang Liuli instantly understood what Lei Yi meant, but this passage was so narrow and the situation inside was completely unknown. It was very likely to be more dangerous than outside.

"Believe me..." Lei Yi uttered the two words with difficulty. His face had become as pale as paper and his lips had lost their color, but his gaze towards Dongfang Liuli was extremely firm.

Dongfang Liuli knew that now was not the time to hesitate. She gritted her teeth, bent down, helped Lei Yi up from the ground, and half-dragged and half-carried him into the narrow passage.

The passage was pitch black, and only the sounds of their breathing and heartbeats echoed in their ears. Lei Yi's breathing grew weaker and weaker, and Dongfang Liuli could feel his body temperature dropping. The chill that penetrated deep into her bones frightened her.

Finally, after walking for who knows how long, the passage suddenly opened up, revealing a relatively spacious cave. Dongfang Liuli gently placed Lei Yi on the ground. With the dim light coming through the cave entrance, she saw Lei Yi's injuries clearly and couldn't help but gasp.

Lei Yi's entire arm had turned a horrible black color, and the black color was still spreading upwards, approaching his heart. The situation was worse than she had imagined!

"We must find the antidote as soon as possible!" Dongfang Liuli was extremely anxious, but now they were trapped in this cave, and Elder Qin's men were searching outside. Where should she go to find the antidote?

Lei Yi seemed to see Dongfang Liuli's worry. He tried to raise his hand, but it fell down weakly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out of his throat.

Dongfang Liuli held Lei Yi's hand. His hand was icy cold, like a piece of ice without any temperature. She knew that she could not delay any longer. She had to find the antidote as soon as possible, otherwise Lei Yi would be truly beyond saving!

"Wait for me here and don't go anywhere!" Dongfang Liuli said to Lei Yi in a firm tone, as if she was making a promise, or as if she was cheering herself up.

Without waiting for Lei Yi to respond, Dongfang Liuli stood up and walked towards the cave entrance without looking back. She knew she was taking a risk, but she had no other choice.

She carefully climbed out of the cave, trying not to make any noise. Outside the cave, the night was dark, the wind was howling, and the faint howling of wild animals in the distance made the silent night seem even more terrifying...