The male protagonist of the book is poisonous

Chu Feng and I led a team of disciples, meticulously searching along the black-clad man's possible escape route. The terrain was like a series of obstacles meticulously laid out by nature. The rugged mountain path was crisscrossed with sharp rocks and protruding tree roots. Every step required extreme caution, and the disciples stepped lightly and slowly, fearing a single mistake would cause them to trip and tumble down the steep slope. The steep ravine resembled the gaping maw of a great beast, a chilling air surging in. The wind whistled like icy claws across our skin, leaving us shivering. The dense forest resembled a vast green maze, its branches and leaves intertwined with tall, luxuriant trees. Sunlight barely filtered through the foliage, casting a patchy, dappled light. This severely obstructed vision and made the search even more difficult.

We found some trampled grass on the roadside, with some black fibers still remaining on the blades. These fibers were most likely left behind by the black-clad man's clothing. Chu Feng squatted down, his eyes focused and serious, carefully examining these fibers. His brows were furrowed, as if he was thinking about something, and beads of sweat were faintly oozing from his forehead. Then, he carefully took out a small bottle, and as if treating rare treasures in the world, he carefully collected these fibers and said, "These fibers may help us find out the origins of the black-clad man. Let's take them back and let the brothers in the sect who are good at treasure appraisal and material analysis check them out. Every fiber may be the key to solving the mystery, and there is no room for carelessness."

Continuing forward, we discovered footprints before a hidden cave. At first glance, the footprints seemed disorganized, but upon closer inspection, a pattern seemed to emerge. Chu Feng raised his hand to signal his disciples to stop and set up guard around the area. Then, he and I entered the cave to investigate. The interior was dark and damp, and a pungent odor permeated the air—a sickening mixture of decay and mold. We lit torches, and the flames danced and flickered in the darkness, slowly making our way deeper. Strange marks remained on the cave walls, like scratches from some ancient creature. Deeper in the cave, we discovered scorch marks. Black scorch marks spread across the ground and surrounding stone, as if silently testifying to the fierce battle that had taken place there. There were also discarded items, such as the black-clad man's ration bag. The bag had been torn open, revealing moldy ration crumbs and a worn talisman.

Chu Feng picked up the worn talisman and gently stroked the runes. The runes were already blurred, but they still looked like an ancient pattern. I curiously asked, "This talisman looks quite strange. Could it be the special symbol of that evil organization?" Chu Feng shook his head and said, "I'm not sure, but I feel it has a special purpose, perhaps used to transmit information or cast some special spell. Look at the direction of the runes. There's a faint, mysterious power flowing through it. It's weak, but it's there."

As Chu Feng grasped the talisman, it suddenly trembled slightly. Although the vibration was extremely subtle, we all felt it clearly. Chu Feng's face grew solemn, and he whispered softly, "This talisman seems to still have some spiritual power remaining. It may be connected to a larger conspiracy." Filled with doubt and uneasiness, we returned to the sect with the talisman.

After returning to the sect, we took the talisman to the sect's elder who specialized in rune research. The elder put on his glasses, and the lenses of his glasses gleamed with wisdom in the candlelight. He studied it carefully for a long time, his expression becoming increasingly serious, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen a little. Finally, the elder raised his head and said, "This talisman is indeed very old. Its rune style is similar to the runes of an evil sect that committed many evil deeds hundreds of years ago. That evil sect once ran rampant on this continent, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil. The people suffered greatly from it. Later, it was wiped out by the joint encirclement and suppression of righteous people. It was a thrilling and tragic battle, and countless heroes sacrificed their lives bravely. If this evil organization is related to that sect, then it will be troublesome. This means that we may be facing an enemy with deep roots and powerful strength."

At the same time, the sect's spies began to return. One of them reported, "In a small town to the east, I spotted some suspicious individuals. They were dressed in black, but not complete black robes; they looked like they were deliberately disguised. They were secretly meeting in the town's tavern. I snuck in and eavesdropped, and they mentioned something called 'Shadow Valley,' which seemed closely related to their plans. I saw a ferocity and cunning in their eyes, and their voices were low, but I still caught some key points. They seemed to be waiting for some orders, and they were filled with awe for the 'Shadow Valley.'"

As the spy recounted his story, a flicker of fear suddenly crossed his eyes, and his voice trembled slightly. "I also witnessed a strange phenomenon. On the table where they were gathering, there was a small black crystal ball. Something seemed to be moving inside it, a very strange sight. Furthermore, whenever they mentioned 'Shadow Valley', the crystal ball would flicker, as if responding to them."

Another spy also said, "I sensed some strange spiritual energy fluctuations near a small sect nearby. That sect was attacked a few days ago, and the situation was very similar to the attack on our sect. When I arrived, I saw that many of the sect's buildings were destroyed, and the faces of the disciples were filled with fear and despair. I suspect this evil organization is also responsible. I also found that the spiritual energy fluctuations around the small sect are very unstable, as if forcibly disturbed by some powerful force."

Based on these clues, Chu Feng analyzed and said, "It seems that this 'Shadow Valley' is very likely a base of that evil organization. We can first go to that small sect and carefully investigate to see if we can find more clues. Then we can decide whether to explore deeper into the 'Shadow Valley'. This 'Shadow Valley' must be hiding many secrets. We must be cautious." I nodded in agreement. Although I felt a little scared, the thought of the danger facing the sect plucked up my courage and said, "We must find the truth for our sect and must not let the evil forces succeed."

After hearing our plan, the Sect Leader said, "You must be extremely cautious on this trip. I will dispatch some of our masters to secretly protect you. If you encounter any danger, do not act recklessly and retreat immediately. These masters are the sect's elite, possessing extensive combat experience and advanced martial arts skills. They will ensure your safety at critical moments." Chu Feng responded firmly, "Don't worry, Sect Leader. We will be careful. We will do our utmost to obtain more clues while ensuring our own safety."

We arrived at the small sect that had been attacked, and the scene before us was horrific. The sect's main gate was shattered, and the once extremely solid door panels were broken into countless pieces and scattered all over the ground. Traces of battle were everywhere, and the walls were covered with deep sword marks and scorch marks left by magical attacks. The bodies of the disciples lay on the ground in all directions, and the blood stained the ground red. The bright red blood had dried up, showing a shocking dark red. Chu Feng's face turned extremely ugly. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, and said angrily: "These people are really too cruel. How could they be so cruel to innocent people."

We meticulously searched the small sect, leaving no corner untouched. We discovered similar scorch marks to those we'd seen in the cave, black as if from demonic claw marks. We also found talismans of the same style, some posted on the walls, others scattered on the ground, as if silently revealing the misfortune befalling this small sect. This further confirmed our suspicions that the attack on this small sect and our own was the work of the same evil organization.

Just as we were about to leave the small sect, I found a tattered diary in a corner. The paper of the diary had turned yellow, and the edges were a little damaged, as if it had gone through countless vicissitudes of life. I opened the diary and found that it recorded some of the daily affairs of the small sect, such as the disciples' breeding progress, the sect's activity arrangements, etc. But on the last few pages, there were some records about a mysterious person. The diary read: "A mysterious man came today. He was dressed in black and exuded an aura that made people feel very uncomfortable. His eyes were cold and deep, as if hiding endless darkness. He asked me a lot of questions about the history of the sect and the artifacts, and I felt that he had bad intentions. He also mentioned a place called 'Lingyuan Cave', and I don't know what it has to do with him. When he left, I felt a chill in my heart, as if I was stared at by a poisonous snake."

Chu Feng glanced at the diary, his eyes lighting up as he said, "This 'Spirit Source Cave' could be a key location. Perhaps this evil organization has some conspiracy there. Let's bring this information back to the sect first, and then make further plans. This 'Spirit Source Cave' could be hiding their ultimate goal or some powerful source of power."

And so, armed with new clues and discoveries, we embarked on the journey back to our sect, filled with both anxiety and anticipation for the challenges ahead. We didn't know what lay ahead, but we knew that for the safety of our sect and for the peace of this continent, we must bravely move forward.