The male protagonist of the book is poisonous

After leaving the building etched with memories of battle, the three of us, surrounded by righteous men, slowly made our way towards their stronghold: Lingxu Mountain. Lingxu Mountain, a renowned sacred site for cultivation within the righteous sects, lies within a vast spiritual realm, enveloped by swirling clouds and mist, creating a hazy, almost fairyland-like experience. Every blade of grass and tree on the mountain imbues itself with rich spiritual energy. A gurgling spiritual spring shimmers with vibrant light in the sunlight, each drop seemingly condensed with the essence of heaven and earth. The spiritual energy here is so abundant it feels like a vast reservoir, a perfect place for those of us desperately needing to recover and recuperate.

Along the way, we could clearly feel the intense gazes of the righteous around us. Their expressions were filled with a variety of emotions: admiration for our bravery in the battle against the evil leader, curiosity about our immense strength, and even, in some young cultivators, barely concealed admiration. Groups of us would whisper, their voices low, but occasionally reaching our ears. "Look, those are the heroes who defeated the evil leader! They're truly formidable." "Yes, especially the one in the flame-colored robes! His blazing spiritual power is truly formidable." This attention made me uneasy, like an exhibit under the spotlight, uneasy. But Senior Brother Chu Feng and Senior Sister Yun Yao remained calm. Senior Brother Chu Feng would occasionally nod to the younger cultivators, displaying the demeanor of a senior.

After arriving at Lingxu Mountain, we were invited to rest in a tranquil courtyard. The entrance to the courtyard was a delicate archway, its lintel engraved with ancient runes, emitting a faint spiritual energy, as if a protective barrier. Entering the courtyard, we discovered a variety of rare spiritual plants. These plants varied in form. Some had leaves like crystal-clear jade, swaying gently in the breeze, creating a crisp sound. Others, when in full bloom, exuded a fragrance that was not only refreshing but also absorbed into the body through breathing, nourishing damaged meridians. The subtle spiritual energy they emitted was instrumental in assisting our recovery from injuries.

Every morning, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the courtyard grounds. At this time, a dedicated monk would arrive, delivering spiritual food and healing elixirs. The spiritual food was presented on exquisite jade plates, each dish a work of art. They melted in our mouths, their rich spiritual energy filling our mouths as soon as they reached our tongues. Then, they flowed slowly down our throats, nourishing our depleted spiritual energy source. The healing elixirs, encased in specially crafted jade bottles, emanated a soft glow, their medicinal power flowing gently through our bodies, like a stream of clear water coursing through damaged meridians, accelerating the recovery of our spiritual energy.

However, we didn't rest in this comfortable environment. While resting, we also began investigating the possible forces behind the evil leader. Senior Brother Chu Feng, like a tireless bird, sought information everywhere, crisscrossing Lingxu Mountain. He leveraged his connections within the righteous path to communicate with cultivators from various sects. In the sect halls, he would sit down with experienced elders, humbly asking them about the history and distribution of evil cultivators. He would also chat with younger cultivators on the training grounds, searching for clues from the rumors they had occasionally heard. Senior Sister Yun Yao, meanwhile, browsed ancient books in Lingxu Mountain's Sutra Library. The Sutra Library was a magnificent building, its towering shelves filled with a wide variety of ancient tomes. Sister Yun Yao arrived early every day, wandering through the shelves, which were filled with the scent of ancient paper. She carefully scanned the titles of each ancient book. Once she found a potentially useful book, she eagerly took it down and sat in a corner to study it intently. The pages of those ancient books had yellowed, the handwriting somewhat blurred, but Senior Sister Yunyao meticulously deciphered their contents, hoping to find some clues from the historical records. I wasn't idle either, trying to search for clues in the miscellaneous books I'd read. I locked myself in my room, spread out the books one by one on the table, and read them word by word. These books contained a wide variety of anecdotes, folk tales, and scattered notes of practitioners. Though seemingly disorganized, I believed they might hold the information we needed.

Over the past few days, we've gathered scattered information, but none of it directly points to the forces behind the evil leader. This has left us feeling somewhat frustrated. Every time we analyze new information with high hopes, we find it can't form a valid chain of clues. It feels like groping in the dark, unable to find a way out. However, we haven't given up; instead, our resolve to investigate further has only intensified.

One day, Senior Brother Chu Feng returned from an outside trip. His steps were more brisk than usual, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. "I've received news that there's been unusually frequent activity by some evil cultivators near the remote Black Rock Mountains. They might be connected to the forces we're looking for," Senior Brother Chu Feng said, his voice tinged with excitement, as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness.

After discussing it, the three of us decided to explore the Black Rock Mountains once our injuries and spiritual strength had fully recovered. In the days that followed, we diligently nursed ourselves back to health, hoping to set off as soon as possible. Every day, we would practice spiritual cultivation in the courtyard. In the morning, we would face the rising sun, absorbing the spiritual energy from heaven and earth. In the evening, we would be under the moonlight, composing our internal spiritual energy channels. At the same time, we would consume more spiritual food and medicinal pills to accelerate our recovery.

Finally, on a bright, sunny morning, the sun shone brightly on every corner of Lingxu Mountain, illuminating the entire peak with a golden splendor. We bid farewell to the monks of Lingxu Mountain and embarked on our journey to the Black Rock Mountains. The Black Rock Mountains were quite far from Lingxu Mountain, and we took great care along the way, avoiding unnecessary danger. We followed a winding mountain road lined with dense forests, from which the chirping of birds and the roaring of wild beasts could be heard from time to time. We remained vigilant, weapons tightly grasped, and our eyes carefully scanned our surroundings.

During our journey, we passed through a small town. It seemed peaceful and tranquil. An ancient stone bridge marked the entrance, and beneath it flowed a gently flowing river, with a few small boats bobbing on the surface. The houses were arranged in an orderly fashion, with plumes of smoke rising from the rooftops. However, we sensed something amiss. A flicker of fear occasionally crossed the eyes of the residents, and the spiritual energy in the town seemed somewhat disturbed. We decided to stay overnight and investigate.

We found an inn to stay in. The sign was a bit worn, but the interior was clean and tidy. While we were there, we heard some rumors about this town. It was said that strange noises had been coming from the woods outside the town at night. They sounded like the roars of wild beasts or the howlings of some unknown creature. Others saw dark shadows moving through the woods, so fast they flashed by, making it impossible to see their appearance. Some residents, worried that evil spirits were at work, had already begun preparing to move out of the town. Hearing these rumors, we felt a sense of mission, and we decided to go to the woods outside the town at night to find out what was going on.

As night fell, the entire town was shrouded in darkness. We quietly reached the edge of the woods. A light mist filled the air, like a veil, enveloping everything within. Moonlight filtered through the mist, appearing somewhat eerie. The cold moonlight scattered through the mist, creating hazy shadows.

We cautiously entered the woods. Suddenly, a cold wind blew, like an icy hand brushing my cheek, and I shivered. Senior Brother Chu Feng clenched his longsword, its gleaming cold in the moonlight, as if expressing its eagerness to fight. Senior Sister Yun Yao also prepared for battle. She raised her hands slightly, and the air around her seemed to grow colder as her spiritual energy surged.

Just then, we heard a deep roar emanating from the depths of the woods. The roar, like rumbling thunder, echoed through the forest, stirring an inexplicable fear in our hearts. Then, dark shadows moved swiftly toward us. We peered closely and saw they were a group of beasts corrupted by a demonic force. Their eyes glowed red, a glow like burning flames, filled with evil and brutality. Their hair stood up in a tangled mass, like sharp thorns, and their claws had become sharper, gleaming like metal in the moonlight.

We quickly entered combat mode. Senior Brother Chu Feng charged forward first, his figure like the agility of a cheetah. His longsword flashed a streak of silver light through the air, like a bolt of lightning, piercing a beast with pinpoint accuracy. The beast tried to dodge, but Senior Brother Chu Feng's swordsmanship was too swift, and the longsword pierced the beast's body. The beast roared in pain and struggled to strike back. Senior Brother Chu Feng gave it no chance. He drew his longsword with all his might, then swung it again, a stream of sword energy slicing through the beast, utterly slaying it.

Senior Sister Yun Yao waved her hands, releasing streams of icy spiritual energy. These icy energies gathered in her hands, forming cones of ice. Like sharp daggers, they shot towards the approaching beasts. The cones flew through the air at incredible speed, piercing the beasts' bodies in an instant. After being struck by the cones, the beasts were quickly frozen in place, transformed into ice sculptures. But the frozen beasts did not stop struggling, twisting their bodies within the ice sculptures, trying to break free from the ice.

I also focused my attention, chanting a spell. As I chanted, flame energy gathered in my palms, a flaming flame that grew larger and larger. Then I launched it toward the beasts. The flames, like a roaring dragon, swept through them. The beasts, sensing the intense heat, dodged, but some were still struck. The beasts writhe on the ground, roaring in pain.

The battle dragged on for a while, and we gradually gained the upper hand. But these beasts seemed tireless, charging at us in wave after wave. We realized we had to find the source of their control to fully resolve the situation. So, as we fought, we searched for clues. Suddenly, I spotted a spot in the woods where the spiritual energy fluctuations were strongest, and the evil aura emanated from there. I signaled to Senior Brother Chu Feng and Senior Sister Yun Yao, and we rushed in that direction.

When we arrived at the location, we discovered a dark cave hidden underground. The entrance was obscured by weeds and branches, making it difficult to spot without careful observation. The cave was surrounded by sinister runes, which shimmered with an eerie light. The evil power emanated continuously from the cave. Without hesitation, we entered the cave, ready to explore its contents.

The cave was dark and damp, and the walls shimmered with strange, flickering lights, like a pair of eyes watching us. We walked cautiously along the passage when suddenly, a dark shadow lunged at us from the side. Senior Brother Chu Feng reacted quickly, blocking the shadow's attack with his sword. Only then did we see clearly that it was a cultivator completely controlled by evil forces.

The monk's eyes were hollow, devoid of any life, like two deep black holes. He muttered a strange incantation, the sound of which echoed through the dark cavern, sending a chill down our spines. His attacks were fierce, each swing of his weapon unleashing a powerful surge of evil energy. The three of us combined to barely hold him off. During the battle, we discovered a black mark on the monk's back, emitting a powerful evil energy, seemingly the key to his control.

While we battled this cultivator, we tried to find a way to break his control. Senior Sister Yun Yao carefully observed the black mark, and suddenly an idea struck her. She pulled a purification rune from her storage bag. It emitted a soft white light, imbued with a powerful purifying power. She then placed the rune on the cultivator's black mark.

As the rune was attached, the black mark began to flicker, its frequency increasing, like a lamp about to go out. The monk gradually regained consciousness. He looked at us blankly, seemingly unaware of what was happening. His eyes gradually became lively, and he looked at his hands, then at his surroundings, a look of horror on his face.

We asked him about his situation, and he told us he was a monk passing through the town and had been corrupted by the evil energy within the dark cave, leading to his current condition. He also explained that there was an evil formation within the cave, which continuously released evil energy, controlling everything around it. He had only intended to rest in the woods, but he was drawn in by the evil energy within the cave and, upon approaching, was possessed.

We decided to continue deeper into the dark cave, to find the evil formation and destroy it. Led by the monk, we journeyed deeper into the cave. Along the way, we encountered several more creatures possessed by evil forces, but we successfully dealt with them all. The possessed creatures varied in form: some were giant spiders, their silk threads imbued with a powerful evil force, making them difficult to break free; others were winged demons that circled the air, attacking relentlessly. But with our three-person rapport and our individual spiritual abilities, we navigated danger time and again.

Finally, we found the evil formation. It emanated a powerful malevolent force, distorting the surrounding space. Like a black whirlwind, the evil force swirled madly within the formation. We could sense its immense power, like a vast vortex, attempting to swallow us in. We knew this formation was extremely dangerous, but we had to destroy it.

The three of us once again worked together, pooling our spiritual energies. Senior Brother Chu Feng injected his sword spiritual energy into the formation, a sharp, aggressive force. Senior Sister Yun Yao also incorporated her ice spiritual energy, solidifying and calming the combined force. My fire spiritual energy, like a burning passion, imbued it with powerful explosive force. Then we launched our attack on the formation.

After a fierce battle, we successfully destroyed the evil formation. With the destruction of the formation, the evil power in the dark cave gradually dissipated, and the controlled creatures returned to normal. The light in the dark cave also became brighter, and the originally dark and humid environment gradually became dry and warm.

After resolving the crisis in the small town, we continued our journey to the Black Rock Mountains. This experience made us even more aware of the pervasive presence of evil in this world, and we still have a long way to go. With even greater resolve, we journeyed towards the Black Rock Mountains, unsure of what challenges we would encounter there.