The male protagonist of the book is poisonous

We decided to try again to crack the formation based on the weak spot the woman in white had discovered. Brother Ling Xiao stood at the front, his eyes etched with determination. He took a deep breath and began to slowly gather his spiritual energy in his hands. The spiritual energy seemed to have a life of its own, gathering in his palm and gradually forming a shimmering sphere. He cautiously reached towards the weak spot, each step forward expressing extreme caution, as if he were touching a dangerous object that could explode at any moment.

I watched nervously from the side, my eyes unblinking, silently praying for him. My hands clenched unconsciously, my palms brimming with sweat, my heartbeat quickening with every movement of Brother Ling Xiao. Leng Shuang also watched intently, her expression serious, her hand tightly gripping an ice-based magic weapon. The weapon emanated a chilling aura, a stark contrast to the surrounding air. She was always prepared, ready to strike without hesitation should any emergency arise.

When Brother Lingxiao's spiritual energy reached the formation's weak point, while it didn't repel as violently as Leng Shuang's had before, the runes in the formation instantly flickered even more intensely, as if enraged. The runes' shimmering light, faint at first, grew dazzling, each one seeming to come alive, dancing frantically on the stone pillars. Brother Lingxiao gritted his teeth, sweat gradually forming on his forehead, dripping down his cheeks and onto the ground. He struggled to maintain his spiritual energy output, attempting to break through the formation's defenses, his arms trembling slightly from the effort.

Just as Brother Lingxiao was struggling to hold on, I suddenly spotted a similar rune combination in an ancient tome. My eyes lit up instantly, and I excitedly called out, "Brother Lingxiao, stop for a moment. I think I've discovered something." My voice trembled with excitement. Hearing my words, Brother Lingxiao withdrew his spiritual energy, as if relieved. His face was tired, yet filled with anticipation as he looked at me.

I hurriedly took the ancient book in my hand, pointed at the runes on it and explained, "Look, this rune combination is very similar to the runes that flash violently on the formation. It records that if this rune is stimulated by spiritual power of the same attribute, it will trigger a strengthening of defense. It's like putting a stronger layer of armor on this formation. But if spiritual power of the opposite attribute is used to interfere with it, it may weaken its power. This may be the key to our ability to crack the formation." The woman in white's eyes lit up when she heard what I said, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "Then we can try this method."

After discussion, we decided that Leng Shuang and Brother Ling Xiao would work together. Leng Shuang's ice-based spiritual energy was Yin. She stood aside, closed her eyes, and began to adjust her state. A chill aura gradually emanated from her, surrounding her like a layer of icy mist. Brother Ling Xiao, whose spiritual energy was Yang, also concentrated on the side, allowing his spiritual energy to flow through his body and reach its optimal state.

Leng Shuang first quietly channeled her icy spiritual energy toward the formation's weak point. Her movements were gentle and slow, as if she feared disturbing anything. As her spiritual energy neared the formation, the runes' flickering frequency began to change. The runes, previously dancing frantically, gradually slowed, their flickering light becoming somewhat erratic. Then, Brother Ling Xiao, seizing the perfect moment, rapidly injected his yang-attributed spiritual energy. With a roaring roar, his spiritual energy surged toward the formation's weak point like a surging tide. The two spiritual energies intertwined, forming a strange wave of spiritual energy at the formation's weak point. That wave, like a whirlwind, stirred a small storm of spiritual energy across the formation. The spiritual energies at the center of the whirlwind collided and merged, emitting a sizzling sound.

With Leng Shuang and Brother Ling Xiao's continued efforts, the formation began to show signs of loosening. The runes on the stone pillars gradually dimmed, their once dazzling radiance softening. The spiritual threads connecting the pillars began to tremble slightly, as if losing their support and becoming shaky. The woman in white and I were also busy. We watched the formation's changes closely, closely observing every detail and searching ancient texts for more potential clues. As I flipped through the tome, I shouted, "Keep going! It feels like we're almost there." My voice was filled with excitement and anticipation, and our confidence grew as the formation began to loosen.

Finally, with a gentle click, like the sound of a lock opening, the formation was broken. We cautiously stepped inside. As soon as we entered, an ancient and mysterious aura washed over us, a breath that seemed to have traveled from ancient times, carrying the weight of time. The air seemed to grow heavy, and every breath carried an invisible pressure.

The surrounding walls were covered in ancient designs, each vivid and lifelike. Some resembled mythical beasts soaring through the sky, their wings spread as if to break free from the walls. Some resembled ancient sacrificial scenes, with people dressed in exotic costumes dancing around a vast, animate flame. Still others seemed to depict the shifting patterns of the stars in the universe, with mystical connections between the constellations and the stars dotting the sky. These designs seemed to tell a story from the distant past, a story about this formation, about this mysterious place.

There were strange depressions in the ground, emitting a faint light, as if something was hidden. The light flickered, as if playing hide-and-seek with us. Curious, I squatted down, trying to see what was inside, but the light was too faint. I could only make out some vague outlines, like a round object, but I couldn't tell what it was.

As we were carefully observing our surroundings, the woman in white suddenly exclaimed, "Look, what is that?" Her voice was particularly loud in the silence. We looked in the direction of her finger and saw a crystal ball in a corner, shining with a faint blue light.

The surface of the crystal ball was covered in tiny runes, swirling around it like flowing water. The lines of the runes were smooth and graceful, each emitting a faint blue light. As we approached the crystal ball, even before we got close, we could sense a powerful surge of spiritual energy emanating from it. It was like waves, constantly assaulting our senses.

Curiously, I reached out to touch the crystal ball. The moment my fingers touched it, blurry images suddenly flashed through my mind. They flashed by quickly, like clips from a movie. They seemed to show the source of power, a place shrouded in light, with something surging within it. There were also secrets about the Shadow Pavilion, black-robed figures performing a mysterious ritual in a dark place, their faces grim and ferocious. "This crystal ball seems to hold very important information," I exclaimed in surprise.

We gathered around the crystal ball, trying to decipher its message. The woman in white closed her eyes and slowly poured her spiritual energy into the crystal ball. Her expression was intense, as if she were conversing with a mysterious being. Her spiritual energy, like a trickle of water, slowly melted into the crystal ball.

After a while, she opened her eyes, a look of confusion on her face. "The information in this crystal ball is very confusing. I can only grasp fragments. It seems to mention that the source of power is hidden at the intersection of multiple dimensions, and to find it, you need to use a special astrological map. But I didn't see the specific appearance of the astrological map. I just feel that the astrological map has a special connection with certain constellations in the sky, perhaps the arrangement of the constellations or some kind of power connection between the constellations."

Leng Shuang frowned and said, "Then where are we going to find this star map now? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack, we have no idea." There was a hint of frustration in her tone.

Brother Ling Xiao stood up, his eyes filled with determination. He looked around and said, "Since this place has something as important as a crystal ball, perhaps there are other clues hidden around. Let's look carefully. Perhaps some inconspicuous corner contains the key information we need."

So, we began searching the formation. We left no corner untouched, turning over every stone, carefully examining every crevice. I lay prone on the ground, groping with my hands, hoping to find some hidden mechanism or secret compartment. Leng Shuang meticulously examined the ancient patterns on the wall, her eyes moving inch by inch, trying to find some clue within them. The woman in white and Brother Ling Xiao also searched in different areas.

But after searching for a long time, we found nothing. I said, somewhat dejectedly, "Are we going to return empty-handed? We've put so much effort into breaking the formation, only to return empty-handed?" My voice was thick with resentment. Everyone fell into deep thought, unsure of what to do next. The air around us seemed frozen, only the crystal ball still emanated a faint blue light, as if mocking our helplessness.