The male protagonist of the book is poisonous

Brother Lingxiao and I continued our journey, carrying the fused spirit pearl. As we entered the barren desert, the scorching sun mercilessly baked the earth, and the sand beneath our feet was scorching. Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped through, whipping up a cloud of sand. Amidst the raging sandstorm, a figure loomed, ghostly. As the wind and sand gradually subsided, a mysterious figure in a black robe appeared before us. His face was hidden beneath a deep hood, making it difficult to see clearly, but the aura he exuded was unsettling—an oppressive and mysterious presence. I involuntarily leaned closer to Brother Lingxiao, my eyes filled with wariness.

The mysterious man spoke slowly. His voice was low and hoarse, as if it came from a distant place, or from deep underground: "The spirit beads in your hands do not belong to you." The voice echoed in the silent desert, making people feel particularly eerie.

Brother Lingxiao protected me tightly behind him. He said to the mysterious man fearlessly, "We got this spirit pearl after going through many hardships and dangers. Why shouldn't it belong to us?" The mysterious man sneered after hearing this, and the laughter was particularly harsh in the empty desert: "This spirit pearl contains enormous power. This power is far beyond your imagination and is beyond your control. If you insist on continuing to look for other spirit pearls, it will only bring catastrophe to the world." I was very confused after hearing his words, and couldn't help but say to the mysterious man, "How do you know we will bring disaster? We look for spirit pearls in order to use its power to do good things, to help those in need, and to protect the world, not to destroy it." The mysterious man did not answer my question, but just stared at us coldly with his eyes hidden under the hood. That look seemed to be able to penetrate our bodies and see deep into our hearts.

At this moment, without warning, the mysterious figure suddenly extended his hand. Instantly, a black light emanated from his hand, streaking towards us like a bolt of black lightning. Brother Ling Xiao reacted with remarkable swiftness. He abruptly drew his sword and poured his spiritual energy into it. The sword was instantly enveloped in spiritual energy, emitting a dazzling light. With a powerful swing, he successfully blocked the black light. The moment the black light and the sword collided, a piercing sound pierced the ears, echoing across the desert and startling a flock of sand birds nesting behind the dunes.

Seeing his attack blocked, the mysterious man not only didn't stop, but actually sped up his attacks. Rays of black light shot towards us like dense raindrops, the scene resembling a hail of black arrows raining down from the sky. Brother Lingxiao struggled to resist this tidal wave of attacks while leading me backward. His footsteps left deep footprints in the sand, each one filled with strength and determination.

Unwilling to sit still and wait for death, I bent down and picked up a few stones. I concentrated my spiritual energy, slowly channeling it into the stones. I saw the once ordinary stones begin to transform, becoming incredibly sharp, until they became darts as sharp as fine steel. I hurled these darts, shimmering with spiritual energy, at the mysterious man. They traced beautiful arcs through the air, carrying my anger and resentment with me. However, the mysterious man simply flicked his sleeve, easily deflecting the darts as if swatting away flies. Upon contact with his sleeve, the darts seemed to sink into a quagmire, instantly losing their power and falling to the ground.

Brother Ling Xiao seized the opportunity, and while the mysterious man was blocking the dart, he roared and rushed towards him. His figure was like an arrow from a bow, and the sword in his hand pierced the mysterious man's chest. However, the mysterious man was very agile, and with a slight turn of his body, he easily avoided the fatal blow. Then, he kicked Brother Ling Xiao with great speed and power. Brother Ling Xiao was unable to avoid it and was kicked back several steps, leaving a long scar in the sand.

In the midst of our fierce battle with the mysterious individual, the fused spirit pearl we carried suddenly began to tremble. It began to glow, faint at first, but quickly intensified. As if sensing the danger surrounding us, the pearl's power began to awaken. Its power formed a protective barrier around us, resembling a transparent eggshell, emitting a soft yet resolute glow. Part of the mysterious individual's attack struck this barrier, but it bounced back like an impenetrable wall. I gazed at the pearl in amazement, my heart filled with surprise and delight. I had never known it had the power of automatic defense.

Brother Lingxiao's eyes flickered with surprise as he watched the power of the spirit pearl unleashed. He quickly closed his eyes, focused his mind, and attempted to communicate with the spirit pearl. He carefully connected his spiritual energy with the power of the spirit pearl, like two rivers converging. Instantly, the spirit pearl's light shone brightly, a radiance like the dazzling sun, illuminating everything around us. Brother Lingxiao was also enveloped by the spirit pearl's light, as if infused with new strength, full of vitality and energy. His strength greatly increased, and he rushed towards the mysterious man again. This time, his attacks were more fierce, each move imbued with immense power. The mysterious man began to struggle, his movements becoming sluggish, and a hint of panic appeared in his eyes.

As Brother Ling Xiao unleashed round after round of fierce attacks, the mysterious man gradually revealed a weakness. Brother Ling Xiao's sword ripped through his black robe, tearing it apart as easily as if it were fragile paper. At this moment, the mysterious man's body began to shimmer with a strange light, flickering and erratic. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that his body seemed not to be a physical entity, but rather a form condensed from spiritual energy. Brother Ling Xiao also sensed this secret and focused his attention, attacking the mysterious man's weak spot.

Under Brother Ling Xiao's final blow, the mysterious man let out a shrill scream. The sound echoed through the desert, sending chills down one's spine. Then, like smoke, his entire body gradually dissipated into the air, vanishing without a trace. But before he vanished, he left behind a warning: "You will regret this. The power of the spirit pearl is beyond your control." I gazed at the spot where the mysterious man had vanished, my heart filled with confusion and unease. Brother Ling Xiao also frowned, a hint of worry in his eyes. He said, "This mysterious man must have many secrets we don't know. We must be extremely cautious."

We continued toward our goal, but the mysterious man's words kept echoing in my mind. I looked up at Brother Ling Xiao, a little worried, and said, "Brother Ling Xiao, do you think what that mysterious man said makes sense? Can we really harness the power of the spirit pearl?" Brother Ling Xiao gently patted my shoulder and said, "Miao Miao, as long as we have good intentions and use the power of the spirit pearl to do what's right and beneficial to the world, there will be no problem."

Despite this incident with the mysterious man, our resolve to find the remaining spirit pearls remained unwavering. Carrying the spirit pearls, we resolutely journeyed toward the unknown, unsure of what challenges awaited us on the road ahead. The barren desert stretched out behind us, our figures lengthening in the sunlight until they vanished into the distant dunes.