I walk sideways in the game world

The secret door beneath the altar seemed to hold some kind of magical power, drawing Ren Xiaoyao's attention. He quickly stepped forward, carefully examining its structure. It was crafted from an unknown black metal, its surface smooth as a mirror. Intricate carvings could be vaguely seen, resembling some ancient script, yet unlike anything Ren Xiaoyao had recognized.

"What kind of writing is this?" Lord Ma came forward, his thick fingers stroking the cold metal surface. "It looks quite old."

"This should be an ancient script, but unfortunately I only recognize a small part of it." Elder Feng carefully identified it, his brows furrowed. "These words seem to record some kind of taboo ritual..."

"A forbidden ritual?" Charlene's heart tightened. "Should we still open it?"

"At this point, we have no way out." Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, his eyes determined. "If there really is a power behind this door that can change the course of the battle, we must try."

"But..." Xia Lin wanted to say something, but was stopped by Ren Xiaoyao's eyes.

"Trust me." Ren Xiaoyao patted Xia Lin's shoulder gently and turned to look at Elder Feng. "Elder, do you know how to open this door?"

Elder Feng pondered for a moment and slowly shook his head: "I am incompetent. The seal on this door is too ancient. I am powerless."

Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank. Was he going to give up just like that? No, he wasn't willing to do that!

At this moment, Xia Lin suddenly exclaimed: "Wait, the pattern on this door..."

She pointed at the patterns on the secret door and said hurriedly, "The arrangement of these patterns seems similar to a mechanical diagram I saw in an ancient book!"

Charlene had a keen interest in the study of mechanisms since childhood, having read countless ancient books, and unexpectedly found them useful at this moment. Drawing on her memory, she began to try to decipher the mechanism on the secret door.

As time ticked by, beads of sweat formed on Xia Lin's forehead. Ren Xiaoyao and the others held their breath, not daring to make a sound for fear of disturbing her.

Finally, after countless attempts, Charlene successfully found the key to the mechanism. With a soft click, the seal on the secret door suddenly cracked, and an ancient and powerful aura, mixed with the smell of long-forgotten decay, filled her face.

Ren Xiaoyao and the others exchanged glances, each seeing surprise and anticipation in the other's eyes. Xia Lin took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the heavy secret door.

Behind the secret door was not the treasure chamber one had imagined, but a long and narrow passage. The walls on both sides of the passage were covered with densely packed words and patterns, seemingly telling a story of a forgotten history...

"This..." Elder Feng pointed at the words on the wall, his voice trembling, "This is..."

Elder Feng's hands trembled as he deciphered the inscriptions on the wall, word by word, his expression growing more solemn as he delved deeper. His voice was deep and hoarse, as if it came from a distant time and space. "This records... in ancient times, a powerful sorcerer, in pursuit of greater power, violated taboos and opened the door to another world, ultimately leading to disaster..."

"Disaster?" Lord Ma's eyes widened. "What disaster?"

"An uncontrollable destructive force that can devour and destroy everything." Elder Feng's tone was filled with fear. "Although the warlock eventually sealed this power, he also died. The sealed place is at the end of this passage."

Ren Xiaoyao and the others looked at each other, their hearts filled with shock and uneasiness. This power was so dangerous, did they really want to release it?

"But this power is also our only hope of defeating the enemy." The Horse Prince's eyes flashed with a gleam. "If we can control it and guide it into the enemy army, we can completely disrupt their deployment and even annihilate them in one fell swoop!"

"This is too risky!" Charlene exclaimed. "We have no idea how to control this power. What if..."

"There's no such thing as a last resort!" Prince Ma said firmly. "We have no way out. Instead of sitting and waiting for death, we might as well give it a try!" He paused, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes. "I have an idea..."

Lord Ma leaned over to Ren Xiaoyao's ear and whispered his plan. As he spoke, Ren Xiaoyao's face grew serious. This plan was indeed bold, even crazy, but it was their only hope.

"This..." Elder Feng looked troubled. "Doing this is too dangerous. If we're not careful, we'll..."

"There's no time to hesitate!" Ren Xiaoyao interrupted Elder Feng, his eyes determined, "We must believe in ourselves and Lord Ma's plan!"

At this time, Princess Xu, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, "But..."

Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Ren Xiaoyao's gaze. He looked at Princess Xu with a resolute look in his eyes, "Believe me."

Night fell upon the land. Torches burned at the entrance to the ruins, illuminating the solemn faces around them. Princess Xu bit her lip, her gaze shifting between Ren Xiaoyao and Elder Feng, a conflict brewing within her. She understood the importance of this battle, knowing it was their last hope, but she couldn't ignore the enormous risks inherent in her plan.

"I..." Princess Xu took a deep breath and wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Ren Xiaoyao.

"I know what you're worried about," Ren Xiaoyao said in a firm and steady tone, "but please believe me, we've made every possible preparation." He turned to look at his companions behind him. Determination was written across everyone's face, which only strengthened his resolve. "We have no way out. We can only fight to the death!"

Princess Xu was silent. She saw determination and confidence in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes, and also saw the heavy responsibility he shouldered. Finally, she nodded and said softly, "I believe you."

With Princess Xu's support, the entire team quickly sprang into action. Xia Lin directed the logistics personnel, transporting the necessary supplies and equipment to the designated location; while Prince Ma led a team of elite soldiers, responsible for security and patrols to prevent enemy attacks.

Inside the ruins, the atmosphere grew even more solemn. Following the inscriptions on the wall, Elder Feng found the entrance to the sealed land. It was a massive stone door, engraved with ancient and mysterious runes, emitting a terrifying aura.

"This is it." Elder Feng pointed at the stone door, his tone solemn, "The seal is behind this door, but to open it, you need to pay a huge price."

"What's the price?" Ren Xiaoyao asked.

"Life." Elder Feng said word by word, "Only by sacrificing life can the seal be broken."

Ren Xiaoyao was silent. He knew what this meant. In order to save the world, someone had to make a sacrifice.

Time passed, the night grew darker, and the atmosphere in the ruins grew increasingly oppressive. Just as everything was ready and the night before departure, a mysterious figure appeared at the entrance of the ruins. His voice was low and hoarse, "Wait a minute..."

This sudden sound broke the silence of the night, and everyone turned to look at the newcomer, their eyes full of vigilance and confusion.

"Who are you?" Ren Xiaoyao stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

The mysterious man slowly raised his head. Under the moonlight, he wore a strange mask, revealing only a pair of deep eyes, making it difficult to see his true face. "I'm here to help you..."

He paused, a barely perceptible sarcasm in his tone, "And, I bring you a piece of news, a piece of news that could change everything..."

The mysterious man's sudden appearance, his voice like the cry of an owl, was particularly piercing in the stillness of the night. Everyone's heart tightened, and they gripped their weapons warily. Even the usually calm Ren Xiaoyao couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Who are you? Why are you visiting so late at night?" Ren Xiaoyao stepped forward, his gaze sharp, trying to see through the other person's true intentions. However, the mysterious man's face, hidden behind the mask, remained blurry and unclear, making it difficult to understand.

The mysterious man chuckled, and there seemed to be a hint of sarcasm and disdain in his laughter. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I know what you are doing and what you are about to face." His tone was low and hoarse, as uncomfortable as the friction of sandpaper.

"What do you know?" Princess Xu couldn't help but ask, with a hint of anxiety and uneasiness in her tone.

The mysterious man ignored Princess Xu and turned his gaze to Ren Xiaoyao, saying slowly: "Do you think that finding the sealed place can solve the crisis? How naive!" There was a strong sense of sarcasm in his tone, as if he was mocking their ignorance and stupidity.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled. This mysterious man was obviously well aware of their plan, but was he a friend or foe? "What exactly do you want to say?" He suppressed his uneasiness and asked in a cold voice.

"I'm here to tell you that everything you've done is in vain." The mysterious man's tone was icy, like a chilling wind from the Netherworld, chilling people to the bone. "The true crisis is far more terrifying than you can imagine."

"That's nonsense!" Lord Ma shouted angrily, "We've already found a solution to the problem. Don't try to deceive the people with your lies!"

The mysterious man ignored Lord Ma's anger and continued, "You think you can seal the demon god by opening the seal? Ridiculous! Do you know what is sealed under this seal?"

"What do you know?" Ren Xiaoyao felt an uneasy premonition in his heart. This mysterious man seemed to have some key information.

The mysterious man raised his lips slightly, revealing a strange smile. "I know... a secret, a secret that can change everything..." He paused deliberately, his eyes sweeping across the crowd, finally stopping at Ren Xiaoyao, "A secret about..."