Rise of the Otherworld.

Zhang Hao and the herbalist stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the strange footprints on the grass. A sense of unease welled up in their hearts. The sunlight shone on the grass, making the footprints appear exceptionally clear, as if telling a story unknown to them.

The footprints were of varying sizes and irregular shapes, seemingly unhuman. Zhang Hao squatted down and carefully observed the footprints, his brow furrowed. His fingers gently touched the dirt around the edges of the footprints, sensing the hidden message within.

"What could have left this behind?" the herbalist asked in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with fear, and he unconsciously hid behind Zhang Hao. His body trembled slightly, as if the unknown fear had already enveloped him tightly.

Zhang Hao shook his head. "I'm not sure, but judging from the shape and depth of the footprints, the thing that left them must be quite large and powerful." His voice was low and calm, trying to calm the panicked herbalist.

They walked cautiously in the direction of the footprints, each step filled with caution. The grass beneath their feet was soft and felt like it would sink at any moment. The further they walked, the more uneasy they felt.

Suddenly, a breeze blew by, bringing with it a pungent odor. It was like the smell of a rotting animal carcass mixed with some herbal odor, a sickening smell. Zhang Hao stopped in his tracks, alert. "Be careful, something's happening." His voice was low, but it reached the herbalist's ears clearly.

The herbalist gripped the stick tightly in his hand, his eyes darting around. His heartbeat was so rapid it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the grass ahead. The sound grew closer and clearer, as if something huge was approaching them. Zhang Hao and the herbalist stood back to back, staring ahead vigilantly. Their breathing became rapid, and sweat continued to drip from their foreheads.

With a swish, a massive beast leaped out of the brush. It resembled a tiger, but with a pair of enormous wings. Its fur was like flaming flames, and from its mouth spewed a stream of blazing fire. The flames instantly ignited the surrounding grass, creating a sea of ​​fire.

"Ah!" The herbalist collapsed to the ground in fear, his face as pale as paper and his eyes full of despair.

Zhang Hao quickly pulled the herbalist behind him, raised his sword, and prepared to fight. His eyes were firm and fearless, and he did not flinch in the face of this sudden danger.

The beast lunged at them, claws and fangs bared, stirring up a gust of wind. Zhang Hao dodged to the side and struck the beast with his sword. However, the blow didn't do much damage to the beast; instead, it enraged it. The beast's eyes grew even redder, and the flames from its mouth shot out even more fiercely.

The beast roared and lunged at Zhang Hao again. Its speed was as swift as a flash of lightning. Zhang Hao nimbly maneuvered with the beast, searching for its weakness. His body moved swiftly across the grass, leaving a trail of afterimages.

The herbalist recovered from his shock and picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the beast. The stone hit the beast, and although it did not cause any substantial damage, it successfully distracted the beast.

The beast was distracted by the stone, and Zhang Hao took advantage of the opportunity to stab it in the eye. Black blood gushed from the beast's eye, and it roared in pain, a deafening sound. It turned and fled into the grass, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

"Huh, I finally got rid of it." Zhang Hao breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His arms ached from nervousness, and his heartbeat hadn't yet calmed down.

The herbalist got up from the ground, his legs still shaking. "Let's get out of here quickly." His voice was tinged with tears, and he was still frightened by the experience he had just had.

Zhang Hao nodded, "Well, it's not advisable to stay here for long."

They continued to move forward, hoping to find a way out of this mysterious place as soon as possible. Along the way, their nerves were still tense, not daring to relax at all.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, they came to a stream. The water was so clear that you could see the bottom, and fish were swimming happily in the water.

"Maybe we can follow the stream and maybe find an exit." Zhang Hao said.

The herbalist didn't answer, but nodded silently.

As they moved along the stream, the clear chirping of birds seemed to guide them. However, they did not know that there were more unknowns and dangers waiting for them ahead...