Rise of the Otherworld.

Smelling the faint scent of blood, everyone's nerves tightened once again. The smell permeated the air, like an invitation to death, making people shudder.

Zhang Hao looked around vigilantly, "Be careful, there might be danger." His voice was low and serious, he gripped the sword tighter in his hand, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, not missing any slight movement.

They walked cautiously in the direction of the bloody smell, each step as light as a cat's, fearing to alert potential enemies. Not far away, they saw a body lying in the grass. The wounds on the body were horrifying, and the blood dyed the surrounding grass red.

The herbalist was so scared that he almost cried out, "Who... who is this?" His voice trembled, his legs involuntarily stepped back, and his face was full of fear and panic.

Zhang Hao stepped forward and examined the body. "It looks like one of our soldiers, recently deceased." His brow furrowed, his eyes revealing anger and confusion. The deceased's eyes were wide open, as if expressing his resentment and fear.

The old man frowned, "Could it be that he was killed because he discovered some important clues?" His voice was full of worry, and his fingers gently touched the wounds on the body, trying to find some clues from it.

The black-robed figure searched around the corpse and suddenly discovered a jade pendant with a distinctive marking. "This jade pendant... seems familiar," the black-robed figure pondered, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes as he tried to recall where he had seen this marking before.

Zhang Hao took the jade pendant and looked at it carefully, "I seem to have seen a similar mark in my previous investigation." His eyes were focused and his brain was working fast, trying to connect this mark with his previous experience.

At this moment, a noisy sound came from the distance. It was like the footsteps and whispers of a crowd, which seemed particularly abrupt in the silent environment.

"Oh no, something might be wrong," Zhang Hao said. His voice was hurried and nervous, and he reacted quickly.

Everyone quickly found a place to hide. They hid behind the nearby bushes, not daring to breathe, their heartbeats especially clear in this tense moment.

A group of people dressed in black hurried past, their movements were very secretive. They all had their faces covered, revealing only a pair of cold eyes, and they exuded an evil aura.

After the men in black left, Zhang Hao and the others came out.

"There's definitely something fishy about these men in black," the herbalist said, his voice filled with certainty, beads of sweat on his forehead from nervousness.

Zhang Hao nodded and said, "Let's follow them and see what they are up to." His eyes were firm and he was determined to solve the mystery.

So they quietly followed the man in black, carefully keeping their distance and trying not to make any noise.

The man in black walked into a remote valley, which was filled with thick fog, making it difficult to see the road ahead. The fog was like a thick curtain, shrouding everything in the valley in mystery.

Zhang Hao and the others moved forward cautiously, fearing they would be discovered by the men in black. They were extremely cautious with every step they took, as the ground beneath their feet was wet and muddy, and any carelessness would leave footprints.

Suddenly, a huge bird rushed out from the thick fog and attacked them. The bird spread its huge wings and attacked them with its sharp claws like blades.

Zhang Hao waved his sword to resist, "Everyone be careful!" His voice echoed in the empty valley.

The bird was incredibly powerful, and each of its attacks carried a powerful punch. Zhang Hao gradually began to feel the strain. His arms were numb from the shock, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

The old man quickly cast a spell, and a ray of light hit the flying bird, and the bird screamed and flew away.

They continued forward and finally saw the man in black stop in front of an ancient temple. The temple's walls were mottled and worn, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

"This temple looks quite old. I wonder what secrets are hidden inside." The herbalist whispered.

Zhang Hao made a silent gesture and said, "Let's observe the situation first."

At this moment, the temple gate slowly opened...