Rise of the Otherworld.

As the mysterious voice faded, everyone felt their surroundings shift again. They were instantly in a blazing desert, scorched by the heat. The sand beneath their feet was scorching. The scorching sun pierced their skin like sharp swords.

"This second stage is such a harsh environment," the herbalist complained. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, but found it was already soaked. His face was sunburned, his lips were chapped, and his eyes revealed a hint of despair.

Zhang Hao stared at the endless desert, his brow furrowed. "Everyone, save your energy and find a way out." His voice was firm and powerful, trying to bring a glimmer of hope to everyone. His clothes clung to his body, and sweat continued to flow, but his eyes remained firmly fixed on the front.

The woman took arduous steps, leaving deep footprints in the sand with each step. "This sand is too hot! My feet can't bear it anymore," she cried, tears welling in her eyes. Her skirt was ruffled by the wind and sand, and her fair skin was sunburned.

The black-robed man cast a spell, attempting to create a cooling barrier around them. However, in the scorching heat, the spell had little effect. His mana was rapidly depleting, and his face grew increasingly pale. "This damn place, my spell won't last much longer."

The old man gasped and said, "We can't walk around blindly. We have to observe the wind direction and the trend of the sand dunes." He squinted his eyes, trying to distinguish the surrounding environment, and kept gesturing on the sand with the staff in his hand.

At this moment, a strong wind suddenly blew up in the distance, sweeping up dust all over the sky, forming a huge sandstorm that swept towards them. The sandstorm was like a roaring dragon, baring its fangs and claws, covering the sky and the sun.

"Oh no! Find someplace to hide!" Zhang Hao shouted. His voice was so small in the strong wind, but it was full of anxiety.

Everyone looked around, but found no place to hide. There was only the endless desert and flying dust.

Zhang Hao made up his mind: "Everyone, form a circle, stand back to back, and resist this sandstorm together!" His eyes were full of determination, as if he was ready to fight the sandstorm to the death.

The sandstorm was getting closer and closer, and the roaring sound was like the roar of a wild beast, which made people tremble with fear. The strong wind mixed with sand and stones, hitting their faces painfully.

When the sandstorm hit, everyone felt a massive force crashing down upon them, as if it was about to tear them apart. Zhang Hao gritted his teeth, holding on tightly, trying not to let the storm blow them apart. His body trembled in the strong wind, but his hands held tightly to the people around him.

The woman groaned in pain: "I can't hold on any longer!" Her voice was drowned out by the strong wind and was almost inaudible.

The herbalist shouted, "Come on, everyone, don't give up!" His voice was hoarse, but full of strength.

During this difficult moment, the old man suddenly discovered that there seemed to be some patterns in the sandstorm.

"Everyone, follow me and move towards the direction where the sandstorm is weaker!" the old man shouted. His voice trembled with the effort, but it gave everyone a clear direction.

Led by the old man, the group struggled forward in the sandstorm. Every step was filled with hardship, as the strong wind constantly pulled them and the sand and rocks continuously hit them.

After a great struggle, they finally broke out of the sandstorm and collapsed to the ground exhausted, gasping for breath as if they had just escaped from hell.

"This is just the beginning. We don't know what awaits us next." The black-robed man looked up at the sky and said worriedly. His voice was filled with fatigue and helplessness.

Before they could catch their breath, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. The previously tranquil desert became like a turbulent sea, with sand dunes rising and falling one after another.

"What's going on?" the woman asked in horror.

Zhang Hao quickly got up and observed the situation around him: "Oh no, there might be something underground."

At this moment, a huge crack appeared in the ground, and a powerful suction force came from the crack, trying to drag them underground.

"Everyone hold on to each other and don't let go!" Zhang Hao shouted loudly.

Everyone held each other's hands tightly, fighting against the suction.

The crack grew larger and larger, and the suction became stronger and stronger. Their bodies moved closer to the crack little by little...