Rise of the Otherworld.

Everyone rested for a moment, their strength gradually recovering. Zhang Hao stood up and looked around. The shattered hall was filled with dust, and the monster's corpse lay beside it, looking particularly hideous. His clothes were tattered, and the wounds on his body still ached, but his eyes were firm and resolute.

"We can't stay here for long. We have to keep moving forward," Zhang Hao said, a hint of fatigue in his voice. His voice echoed in the silent space, sounding a little hoarse.

The woman nodded, gently wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. "I wonder what dangers lie ahead." Her eyes revealed a hint of worry, but more of a curiosity about the unknown and a desire to explore. Her hair was disheveled, her face dusty, but she remained beautiful.

The man in black robe took a deep breath and clenched the staff in his hand: "But no matter what, we must go on." His eyes were firm, and the gem on the staff flickered with a faint light, as if illuminating the way forward for them.

The herbalist stood up and dusted himself off: "Let's go, maybe the way out is just ahead." He had an optimistic smile on his face. Although he had just experienced a fierce battle, his attitude remained positive.

The old man walked in front, leading the group deeper into the hall. The passage was narrow and dark, with a faint light flickering on the walls, making people feel inexplicably depressed. The light flickered, as if it would go out at any moment.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew from the front, carrying with it a pungent smell that was like a mixture of rotting corpses and stale potions, making one nauseated.

"Be careful, this smell is wrong," the old man said cautiously, stopping in his tracks. His brow furrowed, his staff slightly raised, ready to respond to any danger.

Everyone covered their mouths and noses and moved forward cautiously. With every step, they could feel the odor growing stronger, as if it was about to swallow them up.

A huge stone gate appeared in front of them, with strange patterns and symbols carved on it. Those patterns and symbols were so intricate and confusing that it was hard to make sense of them.

"What is this?" The woman looked at the stone door, her heart full of doubts. She walked forward and reached out to touch the patterns, but was stopped by Zhang Hao in time.

"Be careful, there is a trap." Zhang Hao said.

Zhang Hao walked forward and carefully observed the patterns on the door: "Maybe this is a puzzle." His eyes were focused and his brain was working fast, trying to decipher the meaning of these patterns.

Just as everyone was thinking about how to open the stone door, the ground began to shake slightly. The shaking became stronger and stronger, as if something huge was stirring underground.

"Oh no, something's happening again!" the black-robed man shouted, his voice filled with tension and anxiety.

Everyone's faces instantly became solemn. They huddled together tightly, observing their surroundings vigilantly.

The cracks in the ground grew larger and larger, and some black liquid gushed out from the cracks. The liquid emitted a foul odor, making people feel nauseous.

"What is this?" asked the herbalist.

"I don't know, but it's definitely not a good thing." said the old man.

Suddenly, a huge tentacle stretched out from the crack and swept towards everyone.

"Get out of the way!" Zhang Hao shouted loudly.

Everyone quickly dispersed, dodging the tentacles' attack. The tentacles waved in the air, bringing up a gust of wind.

Zhang Hao swung his sword at the tentacles, but the surface of the tentacles was extremely hard and the sword only left a shallow mark on it.

"This won't work. We must find its weakness!" said the woman.

Just when everyone was in trouble, the man in black robe discovered a red spot on the tentacle.

"Attack that spot!" shouted the man in black robe.

Everyone focused their attacks on that spot, and after a fierce battle, the tentacles finally retracted.

But at this moment, the ground shook even more violently...