Rise of the Otherworld.

The sound coming from deep within the passageway caused everyone's nerves, which had just relaxed, to tense up again. It sounded like a demon from the abyss, filled with endless resentment and evil. A deep roar echoed through the narrow passage, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

Zhang Hao struggled to his feet. His body was covered in wounds from the fierce battle with the python, and every movement brought excruciating pain. His clothes were tattered, blood staining large areas. "No matter what it is, we must face it," he said through gritted teeth, his voice piercing with determination. His eyes were firm, as if burning with an unyielding fire. Though his body was exhausted, his inner fighting spirit remained undimmed.

The woman's wounds were still bleeding, and her face grew paler, as white as paper. But her eyes still gleamed with a resolute glint, a light that held a desire to survive and a trust in her companions. "Well, we can't retreat." Her voice was weak but powerful. Her hand gripping the dagger trembled slightly, but she didn't relax at all.

The black-robed man leaned weakly against the wall, gasping for breath. His magic power was nearly exhausted, and the gemstone on his staff dimmed. "But we must prepare for the worst." His voice was filled with worry, and he gazed into the darkness ahead, his heart filled with fear of the unknown.

The herbalist and the old man also struggled to their feet, ready to face the impending unknown danger. The herbalist's bag of herbs had been damaged in the battle, and the precious herbs were scattered all over the ground, but he had no time to care. The old man's steps were unsteady, but he remained calm and composed.

They slowly walked toward the source of the sound. The darkness in the passage seemed alive, constantly straining against their defenses. With each step, the eerie sound grew clearer. It felt as if countless pairs of eyes were peering at them from the darkness, sending chills down their spines.

Suddenly, a cold wind whistled past, carrying with it a strong smell of blood. The smell was pungent and nauseating, like the breath of death.

"Be careful!" Zhang Hao warned loudly.

Before he could finish his words, a group of dark shadows emerged from the darkness and instantly surrounded them. These shadows were different from the ones they had encountered before. Their forms were more distorted, like souls tortured by pain. Their bodies were looming and exuding an even more sinister aura.

Zhang Hao swung his sword at the shadow, but this time, the sword seemed to strike into the void, with no force at all. His brow furrowed, and anxiety surged in his heart.

The woman cast a spell, illuminating the shadows with light, only to discover that they seemed to absorb the power of the spell. The light was swallowed up the moment it came into contact with the shadows, making them even more powerful.

"What on earth is this?" the herbalist cried out in fear. His voice trembled, his legs weakened, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

The old man frowned, thinking hard about a solution. "They might be the embodiment of some dark force. We must find a way to restrain them." His eyes darted between the shadows, his mind racing.

Just as everyone was in trouble, the black-robed figure discovered the shadows' pattern of movement. "They pause briefly when the light flashes!" His voice trembled with excitement.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately followed the black-robed man's instructions. Zhang Hao took advantage of the moment when the black shadow paused and thrust out a powerful sword. The blade flashed with a cold light, and finally the black shadow dissipated under the sword, turning into a wisp of black smoke.

The woman also concentrated her mind and released a powerful spell at the moment the light flashed. The light shot towards the shadows like an arrow, successfully repelling some of them.

After a tough fight, the number of shadows gradually decreased. However, everyone's physical strength and magic power were almost exhausted. Everyone was panting and sweating profusely.

"We can't stop, keep moving forward!" Zhang Hao shouted. His voice was hoarse but full of power, inspiring everyone to keep moving forward.

They dragged their exhausted bodies deeper into the tunnel. At this moment, the terrifying sound was close at hand, roaring right beside their ears. The atmosphere in the tunnel grew increasingly oppressive, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Suddenly, a huge stone door appeared in front of them, engraved with strange runes and patterns. The runes flashed with an eerie light, as if to stop them from moving forward.

"What is this?" the woman asked, her voice full of fatigue and helplessness.

Zhang Hao stepped forward and carefully observed the runes on the stone door. "Perhaps this is the final obstacle," he said, secretly thinking about how to open this door.

Just as they were thinking about countermeasures, the dark shadows behind them gathered again and pounced towards them...