Rise of the Otherworld.

Zhang Hao and others were forced to retreat step by step by the black shadows gathering behind them again, until they approached the mysterious stone door.

"Deal with these shadows first, then find a way to open this door!" Zhang Hao shouted, swinging his sword at the shadows. His movements were no longer as agile as before, and each strike seemed labored. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, streaming down his resolute face, and his breathing became heavy and rapid.

The woman gritted her teeth and cast another spell, a light flickering in the darkness, but her magic power was almost exhausted, and the power of the spell was far less than before. Her hands trembled slightly, her lips turned pale, but she still forced herself to release the last of her strength.

The black-robed man struggled to raise his staff, unleashing the last of his magical power to try and block the shadow's attack. His body teetered, as if he would collapse at any moment, but his eyes held an unyielding light.

The herbalist and the old man fought tooth and nail against the shadowy figure. The herbalist's tools became weapons, wielding them recklessly in an attempt to repel the approaching shadow. The old man, drawing on years of experience and wisdom, skillfully dodged the shadow's attacks and sought opportunities to strike back.

After a hard fight, the shadow was finally repelled, allowing everyone to catch their breath. Everyone was gasping for breath, as if all the strength had been drained from their bodies.

"There must be a way to open this stone door," the old man said, panting heavily, his eyes fixed on the runes on the stone door. His eyes were focused and deep, trying to find a clue from those complex runes.

Zhang Hao walked forward and touched the runes, trying to sense the fluctuations of power within them. "These runes seem to contain some kind of pattern." His brow furrowed, lost in thought.

The woman leaned in, observing closely. "Perhaps we need to trigger these runes in a specific order." Her voice was weak, yet held a glimmer of hope.

As they pondered, the shadow began to stir again, gradually approaching. The figure in the darkness was like a ghost, carrying an endless sense of oppression.

"There's no time left, let's try it together!" Zhang Hao said, his voice filled with urgency and determination.

Everyone placed their hands on the runes, attempting to trigger them according to their own guesses. However, repeated attempts ended in failure, and each failure made their hearts sink to the bottom. The shadows were getting closer and closer, and the low roars they emitted seemed like a countdown to death.

"Are we going to be trapped here?" the herbalist said in despair. His eyes were filled with fear and helplessness, and his voice was filled with tears.

At this moment, Zhang Hao suddenly discovered some subtle connections between the runes. "Try it in this order!" he instructed everyone. A spark of hope rekindled in his eyes.

Everyone activated the runes in the order Zhang Hao had specified. Suddenly, the stone door emitted a powerful light, instantly illuminating the entire passage and dispelling the darkness. As the stone door slowly opened, a powerful force surged from within, sucking everyone in.

When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a huge secret room. Around the room were various mysterious instruments and treasures. The instruments emitted a strange light, and the treasures were inlaid with dazzling gems, dazzling the eyes.

"This is..." The woman looked at everything in front of her in surprise. Her eyes were wide open, full of curiosity and surprise.

Before they could take a closer look, a deep voice suddenly echoed from the secret room. "Intruders, you will face the final test..." The voice seemed like a call from ancient times, carrying with it endless majesty and mystery.

Everyone's faces instantly became solemn. They knew that the real challenge might have just begun.

Zhang Hao looked around, searching for the source of the sound. "What test?" he asked loudly.

"In this secret room, there is a treasure of vital importance hidden, but it is also full of dangers and traps. You need to find the treasure and leave within the specified time, otherwise you will be trapped here forever." The voice sounded again, echoing in the secret room.

The woman nervously grasped the dagger, "What should I do?"

The black-robed man took a deep breath and said, "We can only explore carefully."

Everyone began to move forward cautiously in the secret room, each step filled with caution. The floor of the secret room was covered with complex patterns, and the walls were flashing with strange lights, making it difficult to tell the direction.

Suddenly, the pattern on the ground began to rotate, and flames shot out from the pattern.

"Be careful!" Zhang Hao shouted loudly.

Everyone dodged the fire attack and the scene was in chaos.

In the midst of this chaos, a giant mechanical puppet descended from the ceiling, waving its huge fist and attacking them...