Rise of the Otherworld.

The room fell silent again, and the atmosphere became even more oppressive. Everyone's eyes were focused on the plate of food, their hearts filled with doubt and vigilance.

Zhang Hao carefully examined the food, trying to discern any clues. "This food looks normal, but in this situation, we can't let our guard down," he whispered. His brow furrowed, his eyes fixed on the food, as if he could see through it.

The woman nodded slightly. "Yes, who knows if this is a trap." Her eyes revealed a hint of worry. She subconsciously pulled the little girl to her side, shielding her with her body.

The old man stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "Perhaps we can give it a try first." As he spoke, he took out a small bottle from his pocket, poured some powder into it, and sprinkled it on the food. The powder seemed to disappear without a trace the moment it touched the food.

Everyone stared at it nervously, but after a while, there was no abnormal reaction to the food.

"Is it really just ordinary food?" the herbalist asked doubtfully. He scratched his head, his face full of confusion.

At this moment, the little girl suddenly said, "I don't feel right." Her voice was childish, but it made everyone's heart tighten. Her face was tense, and her eyes held a seriousness that didn't match her age.

The man in black robe frowned. "Perhaps this child's intuition is correct." His eyes moved back and forth between the little girl and the food.

Zhang Hao stood up and said, "Anyway, let's not eat yet. Let's observe for a while." He paced back and forth in the room, thinking about various possibilities in his mind.

Time passed by minute by minute, and the silence in the room was suffocating. Every breath seemed particularly clear, and the air seemed to grow heavier.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside, as if something had happened in the castle. The sound came from far away, mixed with shouts and footsteps.

"What happened?" The woman looked towards the door nervously. Her hands tightly held the little girl's, her palms full of sweat.

Zhang Hao opened the door cautiously and saw soldiers running hurriedly down the corridor, their movements very light, fearing to attract unnecessary attention.

He grabbed a soldier and asked, "What's going on?"

The soldier glanced at him and said hurriedly, "A spy has been found in the castle and we are searching." Then he broke free from Zhang Hao's hand and ran away.

Zhang Hao closed the door and said to everyone with a serious expression: "The situation has become more complicated." His voice was low, as if he was suffocated by this sudden change.

The old man sighed, "It seems we are in a dangerous situation." His eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and worry.

At this moment, the food gave off a faint odor. The odor was very faint at first, but it became more and more obvious as time went by.

"There's something wrong!" the black-robed man said. His face darkened, and he secretly thanked himself for not eating the food so easily.

Everyone felt increasingly uneasy, not knowing what kind of danger they would face next.

The woman hugged the little girl tightly and said softly, "Don't be afraid, child."

The little girl nodded sensibly, "I'm not afraid."

The herbalist said anxiously, "We have to find a way to leave here."

Zhang Hao pondered for a moment. "The situation outside is unclear right now. If we act rashly, it might be even more dangerous. Let's wait and see."

Just then, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and the footsteps stopped at the door.

Everyone's heart instantly rose to their throat...