Rise of the Otherworld.

After entering the secret passage, they didn't dare to stop and kept running forward. The secret passage was filled with a damp smell, and water droplets from the walls dripped onto them, making them feel cold. In the darkness, they could only rely on their weak senses to grope forward. The ground under their feet was uneven and they could fall if they were not careful. Zhang Hao was panting, trying to endure the pain from his wounds. Every step he took seemed extremely difficult, but his eyes remained firm. "Everyone, be careful and don't fall behind." His voice echoed in the narrow secret passage with a slight tremor.

The woman's steps were a little unsteady, her physical strength was seriously overdrawn, "I... I can't hold on any longer." Her voice was full of fatigue and despair. Her originally beautiful face now looked extremely pale, and beads of sweat on her forehead slid down her cheeks.

While supporting the woman, the old man encouraged her, "Hold on a little longer, we will definitely be able to escape." Although his voice was hoarse, it was full of strength and brought a glimmer of hope to the woman.

The herbalist followed behind, screaming in fear from time to time, "Are there any monsters in this secret passage?" His voice trembled and his body kept shaking, as if he would be swallowed by fear in the next second.

The mysterious man walked at the end, alert to whether there were any men in black chasing him. His eyes were sharp, like a hawk in the night, not missing a single movement.

Suddenly, a squeaking sound came from the front, and everyone was startled.

"What is it?" The little girl clutched the corner of Zhang Hao's clothes tightly. Her voice was filled with tears and her small body kept shaking.

A flock of bats flew overhead, frightening the herbalist so much that he collapsed to the ground. "Oh my god, I'm so scared!" His face turned pale, his eyes filled with fear.

"It's just a bat. Don't be afraid. Keep going," the mysterious man said. His voice was calm and steady, which made everyone feel a little more at ease.

They continued walking, one foot deep and one foot shallow, and after an unknown amount of time, three forked roads appeared in front of them. The forked roads were filled with a mysterious and strange atmosphere that made people shudder.

"Which way should I go?" Zhang Hao looked at the three forked roads and fell into deep thought. His brows were furrowed, his eyes filled with hesitation and confusion.

The old man said, "How about we go our separate ways?" There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, and it was obvious that he himself was not very sure about this suggestion.

"No, it's too dangerous," the woman objected immediately. Her voice was firm. "We can't separate. If we separate, we won't be able to look after each other if danger strikes."

Just as they were hesitating, they heard the sound of a man in black approaching from behind. The sound was getting closer and closer, like the footsteps of death approaching.

"There's no time left, just pick one!" The mysterious man made a quick decision and pointed to the fork in the middle. "Let's go!"

Everyone had no choice but to follow him into the middle fork. The fork was filled with a pungent odor that made it difficult to breathe. The smell was like a mixture of rotting corpses and poisonous herbs, making it nauseating.

"This smell... isn't right," Zhang Hao said. His voice was filled with caution, and he gripped the sword even tighter.

Before he could finish his words, the ground suddenly began to tremble, and a massive scorpion crawled out of the darkness. Its body was enormous, as huge as a small mountain, and its pincers flashed with a cold light, as if they could easily cut a person in two. Its eyes flashed red, filled with murderous intent and bloodshed.

"Be careful!" the mysterious man shouted. His voice instantly broke everyone's fear and brought them back to their senses.

Zhang Hao raised his sword and rushed towards the scorpion, "Everyone, find a chance to run!" His voice was full of determination, as if he was ready to sacrifice himself.

The scorpion swung its pincers and attacked Zhang Hao. Zhang Hao dodged flexibly, and each dodge was extremely dangerous, but he still did not retreat and started a desperate fight with the scorpion.

The woman took the opportunity to cast magic, attempting to disrupt the scorpion's movements. Beams of magical light shot towards the scorpion, slowing its movements slightly.

The old man also waved his staff to provide support to Zhang Hao. The staff flickered with mysterious light, transforming into streams of power that infused Zhang Hao's body.

With everyone's concerted efforts, the scorpion was finally repelled. It roared in despair and disappeared into the darkness.

They continued running forward and finally saw a ray of light ahead.

"It's the exit!" the herbalist shouted excitedly. His voice was full of hope, as if he had seen the dawn of life.

However, when they ran to the exit, they found a cliff outside. The cliff was bottomless, shrouded in mist, and a cold wind blew, making people shudder.

"What...what should I do?" the woman said in despair.

Zhang Hao was looking at the cliff, lost in thought. At this moment, the voice of the man in black came from behind him...