Rise of the Otherworld.

The deep roar echoed through the cave, making everyone's ears ring. Zhang Hao stopped and signaled for silence. His eyes were filled with vigilance, and he gripped his sword tightly, as if ready for a fierce battle at any moment.

"That voice doesn't sound like a good one. Everyone, be careful," Zhang Hao said in a low voice. His voice was exceptionally clear in the silent cave, yet it carried a hint of nervousness.

Everyone nodded and followed him nervously, moving deeper into the cave, taking each step carefully, fearing to alert the unknown danger.

The light in the cave grew dimmer, and only the faint magical light in Lingyu's hand could illuminate the way. The light flickered in the darkness, as if it would go out at any moment. The surrounding walls were damp, and the occasional drop of water made a crisp sound, which was particularly abrupt in the silent cave.

"Look, there's light ahead," the woman said, pointing ahead. There was a hint of surprise in her voice, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

Everyone quickened their pace towards the light, and as they got closer, they discovered a pile of luminescent minerals. The minerals emitted a strange light, illuminating a small area around them like daylight.

"Don't move, it might be dangerous," the old man warned. His voice was steady and serious, and his eyes were fixed on the pile of ore, as if he was thinking about something.

At that moment, a massive python darted out from behind the ore. Its massive body almost filled the entire passageway, its scales gleaming with a cold light, like sharp blades. Its eyes gleamed with a chilling light that sent shivers down your spine.

"Oh no! It's a python!" the mysterious man exclaimed. His voice was filled with fear, and his body involuntarily took a few steps back.

The python opened its bloody mouth and lunged at the group. The fishy wind that spewed from its mouth made people feel nauseous. Zhang Hao dodged to the side and swung his sword at the python's body. However, the python's scales were extremely hard, and the sword only left a shallow mark.

The woman quickly cast a spell, sending beams of light shooting towards the python. The beams, as bright as shooting stars, were ineffective due to the python's agile dodging. The python's movements were swift and agile, making them difficult to predict.

Ling Yu quickly threw out a talisman, trying to restrain the python's movements. The talisman transformed into golden rays of light in the air, wrapping around the python's body. But the python struggled hard and broke the talisman.

The old man chanted a spell, casting a defensive spell on everyone. A faint light enveloped everyone, giving them a sense of security.

The python twisted its body in anger, its tail sweeping across. Like a giant steel whip, it carried a whirring sound. Everyone dodged, and the gravel in the cave was scattering everywhere.

"Attack its vital point!" Zhang Hao shouted. His voice echoed in the cave, instantly letting everyone know the target of the attack.

Everyone gathered their strength and attacked the python's vital point. Zhang Hao's sword struck the python like lightning, and the mysterious man's dagger followed closely behind. The woman's magical light and Ling Yu's talisman shot towards the python's vital point.

After a fierce struggle, the python was finally defeated and collapsed to the ground. Its body kept twitching and gradually became motionless.

"Finally solved." The mysterious man breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground. His face was covered in sweat, and his clothes were torn in several places by the python's attack.

"Don't relax too soon, keep moving forward," Zhang Hao said. He still looked ahead vigilantly, knowing that in this unknown cave, danger could strike at any time.

They continued to go deeper into the cave, encountering various traps along the way. Some were traps where the ground suddenly collapsed, some were poisonous arrows shot from the walls, and some were rolling stones hidden in the dark.

But with everyone's concerted efforts, they were all resolved one by one. Zhang Hao relied on his keen intuition to avoid one trap after another, the woman used magic to destroy the core of the mechanism, Lingyu's talisman warned everyone of the impending danger, and the old man's experience also played an important role at the critical moment.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a stone gate appeared in front of them. The stone gate was tall and heavy, and was covered with strange runes and patterns.

"Behind this stone gate may be the ruins we are looking for," the old man said. There was a hint of anticipation in his voice, and his eyes were fixed on the stone gate.

Zhang Hao walked forward, carefully observing the stone door, trying to find a way to open it. His fingers gently touched the runes on the stone door, feeling the power contained within.

"Let's look together to see if there is any mechanism or switch." Zhang Hao said.

Everyone dispersed and carefully searched for clues around the stone gate. The woman found a raised stone next to the stone gate. She pressed it gently, but there was no response.

Lingyu found a small hole at the bottom of the stone door. She stuffed the talisman into it, but there was still no movement.

Just when everyone felt helpless, the little girl suddenly shouted, "Look, there is a pattern there that looks like something on our body."

Everyone looked in the direction the little girl pointed, and saw a circular pattern on the stone gate, which was very similar to the jade pendant they had obtained earlier...