Rise of the Otherworld.

The group slowly advanced through this fog-filled maze, each step filled with the fear of the unknown. Zhang Hao walked in front, sword in hand, ready to deal with any danger. His eyes were focused and alert, his brow slightly furrowed, as he struggled to find his way in this hazy world.

"Everyone, be careful and don't get separated." Zhang Hao's voice seemed vague in the fog. His voice was not loud, but it carried a reassuring power.

The woman followed closely behind him, the magic wand in her hand flickering with a faint light. The light seemed so weak in the thick fog, as if it would be swallowed by the darkness at any moment. The little girl clung tightly to the corner of the woman's clothes, her eyes filled with fear. Her face was pale, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she would cry at any moment.

Lingyu and the old man stood at the back, observing their surroundings warily. The mysterious man, frozen into an ice sculpture, had just thawed out and was still very weak, but he forced himself to follow the group. His steps were a little unsteady, his face still as pale as paper, but his eyes shone with determination.

Suddenly, a strange sound of wind passed by my ears. The sound was sharp and shrill, making people feel creepy.

"What's that sound?" the little girl asked tremblingly. Her voice was filled with tears, and her small body curled up into a ball.

"Don't be afraid, it's probably just the wind." The woman comforted her, but her voice was trembling. She held the little girl in her arms, trying to give her some warmth and security.

At this moment, several forks in the road appeared ahead. The forks were shrouded in thick fog, and the ends of each road were unclear.

"Which way should I go?" Ling Yu frowned. His eyes scanned back and forth between the several forked roads, trying to find some clues.

Zhang Hao carefully observed each fork in the road, trying to find some clue. The tracks on the ground were blurry, and there were no obvious markings on the walls. "Wait a minute, let me think about it." His mind raced, considering various possibilities.

The old man stepped forward, squatting to examine the tracks. His fingers gently touched the ground, a thoughtful expression on his face. "There are more footprints this way. Perhaps this is the right path." The old man's voice was tinged with uncertainty, but in this moment of uncertainty, this was the only clue they had.

Everyone decided to follow the old man's advice and walked into the fork in the road. The road was narrow and winding, and the walls on both sides were wet, with water dripping from time to time.

After walking for a while, they found that the fog around them was getting thicker and thicker, and they could hardly see each other clearly. The fog seemed to have life, constantly surging and surrounding them tightly.

"This won't do. We have to find a way to dispel this fog," Zhang Hao said. There was a hint of anxiety in his voice, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the sword.

The woman tried to cast a spell, but the mist seemed to resist with some force, and the spell had no effect. Sweat beads appeared on her forehead, and the magic light instantly dissipated in the mist.

"Let me try." Ling Yu formed seals with her hands, muttering something to herself. A burst of light emanated from her hands, but it only briefly dispersed the mist before quickly gathering again. The light struggled within the mist for a moment before being swallowed by the darkness.

"This fog is so strange," the mysterious man said. His voice was weak and hoarse, and his body couldn't help but tremble.

Just when everyone was at their wit's end, Zhang Hao suddenly discovered some strange symbols on the wall. Those symbols were like ancient writings, twisted and mysterious.

"These symbols may be clues," Zhang Hao said, his eyes fixed on the symbols, trying to decipher their meaning.

Everyone gathered around and studied the symbols carefully, their faces filled with confusion and anticipation.

After some discussion, they seemed to have discovered some patterns: these symbols seemed to be related to the distance and direction they had traveled.

"According to this pattern, we should go this way," Zhang Hao said, pointing to a fork in the road. There was a hint of hope in his voice, and his eyes were filled with renewed fighting spirit.

They set out again, praying that they could find the exit this time. They took every step carefully, fearing they would get lost again.

However, fate did not seem to want to let them off easily. As they walked, they found that the road ahead was blocked by a huge stone gate.

"This is another difficult hurdle." The woman sighed.

Zhang Hao walked forward and carefully examined the stone gate. There were some complicated patterns carved on the stone gate, which made people confused.

"Let's look for a mechanism to open the stone door." Zhang Hao said.

Everyone dispersed and searched carefully around the stone gate.

At this moment, a low roar came from behind the stone door...