Rise of the Otherworld.

Everyone ran for their lives along the crumbling cliff face, the ground beneath their feet trembling violently like a mad beast, as if at any moment a bottomless abyss would open up and devour them mercilessly. The incessant roar was like thunder exploding in their ears, jarring their eardrums. Debris whistled down from above like dense artillery shells, splashing the ground and sending up clouds of dust. For a moment, the world seemed shrouded in a thick layer of smoke and dust, and vision became extremely blurred.

Zhang Hao ran at full speed, frequently looking back. He saw the once towering, solid cliffs collapsing at an alarming rate. Large swathes of mountain collapsed like a bursting dam, stirring up clouds of dust that obscured the sky and the sun, a scene of doomsday. "Everyone, watch out! Don't get hit by rocks!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was faint amid the roar of the landslide, yet it carried an undeniable resolve.

Lingyu's body was nimble and agile, like an agile monkey darting through the woods, dodging and twisting amidst the constantly rolling rubble. His eyes were sharp, always alert to the dangers around him. Sometimes he would sidestep like a ghost to avoid flying rocks, his movements light and swift; sometimes he would leap quickly, precisely avoiding the sudden cracks under his feet. However, danger always comes inadvertently. Suddenly, a rock the size of a millstone fell like a meteorite from the sky, smashing towards the woman. Seeing this, Lingyu's heart tightened, and without hesitation, he rushed over like an arrow from a bow, stretched out his powerful arms, and pushed the woman away. The falling rock brushed Lingyu's shoulder and hit the ground hard, creating a deep crater and splashing dust in his face.

"Lingyu, are you okay?" the woman asked anxiously, her eyes full of worry and concern, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm fine, let's go!" Ling Yu said gritting his teeth. The severe pain from his shoulder made his face turn pale as paper in an instant, but he knew that he could not stay at this moment. He endured the pain, pulled the woman up and continued to run for his life.

The mysterious man and the old man were also struggling to escape. As the mysterious man ran, he rapidly formed hand seals with his hands, muttering something to himself. Mysterious runes flew from his fingertips, rapidly erecting a transparent shield above everyone's heads, like an invisible sky, shielding them from the relentless falling debris. The shield, struck by the rocks, made a dull thud, as if ready to shatter at any moment. Tiny cracks appeared on its surface, spreading like a spider web.

"This shield won't last long, we have to leave here as soon as possible!" the mysterious man shouted, with a hint of anxiety and helplessness in his voice.

Zhang Hao was terrified, his eyes scanning the surroundings like an eagle. Suddenly, he spotted a cave ahead, its entrance half-hidden by boulders, a mysterious helping hand reaching out from the darkness. "There's a cave ahead! Let's take shelter there!" He pointed at the cave and shouted at the top of his voice, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

Upon hearing this, the fire of survival ignited in everyone's eyes, and they quickened their pace. However, the collapse of the cliff intensified, as if the earth's wrath had reached its peak. More debris poured down like a torrential rain, each one carrying deadly force. The mysterious man's shield finally succumbed to the weight. With a "crack," like shattering glass, it dissipated into countless flashes of light and vanished into the air. A piece of debris grazed the old man's arm, the sharp edge like a knife, leaving a deep wound. Blood immediately flowed out, staining his sleeve red.

"Old man, you are hurt!" the woman exclaimed, her voice full of worry.

"Don't worry about me, just go!" The old man gritted his teeth, enduring the pain and saying, with determination in his eyes.

Just as they were about to reach the cave, a massive rock fell before them. The mass of the rock, resembling a small hill, almost completely blocked their path. Zhang Hao was terrified, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He quickly gathered his spiritual energy, channeling all his strength into the sword in his hand. With a loud shout, he slashed at the rock. However, the rock merely swayed slightly, making a dull sound, but remained intact.

"Everyone, work together to push it open!" Zhang Hao shouted, his voice filled with a determination to fight to the death.

Everyone gathered around, ignoring their fatigue, and worked together to push the rock. They gritted their teeth, their facial muscles contorted with effort, and sweat streamed down their cheeks. With their combined efforts, the rock finally moved slowly, making a dull grinding sound and revealing a gap barely wide enough to pass through.

"Hurry, go through here!" Zhang Hao urged.

Everyone passed through the gap one by one and entered the cave. As soon as they entered, they heard a deafening roar behind them, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth was splitting. The cave entrance was completely blocked by fallen debris, and the dust that was kicked up filled the cave, making everyone cough.

The cave was pitch black, pitch dark, and filled with a damp, decaying odor, as if it had been sealed for a thousand years. Everyone collapsed on the ground, exhausted, gasping for breath. After this life-or-death escape, their strength was completely drained, and each of them felt like they had just experienced a nightmare.

"Fortunately, we hid in here in time." Zhang Hao said, his voice echoing in the cave, with a hint of relief at surviving the disaster.

"Yes, it was really thrilling this time." Ling Yu responded, with fatigue still in his voice.

However, before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, they heard a strange noise coming from deep within the cave. The sound echoed in the darkness, like countless giant snakes wriggling, or some unknown giant beast slowly approaching, a terrifying sound...