Rise of the Otherworld.

Standing before the stone gate, everyone felt as if at the center of a mysterious vortex, their gaze drawn by invisible threads, fixed on the runes. The runes shimmered with a strange light, like the faint shadows of distant stars, or like the mysterious prophecies of ancient gods written in the darkness. The light flickered, sometimes brighter and sometimes dimmed, as if speaking an ancient spell, a voice that seemed to have spanned countless ages, yet remained elusive. It seemed to be warily observing these uninvited guests, emanating an untouchable majesty.

The mysterious man leaned forward slightly, slowly approaching the stone door, his eyes revealing a near-obsessive focus. His gaze, like a delicate scalpel, roamed over every line of the runes, attempting to find the key to unlocking the stone door. His fingers gently traced the runes, as if engaging in a silent dialogue with an ancient power. The surface of the runes warmed slightly, emitting a mysterious and powerful force that made his fingers tremble slightly. His brows sometimes furrowed tightly, forming a deep "chuan" shape, as if faced with an insurmountable problem; sometimes they relaxed, as if catching a fleeting inspiration, clearly striving to decipher the runes' hidden meaning.

Zhang Hao waited anxiously, his heart brimming with anxiety, like a volcano about to erupt. He paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at the mysterious man. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "How's it going? Can you figure out anything?" His voice, tinged with anticipation and a touch of anxiety, broke the silence.

The mysterious man slowly straightened up, shook his head helplessly, and a solemn expression appeared on his face. "These runes are more complicated than those I have seen before. They are like an intricate maze. They seem to contain multiple restrictions, and each restriction is intertwined with each other. If you touch them rashly, it may cause unpredictable danger if you are not careful." His voice was low and serious, as if sounding a warning to everyone.

Ling Yu, like a nimble cheetah, circled the stone door again and again, his gaze piercing, searching for flaws in its structure. He crouched down, carefully examining the junction between the stone door and the ground, then reached out to feel the edge, not missing a single detail. "This stone door fits perfectly, the craftsmanship breathtaking. Aside from these runes, there's no other obvious mechanism. It seems these runes are the key to unlocking the stone door." He stood up, dusted off his hands, and spoke with a hint of certainty.

The woman and the old man were also observing intently, their eyes revealing a wealth of knowledge and experience. The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice thick with the weight of time: "I have seen similar runes in ancient texts. They seem to be related to an ancient sealing technique. This sealing technique is extremely profound, requiring a specific spiritual power fluctuation to unlock its secrets. Perhaps, we need to find a matching spiritual power fluctuation to open this stone door."

The mysterious man's eyes lit up upon hearing this, as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness. "Now that you mention it, I think I have an idea. The spiritual power of the multicolored stone we obtained earlier seems to have some subtle connection with these runes. Perhaps it can trigger the right spiritual fluctuations to unlock the stone door." His eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation, as if he had already seen the secret hidden behind the stone door.

As he spoke, the mysterious man carefully took out the multicolored stone again. With his hands trembling slightly, he slowly brought it close to the rune on the stone gate. The multicolored stone shimmered with light, a light that shone like a spirit, interweaving with the light of the rune to form a brilliant, multicolored curtain of light. However, the stone gate remained motionless, like a silent mountain, as if mocking their efforts.

"It seems like something's missing," the mysterious man muttered to himself, a look of confusion on his face. He lowered his head in thought, trying to recall every detail, trying to find the key clue he had missed.

At that moment, Zhang Hao suddenly felt like he was struck by lightning, a flash of inspiration coming to his mind. He recalled the patterns on the passage's walls, those vivid depictions of battles and rituals. A flicker of excitement flashed in his eyes, and he exclaimed, "Could it be related to the patterns in the passage? Perhaps they're a clue. We need to follow a specific sequence to trigger the runes with the multicolored stones." His voice was filled with confidence and excitement, as if he had found the key to unlocking the stone gate.

Everyone agreed. They immediately lost themselves in their memories, trying to mentally capture every detail of the patterns on the passage's walls. After intense discussion and repeated deliberation, they settled on a rough order. The mysterious man took a deep breath, calming his excitement. Following this order, he again used the multicolored stones to approach the runes at different locations on the stone gate. His movements were cautious, each approach akin to a sacred ritual.

When the rune was triggered for the final time, the stone gate finally emitted a dull rumble, like the roar of a thousand-year-old beast awakening. Light spread from the rune like a tide, and the entire stone gate seemed to be illuminated, emitting a dazzling light. With a loud "boom," the sound was as shocking as an earthquake. The stone gate slowly opened, and a wave of heat rushed towards them, carrying with it a spiritual energy so rich that it seemed to condense into substance. The heat wave seemed to melt everything, and the spiritual energy aura made them feel as if they were in an ocean of spiritual power, with endless power.

Behind the door lay a vast cavern, a mysterious, forgotten world. The ceiling was studded with countless luminous crystals, like twinkling stars in the night sky, illuminating the entire cavern as bright as day. The crystals radiated a soft, brilliant light, interweaving with each other to create a dreamlike tapestry of light and shadow. In the center of the cavern stood a massive stone platform, crafted from an unknown black stone. Its surface, smooth as a mirror, reflected the surrounding light. Atop this platform sat an ancient tome radiating golden light, swirling with vortices of spiritual energy. These vortices, like agile dragons, swirled and danced, seemingly guarding this mysterious volume...