Rise of the Otherworld.

Metal bats clashed frantically against the rocks, their clatter echoing through the valley like a relentless drumbeat, rattling everyone's taut nerves. Each collision was accompanied by a trembling of metal and a sharp, unnerving cry. Zhang Hao stared at the endless stream of metal bats, his brow furrowed, knowing that this passive defense was not a long-term solution. His gaze, sharp as a torch, searched for weaknesses among the flying metal bats, his gaze revealing a steely determination.

Suddenly, he noticed that when the metal bats attacked, the connection between their wings and bodies was briefly exposed, making them relatively vulnerable. Though small, to Zhang Hao's keen gaze, it was like a ray of light in the darkness. "Everyone, listen up! Attack where their wings connect to their bodies. That might be their weak spot!" Zhang Hao shouted, his voice drowning out the metal bats' shrill cries, his voice filled with undeniable determination.

With that, he timed the moment a metal bat swooped down, infusing his longsword with spiritual energy. The blade shone brightly, like a flash of silver lightning, piercing the mist and piercing the weak spot with pinpoint accuracy. With a crisp "crack," the metal and spiritual energy collided, emitting a resounding sound. The metal bat's wings were pierced, instantly losing its balance and plummeting to the ground like a kite with its string cut, sending up a cloud of dust.

Upon hearing this, Ling Yu's eyes gleamed, and he quickly changed his attack. His hands danced like he was conducting a grand symphony, manipulating the wind blades like spinning saws, striking at the metal bats' weak points. The wind blades whistled through the air with a sharp whistling sound, slicing through the metal bats with a harsh, grinding sound, as if slicing the metal into shreds. Many of the metal bats were injured, their once nimble flight becoming sluggish, and they staggered through the air, as if drunk.

The mysterious man cast an earth-based spell, rapidly forming hand seals and muttering something. Amidst the swarm of metal bats, earthen walls rose from the ground, like solid barriers, imbued with the weight and strength of the earth. These walls temporarily blocked some of the metal bats' attack, giving the group a moment to breathe. Simultaneously, he carved runes into the walls. These runes shimmered with mysterious light, emitting powerful spiritual energy waves that sent approaching metal bats flying, disrupting the swarm's attack.

Under Lingyu's care, the woman's injuries began to improve. Her beautiful eyes were determined, and her hands formed sharp ice spikes. These spikes were thicker than before, gleaming with a cold light, as if condensed from the polar ice. With a powerful impact, like cannonballs, the ice spikes shot towards the metal bat's weak spot. The ice spikes pierced the metal bat's body, splashing ice shards. With the sound of metal breaking, the metal bat fell one after another.

The old man swung his staff, its tip blazing brightly as he unleashed his lightning spell once more. This time, however, he focused the force of the lightning into a single point, precisely manipulating it to create a long, slender, yet immensely powerful beam. Like a laser sword, the beam, with its destructive force, struck the metal bat's weak spot, instantly destroying it. The bat, struck, instantly reduced to a pile of scrap metal, scattered across the ground.

With everyone's concerted efforts, the number of metal bats gradually dwindled, and the swarm that once obscured the sky became sparse. However, just as everyone thought victory was within reach, a massive metal bat slowly emerged from the mist. Its appearance was like a dark cloud, bringing a new sense of oppression to the crowd. Its body was several times the size of an ordinary metal bat, and its wings, spread out like a vast black sail, appeared particularly ferocious in the mist. Its eyes gleamed with a fierce light, as if it could read everyone's fear.

"This should be the leader of these metal bats! Everyone, be careful!" Zhang Hao shouted, simultaneously boosting his spiritual power to its peak, emanating a powerful aura. Spiritual energy swirled around him like a burning flame, ready to take on new challenges at any moment.

The giant metal bat let out a deafening roar, a sound like rolling thunder that echoed through the valley, jarring everyone's eardrums. With a fierce flap of its wings, a powerful hurricane swept towards them. The hurricane swept up countless pieces of rubble and metal, like a deadly storm, with astonishing power. The rubble and metal fragments spun at high speed in the hurricane, like sharp hidden weapons, striking at the crowd.

Everyone quickly cast spells to resist. Zhang Hao quickly condensed a spiritual shield before him, emitting a blue glow, like a sturdy fortress. The mysterious man manipulated the earth wall, which rose again, transforming into a solid line of defense. Ling Yu cast a wind barrier, attempting to offset the force of the hurricane. The woman quickly condensed an ice wall, crystal clear and emitting a chilling aura. The old man waved his staff, unleashing lightning to counteract the hurricane. Various spells intertwined, forming a colorful defensive network that collectively resisted the hurricane's impact.

"Hold on, we can't be defeated by it!" Zhang Hao said gritting his teeth, sweat dripping from his forehead, but his eyes remained firm, as if declaring their indomitable spirit to the giant metal bat.

Just as everyone was about to collapse, Lingyu suddenly noticed that when the giant metal bat flapped its wings, a glowing core would briefly appear on its chest. Like a star in the night sky, the core shimmered with a mysterious light beneath its metal shell. "Attack the core in its chest!" Lingyu shouted, his voice filled with surprise and eagerness.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately adjusted their attack direction. Zhang Hao concentrated all his spiritual energy, gathering all his strength and firing a spiritual sword energy at the giant metal bat's chest. The sword energy was like a silver streak, slicing through the air with a powerful impact. The mysterious man manipulated the earth wall, which instantly deformed into a giant earth spike, piercing the core with thunderous force. Ling Yu's wind blades flew towards the core like a swarm of angry bees. The woman's ice spikes were like rows of sharp arrows, shooting towards the core. The old man's lightning was not to be outdone, transforming into a thick lightning pillar and attacking the core.

Suddenly, a variety of powerful spells shimmered in the mist, like a grand fireworks display, all concentrated on the chest of the giant metal bat. The light illuminated the entire valley, and the metal bat leader seemed so small in the light, yet so tenacious...