Rise of the Otherworld.

As they continued deeper into the valley, the surroundings were eerily silent, as if the entire world had been muted. Aside from the gentle echo of their footsteps on the ground, there was no other sound. The silence enveloped them like an invisible net, leaving them feeling a sense of unease. The mist gradually thinned, like a slowly fading veil, and a clearing slowly emerged ahead. The ground was covered with intricate runes, like ancient codes, emitting a mysterious glow that seemed to tell the story of the ages.

Zhang Hao was the first to crouch down, his eyes gleaming with concentration and curiosity as he carefully examined the runes, attempting to find clues to the mystery. "These runes seem to tell an ancient story, but the precise meaning requires further study," he said, his brow furrowed slightly, a hint of doubt and thought in his tone.

The mysterious man hurried over to decipher the runes with Zhang Hao. Their gazes wandered from one rune to the next, their brows furrowed, their expressions shone with realization. After much effort, they finally discovered that the runes converged at the center of the empty space. Filled with anticipation and curiosity, they slowly moved toward the center. There, they saw a large circular stone platform, engraved with a star map. The stars on the map shimmered faintly, their light like distant heartbeats, echoing with the stars in the sky, forming a bridge across time and space.

"This star map looks very important. Maybe it is the key to opening the entrance to the ruins." The mysterious man's voice was filled with excitement and certainty. His eyes were fixed on the star map, as if he wanted to see through all the mysteries in it.

At that moment, Ling Yu's keen eyes spotted a few stars on the star map that shone brighter than the others, like the most dazzling gems in the night sky. "Look, these stars seem a little special," he said, pointing to them on the star map, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Everyone looked in the direction Ling Yu pointed. Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he said, "Perhaps we need to input the corresponding spiritual power according to the position of these stars."

Following Zhang Hao's prediction, everyone gathered their spiritual energy and carefully channeled it into the corresponding star runes. As the spiritual energy slowly poured in, the light on the star map grew brighter and brighter, as if long-dormant stars were awakened. The entire stone platform began to vibrate slightly, the tremors beating rhythmically like the earth's pulse. Then, a portal slowly rose from the platform, engraved with strange patterns. These patterns resembled mysterious symbols, exuding an ancient yet powerful aura, as if revealing the endless mysteries hidden within the ruins.

"This should be the entrance to the ruins." Zhang Hao said, his eyes unable to hide the excitement. There was a hint of excitement in his voice, as if he had already seen the mysterious and tempting treasure inside the ruins.

However, as they eagerly prepared to step through the portal, a curtain of light suddenly appeared without warning, like a transparent barrier, blocking their path. Words appeared on the curtain, emitting a faint glow. The mysterious man approached the curtain and carefully deciphered it, saying, "To enter the ruins, you must pass a test and prove your strength and wisdom."

"It seems we can't enter easily." Ling Yu sighed helplessly, with a look of frustration on his face.

Everyone stared at the screen, lost in thought. The atmosphere grew heavy, as if an invisible boulder weighed down their hearts. Suddenly, the woman's sharp eyes noticed the words on the screen shifting constantly, like ripples on flowing water, as if hinting at some important message. "Look, there seems to be a pattern to the changes in these words," the woman said, her voice breaking the silence and bringing a glimmer of hope to the crowd.

The mysterious man immediately began to observe carefully, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, not missing a single subtle change. After some observation and reflection, he said, "This must be a puzzle. We need to find the answer based on the changes in the text to pass the test."

Everyone quickly adjusted their minds and began to focus on solving the puzzle. Sometimes they lowered their heads in thought, their brows furrowed, as if engaged in a fierce battle with their own wits; sometimes they engaged in heated discussions, expressing their own opinions, sparks of thought colliding in the air. Time slipped quietly amidst the intense deliberation, every minute and every second seeming precious, and their distance to the ruins entrance seemed to depend on whether they could solve this puzzle...