Rise of the Otherworld.

Icicles rained down like a torrential downpour, filling the narrow passage with danger, leaving little room for escape. Sharp, piercing sounds echoed incessantly, like the whispers of death. An icy aura accompanied the icy spikes, sending a chill through the air. Zhang Hao's expression tightened, and without hesitation, he shouted, "Defend!" He quickly mobilized his spiritual energy, conjuring a spiritual shield before him. The shield, a pale blue curtain of light, radiated a soft yet resolute glow, like an impenetrable barrier, attempting to block the oncoming tide of icy spikes.

The mysterious man reacted swiftly, his hands forming hand seals like a phantom, his voice muttering obscure incantations that echoed through the passage. With his movements, the ground beneath them trembled slightly, and then a thick earth wall rose from the ground like a giant rock, carrying the weight and solidity of the earth. The earth wall collided with the ice spikes, making a series of muffled "bangs" like a dull drumbeat, hammering at everyone's nerves in the tense atmosphere. Some of the ice spikes were blocked by the earth wall, instantly shattering into countless ice fragments, which scattered across the passage like snowflakes, shimmering with a cold luster.

Ling Yu concentrated, controlling his wind energy and creating a swirling wind shield around him. The shield whirred rapidly, resembling a high-speed meat grinder, deflecting ice spikes aimed at the crowd's sides. The spikes struck the shield with a crisp "ding-ding" sound before being tossed aside by the powerful wind. Not to be outdone, the woman quickly cast an ice spell, attempting to resonate with the incoming ice spikes and disrupt their trajectory. Her hands danced with a lithe movement, a shimmering blue light dancing and flickering at her fingertips, like a spirit. However, the ice spikes seemed to be controlled by a greater force, and only a few of them changed direction under her efforts, continuing their relentless attack.

The old man, his expression grave, swung his staff. A fiery flame, like a roaring dragon, erupted from its tip. The flames, carrying billowing heat waves, instantly collided with the ice spikes, sending a surge of vapor rising into the air, filling the passage. The icy spikes melted rapidly under the scorching heat, transforming into puddles that spread across the ground. But the icy spikes were simply too numerous, like an endless torrent. Even with everyone's concerted defense, some managed to slip through the defenses.

An ice spike grazed Zhang Hao's arm, the sharp blade slicing through his skin like a blade, leaving a deep wound. Blood instantly gushed out, staining his sleeve red. Ling Yu's shoulder was also struck by the ice spike. He groaned, his body trembling slightly, and the power of his wind shield was slightly weakened. Under the continuous impact of the ice spikes, cracks appeared in the mysterious man's earthen wall, spreading like a spider web. The wall was in danger of collapse, as if it would collapse completely in the next second.

"This won't work! We have to take the initiative and break this wave of ice spikes!" Zhang Hao shouted, fighting the excruciating pain in his arm. Beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, but his eyes betrayed unwavering determination. Before he finished speaking, he poured his spiritual energy into his sword without reservation. The blade shone brightly, like a blazing sun, illuminating the entire passage. His body moved like lightning, rushing towards the direction of the ice spikes like a bolt of black lightning. He nimbly weaved through the dense onslaught of ice spikes, swinging his sword with impenetrable force, shattering each approaching spike one by one, sending shards of ice flying like a sleet of rain.

Seeing this, Ling Yu gritted his teeth and increased his wind energy. His hands danced rapidly, as if dancing with the wind. Wind energy gathered frantically, forming a powerful gust of wind, like a violent hurricane, blowing towards the ice spikes. Like a pair of invisible yet powerful hands, the wind force blew some of the ice spikes off course, sending them crashing into the walls of the passage with a resounding crash.

The woman no longer simply defended herself. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated all her energy on casting a powerful ice spell. She raised her hands high, and the surrounding vapor rapidly condensed. Under her control, a massive wall of ice rose from the ground. The ice wall, shimmering and translucent like a massive crystal barrier, not only blocked the onslaught of ice spikes but also reflected some of them back with its smooth surface, colliding with subsequent incoming spikes. For a moment, ice shards flew everywhere, creating a spectacular scene.

The old man continued to cast fire spells. The flames on his staff grew increasingly intense, rapidly evaporating the water stains left by the melting ice spikes. The vapor that filled the tunnel gradually dissipated. Simultaneously, he precisely launched fireballs at the distant source of the ice spikes. The fireballs streaked across the tunnel like meteors, carrying destructive force towards their target. With everyone's concerted efforts, the wave of ice spikes was finally successfully repelled, and peace returned to the tunnel for a while.

Everyone took a breath, breathing in the slightly damp air, feeling relieved for having survived. However, they knew the danger was not over. After a few adjustments, they continued to move forward along the passage. However, not long after they went, the scene ahead made their hearts hang in the air again. Suddenly, a huge icy lake appeared in front of them. The icy lake was vast and boundless, occupying the entire space of the passage. The surface of the icy lake was as smooth as a mirror, and it shimmered with an eerie light under the faint light, like a huge magic mirror hiding endless secrets. There was a small island in the center of the lake. There seemed to be an object emitting a faint light on the island, which was particularly eye-catching in this dark environment. It was very likely one of the keys they were looking for.

"Looks like we need to find a way to cross this frozen lake." Zhang Hao stared at it, his brow furrowed, his expression grave. Everyone gathered around, lost in thought, beginning to think of a way to cross the frozen lake. Silence fell once again in the passage, the only sounds being the gentle breathing of the crowd and the occasional crackling of the ice...