Rise of the Otherworld.

After the demon dissipated, an eerie silence filled the valley. Zhang Hao and the others collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Each of them was exhausted to the extreme. Their bodies seemed to have been drained of all their strength, their muscles ached, and their bones felt like they were about to fall apart.

Zhang Hao stared at the sky. Sunlight filtered through the thin mist, casting a glimmer of warmth on his face. "We... finally won." His voice was weak and hoarse, as if forced from deep within his throat. His eyes were bloodshot, his face stained with dust and blood, yet it couldn't conceal the relief of having survived.

The old man struggled to sit up. "But everyone's seriously injured. We need to find a safe place to recuperate." His face was pale as paper, his clothes tattered, covered in blood and traces of battle. His once neat beard was now unkempt, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of fatigue.

The herbalist struggled to get up. "Let me see if there are any herbs I can use." His voice trembled, and his hands shook. He searched in the surrounding grass, each time he bent down, it was extremely difficult, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

The black-robed man lay on the ground, his eyes tightly closed, seemingly without the strength to speak. His chest heaved violently, his breathing was rapid and disordered, and the wounds on his body were still oozing blood.

Zhang Hao struggled to stand up, "Everyone, hold on a little longer, let's leave here first." His legs were weak, but he still tried to keep his balance and reached out to support others.

Everyone supported each other and walked slowly forward. No one spoke along the way, only the sound of heavy footsteps and heavy breathing. Every step seemed to exhaust all the strength in the body.

Finally, they found a cave. It was relatively dry inside and could serve as a place to rest for the time being. Water droplets from the cave walls dripped onto the ground, making a crisp sound.

The herbalist quickly tended to everyone's wounds. His technique, though clumsy, was meticulous. "Bear with it, this herb might be a little painful," he said as he carefully applied it to the wounds.

"It's a good thing you're here, otherwise our injuries would be in big trouble." Zhang Hao looked at the herbalist with gratitude. He gritted his teeth and endured the stinging pain from the herbs.

The old man leaned against the wall of the cave, slowly practicing his energy to heal his wounds. "This time we were able to defeat the demon thanks to everyone's concerted efforts." His voice was low and weak, and the magic power in his body slowly flowed through his meridians, working hard to repair his damaged body.

The man in black robe opened his eyes slightly and said, "But this is only a temporary victory. The road ahead will probably be even more difficult." His eyes were full of worry, and no one knew what he was thinking in his heart.

Zhang Hao nodded, "No matter what, let's recover our strength first." He closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and tried to make his tired body recover as soon as possible.

After a period of rest, everyone's injuries gradually stabilized and their strength slowly recovered. Their faces were no longer so pale and their breathing became steady.

However, just when they thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the cave. It sounded like many people running, with chaotic footsteps and shouts.

Zhang Hao suddenly opened his eyes, "Everyone be careful!" His voice was full of vigilance. He quickly stood up and tightened the sword in his hand.

The old man also stopped practicing and looked outside the cave with a serious expression.

The herbalists and the men in black robes also became nervous and prepared for battle.

The sound was getting closer, and Zhang Hao walked cautiously towards the cave entrance. When he saw the scene outside the cave, he couldn't help but gasp...

Outside the cave, a group of people in strange costumes were rushing towards the cave, with eager and excited expressions on their faces and various weapons in their hands.

"Who are they?" the herbalist asked in a low voice.

Zhang Hao frowned, "I don't know, but they don't have good intentions."

The group stopped at the cave entrance, and the tall man in the lead shouted, "Listen up, everyone inside! Hand over the treasures you've obtained!"

Zhang Hao's heart sank, "What treasure? We don't know what you are talking about!"

"Don't play dumb! It's that ancient book!" the man said viciously.

Zhang Hao and others then realized that they came for the ancient books.

"You want ancient books? Do you think you can do that?" the man in black robe sneered.

The two sides are on the verge of a new battle...