A vast expanse of white material swept in, at first glance resembling some kind of dust or mist.

But as Xuan Yin Zi focused his gaze, he realized they were tiny flying insects, nearly invisible to the naked eye, possessing the ability to transform and difficult to distinguish.

Everyone was shocked and turned pale.

"Senior, please stop! We are under the Ancient Tomb Sect's banner, please do not act rashly!"

Without hesitation, Xuan Yin Zi summoned a Yin Wind Banner and turned to flee, begging for mercy as he ran.

He tried to use the Ancient Tomb Sect as leverage, hoping the other party would relent, but Xu Hei remained expressionless. Whether in conversation or combat, he always kept his emotions hidden.

"Ah!!"

A piercing scream echoed as the cultivators of the Ghost Nether Sect were obliterated, devoured completely by the Thousand Illusion Ants.

Even the strongest, Xuan Yin Zi and Ji Yin, despite being late Elemental Infant stage cultivators, only lasted a few breaths before being completely consumed by the Thousand Illusion Insects, leaving no trace behind.

The demonic beasts looked at Xu Hei, who seemed like a deity, with eyes full of awe.

Someone took the lead, and all the demonic beasts gradually knelt down, their voices filled with reverence: "Thank you, Senior, for saving us!"

"Thank you, Senior, for your intervention!"

"Thank you, Senior, for avenging us!"

"…"

At this moment, the demon clan in Wu Mountain, whether wolves, lions, eagles, or snakes, even those usually hostile and devouring each other, all knelt before Xu Hei.

If not for Xu Hei's intervention, they would have faced certain doom.

Xu Hei felt nothing at first, but now, the earth-based Dragon Qi within him stirred slightly, seemingly stronger than before.

This gave Xu Hei a moment of clarity.

He waved his hand casually, dispersing the many demonic beasts.

Then, he looked at a black and white wolf in the corner and said, "Er Gou, it's been years, do you still remember me?"

The old black and white wolf stepped out from the pack. A century had passed, and he was no longer young, showing signs of age. Previously calm in the face of disaster, now his nose tingled, eyes reddened, and his voice was choked.

"Is it really... Senior Hei? Is it really... you?" Er Gou said hoarsely.

Xu Hei raised his hand and sent a pill into Er Gou's body, restoring much of his vitality and dispelling the cold and old injuries within him.

"Hehe, I didn't expect you to remember me. It's been a century, why have you aged so much?" Xu Hei asked.

"Sigh, time waits for no one."

Er Gou sighed and began recounting his experiences over the years.

A Core Formation stage great demon, if living in luxury, could often live for several centuries, dying of old age. But as a member of the demon clan, how could there be such luxury?

Over the years, Er Gou had experienced at least a hundred battles and suffered over a dozen serious injuries, surviving thanks to the pills from back then.

Burning his lifespan again and again had long exhausted his life force. Five years ago, a battle with a venomous flood dragon left him poisoned and severely weakened.

Moreover, after the Demon Lord's death, humans coveted the land of Wu Mountain, frequently clearing forests and building extensively. The wolf tribe often clashed with human cultivators.

Xu Hei listened in silence.

So this was the reality of demonic beasts! Not every demonic beast could cultivate techniques and obtain the Demon God Cauldron like him; their survival depended solely on fighting.

Xu Hei couldn't change the situation, nor did he need to. He could only lend a hand when he saw fit, treating his old friends kindly, and that was enough.

"Senior Hei, may I ask about Senior Bai? She was a great benefactor to me. If not for the pill she gave me back then, I, Er Gou, wouldn't be alive today," Er Gou asked.

"Xu Bai..." Xu Hei paused, then said, "She went far away, but she'll return someday."

"I see." Er Gou nodded and asked no more.

Since leaving the Void Realm, there had been no news of Xu Bai, but Xu Hei could feel she was still alive. Perhaps one day, she would reappear.

Xu Hei took out pills and distributed them among the many demonic beasts, then set up a formation against humans.

With this formation, the demon clan of Wu Mountain would be safe for at least a thousand years.

Xu Hei then went to see the descendants of Man Jin, left some pills, and bid farewell.

Speaking of which, the division between humans and demons was quite interesting. Humans were a single species, while demonic beasts included countless species like lions, tigers, wolves, and snakes.

Rules were always made by the strong. If one day, a snake became the spirit of all things, it too could set similar rules.

"Father, is he the legendary Senior Xu?"

"Indeed! Senior Xu was transformed from a flood dragon. With the Demon Lord gone, he is the new Demon Lord!"

"With Senior Xu here, today's tragedy will never happen again."

The demon clan of Wu Mountain stood on their respective peaks, faces full of respect, bidding farewell to Xu Hei.

…………

Xu Hei spent some time using Void Stones as material to craft a palm-sized bracelet.

Then, he returned to the place where the Heavenly Silkworm Master had passed away, collecting all the spirit insects, just enough to fill it.

As for the high-grade spiritual vein, he couldn't move it yet and would have to wait until he had a larger storage artifact to retrieve it. This would greatly aid him in raising spirit insects.

Afterward, he hurried back to the Divine Puppet Sect.

…………

In the main hall of the Divine Puppet Sect.

At this moment, there were seven figures seated at their respective tables, which were filled with fine wine and delicacies.

Daoist Sparrow sat at the head, followed by Night Owl, Qin Xuanji, the recovered Liu Yunjing, and the bear from the far north.

These were the Divine Transformation cultivators of the Divine Continent Star, totaling five.

Opposite them sat two figures in black robes, a man and a woman, middle-aged in appearance, with eyes glowing a sinister green.

They were the leaders of the Ancient Tomb Sect and their Dao companions, known as the Yin-Yang Twin Demons, Wei Wudao and Ji Qing.

Both were in the mid-Divine Transformation stage, with Wei Wudao at the peak of the mid-stage, just a step away from the late stage.

Compared to Daoist Sparrow, they were equally matched.

At this moment, Wei Wudao seemed to sense something, narrowing his eyes.

"Husband, what's wrong?" Ji Qing asked.

"Hmph, the advance team of the Ghost Nether Sect is completely wiped out in just two breaths. Besides that yet-to-appear Divine Transformation cultivator, who else could it be?" Wei Wudao transmitted his voice.

"Truly infuriating!"

"Don't get angry yet. That person is likely arriving soon." Wei Wudao's expression remained cold, showing no sign of anger.

And the people of the Divine Puppet Sect didn't notice anything unusual about the pair.

Before long, the space at the entrance of the hall slightly distorted, and a figure in white appeared out of thin air, stepping in—it was Xu Hei.

Everyone rose in unison to greet him.

"So, this is the renowned Fellow Daoist Xu, who displayed such divine prowess on Sea Star. I've long heard of your extraordinary abilities, and meeting you today, you truly live up to your reputation," Wei Wudao also rose to greet him, a smile appearing on his lips.