Xu Hei stared at the Demon Blood Vine that had turned into an ice sculpture, momentarily frozen in place.

He had never expected the Restriction to be so terrifying, obliterating it in an instant!

But it wasn't over yet. The chilling air surged toward Xu Hei from a thousand feet away, startling him into quickly hiding inside the Demon God Cauldron, barely escaping disaster.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Immediately after, five-colored lights fell from the sky, crashing onto the frozen Demon Blood Vine.

Under Xu Hei's watchful eyes, the vine, which was comparable to a late Divine Transformation stage creature, was shattered into pieces, spraying blood and emitting a thick, dark aura.

It lasted for about half an incense stick's time before its presence completely vanished.

"That was close! This Restriction is too terrifying, even capable of easily killing a beast like the Demon Blood Vine! Luckily, I didn't take any chances; otherwise, I'd be dead for sure!" Xu Hei thought with lingering fear.

Only after the light of the Restriction completely disappeared did Xu Hei release the Spirit-Eating Ants to probe for a long time before emerging from the Demon God Cauldron.

In this way, the harvest from this trip was perfect!

As for the other two Demon Blood Vines, Xu Hei didn't bother with them. If they could follow him, they might even serve as bodyguards.

"Let's see if I can find a way out of this thicket," Xu Hei thought to himself.

...

In the thicket.

A female Taoist priestess in a robe sat cross-legged in the center, surrounded by formation flags, with a light shield rising above her head, protecting her within.

All around, countless ghost vines and wandering souls continuously attacked the formation. From the black mist, sharp claws occasionally emerged, clawing at the light shield, causing intense ripples. It was an extremely rare ghost corpse, a Rainbow Demon Yaksha.

"At this rate, the formation can only last for three more days. What should I do?"

Hua Qingyun's face was pale, clutching the last set of formation flags, her red lips tightly bitten.

As a formation master, she never expected to end up in such a predicament. If it weren't for that person's treachery, how could this have happened?

"At this point, I can only fight to the end, but I'd rather self-destruct than fall into that person's hands," Hua Qingyun thought, gritting her teeth.

The Rainbow Demon Yaksha's attacks grew fiercer, its sharp claws continuously striking the light shield, causing the formation to tremble.

A look of determination flashed across Hua Qingyun's face.

Suddenly, she witnessed the most shocking scene of her life.

The attacking wandering souls, ghost vines, and the black mist in the sky, for some unknown terrifying reason, began to retreat.

Before long, these ghostly creatures scattered and fled, disappearing without a trace.

As for the Rainbow Demon Yaksha, fear flashed in its eyes, intending to escape as well, but it hesitated for a moment, showing ferocity as it charged at the light shield.

"Boom!!"

Suddenly, the ground shook, and a thick, massive vine burst from the earth like a land dragon, biting the Rainbow Demon Yaksha in one gulp. Its head's mouthparts rolled, swallowing it whole, its serrated teeth chewing continuously.

In the blink of an eye, the Rainbow Demon Yaksha, comparable to a mid-Divine Transformation stage creature, was crushed and swallowed by the vine.

"This is... one of the ten ancient fiends, the Demon Blood Vine!?" Hua Qingyun was horrified, her face turning pale.

If the previous Rainbow Demon Yaksha and numerous wandering souls were a match, the current Demon Blood Vine left no hope for survival!

One of the ten ancient fiends, how could anyone survive? Even if her two senior brothers were here, they would have no choice but to flee.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

However, just as Hua Qingyun closed her eyes, resigned to death, the Demon Blood Vine before her hurriedly burrowed into the ground, retreating far away, stopping a thousand feet away.

In the thicket ahead, a figure walked over.

This person was dressed in black, with an ordinary appearance, calm and composed, as if this place was not a dragon's lair or a tiger's den, but his own backyard.

The black-clad youth before her was none other than Xu Hei.

Xu Hei looked at the panicked female Taoist priestess before him and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, I'm lost. Could you tell me which way to go?"

Hua Qingyun was stunned for a long moment before stammering, "Are you... human or ghost?"

It wasn't her fault for asking; the scene before her was too shocking, beyond her comprehension. She couldn't help but suspect that this person might be some ghost king in disguise.

Xu Hei frowned and said, "You should recognize me."

Hua Qingyun was taken aback, then said, "Of course, I recognize Fellow Daoist's appearance."

Who didn't know Xu Hei from the trade fair? Unless they were reclusive old monsters, almost every Divine Transformation stage cultivator knew him.

At this moment, Hua Qingyun calmed down, staring at Xu Hei, her eyes flashing with the light of the Five Elements. After observing for a moment, her pupils contracted.

Before her was not a ghost, but a real person!

"So it's Fellow Daoist Xu. Thank you for saving my life. I apologize for my earlier offense and hope for your forgiveness!" Hua Qingyun quickly stood up and cupped her hands in gratitude.

Xu Hei waved his hand and said, "No problem. I was just asking for directions; saving you was just a side effect."

Xu Hei discreetly assessed the woman. Although she appeared weak, he remained vigilant.

"Asking for directions..." Hua Qingyun paused for a moment, then shook her head with a bitter smile. "Fellow Daoist Xu, to be honest, the way out is filled with traps. Going there means certain death!"

"What did you say?" Xu Hei's eyes narrowed.

Hua Qingyun pointed in a direction and said, "I fell into a trap and fled back from there. Otherwise, with my skills, how could I end up like this?"

Xu Hei looked in the direction she pointed, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Xu Hei seemed to notice something, his gaze sharpening as he shouted, "Come out!"

Xu Hei's voice boomed, and the Dragon Shatter Roar blasted a clearing in the thicket. From beneath the clearing, a ghostly shadow shot out like lightning—it was a pitch-black small flag.

"A soul banner?"

Xu Hei squinted his eyes, and the Demon God Cauldron flew out instantly, accompanied by a terrifying devouring force, descending upon the small flag.

"Boom!!"

The small flag ignited fiercely, its primordial spirit power surging, increasing its speed and breaking free from the Demon God Cauldron's grasp.

But Hua Qingyun appeared simultaneously, and unbeknownst to anyone, four formation flags had already landed around the soul banner, forming a pincer attack from the southeast, northwest, and northeast, locking the space in place.

In an instant, the soul banner was trapped, unable to move.

Such swift tactics surprised even Xu Hei. But he wasn't slow to act; the Demon God Cauldron arrived in an instant, its devouring force directly acting on the soul banner.

"Spare me, Fellow Daoists!"

A shrill scream emanated from the soul banner.

Xu Hei remained unmoved. Moments later, a transparent soul was extracted by him, revealing the primordial spirit of a Divine Transformation cultivator.

However, after the recent escape, it had burned nearly thirty percent of its essence, appearing translucent.

"Fellow Daoists, I am Elder Nie Feng of the Ancient Tomb Sect. I mean no harm. If you let me go, I will reward you generously!" the primordial spirit pleaded anxiously.

This person was none other than Nie Feng, the Divine Transformation Ancestor of the Ancient Tomb Sect, who had been lured by a treasure, resulting in the collapse of his physical body, leaving only his primordial spirit to escape.

"No harm? How dare you say that! You were hiding nearby, waiting to seize my body after I died. Do you think I'm a child?" Hua Qingyun scolded.

"It's a misunderstanding! How could I dare to harm Fairy Hua? This Fellow Daoist, you..."

Nie Feng turned to Xu Hei, intending to say something, but suddenly froze, his words halting.

Xu Hei quietly looked at him, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes, and sneered, "Go on, why stop? Is there something wrong after seeing me?"