In the darkness, a bizarre tree swayed as it walked out. Two branches resembled arms, and the tangled roots looked like legs. The trunk bore a strange face with exaggerated eyes and a mouth twisted into a grotesque smile.

The moment this tree appeared, a complex network of roots emerged at the exit, forming a trap-like formation, as if intending to trap and kill everyone present.

"Is that a Soul Nourishing Tree?"

"A Soul Nourishing Tree with sentience?"

"No! This Soul Nourishing Tree must be parasitized by an ancient fiend. Run!"

Everyone's expressions changed drastically as they fled for their lives.

In an instant, magical treasures flashed, and escape lights streaked across the sky. Those with weaker abilities burned their primordial spirits directly.

Even Li Changge, faced with such a formidable enemy, dared not use the Heaven's Gate Sword Formation to resist. The others could only think of escaping.

Xu Hei was also trembling with fear, fleeing towards the light gate at the exit, burning his primordial spirit without reservation, moving even faster than the others.

"What's going on? Why is this thing targeting me?" Xu Hei was terrified.

Xu Hei felt an uncanny familiarity with the bizarre tree, but he dared not stop. A wrong judgment could cost him his life.

Others noticed the situation too, but no one dared to look back, focusing solely on escaping.

At this moment, a thick ghostly fog rose in front of Xu Hei, blocking out the sky and sun. A large number of wandering souls appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path. Among them was a massive black ghostly figure, clad in bronze armor, with thick limbs and overwhelming murderous intent, clearly a corpse refined to the level of early Divine Transformation.

"Offend our Ancient Tomb Sect and still want to leave alive?"

Gu Xiao sneered coldly. The bronze-armored corpse was his masterpiece. Although he didn't expect to kill Xu Hei, as long as he could stall him for a moment, allowing the Soul Nourishing Wood behind to catch up, his mission would be accomplished.

"Boom!!"

Not far away, another explosion sounded as Night Owl and Wei Wudao clashed. Night Owl seemed to want to help but was blocked by Wei Wudao.

As for Han Te, he had disappeared long ago.

"Don't worry about me, you go first!"

Xu Hei transmitted a message to Night Owl, then a fierce look flashed in his eyes. He unexpectedly changed direction and charged towards Gu Xiao.

"Not good! This kid wants to fight me to the death!"

Gu Xiao's face changed, quickly controlling the bronze-armored corpse to intercept, while retreating rapidly with the ghostly fog.

To his shock, Xu Hei waved his sleeve, releasing tens of thousands of densely packed spirit insects, instantly surrounding the bronze-armored corpse. This corpse, comparable to early Divine Transformation, couldn't even withstand a single encounter before being devoured by the spirit insects.

"Spirit-Eating Ants?"

"Xu Hei actually has such spirit insects!"

Everyone was shocked.

Gu Xiao was even more stunned, his eyes nearly popping out.

The only ones aware of this were the two demon clan members from Sea Star, Shi Lan and Hai Teng. They had witnessed Xu Hei capturing the Insect Emperor, but they never expected him to master the swarm so quickly, even more adeptly than Zhao Nanqi.

"Swish!"

After devouring the bronze-armored corpse, the Spirit-Eating Ants carried Xu Hei, charging towards Gu Xiao at an incredible speed.

"Sect Master, help me!"

Gu Xiao was terrified, burning his primordial spirit as he fled towards Wei Wudao and Ji Qing. Normally, facing Xu Hei and ten thousand Spirit-Eating Ants, he thought he could handle it, but who dared to stop and fight at such a time?

What made him even more desperate was that Wei Wudao and Ji Qing had no intention of staying. They continuously detonated several ghostly creatures, each explosion bringing them closer to the exit.

As for Gu Xiao's plea for help, they didn't even glance at him.

The Spirit-Eating Ants were getting closer, and Gu Xiao regretted deeply. If he had known, why provoke this fiend?

What he couldn't foresee was that after being blocked, Xu Hei simply stopped running and charged straight at him. He truly was out of luck, encountering such a madman.

"If you want me dead, then we'll die together!"

Xu Hei's speed under the burning soul was unbelievably fast, reaching Gu Xiao's back in a single breath. The swarm of insects surged forward, surrounding Gu Xiao and the ghostly fog.

Gu Xiao was filled with regret, clutching a string of life-bound Soul Beads, swallowing seven or eight in succession. His body began to swell, clearly intending to self-destruct and take Xu Hei with him.

But at that moment, his body inexplicably stiffened, his primordial spirit experiencing a soul-deep pain, causing a momentary lapse.

It was a curse, Tu Sen's curse!

Originally, this curse had been sealed and transferred multiple times, losing much of its effect. But now, in his weakened state, it reactivated.

And this time, it took his life.

"Bang!"

Xu Hei's Dragon Claw Strike came crashing down, smashing Gu Xiao's head into his chest. The Spirit-Eating Ants swarmed over, devouring him.

Simultaneously, the various ghostly spirits around were absorbed into the Demon God Cauldron by Xu Hei, refined clean.

In the blink of an eye, nothing was left of Gu Xiao.

His body was devoured by the Spirit-Eating Ants, his primordial spirit absorbed by the Demon God Cauldron, leaving nothing behind, not even managing to self-destruct.

"Hiss!"

Those fleeing in the distance gasped in shock.

The Grand Elder of the Ancient Tomb Sect, Gu Xiao, at mid-Divine Transformation, was dealt with by Xu Hei, an early Divine Transformation, in such a manner.

Clean and efficient, without any hesitation!

Xu Hei's strength once again shattered their understanding.

"What a madman!"

Wei Wudao thought to himself.

In such a situation, not using all his power to escape but instead choosing to kill Gu Xiao, what else could he be but a madman?

As a result, almost everyone had reached the vicinity of the exit, with Li Changge being the closest.

Xu Hei, however, was at the back.

The branches of the Soul Nourishing Wood had already reached Xu Hei. Although he was still desperately fleeing, he was off course, and being caught was only a matter of time.

"This young man is strong, but impulsive and reckless, unable to consider the consequences. This is where his journey ends," Li Changge sighed inwardly.

What he regretted was that Xu Hei might still carry divine treasures, but they would be wasted.

Although it was unclear what entity had possessed the bizarre tree, being able to call out the name of the first ancestor Tianyuanzi was evidently no simple being. With a casual strike, it broke his Heaven's Gate Sword Formation, leaving him without the thought of a fight.

Being caught by such an anomaly, even death would be a luxury. Years later, he might become one of the corpse kings in the Land of the Moon.

No wonder Gu Xiao chose to self-destruct so decisively. For one who refines ghosts to be refined by ghosts was indeed a great humiliation.