"Does this mean you're a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person?" The strange tree sneered sinisterly.

Xu Hei lowered his head, unsure of how to respond.

He knew very well that a wrong answer could cost him his life.

At that moment, waves of demonic energy emanated from the strange tree, a familiar sensation that shocked Xu Hei to his core—it was the Heavenly Demon Technique.

However, the strange tree's Heavenly Demon Technique was only at the third level, far from the purity of the fifth level.

"The limit of the Heavenly Demon Technique is the third level. To cultivate beyond that, you need true demonic energy from the demon realm and a Demon Seed. Haha, that old demon even gave you a Demon Seed. You must have quite the relationship with him!" The strange tree smirked.

Xu Hei's heart was in turmoil.

The strange tree not only practiced the Heavenly Demon Technique but also understood it so well! Even the true demonic energy that Hei Huang never mentioned was known to him.

Who exactly is he, and what is his relationship with Hei Huang? Is he his master, or someone like the sea god? Or perhaps...

Xu Hei suppressed his inner turmoil and cautiously asked, "May I ask, what is your relationship with the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person?"

"Me?"

The eyeballs on the tree trunk spun around, and it sneered, "You cheeky brat, daring to question me. Didn't that old demon teach you not to answer a question with a question?"

As it spoke, waves of terrifying divine sense pressure descended, as if facing a god, making it hard for Xu Hei to muster any thought of resistance.

Cold sweat almost broke out on Xu Hei's forehead.

He could only feign calmness, while internally he began to consider how much chance he had of survival if he fled with all his might or hid inside the Demon God Cauldron.

Seeing Xu Hei's frightened yet pretending-to-be-calm demeanor, the strange tree's mouth curled into a wide grin and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, excellent, that's the expression I like! I love it when people are scared to death but pretend to be calm, it's just identical!"

Xu Hei was stunned.

The strange tree was angry a moment ago, and now it's laughing.

Truly unpredictable and hard to fathom!

"I'm not a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person," Xu Hei replied.

The strange tree collected its smile, squinted its eyes, and said, "The Heavenly Demon Scattered Person wouldn't take a disciple, that's right! It seems you're not lying. Then what is your relationship with him?"

Xu Hei took a deep breath, the initial anxiety and panic had vanished, and a determined glint flashed in his eyes as he slowly said, "I don't know the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person, and I have no relationship with him."

"I only know a friend named Hei Huang, and the Heavenly Demon Technique was left to me by him."

As soon as he said this.

The place fell into a deathly silence.

The strange tree said nothing, its dark eye sockets staring at Xu Hei, who showed no fear and met its gaze.

Quietly, Xu Hei's footsteps moved backward, and the spiritual power within him was mobilized, as if controlling something, but the strange tree showed no reaction.

The next moment, Xu Hei sank into the ground, his entire body's spiritual power erupted completely, like a black light, fleeing into the distance.

A hint of mockery flashed in the strange tree's eyes.

"Hehe, daring to escape under my nose, the last one who did that has already turned into a dried corpse."

The strange tree's roots pulled from the ground, striding like legs, chasing after Xu Hei.

"The last one to do that was Han Te. If you have the skill, turn him into a dried corpse," Xu Hei taunted in return. Since he chose to flee, there was no need to hold back.

"Oh, still daring to talk back! Really familiar indeed."

The strange tree let out a strange laugh, and its branches suddenly extended thousands of feet, like two sharp spikes, stabbing toward Xu Hei, moving several times faster than before, almost hitting in the blink of an eye.

Xu Hei clapped his palms together and shouted, "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method!"

Xu Hei's body suddenly exploded, turning into countless pieces of flesh, escaping from the branches. At the same time, each piece of flesh was connected by a puppet thread, and with a pull, instantly moved ten thousand feet, reassembling in another direction.

This was the Body Swap from puppet techniques, made more adept with the puppet threads.

This place was in a thicket, and with Xu Hei's arrival, the release of the Heavenly Demon Technique caused all the ancient beasts to panic and flee in haste.

For a moment, chaos ensued, with countless ghosts and monsters running around, colliding, and some even rushing toward the strange tree.

"Alright, alright, so you want to play like this."

The strange tree's spiritual power scattered, and its two branches also exploded instantly, turning into countless wood chips, like flying needles, shooting toward Xu Hei at unimaginable speed, impossible to dodge, only to withstand.

Xu Hei's expression changed, and he immediately took out the Demon God Cauldron, shrinking his body inside.

"Ding ding ding..."

The wood chips struck the Demon God Cauldron, sending it flying far away, but only causing it to shake continuously, unable to break through its defense.

"What is this?"

The strange tree stared at the Demon God Cauldron, a strange light flashing in its eyes. Under its divine sense scan, the object seemed nonexistent, yet it was clearly visible to the naked eye.

This was truly bizarre!

Xu Hei inwardly mocked, "Like to use divine sense to scan, huh? Then scan this."

Xu Hei took out a jade box and threw it outside the Demon God Cauldron.

The strange tree instinctively swept it with its divine sense, and instantly, an indescribable pain pierced its soul.

"Ah!!"

It let out a strange cry, retreating several steps, exclaiming, "It's the Soul-Extinguishing Mushroom of the Old Green Demon!"

Taking this opportunity, Xu Hei had already escaped from the Demon God Cauldron, retrieving the cauldron and the jade box, and dashed toward the exit.

Meanwhile, a swarm of Spirit-Eating Ants and Thousand Illusion Ants flew out from his ring, covering the sky, forming a dense array, blocking the path, ready to self-destruct at any moment, a technique from the Heavenly Silkworm Scripture known as the Insect Explosion Technique.

"Very well, you've angered me!"

The strange tree's roots plunged into the ground, spreading forward at terrifying speed.

At the exit ahead of Xu Hei, countless crisscrossing ancient tree roots appeared, blocking the way, but Xu Hei showed no fear, a wisp of Lunar Mystic Fire appeared at his fingertips, the original fire seed.

And this wisp of fire rapidly expanded, unleashing an incredibly violent force, a hint of madness appearing in Xu Hei's eyes.

"If you don't reveal your identity now, even if I have to risk everything, perish, and vanish, I will not let you toy with me here!"

"If you like playing riddles, then play by yourself!"

At this moment, Xu Hei's eyes were fierce, his body covered with a thick layer of Rock Crystal Guardian, and the laws of life and death, Earth Law, and Dao of Heaven appeared simultaneously at his brow, as he took out one magical treasure after another.

The Heavenly Demon Mirror, Wutong wood sword, Ten-thousand-year Cold Marrow, Hei Huang's stone slab, and even the ancient scroll with a name left by the White Emperor were all summoned.

Seeing those treasures, the strange tree's eyes nearly popped out, as if struck by heavenly lightning, it stood there in a daze.