Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

"What...what method?"

Everyone had a vague sense of unease.

"Victory comes from sheer numbers." Master Qingming's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable coldness:

"Although this formation is treacherous, over the years, its power has been reduced to one-tenth. There is a limit to how many people a maze can trap and kill at once. If everyone rushes in together and keeps attacking, it will inevitably become sluggish and create a vulnerability that can be exploited."

Jiuyou's expression hardened slightly, and a cold smile appeared on his face.

'A brilliant plan!'

No wonder the Heavenly Underworld Palace protected everyone all the way...it turns out they were planning to use these people as human spies!

When this statement came out, everyone was lost.

This is not breaking the formation at all; it is clearly using the lives of these low-level cultivators to pave a way out for a few people!

"No! I'm not going! This is suicide!" In the crowd, a pale-faced Qi Refining cultivator finally couldn't bear the immense fear, screamed, and turned to flee back the way he came.

But the moment he moved—

"laugh!"

A sharp whistling sound of wind blades cutting through the air rang out.

The head of the fleeing cultivator flew into the air, scalding blood gushing out. The headless corpse swayed for a moment, then fell heavily to the ground...

A strong stench of blood filled the air.

Master Qingming slowly withdrew his finger, his eyes icy cold as he swept over the silent crowd.

"He who deserts the battlefield shall die."

Those who were just moments before it was tempting to make a move and were considering retreating now felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their whole bodies chilled to the bone.

Just then, the silent Huangtian Ancestor slowly strolled to the back of the group, blocking their only escape route.

A "charitable" smile appeared on his face:

"Fellow Daoist Qingming is right. Killing them would be such a waste. If we all go in, some of them might survive, right? Maybe you'll be the lucky one?"

The gaze of the Yellow Heaven Ancestor swept over, like a sword blade cutting through, making everyone's scalp tingle.

There was a strange maze ahead and two Core Formation elders blocking their way from behind, leaving them with no way to advance or retreat!

An atmosphere of despair spread, and many people looked ashen-faced and trembled slightly.

However, Jiu You, standing in the crowd, remained calm, thinking to himself:

"I knew long ago that Tianming Palace had no good intentions, but Qingming Zhenren's wicked scheme was a good opportunity for me to fish in troubled waters."

Absolute strength brings absolute confidence.

Apart from two Core Formation cultivators, Jiu You fears no one in this expedition team.

"Go in!" Master Qingming shouted sternly, leaving no room for argument.

Under the threat of death, the remaining cultivators had no choice but to move forward, for perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope. Like a flock of sheep being driven, they rushed into the labyrinth of the demonic tree...

Jiuyou mingled among the crowd, neither standing out nor falling behind, and with the flow of people, stepped into the distorted ripples.

A powerful spatial tearing force swept through, instantly blurring and distorting the surrounding scenery.

A moment later, the ground beneath my feet solidified, and the tearing force vanished abruptly.

Jiuyou steadied himself and quickly looked around.

Sure enough, he was the only one left around.

Before me lay a boundless, dark labyrinth composed of countless moving black camphor tree branches.

The black branches twisted and writhed, and a thick miasma permeated the air, obstructing vision and greatly suppressing spiritual sense, allowing one to only extend a few feet around oneself.

A chilling murderous intent permeated the deathly silence.

"Is this the protective maze formation of an ancient sect?"

Jiuyou took a deep breath and remained calm.

Suddenly, the surrounding black branches, like hungry sharks smelling blood, came crashing down from all directions with a piercing screeching sound!

The dark, sharp branches twisted into the shape of ghostly claws, aiming straight for his vital points.

"Hmph, demons and monsters!"

Jiuyou snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding, his right fist clenched tightly, his powerful blood and qi erupted, and he punched forward without any fancy moves!

boom!

The punch was incredibly powerful, producing a muffled sonic boom in the air.

The first few "ghost claws" that attacked were like fragile withered branches, breaking apart inch by inch the moment they made contact with the fist, exploding into black wood chips and dust that fell all over the sky!

However, the attacks from the demonic tree were relentless. As soon as one branch was cleared, more branches would surge forward one after another, layer upon layer, seemingly endless.

The Nine Netherworlds fought and retreated simultaneously!

His fists, elbows, knees, and legs all transformed into the most lethal weapons, and every strike inevitably shattered a large number of branches.

Like a ferocious humanoid beast, it forcefully carved a path through the black waves.

Just then, the entire maze space suddenly began to fluctuate violently!

Om-!

It was as if countless boulders had been thrown into a calm lake, and the ripples in the space were visible to the naked eye.

In the distance, the faint sounds of various magical explosions, the shrill screams of dying cultivators, and the sharp howls of the demonic tree dancing wildly could be heard!

Clearly, all the trapped cultivators were fighting for themselves and struggling desperately.

The power of the formation was dispersed, and the operation of the maze became noticeably unstable...

"The Demon Tree's attacks have slowed down."

Jiuyou keenly sensed that the attacks of the demonic trees in some areas had become slower, while those in others had become more violent.

Through the occasional gaps between the branches, he even caught a fleeting glimpse of:

In the far distance, a dazzling sword light managed to cleave through the illusion, and a figure scrambled out, seemingly having found an exit—a stroke of incredible luck.

And closer to home.

An unfortunate monk was pierced by a branch, his body withered, his skin turned to wood, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a newborn demonic tree in human form with a pained and distorted expression, merging into the endless labyrinth wall.

Life and death alternate in this labyrinth...

"It's now!"

A glint of light flashed in Jiuyou's eyes.

The formation was greatly disturbed, which was the moment when its nodes were most exposed and its defenses were relatively weak!

Using the shared knowledge of array formations, Jiuyou quickly locked onto a direction.

"There!!"

Jiuyou looked up and saw that it was the area where the array nodes were fluctuating most violently, and also the most likely place to break through in one fell swoop.

"kill!"

Jiuyou let out a low, beast-like roar, no longer holding back. His internal energy surged like boiling magma, steam billowing forth!

Boom!

His body was ablaze with flames, rising higher and higher, as he charged headlong toward the chosen node!

The demonic branches blocking their path converged wildly, intertwining to form thick, black wooden walls.

But at this moment, the Nine Netherworlds are unstoppable!

"Broken! Broken! Broken!"

He roared, his fists like two heavy hammers, carrying the terrifying power of burning blood and qi, and he slammed them out wildly!

Bang bang bang!

Destroy everything!

The walls of the demonic tree were smashed, shattered, and reduced to dust!

He didn't bother looking for any winding paths; instead, he used the most ruthless and direct method, violently tearing apart the layers of labyrinthine barriers along a straight line!

Wood chips flew like rain, and broken branches emitted a mournful cry.

The Nine Netherworlds are like a wild bull that has broken into a precision instrument, destroying everything with its absolute power!

Finally, after blasting through countless obstacles, the view ahead suddenly opened up!

The dense miasma thinned out, and the annoying branches of the demon tree suddenly diminished.

A half-collapsed ancient stone gate covered with moss and algae, with clearly visible broken walls and ruins—the core of the ancient sect's relics!

exit!

He made it through!