The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

The water flows gently.

On the pebble-covered riverbank, Zhou Heng swung the body of a dog demon as if it were a weapon.

With each impact, a dog demon was sent flying by the immense force, dying with broken bones and bleeding from its seven orifices before even hitting the ground.

It only took the time it takes to eat a meal.

The riverbank was littered with corpses.

The stream was stained dark red, and the mountainside not far away was covered with blood and flesh.

Once there wasn't a single dog demon left standing, Zhou Heng disgustedly tossed the body he was holding away.

Even if the dog demon's mother were here, she probably wouldn't recognize who the dog demon was.

Zhou Heng blinked.

【01:50:35】

The countdown continues.

Is the danger not over yet?

Zhou Heng frowned slightly and looked around.

There were no more living dog demons in sight, so they should be safe by now.

"Even if there's no danger, do we still have to finish the countdown?"

Zhou Heng pondered, "Or is it because the leader of the dog demons hasn't been dealt with yet?"

The dog demons he killed were all low-level minions; their leader did not come along.

That leader was his real enemy.

His father was originally a constable in this area. He was transferred to the capital for killing a dog demon. By chance, he entered the Imperial Guard and gradually rose to the rank of centurion.

The dog demon his father killed was the elder brother of the current leader of these dog demons.

"No, it was the dog demon who discovered me just now, and that's when the danger countdown started."

Now that the dog demon leader is not in the mountains, it can only be considered a threat, not a danger.

Zhou Heng thought to himself.

The mountain wind howled, and the stench of blood filled the air.

A low, mournful wail could be faintly heard in the wind.

Zhou Heng suddenly realized.

He killed so many dog ​​demons, and the stench of blood is so strong, it will surely attract wild beasts and spirits from the mountains.

This is the real, imminent danger.

He looked up into the distance, where the mountains stretched endlessly, their extent unknown.

The mountain is named Tai. Although it is not the Eastern Peak of the previous life, it is still a majestic mountain.

He was at the foot of the foothills of Mount Tai, and his hometown was Ningyang County, not far away.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Heng picked up a relatively intact dog demon corpse and strode towards Ningyang County.

The moment we left the mountains and forests and stepped onto the official road, the sobbing and roaring sounds behind us gradually faded into the distance.

The text in front of Zhou Heng flickered violently for a moment, then instantly disappeared.

He was right; the danger did indeed come from wild beasts and spirits in the mountains drawn by the smell of blood.

"From the start of the countdown until now, although it has been less than two hours, it is almost the same."

So this countdown is an estimate of my escape time. If I can escape, I will definitely be safe by this time.

If not, then one is already dead.

Zhou Heng pondered to himself, staring expectantly at the settlement screen that appeared before him.

[Reward obtained: Severing Gate Knife Technique (Perfect)]

hum.

Zhou Heng's mind was in turmoil, with countless images surging through his mind.

In the scene, he holds a long sword and is diligently practicing his cultivation.

Under the scorching sun, in blizzards, in deserts, by waterfalls, by the sea...

He diligently cultivated himself in various environments.

After countless years, he finally mastered this Broken Gate Sword Technique to perfection.

Zhou Heng opened his eyes, and it seemed as if a flash of sword light passed through his pupils. He twitched his fingers slightly and felt that a knife was missing from his hand.

"The Severing Gate Sword Technique has thirteen moves, each one deadly. It's practically a sect-annihilating sword technique!"

Zhou Heng raised his hand and looked at his palm repeatedly.

He gained decades of sword-wielding experience in his mind, but fortunately, this time did not affect his physical body.

His body is still young.

…………

It was still dark.

Even before the city gates of Ningyang County were opened, long queues had already formed outside.

The people, struggling to make a living, carried vegetables, charcoal, and even spring water, waiting to go to the city to exchange them for money.

Zhou Heng, carrying the corpse of a dog demon, stood out in the group.

There wasn't a single person in sight within a ten-foot radius around him.

The people kept stealing glances at him, their faces filled with fear.

Zhou Heng was also somewhat helpless; he didn't want to be so high-profile.

However, when he arrived at the city gate last night, he discovered that he couldn't get in.

The Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill granted him immense strength, while the Broken Gate Saber Technique gave him the means to kill.

But he can't fly, and he can't climb the city wall that's twenty or thirty feet high.

He couldn't get the door open by knocking, and he couldn't climb up the stairs. He couldn't just ram the door just to get into the city.

If he dares to charge, he'll probably be met with a barrage of arrows from the city walls.

So he could only obediently wait for the city gates to open.

"I must learn a skill of light-body kung fu someday!"

As soon as the city gates opened, Zhou Heng headed straight for the county government office, under the watchful eyes of the people and the soldiers guarding the gates.

"Junior brother, are you saying that the postmen at Ningyang Post Station are all demons disguised as humans?"

A man in his thirties with dark skin, dressed as a constable, looked at Zhou Heng, then at the dog demon's corpse on the ground. His expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice.

This man was the head constable of Ningyang County, named Shen Chong. He was an apprentice of Zhou Heng's father when he was a constable in Ningyang County.

Therefore, he called Zhou Heng his junior brother.

"Senior Brother Shen, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Zhou Heng said, "I was attacked by them last night. If I hadn't been lucky, I would be their food by now!"

That is the evidence!

"Senior brother, quickly send someone to capture them!"

"This is no small matter. You wait here, I will go and report to the magistrate right now."

Shen Chong said, and ordered his men to lift up the dog demon's corpse and leave in a hurry.

Demons are causing trouble in Ningyang County, and the local government is to blame; they must send someone to resolve the situation.

Otherwise, if the chaos caused by the demons escalates and attracts the attention of the Imperial Guard, the county magistrate and all the officials in the county will lose their positions, and may even lose their heads.

Zhou Heng sat in Shen Chong's cell and activated the danger countdown, which was still at zero.

This means that at least the county government office is safe.

It seems the demons only infiltrated the post station.

However, demons are good at hiding. He was just a martial artist, and a martial artist who had not yet entered the Dao. Unless the demon revealed his true form, it would be difficult for him to recognize the other party.

From his predecessor's memories, Zhou Heng knew that there were several different cultivation methods in this world, which his ancestors divided into six paths: Heaven, Earth, Human, Demon, Monster, and Ghost.

The Way of Heaven is the Way of Immortals, the Way of Earth is the Way of Gods, and the Way of Humanity is the Way of Martial Arts.

Immortals cultivate Qi, gods refine their spirit, and martial arts refine their essence.

All of this was information that the original owner had learned from his father, and Zhou Heng himself was still confused and only partially understood the details.

However, he did know that there was no inherent difference in the six realms, and all those who cultivated to a high level possessed earth-shattering abilities.

"The Dao is divided into nine ranks. Although the original owner of this body practiced swordsmanship from a young age, he wasn't even a ninth-rank martial artist..."

Zhou Heng pondered to himself, "I wonder what rank I am now."

Martial arts practitioners need to train their bodies day and night, and also need to use medicinal herbs to temper their bodies and replenish their qi and blood, so that they can break through barriers and open up their potential step by step.

In order to cultivate martial arts, the previous owner had to spend two to three hundred taels of silver every year.

That is why, despite being a prominent family with a hundred households, his father left no wealth after his death.

"The ninth rank of martial artist is also known as the strongman, which means having the strength of a thousand catties. I have already reached this standard, but I have not yet broken through the bottleneck and opened the gate. In essence, I am still at the peak of mortal..."

Zhou Heng himself was also a bit confused. His father was dead, and he had not yet officially joined the Imperial Guard. He couldn't find anyone who knew the truth to ask.

Ningyang County is a small place with few proper martial artists. Even his senior brother, Shen Chong, is only a ninth-rank strongman.

However, Zhou Heng was certain that by cultivating the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique, his superhuman strength was no less than that of an ordinary ninth-rank martial artist.

Just then, Shen Chong hurriedly walked in from outside.

"Junior brother, the magistrate has agreed. I will take men and capture Ningyang Post Station right away."

Shen Chong said, "You just wait here and don't wander off. I told you to stay at my house, but you insisted on staying at the inn. Luckily nothing happened last night, otherwise, if anything had happened to you, how would I explain it to my master?"

As he spoke, Shen Chong was about to go out and gather more people.

Zhou Heng quickly got up.

"Senior Brother Shen, give me a knife, and I'll go with you."

Zhou Heng shouted loudly, "Suppressing demons is a dangerous task, how could he let this opportunity pass?"

Danger is opportunity!

"That's too dangerous, don't go and do something reckless."

Shen Chong refused.

"Senior brother, don't forget, I am the Demon-Slaying Captain of the Guard Division!"

"You haven't officially joined yet. Even if you did, you wouldn't be a captain, you'd be a mere elite guard. Your swordsmanship is still incomplete..."

"If you won't take me, I'll go by myself!"

"Give him a knife, and stay close to me. If you stray too far, I can't protect you!"