Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"I apologize, sir, it was my oversight," Qin Daorong immediately admitted.

"Now is not the time to talk about this. The Black Heaven Gate kidnapped that ghost fetus, which is obviously intended to cultivate another Netherworld Empress. If they succeed, it will definitely have a certain impact on the Great Shang. Quickly notify all the Protectorates in the outer regions to find out the demon who kidnapped the ghost fetus and completely eliminate it."

"Yes!"

Seeing them acting like two children who had done something wrong in front of Gongsun Wenjing, Ning Xiu found it inexplicably funny. He had never seen these two important figures act like this before.

"Don't spread what happened tonight. The Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition is just around the corner, and it's not good to disturb people's peace of mind."

After giving a brief explanation, the handsome scholar quickly left.

For a master like him, time is precious, and he shouldn't linger outside the ancient hall for too long, lest he waste time trying to comprehend it.

Looking at the huge severed arm in the distance, which had crushed many houses, Qin Daorong smiled bitterly and said, "How can we hide this now?"

……

Under Qin Daorong's arrangement, the events of the Demon Subduing Division tonight did not cause much of a stir in the capital the following day. At most, some common people would quietly discuss what exactly happened last night.

As for the emperor, Qin Daorong had also sent someone to explain.

Apart from the houses within the Demon Extermination Bureau that were crushed, it was as if nothing had happened.

In this atmosphere, the day for the Demon-Subduing Martial Arts Competition finally arrived.

The atmosphere in the entire Demon Subduing Division was lively, with everyone packing their clothes as if they were going on a picnic.

Each team departs at a different time; they only need to arrive at Taichan Mountain in Qingque Prefecture before the official start of the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition.

"Everything is ready. We're setting off today. It'll be quite a while before we reach Qingque Prefecture, so our team must be on time and absolutely cannot be late."

In the courtyard, Ning Xiu urged his team members to pack their luggage, preparing to depart for Qingque Prefecture.

Ever since the dragon condensed into a human, it seems to have lost the instinct to transform back into a dragon. As a result, when Ning Xiu goes out to Qingque Prefecture, he has to go to the Beast Taming Workshop to apply for a batch of exotic beasts that are good at long-distance travel.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to arrive at Taichan Mountain before the deadline.

"Sir, I'm all packed and ready to go at any time," Chang Fenghai said, the first to come out of the room to greet everyone.

After him, Aying, Chen Peifeng and his apprentice, and Long Ning were also ready. The Demon Buddha had the Black Lotus Platform to transport him, so Ning Xiu did not need to worry about him.

"Alright, let's go." With Ning Xiu's order, everyone walked out of the Demon Subduing Division.

The fact that they went out to participate in the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition during the Heavenly Fortune Festival was something only the Demon Subduing Division knew. Where they went for the competition and when they set off were all highly confidential.

While the Demon Subduing Division will be weakened in its defenses once all the participating Demon Subduing Officers leave, there is absolutely no need to worry about the safety of Chaotian City.

The group of golden dragon demon-subduing guards in the ancient hall were enough to keep the place in check.

With those adults in charge, every Demon-Subduing Officer could confidently venture out to Qingque Prefecture to participate in the ten-day martial arts competition at Taichan Mountain.

Qingque Prefecture is located directly west of Da Shang. Like Sixiang Prefecture, it is a territory that Da Shang has longed to reclaim for many years.

However, the situation in Qingque Prefecture was far more serious than that in Sixiang Prefecture, and the difficulty of retaking it remained high.

This Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition also reflects the Demon Subduing Division's desire to weaken some of the local demonic forces in Qingque Prefecture.

After several days of arduous travel, relying on the endurance and speed of the strange beasts, Ning Xiu and his group finally entered Qingque Prefecture, covered in dust, and arrived at the location of Taichan Mountain.

Back when Mount Taichan was still part of the Shang Dynasty, it was a famous mountain, very well-known.

During the Shang Dynasty, when emperors changed hands, the emperor would come here to perform the Fengshan ceremony, which was of great significance.

However, after Qingque Prefecture fell, the matter was left unresolved.

Whoohoo!

Standing at the foot of Mount Taichan, one can see that the mountainside is covered with flags of the Demon Subduing Division. Mount Taichan, which was once deserted, has now become the temporary headquarters of the Demon Subduing Division, exclusively for the Demon Subduing Captains to reside in.

As soon as Ning Xiu and his party arrived, a member of the Iron Horse Demon-Subduing Guard came forward to verify their identities. Only after confirming that their identities were correct were Ning Xiu allowed to pass.

"Sir, your accommodations are in District Seven. Just choose any empty house that no one lives in. As for food and drink in Qingque Prefecture, each team will need to take care of it themselves. The higher-ups said this is to train the abilities of each Demon-Subduing Squad," explained Iron Horse Demon-Subduing Captain.

Ning Xiu hadn't expected the higher-ups to pull this stunt.

What does it mean to be able to provide for your own food and drink?

You will need to go out and fight, hunting local birds and beasts for food. In the process, you will inevitably encounter evil spirits from Qingque Prefecture, and a battle is inevitable.

The purpose of holding the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition is to assess the strength of each member of each Demon Subduing Team, and this method makes it even more thorough.

It's basically no different from surviving in outer space.

The entire Taichan Mountain was filled with numerous stockades built by the Demon Subduing Division. At this moment, the entire stockade was bustling with Demon Subduing Guards dressed in black silver chainmail.

Ning Xiu didn't know many people in the Demon Subduing Division, so no one came up to greet him. Fortunately, Ning Xiu didn't care. After finding an uninhabited wooden house, he arranged for all the members of his team to settle down.

In each Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition, in addition to the Demon Subduing Division of Jingzhou, the Demon Subduing Division of the Frontier also sends people to participate. With so many experts from both sides gathered together, it is inevitable that they will have to compete.

After settling down, Ning Xiu led Chen Peifeng and his apprentice, along with Chang Fenghai, on a leisurely stroll around the camp.

Despite Ning Xiu's current status as a first-rank martial artist, he doesn't actually have much more experience than his teammates.

Looking at the bustling camp, Ning Xiu couldn't help but stand with his hands behind his back and survey the scene.

He was just a young man, yet he was followed by a group of people who looked like thugs, which was quite rare in the Demon Extermination Division.

Because those who can become the leader of the Bronze Leopard Squad are usually either middle-aged people over thirty or absolute geniuses, many of the Demon Subduing Officers noticed Ning Xiu's unfamiliar face.

"Hit her! Take her down!"

After walking a few dozen steps further, a large group of people gathered not far away caught Ning Xiu's attention.

The Demon Slayers swarmed to that place, unaware of what was happening inside. Ning Xiu, curious, immediately led his team through the crowd.

Faced with Ning Xiu's absolute strength, these Demon-Subduing Guards were no match for him. He pushed them aside one by one, clearing a path straight to the innermost part of the crowd. Only when he reached the front of the crowd did Ning Xiu realize that it was two Demon-Subduing Guards who had removed their Xuan Yin Chainmail and were having a contest.

The Demon-Subduing Captain on the left is a burly man in his thirties, covered in scars, clearly a veteran.

On the right is the Demon-Slaying Officer, a short-haired woman with a wheat-colored complexion and a muscular physique, exuding a particularly heroic and dashing air.

Martial Arts Rank 6, yes, Martial Arts Rank 6.

"It's quite a close match." Ning Xiu nodded after understanding the situation on the field.

When two people are of equal skill level, it is not easy to determine a winner; it requires comparing their martial arts skills and internal strength.

In addition to combat experience and on-the-spot performance, the Demon Subduing Division usually forbids Demon Subduing Lieutenants from arranging private duels, but on the day of the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition, this rule is no longer in effect.

Any method that can test the strength of the Demon Slayers is worth supporting.

"Yuchi Wuji, if you can't win this woman over, don't even think about us inviting you for drinks this year!"

"Song Ciwei, crush the arrogance of the Jingzhou Demon-Subduing Division! Let them know that we, the Demon-Subduing Officers of the frontier, are not to be trifled with!"

As the battle between the two intensified, calls for a change in the status quo grew louder and louder, reaching a fever pitch.

The intense emotional atmosphere affected everyone present, making them all wish they could step on stage and do it themselves.

Gradually, Yuchi Wuji began to show signs of weakness. In a moment of carelessness, he was knocked to the ground by Song Ciwei, who then punched him in the face.

Ning Xiu frowned. If what happened just now could be considered a friendly spar, this punch was a bit out of the ordinary. If he were to actually take a punch, even if Yu Chi Wuji was a sixth-rank martial artist, he would still have to stay in bed for several days to recuperate, thus missing this rare Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition.

Ning Xiu immediately reached out and released invisible Heavenly Gang internal force, directly forming an internal force barrier between Yuchi Wuji and Song Ciwei, directly blocking Song Ciwei's punch.

Yu Chi Wuji stared wide-eyed in disbelief. He had been prepared to take the punch, but now things had changed in an unpredictable way.

"Who allowed such heavy-handed tactics in a friendly spar?" Ning Xiu shouted.

His voice suddenly rang out like a bell, making everyone present's ears ring, and the entire place immediately fell silent.

"Who is this person? I've never seen him before."

"That shout just now showed that this person has profound inner strength. I couldn't see through his strength. Could he be the Silver Tiger Demon Subduer?"

"Boos."

Ning Xiu slowly walked towards Song Ciwei, whose face was full of anger. In the battle just now, she was furious with Yu Chi Wuji and others. Now that Ning Xiu had suddenly intervened, she was naturally unhappy.

“You won this sparring match, so we can end it now,” Ning Xiu said.

"I want to hear him admit defeat in person! Otherwise, it doesn't count," Song Ciwei insisted through gritted teeth.

“In the sparring of the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition, no one is allowed to interfere with the process until the loser speaks. Who are you to dare to interfere?” Just then, a woman with half her face covered in scars stepped out from the crowd.

If it weren't for this scar on her face, she would have been an equally heroic demon-slaying officer. It's just a pity that the scar on half of her face makes her look somewhat ferocious.

Martial Arts Rank Four!

Ning Xiu sized up the other party's strength and couldn't help but nod. For someone of this age to possess such strength was quite remarkable. No wonder she dared to stand up and question him.

Within a few years, this woman will surely be able to reserve a Silver Tiger position.

“He has already lost, I’ve already said that, and she clearly won but still used excessive force, so I have a reason to step in and stop her,” Ning Xiu said calmly.

With his current strength, all the Demon-Subduing Officers present were no different from his juniors in his eyes.

When seniors speak to juniors, there are hardly any emotions involved.

"You're pretty arrogant, kid." Song Ciying pointed at Ning Xiu: "Don't think that just because others can't see through your strength, you can act like an expert here. I've seen plenty of people like you with hidden strength and methods. Don't think you can fool me like that. If you like being a referee so much, then fight me and let me see what you're really made of."

Upon hearing Song Ciying's words, the Demon-Subduing Guards present immediately seemed to realize something, and their illusions about Ning Xiu's expertise shattered instantly.

"That's right! That kid must have used some kind of technique to conceal his strength and pretend to be an expert here."

"Fight him! Fight him, Miss Song, we support you!"

"Let's fight!"

The entire arena erupted in cheers, urging Ning Xiu to accept the challenge. However, given Ning Xiu's current strength, it would be too much of a humiliation for him to fight Song Ciying.

Furthermore, given his status, it was inappropriate for him to do such a thing, so Ning Xiu waved to Chang Fenghai in the distance and said, "Chang Fenghai, come here."

"Hey! You chickened out, time to switch?"

"I thought she was so powerful, but I didn't expect her to be so easily provoked. If you're so tough, don't switch to someone else, fight Miss Song yourself."

"Where did such a coward come from in the Demon Extermination Bureau? He's a disgrace."

……

While everyone was mocking Ning Xiu, a small number of people in the crowd showed expressions of shock.

"That person seems to be the one who fought with the evil spirits outside the mortal realm in the Demon Subduing Division that night."

“Even Lord Qin and Lord Bai have to watch him make a move. This man is definitely not an ordinary person in the Demon Subduing Division.”

"Let's just stand by and watch; this is going to be interesting."