Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Ning Xiu intended not to kill him.

The punch flew diagonally into the sky, shattering the mountain peak outside the camp and breaking off almost a tenth of it. If Ning Xiu hadn't channeled his power elsewhere, the entire camp would have been reduced to ashes.

For a moment, the entire Demon Subduing Division camp fell silent, and no one dared to speak.

Who could have imagined that Ning Xiu, who looked so young, would possess such power in his first move? No one had anticipated it.

Although the Frontier Demon Subduing Division and the Capital Demon Subduing Division have many secret disputes, it is only an internal competition. Everyone's hearts are still united against the outside world. The death of a second-rank official would be a huge blow to the entire Demon Subduing Division.

"Do you know why I spared your life?" Ning Xiu looked down at Yan Fei. "Every Demon-Subduing Captain is a force for the Demon-Subduing Division in its fight against the demon race. The thirty-six states of the world have not yet been fully recovered. Every Demon-Subduing Captain is the hope of the Demon-Subduing Division. That's why I spared your life."

Upon hearing this, Yan Fei suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

But then he felt a strong gust of wind hit him hard in the face.

Yan Fei was completely unable to withstand Ning Xiu's strength. He was instantly sent flying backward, crashing to the ground and sliding a long distance. At the same time, his face began to swell uncontrollably.

"This palm strike is punishment for your attempt to kill my team member and a Demon-Slaying Officer just now," Ning Xiu said again.

"Pfft!" Yan Fei stood up, and couldn't help but spit out several teeth.

He looked at Ning Xiu with complicated emotions, wanting to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.

In his current predicament, he had no chance of resistance whatsoever. After that last move, the difference in strength between the two was quite obvious.

"Haha, when did the Demon Suppression Division have such a young master?"

Just as the situation fell into complete silence, laughter suddenly came from afar.

Then two portly men strode over, both wearing armor specially made by the Silver Tiger Demon Subduer.

Ning Xiu didn't recognize either of them, so they must be from the Frontier Demon Subduing Division. Thinking that they hadn't intervened earlier, but were only now trying to smooth things over, Ning Xiu couldn't help but look at Yan Fei, whose teeth he had knocked out, with a pitiful expression.

It's really pathetic that he has such poor interpersonal relationships.

Song Ciying, standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded. She was Yan Fei's disciple, and the reason Yan Fei had intervened was because she was present when he fought Chang Fenghai.

Thinking of how her once-powerful mentor had been defeated by Ning Xiu's single punch, Song Ciying's restless heart immediately calmed down.

Actually, his sparring with Chang Fenghai didn't involve any problems. Yan Fei's move was already considered to have crossed the line according to the rules of the Demon Subduing Division. Even if the Golden Dragon Demon Subduing Officer were to intervene, Ning Xiu wouldn't be punished in any way.

dong dong dong dong!

"The main force has arrived!"

Just as the two newcomers were about to speak with Ning Xiu, a deafening chorus of gongs and drums suddenly resounded outside the camp.

As the flag bearer in the camp shouted, the expressions of all the demon-slaying officers changed.

In the Shang Dynasty, only the emperor would raise the main flag when he went out, and when a general went out to fight, it was called the general's flag.

Could it be that even the Emperor has come to this Demon-Subduing Martial Arts Competition?

This is unprecedented in previous Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competitions, especially since Qingque Prefecture is located in the outer region, where countless demons and monsters are lurking in the shadows, making the level of danger extremely high.

The fact that the Shang emperor dared to come to this place shows that he was extremely confident in the Demon Subduing Division.

Now that the main banner had arrived, all disputes and grudges had to take a back seat. Everyone, regardless of rank or position, rushed out of the camp and stood at the entrance to await the arrival of the main banner's army.

On the land outside the mountains, an army of at least 100,000 men was marching towards Taichan Mountain.

The lead flag bearer held aloft a flag with the character '武' (wu, meaning martial/military) on it. The flag was reddish-gold in color.

In the Shang Dynasty, only the thirty-six kings and the emperor would carry this kind of banner when they traveled. Judging from the crimson gold character "武" (Wu), it must be the Shang emperor.

Ning Xiu was secretly surprised. What was the emperor thinking? He knew that although the Great Shang Dynasty was stronger than the various demon kingdoms.

However, if the various demon kingdoms join forces, even the Great Shang Dynasty might not be able to withstand them.

It is truly too dangerous for the Shang emperor to have come to Mount Taichan in Qingque Prefecture today.

Iron cavalry guards and sixteen Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Guards stood beside the dragon palanquin, among whom there must also be Golden Dragon Demon-Subduing Guards hiding their identities.

hum!

The army stopped when they were still ten paces away from the camp, and a man dressed in a dragon robe stepped out of the dragon palanquin.

This person appears to have a restrained and unassuming demeanor, yet he exudes an air of nobility and authority, as if he could command the world.

Emperor Wu Cheng of the Shang Dynasty!

"His Majesty!"

All the Demon-Subduing Officers knelt on one knee, clasped their hands in a fist and roared.

The Demon Subduing Division has a rule that whenever a Demon Subduing Captain encounters an official of higher rank, he only needs to kneel on one knee.

Even when encountering the emperor, it is still the same.

"Rise, all of you. We have come to Qingque Prefecture to participate in the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition in order to witness your bravery. I hope that tomorrow I will see just how powerful the Demon Subduing Division has become." Emperor Wu Cheng smiled and gestured.

"Yes!"

Everyone echoed in unison, and the crosstalk resounded like thunder, startling birds and beasts into scattering.

After watching him leave, Emperor Wu Cheng sat back in his sedan chair and entered the camp.

……

The Demon-Subduing Martial Arts Competition targets demons and evil spirits as its prey, with no rules or regulations; the goal is simply to kill as many targets as possible.

The arrival of each Heavenly Fortune Festival signifies an apocalyptic extinction for the evil spirits of the outer realms.

Demons, demon humans, and evil spirits are all targets of the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition.

When Emperor Wu Cheng's dragon palanquin entered the camp, it was on a high peak three thousand miles away from Mount Taichan.

Three tall, blue-skinned, red-haired, and single-horned figures stood on the edge of the cliff, staring intently at the location of Mount Taichan.

The group consisted of one woman and two men. The men were handsome, and the women were stunningly beautiful. Although they did not appear to be human, they were exactly what humans considered beautiful.

"Even the emperor of the Great Shang Dynasty has come. This is truly a good opportunity to make a move. I wonder what the other forces are thinking and when they plan to act."

“We don’t need to rush. If we’re talking about who the existence of the Great Shang Dynasty has the biggest impact on, it has to be those neighboring demon kingdoms. The Great Shang emperor dared to come to Qingque Prefecture this time, so I don’t believe those demon kingdoms won’t take any action. Let’s wait and see.”

"If we could kill this Shang emperor and shake up the Shang dynasty's fortune, that would be quite a good thing."

"Peng Futian's destiny star hangs high in the sky. There are some things that we shouldn't do first. We mustn't make any mistakes."

A strange man looked up at the sky and saw a pure white star quietly twinkling in the clear, cloudless blue sky, radiating sharp, angular beams of light, clearly no ordinary object.

Reaching the Dragon-Elephant Upper Realm signifies taking the first step towards transcending the mortal realm. Upon reaching this level, one will possess the ability to understand the will of Heaven and perceive the sounds of the earth.

At the same time, a star of destiny is born, possessing the ability to sense the world and perceive all directions.

That white star in the sky is like an eye that is always on standby. Under the star, anyone who makes a small move will be clearly seen by the master of the star. Evil spirits and monsters have nowhere to escape.

hum!

A horn blared through the Demon Subduing Division's camp, and numerous braziers were lit. Various banners were erected, instantly filling the entire camp with an atmosphere of solemnity, awaiting the arrival of tomorrow—

Demon-Subduing Martial Arts Competition.

.

[129] On the first day, demons rose up.

Early in the morning, a large number of demon-slaying officers had already set up their formations in the camp.

Led by the Copper Leopard Demon-Subduing Captain, the small teams lined up densely in the camp.

All the Demon-Subduing Guards looked at Emperor Wucheng, who was sitting on the training ground, waiting for his order to depart.

On either side of Emperor Wucheng's dragon throne stood the Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Guards, who were there to protect the emperor, as well as four Golden Dragon Demon-Subduing Guards who were supposed to be meditating on the Great Dao in front of the mysterious stone tablet.

This was a massive undertaking, and no ordinary force could even dream of getting close to the emperor.

"Today is one of the most important days for the Great Shang Dynasty. The Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition will showcase the strength of the Great Shang. Set off! I will be here waiting for you to return with a full harvest!" Emperor Wucheng said in a powerful voice.

hum~ hum~ hum~

As ten seven-foot-long horns of strange beasts slowly blew, the camp gates opened, and a large number of Demon-Subduing Guards rushed out of the camp and scattered in all directions.

Each Bronze Leopard squad, led by its captain, quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Among them was Ning Xiu's Bronze Leopard Squad, but the leader was not Ning Xiu, but the oldest member, Daoist Kongxu.

Chen Peifeng, Chang Fenghai, Aying, and the others followed closely behind on horseback.

"Hehe, Lord Ning, with your strength, why haven't you changed your identity token yet? Are you trying to continue participating in this Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition as a Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain? Isn't that a bit too much of a bullying of the juniors?"

Inside the largest tent in the camp, more than fifty people sat in their respective places, some drinking tea, some joking around.

Ning Xiu, sitting in the middle, looked helpless. He was supposed to lead his team out to subdue demons, but he was immediately stopped by the other Silver Tiger Demon Subduing Captains in the camp.

They prevented him from going out with the team.

This is ridiculous! Sending a martial arts master of the first rank to participate in the Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition is like an adult beating up a child!

"That's right, Lord Ning. He's already at the upper third rank and about to break through to the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm. He should stay here and stay put. If anything unexpected happens, he can go out to provide support."

"Yeah, yeah, with your fate, what's the suspense?"

Faced with the dissuasion of several Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Guards, Ning Xiu could only nod in agreement: "You are all right, then I will stay here."

At this moment, the camp was filled with many experts from the Jingzhou Demon Subduing Division and the Frontier Demon Subduing Division. All of them were at least of the third rank, which could be said to be the foundational force that would ensure the smooth progress of this Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition.

Not to mention that in Qingque Prefecture, there is also a powerful merchant named Jinlong Fumowei. If they encounter any trouble that even Yinhu Fumowei cannot handle...

Then everyone can go and find him.

"This Lord Ning looks unfamiliar. I've never heard of him in the department before. He's already a first-rank martial artist at such a young age. His talent is astonishing. Doesn't your Jingzhou have such a young genius? Why don't you publicize it?"

A Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Captain from the Frontier Demon-Subduing Division asked Qin Daorong.

Qin Daorong said calmly, "This is a very normal thing in our Demon Subduing Division, there's nothing to publicize."

"Oh……"

The camp fell silent for a moment; some people twitched their lips slightly, while others suddenly realized what was going on.

Ning Xiu couldn't help but give a thumbs up. Good for showing off!

Cuckoo!