Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

When all the lower-level people stand in one camp, the higher-level people will instantly become like a lone boat, and everything will become irrelevant to them.

Late at night, an army composed entirely of Purple Dragon Clan members quietly left Purple Cloud State and entered the neighboring Night Wolf Kingdom.

Night Wolf Kingdom is a demon kingdom with slightly weaker national strength than Purple Dragon Clan. The two states rarely have conflicts on a daily basis because of the existence of the giant, Heavenly Extinction Kingdom.

The Purple Dragon Clan and the Night Wolf Kingdom even maintained a secret alliance. The Night Wolf Kingdom never expected that the Purple Dragon Clan, which had only made peace with the Heavenly Extinction Kingdom two months ago, would launch a sneak attack on them.

When the beacon towers on the border of the state blaze with bright fire at night, the capital of the Night Wolf Kingdom knows that something has happened on the frontier.

Immediately, a large army from the Night Wolf Kingdom rushed to the front lines and joined the battle.

When the scouts returned and reported that the invaders were actually the Purple Dragon Clan's army, the Wolf King of Night Wolf Kingdom was extremely shocked.

"What is the Purple Dragon Clan planning this time? The Heavenly Extinction Kingdom is still around, yet they dare to attack us. Do they have a death wish?"

"Your Majesty, should we send an expert to oversee the situation?"

"Has the Purple Dragon Clan sent any experts?"

"It looks like it's just a large army entering the country, without any particularly strong experts accompanying them."

"The situation is unclear. Let's see what the Purple Dragon Clan is up to first. We'll just send our troops to meet them and fight them lightly. There's no need to start a full-scale war."

"Yes, I will pass on the order."

In the dead of night, a large army of wolf demons rushed to the border of the Night Wolf Kingdom. When they discovered that the invaders were indeed the army of the Purple Dragon Clan, they all turned pale.

This army of the Purple Dragon Clan was far more terrifying than any they had ever seen before; their eyes glowed red, and they were ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

Bloodlust and brutality became synonymous with this Purple Dragon Clan army. There was absolutely no easing of tensions, and the two armies were already slaughtering each other.

Throughout the entire process, the Purple Dragon Clan did not send any powerful experts; they mostly sent soldiers of the lower third rank.

It looked like they were simply throwing their lives away.

The Night Wolf Kingdom is inhabited by the Night Wolf Demon Clan, whose members are all born with night vision. The darkness has no effect on them as it does on daytime.

Fighting the Night Wolf Kingdom's army at night—anyone who finds out will say something's wrong with them.

Many Purple Dragon Clan soldiers fell due to the Night Wolf soldiers' bravery and skill in battle.

However, no wolf demon noticed that fleshy worms would crawl out of the bodies of the Purple Dragon soldiers and burrow into the bodies of the wolf demon soldiers who were fighting. Every wolf demon that was successfully parasitized would immediately retreat to the left or right, away from the most intense area of ​​the battlefield.

The soldiers of the Purple Dragon Clan seemed to have been on the same wavelength, letting them leave without any obstruction.

As a result, more and more wolf demon soldiers were parasitized, and more and more fled. Even though the Night Wolf Kingdom should have had the advantage, they kept being defeated and scattered.

In the end, only the corpses of wolf demons, who died in the war before they could be parasitized, remained.

Watching tens of thousands of wolf demon soldiers disappear into the distance, the Purple Dragon Clan army did not pursue them further, and instead turned and left quickly in unison.

Their appearance was extremely sudden, and their departure was exceptionally decisive, leaving anyone who saw them completely bewildered and confused.

Are you really sending soldiers here to die because you think there are too many people?

When tens of thousands of wolf demon soldiers fled back to the capital of the Night Wolf Kingdom, the Wolf King was completely stunned upon hearing the news. He could not understand the actions of the Purple Dragon Clan.

Is it about to start a war? There's no specific answer.

If you're not going to start a war, then what are you doing in my territory just to have a fight?

Such a hasty invasion left the wolf king with nowhere to vent his anger, which was quite puzzling.

"Let the soldiers return to their camps to recuperate and heal their wounds first, and send some scouts into Zixiao Prefecture to investigate what the Zilong Clan is really up to," the Wolf King said.

None of the demons in the Night Wolf Kingdom realized that a real disaster had quietly descended upon them along with those tens of thousands of soldiers.

The Black Demon Ancestor's plan is being implemented with frenzied speed.

Within three days.

Zixiao Prefecture continuously sent troops to harass the five demon kingdoms, and each time they would leave behind some defeated corpses and quickly depart, never lingering in battle and being extremely indecisive.

The news quickly spread throughout the area near Yaotuo Prefecture, and even Ning Xiu learned of it.

"Has the Purple Dragon Clan gone mad? They've suddenly gotten into conflict with so many demon kingdoms. Even though it hasn't escalated into a full-blown war, it's still unhealthy news. If it causes panic among the demons, they might just organize a demon alliance to attack them." Ning Xiu looked puzzled as he reviewed the situation.

His contact with the Purple Dragon Clan was limited to that guy Zi Hao, who gave him a lot of materials to refine the 'Golden Crow', leaving a deep impression on him.

But I'm not so sure about the others.

“There must be something wrong with this strange occurrence. I think we need to investigate the specific reasons thoroughly, otherwise it would be bad if it affected the Shang Dynasty.”

"Lord Ning, I'll go. I cultivate the Shadow Path, and I'm best at this kind of thing."

Inside the council hall, several Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Captains discussed amongst themselves.

After the establishment of the Protectorate of Yaotuo Prefecture, Qin Daorong sent several Silver Tiger Demon Subduing Officers to Ning Xiu's side to help.

After all, the greater significance of the Dragon Elephant Realm is to hold a position in a certain area, preventing the demon race from making any rash moves.

As for the daily chores, they were left to the Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Guards to handle, so Ning Xiu didn't have to worry too much.

Sitting in the main seat, Ning Xiu rested his chin on his hand, his knuckles tapping lightly on the wooden table. For some reason, upon hearing about the developments in Zixiao Prefecture, he felt a vague sense of unease.

The Dragon-Elephant Upper Realm seeks to integrate with heaven and earth; both the Destiny Star and the physical body aim for this goal.

Therefore, one may occasionally have a feeling about it, which should not be easily ignored.

“No need. Although things are strange and unusual, I think we need to hold back. No one should leave the Protectorate for the time being. We should wait and see how things go before making any decisions,” Ning Xiu said.

"This..." Hearing Ning Xiu's words, everyone was somewhat puzzled. Why be so wary of Zixiao Prefecture?

But since the order came from the Protector-General, everyone had no choice but to comply, despite their doubts.

At the same time, Tianjue Kingdom and several demon kingdoms should have, in principle, launched a campaign against Zixiao Prefecture to reclaim some territory.

But for some reason, all the demon kingdoms chose to remain silent, take no action, and not cause trouble for Zixiao Prefecture, which became a strange occurrence.

……

The Great Shang Dynasty, Chaotiandu.

By the time the Silver Tiger Demon Subduer reached this stage, everyone had heard that the Great Shang Dynasty possessed a divine stone tablet with a mysterious origin, which only the Golden Dragon Demon Subduer could guard or comprehend.

Others didn't even know the exact location of this sacred stone tablet.

Deep within the palace, a scenic lake suddenly parted, from which flew an old man with disheveled hair. He laughed maniacally, and the surrounding walls collapsed with a deafening roar, causing the palace roof tiles to slip off.

The guards seemed to be used to this situation and showed no panic. Instead, they quickly retreated dozens of feet away to keep their distance from the old man.

"I have already deciphered the secrets hidden in the divine stele, the script. Once I decipher it, I will be able to find out the true source of the evil and chaos in the world, and the great calamity of the Shang Dynasty over the past few hundred years will be answered in a way that will satisfy the world."

The man sat cross-legged in mid-air, with lake water, like pearls, surrounding his body.

As the energy swirls, it slowly forms an object resembling a star chart, full of profound mysteries, making people feel dizzy and disoriented just by looking at it from afar.

The old man kept moving his fingers across the water droplets, forming the characters of the Shang Dynasty. His process was like translating something, using a method only he understood.

As more and more text was translated, the old man couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Demons and monsters are born, wreaking havoc on the world. When the evil energy is sufficient, the Yin tide will officially descend and sweep across the world. If no great emperor exists to protect it, this realm will become the next... Xuan Yin Domain!"

The old man stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his heart churning with emotions.

Is this chaos caused by evil spirits merely the beginning?

[168] A Cataclysmic Change in Heaven and Earth Brings Great Calamity

The situation here quickly attracted the attention of many powerful figures in Chaotian Capital.

Unseen eyes turned toward them, trying to figure out what had happened.

Apart from the Golden Dragon Demon Subduer, who was in charge of studying the divine stone tablet, and the powerful Dragon Elephant King of the Imperial Palace, no one knew where the divine stone tablet was.

Some say it's located underground, like the Demon-Suppressing Prison; others say the Divine Stone Tablet is hidden in a broken ancient space; still others say it's placed inside a hall in the imperial palace. In short, there are many different theories.

Only those who are truly powerful know the specifics.

An old man sat cross-legged on the lake, and the lake water rose into the air, forming droplets. This scene was extremely magical, and people who saw it exclaimed that it was a divine act.

After the old man translated the Shang Dynasty script, he felt relieved and immediately flew towards the Imperial Study. The two lakes that had been separated then merged back together and returned to normal.

Within the capital city, there are numerous restrictions that prevent people from easily reaching higher places. The interior of the imperial palace is even more heavily guarded and incredibly complex.

Even a top-ranking expert faces restrictions when entering the imperial palace.

The old man was able to comprehend the divine stone tablet, so he was obviously no ordinary person. No one, whether overt or covert, tried to stop him along the way, and soon the old man arrived at his destination.

The Imperial Study, where the Emperor Wu usually spent his time.

The moment the old man landed outside the Imperial Study, the door opened automatically, as if to welcome him.

"Elder Shen, I haven't seen you go out for so many years since you went into seclusion. Have you made some major discovery today that you came directly to see me?" The Emperor's voice came from inside the Imperial Study.

"Your Majesty, I have discovered a major secret while examining the Divine Stone Stele. To prevent any unforeseen events in the future, I feel that I should inform you of this matter so that a decision can be made as soon as possible." The old man entered the Imperial Study, and instantly the place became extremely quiet, with not a single sound escaping.

On this day, apart from the old man and Emperor Wu, no one else knew what was being discussed in the Imperial Study.

Not long after, an imperial edict was issued throughout the Great Shang Dynasty, ordering all people and households within its borders to prepare cotton clothing and oil, ready at any time to migrate to the Central Plains where the capital, Chaotiandu, was located.

Many people are puzzled and confused by this, but no one can explain it.

Many powerful officials began to mobilize their forces, prioritizing the relocation of villages located deep in the mountains and countryside that were difficult to reach.

Farmland will be compensated at the market price, and if the family relocates outside of Zhongzhou, land will be allocated for cultivation based on the number of family members.

In this situation, many merchants sensed that something big was about to happen. Those with a conscience began to collect supplies, while those without a conscience took the opportunity to raise the prices of rice and vegetables.

Behind this, there are many prominent families from various regions providing covert support.

However, such behavior could not be sustained for more than a few days before being severely punished by the Demon Suppression Division. Those who were willing to repent had to hand over a quarter of their family property.

Those who remained obstinate were confiscated that very day, and the proceeds were used to replenish the Shang Dynasty's national treasury.

Such ruthless methods caused widespread panic throughout the Shang Dynasty, and even the plan to relocate to the Central Plains was accelerated.

Several more months passed, and the winter solstice arrived. Not only in the territory of the Great Shang Dynasty, but even in the outer regions like Yaotuo Prefecture, heavy snow began to fall, the snow as thick and pure white as goose feathers.

It snowed for just one night, covering the earth with a layer of snow more than three feet thick, and the green mountains and trees were all covered with a thick layer of snow.

Looking out, the sky, earth, mountains, and rivers blend into one.

Yaotuo Prefecture Protectorate.