Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"Huh?...Execute, execute evil spirits?"

Hearing the jailer's words, everyone was taken aback, even though their ambition was to become Demon Slayers and slay demons and evil spirits for the imperial court.

But evil spirits have always been a distant existence for them, so the sudden invitation to kill them was a mix of surprise and dread.

"Don't be afraid. The evil spirits here have been sealed by the Demon Subduing Guards and cannot harm anyone. Go straight to the end from there and you will reach the Yellow Zone of the Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow Zones. Each of you can choose one of the cells I just mentioned to carry out the execution. Remember, no one here has ever deserted in the face of battle. Don't break the great taboo of the Demon Subduing Bureau."

Ning Xiu thought for a moment and then suddenly asked, "My lord, if the Demon-Subduing Officer encounters evil spirits, shouldn't he kill them on the spot? Why would he have the time to capture them and imprison them in the Demon-Suppressing Prison? Imprisoning them is one thing, but why are you now sending someone to deal with the evil spirits? Isn't that redundant?"

"Don't be so curious about the Demon-Subduing Officer's work. Just follow the rules and don't ask too many questions. Go now and don't waste any time."

Urged on by the prison guards, Ning Xiu and his group had no choice but to follow his instructions and walk into the yellow area.

There is a cell every ten steps in this area. The cell doors are closed and made of iron. Apart from the numbers written on the doors, you can't see anything inside.

After each person chose a cell, they said their goodbyes. Ning Xiu then went alone to the door of cell number 132, which he had chosen.

click!

The moment the iron gate was pushed open, a gust of cold wind blew out from inside, making one feel a chill down one's spine.

By the light of the oil lamp in the cell, Ning Xiu immediately spotted a figure pinned to the wall by several iron spikes.

The man was thin and emaciated, with a pale complexion and six eyes. A bloody knife wound on his abdomen was still dripping blood.

An iron sword was still stuck in his chest, seemingly left by the previous executioner.

In addition, this strange man was covered in cinnabar talismans, and his whole body was bound with red ropes with bells, which not only failed to make people feel safe, but also made him seem even more eerie.

In the corner of the cell was a wooden table with knives, swords, short axes, daggers and other sharp weapons neatly arranged on it, presumably prepared for the executioner.

"Is it all over once this evil spirit is killed?" Ning Xiu pondered, looking at the evil spirit that showed no reaction to his arrival.

No matter how you look at it, this is a simple thing that couldn't be simpler. It doesn't even require the Demon-Subduing Officer to lift a finger. Even the apprentices of the Champion Camp could do it on their own.

Ning Xiu picked up the goose-feather saber from the table and walked toward the strange man. He had never practiced any saber techniques, but this weapon was the most decisive and efficient to use.

This is the perfect time to carry out the execution.

Ning Xiu directly wielded the goose-feather saber and slashed down at the neck of the six-eyed evil spirit.

Without any obstruction or interference, the Goose Feather Blade easily beheaded the six-eyed evil spirit with a single strike. However, just as the evil spirit's head hit the ground, a sudden change occurred.

The four-eyed evil spirit suddenly opened a large number of eyes all over its body, staring intently at Ning Xiu.

A wave of nausea and dizziness instantly surged through Ning Xiu's mind. He felt the world spinning and his stomach churning.

"vomit!"

He could only hold on for a few breaths before Ning Xiu collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently as he braced himself with his hands on the ground.

Stomach acid splattered on the ground, and at the same time, eyeballs slid out of his mouth, then rolled onto Ning Xiu's arm as if they were alive, burrowing into his flesh one by one.

[Defeat evil spirits to gain +500 general proficiency]

A voice faintly echoed in his mind, but Ning Xiu could no longer hold on. His consciousness was blurred, and he had no time to pay attention to anything else. He fainted on the spot.

……

"This apprentice seems to have trained a lot. His vitality is far more vigorous than that of his peers. The bewitching evil aura could only make him faint. He is a good candidate to be an executioner."

"This time, more than two hundred apprentices were recruited from various instructors in the Champion Camp, but only seventy-six of them were qualified. The rest of the apprentices have no idea what they have been practicing in the Champion Camp. This has infuriated the Demon-Subduing Captains who brought them here."

The noise around him was so intense that Ning Xiu had no choice but to slowly open his eyes, unable to continue sleeping.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a clean little room, with two jailers standing beside him. They were the two who had just spoken.

Upon seeing that he had awakened, the conversation between the two came to an abrupt halt, and a prison guard asked, "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

Ning Xiu raised his hands and saw that his arms were wrapped tightly in white cloth at some point, and he felt a dull pain when he moved them.

"Where am I?" Ning Xiu asked.

"Of course it's the Demon Suppression Prison. You were knocked unconscious by the evil energy of the 'Bewitch Eyes' demon, so I carried you back here," the jailer said.

Ning Xiu muttered to himself, "The book says that when evil spirits die, they release evil energy from their bodies. If an ordinary person gets infected, they will either fall seriously ill or die on the spot. I didn't even realize that until now."

"You do know quite a lot, but that only applies to ordinary people who haven't cultivated. Apprentices like you, trained by the Champion Camp, have blood energy that can counteract the influence of evil energy. Among the group recruited from the Champion Camp this time, you performed the best. If you can persevere, you will surely be able to join the Demon Subduing Division in due time."

The jailer brought an apple and placed it next to Ning Xiu: "Rest well. After the Eye of Deception dies, it will regenerate by parasitizing the eyeball. We have already removed the eyeball that the Eye of Deception parasitized from your arm. There will be no hidden dangers. Come and report to us in two days after your injury has healed. At that time, you will be given a new execution task."

After saying this, the two jailers left the room.

After they left, Ning Xiu immediately checked his proficiency panel.

……

【Yuan Yang Fist: Level 4 (599/800)】(+)

[Golden Bell Shield: Three layers (211/400)] (+)

General Proficiency: 500

……

"As expected, I wasn't hallucinating." Ning Xiu was relieved to see the new content on the panel.

After killing the evil spirit 'Bewitch Eye', he gained this universal proficiency that he had never seen before.

It seems that these 500 proficiency points can be directly added to the martial arts techniques that I have already mastered.

Ning Xiu decisively increased his general proficiency in the Yuan Yang Fist Technique. The prison guard who left had said that a person's blood and qi could counteract the effects of evil qi.

The reason I was able to remain unharmed despite being infected by evil spirits is largely due to my diligent practice of Yuan Yang Fist over the past two years, which has made my blood and energy extraordinary.

If one wishes to remain in this Demon-Suppressing Prison as an executioner for an extended period, a robust bloodline is essential.

By further improving the Yuan Yang Fist technique, one can make the blood and energy in their body even more vigorous.

[Yuan Yang Fist: Level 4 (599/800)] → [Yuan Yang Fist: Level 5 (0/1600)]

After improving his Yuan Yang Fist, Ning Xiu did not continue to increase his proficiency. Instead, he added the remaining 299 proficiency points to his Golden Bell Shield.

This way, the Golden Bell Shield can be upgraded to another level, enhancing one's strength.

"I usually only gain about 10 proficiency points after a day of hard practice, but killing a single evil spirit gives me 500 points, which is equivalent to a month's worth of my efforts. It's really making me feel mentally broken." Ning Xiu looked at the proficiency panel and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

In this way, Ning Xiu's job as an executioner in the Demon Suppression Prison becomes even more crucial. Only by staying in the Demon Suppression Prison can Ning Xiu kill evil spirits for free and thus gain proficiency.

Two days later.

I don't know what kind of wound medicine the jailer used on me, but in just two days, the white cloth was removed and the wound on my arm had scabbed over, so it wouldn't affect my activities.

Ning Xiu did not delay and immediately went out of the room to report to the jailer.

Entering the Demon Suppression Prison straight through the main gate, you will arrive at a circular hall. There are four corridors here, each leading to one of the four prison areas: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow.

When Ning Xiu arrived at the main hall, he immediately spotted several familiar faces, who in turn noticed him.

"Ning Xiu!" He Yunlang walked over happily with the two of them. They were both apprentices under Instructor Wu Yan, just like Ning Xiu.

Arriving in an unfamiliar place, it's naturally a pleasure to see familiar faces.

"I haven't seen you for the past two days. I thought you had been sent back to the champion camp," He Yunlang said with a smile.

Ning Xiu asked in surprise, "Someone was sent back?"

"Of course, there are quite a few of them. I heard from the prison guards that those people couldn't withstand the evil energy and couldn't work in the Demon Suppression Prison at all. They had to be sent back for retraining. Those of us who were left behind are all promising talents," He Yunlang said with a thud.

“Ning Xiu, we have already received our execution duties for today. You should hurry up and choose your cell. I heard that the more cells are left, the stronger the evil spirits imprisoned inside are. After death, the evil energy that dissipates is extremely threatening and will not be conducive to our recovery,” a young man standing next to He Yunlang said kindly.

"Thank you for reminding me. You all go ahead with your work, I'll take my leave now." After saying goodbye to He Yunlang and the others, Ning Xiu went to the gathering place of the prison guards in the main hall.

The two jailers from that day were also present. When they saw Ning Xiu appear, they came over and said, "It looks like your injuries have healed quite well."

Ning Xiu cupped his hands and said, "I have to thank you for bandaging my arms, otherwise they would probably be ruined."

"No need to be polite. There are not enough people in the Demon Suppression Prison right now, so I hope there are as many people as possible to be executioners. Today you go to cell 260 in the yellow area. Same as usual, you can rest after you finish your work."

"Yes."

Having left the main hall, Ning Xiu, having already experienced it before, easily found the location of cell number 260 in the Yellow District.

Pushing open the door, a damp, fishy smell immediately hit the door, and the entire cell echoed with the dripping sound of water droplets.

Ning Xiu entered and found no evil spirits in the entire cell, except for a water vat filled with murky sewage placed on the ground.

Hundreds of silver needles were suspended seven inches above the water vat, with the tips pointing directly at the water surface, seemingly to prevent anything inside the vat from escaping.

"Well……"

A strange noise rang out, and the murky sewage instantly boiled like hot water, with waves surging continuously.

A large amount of long hair surfaced and quickly filled the entire water tank. Under Ning Xiu's gaze, a pale face covered in white fat slowly rose from the water.

This must be the evil spirit imprisoned in this cell.

【003】The fox demon imparts magical techniques

According to the book "A Comprehensive Mirror of Demons and Evils" that Ning Xiu had read, the souls of those who die by drowning or by accident will remain trapped in the place where they drowned. Influenced by the yin energy at the bottom of the water, they will eventually become drowning ghosts.

This evil spirit is skilled in illusion, sometimes conjuring up beautiful women by the water to lure passing men closer.

Or they might transform into precious treasures and gold and silver that fall into the water, enticing passersby to go into the water to retrieve them.

Once someone goes into the water, the drowning ghost will use its hair to forcibly drag the person to the bottom of the water and drown them. Ordinary people are powerless to resist.

Ning Xiu picked up an iron knife from the table and was about to carry out the execution when the drowned ghost in the vat suddenly opened its mouth and said, "Boy, I have a lot of money hidden in my original residence, totaling no less than 100,000 taels of silver. If you can help me escape from this place, I am willing to tell you where the money is."

It's not strange that evil spirits can talk. As far as Ning Xiu knows, many evil spirits harm innocent people by disguising themselves as humans.

No less than 100,000 taels of silver—that certainly sounds tempting, but unfortunately, the drowning ghost has chosen the wrong person. If it were an ordinary young man, he probably wouldn't be able to resist such temptation.

Ning Xiu may look like he's only a teenager, with the mind of a young boy, but in reality, he has lived two lives and knows how to judge gains and losses. How could he be blinded by such words?

In this chaotic world of demons and monsters, evil spirits abound. The only long-term solution is to strengthen one's own power. Having 100,000 taels of silver is nothing more than being a lamb to the slaughter.

If you help this drowning ghost escape, you can forget about staying in the Demon Subduing Division. You might even be considered an evil spirit and be executed.

"No need, save it for your next life." Ning Xiu raised his hand and plunged the knife into the drowning ghost's throat.

[Defeat evil spirits to gain +600 general proficiency]