Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"Where's the stuff! Where's the stuff!"

Upon hearing the roar, the monster carrying the wooden bucket quickened its pace.

After rounding the last bend in the winding path, the view suddenly opened up, and an even larger cave came into Ning Xiu's view.

The entire cave was filled with a green mist. A large pool was filled with black liquid, and a bloated fish demon with bulging eyes was lying in the pool, constantly blowing bubbles and urging people on.

This fish demon was four or five zhang tall with only half of its body above the water, resembling a small mountain. Each of its scales had a ghost face pattern, making it look extremely ferocious and menacing.

Near the pool, numerous small demons continuously poured sap from wooden buckets into the pool, ensuring it remained full.

Ning Xiu was not the only one following the monster that was transporting the wooden barrels.

The pool contained an enormous amount of black liquid, which made every monster who came to pour water look on with burning eyes and drooling, wishing they could drink a mouthful as soon as possible.

However, due to the intimidation of the fish demon, none of the demons dared to do so and could only watch helplessly.

"Why would a fish demon with the strength of a first-grade demon exist in this place?" Ning Xiu wondered.

There are no rivers in Yaotuo Prefecture, so it is quite remarkable that a fish demon could grow to the first rank in this place.

"Hurry up, all of you! If you fail to obtain the 'Black Spirit Pill' this time, I'll skin you alive! If I, your master, do get the Black Spirit Pill, each of you will be richly rewarded, and I'll even give you a sip of my essence."

The fish demon roared in a muffled voice, its mouth agape.

Every time he speaks, he spews out a lot of bubbles, making the scene extremely comical.

Upon hearing the fish demon's promise, the little demons who were pouring juice around the pool all became incredibly clean and quickened their pace.

"What do you mean by the Black Spirit Pill?" Just then, Ning Xiu, who had been hiding, emerged from the shadows and asked familiarly.

The sudden sound of a human voice startled all the demons in the cave.

Several months have passed since the Yin tide subsided, and the creatures of Yaotuo Prefecture are either dead or crippled. At this time, it is extremely rare to see humans in the wild.

Not to mention that a human suddenly appeared out of nowhere on their own territory, which is extremely rare.

"Human!" The fish demon's eyes lit up instantly, its already prominent eyes becoming even more bulging as it stared greedily at Ning Xiu. Large amounts of green saliva gushed from its mouth and dripped into the pool.

In the outer realms, for some brutal demons, humans are synonymous with food. Now, to actually see a living human, the fish demon almost couldn't resist leaping out of the pool.

"Take him down! Today, I'll reward you with my essence!" As soon as the fish demon gave the order, a large number of demons surrounded Ning Xiu.

Unexpectedly, before Ning Xiu could even get close to him, the monsters began to swell up and explode with loud bangs.

In an instant, Ning Xiu easily eliminated all the lesser demons. Only then did the fish demon realize what was happening and develop a completely new understanding of Ning Xiu's views.

"Human, you've got some strength. As expected, those who can survive the Yin Tide are no ordinary people," the fish demon said casually, leaning against the pool.

"You also know about Yin Chao?" Ning Xiu asked, quite surprised.

If I hadn't relied on the True Yang Emperor, I wouldn't have been able to obtain this information. So where did this fish demon in front of me get it from?

Ning Xiu's interest in the fish demon immediately grew. If he could subdue the fish demon, he could probably extract a lot of useful information from it.

In an instant, Ning Xiu vanished from his spot, and when he reappeared, he was already standing in front of the fish demon's face.

"what?"

boom!

The fish demon was shocked, but it was no use. Ning Xiu threw a punch, sending the huge fish demon flying high into the air. It tumbled out of the pool and crashed into the cave wall.

With the strength of this fish demon, it would be a formidable opponent anywhere. Even in the waters of the Great Shang territory, it would be enough to wreak havoc and become a local overlord.

It was just a pity that he encountered Ning Xiu, a master of the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm. There are no more than a thousand masters of this level in the entire world, so to encounter even one is extremely lucky.

However, for the fish demon, this was not good fortune, but rather utter misfortune.

"Ugh!" Unable to withstand the surging energy within his body, the fish demon immediately spat out a mouthful of turbid blood, which contained a lot of bits of flesh and bones.

"Speak, tell me everything you know about the Yin Tide, and what's the deal with that Black Spirit Pill? What's your purpose in collecting this tree sap?" Ning Xiu asked as he walked over.

His posture suggested that if the fish demon refused to cooperate, he would kill it with a single punch.

The fish demon, having cultivated to its current strength, was naturally not stupid. As Ning Xiu's aura grew stronger, it realized that the human before it was far stronger than it had imagined.

If I don't go along with what the other person wants, I might really die!

Having reached the first rank of strength, no living being would easily want to die. So the fish demon, disregarding its own bleeding injuries, hurriedly said, "It was the Demon Ancestor, the Demon Ancestor, who told us about the Yin Tide. The Black Spirit Pill is also a gift he gives us each time. Only the most powerful Demon Lord can obtain it, and there is only one each time. Now that the Xuan Yin Domain has descended, our demon race can use the sap of the Yin Tree to accelerate our cultivation. As long as we follow the cultivation methods taught by the Demon Ancestor, every demon will have the day to step into a higher realm."

“Demon Ancestor…” Ning Xiu thought to himself, where did this guy come from?

Not only did they know about the Yin Tide in advance, but the reason these demons have been able to survive until now is probably because the demon ancestor told them in advance how to avoid the Yin Tide.

Could it be that this Demon Ancestor was once a being similar to the True Yang Emperor?

"How many powerful demons are you referring to? And what is the use of that Black Spirit Pill?" Ning Xiu asked.

"Including myself, the Demon Ancestor supported a total of twelve Demon Lords. We will help the Demon Ancestor manage all the demon races. As long as the Demon Ancestor is here, the demon race will become the number one race in the world when the Xuan Yin Domain disappears." The fish demon's eyes revealed an undisguised longing: "As for the Black Spirit Pill, the Demon Ancestor said that after taking it, one can comprehend a trace of the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm. It is extremely precious."

"There are such pills?" Ning Xiu exclaimed in surprise. Even though he was already at the Upper Dragon Elephant Realm, he dared not say that there was any pill in the world that could allow someone to comprehend the Upper Dragon Elephant Realm after consuming it.

This is probably not some kind of miracle cure.

"How can I see the Demon Ancestor?"

“The Demon Ancestor usually hides himself very well. Apart from his personal attendants, no one knows where his cave is located. I don’t know either. Every time there’s a competition, it’s the Demon Ancestor’s attendants who bring the Black Spirit Pills. He hasn’t shown his face for a long time,” the fish demon said, feeling very aggrieved.

With his own authority in place, this guy wouldn't dare to lie. Ning Xiu put his hand away and began to ponder.

The appearance of this demon ancestor was truly bizarre. Not only did he know about the existence of the Yin Tide, but he also saved the lives of many demons in advance, which is very similar to the True Yang Emperor.

I need to find out where the other party comes from, so I have to spare the fish demon's life first. On the day of the grand competition it mentioned, we can go together, subdue the demon ancestor's attendant, and force him to reveal the location of the demon ancestor's cave.

"How long until the big competition?"

"Tomorrow will be it."

"I will go with you tomorrow. You must not reveal my identity, or even the Demon Ancestor will not be able to save your life." Ning Xiu pressed a palm on the fish demon, and his internal fire energy surged into the other's body in an instant.

As the fish demon followed the energy along its meridians to every part of its body, it felt the fire energy was incredibly warm, making its body feel warm and comfortable, almost causing it to cry out.

But in the next instant, Ning Xiu's thoughts stirred, and his fiery energy rushed into the fish demon's heart, causing its expression to change drastically. It burst into painful wailing and struggled violently, thrashing its body.

"Remember this feeling. If my plan goes wrong because of your betrayal, your suffering will be a hundred times greater than it is now," Ning Xiu warned.

"I know, I know!" the fish demon shouted hurriedly.

Ning Xiu then stopped his actions and forcefully threw the fish demon back into the large pool, sending water splashing several feet high.

"Thank you, sir, thank you, sir." The fish demon had completely disregarded its dignity as a great demon and began to fawn over Ning Xiu, being extremely attentive to him.

Although the Demon Ancestor is very powerful, this person in front of me is probably not much weaker. Demons are selfish, and it is more important to save their own lives right now.

As for loyalty to the Demon Ancestor, let's talk about that next time.

The next day.

The arena set up by the Demon Ancestor is located in a valley in the north of the mountains. The twelve demon lords chosen by the Demon Ancestor will go there to compete for the ownership of the Black Spirit Pill this month.

These powerful demons knew that a first-rank strength was not enough to rule the Xuan Yin Domain. Only by reaching the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm could they have the resources and strength to govern a region.

If you want to reach the Dragon-Elephant Upper Realm as soon as possible, a Black Spirit Pill is absolutely essential.

Ning Xiu hid in the air and followed the fish demon all the way away from the mountains, arriving at the valley where the grand competition was being held.

When they arrived, five powerful demons were already waiting in the valley. These demons were of different races, including tigers, wolves, trees, and snakes.

It seems that they were all searched for by the Demon Ancestor. When the fish demon appeared, a snake demon that was tens of feet long immediately mocked, "You fat fish, you still dare to come looking for a beating this month? It seems that my methods last month did not completely scare you."

The fish demon couldn't stand this insult and immediately retorted, "You're just relying on the fact that you followed the Demon Ancestor earlier than me and your cultivation is much faster. What's there to be so smug about? Today I'll devour you, you dead snake."

"Hehehe, looks like you've made some breakthroughs lately, you're speaking with such confidence now. Alright, once everyone's here, I'll be the first to fight you and see just how confident you are." A wicked glint flashed in the snake demon's eyes, a hint of ill intent creeping in.

The fish demon's heart skipped a beat. To be honest, his strength was no match for that snake demon. The reason he could speak so confidently was because he had Ning Xiu following him.

If you can't get close to the Demon Ancestor, it doesn't really matter if you get close to a human powerhouse.

I've heard that powerful human beings often use demons as their mounts. Although fish demons are fish, they can move on land. If it were truly a matter of choosing a mount, I'm sure that lord wouldn't refuse.

Ning Xiu remained hidden in mid-air, waiting for the arrival of the demon ancestor's attendant. As soon as the attendant appeared, he would immediately capture him and interrogate him about the demon ancestor's whereabouts.

[176] The Dark Demon Ancestor Appears Again

Soon, all twelve powerful demons, roughly equal in strength to the fish demon, arrived. Each of them carried some weapons, holding large flags and gongs, making a lively scene.

This scene has a bit of the feel of the Demon Mountain before the Xuan Yin Domain appeared.

Ning Xiu remembered that back then, some monsters would occupy mountains and lakes and become kings. Whenever the king went out to fight, his minions would follow behind, waving flags and shouting to create a lively atmosphere.

"Why hasn't the Holy Son appeared yet? He's a bit late today."

"The Holy Son has always acted without restraint. Why are you rushing him? Just wait patiently."

"You know how to say nice things."

After waiting for half an hour, Ning Xiu's expression suddenly changed, because he sensed something rapidly approaching from afar.

Observing that location with the natal star, one can see a golden dorsal fin breaking through the earth.

Wherever the golden dorsal fin touched, the ground split in two.

"They're here," Ning Xiu thought to himself.

Boom boom boom!

As the dorsal fin approached the valley, a violent tremor resounded across the earth. The twelve demon lords, already accustomed to such sights, were overjoyed and shouted in unison, "Welcome to the Holy Son! May the Demon Ancestor live ten thousand years!"

Beneath the earth, a golden figure burst forth from the ground—it was a shark!

As it landed, it instantly transformed into a petite blonde woman, holding a golden ruyi scepter, and said to the demons without any emotion: "You all know the rules, so I won't repeat them. Let's begin. Winners, be careful to hold back; losers, don't be reckless. The Demon Ancestor has high hopes for each of you. Don't let any casualties occur, or the Demon Ancestor will be displeased."

"Yes, yes, we all know that we absolutely cannot kill them."

"What's the point of killing us? We're all here for the Black Spirit Pill; obtaining the Black Spirit Pill is our goal."

Ning Xiu looked at the blonde woman from mid-air. Although she was not at the upper level of the Dragon Elephant Realm, she possessed an aura far more profound than that of a first-grade cultivator.

It seems that he is only one step away from reaching the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm.

This shocked Ning Xiu. With the appearance of the Xuan Yin Domain, it was as if the world had been revived by spiritual energy. First-grade spiritual energy was everywhere, and even the Dragon and Elephant realms were considered worthless.

He had already encountered more than ten first-grade demons and one dragon-elephant upper-level demon during his trip out, which was clearly beyond the normal range.