Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

This glance allowed Ning Xiu to clearly see the other person's appearance.

It was a pale, swollen face, puffy and bubbly, with pitted and uneven skin, and holes in the muscles that were visible, with many insects crawling inside.

The man's left eye was swollen and grayish-white, while his right eye had long since disappeared, leaving an empty hole.

Ning Xiu frowned, not because the other party's appearance was too frightening, but because the guy was wearing the armor of the Demon Slayer.

And its rank is not low; it's a Silver Tiger.

"Roar!" The man roared, his jaw agape as he looked at the fresh food in front of him. His jaw was more than twice the normal size, and his mouth was full of childlike teeth.

The roar was so powerful that a foul stench filled the air, and you could even see a green mist rising from it.

Having spent so long in Yaotuo Prefecture, Ning Xiu was already extremely familiar with this kind of thing.

An immortal being!

However, to Ning Xiu's surprise, the immortal beings not only grew from the Yin Tree, but even the dead could become immortal beings.

Looking at the corpse pinned beneath the man, it was the civilian who had just been taken away. His body was now tattered and mangled, a bloody mess, and he was beyond dead, with no chance of being saved.

"Sigh... In life, you protected the human race as a Demon-Slaying Commander, but after death, you became this inhuman and ghostly state, and even your own kind attacked you. If you were conscious, you would probably feel a lot of pain," Ning Xiu sighed.

The man abandoned the flesh and blood in his hand and charged directly at Ning Xiu, slapping his face with a claw.

The force of that palm strike was immense; one could tell from the force it exerted that it was definitely not small.

Immortals have this innate advantage: without doing anything, they possess incredibly fast speed and strength, and their physique is extremely robust, making them difficult to kill.

Ning Xiu's body trembled, and flames erupted, sending the man flying.

The flames, formed from internal energy, burned the man's body, turning it as black as charcoal in no time.

"Huh!" Ning Xiu was surprised. This immortal thing looked to be only at the third rank, yet it was able to withstand his Burning Heaven's power.

That's impressive!

"Roar!" The man, burned to a crisp, roared loudly and then continued to charge towards Ning Xiu. His desperate posture was truly extremely fierce.

This kind of effortless, devastating force would be so great that even a third-rank Demon-Subduing Officer would suffer heavy losses if he encountered it. He might even be able to kill this immortal creature, but he would either die or be maimed.

Ning Xiu pointed with two fingers, gathering all the internal energy of the Burning Heaven at his fingertips, and then shot out, piercing through the man's forehead in one fell swoop.

This blow burned his brain and body to ashes from the inside out, turning his entire body into several pieces that fell to the ground.

Ning Xiu was not pleased with the easy killing of the immortal being transformed from the Demon-Subduing Officer, because this was the Protectorate General's residence, and he knew nothing about anyone other than the Demon-Subduing Officer in front of him.

Are there any other Demon-Subduing Guards who have become immortal? If so, where are they now?

Just as Ning Xiu was about to return the way he came, he suddenly noticed something unusual.

Just ten steps away from him, there was a well buried.

The well was mostly buried by soil and rocks, and it would be impossible to spot without careful observation.

Why is there an ancient well several miles underground in the abandoned Protectorate?

This immediately aroused Ning Xiu's deep thought. With a hint of curiosity, Ning Xiu walked towards the well.

Looking down, you can see the water rippling in the well, clear but bottomless, and it's hard to tell how long it's been there. There's not a speck of dust on the surface, as if someone changes it frequently.

Ning Xiu used his Qi Luck Eye to observe, but this well was far from simple; it seemed to be able to completely conceal one's Qi, making it impossible for Ning Xiu to see anything related to the well.

"Interesting." Ning Xiu reached out and controlled the internal energy of the Burning Heaven to fall. The moment it touched the water, the internal energy of the Burning Heaven dissipated.

Ning Xiu had never encountered this situation before.

“It’s confinement…” Ning Xiu thought for a moment, then leaped into the well.

But just before he was about to fall into the water, he felt dizzy and disoriented. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an extremely dry cave with a few green grasses growing on the ground around him.

Ning Xiu looked up and saw a circular pool of water above his head, clearly indicating that he had fallen out from there.

This well turned out to be an entrance/exit that had been cleverly disguised.

A person with such skills is truly remarkable!

With his doubts in mind, Ning Xiu walked directly towards the only path in the cave. He had only taken a few steps when he was greeted by a fragrant aroma of flowers that made him feel refreshed and comfortable.

After about a hundred steps, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a bright and beautiful garden full of flowers and shady trees.

Birds of various colors flew around in the air, and many small animals such as squirrels and rabbits frolicked on the grass.

Before the emergence of the Xuan Yin Domain, such scenes were quite common in the world, and could be encountered even in deep mountains and forests.

However, in the current Xuan Yin Domain era, it is extremely difficult to see such a harmonious natural ecosystem again.

Ning Xiu never expected that such a paradise would be hidden several miles underground; it was simply divine intervention.

"Is anyone home?" Ning Xiu asked, stopping in his tracks.

Whoohoo!

A gust of colorful wind swept by, transforming into a woman in a green dress standing on the grass, quietly watching Ning Xiu.

She had a very delicate and elegant appearance, and held a jade ruyi in her hand, like a fairy who came from heaven.

"It's been a long time since any outsiders have come here. It's fate that you've come here today, young friend." The woman waved her hand, and a stone table and two stone chairs appeared two steps in front of Ning Xiu.

The table was laden with fine wines and delicacies, all steaming hot and fragrant, making one's mouth water.

“Let’s sit down and have a drink. I’ve been in seclusion here for many years and have long forgotten what the outside world is like. If you’re willing, young friend, you might as well tell me about it in detail.” The woman sat down on a stone chair and looked at Ning Xiu with a gentle smile.

"Senior, have you been in seclusion here all this time?" One doesn't hit a smiling face, and since the other party's attitude was so good, Ning Xiu wouldn't refuse to give them face.

Especially since this person's strength seems unfathomable, there's no need to go against their wishes if conflict can be avoided.

Ning Xiu sat down and, while asking the woman about his doubts, such as why this garden was underground, he also described the situation outside.

However, Ning Xiu was more cautious and did not choose to tell everything he knew. He told only seven out of ten things, so that the woman could not tell the truth from the lies.

While he was talking, Ning Xiu didn't touch a single bite of the food and drinks the woman offered. One can never be too careful; who knows if there's anything wrong with these things?

"I don't know how long I've been in seclusion here. I've never gone out. I never expected the world to change so much. It's truly heartbreaking," the woman said, picking up her wine glass and taking a sip.

"Senior, which state did you live in before you went into seclusion? Perhaps I have heard of your past fame."

"I've forgotten about those things too," the woman said, shaking her head.

"Do you remember the human dynasty back then, senior? Was it the Great Zhou or the Great Chu?" Ning Xiu asked again.

The woman remained calm and shook her head. She was unhurried and composed, but Ning Xiu had a feeling that she was waiting for something.

Perhaps because Ning Xiu had asked her so many questions, the woman also began to talk about other things related to herself.

However, the content was all very dull and boring, with no substance. It was basically just about his daily life and his insights into cultivation.

Ning Xiu listened quietly from the side, and she had to admit that some of the things the woman said were quite insightful.

Suddenly, Ning Xiu felt a chill creep up his spine, making him shiver uncontrollably.

Looking around, there was nothing unusual; the garden was very warm, and there was no cold wind blowing from anywhere.

Ning Xiu was about to take this matter to heart when the woman spoke up, "No one has visited my cave for many years. Why don't I show you around? Over the years, I've planted many spiritual flowers and herbs, which are of great help to cultivation. You can pick some to take with you before you leave, as a memento of our meeting."

"Thank you, senior," Ning Xiu bowed and thanked him.

The woman's words interrupted his thoughts, but Ning Xiu felt that something was not quite right, though his head was spinning and he just couldn't remember.

He had no choice but to get up and follow the woman deeper into the dense forest.

Just as the other party had said, the garden was planted with many spiritual flowers and herbs. Although Ning Xiu could not recognize the species, he could clearly feel the spiritual energy emanating from them.

If used to aid in cultivation, it would be of great help to those below the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm.

However, Ning Xiu is now at the upper level of the Dragon Elephant Realm, and breaking through is no longer something that can be achieved through simple cultivation. Therefore, he is not very interested in these spiritual herbs.

Following the woman, we arrived at a bamboo hut in the woods. This must be where she usually lived, as a sweet fragrance filled the air.

"Hmm..." This sweet smell is somewhat different from the one I smelled earlier.

Ning Xiu touched his nose and suddenly realized that something was wrong.

As I gently rubbed my nose, a little water trickled out. It was only a tiny bit, barely enough to make my fingers feel slightly damp, and most people would have ignored it.

However, Ning Xiu found this to be highly abnormal.

Having reached the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm, one is already free from illness and has a perfectly normal body, so there is no chance of experiencing symptoms like colds or runny noses.

Furthermore, since he cultivates the Heaven-Burning Scripture, it's even less likely that there will be water stains on his body.

There's a problem with this place.

Ning Xiu sat down on a bamboo chair without changing his expression and began to secretly communicate with the True Yang Emperor in the Golden Crow.

But then something strange happened. Not only did the True Yang Emperor become silent, but even the Golden Crow could no longer be sensed.

Generally speaking, such a thing would be impossible. Even if the Golden Crow were more than ten miles away, Ning Xiu could still sense it.

There is only one reason for the current situation: perhaps I am not in the same space as the Golden Crow.

Ning Xiu glanced at the woman, who remained as calm as before, but the faint smile on her lips was beginning to show.

"This woman is definitely suspicious." Ning Xiu began to ponder. If he chose to leave now, and the other party really had an ulterior motive, he would definitely have to confront her on the spot.

Since he still didn't know the woman's strength, Ning Xiu didn't plan to start a fight with her right now.

Because this place was so strange, Ning Xiu wanted to observe it further.

Drop drop!

Just then, several streams of water suddenly flowed down Ning Xiu's hair, slid across his face, and landed directly in his palm.

Ning Xiu narrowed his eyes. Things seemed to have developed beyond his imagination. Something must be happening invisibly, but he hadn't noticed it yet.

He looked at the woman, who was also gazing intently at Ning Xiu.

"Senior, this is your doing." Ning Xiu shook his hand and asked casually.

"Hehehe..." The woman laughed, and her laughter became increasingly sinister.

Ning Xiu suddenly threw a punch, all his violent internal force hitting the woman, but this time an accident occurred.

The surging internal energy had absolutely no effect on the woman. She remained standing calmly in place, smiling as she looked at Ning Xiu, like a hunter watching its prey that had fallen into its trap.

Ning Xiu's heart sank as he realized that the situation he was facing was far more serious than he had imagined.

Without hesitation, he unleashed the Great Black Heaven state, but the result shocked Ning Xiu.