Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"Ning Xiu, Golden Dragon Demon Subduer of the Demon Subduing Division, this is my identity token. I just returned from the outer realms." Ning Xiu handed over his token.

"An lord who has returned from the outer realms?" The leading soldier's expression instantly turned to shock after receiving the token.

Almost a year has passed since the Yin Tide occurred. Now everyone in the Great Shang Dynasty thought that those Demon Subduing Officers who did not return had long since died in the outer realms. Now, a Golden Dragon Demon Subduing Officer of extremely high rank has suddenly appeared.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't shocked.

"What is the current situation of the Great Shang? Could you tell me? We have been in the outer regions for too long. Seeing that the Great Shang is still around is truly a joy to us."

"Reporting to Lord Ning, we are not entirely clear on the specifics, but a few months ago, His Majesty personally appointed a man named Shen Jiangxing as the Grand Preceptor of the Great Shang Dynasty. Under the Grand Preceptor's dedicated efforts in setting up the array, the entire Central Plains was covered with this golden curtain, which is said to be able to resist the invasion of the Yin tide, prevent Yin energy and undead creatures from having a chance to grow, and at the same time make it difficult for undead creatures outside to invade the Central Plains."

Listening to the soldier's explanation, Ning Xiu was even more shocked.

He had heard of Shen Jiangxing from Qin Daorong before. Shen Jiangxing was a disciple of the Immortal Saint among the Three Saints, and could be said to be the most senior Demon Subduing Officer in the Great Shang Dynasty so far.

And he is also the Demon-Subduing Officer with the best chance of entering the Inner Realm.

Ning Xiu never expected that Shen Jiangxing would be able to resist the influence of the Yin Tide and the Xuan Yin Domain on the Great Shang Dynasty.

Although it only involves the Central Plains, the methods used are already quite extraordinary. You should know that even the Divine Tree Emperor could only protect a small village like Sang Village from being affected.

In the Central Plains alone, there are at least a million small mulberry villages.

In this way, it's likely that all the people of the Great Shang Dynasty have been summoned to the Central Plains ahead of time, which would preserve the human race to the greatest extent possible.

"Lord Shen is truly a divine being," Ning Xiu couldn't help but exclaim.

If this were in his position, he wouldn't be confident that he could save the Shang Dynasty. At most, he could only dig a hole underground to save the lives of tens or hundreds of thousands of people.

But for someone like Shen Jiangxing to construct a protective array that isolates Zhongzhou from the outside world, his strength far surpasses Ning Xiu's.

"The Yangyao Imperial Formation! I didn't expect that your Great Shang Dynasty would have someone who knows this formation." Emperor Zhenyang was slightly surprised.

Ning Xiu asked in confusion, "You know about this too? What's the origin of this formation?"

"If the Xuan Yin Domain wants to reverse its decline, only Yang Yao can counter it. However, Yang Yao is rare. Therefore, some beings with great talent have developed the Yang Yao Imperial Array, which can be set up to resist the Yin Tide and prevent the land from becoming the Xuan Yin Domain. It is a very effective method. Don't blame me for not telling you before, because the method of setting up this Yang Yao Imperial Array is very complicated and difficult. I don't know how to set it up either, so telling you would be a waste of time. I didn't expect that your Great Shang Dynasty had such a trump card. It has truly broadened my horizons."

The golden curtain was indeed powerful. Even before entering, Ning Xiu could feel the vitality emanating from within. In the Central Plains, not even a single Yin Tree had ever grown.

"Please come in first, everyone. A battle could break out here at any moment. Let's talk inside," the soldier captain urged.

Just as he finished speaking, a large number of footsteps suddenly sounded in the distance.

[193] Ning Xiu Returns

Buzz!

The tremor was so powerful it felt like the earth itself was shaking, and the entire land shuddered as a result.

Looking around, Ning Xiu saw a large mass of dark, ominous clouds surging towards the sky, their intense yin energy sending chills down one's spine.

"The Tide of Immortality!"

Those who had already witnessed the power of the Undead Tide in the outer realms exclaimed in surprise, explaining that the last time, a mutated species capable of commanding undead creatures was involved, which enabled it to reach such a massive scale.

The current tide of the undead is likely to be even more terrifying than the last one we saw.

"Come in quickly, another major battle is about to break out," the soldier captain hurriedly said.

Everyone hurriedly entered the Yangyao Imperial Array. Although they were unclear about the specific situation, it was obviously more reliable to follow the orders of the relevant personnel at this time.

Not long after entering the Yangyao Imperial Array, the tide of immortals, which seemed to be far away, was already within reach in just over ten breaths.

It appeared to be only a mile or two away from Yangyao Huangji Formation, and everyone looked on in horror.

Just then, a majestic and deep horn sounded from all around, and a large number of soldiers formed a square formation and rushed towards them, forming a confrontation with the approaching tide of the undead.

Judging by the speed and efficiency, this is clearly not the first time they've experienced something like this.

It seems that during the time we were away from Da Shang, Da Shang also experienced a very serious crisis.

One after another, the undead creatures recklessly rushed towards the Yangyao Imperial Array. These were the lowest-level undead creatures, devoid of any intelligence, only knowing how to attack their opponents with the most savage actions.

Every immortal being that collided with the Yangyao Imperial Array was instantly killed, turning into a pool of sticky blood foam that splattered onto the array.

Upon witnessing the death of their kind, the immortal beings that arrived later showed no fear or dread whatsoever; instead, they became increasingly ferocious, causing the Yangyao Imperial Array to pound and bang.

"Fire!" One by one, the soldiers of the Shang Dynasty raised their crossbows and kept pulling the triggers.

Sharp crossbow bolts flew out, riddling the undead outside the formation with holes.

However, these methods of obstruction are merely a drop in the ocean. Faced with the overwhelming tide of the undead, simply eliminating one or two is of no use.

"The undead don't easily gather on their own, and they know how to attack a place like an army. Have you also discovered a mutant that can command the undead?" Ning Xiu asked the soldier captain who had initially met them.

Upon hearing Ning Xiu's question, the soldier captain nodded repeatedly: "Exactly! As time has passed, we have discovered many kinds of immortal beings that are completely different from normal immortal beings."

Ning Xiu asked, "Tell me exactly how many types there are."

"First, there are the 'Little Commanders' who can gather and command the undead. They will secretly hide behind an undead, their bodies merging with the other's, making it easier to move and hide. When they encounter danger, they will abandon the undead and attach themselves to other undead. But this is not their most dangerous aspect. What is truly frightening is the Little Commanders' enhancement ability. They can increase the strength of undead several times in a short period of time."

Ning Xiu nodded. This was exactly the same as the immortal creature they had encountered before, so it seemed that it was not just a simple coincidence.

"There are also 'siege demons' whose bodies are taller than the city walls and have thick skin. Only the highest-ranking demon-subduing officers can deal with them. They are very rare to see on ordinary days, but once they appear, it means that more than ten of them will lift up together and plan to launch a fierce attack on the Yangyao Imperial Formation. Every time, they make our lives very difficult. Therefore, we need to send out demon-subduing officers to investigate regularly, find the siege demons that are hiding, and nip them in the bud before the danger occurs."

“More dangerous than the Little Commander and the Siege Demon is the ‘Hidden Demon’. These immortal beings can remain hidden without a trace, and their strength is around the middle third rank. Once they are allowed to infiltrate the Yangyao Imperial Array, they will cause huge trouble.”

Ning Xiu hadn't expected that, compared to the fact that they had only encountered one type of mutated immortal being along the way, the Shang Dynasty had actually discovered three types.

Moreover, each one is quite difficult to deal with. If the time drags on any longer, more and more mutant species will appear, which will become increasingly disadvantageous for the Shang Dynasty.

"What impact will these undead creatures have on the formation when they attack it?" Ning Xiu asked.

If the immortal beings cannot shake the Yangyao Huangji Formation, then there is no need for such a counterattack. After all, the immortal beings do not truly disappear after death; they will transform into Yin energy and be reborn on the Yin Tree. It is really unnecessary to waste energy now.

"I'm not entirely sure either, but the Imperial Preceptor has given a clear order that the immortal beings must not be allowed to linger outside the Yangyao Imperial Array for any length of time. They must be eliminated and driven back."

Ning Xiu glanced at the massive tide of immortals outside the Yangyao Huangji Formation, then stepped out and left the Yangyao Huangji Formation alone.

Since I'm here, there's no need to just stand by and watch; it would be more efficient to step in and help.

Upon seeing someone emerge from the Yangyao Huangji Formation, the immortal beings instantly became excited, piling up one by one to form a tower, aiming to reach Ning Xiu's height.

Ning Xiu didn't even consider making a move. He directly activated his Holy Form, absorbing all these immortal beings into it and merging them into the towering tree within the Holy Form world.

Once an immortal being is captured by the Holy Image, it will be trapped inside forever, never having the chance to contact the outside world again.

In less than five breaths, the countless undead creatures vanished completely, all entering Ning Xiu's Sacred Image World.

Looking at the spotless Yangyao Imperial Array outside, all the Shang soldiers present showed expressions of shock.

It wasn't that no one from the Demon Extermination Bureau had ever come to help before, but none of them had ever shown such efficiency and skill.

This is absolutely amazing!

If they were to handle it, it would take at least five days to clear away today's tide of the undead, but with Ning Xiu's help, it only took five breaths.

"Is this the legendary strength of the Golden Dragon Demon Subduer! The Demon Subduer Division is truly a pillar of the Shang Dynasty." The soldier captain looked at Ning Xiu's figure floating in mid-air, his face showing envy and admiration.

Strangely, Ning Xiu did not appear relaxed after clearing out the entire tide of the undead. Instead, his face became extremely serious, as if he was on guard against something.

"What's wrong with Lord Ning?" a Demon-Subduing Officer asked in confusion.

"Lord Ning must have his reasons, so let's not ask any more questions."

Ning Xiu floated in mid-air, looking at the ground with a solemn expression. He could sense the aura of an undead being lurking nearby.

It thought it was well hidden, but in reality, when all the immortals were absorbed by Ning Xiu with the power of the Holy Image, it was exposed very clearly, like a flame in the night.

With a forceful grab in the direction of that aura, Ning Xiu unleashed his inner strength, causing the ground to loosen instantly, and a dark figure was forcibly pulled out from underground.

谷萴

It turned out to be a beautiful woman who looked very much like a human, but whose limbs were like those of a wild beast. Her appearance made the soldiers of the Shang Dynasty feel a flutter in their hearts and their hearts flutter, even though she was behaving so strangely.

She's a natural beauty!

"What is this?" Ning Xiu asked, somewhat puzzled.

Having reached his level, with a firm inner will to pursue the Dao, he is no longer influenced by any external appearances.

The requirements for willpower are not high in the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm and the Inner Realm Saint Realm. However, if you do not have a willpower that is connected with heaven and earth, you will never be able to step into the Heavenly Dao Realm in this lifetime.

"Let me go!" the beautiful woman roared, her mouth full of sharp teeth.

Although she spoke harshly, her breath emitted a pleasant fragrance that brought peace and comfort to those who smelled it.

This is an extremely rare immortal object, with immense research potential.

Ning Xiu did not intend to kill the creature directly, but instead wanted to take it back to the Demon Suppression Prison to await inspection by his colleagues in the Demon Subduing Division.

Within the Demon Subduing Division, each individual has their own specialty. While skilled Demon Subduing Officers are formidable in combat, they also excel in other areas of their work.

They are not necessarily as skilled as the Demon-Subduing Officers who are talented in inspecting demons. Therefore, things that have never been seen before need to be taken back to the Demon-Suppressing Prison for the Demon-Subduing Officers who do this kind of work to examine them and collect data in case someone encounters such a thing in the future and doesn't know how to deal with it.

Of course, doing so also means there are certain risks. If you kill them directly outside the Yangyao Imperial Formation, you can nip the hidden dangers and risks in the bud.

No one can guarantee that the mutated immortal creature might possess some kind of heaven-defying dangerous ability. Bringing it back to the Demon Suppression Prison, a place deep within the Great Shang Dynasty, could have dire consequences if it were to fall victim to its attacks.

However, killing them without investigation would mean losing a valuable opportunity to gather intelligence.

Fortunately, Ning Xiu is now at the half-step Inner Realm Saint level, and he hasn't used the comprehension points he obtained from the Divine Wood Emperor yet.

If used, the chance of entering the Inner Realm of Sainthood will be very high. At that time, Ning Xiu will be the strongest force in the Great Shang Dynasty, and there will be no need to worry about what trouble a mere immortal being might cause.

Ning Xiu used his internal force to seal off all the meridians of this immortal being, rendering it unable to move or even make a sound. Only then did Ning Xiu return to the Yangyao Imperial Array.

"Have you ever seen such an immortal being before?" Ning Xiu asked the soldier captain.

The other party stared at the beautiful, immortal creature with red eyes, swallowed hard, and revealed an undisguised greed in their eyes.

Ning Xiu frowned, pointed a finger, and used the Immortal Dao's Tranquilizing and Mind-Clearing Technique. With a flash of blue light, the soldier captain instantly regained his composure.

His expression was somewhat embarrassed, but he was ashamed of his behavior just now.

As a soldier of a powerful merchant state, it's truly shameful that he would develop an interest in an immortal being. How could he even have such thoughts about something that is neither human nor ghost?

"No need to feel guilty. Undead creatures are cunning and it's normal for them to produce bewitching mutants. Just be careful next time and don't fall for their tricks. Don't be fooled by their frail appearance; their strength is not to be underestimated," Ning Xiu reminded them.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Ning." The soldier captain immediately clasped his hands and said, "Replying to Lord Ning, this is the first time I have seen such an immortal being. It should be a new species of immortal being."

“Alright, then I’ll take her back to Chaotiandu.” Ning Xiu nodded.

There is a very special entity within the Demon Extermination Bureau. Before the arrival of the Yin Tide, if a monster carrying a deadly poison appears, this entity can extract its blood using objects such as bottles, jars, and thin needles, and then develop an antidote.