Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Ning Xiu floated up and flew high into the sky to observe the appearance of the stone statue from above. By looking down, he could see that the stone statue was actually a three-legged bird with a broken wing. Although it was just a stone statue, the parts of its body were carved lifelike.

Each feather is exquisitely crafted yet independent, making one wonder what kind of craftsmanship and skill it took to create such a massive and exquisite stone statue.

"what!"

Just then, the remnant soul of the True Yang Emperor within the Golden Crow Spear suddenly let out a gasp of surprise.

"What's wrong?" Ning Xiu asked.

"I can sense a very familiar aura here, as if it were my own."

"Is there?" Ning Xiu looked around. The only thing on the scene that could be suspected was the three-legged bird statue.

I seem to have heard before that the true form of the True Yang Emperor was a three-legged bird. Could it be that this three-legged bird statue was left behind by the True Yang Emperor?

However, since the True Yang Emperor is now only a wisp of remnant soul and has lost many memories, he himself could not recall any connection between this three-legged bird statue and himself.

Ning Xiu quickly landed on the three-legged bird statue, took out the Golden Crow Spear, and brought it close to the statue to see if the True Yang Emperor would react to it.

"It's the same aura as mine, although I don't know if it's something I left behind...but..." A crimson soul suddenly floated out from the Golden Crow Spear and directly merged into the three-legged bird statue.

In an instant, the three-legged bird statue burst into light, and a piercing scream soared into the sky, its echo reverberating throughout the entire dome, attracting all the dragons from the four directions to rush over.

Although they had no idea what had happened, the existence of the stone statue was absolutely crucial, as it concerned the fate of their dragon clan.

When dozens of dragons arrived near the stone statue, the statue suddenly moved. The stone statue, which should have been inanimate, slowly stood up from the ground and vigorously spread its only remaining wing.

The stone statue's eyes glowed red, surveying the entire area with disdain. A chilling aura emanating from the depths of their souls caused all the dragons to involuntarily prostrate themselves on the ground, like prey being targeted by its hunter, leaving them utterly unable to muster the slightest thought of resistance.

"You can control this?" Ning Xiu asked in surprise, looking at the three-legged crow statue.

Who would have thought that the True Yang Emperor, who had already become a remnant soul, would still have such methods?

"My remnant soul is still inside this stone statue, and I have learned even more! So that's how it is; this place actually hides such a secret." Emperor Zhenyang said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Who are you, and why have you trespassed here?"

A small, golden, four-clawed dragon swayed closer and shouted at Ning Xiu.

"You can see me?" Ning Xiu was taken aback, somewhat incredulous.

He used his mental power, and unless someone was also at the Inner Realm Saint level, they would not be able to detect his presence.

But this little golden dragon didn't have a destiny star, yet it could look directly at him, which surprised Ning Xiu.

"Why not, human? You've trespassed into my dragon clan's forbidden area. I advise you to leave immediately, or you'll face the consequences," the little golden dragon threatened, spewing emerald flames.

As expected of a higher level than ordinary fish demons, the dragons were able to master human languages, which allowed Ning Xiu to communicate with them normally.

However, after learning that the other party actually wanted to threaten him, Ning Xiu also revealed an interesting smile. Ever since he achieved the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm, no one had ever spoken to him like that.

“Young man, there is a tremendous secret beneath the East Sea. Would you be interested in coming with me to take a look? Perhaps it will help you reach the Heavenly Dao Realm,” said the True Yang Emperor.

"Oh? Such a good thing, of course I can't miss it." Ning Xiu immediately agreed when he heard that it was related to the Harmony Heaven Realm.

"Come with me." Emperor Zhenyang spread one wing and headed east. Ning Xiu ignored the little golden dragon and quickly followed.

Seeing the direction the three-legged crow statue had left in, the little golden dragon panicked: "Oh no, they've gone to the Dragon Ancestor's burial ground! Hurry and stop them!"

However, those dragons simply did not have the courage to chase after them. In ancient times, the three-legged crow's food consisted of these dragons, and it could eat five hundred of them a day.

The hunter's genes have long been imprinted in their blood.

Seeing its kin so cowardly, the little golden dragon, despite its small size, resolutely chased after Ning Xiu in the direction he had left.

……

"What secret? Have you gained new memories?" Ning Xiu asked, following behind the three-legged crow statue.

“There are some new memories. There is an ancient whirlpool beneath the East Sea. Before I became an emperor, I fought a nemesis here. Although I did not kill it, I sealed it here forever, preventing it from escaping for thousands of years. Since I am here today, I might as well go and see it,” said Emperor Zhenyang.

Above the Heavenly Dao Realm lie the paths of Celestial Beings and Great Emperors. Those whom the True Yang Great Emperor calls his nemesis must also be powerful beings at the Heavenly Dao Realm.

The thought that a living Heavenly Dao Realm expert was sealed beneath the East Sea filled Ning Xiu with a mixture of apprehension and excitement.

The Harmonious Heaven Realm—that's an incredibly mysterious realm!

Along the way, the corpses of dragons piled up like mountains. Their skeletons were not in a struggling or resisting posture; they had clearly died here willingly.

A thought immediately popped into Ning Xiu's mind: Could this place be the burial ground of the dragon clan?

Along the way, all that could be seen were the bones of dragons, until a bottomless abyss appeared, at which point the True Yang Emperor stopped his advance.

Right here

Ning Xiu looked down into the abyss. Although he couldn't see anything, he could clearly sense an extremely terrifying aura hidden beneath. If this aura were to truly erupt, even he, as an Inner Realm Saint, wouldn't last a single breath.

"You said it would help me enter the Heavenly Dao Realm, but it's just your nemesis, isn't it?" Ning Xiu asked.

“Indeed, I can sense that every time you encounter a formidable opponent, you always manage to improve your cultivation. Perhaps this guy can be of some help to you,” said Emperor Zhenyang.

Ning Xiu was startled by these words; the True Yang Emperor's words had undoubtedly struck a chord with him.

Although the proficiency panel was Ning Xiu's secret, and the actual effect was not like that, Emperor Zhenyang, with his discerning eye as the previous generation emperor, still clearly noticed this.

Unfortunately, Emperor Zhenyang was overthinking things. If Ning Xiu wanted to utilize the proficiency panel, he needed to obtain the comprehension points of a Heavenly Dao Realm expert, which could not be obtained without killing the opponent.

With Ning Xiu's current strength, even if it were a sealed Heavenly Dao Realm expert, he would have no way to deal with them.

"Wow!"

Before Ning Xiu could respond, the True Yang Emperor immediately shouted, and a violent tremor suddenly resounded from the depths of the abyss, followed by the cracking of numerous iron chains.

An enormous figure emerged from the abyss; it was a dragon's head, ten times larger than the three-legged crow statue.

This dragon has black scales all over its body and bright red eyes. Because it spends most of its time at the bottom of the sea, its teeth are covered with moss and coral. If it hadn't opened its eyes, it probably wouldn't have guessed that it was a dragon.

"Zhenyang! You're still alive."

"Evil Dragon King, how could I, the Emperor, fall so easily? It is you who, after so many years, has not seen any increase in strength, and you still cannot break the seal I set for you."

Emperor Zhenyang spoke with utter sarcasm, causing Ning Xiu to silently take a few steps back. He would immediately flee at the slightest sign of trouble.

The danger of someone at the Harmonious Heaven Realm is no joke; I can't stay here with the True Yang Emperor and rack up mockery points.

"What do you know? If I wanted to leave, I could have broken free when the Yin Tide first came hundreds of years ago. It's just that there's something more interesting to me that I've chosen to stay here for some peace and quiet."

The dragon head revealed a wicked smile: "Back then, you sealed me away and seized the Great Emperor's Path first, ruining my original intention. Without the Great Emperor's Path, I will not walk the Heavenly Path. Now there are no more Great Emperors in this world. As long as I comprehend the 'Evil Heavenly Connection,' I will be the new Great Emperor."

Emperor Zhenyang was slightly surprised: "Xie Tiantong, so much time has passed, and you are still researching this. Didn't I tell you that the technique is incomplete and is not from this world? It is impossible to cultivate, let alone perfect it. You have been delayed on this path for too long, which is why I was overtaken by you later."

“Zhenyang, you’ve been so conservative all these years. It’s precisely because you’re not from this world that you’re more worthy of my study. The path to becoming a Celestial is fraught with difficulties. If we follow the paths others have taken, we’ll never be able to surpass them and reach that final step. Only by forging our own path can we become true Celestials. In my eyes, those guys in Celestial City are all lazy and unambitious good-for-nothings. Back then, you were the only one I could still respect, daring to choose this path of the Great Emperor.”

"You flatter me. I just didn't want to hang out with a bunch of guys. It's not as noble as you think."

Seeing the bird and the dragon chatting happily without any sign of enmity, Ning Xiu breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems things aren't as dangerous as I imagined; the True Yang Emperor still has his prestige.

"Who is this human? Is he your disciple?" The Evil Dragon King noticed Ning Xiu standing nearby and asked curiously.

"No, to be precise, I should be his weapon now. This kid has great potential. In less than five years, he has already reached the Inner Realm. He has a very high chance of stepping into the Great Emperor Path in the future. It would be easy for him to make those arrogant guys in Tianren City drop their jaws."

"Less than five years!" the Evil Dragon King exclaimed in shock.

Even with his extensive experience, he had never seen anyone with such terrifying talent as Ning Xiu; he was truly one in a million.

"If you're interested, you can break free of the seal and follow him to see what he achieves in the future. You can also teach him about the Heavenly Dao Realm. I've lost too many memories and have forgotten many things." Emperor Zhenyang sighed.

Ning Xiu felt a sudden warmth in his heart.

Could this be the opportunity that the True Yang Emperor spoke of?

If a powerful expert at the Heavenly Dao Realm could truly accompany him, the safety of the Great Shang Dynasty would instantly improve, and the existence of the Heavenly Dao Stele would no longer be a source of trouble for the Great Shang Dynasty for possessing such a treasure.

After all, the Evil Dragon King was a powerful figure from the same era as the True Yang Emperor, and his strength was unfathomable.

"No, I'm still more interested in 'Xie Tian Tong'. Judging from your appearance, you must be from the Great Shang Dynasty. If you ever encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to the East Sea to find me. Out of respect for Zhen Yang, I'll offer you some assistance." The Evil Dragon King thought for a moment and then declined.

Although Ning Xiu possessed extraordinary talent, those who could reach the Harmonious Heaven Realm were all peerless geniuses of their time, and naturally harbored their own pride.

So-called geniuses are only truly talented when they have grown up; once they die halfway through, even the most extraordinary talent is useless.

"This is too perfunctory; we need to give you something more substantial," Emperor Zhenyang said discontentedly.

"Then I will teach you the Evil Heavenly Technique. This should be a great gift," the Evil Dragon King said with a smile.

Emperor Zhenyang scoffed, "What's the use of this thing? It misleads people. They could have become emperors, but after several generations they're still only at the Heavenly Dao Realm. Stop wasting people's time."

Ning Xiu's heart stirred upon hearing the Evil Dragon King's words. He wondered what the origin of this 'Evil Heavenly Passage' was, that it could be valued so highly by the Evil Dragon King.

Although he couldn't see through the hidden secrets of Xie Tiantong, he might be able to by using the proficiency panel.

If it truly possesses extraordinary value, then my trip to the East China Sea has been a real treasure trove.

"Please enlighten me, senior. I wish to learn the 'Evil Heavenly Technique'," Ning Xiu quickly said.

"Hahahaha! Good eye, kid. You have a good eye, just like me. You know that Xie Tiantong's value is definitely not simple. Zhenyang, you should learn from him in this respect. Your eye is too bad. You're no good."

Perhaps he had met a like-minded person, for the Evil Dragon King laughed with extraordinary joy. The sound shook the sea, causing violent waves to surge and the sea surface thousands of feet above to rise and fall in a turbulent storm.

"You want to learn the Evil Heavenly Technique? I'm warning you, it's not a good thing, and it might even delay your cultivation progress," the True Yang Emperor warned.

In that era, both he and the Evil Dragon King were powerful beings at the Heavenly Dao Realm. Only one person in an era could achieve the Great Emperor Dao, regardless of race, but it required exceptional talent.

This led most powerful individuals to ultimately choose the path of Heaven and Man. The Evil Dragon King was older than the True Yang Emperor. When the True Yang Emperor was still in the Heavenly Dao Realm, the Evil Dragon King could have already stepped into the Emperor Path if he had wanted to.

One day, the boundary was broken for some unknown reason, and a stream of light flew into it from outside the boundary. It was intercepted by the Evil Dragon King halfway and found to be a stone with the incomplete Evil Heavenly Passage recorded on it.

The Evil Dragon King showed great interest in this technique, practicing it day and night in an attempt to comprehend it, but he made no progress and was eventually overtaken by the True Yang Emperor, who became the emperor of that era.

If we're talking about who the true emperor of that era was, then the Evil Dragon King was the real emperor.

Now, several eras have passed, and the Evil Dragon King is still only at the Heavenly Dao Realm. This makes the True Yang Emperor very pessimistic about Xie Tiantong, and he doesn't even want Ning Xiu to follow in the footsteps of the Evil Dragon King and suffer eternal regret.

After all, Xie Tiantong may be very powerful, but it is an incomplete record, and very few people can decipher it and deduce the whole thing.

Moreover, Emperor Zhenyang once suspected that there might be something hidden in the Evil Heavenly Passage that could subtly bewitch the mind, causing the Evil Dragon King to become obsessed and unwilling to give up even after so many years.

"I can give it a try. Even if it doesn't work out, it'll be good to see it for myself," Ning Xiu said nonchalantly.

With a proficiency panel, even the most difficult or incomplete techniques have a chance of being comprehended.

"Alright, I'll show you that stone slab now. You must memorize every single word." The Evil Dragon King laughed, then opened his mouth and spat out a stone slab covered in viscous liquid, which slid out and fell in front of Ning Xiu.

Although the stone slab was small enough for the Evil Dragon King to hide in his mouth, it was a mountain to Ning Xiu.

It was covered with many characters that Ning Xiu didn't recognize at all, each one strangely shaped and extremely eerie.