Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Ning Xiu's expression instantly turned to one of utter shock, his eyes widening considerably.

If even a remnant soul can discern one's own cultivation level, what kind of strength must the Three Saints have possessed in their previous lives?

If they had also reached the Heavenly Dao Realm back then, the Great Shang Dynasty would certainly not be in this state now.

With a powerful expert at the Heavenly Dao Realm in charge, even a dog could be cultivated to the Dragon-Elephant Upper Realm. Why has the Great Shang Dynasty failed to produce an Inner Realm expert for so many years?

“Yes,” Ning Xiu nodded in response.

"After waiting for so many years, the Great Shang Dynasty has finally produced someone who has reached the Heavenly Dao Realm. This is truly a cause for celebration." The Buddha Saint revealed a gratified smile.

Judging from his words, he didn't think highly of the Heavenly Dao Realm, which further influenced Ning Xiu's speculation. Could it be that the Three Saints were already experts in the Heavenly Dao Realm back then?

"Now that you have reached the Heavenly Dao Realm, it is not too late to entrust that matter to you. Please remember what we are about to tell you, as it will be of great help to you."

The Martial Saint glanced at the Shang Emperor not far away, and with a wave of his hand, the Shang Emperor felt a surge of exhaustion and fatigue within him, and then he fainted.

"Our remaining remnants of souls cannot last much longer. Once released this time, I fear we will no longer be able to remain here. Listen carefully: take the Heavenly Dao Stele of the Great Shang Dynasty and head west as soon as possible to Burial Sea Ridge to find the City of Celestials."

"Senior Martial Saint, why is that?" Ning Xiu couldn't help but ask in confusion.

For hundreds of years, the Heavenly Dao Stele has been the cornerstone of the Shang Dynasty, hidden and well protected.

It is precisely because of the cultivation methods provided to those who comprehend the Heavenly Dao Stele that the Great Shang Dynasty has been able to consolidate itself to this day.

Ning Xiu doesn't care about taking the Heavenly Dao Stele away, but the Demon Subduing Officers and Dragon Elephant Upper Realm experts, including Emperor Shang, will definitely not agree to it.

"The true Dao of this world has been tampered with. Only by collecting all one hundred Heavenly Dao Inscriptions can the true Dao be restored, bringing blessings to the cultivators of this world. When I left Celestial City, I took one with me, and now it is time to return it."

"Furthermore, I would like to trouble you to tell Ji Yun of Celestial City that my guess back then was correct: the Path of Celestials is not perfect. I can travel the world, sever all ties to the Path of Celestials, and start cultivating anew. If Ji Yun is willing, he certainly can too."

"Martial Saint Senior, you are not from the Great Shang?" Ning Xiu was shocked. Before this, almost all books recorded that the three saints were all commoners of the Great Shang.

But now, the remnant soul of the Martial Saint has personally overturned all of this.

He came from the distant Heavenly City. Although he did save the Great Shang with his own life, he was not a true member of the Great Shang.

"What does it matter whether it wasn't before or not now? The past is like smoke, and there's no point in bringing it up again. The Great Shang Dynasty is located in a remote and desolate place, and it's not a good thing for it to hold onto the Heavenly Dao Inscription for a long time."

"If one day the seal I placed on it disappears, it will trigger strange phenomena in the heavens and earth, attracting various powerful figures, which would then become a threat to the Great Shang. Now that you have attained the Heavenly Dao Realm, please send the Heavenly Dao Inscription back to the Celestial City on my behalf."

Before this, Ning Xiu had always thought that the reason why the Heavenly Dao Stele had undergone such a huge change was because he had broken through to the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm, which caused the Heavenly Dao Stele to change.

Now, upon hearing this, he never expected that the matter had nothing to do with him at all, but rather that the seal that the Martial Saint had placed on the Heavenly Dao Stele had disappeared.

This is what triggered the astonishing change that everyone in the Shang Dynasty became like a dragon.

"Senior Buddha Saint, Senior Immortal Saint, is this what you mean too?" Ning Xiu asked.

The immortal saint in his soul form smiled and said, "We cultivate using a trinity method. The meaning of one person is the meaning of the other two. This is the first time I've mentioned this to anyone else."

The Buddha Saint nodded: "Bringing the Heavenly Dao Inscription back to the Heavenly City will be more beneficial than harmful to this realm."

"The three of you are all the same person?!" Ning Xiu was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

He learned so much new information today; who could have imagined that the Three Saints, whose legend had been passed down for hundreds of years in the Shang Dynasty…

It's the same person!

The True Yang Emperor had mentioned this trinity cultivation method to Ning Xiu before, but Ning Xiu hadn't paid attention to it at the time.

Because he is not proficient in this cultivation method, if he were to change his cultivation path halfway through, it would likely delay his own progress.

However, now, another person who has chosen the Trinity Cultivation Method has appeared, and he is none other than the Three Saints, the most famous of the Great Shang Dynasty.

Even for Ning Xiu, who was already at the Heavenly Dao Realm, this news was extremely shocking.

"If you are interested, I can tell you the essence of this method. When the three bodies are cultivated to perfection, they will all have equal strength, and their power should not be underestimated. This can be considered our last help to the Great Shang Dynasty," said the Martial Saint.

But this wasn't what Ning Xiu cared about most. The Martial Saint had just mentioned that he had severed his path to heaven and earth and was starting his cultivation anew.

This shows that the Three Saints were once on the path to heaven and man, which is no small matter. This one is the real big shot.

If the path from Rank 9 to Rank 1 is one step, and the path from the Upper Dragon-Elephant Realm to the Heavenly Dao Realm is another step, then the Heavenly Human Path is a completely new step.

A being far beyond anything in the world, such a powerful and ruthless person actually dared to come to the remote small country of Shang to start cultivating from the ninth rank. Ning Xiu was very curious about his purpose.

"Senior, what exactly is the reason for your departure from Celestial City?" Ning Xiu asked.

The Martial Saint sighed: "Celestial City has taken the wrong path, and so have many others. I only want to find the truth about the Celestial Path, shatter the void, and see what the true end is."

If Ning Xiu hadn't encountered the Evil Dragon King, he certainly wouldn't have understood what the Martial Saint was saying.

It was only through his Evil Heavenly Power that the Evil Dragon King learned that the Heavenly Path was the Great Emperor's Path, which had been altered by someone.

Yet the Martial Saint comprehended this matter even earlier than the Evil Dragon King without relying on anything. This talent is truly terrifying.

After learning that there was a problem with the Path of Heaven and Man, the Martial Saint not only wanted to repair it by himself, but also wanted to break out of this world. Ning Xiu couldn't help but admire him for his grand ambition.

"I am also aware of what you have said, senior. Long ago, a powerful being altered the Great Emperor's Path and created a simpler Path of Heaven and Man for people to choose from."

The path of the Great Emperor is extremely difficult, which is why many people seek it repeatedly and choose the path of the Celestials.

But this Path of Heaven is a trap. No matter how talented one is, those who step on it will never reach the end, and can only watch helplessly as their lifespan runs out and they die of old age in this world.

Now, for some reason, the saying has spread that only one person in each era can attain the Great Emperor's Path, making few people willing to actively choose it, ultimately leading to more and more mistakes.

Ning Xiu recounted everything the Evil Dragon King had told him. Since the Three Saints already knew about this, there was no need for him to hide it anymore.

"How could that be!" The Martial Saint was furious upon hearing this.

Regardless of who that powerful being is or what their purpose is, their actions are destroying the life's work of cultivators from all races in this world.

Whether they are highly talented or not, they are all thinking about climbing higher and higher, until one day they may have the opportunity to break through the barriers and reach the end.

But now you're saying that the Path of Heaven is a complete mistake, and that once you choose it, you'll be wrong for life. How can someone like the Martial Saint, who once embarked on the Path of Heaven, tolerate this?

One step on the path to heaven and man, and the foundation of one's entire life is destroyed.

Even if one were to sever the path to heaven and earth and begin cultivation anew, it would be to no avail.

"Who on earth is so wicked?" the Buddha asked, his brow furrowed with sorrow.

"Regardless of the circumstances, this matter is no longer our concern. A remnant soul is like a candle flickering in the rain, destined to be extinguished at any moment. To learn of this news before it dissipates makes my self-imposed severing of my path to immortality and starting cultivation anew worthwhile."

Although it all came to nothing in the end, thank you anyway. The remnant soul of the immortal saint smiled with relief.

Ning Xiu could sense that the auras of the three of them were constantly weakening, and it seemed that they would not be long before they completely dissipated.

"Rest assured, seniors, I will do as you instruct. I will definitely return the Heavenly Dao Inscription Stele to Heavenly City intact," Ning Xiu said solemnly.

"Be very careful. Celestial City is a gathering place for most of the powerful figures on the Celestial Path throughout history. Some of them are gentle, while others are capricious. Just hand the Heavenly Dao Inscription to Ji Yun; you don't need to worry about the others."

With your strength at the Heavenly Dao Realm, leaving the Great Shang Dynasty and traveling to more distant places to see the world would be a good thing.

The Martial Saint's voice grew softer and softer, becoming increasingly difficult to hear.

Ning Xiu knew that this was all the time he had left after releasing this remnant soul.

After this, the three saints who had protected the Shang Dynasty from a strange and chaotic era would truly cease to exist.

The blue soul of the immortal saint slowly dissipated.

The Martial Saint's mangled body fell silent.

The golden body of the Buddha gradually dimmed.

. :

[208] The place where evil wind blows in the mountains

There was no longer any unusual aura emanating from the remains of the three saints.

From this moment on, they were truly nothing more than ordinary corpses.

Without the influence of the Martial Saint's power, the Shang Emperor, who was lying on the ground, slowly opened his eyes and got up from the ground with a somewhat confused expression.

He didn't know what had just happened, but after getting up and noticing the strange condition of the three saints, Emperor Shang immediately realized what was going on.

His expression turned to one of deep regret; as expected, the three saints had already accomplished their final mission.

"Lord Ning, did the Three Sages say anything to you?" Emperor Shang asked.

"The Martial Saint instructed me to deliver the Great Shang Divine Stone Tablet to Burial Sea Ridge and Heavenly City. What are Your Majesty's thoughts on this matter?" Ning Xiu asked.

"This, is that really what the Martial Saint meant?" Interestingly, Emperor Shang did not show any reluctance or resistance on his face. On the contrary, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Initially, the Divine Stone Stele was erected in the Great Shang Dynasty and could reflect back the nation's fortune. However, in recent decades, the Divine Stone Stele has stopped reflecting back and has instead forcibly devoured the nation's fortune. I have pondered this matter deeply for a long time."

Everything in this world is predestined. Perhaps the connection between the Divine Stone Tablet and the Great Shang Dynasty had already come to an end, and it was time for them to part ways. Since it was the Martial Saint's instruction, Lord Ning, whatever you do, I will not object.”

Ning Xiu nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, then I'll take the divine stone tablet and set off tomorrow."

On the surface, Ning Xiu seemed to be strictly following the instructions of the Martial Saint, but could he really be such an honest person?

The Heavenly Dao Stele was erected in the Great Shang Dynasty, triggering extraordinary phenomena in the heavens and earth, causing people with awakened talents to appear in the Great Shang Dynasty every few days.

Over time, the Shang Dynasty will become stronger and stronger, and after several generations, the scene will be unimaginable.

Given the immense benefits to the Shang Dynasty, why would Ning Xiu be willing to easily hand over the Heavenly Dao Stele? His target was the Celestial City mentioned by the Martial Saint.

If all goes well, Ning Xiu might be able to break through to the Heavenly Dao Realm and achieve the Great Emperor Dao in the outer realms during this trip, thanks to the proficiency panel.

Then we can just go and snatch back all the Heavenly Dao Inscriptions in Tianren City and place them in the Great Shang Dynasty. How could the Great Shang Dynasty not prosper?

The next day.

Without explaining to many people, Ning Xiu and the Evil Dragon King quietly left the Great Shang Dynasty. With the True Yang Emperor's stone body guarding the Great Shang, Ning Xiu felt much more at ease.

After all, once he took away the Heavenly Dao Stele, that strange phenomenon disappeared, and it was unlikely to attract any more experts at the Dragon Elephant Upper Realm or Inner Realm Saint Realm.

"Senior, do you know where Burial Sea Ridge is located?" Ning Xiu asked, sitting on the back of the Evil Dragon King's true form.

"What, you're going to Celestial City now?" the Evil Dragon King asked in surprise.

"No rush. I'll definitely go, but not anytime soon. Let me find out what's going on from you first, senior," Ning Xiu said calmly.

"The Burial Sea Ridge, that's a place even ghosts don't go. If the great rivers of the world have an end, the end is at the Burial Sea Ridge. Here, the mountains are barren and devoid of soil, their shapes twisted and contorted. The sea rages and surges, yet eerily silent."

The sky was gray, the sea was gray, the mountains were gray. Staying in that place would only make you feel endless oppression, making it impossible to muster any interest other than cultivation.

So, that Celestial City is such a boring place. I went there once and left immediately, otherwise I'd probably be a stone by now.

The Evil Dragon King sighed a few times, revealing his utter dissatisfaction with Celestial City.