Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"Uncle, you're too kind. I don't have that kind of luck. I rely entirely on my hard work in cultivation," Ning Xiu said.

"I've heard that some exceptionally talented individuals, once they choose the right path, will progress in their cultivation at an astonishing pace, far surpassing ordinary people. Could it be that you..."

The head jailer shook his head: "Forget it, let's not talk about that. What brings you to the Demon Suppression Prison this time? Are you here to execute evil spirits again?"

"Uncle understands me, so please help me make the arrangements. I am now at the seventh level of martial arts, so please do as you see fit. Don't lower the standards just because I am young."

"Last time you came, I thought you were trying to help the Demon Suppression Prison relieve some of the pressure. But it seems you have some kind of weird hobby."

"Alright, I happen to have a tough customer on my hands right now. You've come at the perfect time. Help me take care of this one first, and I'll give you a quick and painless end to today."

Ning Xiu asked curiously, "What kind of evil spirit is it that you consider a tough nut to crack?"

"Not an evil spirit, Fang Tianhu, a martial arts prodigy who fell from grace halfway through his training, is a sixth-rank martial artist, and his external martial arts skills are unparalleled."

I've tried three or four experienced executioners, but none of them could execute him. Go and try. Go to cell 380 in the district. Whether you succeed or not, come back and let me know, and I'll arrange something else for you."

“Okay, I’ll give it a try.” Ning Xiu nodded and agreed.

The Demon Suppression Prison is divided into four zones: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. The Yellow and Black zones mainly imprison demons or evil spirits of the lower three ranks.

The area was specifically used to imprison dangerous targets of the middle-ranking officials.

This was Ning Xiu's first time visiting the region, and he couldn't help but express his high praise for the environment and the smell of the area.

Compared to the Xuanhuang District, where the ground was covered in blood and grime, this area was much better. Ning Xiu skillfully found cell number 380 and went straight in.

Suddenly, a huge figure came into his view.

Its head was as big as a cartwheel, and its shoulders were very broad.

At least two women can sit on each of the two shoulders at the same time.

This person was sitting cross-legged on the ground, yet his height reached an astonishing seven feet.

Ning Xiu was absolutely certain that even in his Heavenly King state, he was still not as tall as the person in front of him when he was sitting.

He was like a giant, his whole body was surprisingly large.

Her hair, which hadn't been washed or styled in a long time, had reached down to her knees and was knotted into a rope-like mass.

Their fingernails and toenails were as long as animal claws, which was quite creepy.

Could this be a prehistoric wild man dug out from some remote mountain valley?

The thought involuntarily popped into Ning Xiu's mind.

What is particularly noteworthy is that this person had hundreds of specially made black iron chains pierced through his body, both inside and out.

These chains pass through acupoints on Fang Tianhu's body. From Ning Xiu's perspective as a martial artist, these chains can effectively suppress Fang Tianhu's power, suggesting that his internal energy has been destroyed.

In addition, the chains also suppress human strength, which is why Fang Tianhu couldn't cause any trouble even when he was imprisoned here.

"Hmm... another one. How ridiculous. In this vast Demon Suppression Prison, they can't find a single executioner capable of severing my head," the man said with a grin.

His voice was like thunder, echoing throughout the entire cell, deafeningly loud.

Ning Xiu walked to the table where the torture instruments were placed in the room and began to select the tools that were suitable for him to use.

"A martial artist at the sixth rank of martial arts, who has cultivated his external martial arts for decades with great difficulty, why would he be so foolish as to fall into depravity halfway through his journey?" Ning Xiu asked, picking up a cleaver with a serrated blade.

Before coming, Ning Xiu had seen Fang Tianhu's personal information from the head of the prison guards.

Male, 69 years old, has practiced martial arts since childhood. He is not a member of the Demon Subduing Division. He established his own sect, the Iron Tiger Sect, in Baisha Prefecture and recruited many disciples. His disciples in turn recruited more disciples, so the number of his disciples and grand-disciples, Fang Tianhu, is increasing.

For twenty years, they were unparalleled in Baisha Prefecture and were considered a famous martial arts sect in the area.

It is unknown when it started, but Fang Tianhu's body size began to increase day by day. In just a few years, he grew rapidly from his original five-foot height to the point that his original house could no longer accommodate him.

His wives and concubines were terrified when they saw this.

His children were also extremely puzzled.

The disciples of the Iron Tiger Sect then hired a carpenter to expand Fang Tianhu's house, building it as luxurious and grand as a palace.

This matter was quite famous within the Iron Tiger Faction back then.

As his size increased, Fang Tianhu's behavior became strange. He started to go to the deserted areas behind the sect to practice his skills.

Furthermore, no one is allowed to approach that place during this period; anyone who violates the ban will be executed without mercy.

Although the disciples of the Iron Tiger Sect were puzzled, no one thought much of it because of Fang Tianhu's reputation.

This situation continued for a long time until one day, several of Fang Tianhu's enemies in the martial arts world secretly sneaked into the back mountain of the Iron Tiger Sect, preparing to ambush and kill Fang Tianhu. That's when they stumbled upon Fang Tianhu's secret.

Fang Tianhu, who was cultivating alone in the back mountain, was naked, and on his back was a hideous and ferocious ghost face.

This ghostly mask could actually speak human language and communicate with Fang Tianhu. It was clear that it was teaching Fang Tianhu some kind of cultivation technique, and Fang Tianhu chose to cooperate and accept it.

On the ground, there were still many corpses of ordinary people, including women and children. Each of them bore the marks of abuse, clearly the work of Fang Tianhu, who used these innocent people to aid his cultivation.

Practicing techniques taught by evil spirits would undoubtedly lead to moral decay in the Great Shang Dynasty.

Therefore, those enemies abandoned their plan to ambush and kill Fang Tianhu, and went directly to the government office to report the incident, so that the Demon Subduing Division could arrest Fang Tianhu on the spot.

No matter how strong Ren Fangtianhu was at the sixth rank of martial arts, and how formidable his external martial arts skills were, he was no match for the team led by Tongbao Fumowei. He was captured and escorted back to the Demon Suppression Prison.

Hearing Ning Xiu's words, Fang Tianhu snorted coldly: "How could someone like you, a seventh-rank martial artist, understand the allure of the Path of Immortality? I only regret that I came into contact with it too late. I only learned of the existence of this path when I was already old and frail. These decades of my martial arts journey have been wasted."

"The Path to Immortality?" Ning Xiu asked in confusion, "Is this one among the Three Thousand Great Paths?"

"People only know that by walking the three thousand great paths, they can slay demons and monsters, stop the chaos, and save the common people. Little do they know that only when they reach old age will they realize what they truly want."

Fang Tianhu looked at Ning Xiu: "The three saints of the Demon Subduing Division are all supreme beings of the first rank or above. The Buddha Saint, the Great Arhat, passed away at the age of 320; the Immortal Saint, the Heavenly Lord, ascended to immortality at the age of 366; and the Martial Saint Ancestor passed away at the age of 411. None of them have reached the realm of 500 years of lifespan."

Even these terrestrial immortals are like this, which shows that the potential of the Three Thousand Great Daos is only so-so, inferior to my Longevity Dao.”

What he said was quite interesting. It was the first time Ning Xiu had learned that the three saints who founded the Demon Subduing Division had lived for so many years. If he had traveled a hundred years earlier, he could have lived as long as the Martial Saint.

Ning Xiu said, "Isn't living for three or four hundred years already quite a long time? How much longer do you want to live?"

Fang Tianhu stroked his beard, his expression proud: "Compared to the Path of Longevity, the Three Saints are nothing but mayflies and giant trees. The lower three ranks of the Path of Longevity can grant a lifespan of five hundred years, the middle three ranks can extend lifespan by a thousand years, and the upper three ranks can grant a lifespan of ten thousand years."

Ning Xiu flicked his sword: "The limit is only ten thousand years of life, but in the end, you still have to die."

Fang Tianhu immediately explained seriously: "You need to understand, what I cultivate is the path of longevity, not the path of immortality."

Moreover, who knows what the world will be like ten thousand years from now? Perhaps new methods of prolonging life will emerge, allowing me to continue living thanks to the wealth and power I've accumulated over those ten thousand years.

Ning Xiu shook his head and said, "I suppose that's what the evil spirit that tempted you to fall halfway through told you."

It's true what they say, old age brings senility. Now, even the youngest children in the entire Shang Dynasty know that longevity, wealth, and power are the three main ways evil spirits lure people.

Fallen leaves return to their roots, spring goes and winter comes, birth, aging, sickness, and death—all are natural laws. If one greedily defies fate, one will inevitably end up neither human nor ghost.

"How can a sparrow know the height of the sky? You have been indoctrinated and educated by the ideas of the Demon Subduing Division, so you naturally cannot understand the mysteries of the path to immortality. It is a pity. Originally, if you had some wisdom and could distinguish right from wrong, I would have intended to pass on the immortality cultivation method I have learned to you, so that you could understand the truth of this world."

As Fang Tianhu spoke, his face became extremely agitated and distorted. Ning Xiu quietly used his Spiritual Eye Observation Technique to investigate.

Then, an evil aura swirled around the other person, penetrating their body and attacking their heart. Three black lines stretched from his left chest all the way to the top of his head, a sign of impending death.

At this rate, let alone reaching the lower three ranks and living for five hundred years, it's uncertain whether he'll even live to see next year.

Fang Tianhu is 69 years old. With his 70th birthday approaching, he doesn't know how many years he has left to live. He feels regret and longing for life.

Therefore, under the influence of evil spirits, he chose to fall halfway and focus on cultivating his so-called path to immortality. It must be said that this was a helpless move.

Ning Xiu channeled his inner energy into his palm, and the execution knife in his hand quickly turned bright red, with white smoke even slowly rising from it, indicating that the temperature of the blade was constantly increasing.

The head jailer had previously sent several executioners to execute Fang Tianhu, but they all failed because he had practiced his external martial arts for decades.

Ning Xiu then decided to take a different approach and try other methods.

"Choosing to cultivate evil techniques is your own business. This sin is not punishable by death. You can simply be sent to work in a mine for thirty years to repent."

But while you were cultivating, you also slaughtered seventy-two people, killing your own kind, harming others and yourself; you are worse than a beast.

Ning Xiu glanced at Fang Tianhu, then slashed his ankle with his knife.

hiss! ! !

The scorching blade reacted instantly upon contact with human flesh.

But after a few breaths, Fang Tianhu only had a charred gash on his leg, and no blood had flowed out.

Fang Tianhu's face immediately showed a disdainful smile: "Those old executioners in front couldn't kill me, so what can you do? My decades of training in physical strength haven't been for nothing. Don't even think about killing me unless you bring a Demon-Subduing Officer of the sixth rank or above."

Ning Xiu frowned. This shouldn't be happening. His strike, aided by the internal energy of the Great Sun Mystic Scripture, could cut through even copper and iron.

Even if you are a sixth-rank martial artist with profound external martial arts skills, this strike should not have such a small effect. Even if you found a sixth-rank Buddhist or Taoist monk with a minor mastery of the Golden Body, you should still be able to achieve this.

Ning Xiu also didn't believe that the other party could ignore his attack so easily. Clearly, there must be some reason why Fang Tianhu appeared so invulnerable.

Once this reason is resolved, the execution of this person can be carried out.

Just then, a sudden inspiration struck Ning Xiu.

He recalled a detail recorded in the information file about Fang Tianhu.

Those enemies who went to the government to report the news clearly stated that they saw a ghost face behind Fang Tianhu.

This ghostly mask can speak human language and communicate with Fang Tianhu. Perhaps this is the reason why Fang Tianhu is invulnerable to swords and spears, rather than just relying on the physical training he has accumulated over decades.

Thinking of this, Ning Xiu immediately went around to Fang Tianhu's back, intending to find out what was going on.

"What are you going to do?" Upon seeing Ning Xiu's actions, Fang Tianhu immediately became somewhat wary.

"What's the panic? I heard you have a ghost back. Let me see." Ning Xiu walked up behind Fang Tianhu, who immediately tried to dodge.

However, the area where this person could move around had already been fixed, so it was impossible to do so at this point.

This made it very easy for Ning Xiu to see what Fang Tianhu looked like from behind.

It was indeed an extremely ferocious and grotesque ghost face, and overall it even resembled the appearance of a Prajna (Buddhist deity) by about 70%.

Around this ghostly face, various Taoist talismans for suppressing evil spirits were pasted.

Those with ghostly backs are not commonly seen in the Demon Suppression Prison.

However, people whose bodies are integrated with evil spirits usually possess some special abilities that are unknown to others.

Ning Xiu immediately used the internal force of the Great Sun Mystic Scripture to heat up the execution knife again, and then threw it forcefully at Fang Tianhu's ghost back.

Zizizi!

Unexpectedly, this time the execution knife easily pierced Fang Tianhu's body, only a few inches deep, which directly confirmed Ning Xiu's earlier guess.

Fang Tianhu's body is so invulnerable because of this ghost back.