Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Therefore, the power of the second hammer strike is 1.0 times that of the first strike, and the power of the third hammer strike is 1.5 times that of the second strike.

Once this triple hammer force is unleashed, most fifth and fourth-rank cultivators would likely be unable to withstand it.

As a result, Ning Xiu's combat strength increased dramatically, and he felt much more at ease about his trip to Yunxia Mountain.

Currently, there are 12700 general proficiency points remaining on the proficiency panel, and the level 8 Five-Fold Hammer Stance cannot be improved by even two more levels.

Therefore, the remaining general proficiency naturally fell to the only remaining skill, Spiritual Eye Observation.

Ning Xiu directly added all 12700 points to the Spiritual Eye Observation Technique.

……

[Spiritual Vision Technique: Level 8 (700/6000)] (+)

【Burning Sun Taiyao Scripture: Level 5 (0/6000)】(+)

[Heavenly King Vajra Skill: Level 6 (6/7000)] (+)

【Fivefold Hammer Force: Eight Layers (0/6000)】(+)

General Proficiency: 0

……

Having used up all 100,000 points of proficiency, Ning Xiu not only opened up martial acupoints, but also improved his overall strength by several levels.

Satisfied, Ning Xiu struggled to get up, took a new set of clothes he had prepared earlier and changed into them. Then he opened the door and prepared to go out to find food.

I don't know how long it took to open up the martial arts aperture this time, but my stomach is so hungry that it's rumbling.

Ning Xiu had no doubt that he could eat a whole roasted suckling pig at this moment.

The moment the door opened, two Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Guards were standing in the courtyard outside.

Seeing Ning Xiu finally emerge from seclusion, the two couldn't help but show a hint of joy on their faces.

After waiting there for a whole day, the kid finally decided to come out.

"My lords, what is this all about?" Ning Xiu asked in confusion.

He was still unaware of the extent of the impact his seclusion to open his martial arts aperture had on the outside world.

"Martial Arts Rank 5?!"

The two Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Captains exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with disbelief.

After opening the martial acupoint, shouldn't one reach the sixth rank of martial arts? How come this person is completely different from common sense?

However, the world is full of wonders, so the two put aside their doubts for the time being and said to Ning Xiu, "Don't call me 'sir' anymore. You have already entered the third rank of martial arts, and from now on you will be the Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain. Congratulations!"

"Thank you both, but why are you standing outside my house? What happened in this courtyard?" Ning Xiu asked.

Seeing his puzzled expression, the two Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Guards knew that Ning Xiu was unaware of what had happened outside while he was opening his martial acupoints.

He then recounted the events of the past two days in detail, so that Ning Xiu could understand them clearly.

After listening to their explanations, Ning Xiu was quite shocked. Who would have thought that he had only opened his martial acupoints and yet created a triple phenomenon?

This has made the entire Chaotian region aware that the Demon Subduing Division has such a remarkable person.

"Lord Qin specifically came to instruct us to arrange a new place to stay for you after you come out. Please take anything you need now, and we will take you to your new place to stay," said a Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Officer.

Now everyone knows that a Demon-Subduing Officer in this courtyard caused three strange phenomena when he crossed the ranks. Qin Daorong asked Ning Xiu to change his residence to avoid being noticed, which suited his wishes perfectly.

He went back into the house to get the Thunder Hammer and several new outfits he had ordered from the company. Ninety percent of everything in the house was left by the original owner, and not much belonged to Ning Xiu. Moving now would be extremely convenient.

With a touch of emotion, Ning Xiu glanced at the room he had lived in for less than a month, then shouldered the Thunder Hammer and quietly left the courtyard with the two Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Guards.

……

The Demon Subduing Division occupies a vast area, with the Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain and the Iron Horse Demon Subduing Captain each having their own distinct residential areas.

The difference is that the living areas of the Iron Horse Demon Slayers are more densely packed, with a dozen or twenty Demon Slayers living in one courtyard at the same time, and you only have one room for yourself.

But once you reach the level of Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Captain, everything changes.

After wandering through the Demon Subduing Bureau, Ning Xiu finally arrived at a courtyard with a minimalist layout but exquisite craftsmanship in every detail.

The courtyard has flower beds and a pebble ground. Next to a small bamboo grove full of green bamboo is a two-story wooden building that can be lived in.

"This is... for me to stay in?" Ning Xiu asked uncertainly.

"To be precise, it's temporary. This building is currently uninhabited, but if more Copper Leopard Demon Slayers return from outside and there aren't enough rooms, they will still need to share rooms," one of the Copper Leopard Demon Slayers said.

Another Copper Leopard Demon-Subduing Captain laughed and said, "But you don't need to worry too much. This kind of situation is very rare. In addition, many Demon-Subduing Captains buy houses and land deeds in Chaotian Capital to start a family. When they come back, they live in their own homes."

After briefly explaining a few things to Ning Xiu, the two quickly left. As Copper Leopard Demon-Subduing Officers, they had many things to deal with every day.

Being able to stay outside Ning Xiu's house for two days is already a huge sacrifice.

With his new residence settled, Ning Xiu immediately put down the Thunder Hammer, turned around and left the Demon Subduing Division, heading to a nearby restaurant for a hearty meal.

Martial artists are naturally big eaters, and having been hungry for a whole day, he ate with gusto, as if a whirlwind had swept away fallen leaves.

Whatever dish is served on a plate, Ning Xiu will devour it in just a few bites within ten breaths.

The scene left the diners in the restaurant dumbfounded, their expressions blank.

Only today did they realize that a chicken leg could be eaten completely in just one bite.

……

Qingque Prefecture, Longmang Mountain.

In the desolate mountains and treacherous waters, poisonous pools and swamps abound, and purple toxic fumes permeate the entire forest.

The ground is littered with the complete skeletons of birds and beasts, and colorful mosquitoes, snakes and scorpions crawl incessantly on the bones.

This is a harsh place, yet someone has built a cave dwelling there.

Beneath an inconspicuous poisonous pool lies a hidden world, where three men with different appearances sit on stone chairs, drinking heartily from bone cups.

"Since there has been no news from the Chu woman for so many days, and the Marquis of Wuyi has also disappeared, it is likely that the escape plan has failed."

"Since Marquis Wuyi couldn't be taken out of Chaotian Capital, the Deputy Sect Master's goal of extracting the Wu Clan's Dragon Luck from him and nurturing the Dragon Vein has also failed. The Deputy Sect Master must be in a bad mood and irritable these days. Brothers, don't go back and provoke him."

"I'm not going back, I'm not going back." At the stone table, a disheveled, yellow-faced demon in a black robe with a silver headband waved his hand and said, "I'm going to Yunze Prefecture tomorrow. Recently, I've had a sudden inspiration and my mind is clear. I plan to forge an evil weapon. I'll go there, find a few villages, slaughter the villagers, and capture hundreds of their souls to use for forging the weapon."

Upon hearing this, the two people beside him immediately raised their cups: "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Huang! This must be an auspicious sign of your successful weapon forging. Once you have mastered weapon forging, we will go hunt down a few of those Demon-Subduing Officers, sever their tendons, and torture them to our hearts' content."

The sorcerer thumped his chest and laughed loudly, "Hahaha, that's for sure! Let those merchant dogs know how powerful we are!"

As the three men laughed, their exposed chests revealed a patch of colorful patterns—a three-headed, wrathful god standing on black clouds and breathing fire.

All the Demon Subduing Officers of the Demon Subduing Division recognize this evil god's colorful markings; it is the most prominent symbol of the Black Heaven Gate demons.

The Black Heaven Gate demons are cruel and brutal. Wherever they go, they leave behind all sorts of evil deeds. Slaughtering villages and towns and taking pleasure in killing women and children has long been the norm.

Therefore, the Demon Subduing Division dealt them a heavy blow, destroying countless Black Heaven Gate demon lairs and caves.

This has led some sorcerers to vent their anger by hunting down Demon Slayers. Once a Demon Slayer falls into their hands, he will face a fate worse than death.

【044】Set off early to choose your mount

After the meal, Ning Xiu sat on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, leisurely closing his eyes to calm his mind, listening to the swaying of the green bamboo and the sound of the wind chimes in the courtyard.

It must be said that the accommodation assigned to him by the Demon Subduing Division was really nice.

It's quiet and peaceful, much better than the courtyard he used to live in. If his previous place was a crowded tenement, then his current place is a small villa.

Two words: blissful.

"Excuse me, does Ning Xiu live here?"

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard, and Ning Xiu immediately opened his eyes and looked towards the courtyard gate.

Then they saw Ren Qianxing, Monk Zhengwu, and Ren Qianxing's two puppets peeking in to look around, and their eyes met Ning Xiu's.

"It's you two! How did you find your way here?" Ning Xiu quickly got up from the bamboo chair and went over to greet you with a smile.

After wolfing down his food at the restaurant, Ning Xiu learned from the restaurant owner that it had taken him a whole day to open up his martial arts aperture.

According to the date agreed upon with Monk Zhengwu, we should have set off tomorrow, but unexpectedly, the two of them came to find me in person today.

"It must have been hard to find you after you suddenly changed your residence. I asked the official in charge of the Demon-Subduing Guards' residence and learned that you have been promoted to Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Guards and moved to the Bamboo Residence Garden," Ren Qianxing said with a fist and a fist salute. "Congratulations, Brother Ning. From now on, I will have to call you Lord Ning."

"Hey, Brother Ren, please don't be so polite. It's hard for me to hear. Let's just address each other as before," Ning Xiu said, shaking his head.

“Benefactor Ning, the last time I saw you at the Three Saints Hall you were only at the seventh rank of martial arts. In just one day, you have already reached the fifth rank of martial arts. Such amazing progress, could you be the one who caused the phenomenon of crossing three ranks the other day?” Monk Zhengwu asked curiously.

Upon hearing this, Ren Qianxing immediately noticed this blind spot that he had not previously discovered.

Good heavens! In just two days, he broke through from the seventh rank of martial arts to the fifth rank. Even the Martial Saint Ancestor from hundreds of years ago might not have made such an amazing move.

A thought immediately popped into Ren Qianxing's mind: Could it be that Brother Ning has the potential to become a Martial Saint?

"It is indeed me. I hope you two will keep this a secret to avoid any unnecessary trouble," Ning Xiu nodded in response.

Ren Qianxing and Monk Zhengwu's facial expressions instantly became quite interesting, and they both said, "Definitely, we will definitely keep our mouths shut."

The news that someone from the Demon Subduing Division had caused three extraordinary phenomena by crossing the ranks had already spread throughout the entire division.

Everyone was curious about who that person was, including Ren Qianxing and Monk Zhengwu.

"What brings you two here today? Didn't we say we'd be setting off for Yunxia Mountain tomorrow?" Ning Xiu asked.

Ren Qianxing explained, “Things have changed. A Demon-Subduing Officer who has returned from his trip brought back news that the official road to Yunxia Mountain was blocked by a landslide a few days ago. Now, if you want to go to Yunxia Mountain, you have to take a long detour, which will definitely waste a lot of time. So I thought I would come and tell you with Zhengwu that we will set off today.”

"Such a thing is true..." Ning Xiu was taken aback.

However, natural disasters are inevitable and unpredictable, and there's nothing we can do about it. It's better to have nothing important to do than to miss a day or two.

Ning Xiu went back inside to get the Thunder Hammer and a package containing spare clothes, then left home with Ren Qianxing and the other person.

"For this trip to Yunxia Mountain, we also invited two friends. One of them does not work in the Demon Subduing Division, but will wait for us on the way. The other is already waiting for us at the Beast Taming Workshop."

On the way, Ren Qianxing introduced things to Ning Xiu as they walked.

"Beast Taming Workshop? There's such a place in the Demon Subduing Division." Ning Xiu was hearing this name for the first time and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

"It's normal that you don't know about the Beast Taming Workshop since you've never carried out missions that require traveling to other states."

An ordinary horse can only run a few hundred miles a day at most, while a thoroughbred can run over a thousand miles, but it lacks stamina and is not very useful. It can only be used when carrying out missions in Jingzhou, where the capital is located.