Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

【Yuan Yang Fist: Level 6 (200/2000)】

[Golden Bell Shield: Four layers (110/800)]

[Spiritual Vision: Level 1 (3/200)]

General Proficiency: 0

……

Ning Xiu felt a warmth throughout his body, especially three inches below his navel. When the Yuan Yang Fist advanced to the sixth level, all the bizarre illusions before Ning Xiu vanished into nothingness.

This means that Ning Xiu's current blood and energy are sufficient to counteract the evil energy emitted by the dead evil spirits, making it much easier to carry out the execution in the future.

"In less than five days, my Yuan Yang Fist has improved by two levels. This progress is truly remarkable. In the past, it would have been impossible to achieve this without half a year of hard training. Now, I can improve my skill level by simply killing evil spirits and gaining proficiency. Even if I can't join the Demon Subduing Division in the future, I can still rely on my strength to save my life." Ning Xiu thought to himself with joy.

For others, serving as executioners in the Demon Suppression Prison is a form of training, a tough and arduous task.

He came here to fight monsters and level up, and these monsters had their strength largely restricted, leaving them at his mercy with no danger whatsoever.

For Ning Xiu, the Demon Suppression Prison was a treasure trove. If he could, he would want to stay in the position of executioner for the rest of his life.

If I were to emerge from the mountains with a full set of martial arts skills, wouldn't I be invincible?

Just as Ning Xiu was about to leave the cell, the demon's belly suddenly caught his attention.

Within the knife mark Ning Xiu had carved out with his goose-feather blade, a faint golden light flickered.

If Ning Xiu hadn't had such good eyesight, he probably would have overlooked this detail.

"This is……"

Using the goose-feather knife to poke around inside the demon's stomach a few times, a blood-soaked golden bead rolled out of his abdomen and fell to the ground with a clatter.

This object is perfectly round and flawless, about the size of a walnut, with a ring of embossed characters 'Om Mani Padme Hum' on its surface, which is actually the six-syllable mantra of Buddhism and Taoism.

Ning Xiu reached out and picked it up, flicked away the bloodstains, and held it in his palm, stroking and playing with it.

Any evil spirits or demons brought into the Suppressing Evil Prison will have all their belongings confiscated.

This golden bead is clearly a product of Buddhism or Taoism. Presumably, this demon obtained it from somewhere and, before being imprisoned in the Demon Suppression Prison, deliberately swallowed it to prevent the Demon Subduing Officer from taking it away, thus hiding the treasure in his stomach.

"This demon swallowed the golden pearl and hid it inside his body. It's normal that the Demon Subduing Division couldn't get their hands on it. This is a good deal for me." Ning Xiu smiled as he put the golden pearl into his pocket, but he had no intention of handing it over obediently.

To be treated so well by this demon, it must be a precious treasure. Ning Xiu has no reason to give it away so easily.

……

After executing evil spirits in the Xuan District for three consecutive days, Ning Xiu gained a total of 2500 points of general proficiency, which further enhanced his Yuan Yang Fist.

Unfortunately, Ning Xiu was unable to swindle any more spells or hidden treasures from these evil spirits, resulting in a rather dry harvest.

But there was another piece of good news: the number of evil spirits he had registered for execution had reached eleven.

According to the rules explained by the jailer, Ning Xiu could apply to leave the Demon Suppression Prison at any time and go to the Three Saints Hall of the Demon Subduing Division to choose a cultivation technique as a reward.

The Three Saints Hall is a collection of martial arts techniques from all over the world, created by the three strongest human beings—the Martial Saint, the Taoist Saint, and the Buddhist Saint—several hundred years ago.

It encompasses martial arts, immortal techniques, and Buddhist and Taoist scriptures. Later, the Demon Subduing Division added other cultivation classics to it.

Emerging paths like the official path, the general path, the puppet path, and the medical path... anyone interested can find alternative paths to cultivate, without having to be fixated on the most traditional martial arts, immortality, and Buddhist paths.

Ning Xiu had long been interested in the Three Saints Temple. After executing the evil spirits that day, he asked the jailer for permission to go out.

I have been in the Demon Suppression Prison for seven days. I am only lit by fire and cannot see the sun, moon, sunshine, or shade.

When Ning Xiu stepped out of the gate leading to the ground, the sunlight outside gave him a strange feeling of being in another world, and even the air seemed to smell sweeter.

"Come back quickly after you've finished your business, and don't wander off to play around," the guard standing at the gate reminded Ning Xiu.

"Understood," Ning Xiu nodded and strode away.

The entrance to the Demon Suppression Prison is located within the headquarters of the Demon Subduing Division, so you don't need to go too far to get to the Three Saints Temple.

Following the directions given by the jailer, Ning Xiu quickly found the location of the Three Saints Temple.

As expected of a sacred site for cultivation techniques jointly created by the three saints, the six halls are connected, magnificent and imposing. The hall gates alone are more than two zhang high, making people appear extremely small when they get close.

As Ning Xiu reached the threshold, an old man guarding the gate stopped him with a cane: "Stop! No one but the Demon-Subduing Officer is allowed to enter."

"Greetings, sir. I am an apprentice from the Champion Camp who assists in executions in the Demon Suppression Prison. I have executed more than ten evil spirits and have been rewarded with the privilege of learning a martial art at the Three Saints Hall," Ning Xiu explained.

"It seems there has been such a thing recently. You may go in now. Remember, all techniques must be memorized. There are no rubbings for you to take with you. You may only stay for three hours at a time. Once the time is up, you must leave. Those who disobey will be punished."

Three hours equals six hours, which is more than enough time for Ning Xiu, but he needs to spend that time on the crucial things.

After the old man finished speaking, Ning Xiu did not immediately enter the Three Saints Hall to choose a cultivation technique. Instead, he walked up to the old man and asked, "Old sir, you should be very familiar with the cultivation techniques in the Three Saints Hall. Could you recommend some that you think are suitable so that I can have a general idea of ​​what to choose?"

The old man stroked his beard: "You're quite clever. Tell me, what kind of path do you want to cultivate?"

The three paths of martial arts, immortality, and Buddhism are most prevalent in the Great Shang Dynasty, and there are quite a few people who have attained the first rank. In contrast, other emerging paths are weaker, and there are relatively fewer people who can reach the first rank.

Although Ning Xiu has a proficiency panel, he will not rashly step into areas he is not familiar with.

He practiced Yuan Yang Quan for over a year, supplementing it with the external martial art of Jin Zhong Zhao (Golden Bell Cover). This is what it means to be a martial artist.

So Ning Xiu thought for a moment and then answered, "Martial arts."

"The Champion Camp doesn't teach internal energy cultivation. If you have the chance to enter the Three Saints Hall, then choose an internal energy cultivation method to practice. Once you have internal energy, you will enter the ninth rank. It will be easier to join the Demon Subduing Division then. I recommend the Great Sun Mystic Scripture. This internal energy cultivation method can produce pure Yang internal energy, which is perfect for dealing with evil spirits."

Ning Xiu previously only knew that the three thousand Great Daos were divided into nine grades, but he did not know what constituted the ninth grade. Now, after hearing the old man mention it, his mind became clear.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will then go and learn internal martial arts."

After bidding farewell to the old man, Ning Xiu quickly found the book "The Great Sun Mystic Scripture" in the second connected hall and quietly began to read it.

In less than an hour, after Ning Xiu had thoroughly read the entire book, the words "Great Sun Mystic Scripture" appeared on the panel, indicating that he had already grasped it in its initial stages.

After putting the "Great Sun Mystic Scripture" back in its original place, Ning Xiu's gaze couldn't help but drift to the other books on the bookshelf.

With no one supervising this place, it would be difficult for anyone else entering the Three Saints Hall to even learn one technique in three hours, let alone have the leisure to learn a second one.

But Ning Xiu had no such concerns. He still had two hours left. As long as no one noticed, wouldn't he be able to secretly learn two more techniques?

Looking around and seeing no one, Ning Xiu slowly reached out and grabbed a book.

"If I were you, I wouldn't do that."

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from above. Ning Xiu was startled. He had clearly observed his surroundings, so why were there other people suddenly appearing?

He looked up and saw a blond boy, about five or six years old, lying on his side at the top of the bookshelf, holding a gourd of wine. Even though the two were a few feet apart, Ning Xiu could smell a strong odor of wine.

"Where did this little brat come from?" Ning Xiu asked, puzzled.

Snapped!

An unpeeled peanut struck Ning Xiu hard in the chest, the violent force instantly sending him flying back several feet until he crashed into another bookshelf not far away, barely coming to a stop.

Ning Xiu clutched his chest, his face filled with astonishment. He had no idea where the peanut had come from. The power contained within it was terrifying. If the person who attacked him hadn't clearly not intended to kill, he would have already been pierced through by that tiny peanut.

"I am the Immortal of Crane Mountain. In the Demon Subduing Division, I am generally referred to as the True Man of Crane Mountain. What, you haven't heard of my name?" The blond boy said, cracking peanuts with one hand.

The Great Dao is three thousand, and "True Man" is a unique title belonging to the Immortal Dao, and it is generally only used to respectfully address masters of the fourth rank or above in the Immortal Dao.

Ning Xiu never expected that he would run into a Daoist immortal while reading a book in the Three Saints Hall. It was truly an unexpected stroke of luck.

The other person, despite being quite old, looked incredibly young, causing Ning Xiu to misunderstand. Ning Xiu had no choice but to explain, "Senior, I am an apprentice from the Champion Camp. I am not very familiar with the situation of the experts within the Demon Subduing Division. Please forgive me for offending you."

"You're a child from the Champion Camp. It's understandable that you don't recognize me, but since you've already learned the technique you wanted, why don't you leave quickly? You even dared to be greedy. I see this is your first time here, so I won't pursue the matter this time. Just don't let it happen again."

Ning Xiu was greatly puzzled: "How can you be so sure that I have already mastered the technique?"

Master Heshan took a sip of wine and laughed, "Just now I saw you recite the Great Sun Mystic Scripture from beginning to end with a confident expression. As someone who has guarded the Three Saints Temple for ten years, I can tell at a glance whether someone has learned it or not. What? You still want to argue with me?"

"I dare not, it was the junior who made a mistake." Having encountered such an old monster, Ning Xiu naturally had no intention of arguing with him. He would come to the Three Saints Hall to study again in the future, and he absolutely could not cause any trouble with this guard.

Although he didn't manage to acquire more cultivation techniques for free, Ning Xiu has achieved his goal by mastering the "Great Sun Mystic Scripture." Once he returns to the Demon Suppression Prison, he can continue to execute evil spirits and improve his cultivation level by increasing his general proficiency.

After bidding farewell to Master Heshan, Ning Xiu turned and left the Three Saints Hall.

Watching Ning Xiu's departing figure, Master Heshan squinted and muttered to himself, "Evil spirits are making the world more and more chaotic. The Demon Subduing Division is even pulling out apprentices from the Champion Camp to supplement its manpower. It seems that the Great Shang is really in dire straits."

……

Life in the Demon-Suppressing Prison was as uneventful as water.

Aside from having to execute one evil spirit every day, Ning Xiu spent most of his time cultivating. Occasionally, acquaintances from the Champion Camp, such as He Yunlang, would come to visit him, and Ning Xiu would take the time to entertain them.

Outside of execution time, the jailers in the Demon Suppression Prison turn a blind eye to these temporarily transferred teenagers and don't interfere much.

In this way, although life was uneventful, it was much freer than when I was in the champion camp.

[006] The dream of hiding was shattered.

【Yuan Yang Fist: Level 7 (730/3000)】 (+)

[Golden Bell Shield: Four layers (112/800)] (+)

[Spiritual Vision: Level 1 (21/200)] (+)

【Mahavairocana Sutra: Not Yet Entered (10/100)】(+)

General Proficiency: 2400

……

Three days have passed since Ning Xiu last visited the Three Saints Temple. During these three days, Ning Xiu executed three evil spirits from the Xuan District and accumulated a total of 2400 points of general proficiency.

Compared to martial arts like Yuan Yang Quan and Jin Zhong Zhao taught in championship camps, the Great Sun Mystic Scripture is significantly more difficult to cultivate.

After practicing for three days, Ning Xiu only gained 10 points of proficiency. He even reduced the time he spent practicing Yuan Yang Fist, but the results were not improved.

According to the old man guarding the Three Saints Hall, for those who choose the path of martial arts, having internal energy within their bodies is a symbol of entering the ninth rank.

If one relies solely on self-cultivation, it would take at least a month to cultivate the Great Sun Mystic Scripture to the first level, which is extremely slow.

Ning Xiu decided to stop accumulating general proficiency points for now and just use them up for fun first.

100 points of general proficiency are directly added to the Great Sun Mystic Scripture, the moment the Great Sun Mystic Scripture becomes a level one.

Ning Xiu felt a surge of heat suddenly emerge from his dantian and spread outwards. This heat traveled along the eight extraordinary meridians to all parts of his body, and after circulating three times, it returned to his dantian.

Although the heat was very faint, Ning Xiu could clearly feel its presence.

"This is internal energy."