Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

With his sixteen-foot-tall golden body and fiery red skin, Ning Xiu's appearance at this moment was enough to send chills down one's spine, as if he were not fighting against man, but against a god.

With things having come to this point, Baili Yu didn't care about anything else. He quickly grabbed a long spear at his feet, poured his inner strength into the spear, and swung it to meet Ning Xiu's hammer.

This shot was quite different from the previous one; it was a shot from a third-grade martial artist, close to their full strength.

Even with the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu overseeing the battle, Baili Yu showed no mercy whatsoever, which was exactly what Ning Xiu wanted to see. He wanted to test just how powerful the Heavenly King Vajra Technique was at its peak.

Within the consciousness space of the Martial Dao Monument, Ning Xiu also raised the Fivefold Hammer Force to the tenth level.

He can now unleash a quadruple hammer strike, far more powerful than before. It can be said that Ning Xiu's move at this moment represents a significant qualitative change.

A hammer blow, a gunshot.

Before Baili Yu's spearhead even made contact with the Thunder Hammer, the spear energy had already shattered the protective golden bell and then stabbed towards Ning Xiu's abdomen. The level of internal energy condensation of a third-grade martial artist was completely incomparable to that of a third-grade martial artist in the middle level.

Even with the double protection of the Golden Bell and the Vajra Skill of the Heavenly King, Ning Xiu's left abdomen was still pierced by this spear, leaving a hole the size of a bowl.

The spear pierced through from front to back, penetrating the entire body and skin, demonstrating the power of Baili Yu's strike.

At the same time, Ning Xiu's Thunder Hammer struck Baili Yu's left arm. His body was completely powerless to resist. Under Ning Xiu's hammer, his entire arm and shoulder rotted on the spot and were blown to pieces.

Although both sides were injured, it was clear that Ning Xiu had the upper hand, after all, he was challenging a third-grade student with the strength of a fourth-grade student, and there was still a whole realm between them.

Ignoring the wound on his abdomen, Ning Xiu clenched his left fist and punched Baili Yu in the face. The force of this punch turned into crimson flames, steaming hot, and even the air became scorched as a result.

Baili Yu quickly abandoned his spear and used his palm technique to block Ning Xiu's attack. When their fists and palms collided, Baili Yu immediately used the Netherworld Divine Art to absorb Ning Xiu's internal energy. However, what he was met with was a scorching heat like molten lava.

After Ning Xiu advanced to the tenth level of the Burning Sun Supreme Scripture, his internal strength also underwent a tremendous qualitative change.

"Hiss!" Baili Yu quickly withdrew his hand. In just a moment, his palm had become charred black, and even the flesh was scalded and almost cooked.

Faced with such scorching hot internal energy, he simply couldn't absorb all of Ning Xiu's internal energy in one breath. If he did, his fate would be no different from self-immolation.

"Damn it." Baili Yu was furious that he, a dignified third-rank martial artist, had ended up in such a sorry state when fighting Ning Xiu.

In martial arts, the lower three ranks cultivate internal strength, the middle three ranks cultivate martial acupoints, and the upper three ranks can transform internal strength into celestial energy, making divine might unstoppable.

In an instant, Baili Yu released his inner force from both arms, transforming it into numerous hexagonal prisms that completely covered and armed the spear in his hand.

This is the terrifying aspect of a top-tier martial artist: the Heavenly Gang Battle Body.

Since Baili Yu has just entered the third rank of martial arts, he is not yet proficient in either the basics or his comprehension. At this moment, he can only barely manage to bring his arms and weapons into the Heavenly Gang category.

Even so, its power is far beyond what ordinary martial artists can withstand.

Numerous hexagonal prisms enveloped the spear in Baili Yu's hand. For a moment, even though it was just an ordinary iron spear, Ning Xiu saw it as no less dangerous than a spiritual treasure.

"Destroy!" Baili Yu shouted, fiercely thrusting his spear straight at Ning Xiu's chest.

The spear spun rapidly in a spiral, and Ning Xiu could see with the naked eye that the air was spinning into a white vortex because of the spear, making it even more terrifying when combined with the spear's momentum.

The soil and plants on the ground were pulled into the air by this force and floated straight up into the sky.

At this moment, the entire area changed because of Baili Yu's shot, as if it had become his domain.

Seeing this, Pan Zhao couldn't help but feel anxious. This kind of momentum was simply not something that a fourth-rank martial artist could withstand. There's a saying among third-rank martial artists: even the Heavenly Gang is hard to stop.

Facing Baili Yu's spear thrust, Ning Xiu was not afraid at all. He poured his inner strength into the Thunder Hammer and the Protective Golden Bell to repair the damage that Baili Yu had just caused.

In an instant, the protective golden bell collided head-on with the tip of Baili Yu's spear.

Click click click!

The spear was made of ordinary iron and would not have been able to compete with Ning Xiu's Thunder Hammer in this situation. However, with Baili Yu's Heavenly Gang blessing, the quality of the spear was instantly elevated by countless levels.

The moment the golden bell collided with the spear tip, it only held out for less than three breaths before the entire golden needle shattered and collapsed on the spot, revealing Ning Xiu inside the golden bell.

At this moment, Ning Xiu's second method also took effect.

The Thunder Hammer struck the spear tip, and four hammer forces erupted instantly, combining and pouring into the spear tip.

Even with the blessing of the Heavenly Gang, the spearhead inside could not withstand the burst of the four-fold hammer force, and the entire spearhead began to flatten and compress inward.

boom!

The land within a radius of ten zhang was simply unable to withstand such power. Both Baili Yu's Heavenly Gang and Ning Xiu's Hammer Force were partially absorbed into the earth and distributed.

This caused the ground to rumble continuously, and cracks several feet long appeared on the earth, turning into gaping abyssal maws that devoured everything on the ground.

The entire Cangshan Mountain began to tremble slightly at the moment of their battle, and the members of the Azure Dragon Society quickly took cover in open spaces, shouting incessantly.

"It's an earthquake; everyone should stay away from the houses."

"This has never happened before in Cangshan. Something seems amiss today."

"The First Dragon Leader was severely injured by that expert's palm strike, so we can only find the Second and Third Dragon Leaders to take charge of the situation now."

……

Demon Buddha Ning Xiu put the white butterfly into his sleeve to prevent it from being accidentally injured by the residual energy from the two men's fight.

He didn't care at all about the fight between Ning Xiu and Baili Yu. If Ning Xiu gave the word, he could kill Baili Yu with a single slap. But Ning Xiu didn't seem to want him to make a move at all, as if he was planning to experience the limits of the fourth rank of martial arts.

Since that's the case, Demon Buddha Ning Xiu will stay on the sidelines and watch the battle. If Ning Xiu encounters any life-or-death crisis, he will step in to save him.

With their fierce attack, a large amount of thick smoke and dust spread across the area, and the two seemed to have stopped making any further moves amidst the dust.

Pan Zhao, standing outside the area, was quite worried. As a fellow Demon Slayer, he naturally didn't want to see Ning Xiu get into trouble, but for a fourth-rank martial artist to fight a third-rank martial artist was a foregone conclusion.

With a wave of his hand, Demon Buddha Ning Xiu dispersed the thick smoke, clearly revealing Ning Xiu and his companion inside.

Suddenly, Ning Xiu produced a knife and severed Baili Yu's arms, which were holding the broken pieces of the Martial Dao Monument from behind.

Without the Martial Dao Monument by his side, the misty lines connecting Baili Yu to those martial artists immediately broke off, and the human face on the back of his neck withered like a plant.

Without the continuous flow of internal energy from those martial artists, Baili Yu immediately showed a visibly listless expression.

On the other hand, Ning Xiu fought with increasing ferocity. The wound on his abdomen had already healed and scabbed over due to the super-strong physical vitality of his Heavenly King state.

"I've had a feeling something was off about this martial arts stele for a while now. It seems it really is your lifeline. The strength you gained through unorthodox methods has its drawbacks. Without the support of the martial arts stele, your foundation as a third-rank martial artist is not as good as mine as a fourth-rank martial artist." Ning Xiu threw away the iron knife he had just picked up from the ground and slapped Baili Yu across the face.

Having just unleashed a powerful attack, Baili Yu appeared far weaker than Ning Xiu. Furthermore, having separated from the Martial Dao Monument, he was unable to dodge and was struck squarely by Ning Xiu's palm, collapsing to the ground on the spot.

Ning Xiu picked up the martial arts monument that had fallen to the ground. This item was of great significance, so he decided to take it back to Jingzhou. At the same time, Baili Yu could not be killed and had to be taken back to the Demon Subduing Division as well.

According to the records of the Demon Subduing Bureau regarding the fragments of the Martial Dao Stele, Ning Xiu had never heard anyone or any book mention that the Martial Dao Stele contained a consciousness world that could help people accelerate their cultivation.

This might be the first clue that Baili Yu has discovered. To find out the specifics, we need to bring him back to the Demon Subduing Division for a thorough interrogation.

If we can figure out this world of consciousness, then the entire Demon Subduing Division will surely produce many experts, strengthen the power of the Great Shang, and reclaim the twenty outer states will be just around the corner.

"Come on, keep an eye on this guy, don't let him get away." Ning Xiu dispelled his Heavenly King state and shouted to the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu in the distance.

With the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu in charge of watching over Baili Yu, Ning Xiu was naturally the most at ease.

Upon seeing that Ning Xiu was unharmed, Pan Zhao rushed over and said, "Ning Xiu, thank goodness you're alright. I never expected that you could actually suppress a third-rank person with only fourth-rank strength. I've never heard of such a scene in my decades of service with the Demon Subduing Division. After seeing this today, you must be the number one person in the Demon Subduing Division below the third rank."

"You're too kind, it was just luck," Ning Xiu replied casually.

“This…” Pan Zhao suddenly hesitated: “Ning Xiu, now that you have subdued Baili Yu, could you hand him over to me so that I can take him back to the front line and report back to my superiors? I have been searching for Baili Yu for years, and I really want to go back.”

Ning Xiu glanced at him and resolutely refused: "I'm sorry, it seems I'll have to personally escort this person back to the Demon Subduing Division."

"Ning Xiu, this...this isn't right." Pan Zhao wanted to protest, but when he saw the approaching Demon Buddha Ning Xiu, he immediately fell silent and could only say weakly.

"You implanted the Qilin bone of the Martial Saint Ancestor into this person's body without reporting it from the front lines, and he even stole the fragment of the Martial Dao Stele, almost causing a major disaster. You know Baili Yu's character well. If he were to achieve the first rank one day, he would surely become a scourge to the Great Shang. With such dereliction of duty, why do you still want to bring him back to the front lines? To continue secretly cultivating him? I will escort him back to the capital and hand him over to the Demon Suppression Prison to personally remove the Qilin bone from his body, and then put the fragment of the Martial Dao Stele into the Department. You don't need to worry about the rest."

"But... but if I don't bring Baili Yu back, I won't be able to explain myself when I get back," Pan Zhao said with a bitter expression.

Ning Xiu asked, "What's your boss's name? Tell me."

"Lu Tianjing, a third-rank official in the field of music, and a Silver Tiger Demon Subduer."

“Go back and tell him that I, Ning Xiu, forcibly took him away. It has nothing to do with you. If he can’t accept that, he can come to Chaotian and ask me for him himself,” Ning Xiu said with a smile.

Pan Zhao was speechless, looking at Ning Xiu and not knowing what to say.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: Damn it, this young Demon Slayer is so arrogant, and I can't even refute him.

After all, how many people can suppress a third-rank official with a fourth-rank official? Ning Xiu certainly has the confidence to be arrogant.

"Alright, that's the only way," Pan Zhao replied helplessly.

After the Martial Arts Monument separated from Baili Yu's body, a large number of light blue figures emerged from within the monument, each returning to its original owner.

After the pale blue figure entered their bodies, the martial artists who were sitting cross-legged in the bamboo forest all regained their self-awareness and reacted, and one after another got up from the ground.

He looked somewhat bewildered, unable to understand why he was in this place.

Meanwhile, on the martial arts arena, many martial artists woke up one after another, and their first action was to take action against the members of the Azure Dragon Society, preparing to settle scores.

This martial arts tournament was a disaster for everyone; the Azure Dragon Society tricked everyone, and apart from Baili Yu, no one was a winner.

"Let's go." Seeing that all the problems had been resolved and there was no need for them to stay in Cangshan any longer, Ning Xiu said.

Having wasted a day here, Chen Peifeng and Daoist Kongxu were still waiting for him to return halfway up the mountain. It was time to continue his journey back to the capital.

After retrieving the Corpse-Slaying Blade and the fragments of the Martial Arts Monument, and putting back on the Xuan Yin Chainmail, Ning Xiu quietly left the Azure Dragon Society with Demon Buddha Ning Xiu and Pan Zhao, unaware of their departure.

Faced with the chaos around the arena, Jin Rou only thought about finding a place to hide. She was not very strong, and if she was accidentally injured in the chaos, she would have no one to complain to.

Just then, a group of martial artists she had never seen before walked over from the direction of the high wall. When Jin Rou saw a figure among the group of martial artists, she froze in place. It was her father!

After being surrounded and attacked by masked bandits, Jin Dalong stayed behind to cover Jin Rou's retreat. Jin Rou had always thought that Jin Dalong had died at the hands of the masked bandits, but she never expected that he was still alive.

These martial artists were unaware that although the masked bandits were members of the Azure Dragon Society, their purpose was not to kill those martial arts forces that were unwilling to co-create the martial arts tournament, but to capture them alive and use them as a source of internal energy for Baili Yu.

So these people were not killed, but they were all hidden very secretly deep within the Azure Dragon Society's base.

In an instant, the warriors of the Revenge Alliance laid down their weapons, stopped fighting, and began to recognize each other as family, making the scene instantly touching.

Amidst the chaos of family reunions and fighting, no one noticed that Li Yi'an was quietly slipping away from the crowd and heading purposefully towards the place where Baili Yu had once been hiding.

When he arrived at the original site of the bamboo forest, he could only see the scene in a mess, showing signs of severe damage.

“The auras of Baili Yu and the Martial Dao Stele have all disappeared. This is bad,” Li Yi’an said, frowning.

After searching the scene, Li Yi'an used wax paper he carried with him to collect some bloodstains and scraps of clothing left at the scene, then put them back in his pocket and quickly left the place.

If Ning Xiu were here to see this scene, he would be extremely shocked, because Li Yi'an looked as if he already knew that Baili Yu was hiding here, and also knew that the other party was carrying the Martial Dao Tablet.

This shows that Li Yi'an is definitely not an ordinary person who has resigned from his position as the head constable of Nanjiang City.

With Ning Xiu bringing Baili Yu and the fragments of the Martial Arts Stele, Li Yi'an's purpose in coming to the Azure Dragon Society to participate in the martial arts tournament remains unknown.

……

Halfway up the mountain, a covered bridge.