Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Everything happened in just a few breaths. Soon, the Azure Dragon, the pillar of light, and the clouds and rain all dissipated, returning to normal.

On the round plate that Ning Xiu had lifted from the container, there was a whole plate of bright green fried rice.

"This...it really does have special effects!" Ning Xiu exclaimed in surprise.

"This fried rice is called 'Azure Dragon Dew.' It's made primarily with water eel, shrimp, and clam meat from the East China Sea, and refined with fragrant bamboo and green rice grown in Daliang Prefecture. It has the effects of cleansing the body of impurities, brightening the eyes, and calming the mind. If a cultivator practices water or wood element techniques, they will also experience a certain degree of efficiency boost after consuming it." Chen Yuxing explained after the mystical scene faded.

Every dish cooked by a chef is no different from a work of art, so introducing the food they make to users is something every chef must do.

"Not bad. Although it's just fried rice, it's clear that your skills have improved significantly since last time, Elder Chen." Looking at the emerald green, crystal-clear Qinglong Run, which resembled a piece of carved jade, the Great Shaman Zhu Mingsi said with unusual seriousness.

He wasn't flattering anyone; as a third-grade immortal, he could clearly sense the abundant spiritual energy in the Azure Dragon Dew.

If an ordinary person takes a bite, years of accumulated ailments and poor eyesight can be completely eliminated after eating it.

Chen Yuxing smiled and said, "Let's open the second dish now."

Upon hearing this, Ning Xiu immediately reached out and flipped over the next container.

call!

This time, the situation was completely different. A scorching heat burst forth from the container, turning into flames that swept towards everyone around.

Then they saw three-legged red birds flying up and down in the flames, and before they could hit the people, they disappeared on their own halfway.

After the flames subsided within a few breaths, Ning Xiu was able to see clearly what the dish was.

On a round plate are seven fist-sized ribs, each with cuts on its surface. After being roasted and seasoned, a rich aroma of braised meat wafts throughout the entire Shiweitian restaurant.

Ning Xiu couldn't help but sniff a few more times unconsciously. Only when he realized that what he was doing was somewhat impolite did he forcibly stop himself from doing so.

"This is 'Flame Storm'. The ingredients are a batch of red-feathered three-legged birds that were just hunted back from Yanzhou in the Western Regions. The meat of this bird is delicious and incredibly tender. Eating it can temper the body and is very beneficial for physical cultivation. Everyone must try it."

As he opened each container, Chen Yuxing proceeded to introduce each one.

Ning Xiu gradually understood why the dishes at the welcome party were so popular with the Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Guards.

The reason is that these delicacies made by the chefs of the Demon Subduing Division can bring significant health benefits to people!

This is something you can't buy with money outside.

Although the Way of Cooking doesn't possess the same combat capabilities as the Way of Martial Arts, Immortal Arts, or Buddhist Arts within the vast Dao, its functionality is absolutely not to be underestimated.

After Chen Yuxing finished introducing all the dishes, he returned to the kitchen with the other chefs.

Ning Xiu and the others then began their meal for the evening, to taste the delicious food prepared by the chef and see how it tasted.

【076】Tianyun Fulan Festival

At today's welcome party, everyone ate the same dishes.

After Ning Xiu opened the lid first, it meant that everyone else in the dining hall could start cooking. As a result, the entire Shiweitian Hall was filled with light, the sounds of dragons roaring and birds singing. Anyone who didn't know better would think they had entered a dragon's lair.

After much anticipation, everyone opened the container and began to enjoy the feast that evening.

After the other Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Guards around him had all made their moves, Ning Xiu picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of Azure Dragon Fried Rice, and put it in his mouth.

The moment his tongue touched the fried rice, Ning Xiu couldn't help but widen his eyes.

At that moment, the scene before him suddenly changed. He, who should have been sitting in Shiweitian restaurant eating, was now standing on a boundless beach.

Just a few steps away is the azure sea where waves crash against the shore, and seagulls hover their wings and soar freely over the surface.

An unprecedented tranquility enveloped Ning Xiu's entire body, making him want to lie down and press himself against the beach to savor the moment's comfort.

Just as Ning Xiu made a move, he felt a hard lump on his back. When he came to his senses, the beach and sea in front of him vanished instantly, and the scene was still the bustling Shiweitian.

He was now leaning back in his chair, his posture very relaxed, clearly indicating that everything that had just happened was an illusion.

"Is this the effect of a chef's delicious food? It's amazing!" Ning Xiu quickly sat up straight, looking at the Azure Dragon Fried Rice he had just eaten, and thought to himself in disbelief.

Chen Yuxing just mentioned that this fried rice can cleanse the body of impurities, brighten the eyes, and calm the mind. Ning Xiu only took one bite, but he already felt that his thoughts were indeed much calmer, and his eyes were clear and bright. The effect was excellent.

The dishes made by a third-rank chef were truly exceptional. Ning Xiu now realized the significance of the welcome party hosted by the Demon Subduing Division, and why the Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains had shown such great enthusiasm for the dishes.

Without further ado, Ning Xiu continued to eat the other delicacies on the table. Just as Huang Hou and the others had said, this meal tonight was a one-off, and who knew when the next one would come? They had to cherish every bite.

As the meal was nearing its end, Emperor Wu Taizong suddenly put down his chopsticks and loudly announced to those around him, "Everyone, I have something to announce."

Upon hearing Wu Taizong's voice, the Copper Leopard Demon-Subduing Guards, who were enjoying their meal, stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward Wu Taizong.

"In twenty-one days, it will be the once-every-ten-year 'Heavenly Fortune Orchid Festival' of the Great Shang Dynasty. According to the rules left by the Three Saints, the 'Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition' will also be held on this day. Taking advantage of the welcome party for the new Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain today, I will announce this matter. Twenty-one days from now, the entire division will go to Taichan Mountain in Qingque Prefecture for the martial arts competition."

The moment these words were spoken, everyone in the room was stunned.

Most of the Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Captains were quite surprised, while only some who looked quite old remained extremely calm, as if they already knew.

The Heavenly Fortune Festival was held when the Demon Subduing Bureau was first established, and amidst the chaos of the world, the first and oldest Demon Subduing Officers fought against evil spirits.

After making great sacrifices, that generation of Demon-Subduing Commanders forcibly turned the tide, expelled and eradicated evil spirits, and captured and killed demons. Thus, they suppressed the internal and external troubles and established the original territorial map of the twelve states of the Great Shang Dynasty.

To commemorate this important day concerning the fate of the Shang Dynasty, the Shang emperor of that era named it "Tianyun Fulan".

A festival was held every ten years to wish the Shang dynasty continued prosperity and that the people could live in peace and happiness, free from the fear of evil spirits.

On the day of the Tianyun Fulan Festival, officials in cities, towns, counties and villages within the territory of the Great Shang Dynasty would take the lead and personally sweep the streets inside and outside their homes, the exteriors of their houses and the city walls with the people. Outside their homes, they would place a pot of orchids and hang Great Shang coins strung on red ropes.

After the ceremony, officials personally hosted a banquet for the people to pray for the prosperity of the Shang Dynasty, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

On this day, the Demon Subduing Division also has its own rules, which is to hold a Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition that mobilizes the entire division.

The team led by the Copper Leopard Demon-Slaying Captain went out to hunt demons, setting out at sunrise and returning at sunset. The team with the most kills was then crowned the Demon-Slaying Champion of this martial arts competition.

Each Demon-Subduing Martial Arts Competition is held in those remote states that have not yet been reclaimed by the Great Shang Dynasty. These places have long been deprived of the Great Shang's protection and are now overrun by demons and plagued by miasma.

Once the Copper Leopard Squad arrives, it will surely be a massacre for these evil spirits.

In this way, the reputation of the Demon Subduing Bureau can be enhanced, and the evil spirits of that state can be defeated.

Among the evil spirits, there are also powerful beings. To prevent accidents from happening during the martial arts exercise, up to thirty Silver Tiger Demon Subduing Guards will accompany the exercise, presiding over the demon subduing martial arts exercise while also protecting the safety of each Bronze Leopard Squad.

The Qingque Prefecture that Emperor Wu Taizong just mentioned is one of the twenty prefectures outside the Great Shang Dynasty that it has not yet recovered. A Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Officer once died on this land.

"Ah, there are only 21 days left until the Heavenly Fortune Festival? I didn't realize that at all. What should I do? Several Iron Horse Demon Slayers in my team just died. In just 21 days, I can't recruit any good team members. It seems like there's no hope of winning the championship."

"I hadn't even joined the Demon Subduing Division yet during the last Heavenly Fortune Orchid Festival. I didn't expect to be able to participate this time. I'm quite looking forward to it."

"We'll go to the Demon Suppression Prison later and see if we can find a few more executioners to replenish our ranks."

"Go after breakfast, or I reckon if you go late, you won't even be able to get any scraps."

After announcing the important matters, Emperor Wu Taizong continued eating. As one of the three tigers who subdue demons, he would also be accompanying the demon-subduing martial arts competition.

Qin Daorong knew that Ning Xiu was a newcomer, so he explained to him: "The Demon Subduing Martial Arts Competition has always been the most exciting event in the entire Demon Subduing Division. Not only will the Bronze Leopard Squad from Jingzhou participate, but the frontier will also send their squads. The competition will be extremely fierce."

How's your team's manpower replenishment going? If your abilities allow, why not try your best to compete for a good ranking this time? The benefits you'll reap will far exceed your expectations.

Ning Xiu was immediately ashamed. His Bronze Leopard Squad only had two people, including himself. How could they possibly compete with other teams?

Zhu Mingsi said, "In short, just don't lose to the Bronze Leopard Squad on the frontier, otherwise things will get messy."

"Why is that?" Ning Xiu asked, puzzled.

After his previous encounter with Pan Zhao in Cangshan, Ning Xiu had a feeling that the affairs of the Frontier Demon Subduing Commandery were not under the control of the Jingzhou Demon Subduing Division.

It's truly baffling that the Jingzhou Demon Subduing Division didn't even notice the fact that the Martial Saint Ancestor's Qilin bone was implanted into Baili Yu's body, and that this person had stolen fragments of the Martial Dao Stele for several years.

Now that I've heard what the Great Shaman Zhu Mingsi said, it seems there really is some unknown problem between the Jingzhou Demon Subduing Division and the Frontier Demon Subduing Division.

"The border region is too far from the capital, so if some matters were sent from the border to the capital for decision-making, it would delay the opportunity for battle and the results. In the early years, a special branch office was set up on the border, with a special person stationed there to manage the Demon-Subduing Commander of the border region."

Over time, two forces of the Demon-Subduing Guards emerged on the frontier and in the capital. Occasionally, in certain competitions, they would compete to some extent, always striving to win. "Qin Daorong explained.

"Oh!" Ning Xiu suddenly realized what was going on after hearing this.

No wonder the Jingzhou Demon Subduing Division had no reaction to Baili Yu's secret actions on Pan Zhao's side. Although both belonged to the Demon Subduing Division, they were already considered two forces with the same origin but different roots.

As the welcome party was drawing to a close, Qin Daorong reached into his pocket and took out a folded piece of drawing paper, handing it to Ning Xiu and saying, "This is the prize for this slogan contest. The one you came up with was quite good; I thought it had the potential to win as soon as I saw it."

"Thank you, sir." Ning Xiu quickly reached out and accepted the drawing paper. He came to the welcome party tonight for two reasons: first, to taste just how delicious the food everyone was talking about was, and second, to win the prize for the slogan contest.

He had already tasted the former, and it was indeed very good, which made Ning Xiu look forward to the next welcome party coming soon.

And now, the latter has finally been obtained.

Slowly unfold the folded paper, and a landscape painting comes into view. The painting skills are excellent, and the landscape has its own form and meaning. If you look closely for a while, you can even hear the sound of water and the mountain wind.

"What a wonderful painting! Lord Qin's painting skills are truly exquisite," Ning Xiu couldn't help but praise, while at the same time wondering how much silver this painting would be worth if he were to sell it.

Qin Daorong stroked his beard and laughed, "This painting is called 'Landscape and Dwellings,' and it's no ordinary painting. If you encounter a demon or evil spirit that you need to capture, you only need to throw this painting out to trap it. A third-grade painting can trap it for a quarter of an hour, a middle-grade painting can trap it for three days, and a lower-grade painting can trap it for a month or so. Every time you use it, cracks will appear on the painting. When the painting is completely shattered, it will no longer have any effect. Use it as you see fit."

Ning Xiu, who had been planning to sell the painting for money just a moment ago, immediately changed his mind. Good heavens, this painting actually has this kind of effect?

This piece of paper can no longer be described as a painting; it should be considered a magical artifact, only this artifact has a limited number of uses.

If used properly, this painting can indeed provide a lot of help.

Ning Xiu folded the landscape and put it back in his arms, feeling instantly satisfied; tonight's harvest was good.

As several Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Captains rose and left, the welcome party officially came to an end. The Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Captains present quickly ran out of Shiweitian one after another, all intending to rush to replenish their squads with more members.

Twenty-one days is neither short nor long. Even if new members join, they need time to adapt and gain experience, otherwise they will not be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of fighting against evil spirits.

Seeing that the number of people in the Food Kingdom was decreasing, Ning Xiu then left the place.

However, instead of recruiting new members like most people do, he planned to visit his two team members at their residence. After all, they had just arrived at the Demon Subduing Division, and it was normal that they might not be able to adapt to the environment.

Upon arriving at the courtyard reserved for the Iron Horse Demon Slayers, Ning Xiu could hear a commotion coming from the direction of Chen Peifeng and his companion's residence from a great distance.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that the room Ning Xiu had arranged for Chen Peifeng and Daoist Kongxu that morning had been damaged by external force, indicating that a fight had taken place there.

There were about twenty people standing in the courtyard, including Chen Peifeng, who was dressed in tattered clothes, and the Taoist priest Kongxu, who was being protected behind him and had black eyes and a bloody nose. They looked miserable.

The rest of the people were surrounding the two of them, and it seemed that trouble was brewing.

Among this group, there were several people with decent strength, including those at the seventh and eighth ranks. No wonder Chen Peifeng, a seventh-rank immortal cultivator, was in such a sorry state.

Furthermore, they all carried a certain amount of murderous aura, suggesting they had been members of the Demon Subduing Division for some time and should have been familiar with its rules.

Within the Iron Horse Demon Slayer group, the members' skill levels vary greatly. Some have been members for many years, while others have only recently joined. In private, it's inevitable that some vulgar acts of bullying the weak and taking advantage of the majority will occur, with small cliques forming to inflict violence on some good-natured individuals.

Such people are often those who have never been disciplined or educated by the Demon Slayers. Generally, after a period of time, they will be taught a lesson and become completely obedient, turning into entirely different people.

When Ning Xiu first joined the Demon Subduing Division, things went relatively smoothly, and he didn't encounter this kind of guy in his daily life.