Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Just then, several people suddenly appeared at the corner of the corridor not far away.

The one leading the way was an old monk wearing a bright red kasaya, and it was clear at a glance that he held a very high position in the Dalingyin Temple.

Following behind the old monk were a beautiful woman, a middle-aged man, and a boy and a girl who looked to be around fifteen years old.

The four were all dressed in extraordinary clothes and looked elegant and noble. In particular, the little girl among them was exquisite and cute, with bright and intelligent eyes, just like a white jade doll, so lovely.

“Master Jiyun, the Buddhist lamps I ordered are on their way and should arrive at Dalingyin Temple in a few days. I would be grateful if you could light them for my family and pray for our well-being.”

"Amitabha, Lord Lin, there is no need to worry. This humble monk will take care of everything that needs to be done."

These people were clearly of extraordinary status. Ning Xiu quietly used his Qi-sight technique and immediately saw that the good lines on the middle-aged man's body were white and bright like rainbows, while the evil lines were black and bright, almost as thin as hair.

The line of fortune was an even deeper red, indicating a fortune even stronger than that on Baili Yu before.

Besides this person, Ning Xiu made an even more significant discovery: the little girl.

Her evil line is completely invisible, which means that she has never done anything evil. Her luck line is also deep red, and there is even a faint hint of purple in it.

This is a sign that you may be promoted to a light purple aura in the future.

"This family is incredibly lucky," Ning Xiu thought to himself, while also becoming curious about the identities and origins of the four family members.

“Master Jiyun, this benefactor says that Master Chanhui sent him to find the Holy Monk Shuituo. Please take a look.” Upon seeing the old monk in the kasaya appear, the monk who had been talking with Ning Xiu earlier immediately went over and said.

Upon hearing this, Master Jiyun and the middle-aged man both turned their gazes toward Ning Xiu.

In Dalingyin Temple, only those of the highest Buddhist or Taoist rank can be called holy monks, and there are only seven holy monks in the entire Dalingyin Temple.

Each of them usually secluded themselves for cultivation and never went out, all in order to break through and thus attain the 'Arhat' position, which is above the first rank.

Countless high-ranking officials and nobles throughout the Shang Dynasty hoped to meet the holy monk, but for masters of the first rank, worldly official positions had little impact on them.

If they truly intend to avoid people, even if you are the prime minister of the court, there is nothing you can do about it.

"Esteemed benefactor, what brings you to see the Holy Monk Shui Tuo, Zen Master?" Ji Yun asked, looking at Ning Xiu.

Ning Xiu said, "Please help me pass on something."

“The Holy Monk Shui Tuo has been in seclusion for a long time. Unless something endangers the Great Lingyin Temple, he will not easily come out of seclusion. Benefactor, you might as well give that thing to me and I will pass it on to you.”

“That won’t do.” Ning Xiu shook his head decisively: “I promised Master Chan Hui that I must see the Holy Monk Shui Tuo in person before giving him the item. Master, please tell the Holy Monk Shui Tuo on my behalf. Whether we meet or not, the outcome will be clear in time.”

“Alright, then please wait a moment, I will escort them out of the temple first.” Ji Yun had no choice but to agree.

After seeing the family of four out of the temple, Ji Yun returned and gestured to Ning Xiu, "Please come with me, benefactor."

The mountain surrounded by Dalingyin Temple is where the monks practice Buddhism and go into seclusion. Each pagoda can be used for seclusion, and monks will bring food to the temple every day to provide basic sustenance.

When monks reach the level of sainthood, food is no longer necessary for them; drinking water alone is enough to sustain their daily needs.

Following behind Ji Yun, Ning Xiu and his companion climbed the mountain along the steps built by the Dalingyin Temple. Every monk they encountered would bow to Ji Yun and respectfully address him as "Master."

After a while, Ning Xiu got used to it and focused on enjoying the surrounding scenery.

The retreat of the holy monk Shuituo is located high up on this mountain, and it takes a lot of physical effort to get there on foot.

Fortunately, Ning Xiu and Ji Yun are not ordinary people and will not be affected in any way.

Passing through a spacious area, one sees hundreds of monks, their bodies painted a pale gold, sitting cross-legged on the ground, each holding a bowl filled with water, remaining motionless.

Suddenly, one of the monks underwent a strange change in his body.

His entire skeleton slowly elongated, and his originally proportionally normal hands and feet soon became as long as bamboo poles, looking quite strange.

An elderly monk who was supervising nearby nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this, but instead of speaking, he picked up a pen and paper and began to write something down.

The way the monk's body changed was somewhat similar to the Heavenly King Vajra Technique, but in terms of effect, the Heavenly King Vajra Technique's increase in body size was significantly superior.

"Master, what kind of cultivation technique are they practicing?" Ning Xiu asked curiously.

"The Vajra Protector Technique, once mastered, can increase one's physique and strength, but it is extremely difficult to cultivate. If one does not cultivate it properly, it can easily cause internal injuries to the body. How about it? Are you interested, benefactor?"

"It looks interesting, so I'm just asking," Ning Xiu said with a smile.

The Vajra Protector Technique is certainly not as powerful as the Heavenly King Vajra Technique, not to mention that Ning Xiu has made a breakthrough in the Heavenly King Vajra Technique, greatly enhancing its potential and power.

There is simply no way to compare the two.

As Ning Xiu climbed higher and higher, he began to sense a dangerous aura emanating from his surroundings. This aura weighed heavily on him, making the already exhausting climb even more difficult.

Master Jiyun possessed the strength of a fourth-grade Buddhist or Taoist master. Even Ning Xiu, who was walking behind him, could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead, demonstrating the immense pressure he was under.

Ning Xiu performed quite well, only feeling that his body had become much heavier than before.

It is evident that numerous indented footprints have gradually appeared on the mountain steps in this area, which have been trampled out by countless people passing through this place over the years.

"Master, is something being held captive nearby? Why is there such a terrifying aura?" Ning Xiu asked.

Master Jiyun wiped the sweat from his forehead and pointed to a dark, thirty-story tower in the distance, saying, "That is our temple's Demon-Locking Tower, which is used to imprison demons that are too powerful to be killed and can only be refined over time. In recent years, many demons have been captured from all over the place, and its aura has become stronger and stronger, with an increasingly wider range of influence."

I imagine the Demon-Locking Tower is similar to the Demon-Suppressing Prison of the Demon-Subduing Bureau. I wonder if I can go inside and train, gain some general proficiency, or rather, temper my character—that would be excellent.

Just as the two were talking, a huge roar suddenly rang out from the direction of the Demon Locking Tower, followed by a black mist gushing out from the tower and gathering at the top of the tower.

On the third floor of the Demon-Sealing Tower, the wall suddenly exploded, and a giant, dark green python with a human head quickly crawled out. Wherever it went, plants withered and the soil instantly turned black.

"Oh no! The demons in the Demon-Sealing Tower have escaped!" Ji Yun exclaimed in alarm.

After the giant python with the human head slithered around for a moment, the monks guarding the Demon Locking Tower heard the commotion and rushed over from the vicinity, surrounding the giant python with various vajras, crescent shovels, and clubs.

However, they did not intend to let it escape from this place. The demon imprisoned on the third floor was not too strong, but if it started causing trouble in the Great Lingyin Temple, it would be a real headache to destroy the buildings.

And so the monks engaged in battle with the giant serpent with a human head, and the battle was extremely fierce.

Ning Xiu looked at Ji Yun with some puzzlement and asked, "Master, does this kind of thing happen often here?"

“No.” Ji Yun shook his head decisively: “Since the Demon Locking Tower was built hundreds of years ago, there have only been four instances of demons breaking free of their restraints and escaping. Today is the fifth time.”

Ning Xiu's expression immediately became very complicated. He had encountered such a rare event. Could it be that he was the unlucky one?

After a brief exchange, the giant python was no match for the monks and was quickly left battered and bruised, clearly at a disadvantage.

But at that moment, a series of wailing sounds came from inside the Demon-Locking Tower, and then a huge head emerged from the hole in the wall.

It turned out to be the second monster to escape.

Upon seeing this, Master Jiyun could no longer contain himself. He knew the identity of this second demon, who was supposed to be imprisoned on the ninth floor. It was an exceptionally powerful creature, but he never expected that even this one would escape today.

"What exactly happened? It's impossible that the restraints on both demons were loosened at the same time... Please wait here for a moment, benefactor. This humble monk will go and take care of some matters." Ji Yun said to Ning Xiu, and then strode towards the Demon Locking Tower.

The escape of one monster could be considered an accident, but the fact that two monsters managed to escape simultaneously suggests that something more is amiss.

Regardless of the situation right now, the most important thing is to quickly bring the monster under control and stabilize the situation.

Even Ning Xiu sensed something was amiss after this unexpected turn of events. He ordered Ba Wang to open his chest and then reached in to pull out the Thunder Hammer.

If the Great Lingyin Temple really encounters any major trouble, as the Demon Subduer, I should lend a hand.

……

Inside the Demon-Sealing Tower, on the thirtieth floor.

An old monk with drooping eyebrows sat cross-legged here, with two golden chains binding his legs to restrict his movement inside the tower.

Ji Yun told Ning Xiu that the Demon Locking Tower was filled with demons, but the highest level held an old monk. The secrets behind this were probably quite complicated.

At this moment, the old monk was trembling all over, his whole body convulsing uncontrollably, but his jaw was clenched, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

No matter how the old monk suppressed it, wisps of black energy continued to emanate from his body. These black wisps gathered into threads, either sliding around the old monk or disappearing into the cracks between the stone bricks on the ground.

"Jie Jie Jie!"

Amidst the eerie laughter, the old monk's left side of his face suddenly changed expression, becoming incredibly sinister and malevolent. His open eyes also revealed a sinister look, creating a stark contrast to the kind and benevolent expression on the other side of his face.

With a flick of his left arm, the old monk's robe shattered instantly, revealing his withered arm, which resembled tree bark. His fingers were long and thin, with nails as sharp as a wild beast's, making him appear extraordinary.

In an instant, the arm slammed hard onto the ground, and a large amount of black energy surged out from its palm, seeping down through the various cracks in the tower layer by layer.

"Eighty years of dedicated cultivation have finally come to fruition today!" The old monk grinned, laughing wildly from the left side of his face.

……

With Ji Yun joining the battle, both monsters were brought under control and unable to escape in a short time.

But continuing like this is not a good idea. If we can't kill the monsters, we won't be able to free up manpower to enter the Demon Locking Tower and find out why some monsters have escaped their restraints.

So Ji Yun turned to the monks guarding the Demon-Locking Tower and shouted, "Quickly gather the monks!"

However, before he could finish speaking, the entire Demon-Sealing Tower suddenly erupted in a series of commotions. Streams of black smoke billowed out from each floor of the tower like pillars, turning the sky above the Demon-Sealing Tower completely black, as if the end of the world had arrived.

Cracks began to appear on the outer walls of each level of the Demon-Sealing Tower, and it looked like it could burst open at any moment, allowing all the demons inside the tower to escape.

This scene was truly nerve-wracking. Even if this were the Great Lingyin Temple, if such a situation were to occur, the losses would likely be substantial.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the blink of an eye, holes were blasted open one after another in the Demon-Sealing Tower, and all sorts of demons that had been imprisoned poked their heads out. Each one exuded a powerful aura, and even after being imprisoned for many years, they were still so strong that it was hard to breathe.

Ning Xiu's expression was serious; it seemed that things might really be about to change at Da Lingyin Temple today.

【078】Demon Locking Tower

"Quickly! Go find the other monks."

"Seal off this area; we can't let any monster escape."

"Quickly go and inform the abbot!"

As more and more holes appeared on the surface of the Demon-Sealing Tower, the entire area around the tower quickly descended into chaos.

The Demon-Sealing Tower has existed in the Dalingyin Temple for hundreds of years. Although there have been instances of demons breaking free and escaping, none have been as serious as today.

The scene looked like the end of the world; no one knew what powerful monsters might escape next.

Ji Yun was sweating profusely at the sight. There were countless monks and pilgrims in the entire Dalingyin Temple. If the demon were to break free and escape, the consequences would be severe, and the extent of the casualties would be unimaginable.

Black mist continuously spewed from inside the Demon-Locking Tower, turning the sky halfway up the mountain completely black, like a vast expanse of dark clouds, gradually attracting the attention of the pilgrims below.

"What's going on over there?"

It looks like it's about to rain.

"I don't know why, but it looks kind of scary."