A New Residence

[Fivefold Hammer Force: Level 8 (0/6000)]

As Ning Xiu generously increased his level, 17,100 points of Universal Proficiency disappeared from the proficiency panel.

In return, Fivefold Hammer Force directly broke through from beginner to the eighth level.

The old gentleman guarding the Three Saints Hall had said that Fivefold Hammer Force had lines like, "First strike crushes bulls, second shatters mountains, third breaks rivers, fourth guarantees a glimpse of the gates of hell, fifth makes immortals sigh in admiration."

After Ning Xiu got the hang of this hammer technique, he realized the man's words were actually a bit exaggerated.

The person who first came up with this rhyme was probably the creator of the hammer technique themselves.

If this hammer technique were truly that powerful, the Great Shang Dynasty wouldn't have swordsmen and blade masters everywhere, with blades and swords accounting for seventy percent of all weapons in a fight.

Instead, hammer users would be rampant, and hammer heroes unparalleled.

It would be like having three million hammer immortals in the sky, and even they would bow their heads in respect.

It would be like saying, "Heaven did not give birth to me, so the hammer path is eternal as the long night."

It would be like, "This hammer rights all wrongs in the world; this hammer is worthy of those with guilt."

And everyone would exclaim, "Hammer, come forth!"

However, despite the exaggeration, Ning Xiu, after reaching the eighth level and carefully sensing it, could still feel the power of this hammer technique.

That power lay in its unique multiple hammer strikes.

Normally, a martial artist wielding a hammer could generate immense power with a downward smash, which was the first level of hammer force. But anyone could do that, so there was nothing more to say.

The power of Fivefold Hammer Force lay in its ability to unleash a second, third, fourth, and even fifth hammer strike immediately after the first.

Furthermore, the power of each subsequent hammer strike would increase by fifty percent compared to the previous one. If one could master the fifth level of hammer force, the power of a single strike could increase severalfold.

If a martial artist of the first rank, or a powerful ancestor like a Martial Saint, were to unleash Fivefold Hammer Force.

Ning Xiu truly believed they could achieve the feat of "first strike crushes bulls, second shatters mountains, third breaks rivers, fourth guarantees a glimpse of the gates of hell, fifth makes immortals sigh in admiration."

But for martial artists of the Middle Three Ranks or Lower Three Ranks, the results would not be as ideal.

By increasing it all at once to the eighth level of Fivefold Hammer Force, Ning Xiu directly reached the realm where he could unleash three hammer strikes.

Now, if he were to unleash a hammer strike, assuming the power of the first hammer strike was one thousand jin.

Then the power of the second hammer strike would be 1.0 times that of the first, and the power of the third hammer strike would be 1.5 times that of the second.

Once these three hammer strikes were unleashed, individuals of the fifth and fourth ranks would likely be unable to withstand them.

As a result, Ning Xiu's combat strength had significantly increased, and he felt much more at ease about his upcoming trip to Cloud Mist Mountain.

With 12,700 points of Universal Proficiency remaining on the panel, and Fivefold Hammer Force already at the eighth level, he couldn't even increase it by two more levels.

Therefore, the remaining Universal Proficiency would naturally be allocated to the only remaining skill, Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique.

Ning Xiu directly added all 12,700 points to Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique.

[Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique: Level 8 (700/6000)] (+)

[Burning Sun Grand Radiance Scripture: Level 5 (0/6000)] (+)

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

[Fivefold Hammer Force: Level 8 (0/6000)] (+)

Universal Proficiency: 0

With the ten thousand proficiency points completely used up, Ning Xiu not only opened up his Martial Apertures but also improved his overall strength by several levels.

Satisfied, he struggled to get up, put on a new set of clothes he had prepared earlier, and then opened the door, ready to go out and find something to eat.

He didn't know how long it had taken him to open his Martial Apertures this time, as his stomach was growling with hunger.

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

The moment he opened the door, he saw two Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains standing in the courtyard.

Seeing Ning Xiu finally emerge from his seclusion, a hint of joy involuntarily appeared on their faces.

They had been guarding here for a full day, and this kid had finally decided to come out.

"My lords, what is this?" Ning Xiu asked, confused.

He still didn't know how much of an impact his closed-door cultivation to open Martial Apertures had caused in the outside world.

"Martial Dao Fifth Rank?!"

The two Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Shouldn't one be at Martial Dao Sixth Rank after opening Martial Apertures? How was this person completely different from the norm?

However, there were all sorts of wonders in the vast world. The two temporarily set aside their doubts and said to Ning Xiu, "Please don't call us lords anymore. You have entered the Middle Three Ranks of Martial Dao, and from now on, you will also be a Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain. Congratulations."

"Thank you both. But why are you standing outside my room? Did something happen in this courtyard?" Ning Xiu asked.

Seeing his puzzled expression, the two Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains knew that Ning Xiu was unaware of what had happened outside during his cultivation.

He recounted the situation of the past two days in detail, so that Ning Xiu could understand it clearly.

After listening to the explanations of the two, Ning Xiu was quite shocked. Who would have thought that he would create a triple phenomenon just by opening up a Martial Aperture?

Now the entire Chaotian Capital knew that there was such a divine person in the Demon Subduing Bureau.

"Lord Qin specifically came to remind us to arrange a new place for you to live after you came out. Please take any belongings you need to bring now, and we will take you to your new residence," said a Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain.

Now everyone knew that there was a Demon Subduing Captain in this courtyard who had produced a triple phenomenon when crossing ranks. Qin Daorong's request for Ning Xiu to change residences and avoid the attention was exactly what he wanted.

He went back to his room to get the Startling Thunder Hammer and a few new outfits he had custom-made at the Bureau. Ninety percent of everything in this room was left by the previous owner. Ning Xiu didn't have much, so moving was very convenient.

After glancing at the room he had lived in for less than a month with some emotion, Ning Xiu shouldered the Startling Thunder Hammer and quietly left the large courtyard with the two Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains.

The Demon Subduing Bureau occupied a vast area. The Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains and Iron Horse Demon Subduing Captains each had different living areas.

The difference was that the living areas of the Iron Horse Demon Subduing Captains were more densely packed. A courtyard housed a dozen or twenty Demon Subduing Captains, and your space was limited to just one room.

But when it came to the level of Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains, everything was different.

Winding through the Demon Subduing Bureau, Ning Xiu finally arrived at a courtyard with extremely simple furnishings but exquisite craftsmanship everywhere.

The courtyard had a flower bed and a pebble path. Next to a small bamboo forest full of green bamboo stood a two-story wooden building that could be lived in.

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

"To be precise, it's temporary. This building is currently unoccupied, but if there are many Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains returning from outside and the accommodation is not enough, you will still need to share a room," said one of the Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains.

Another Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain smiled and said, "But you don't need to worry too much. This situation is generally very rare, and many Demon Subduing Captains buy houses and land deeds in Chaotian Capital to start families. When they return, they live in their own homes."

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

Being able to guard Ning Xiu's house for two days was already a great sacrifice.

With his new residence settled, Ning Xiu immediately put down the Startling Thunder Hammer, turned around, and left the Demon Subduing Bureau to go to a nearby restaurant to eat to his heart's content.

Martial artists could eat a lot, and he had been hungry for a full day, so he ate like a storm sweeping away fallen leaves, feasting heartily.

Whatever dish was placed on a plate in front of him was devoured by Ning Xiu in just a few bites within ten seconds.

The scene stunned the diners in the restaurant, leaving them bewildered.

It was only today that they realized something: a chicken leg could be completely eaten in just one bite.

Qingque Prefecture, Dragon Python Mountain.

Amidst barren mountains and treacherous waters, poisonous pools and swamps were everywhere, and purple poisonous gas permeated the entire mountain forest.

The complete skeletons of flying and crawling beasts were scattered all over the ground, and colorful mosquitoes and scorpions crawled on the white bones.

This was a place with a harsh environment, but someone had built a cave dwelling there.

Beneath an inconspicuous poisonous pool, there was a hidden world. Three men with different appearances sat on stone chairs, drinking from bone cups.

"There has been no news from the Chu Woman for so many days, and Marquis Wuyi has not been seen. It is likely that the escape plan has failed."

Marquis Wuyi could not be brought out of Chaotian Capital, so the Vice Sect Master's goal of stripping the Martial Dragon Fortune from him and nurturing a dragon vein has also gone down the drain. The Vice Sect Master must be in a bad mood and irritable these days. Let's not go back and run into his bad luck.

"No, no, no," said a disheveled demon with a silver hoop on his head and wearing black clothes and a yellow face, waving his hand by the stone table. "I'm going to Yunze Prefecture tomorrow. I've had a sudden inspiration recently, my thoughts are clear, and I plan to refine an evil artifact. I'll go there to find a few villages to slaughter and capture hundreds of souls to refine the artifact."

The two beside him immediately raised their cups, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Huang. This must be an auspicious sign for the successful refinement of the artifact. When your artifact refinement is complete, we will go hunt a few Demon Subduing Captains, break their tendons and sinews, and torture them to our heart's content."

The demon patted his chest and laughed heartily, "Hahaha, it will be so! Let those Shang dogs know our power."

As the three of them laughed, their open chests all revealed a full chest of colorful patterns, which was the greatest mark of a Black Heaven Gate demon: a three-headed angry god trampling on black clouds and roaring with flames.

All Demon Subduing Captains of the Demon Subduing Bureau recognized this evil god's colorful pattern. This was precisely the greatest mark of a Black Heaven Gate demon.

Black Heaven Gate demons were cruel and brutal. Wherever they went, they left behind all sorts of evil deeds, slaughtering villages and towns, and torturing women and children for pleasure had long become the norm.

Therefore, the Demon Subduing Bureau had dealt them severe blows, destroying countless lairs and cave dwellings of Black Heaven Gate demons.

This led some demons to specifically hunt Demon Subduing Captains for revenge. Once a Demon Subduing Captain fell into their hands, they would face a fate worse than death.