Elderly Martial Saint: Sixty Times the Cultivation Speed ​​at the Start

The scenery on both sides of the official road changed from fields to hills, and then from hills to rolling low mountains.

The carriage swayed for most of the day, and Yi Yang kept his eyes closed and practiced his internal energy inside the carriage.

Jiang Yuexin had gotten used to her grandfather's intense and rigorous training. She would lean against the carriage wall and doze off, occasionally waking up to drink some water before falling back asleep.

afternoon.

Song Tiecheng's voice came from outside the carriage, muffled, as dry as his personality.

"Grandpa Yi, come out for a moment, I have something to tell you."

Hearing that he was called to come out, Yi Yang lifted the curtain and sat down next to the driver's seat, stepping onto the carriage shaft.

Song Tiecheng rode ahead without turning back, but spoke to him: "Before we reach the prefectural city, there are some things you need to know, otherwise things could easily go wrong."

Yi Yang raised an eyebrow. This ice block actually spoke up on its own initiative? This person, who hadn't said a word to him the whole way, was suddenly so talkative.

Song Tiecheng, riding a horse, spoke slowly, but his words still described the general situation of the prefectural city.

"The Suining Prefecture Astronomical Bureau is not the same size as Yunlin County."

It is divided into one hall, four offices, and one guard.

"The Judgment Hall is the core central hub, overseen by the city's strongest expert, the Chief Inspector. It commands four departments: Punishing Evil, Destroying Evil, Netherworld, and Knowledge, each headed by a Deputy Chief Inspector, all of whom are experts at the Inner Qi Realm or higher."

Above the Inner Qi Realm.

Upon hearing this information, Yi Yang's fingers curled slightly as he thought to himself, "What kind of realm is that?"

Song Tiecheng continued, "The Zhenfu Guard is the most elite mobile force. It doesn't participate in routine affairs, only intervening when the first two divisions can't handle the situation. The lowest level of personnel in the Guard is the Inner Qi Realm, and they are fierce in combat."

What does that mean?

In Yunlin County, Qi Shujian's third level of internal energy is the ceiling; he has the strength to wipe out a sect and punish a cult. The others in the internal energy realm are also absolute high-level figures, including the patriarch of a powerful family.

Upon arriving at Suining Prefecture, it seems that the Inner Qi Realm is not the highest level; it can only be considered the middle level.

Yi Yang went through this information in his mind and was secretly alarmed. He was powerful enough to do whatever he wanted in Yunlin County except for Qi Shujian, but he had to be careful in the prefectural city.

Song Tiecheng didn't stop, and threw out a few more names.

"The prefectural city has three major sects: Jinyang Temple, Xuanjian Pavilion, and Cangwu Mountain. In addition, the Suiyuan Chamber of Commerce controls the economic lifeline, and the Liu family and Wu family, a century-old martial arts family, have been entrenched for many years."

After saying this, he finally fell silent and stopped explaining, then spurred his horse forward a few steps.

After a long pause, he added, "Our cultivation level is sufficient in the county, but don't take it too seriously when we get to the prefectural city."

After hearing Song Tiecheng's kind reminder, Yi Yang remained seated on the carriage shaft, the wind making his gray hair a mess.

He looked down at his palms and sighed inwardly, "Looks like I still need to practice!"

Yi Yang retreated back into the carriage and continued to practice his internal energy with his eyes closed, while the numbers on the panel silently fluctuated.

……

Two days later, in the evening.

At the end of the official road, on the horizon, a gray horizontal line gradually rises, widens, and becomes more oppressive.

That's the city wall of Suining Prefecture.

Jiang Yuexin, jolted awake by the carriage wheels, groggily lifted the curtain and glanced outside. Instantly, she snapped back to reality, stunned by the breathtaking scenery outside the city.

She excitedly called out to the carriage, "Grandpa!"

Her voice was filled with undisguised surprise.

Hearing the excitement in Jiang Yuexin's voice, Yi Yang, who was sitting cross-legged in cultivation, also peeked out and looked outside.

All that could be seen was the city wall.

It appears to be more than three times the height of the Yunlin County city wall, with regularly spaced arrow towers atop it, and flags fluttering in the twilight.

The city gate was wide enough for six horse-drawn carriages to run side by side. Caravans came and went in long lines, and the sounds of people, horses, and wheels rolling on the ground were all mixed together and could be heard from half a mile away.

Yi Yang decided to check the strength of the people in the prefectural city, and his perception spread out silently.

First, there were the city gate guards.

He silently counted in his mind; there were fifty-two people in total.

The soldiers were all at the second level of Qi and Blood cultivation, with standard-issue swords hanging at their waists and their armor in perfect order. The officer in charge was even more remarkable, with a powerful and sustained Qi and Blood fluctuation, having reached the fourth level of Bone Forging Realm.

They were merely gatekeepers.

The rank of patrol chief in Yunlin County is the standard for the lowest-ranking soldiers here.

After getting a general understanding of the city's environment, Yi Yang lowered the curtain and leaned back against the carriage wall to continue his arduous cultivation.

"Strength! Strength! And more strength!"

The carriage slowly drove into the city gate along with the flow of people.

……

Once inside the city, the visual impact is even greater.

The main street is ridiculously wide, allowing six horses to drive side by side with ease.

The buildings on both sides are taller than those in Yunlin County, with three- or four-story wooden buildings standing side by side, and all kinds of signs densely covering the eaves.

"Thousand Gold Pill Pavilion", "Shattered Star Soldier Shop", "Muscle and Bone Hall".

These shops caught Yi Yang's attention, and he glanced through the crack in the car window.

The counter of Qianjin Dange was crowded with people, and the wooden sign at the entrance clearly showed the prices: Grade 4 Blood Qi Pill, 35 taels; Grade 4 Bone Strengthening Pill, 80 taels; Grade 3 Lesser Tendon Strengthening Pill, 150 taels.

In Yunlin County, fourth-grade elixirs are rare commodities; one has to pull strings and use connections to obtain even one or two.

There's a row of them displayed on the counter, like they're selling radishes and cabbages.

The pedestrians on the street made Yi Yang realize the difference even more.

The young martial artists, chatting and laughing in groups of three or five, were all at least at the third or fourth level of Qi and Blood cultivation. They were in their early twenties and would be enough to be gang leaders in Yunlin County, but here they were just ordinary passersby on the street.

A master of the sixth level of Qi and Blood rode a strange beast horse through the crowd, the sound of its hooves echoing, but passersby didn't even bother to glance at it.

In Yunlin County, someone with a Qi and Blood Level of Six is ​​a person who can do whatever they want.

Here, it's nothing special.

Yi Yang pulled the curtain down completely, a slight smile curving his lips; he felt a surge of excitement.

This place has a dense network of elixir distribution channels and abundant resources; as long as we establish a foothold—

His cultivation speed is truly astonishing.

……

The carriage stopped in a relatively quiet area of ​​the eastern part of the city.

This is the headquarters of the Heavenly Patrol Division in the prefectural city.

After getting off the carriage, Yi Yang looked up at the gate.

Compared to this building, the Yunlin County Astronomical Bureau looked like a rural village. It occupied more than five times the area of ​​this building, and the guards at the entrance exuded a calm and restrained aura, with the lowest level of Qi and Blood cultivation being at least the fifth level.

Fivefold.

In Yunlin County, he would be a top-tier expert who dominates the area; here, he's just standing at the gate watching the entrance.

On the other side, Song Tiecheng dismounted and uttered the longest sentence of the day.

"After you go in, show Qi Shujian's letter of recommendation, and then someone will lead you to the registration office of the Judgment Hall to register."

After saying that, he picked up the long black iron staff and strode into a side passage, his back view clean and decisive, without looking back.

Yi Yang watched the direction he left in, thinking to himself that this ice-cold man actually had a lot of humanity in him; no wonder he could become brothers with Qi Shujian.

……

The Hall of Judgments and Registration.

Spacious and solemn, the bluestone slabs on the ground are polished so that they can reflect people's images.

Yi Yang settled Jiang Yuexin on a bench in the waiting area outside the door, told her not to wander off, and then went inside alone.

The three clerks in charge of registration were busy with their own tasks, while several martial artists who had also come to register were queuing up. Yi Yang glanced at them—the oldest was only in his early forties, and most of them were in their thirties.

The sixty-year-old face stood out particularly here.

When it was his turn, the clerk looked up, his gaze lingering on Yi Yang's face for a moment, clearly somewhat surprised.

This clerk, who has handled promotion and appointment matters here for so many years, has never seen someone of this age before.

Ignoring the other party's surprised gaze, Yi Yang took out the letter of recommendation from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

After receiving the envelope and seeing the mark of the visitor, the clerk's attitude changed.

Because this is a dark gold seal, representing the private seal of a county-level patrol chief, which is not something a nobody like him can handle.

"Please wait a moment."

The clerk straightened his back a little, carefully opened the envelope with both hands to check the contents, and after confirming that everything was correct, put the letter into the file box, stood up, and bowed to Yi Yang, saying:

"This way, Your Excellency, please. Someone will be there in the side hall to help you with the test."

Seeing the other party's respectful attitude, Yi Yang nodded and followed the direction indicated.

Arriving at the side hall, we found it well-lit, with a three-foot-tall gray stone tablet in the center, its surface smooth.

A middle-aged man sat on a chair next to him, flipping through a booklet. He glanced up at Yi Yang but didn't seem to care much.

Yi Yang also immediately recognized the opponent's strength: the sixth level of Qi and Blood Perfection.

This examiner's cultivation level would be enough to make him a patrol chief in Yunlin County, but here his job is to be an examiner for others.

"Luck, unleash a powerful punch."

The tester's concise explanation ends here.

Having received the other party's advice, Yi Yang walked to the stone tablet, rubbed his hands together, and prepared to use all his strength.

He circulated his internal energy, swung his right hand violently, and threw a punch. A dull thud resounded from the surface of the monument, and cracks spread outwards from the point of impact—penetrating three inches deep.

Upon witnessing this scene, the tester's eyelids twitched, and he thought with some surprise:

"Three inches? That's at least the strength of the Inner Qi Realm, right?"

"And can an ordinary Qi Sea in its initial stage really reach this depth? This old man's internal energy condensation level far surpasses that of others at the same level."

He wrote in the booklet: "Strength rating: First level of internal energy."

Then he took out a palm-sized, grayish-white stone from the cabinet and handed it over, saying:

"Grasp it and infuse it with internal energy."

This stone is called Bonestone.

It's specifically designed for measuring bone structure, and it's much more accurate than how martial arts masters measure it by hand.

This was also Yi Yang's first time using it. He reached out and took it, placing his palm on it, and his internal energy naturally flowed in.

After a moment, faint lines appeared on the stone surface, sparse and grayish in color, lacking any vitality.

Yi Yang couldn't figure out what the test result was either, so he had no choice but to return the stone to the tester.

After examining it for a few moments, the hint of appreciation on the tester's lips visibly faded.

He wrote two words in the booklet.

C1.

In the martial arts world, innate talent is graded into four levels: A, B, C, and D. Each level is further divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The meaning of C is very clear: mediocre to lower talent with extremely limited potential for breakthrough.

After finishing everything, the tester closed the booklet, his tone returning to its usual businesslike indifference.

"With one level of internal energy and the root bone of Bing, he will be sixty years old."

He pointed in a direction: "Go to Wanyangju Inn and wait for notification. The four departments will review the roster and decide whether to hire you."

Yi Yang nodded his thanks, then turned and left the side hall.

Despite the other party's changing attitude, he showed little emotion.

C1.

As expected, his physical constitution was "unsuitable for martial arts," and the bone structure test reflected his innate conditions.

The changes in this test were already a pleasant surprise, and he couldn't force it.

But the destiny of "an old steed in its stall" is not written in its bones.

It is written in the annals of time.

……

Wanyangju Inn.

The conditions were basic, but the place was quiet. The Sky Patrol provided the candidates with free temporary accommodation in two adjacent small rooms, each with a hard bed, a table and chairs, and a washstand in the corner.

After entering the house, Jiang Yuexin began to tidy up, secretly glancing back at Yi Yang's expression while wiping the table.

After holding it in for ages, I still couldn't resist.

"Grandpa, did that person mean something bad by mentioning 'Bingzhong'?"

Yi Yang sat down, poured himself a glass of cold water, took a sip, and said calmly:

"It means your grandfather wasn't talented enough, so people looked down on him."

Jiang Yuexin's cheeks puffed out, and she gripped the rag tightly as she cursed in dissatisfaction:

"They're the worst! Grandpa is better than anyone else!"

Yi Yang smiled but didn't reply.

This girl's protectiveness is getting stronger and stronger.

He stood up and patted her head: "Get some rest. Grandpa's going to the inner room to rest."

Close the door.

The smile faded.

Yi Yang sat cross-legged on the bed and first circulated his internal energy to repair the hidden injuries in his body. The broken bones in his left rib had been basically reset, but the residual shock from Jing Yuan's palm strike remained in his meridians, like fine sand stuck in a riverbed, affecting the efficiency of the flow of internal energy.

This injury isn't fatal, but it will take three to five days to heal completely.

He brought up a panel that only he could see.

[Yi Wood Health Preservation Exercise - Internal Qi Chapter, Level 1 (14280/150000)]

There are still more than 130,000 points away from the second level of internal energy, "Returning Purity and Turbidity to Origin".

The road ahead is long and arduous.

Clearing his mind of all his chaotic thoughts, Yi Yang closed his eyes, replaying in his mind every detail of his battle with Jing Yuan and Jing Ming in the withered forest.

With the combined power of their two internal energies, he won.

But the victory was humiliating. The victory was perilous.

If it weren't for the black blade energy of the Xuan Yuan Blade preventing the opponent from taking it head-on, and if it weren't for the sudden sneak attack of the Thunderous Sound Mantra creating that brief window of opportunity—

The ending may be completely reversed.

Ultimately, it comes down to a lack of strength.

If the Qi Sea capacity is insufficient, it cannot withstand a long-term high-intensity battle. The gap between the first and second levels of internal energy cannot be bridged by having more techniques or more methods.

We must make a breakthrough as soon as possible.

Yi Yang took out the purple spirit flower brocade box from his arms and touched the precious pills he had taken from Jing Yuan and Jing Ming.

All these things combined, along with a sixtyfold blessing from Heaven—

enough.

As long as you gain a foothold in Suining Prefecture and obtain a stable cultivation environment and resource channels, reaching the second level of internal energy won't be too far away.

Yi Yang put his things away, circulated his Qi in his dantian, and began a new round of cultivation.

The numbers on the panel moved silently.

14340

14400

14460

As dusk settled outside the window, the lights of thousands of homes in Suining Prefecture began to illuminate the city.

Yi Yang didn't yet know how deep the waters of this city ran.

But he knew one thing: when the tester wrote down the words "Bingzhong," he probably never imagined that this mediocre sixty-year-old man in front of him had just killed two high-ranking monks from Jinyang Temple who were at the second level of internal energy a few days ago.

Thinking of this, Yi Yang's lips curved slightly.

Then he continued to close his eyes and practice his internal energy, suppressing this pointless sense of pride back into his heart.