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

There is only one day left until the three-month deadline set by Youquan.

Only the quiet sound of the wind remained in the small courtyard assigned by the Sky Patrol Bureau.

This time, Yi Yang did not cultivate in his room. Instead, he stood under the old locust tree with his eyes slightly closed. The internal energy in his dantian, which had undergone the purification process, was circulating along a special path.

That's not outward expression, but inward restraint.

This is the cultivation process of the first level of the Hidden Breath Formless Technique, Hidden Abyss.

The three functions of breath-holding, pulse-locking, and mind-calming operate simultaneously.

Yi Yang's internal energy of Yi Wood continuously receded from his meridians, like a receding tide, retreating back to the deepest corner of his Qi Sea.

Finally, after thirty breaths, the fluctuations in Qi on Yi Yang's body surface disappeared.

It wasn't that his power diminished, but rather that he completely disappeared from other people's perception. Even Qi Shujian, who was at the third level of internal energy, couldn't sense Yi Yang's presence at this moment.

Having accomplished all this, Yi Yang stood still, opened his eyes, and exhaled. He felt as if he had disappeared on some level.

So he tried to reveal the aura of a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist.

As the technique was activated, a perfectly balanced layer of qi and blood fluctuations rose around Yi Yang, with thickness, density, and circulation frequency exactly the same as that of a true fourth-level martial artist.

There were absolutely no flaws.

Yi Yang was certain because he used his internal energy to probe himself three times, and the feedback he received was that he was at the fourth level of Qi and Blood.

He then tried simulating other levels of strength, and they were all exactly the same, without any difference.

Finally, Yi Yang decided to become an ordinary person who had never practiced martial arts.

He concealed all his aura to the extreme.

Finally, Yi Yang stood there, without the slightest fluctuation of qi or blood. His hands hung down, his shoulders were slightly hunched, and his breathing was weak. He looked exactly like an ordinary old man in his twilight years.

He has never practiced martial arts.

He has never stepped into the threshold of the Qi and Blood Realm.

This is the feeling that Yi Yang gives to others at this moment.

After witnessing the power of this technique, Yi Yang opened his eyes and exclaimed, "This technique is definitely not 'superior level,' it far exceeds this level, but I don't know how to classify it."

After he finished speaking, a panel silently appeared deep within his mind:

[The First Level of the Hidden Breath Formless Technique: Hidden Abyss (1000/10000)]

I've finally gotten the hang of it.

After confirming that he had truly mastered the basics, Yi Yang casually glanced at the progress of the other techniques.

【Martial Body Refinement - Mastery (2460/5000)】

【Thunderous Sound Mantra - Minor Success (1800/25000)】

Compared to when he first arrived in the prefectural city two months ago, his combat strength has more than doubled.

Yi Yang finished his practice, straightened up, stretched his shoulders and neck a couple of times, and decided what to do next.

It's time to report back.

……

The rear hall of Youquan Division.

When Yi Yang stepped into the dimly lit hall again, he saw his boss, Yan Wuyuan, who looked exactly the same.

He sat behind a long rosewood table, dressed in a dark palace gown and adorned with a white jade hairpin, reviewing documents with an expressionless face.

She looks exactly the same as she did three months ago, as if time has never passed over this beautiful woman.

"They're here."

As the deputy chief inspector, Yan Wuyuan had long sensed Yi Yang's aura, even though he had cultivated the Hidden Breath Formless Technique.

Upon hearing the question, Yi Yang bowed and stood before the table, respectfully saying, "My lord, which of the Youquan Division's techniques have I mastered?"

"Show it off."

Upon hearing this, Yi Yang immediately began to silently circulate his cultivation technique.

First, he transformed his aura into that of a mortal, reducing his presence to a minimum, making him more noticeable than the dim candlelight in the hall.

Yan Wuyuan's fingertips paused and tapped on the table.

Yi Yang then switched his Qi, and multiple different types of Qi appeared in the hall. Finally, he stopped practicing his technique, returned to his normal state of being at the second level of internal Qi, and then waited quietly for the judgment.

After the case was solved, Yan Wuyuan stared at him silently for five breaths, then she said something:

"Not bad, solid foundation, no problem."

Upon hearing this, Yi Yang breathed a sigh of relief. He would finally receive a monthly salary and become a proud employee of the Sky Patrol Division.

At the same time, he noticed a detail: Yan Wuyuan did not ask Yi Yang any questions about completing the technique, as if she did not care at all.

It seems this woman is the kind of person who doesn't care about the process, only the result; therefore, her style of doing things must be very decisive.

"Liu Qing".

At Yan Wuyuan's call, the maid in green who had been waiting outside the palace gates entered.

"Bring three copies of this field mission file."

Liu Qing accepted the order and withdrew. A moment later, he returned with three files covered in cowhide, which he neatly arranged on one side of the table.

Yan Wuyuan raised her eyes to look at Yi Yang. Three files floated in the air without wind, indicating that he could choose one himself.

Yi Yang knew this was the task he had to complete. He approached and opened the first of the three files floating in the air.

"Monitor a branch manager of the Suiyuan Chamber of Commerce for two months, with a reward of one hundred taels of silver."

Turn to the second copy.

"Infiltrate the gambling den in the south of the city and assassinate an underground bookmaker at the sixth level of Qi and Blood. This person cheated a patrol supervisor out of his gambling funds. The reward is two hundred taels."

Turn to the third document.

"The manager of Huangyang Shop who was chasing after the escaped was a man with the sixth level of Qi and Blood Perfection. He was a traitor who embezzled the resources of the Sky Patrol Division. He finally appeared in the Beast Ridge Mountains."

"The reward is five hundred taels."

After carefully reviewing the three tasks, Yi Yang paused for a moment on the third file, pondering in his mind:

"Qi and Blood are perfectly balanced in six aspects."

"A few months ago, this was still his equal, but now I can take his life at will."

"I choose this one."

Yi Yang closed the third file and pushed it to the center of the table.

Yan Wuyuan, who was working in her office, didn't pay attention to which option Yi Yang had chosen. She put down her pen and spoke in her usual aloof and detached tone:

"A team from the Evil-Slaying Division has recently been stationed at the entrance of the Beast Ridge Mountains. The team consists of three officers, all of whom are at the Inner Qi Realm."

"You should notify us before entering the mountains to avoid being targeted."

The words were spoken casually, but Yi Yang sensed a hint of warning in them.

"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will remember it."

After accepting the task and confirming that there was nothing else to do, Yi Yang clasped his hands in a salute and left through the palace gate.

……

Jin Tie Tang in Fucheng.

When the shop owner, Tie Chongshan, saw that Yi Yang had finally arrived, he personally brought out a long wooden box from the backyard and said:

"I've been waiting for you for half a month, sir. Here, this is the precious sword you ordered. Please take a look."

After saying that, he opened the wooden box.

A deep, cool metallic aura suddenly emanated from the wooden box, carrying the lingering smell of embers from the burnt-out furnace.

The blade in the box is three feet and three inches long, entirely black, with a faint hint of dark red.

The blade is slightly curved, single-edged, thicker at the front and thinner at the back, and the edge is so sharp that it can reflect a person's image.

Upon seeing his treasure, Yi Yang couldn't wait to reach into the box, grip the hilt with his fingers, and take out the knife.

The moment the 72-pound heavy knife was lifted, a heavy, solid feeling traveled from the palm all the way to the shoulder blade.

Six months ago, this weight would have been a struggle for him with both hands. But now, he finds it very easy to handle.

Yi Yang's strength, enhanced by his dual internal energy cultivation and body-strengthening techniques, is no joke.

Intending to test the weapon he had acquired, Yi Yang went to the open space behind the shop and casually swung it.

hum-

A low, rumbling sound echoed through the shop; it wasn't a sharp whistling sound, but more like the muffled roar of a wild beast.

The weapon rack next to it swayed twice and almost fell over as the blade swept past it.

Upon witnessing this scene, Tie Chongshan instinctively took a half-step back, his eyes widening in astonishment.

"This old man is incredibly strong; his strength is extraordinary, he's definitely a master."

After testing it out, Yi Yang sheathed his sword, a satisfied expression on his face, and exclaimed in admiration:

"A fine knife; the shop owner's skill is truly extraordinary."

"That's right!"

Tie Chongshan patted his chest, his confident voice returning: "Anything I forge myself is perfect. This sword is just one step away from becoming a 'treasure weapon'."

Yi Yang, who was standing to the side, inserted his long sword into the leather scabbard that Tie Chongshan had prepared and carried it on his back.

"Tiger's Roar," he said, patting the scabbard.

"Um?"

"This sword is called Tiger's Roar."

Tie Chongshan grinned: "A good name, worthy of the sword I forged."

……

Beast Ridge Mountain Range, mountain pass.

Yi Yang, who had traveled for most of the day after leaving the prefectural city, arrived at his destination as dusk fell.

From a distance, you can see more than a dozen gray tents pitched on the flat ground at the mountain pass, with a Sky Patrol flag fluttering in the evening breeze in the center.

The light from the campfire illuminated the figures of those patrolling back and forth, and the soft clanging of armor against armor was particularly clear in the twilight.

Seeing that he was about to reach his destination, Yi Yang stopped using his movement technique and began to approach at a normal pace.

Just as he stepped into the area within thirty feet of the camp's edge, two figures emerged from behind a side tent, swords in hand.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The two guards were at the fifth level of Qi and Blood cultivation.

In the prefectural city, this level of strength is only the lowest level of personnel for guarding and sentry duty.

Upon seeing the other party's appearance, Yi Yang showed no panic. He took out the jet-black token from his pocket, showed it to himself, and said:

"Youquan Division, field mission."

Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the two patrolmen on duty changed.

It wasn't fear, but a complex sense of apprehension.

The name "Youquan Division" carries a special meaning within the Sky Patrol Division, as they are in charge of internal investigations!

Not daring to underestimate them, the two checked the tokens and field mission orders, exchanged a glance, and one of them quickly ran towards the depths of the camp to report.

A short while later, a burly man in his early thirties emerged from the tent. He had rushed over after receiving the report.

His strength is probably at the sixth level of Qi and Blood, and he should be a squad leader in this team.

"Lord Youquan Division, this humble general is Wang Dong." He gave a standard fist and palm salute, his tone respectful yet tinged with embarrassment.

"I heard you're going into the mountains?"

"Yes." Yi Yang replied without mincing words, speaking in a businesslike manner.

But he saw Wang Dong in front of him rubbing his hands together in great distress, sweat beading on his forehead, and saying:

"Please forgive us, seniors. The three officers who came up the mountain before us, Deputy Director Zhu Wei, Deputy Director Zhao Qin, and Director Han Yan, issued a mountain closure order five days ago. No one is allowed to enter without permission. Violators will be dealt with according to the laws of the Sky Patrol Bureau."

Upon seeing the other party's refusal, Yi Yang remained calm, simply moving the Youquan Commander's Token forward half an inch and saying:

"You should be aware that the tasks of my Youquan Division are not within the jurisdiction of the Poxie Division."

Hearing Yi Yang's firm words, Wang Dong's forehead broke out in even more sweat.

Of course he knew.

The four departments of the Sky Patrol Bureau stand side by side, each with its own authority. Assassination orders from the Netherworld Bureau do not require approval from the Evil Extermination Bureau.

But he knew Director Han Yan's temper even better; if that person found out he'd let someone in...

Faced with this dilemma, Wang Dong chose to get through this hurdle first. He gritted his teeth and said:

"Senior, I will let you in, but there is one thing I must remind you of—there have been signs of strange beasts in the mountains recently, and they are quite large. Please be very careful when you go into the mountains alone."

Seeing that the matter was resolved, Yi Yang put away the token, nodded in acknowledgment, and said:

Thank you.

He stepped across the camp boundary and walked into the depths of the mountains and forests.

With a swift movement, he disappeared into the night.

……

The nights in the Beast Ridge Mountains are much darker than in the city.

There were no lights, no human voices, only the chirping of insects and the low moans of some unknown bird in the distance.

Yi Yang used his skillful water-crossing technique to move through the forest, his footsteps so light that they made no sound when he brushed against the dead branches.

Yi Yang's more than forty years as a woodcutter gave him a wealth of experience in the mountains and forests, which he put to full use at this moment.

Suddenly, Yi Yang, who was on his way, stopped and squatted down in front of a muddy puddle, running his finger across a shallow mark on the ground.

Those were footprints left earlier.

The soles of the shoes are worn more on the left, indicating a right-handed person. The stride is a little over 70 centimeters, and the height is around 5 feet 7 inches.

The heavy footing indicates that the person is carrying something while traveling.

I left this three days ago.

These characteristics match the description of Steward Huang in the case file.

We've finally found our direction.

Yi Yang followed the trail deeper, his inner energy sensing covering a radius of seventy feet, bringing every rustling sound under his control.

The following evening.

They tracked them down to a shady valley.

The valley is long and narrow, with steep stone walls on both sides and a bottom covered with waist-high wild grass and shrubs.

The footprints became dense and disordered in this area, and the repeated trampling indicated that the target had been active in the vicinity for at least four or five days.

Yi Yang climbed a high branch of an ancient pine tree and looked down from above.

At the edge of the field of vision, beneath a giant rock the size of a car hood, lies a naturally formed shallow cave.

The entrance to the cave was covered with withered branches and mud, a crude method.

His internal energy senses probed the cave and found a very faint human presence, indicating a foundation of perfect sixth-level Qi and Blood.

"Manager Huang."

"You can't escape now."

After finding his target, Yi Yang muttered to himself.

But he didn't rush to take action.

Since Yi Yang was unfamiliar with the environment inside the cave, there was no need to take any risks. He could simply wait for the other party to come out; there was still plenty of time.