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

Ye Jin was the only one left in the pavilion.

At this age, it's extremely rare to reach the third level of internal energy cultivation at thirty-five years old, and be only half a step away from perfection.

In the entire Suining Prefecture, you can count on two hands the number of people who have reached this stage at this age.

Ye Jin was among them, and his future was extremely promising.

But the word "half a step" held him back for four whole years.

Four years ago, he reached the three ceilings: the peak of cultivation techniques, the peak of elixirs, and the peak of arduous training. He was finally about to reach the perfection of the three levels of internal energy.

Then, cross that hurdle and step into the True Qi Realm.

True Qi Realm.

What does that mean?

In the entire Suining Prefecture, there are no more than twenty martial artists at the True Qi Realm.

If you pick one at random, they're either the deputy chief inspector of the four departments, an elder of the three major sects, or one of the pillars standing beside the chief inspector.

Once he breaks through, Ye Jin will no longer be the "young master of Xingshan Martial Arts School," but one of the very few people at the very top of the Sui Ning Prefecture pyramid.

By then, not only the Han family, but the entire prefecture will be at his mercy.

After careful planning and selection, he finally met Han Yan by chance.

Is Han Yan pretty? She's alright.

Is she good-tempered? Absolutely terrible.

Is she suitable to be a daughter-in-law? Absolutely not.

But that doesn't matter.

The important thing is that Han Yan was born with a very rare constitution, the Yin Yuan Body.

This physique is extremely rare, appearing only once in ten thousand people. Women with this physique can, during a night of dual cultivation, give martial artists who have reached the third level of perfect inner energy a greater chance of breaking through to the True Qi Realm.

Three points.

Not much was heard.

But for Ye Jin, who was eager to break through to the True Qi Realm and ascend to the heavens in one step, this three points were the only light at the end of the dark tunnel.

He spent two years preparing, from meeting Han Yan to proposing marriage, from exchanging betrothal gifts to finalizing the wedding date at the end of the year.

He walked each step with composure, like a true gentleman.

His foolish father-in-law, Han Yuhua, was overjoyed, feeling that his daughter had married a promising young husband.

Han Yan herself was satisfied, after all, Ye Jin was outstanding among his peers in the entire prefecture city in terms of both strength and appearance.

Everyone thought it was a perfect match between a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

No one knew that Ye Jin never really wanted Han Yan.

What he wanted was that invisible and intangible innate talent she possessed, which could change the course of her destiny.

But now that Han Yan has died, this path has been cut off.

It's completely over.

Ye Jin stopped and looked down at her right palm.

A shard of porcelain cut into his flesh, and blood dripped down between his fingers, splashing onto the bluestone floor in dark red patterns.

He didn't feel any pain.

Or rather, the injury on his hand was nothing compared to the surging anger in his heart.

"Yiyang".

He read the name aloud again.

Because he used too much force, the outline of his masseter muscles emerged from his cheeks, twisting his handsome face into a somewhat ferocious shape.

A sixty-year-old man with a high level of internal energy.

He came back alive.

His fiancée, or rather, the tool he had prepared, did not return.

Ye Jin clenched her fist, the shards of porcelain in her palm sinking deeper, and beads of blood slid down her wrist, dripping onto her feet as she said:

"Those who block my path!"

"Whether you laid a hand on it or not..."

He raised his head, his gaze falling on the still-unrisen moon outside the pavilion, and said in a very soft voice, so soft that it could be heard even two steps away:

"You all have to die!"

……

The following day.

Yi Yang sat cross-legged on the futon in the main room, his internal energy slowly circulating within his body. The warm current repeatedly washed over the broken part of his ribs, like spring water warming winter soil.

The three ribs were reset faster than he had expected.

With the combined restorative power of internal energy and the assistance of mastering the internal strength of the five internal organs, the newly generated blood and energy at the bone fracture site have filled about 70-80% of the crack. In another two days, it should be fully restored.

Ta-da.

The side door opened, and Jiang Yuexin, carrying food, walked around the screen wall and entered.

She placed the tray on the stone table in the courtyard and first peeked into the main room. Seeing that her grandfather's eyes were open, she breathed a sigh of relief, but then she noticed the bloodstains on his face that hadn't completely scabbed off, and her lips curled into a smile.

"Grandpa, your face..."

Yi Yang got up, walked to the stone table, sat down, picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and mumbled, "I got injured accidentally during the mission, just a scrape."

Jiang Yuexin's eyes were full of disbelief.

Yi Yang didn't reply, and focused on eating her rice. The porridge was cooked until very soft, the pickled vegetables were finely chopped, and it was served with two pieces of braised meat. This girl's cooking skills had improved since she moved to the prefectural city.

"Fine, if you don't want to talk, then don't."

Jiang Yuexin rested her chin on her hand as she watched him eat, muttering, "Anyway, every time you get hurt, it's from falling or scraping. Why aren't you more careful?"

After finishing his meal and seeing Jiang Yuexin off, Yi Yang closed the main door and sat down cross-legged again.

The panel appeared in my mind.

[Yi Wood Health Preservation Exercise - Internal Qi Chapter, Second Level - Returning to the Origin of Purity and Turbidity (5600/250000)]

The numbers are slowly ticking, adding sixty points with each cycle of the celestial sphere.

Yi Yang closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting back to the crevice in the cliff.

Ten precious pills engraved with the mark of the Heavenly Patrol, three rare medicinal herbs, and silver notes and jewelry found on Han Yan's body—all these items combined were enough to propel his cultivation progress forward by a significant margin.

But I can't move now.

Retrieving it too quickly would be too conspicuous.

As for the bodies of those three red boars… Yi Yang sighed.

According to his understanding, the meat alone from a pig king with three internal energy levels would cost more than ten thousand taels, not to mention the bones, hides, bristles, and other byproducts.

Unfortunately, they've probably already fallen into the hands of the six bandits who arrived later.

The terrifying aura converged on the valley at an extremely fast speed, clearly targeting the commotion.

Given the six bandits' modus operandi, it's not in their nature to not take the money they see.

"Forget it, life is your own, wealth is just an external thing."

Yi Yang cleared his mind of distractions and continued practicing his internal energy.

The numbers on the panel moved silently.

5660

5720

5780.

……

Two days later.

The Exorcism Division received the Han family's formal request for assistance in the investigation.

The Po Xie Division naturally wanted to investigate the disappearance of its three subordinates. Without delay, they joined forces with the You Quan Division to form a small team to enter the mountains that very day.

According to Yi Yang, traces of the battle were found in the valley of the Beast Ridge Mountains.

Zhao Hu's headless corpse was still in the same place, but half of the dough had been peeled off, revealing the square face underneath.

Identity confirmed.

The scene was littered with charred hoofprints, shattered boulders, and uprooted old trees—all evidence of the furious rampage of a Qi-level beast.

The two agencies' expert investigators even ventured deep into the stone cave.

The cave was filled with the lingering scent of a strange beast, and the phosphorescent light revealed huge claw marks and scratches from mane on the stone walls. The grass nest, animal bones, and charred stone surface clearly indicated that this was the lair of the Red Boar.

However, there were no strange beast corpses in the cave.

"It's confirmed. The traces of the Red Boar King's dwelling place are correct, and he possesses at least the third level of internal energy."

The detective from the Youquan Division, who was leading the team, closed the file and exchanged a glance with the person from the Poxie Division.

Both parties reached the same conclusion: Yi Yang's account was highly consistent with the actual situation on site.

……

That same evening.

The severely injured Zhu Wei and Zhao Qin finally appeared in front of the gate of the Po Xie Division in the prefectural city.

Zhu Wei's left calf was tightly wrapped in a splint, and his right arm was resting on Zhao Qin's shoulder as he limped.

Zhao Qin herself was in no better shape; her right arm was in a sling across her chest, her face was pale, and her lips were chapped.

After news of their return alive spread, the Po Xie Si immediately arranged for someone to record their statements.

"Three adult red boars, two of them have internal energy at the second level, and the leader has internal energy at the third level."

Zhu Wei lay on his wounded bed, his face pale, and recounted the whole story from beginning to end.

"Director Han gave orders to Yi Yang, the empress of the Youquan Division, but the latter refused and left. After that, the Pig King..."

His voice lowered, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed back what he was about to say.

Zhao Qin continued, "After we were separated, we fled for our lives. We originally thought we could get out of the mountain that day, but halfway there, an aura enveloped us. It was so powerful that it made our scalp tingle, far exceeding the level of the Inner Qi Realm."

He gripped the sheet tightly: "We didn't dare move. We lay in the dense forest for a whole day and night, only daring to come out when that scent had completely disappeared."

The clerk who was recording the words finished writing the last word and closed the booklet.

The two testimonies and Yi Yang's mission report match in terms of timeline, location, and sequence of events.

There is no contradiction.

……

Three days later.

The Hall of Judgment.

The investigation files jointly submitted by the two agencies were placed on the main desk, a thick stack.

The officials in charge of reviewing the case repeatedly cross-referenced the three documents: Yi Yang's report, Zhu Wei and Zhao Qin's testimonies, and the on-site investigation record.

The core chain of evidence is complete and clear: Yi Yang killed the target Zhao Hu during the mission, and after being attacked by a strange beast, he took the initiative to retreat because he judged that a high-level expert was approaching.

Two other investigation experts extracted residual scents from the mountains as physical evidence.

One aura belonged to Yi Yang, indicating a foundation of first-level internal energy, consistent with his registered strength; the other, after comparison with the archives of Youquan Division, was confirmed to be the aura of "Zongsha," the leader of the Six Bandits who was killed.

The conclusion was reached that afternoon.

Yi Yang, Deputy Patrol Chief, faithfully carried out the Youquan Division's kill order, killing Zhao Hu, a member of the Six Bandits, exceeding the mission target without any violations or disciplinary infractions.

Declared not guilty.

As for Han Yan—her whereabouts are unknown, and her fate is uncertain.

The Court of Judgment has classified the case as "missing during a mission" and is not yet making a definitive determination.

The Han family's request for assistance in the investigation was rejected due to insufficient evidence.

……

When the news reached the Han residence, Han Yuhua smashed everything he could in his study.

But it didn't work.

The judgment of the Sky Patrol Division is not something that the head of a third-rate family can overturn.

……

The Hall of Judgments' announcement of rewards and punishments was posted the following day.

"Yi Yang, Deputy Patrol Director of Youquan Division, is awarded three months' salary—six low-grade precious pills and three hundred taels of silver—for his meritorious service in killing six members of the bandit gang. This merit is recorded in his personal file."

The news circulated within the Sky Patrol Division.

The discussions weren't loud, but they were heard everywhere.

"Have you heard? That sixty-year-old man from Youquan Division killed the bandit leader on his very first mission."

"Really? Those guys who killed the six bandits weren't pushovers..."

"He's the weakest one, named Zhao Hu, with the first level of inner energy. But even the weakest is a ruthless character who can steal things right under the noses of the major powers in the prefecture."

"Maybe he was lucky. How strong can a sixty-year-old man be?"

"Hey, don't underestimate anyone. Those who get into the Netherworld Bureau are no pushovers..."

……

Faced with this sudden fame, Yi Yang's reaction was simple.

Once the courtyard gate was closed, no one could be seen.

When Liu Qing came to inform him to collect his reward, he went there, collected his things, and turned back. On the way, he met several people from the Sky Patrol Bureau who greeted him and chatted with him. He chuckled and replied with a couple of "lucky luck," but kept walking until he was far away.

Do not attend banquets, social gatherings, or visit others' homes.

Occasionally, when he goes out, it's only to pick up the knife-maintenance oil at Jintietang or buy some ordinary bone-strengthening ointment at the pill shop. He comes and goes in a hurry and doesn't chat with anyone for long.

One morning, Shen Yuebai, who lived in the neighboring courtyard, ran into Yi Yang, who had brought out six precious pills from Youquan Division. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Six pieces.

He only receives five Grade 6 Common Pills a month as a reserve, not even close to getting a Treasure Pill. This old man got six Treasure Pills as a reward for just one mission?

Shen Yuebai opened his mouth, as if he had something to say.

But remembering that Yi Yang had just killed the man who had killed six bandits and returned unharmed, those provocative words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

He could only go back to the courtyard and close the door, so angry that he paced around the room.

That evening, while Jiang Yuexin was clearing away the dishes, she glanced at Yi Yang and finally couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa, why haven't you been going out lately? Didn't you say you wanted to explore the city?"

Yi Yang leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the edge of the table, and said casually, "The bigger the tree, the more the wind blows, you know?"

Jiang Yuexin tilted her head and thought for a moment, then stacked the bowls on top of each other: "So, are you a tree or the wind?"

"...Go wash the dishes."

This girl is talking more and more out of line.

Jiang Yuexin chuckled and took the bowl out.

The sound of her humming a little tune drifted from outside the courtyard gate. It was cheerful and lighthearted. For her, the fact that her grandfather had returned safely and even received a reward was the best thing in the world.

……

into the night.

The candles in the main room were lit.

Yi Yang bolted the doors and windows, took out six precious pills from his personal pouch, and neatly arranged them on the table.

The lowest grade precious pill is the specification for use by those at the first level of internal energy cultivation.

The body is orange-yellow, with the two small characters "巡天" (Xuntian, meaning "Patrolling the Heavens") engraved on the back.

For his current cultivation level of the second stage of internal energy, the efficacy of low-grade precious pills will be somewhat reduced, with each pill likely advancing him by about 5,000 points.

But all six together amount to 30,000 points.

In addition to the two coins allocated each month, and the accumulation from daily arduous practice...

Yi Yang brought up the panel and took a look.

[Yi Wood Health Preservation Exercise - Internal Qi Chapter, Second Level - Returning to the Origin of Purity and Turbidity (9200/250000)]

The total is 250,000.

The road ahead is still long.

But Yi Yang wasn't anxious. He would wait until things calmed down before retrieving the items hidden in the crevices of the cliff—ten precious pills and three rare medicinal herbs—that would be a true tonic.

At that time, the progress will be as rapid as water being released from a dam.

He picked up the first precious pill and put it in his mouth.

The medicinal properties dissolved in the dantian, and the warm energy spread along the meridians.

The condensed internal energy in the dantian, after being purified and refined, began to surge, absorb, and compress.

The numbers on the panel started to jump around.