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

The next morning.

When Yi Yang opened his eyes, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and a layer of morning light shone through the window paper.

He didn't linger on the prayer mat. He got up, washed up, changed into a clean gray cloth robe, and carefully put away the Youquan Division's black token before heading out. He had a lot to do today.

As for Jiang Yuexin, she hadn't gotten up yet, and the faint sound of her turning over could be heard from another room.

To avoid disturbing her, Yi Yang tiptoed out of the courtyard and, based on his memory, walked along the alleyway towards the east of the city.

His goal today was clear: to go to the Arsenal of the Judgment Hall.

He wanted to see if there were any suitable cultivation techniques for him, and whether he could improve his killing methods.

The mornings in Taichung are much more lively than in Yunlin County.

Early-rising vendors and patrolmen finishing their shifts stroll along both sides of the street, their lively conversations filling the air, a scene of everyday life in the city.

After walking for about 15 minutes, Yi Yang's view suddenly opened up.

We've arrived at the Court of Judgment, located in the eastern part of the city.

This is the core of the Suining Prefecture's Observatory.

This is his third visit to this core area, aside from the two previous reports.

Yi Yang scanned the area and found that even the weakest of the guards at the entrance were at least at the sixth level of Qi and Blood.

Two of them still possessed the highest level of internal energy.

Yi Yang stepped up the steps and came to a guard at the gate.

The guard did not let him pass just because he had the Youquan Division's token hanging from his waist. He reached out and stopped Yi Yang, demanding that he show his own token.

Without wasting words, Yi Yang took out a black token and simply stated that he was going to the armory to check the martial arts manuals.

The guard took Yi Yang's token, carefully checked his identity and documents, and after confirming that everything was correct, he returned the token with both hands, stepped aside, and made way for him with a respectful attitude.

After passing through the main gate, Yi Yang walked inside. Although he had never been to the armory of the Sky Patrol Division, he still had a basic understanding of its location.

Passing through two archways to the west of the Hall of Judgment, and after passing three main halls, and then turning a corner, the layout of the complex shifts from grand and imposing to secluded and profound.

Following the route map he remembered, Yi Yang made several turns and arrived at a secluded corner on the west side of the Judgment Hall.

Then he stopped and looked up at his destination.

The first thing that catches the eye is a five-story building.

The entire building is made of gray-black stone bricks, without any ornate eaves or carvings, and even the windows are narrow and long.

Furthermore, the building's lines are square and sturdy, giving it a calm and tranquil atmosphere.

There is no plaque in front of the building, only a stone tablet embedded in the center of the lintel, with two ancient seal characters cast on it: "Arsenal".

The stone tablet has greenish marks on its surface, clearly indicating that it has been exposed to wind and rain for hundreds of years, but the entire building still stands firm.

Two guards stood at the entrance of the armory, both of whom were at the sixth level of Qi and Blood cultivation.

After confirming that he had not gone to the wrong place, Yi Yang stepped forward and showed his token.

After the two patrolling guards checked his documents, they exchanged a glance. The older guard spoke first, saying politely, "Are you from the Youquan Division, sir? Is this your first time at the armory?"

"right."

The older guard nodded and began to explain the rules of the armory, speaking slowly but clearly:

"The Sky Patrol Bureau's armory has five floors. The first floor contains lower-level martial arts manuals, the second floor contains middle-level manuals, and the third floor contains upper-level manuals."

"You may freely peruse these three floors; there's no charge. However, if you wish to make copies to take away for further reading, a fee will be required. The amount varies depending on the level of the cultivation technique; you can inquire with the guard recording the information."

After listening to the other party's introduction, Yi Yang nodded to indicate that he understood.

But the guard continued, "The fourth floor of the armory is different. On this floor, you'll find fragments of true martial arts manuals and some rare and unusual techniques."

When he mentioned the words "true skill," the patrolman's tone became noticeably more forceful, as if afraid Yi Yang might not understand, he explained further:

"True skill is a higher level of skill than the upper level, and it is far superior to ordinary skills. The condition for entering the fourth level does not require silver, but it requires consuming one merit recorded in the Judgment Hall. If you have a merit record, you can go up and verify it with the steward of the fourth level."

Hearing this, Yi Yang's eyes flickered. He hadn't expected that the fourth level would require something like this, but he happened to have the credit for that.

"The merit I earned from killing Zhao Hu can finally come in handy."

"What about the fifth floor?"

Upon hearing Yi Yang's question, the patrol guard shook his head, his expression filled with envy, and said, "The fifth floor of the armory contains the complete core manuals of the true martial arts, including the ultimate techniques of the Four Divisions and One Guard. To get up there, you need the Chief Inspector's approval, or you yourself need to reach the True Qi Realm."

True Qi Realm.

The entire Suining Prefecture is at the top level in terms of strength, yet the requirements are so demanding.

After the rules were explained, Yi Yang didn't ask any more questions, thanked them, and stepped inside.

First, we arrived at the first floor of the armory.

Pushing open the heavy iron door, the space inside was larger than it appeared from the outside.

The walls were all made of wooden shelves, which were densely filled with silk books, bamboo slips, and paper scrolls.

The categories are diverse, ranging from fist techniques to leg techniques to hidden weapon skills to agility skills to all kinds of external martial arts training.

However, for Yi Yang, who was at the second level of internal energy, the lower-level techniques were of little use, but he still looked around and took a quick look.

Yi Yang didn't linger in the cultivation technique area for long, but his attention was drawn to a row of miscellaneous documents in the corner.

I randomly picked up a scroll and opened it; it contained records about the Nine Heretical Cults.

The Nine Evil Cults are also a major enemy of the Sky Patrol Bureau in Suining Prefecture, but their activities have clearly decreased in recent years.

The reason is simple: the strongest person in the Nine Evils Cult in the prefectural city is an elder-level figure. This person last appeared several years ago and then disappeared without a trace. Only a few branch leaders-level experts remain active, but with the chief inspector in charge, they dare not show up casually.

Yi Yang flipped through the files, recalling his dealings with the Nine Evils in Yunlin County.

Wang Gongqin, Feng Haiyuan, and their group's evil skills are indeed bizarre.

He turned a few pages, then his fingers suddenly stopped.

There was a record in the file, written in neat handwriting, but its content sent chills down one's spine.

"The core demonic art of the Nine Evil Sect can extract a martial artist's lifelong cultivation and condense it into a 'blood seed.' The one who consumes it can directly acquire a portion of that martial artist's strength."

Yi Yang stared at these lines of text three times, and understood in his heart why the Nine Evils Church had become a major enemy of the Sky Patrol Division, and why other sects and warriors also hated them.

"In the eyes of the Nine Evil Sect, all martial artists are just walking human pills."

No wonder.

No wonder the Nine Evil Cult keeps recruiting members, even tempting some powerful martial artists to join.

Because this path to increasing strength is too fast.

In this world, strength is what everyone pursues and desires.

No need for arduous cultivation, no need to hone one's aptitude, no need to burn money to buy elixirs.

Killing someone and consuming a "blood seed" allows you to directly gain a portion of their cultivation.

But Yi Yang felt that something so extraordinary couldn't possibly come without a price.

It's just not written in the case file.

Yi Yang memorized the information, closed the file, put it back in its place, and turned to go upstairs.

He didn't stop on the second or third floor. Since he had made a contribution, why not go straight to the fourth floor to see the so-called real skill?

Yi Yang walked up the stairs. At the end of the stairs was a half-open wooden door; there was no way to the fifth floor.

Yi Yang pushed open the wooden door and found an old man sitting behind it.

His hair and beard were all white, his face was gaunt, and he was wearing a faded gray robe, his eyes closed as if he were dozing.

But when Yi Yang tried to sense it, he couldn't touch anything.

It felt exactly the same as when I watched Yan Wuyuan.

Bottomless.

Yi Yang withdrew his senses, stepped forward, bowed, and respectfully presented his token.

Seemingly aware of Yi Yang's arrival, the old man opened his eyes, took the token and looked at it, then took out a thick booklet from the drawer next to him, turned to a certain page, and traced the names down with his finger.

"Yiyang... Youquan Division... killed Zhao Hu, a member of the Six Bandits, and has been commended for one merit."

The old man glanced up at him, returned the token, gestured with his chin toward the area behind him, and said, "Go in. Stay as long as you like, but you must understand the price for taking out the cultivation technique."

Yi Yang said he knew the rules, thanked them, and then pushed the door open to enter.

The fourth floor was not a large space. Black wooden shelves stood on the four walls, displaying dozens of scrolls of martial arts manuals. Each scroll was spaced half a foot apart and arranged neatly.

Yi Yang stood at the door and scanned the area.

There weren't many, but the residual energy emanating from each scroll of silk was extraordinary, and its texture was far superior to the items on the three floors below.

He first walked to the first wall and began to browse through them one by one.

"The Steps of Emptiness are a fragment of the true skill, with only the first two levels remaining. It is a movement technique; when mastered to perfection, it allows one to move as if walking through the void, with incredible speed. However, due to the loss of the subsequent techniques, further progress is impossible."

Yi Yang glanced at it briefly and put it down; this technique wasn't very useful to him.

"The Hundred Refinements Mysterious Bone Technique is a fragment of the true skill, lacking the core bone-tempering formula. It is a body-refining technique that can enhance a martial artist's bone strength to near the level of a treasure weapon, but without the formula, it can only be trained to the point of semi-treasure weapon status. The side effects are stiff joints and decreased flexibility."

No, that's not suitable; he takes a more flexible approach.

"The Seven Fiends Piercing Cloud Spear, a fragment of the true skill, only the first three moves remain. It is a spear technique, and the first three moves already possess the power to split mountains and shatter rocks. The source of the fragment is unknown."

Yi Yang doesn't need the gun, put it down.

"Cold Light Finger, a strange martial art, is a finger-based technique. It involves condensing internal energy at the fingertips to shoot out a beam of energy about an inch long. It is extremely fast and can be used for assassination. The drawback is that it can only be used three times a day; exceeding this will damage the meridians."

It's interesting, but the restrictions are too rigid.

After walking around the circle, Yi Yang's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

Every martial arts technique has its appealing aspects, but the words "incomplete" are like an insurmountable obstacle.

Yi Yang walked to the end of the shelf and forced himself to calm down.

Although he lacked powerful offensive techniques, a quick glance around revealed nothing suitable for him; the difference between his incomplete true skills and the perfect Nine Peaks Saber technique was not significant.

Since that's the case, let's see if there are any trump cards to save his life, or any extraordinary skills outside of combat that can give him an advantage.

Once his thoughts were clear, Yi Yang changed direction and began to flip through the files that were placed in corners and in remote locations.

The more popular the martial arts techniques, the more prominent they are displayed, while the less popular ones are relegated to the back of the table.

Finally, in the most inconspicuous corner of the shelf, at the bottom, Yi Yang's gaze was drawn to a yellowed silk scroll.

The silk scroll was loosely rolled up, with frayed edges and a thin layer of dust on its surface.

It hasn't been touched in a long time.

Yi Yang pulled it out, dusted it off in his hand, and unfolded it to examine it.

There is a picture on the title page of the book.

A golden-haired monkey sits cross-legged, looking serene.

There was no flamboyant embellishment like flames or dazzling light around him; only his eyes, seemingly half-closed, exuded an aura that brought peace to those who looked at him.

The ape's posture didn't seem like it was cultivating, but rather like it was entering a meditative state.

Yi Yang was stunned for a moment by the painting.

He turned to the next page and saw the name of the cultivation technique.

"The Mind Monkey Guards the Will."

Next came the general outline, which was written concisely and to the point.

"Restore the mind to its proper state, distinguishing between movement and stillness."

"Quiet imagery: Cleanses the mind of worldly dust, cuts off distracting thoughts, and makes the mind as clear as a mirror, so as not to be deluded by the six desires or fall into the obstacles of the five aggregates. It can close the gates of the six senses and cut off the defilement of the six sense objects, so that external evils cannot enter and internal demons have no way to arise."

I noticed that Yi Yang paused in breathing.

Is this a mental cultivation technique?

He continued reading.

"Dynamic Image: Divine intent can break through barriers, surpass the limits of the spiritual platform, and actively invade the opponent's consciousness. Divine intent transforms into a giant ape-like mind, secretly traversing the sea of ​​consciousness, destroying the soul without the opponent's knowledge. It attacks silently and breaks without leaving a trace, its power is overwhelming, and no spirit can withstand it."

When Yi Yang read this line, his heart began to beat a little faster as he turned the pages of the silk scroll.

According to the general outline, the method of this technique completely exceeded his understanding of "martial arts".

The foundation of martial arts lies in blood and qi, while internal energy is the means of killing. The transformation of internal energy into true qi is merely a further increase in power, and it is by no means as miraculous as this technique is described.

This cultivation method actually trains the spirit.

Yi Yang flipped through the pages.

The static image section of the exercise is complete, and the cultivation method, operating incantation, and precautions are all included.

The animation portion is blank.

Not a single word.

This powerful technique is indeed an incomplete version.

But Yi Yang was not disappointed.

The still image itself was enough to move him.

Can it resist mental attacks?

Once you reach the Inner Qi Realm or above, battles are no longer simply a contest of physical strength and inner energy.

Various bizarre methods are emerging one after another. If you encounter some kind of mental evil magic, you'll be waiting to die if you have no defense.

This isn't an offensive tactic, but it's a life-saving trump card.

Yi Yang closed the silk scroll and took it with him as he left the inner room.

The white-haired old man at the door was resting with his eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, he opened one eye and glanced at the silk scroll in Yi Yang's hand.

Then both eyes opened.

His expression was subtle, as if he wanted to laugh but held it back. His lips twitched, and he said in a tone of helplessness, as if saying, "Another one." He added, "This is the one you chose, Deputy Director."

Yi Yang handed over the silk scroll for him to register, casually asking, "What's the explanation for this technique?"

The old man took the silk scroll, flipped through the cover, shook his head, sighed, and explained, "This was obtained by the Chief Inspector more than ten years ago, and he personally put it into the armory."

He put down the silk scroll, raised his chin, and said with a sigh of reminiscence:

"At that time, the chief inspector said, 'I can't master this technique.'"

"You don't know that this caused a huge sensation in the Sky Patrol Bureau at the time."

Yi Yang's expression didn't change, but his pupils contracted slightly.