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

At midnight, the night was as dark as ink.

Ten miles outside Qingfeng Ridge lies a secluded, nameless valley.

Yi Yang arrived silently with fifty Zhenfu guards.

At the entrance to the valley, three figures were already waiting.

One of them was tall and slender, dressed in dark purple, leaning against a crooked old tree in a lazy posture. He was Yan Wuyuan, the deputy chief inspector of Youquan Division.

The other person was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. He stood three steps behind Yan Wuyuan, his aura restrained, like a sword sheathed. He looked at Yi Yang with a complicated expression. It was Zhou Fangyu.

Another is the newly appointed alternate chief inspector who fills the vacancy left by Yi Yang's departure.

Behind them stood more than twenty men in black, each with a deep and imposing aura, like ghosts blending into the night.

Seeing this scene, Ning Xiong frowned deeply.

He could sense that the weakest of the men in black behind Yan Wuyuan was at least at the second level of internal energy, while the other two, Zhou Fangyu and Wei Changgeng, were also experts at the third level of internal energy perfection.

"Lord Yan."

Yi Yang stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

Yan Wuyuan straightened up from the tree, patted off non-existent dust from her sleeves, and glanced at Yi Yang and Ning Xiong with her light amber eyes.

"Is everyone here?"

"Everyone's here."

Yi Yang nodded.

The acting chief inspector of Youquan Division also stepped forward and bowed to Yi Yang, saying, "Zhou Fangyu."

"Greetings, Lord Yi."

Yi Yang said with a smile, "Old Zhou, there's no need to be so polite. We used to be brothers in the same department."

Upon hearing Yi Yang's words, Zhou Fangyu lowered his head respectfully with a complex expression and said, "I wouldn't dare, Lord Yi, please give your orders."

Although he and Yi Yang seemed quite familiar before, their current statuses are now vastly different.

He was currently only a candidate for chief inspector, while Yi Yang was the commander. Clearly, he needed to be more respectful.

Ning Xiong and the guards behind him were on guard, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

On one side is the Zhenfu Guard, the iron fist of the Xuntian Division.

On one side is the Ghost Spring Division, a sharp blade lurking in the shadows.

The two sides usually kept to themselves, but now Yi Yang had summoned them both to this desolate mountain wilderness.

Everyone wanted to know what this newly appointed commander was really up to.

Ning Xiong, in particular, stared at Yi Yang with his tiger-like eyes full of questions.

He bet that Yi Yang had found clues to Ding Xiang's case, but this setup didn't look like an investigation at all; it looked more like a tough battle was about to begin.

The squad leaders of Zhenfuwei exchanged glances.

In terms of official rank, Yan Wuyuan is the Deputy Chief Inspector of Youquan Division, and Yi Yang is also the Deputy Chief Inspector. Now that the two sides are working together on a case, the question of who should give orders has become a problem.

Yi Yang was also pondering this matter.

Just as everyone was lost in thought, Yan Wuyuan, who was leaning against a tree, lazily spoke up:

"Lord Yi will be in full command of tonight's operation."

After she finished speaking, she leaned back against the tree, looking like she was ready to watch the show.

"The entire Youquan Division listens to him."

These words shocked everyone present.

The two candidates for chief inspector of Youquan Division exchanged a glance. Although surprised, they had no objections and immediately clasped their hands in agreement.

They knew very well that their boss's decisions never needed explanation.

But the Zhenfu Guard was in an uproar.

Ning's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

What's going on?

Yi Yang and Yan Wuyuan are both deputy chief inspectors. Yi Yang is newly appointed and was previously Yan Wuyuan's subordinate. Why would Yan Wuyuan hand over command to him?

This is against the rules!

The guards behind him looked at each other, completely bewildered.

Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Yi Yang stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone present, and solemnly declared:

"I know you all have questions about tonight's mission."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears in the silent valley.

"Tonight's mission is to visit Shanruo Temple on Qingfeng Ridge."

"Beneath that temple lies the core stronghold of the Nine Evil Cult, which has been operating for over a hundred years."

boom!

These two sentences exploded in the crowd like two heavy bombs.

Nine heretical cults!

A century-old stronghold!

The soldiers of Zhenfuwei breathed heavily, and a fervent fighting spirit instantly ignited in their eyes.

Having dealt with the Nine Evils for so many years, they knew all too well the weight of those three words.

Taking down a century-old stronghold—what a great achievement that is!

Once this place is captured, the credit will be substantial, and the wealth, precious medicines, and documents in the warehouse will also be plentiful.

The Sky Patrol Division rewards merit according to merit; even if someone only blocks one road, their name will be recorded in the merit book.

Ning Xiong was visibly shaken. He suddenly looked up and stared intently at Yi Yang.

Ding Xiang!

My eldest brother died at the hands of the Nine Evils!

He finally understood why Yi Yang had kept it so secret.

An operation of this caliber would be so easily leaked that even the slightest leak would send those bastards fleeing in terror.

"Tonight, the Youquan Division will be responsible for sealing off the outer perimeter and cutting off their retreat."

"Zhenfu Guards, follow me to attack from the front."

Yi Yang said in a resolute voice:

"This trip is for only two things."

"First, to avenge Commander Ding Xiang."

"Second, we must uproot the Nine Evil Cult, this malignant tumor that has been buried in the city for a hundred years!"

"roar!"

Ning Xiong was the first to raise his iron spear and let out a silent roar.

The fifty guards behind him raised their weapons in unison, their murderous aura soaring into the sky.

Morale was ignited at that moment.

……

at the same time.

Zenruo Temple, underground altar.

The enormous serpentine pattern gleamed eerily in the blue firelight.

Two figures sat cross-legged in the center of the altar.

The man on the left, dressed in a blood-red robe with a effeminate face, is none other than Li Chen, one of the leaders of the Nine Evil Sects.

The person on the right is a gaunt old man with half-open eyes and a long, drawn-out breath. He is another incense master, Mo Huai Ren.

Both of them were at the mid-stage of True Qi cultivation.

"Has no word come back from Donglai County yet?"

Li Chen opened his eyes and asked in a hoarse voice.

"What's the rush?"

Mo Huai-ren responded calmly without even lifting his eyelids:

"You don't trust Xu Xie to do things? That 'Beast-Attracting Incense' is something I personally concocted, mixed with three drops of demon beast blood essence. As long as it's lit in the mountains, all the strange beasts within a hundred miles will go berserk."

"I'm not worried about the beast-attracting incense."

Li Chen frowned and said worriedly, "I'm worried about those two deputy chief inspectors of the Sky Patrol Division. I heard that Ji Yunzhang and Wen Shiheng have already led their men there."

"Two late-stage True Qi cultivators are indeed troublesome."

Mo Huai-ren finally opened his eyes, a sinister glint flashing in his turbid pupils.

"But once the beast tide forms, they'll be running around frantically. Our people are mixed in with them, so we'll have plenty of opportunities to strike."

Li Chen thought about it, but he was still worried.

"No, I have to go there myself."

He stood up, ready to leave.

"You stay at the altar, I'll go to Donglai County. In coordination with the beast tide, we'll take care of either Ji Yunzhang or Wen Shiheng. Chief Inspector Lu Quan'an has been keeping a close eye on things lately, we can't afford any more trouble in the prefectural city."

Mo Huai-ren nodded and said, "It's not too late to leave after this batch of offerings is finished."

Upon hearing this, Li Chen paused, realizing that what the other person said made sense.

……

Outside Shanruo Temple, the mountains and forests are quiet.

Yi Yang stood on a high slope, gazing at the indistinct outline of the temple on the mountainside.

"Everyone, suppress your aura and advance slowly."

"Extinguish all the torches and make no noise."

The orders were passed down silently.

The black-clad men from the Zhenfu Guard and Youquan Division dispersed like ghosts, silently encircling the solitary temple from all directions.

In less than fifteen minutes, the entire Shanruo Temple was surrounded by a huge crowd.

Yi Yang stood fifty feet away from the back wall of the temple, listening intently.

Quiet.

It's too quiet.

There was no chanting, no footsteps, not even a cough.

The entire temple is like a dead, empty shell.

Yi Yang frowned slightly.

When he arrived three days ago, there were thirteen monks in the temple.

Could it be... that the information has been leaked?

Ning Xiong also sensed something was wrong. He walked over to Yi Yang and asked in a low voice:

"Sir, something's wrong. There's not a sound coming from inside."

"How about I take some men and just storm in to check it out?"

Yi Yang turned around and exchanged a glance with Yan Wuyuan on the other side.

Yan Wuyuan nodded slightly.

Yi Yang nodded and gave the instructions:

"Walk."

He led Ning Xiong, Xu Min, and two candidates for chief inspector of Youquan Division, a group of five, and sneaked to the main gate of the temple like raccoons.

The door was closed tightly.

Ning Xiong reached out and pushed, but the door didn't budge.

"It's tied from the inside."

Without further hesitation, Yi Yang placed his right hand on the corresponding position of the door bolt and released a burst of true energy from his palm.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the thick wooden bolt snapped.

Ning kicked the door open, and everyone filed in.

Outside, the black-clad guards of the Youquan Division had sealed off all possible exits.

But at the same time, the temple was completely empty.

There wasn't a single light on in the front courtyard, the main hall, or the side halls.

But the gate was bolted from the inside, which means the person must still be in the temple.

Just then, Yi Yang's ears twitched.

The faintest sound, like the rustling of fabric, came from a monk's cell on the east side.

He swayed and shot forward like an arrow.

"boom!"

He smashed the wooden door of the monks' quarters to pieces.

Amidst the flying sawdust, Yi Yang grabbed a dark figure who was about to climb out of the window.

"court death!"

The man, instead of being alarmed by the capture, became enraged. He crossed his palms, and a thick black aura condensed, carrying a pungent stench. He then slapped Yi Yang in the face with his backhand.

"It's the Nine Evil Demon Technique!"

Ning Xiong, who followed in, exclaimed in surprise.

Yi Yang remained expressionless, gripping the other person's shoulder with his five fingers and applying force.

"Snap!"

The sound of bones breaking was especially clear in the quiet night.

The man let out a piercing scream, his arms went limp, and the black energy in his palms dissipated.

The rest of the people rushed into the room and searched around, but found no secret passage.

Only in the room where the host was located, the entrance to the tunnel under the oil lamp mechanism was wide open.

Yi Yang dragged the man to the tunnel entrance, his voice as cold as ice.

"Are the rest of them hiding down there?"

The man gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment, and remained silent.

Without another word, Yi Yang slapped him on the top of the head.

"Bang."

The man's head exploded like a rotten watermelon, splattering red and white matter all over the ground.

Ning Xiong walked to the entrance of the tunnel, smelling the cold, fishy stench rising from below. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he said:

"My lord, why don't we set it on fire?"

"Light a few fires here, use damp firewood to create thick smoke, and they'll surely come out!"

This method is ruthless and direct.

Yi Yang shook his head and rejected the suggestion:

"no."

"First, we don't know if there are any innocent civilians underground who have been abducted by them. If we set fire to them, everything will be destroyed."

"Secondly, we are also unsure whether this is the only exit down here."

Yi Yang pointed to the bottomless darkness.

"If there are other secret passages, the thick smoke will only force them to escape from elsewhere, and all our efforts tonight will have been in vain."

Ning Xiong agreed with the reasoning after hearing it, but he was still somewhat unwilling.

"What should we do then? We can't just sit here and wait."

Yi Yang looked at Yan Wuyuan and tentatively asked:

"I'll go down and investigate."

Yan Wuyuan's lips curled into a playful smile.

"Perfect timing, I'd like to go down and take a look too."

She stepped out of the crowd and stood side by side with Yi Yang in front of the dark entrance.

"Together?"

"Together."