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

Yunwen Town, the open space behind the Xuntiansi Archives.

The afternoon sun hung directly overhead, making the row of old weapon racks at the foot of the courtyard wall scorch hot enough to fry an egg on the iron handles. Cicadas clung to the locust tree trunk, chirping hysterically, much like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Huang Yushu took off his outer robe, leaving only a close-fitting short brown garment, and stood in the center of the open space, clutching an old-made knife in his hand.

The scabbard rested against the wall, the blade was chipped, and the rope binding the handle was worn and frayed. But his grip on the knife was perfect; his fingers were tightly clenched, his thumb pressed against the guard, the tip of the blade pointing diagonally towards the ground, and his weight was on the balls of his feet.

Three steps away, Sun Hao, also dressed in short clothes and holding a knife, stood opposite him.

But this guy's posture was lacking. His left foot was turned outward, his right knee was not locked, and the height of the knife held in front of his chest was inconsistent, making him look like he had just been dragged out of bed.

He yawned and scratched the back of his head with the back of his knife.

"Old Huang, be gentle. Last time you stabbed me, you split my tiger's mouth open. It took me four days to recover."

Huang Yushu ignored him, his eyes fixed on the distance between Sun Hao's steps, calculating the route in his mind.

At the base of the wall, Li Tong squatted, munching on a steamed bun, his cheeks bulging like a squirrel hiding a pine cone. He mumbled, "You two start, I'll keep count."

The words had barely left his lips.

Huang Yushu moved.

The first move was a horizontal slash from the outside of the right shoulder, a moderate, slow motion with minimal force. A probing attack.

Sun Hao raised his knife to parry, the blades clashing together with a clang. The shock traveled from his wrist to his elbow, but he could withstand it.

The second move followed immediately. The blade dipped two inches down, changing from a horizontal slash to a diagonal cut, slicing in from the left rib.

Sun Hao sidestepped and took a small step back.

The two then exchanged several moves.

Seeing that the other party could still hold on, Huang Yushu exhaled and spoke, not a shout or a curse, but a muffled groan that naturally came out of his chest when he exerted force.

The knife was raised high above the head.

Slash.

All the power of Qi and Blood was poured into this one strike, and the blade, carrying wind pressure, crashed down, even squeezing out the air.

Sun Hao gritted his teeth and raised his knife to meet the attack.

The moment the two blades clashed, three of Sun Hao's fingers were jolted open.

The knife slipped from his hand, tumbled twice in the air, and crashed onto the brick ground three feet away, bouncing once before coming to a stop.

Sun Hao fell to the ground, his buttocks hitting the blue bricks, making him wince in pain.

His injuries weren't serious, and his internal organs were mostly unharmed, but the tightness rising from his chest and stuck in his throat made him cough twice before he could recover.

Ten moves, clean and efficient.

Li Tong squatted against the wall, a steamed bun in his mouth, forgetting to chew. He stretched out his ten fingers to show his face, then pulled them back and shook his head.

Sun Hao sat on the ground, supporting himself with one hand on the stone slab, and didn't get up for a long time.

His face didn't look good; not from pain, but from dejection.

Six months ago, the two could go toe-to-toe in their sparring, but today he was defeated in ten moves. The gap between them is widening. The two paths that were originally side by side have diverged: one leads straight to the mountaintop, while the other bends into a ditch.

He lowered his head, picking at the sand in the cracks between the bricks with his fingers, and muttered, "I'm doomed, I'm going to embarrass myself in the quarterly exams."

Quarterly Examination: The Quarterly Ranking Battle of the Sky Survey Division.

Those top-ranked patrol captains, those with Qi and Blood at the third or fourth level, were like small mountains pressing down on the arena just by standing there. What difference was there between me, a mere pawn at the middle stage of the first level of Qi and Blood, and a waiter carrying dishes going up into the arena?

It's not even worthy of being served with main dishes; at most, it's just a small appetizer.

Huang Yushu sheathed his sword with a soft, clean click. He walked over, squatted down in front of Sun Hao, and extended his hand.

"You've made great progress too."

Sun Hao, with a pained expression, glanced at the hand twice before placing it on the other hand: "Brother, don't try to comfort me. You took me down in ten moves, how could I have improved?"

Huang Yushu pulled him up, patted the dust off his shoulder, paused, lowered his voice, and said seriously, "Your footwork and reaction time are at least two points faster than last month. The fifth move, when I circled around and stabbed his waist and ribs, you wouldn't have had time to draw your sword three months ago."

Sun Hao opened his mouth as if to say something, but Huang Yushu's next words cut him off.

"It's not shameful for you to lose to me."

Huang Yushu's gaze was level, neither condescending nor feigning humility.

"I have broken through to the second level of Qi and Blood."

The backyard was quiet for a couple of moments.

Sun Hao's expression changed from a bitter face to a blank stare, and then from a blank stare to a wide-eyed stare.

"Double?!"

He jumped up, grabbed Huang Yushu's shoulder, and shook him back and forth twice with such force that he almost shook the man apart.

"When did this happen? Why didn't you say so sooner!"

Huang Yushu's mouth twitched as he was shaken, and he tried to pry his hand away while dodging backward.

"I broke through the night before last. These past few days I've been participating in the encirclement and suppression operations, and I also contributed to the unrest in the town. My energy and blood had accumulated to the point where I could easily overcome that hurdle."

Sun Hao let go, took a step back, and slapped his thigh, laughing and cursing.

"I knew it! Ten moves shouldn't be enough—turns out you've already reached the second level!"

The initial frustration faded, replaced by genuine admiration: "You're the most dedicated member of the archives. You went to the encirclement and suppression, and you were always at the forefront of the unrest. You deserve this breakthrough. Congratulations!"

Huang Yushu blushed from the praise and waved his hand, saying, "Stop flattering me. You have a good foundation. Although you can't expect to get a good ranking in the quarterly exam, you can still perform at a mid-level if you perform normally. Don't underestimate yourself."

Sun Hao chuckled twice, his eyebrows relaxed, and his mentality visibly rebounded.

From the other side of the wall, Li Tong gave a thumbs-up: "Old Huang is awesome!"

The atmosphere relaxed.

The three were preparing to tidy up the place, wipe their knives, and put them away when they heard footsteps coming from upstairs.

Unhurried and evenly spaced, the sound of footsteps on the old wooden planks was as steady as tapping a beat.

Yi Yang walked down from the second floor of the museum.

He wore an old blue robe over his official attire, and the knife at his waist swayed twice. He stopped at the back door, his gaze sweeping over Huang Yushu and Sun Hao.

The two immediately stood up straight.

"grown ups."

They bowed in unison.

Yi Yang nodded, his gaze lingering on Huang Yushu for a couple of moments.

"A breakthrough?"

"Yes, I reached the second level of Qi and Blood two days ago."

Yi Yang hummed in response, his tone neither warm nor cold, but the lines at the corners of his mouth relaxed slightly.

"Good. With the quarterly exams approaching, focus on perfecting the coordination between your second-level strength and swordsmanship these next few days. Newly advanced players often make a mistake—their power increases, but their control doesn't keep up. When they strike, their strength is unevenly distributed. The first three moves are frighteningly powerful, but they weaken afterward. Practice controlling your power more, and don't let yourself down on the field."

Huang Yushu clasped his hands in a fist salute, his back ramrod straight.

Yi Yang turned to Sun Hao.

"Don't be discouraged. It's not shameful to lose to a second-level opponent when you're in the middle of a first-level team."

Just as Sun Hao was about to show his gratitude, the next sentence froze him in place.

"But did you use your brain during the loss? When he sidestepped in the seventh move, you should have taken a half step back to create distance instead of taking the hit head-on. You're not as strong as him, and a direct confrontation would be suicide. After taking a half step back, he would have to readjust his blade, and that gap would have been enough for you to change your offensive and defensive rhythm."

Sun Hao was stunned. He looked at Huang Yushu.

Huang Yushu was also stunned. When they started sparring, Yi Yangming was flipping through files on the second floor.

How could this lord see every single move so clearly, separated by a floor and two closed doors and windows?

Yi Yang didn't explain, but the old man waved his hand and said casually, "Go practice. Set aside an hour here every afternoon to practice before the assessment. Come find me if you have any problems."

The two men perked up and agreed in unison.

Huang Yushu and Sun Hao packed up their tools and left the backyard, their footsteps fading into the distance.

Yi Yang returned to the second floor alone.

Close the door. Lock the bolt.

The second floor of the archives was so quiet that only the occasional rustling of paper dust falling from the file shelves and the tireless chirping of cicadas outside the window could be heard.

Yi Yang stood by the window, his eyes half-closed, his consciousness sinking into introspection.

Three lines of small characters appeared before my eyes.

[Nine Peaks Blade Perfection: 320/36000]

[Mastery of Internal Strength Cultivation for the Five Internal Organs: 240/30000]

[Fifth Level of Yi Wood Health Preservation Exercise: 18460/50000]

Three lines of text, three roads, three mountains being climbed.

Yi Yang looked at the panel and a smile curved his lips.

Nine Peaks Blade – Great Success. The battle to kill Jiang Liang three days ago thoroughly honed the last bit of progress. After Great Success comes Perfection, with a maximum of 36,000. This path has only just begun, so there's no need to rush.

However, the Nine Peaks Blade, once mastered, is sufficient for actual combat.

The night he killed Jiang Liang, he deliberately created an opening to lure people into a chase. If he had already mastered the Great Perfection technique, he could have simply struck and finished the job; there would have been no need for any fancy tricks like turning around and killing back. The Nine Evil Cult's deacon, at the fourth level of Qi and Blood, couldn't even last three breaths.

Internal cultivation of the five internal organs – minor achievement.

This internal cultivation method, combined with the Yi Wood Nourishing Exercise, makes the internal organs far more resilient than those of martial artists at the same level. Its defensive capabilities and blood circulation are on a completely different level from ordinary fifth-level practitioners.

He has progressed one-third of the way through the fifth level of the Yi Wood Health Preservation Exercise, and his foundation in the fifth level of Qi and Blood is extremely solid. With daily medicinal baths and stance training, his progress is steadily increasing. With the sixty-fold boost in his cultivation, what others would take six months to achieve, he can accomplish in less than ten days.

Yi Yang silently considered his current combat strength: Qi and Blood at the fifth level of the Refining Realm as a foundation, the Great Perfection Nine Peaks Blade as a killing move, and the Lesser Perfection Five Internal Organs Refining Force as a protective foundation.

This setup would be more than a match for a master of the sixth level of Qi and Blood, with no doubt that they would fight to a standstill.

He thought of Mu Fenghai.

The sixth level of Qi and Blood Transformation, the marrow cleansing and blood transfusion, is a hurdle that Lei Yun Martial Arts School has been stuck at for many years.

That person must have one or two perfected martial arts techniques in hand, after all, he has practiced them for most of his life. But Yi Yang was not afraid either—the Nine Peaks Saber was a superior saber technique. He had looked through so many files in the Sky Patrol Division and investigated in the black market and in the town. Most of the techniques he could find were inferior. Occasionally, a mid-level one would appear, which was already a rare find.

Superior quality? He hadn't seen a second one in the entire Yunwen Town.

Not to mention the internal cultivation technique of refining the five internal organs, which even the county magistrate would stop at nothing to seize.

His combat strength has long exceeded the scope that the phrase "five levels of Qi and Blood" can encompass.

Yi Yang withdrew his gaze from the panel and turned to look out the window.

In the distance are the rooftops and skyline of Yunwen Town, and further away is the blurry outline of the county town. The sunlight casts a pale golden glow on the glazed tile roofs.

The Nine Peaks Saber and the Five Internal Organs Cultivation Technique can be put aside for now; there is only one most important thing to do right now.

Impacting the six levels of Qi and blood.

Cleansing the marrow and changing the blood.

After reaching the sixth level, facing Wang Gongqin was no longer a matter of evenly matched strength, but rather a crushing defeat.

Facing Mu Fenghai, it was no longer just about being able to fight, but about defeating him. He tapped his fingers twice on the window frame, a silent rhythm.

There was still some time before the quarterly exams. Before that, he needed elixirs, resources, and to push the progress of the fifth level of the Yi Wood Nourishing Life Technique to a higher level.

His gaze darkened.

Yi Yang turned back to the table, took out a booklet from a hidden compartment in the drawer. The cover was made of dark brown cowhide, with scorch marks on the edges.

This was found on Jiang Liang's body. There were too many things to do that night, so I didn't have time to look at it carefully. I only had time to look at it today.

The ink on the three characters on the cover has faded somewhat.

"Crossing the River by Touching Water".

Yi Yang turned to the first page, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow.

Body movement.

This is not a rudimentary footwork formula, but a proper intermediate-level body movement manual.

The starting stance emphasizes "feet not touching the dust, leaving no trace," and in conjunction with the special circulation route of Qi and blood in the leg meridians, it can unleash a movement speed far exceeding the norm in a short distance.

Yi Yang turned a few more pages, his eyebrows furrowing higher and higher as he read.

He has practiced martial arts for so long that he has mastered the Nine Peaks Saber technique, the Five Internal Organs Internal Energy cultivation technique, and the Yi Wood Health Preservation Technique.

The only gap is in movement techniques—which have always been a blank.

The previous battles relied entirely on the physique of the Refined Realm to hold on; the speed was sufficient, but the agility was questionable. Killing Cao Tie relied on taking a direct hit and turning the tables, while killing Jiang Liang relied on feigning an opening to lure him into pursuit. If he had a decent movement technique, those two battles would have been much cleaner, and he wouldn't even have needed to change his clothes.

Yi Yang closed the booklet and rubbed his thumb on the cover twice.

The rough texture of the leather travels up through my fingertips, carrying a musty, old smell.

"It's a good thing, actually."

He carefully tucked the booklet into his body, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the crack in the ceiling.

He mentally calculated how to master this movement technique before the quarterly exams.

The medicinal baths continued, the standing meditation continued, and the progress of the Yi Mu Health Preservation Exercise continued to advance towards the sixth level.

On the day of the quarterly exam—

How much should the old man show?