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

The back mountain of Xuanjian Pavilion.

Xu Yuhu knelt on the shattered steps of the main hall. The bone in his left shoulder was broken by Xuan Yi, and there was a hole in his chest. His blood stained the stone slabs under his feet dark.

But he is still alive.

Although He Dingbo's sword pierced his chest, it missed his heart by two inches.

Xuan Yi's palm strike was also delivered somewhat hastily, and its force was reduced by 30%.

Two fatal mistakes gave him the chance to survive.

Xu Yuhu used his right hand to support himself on the sword sheath and struggled to his feet.

Half of the corridor of the main hall on the back mountain has collapsed, and the bluestone floor has been plowed with large and small ravines by the qi.

When Lü Song arrived, he blocked three attacks for him, but Xuan Yi broke two of his ribs with a single palm strike. He knelt five zhang away, desperately clinging to the hilt of his sword.

He Dingbo stood two steps behind Xuan Yi, his dark sword still dripping blood.

The faint red light in his eyes hadn't faded; his pupils were dilated, and he was staring in Xu Yuhu's direction, but it seemed like he wasn't looking at anyone.

Xuan Yi glanced at He Dingbo, then turned back, the prayer beads stopping in his palm.

"Sect Leader Xu, you've lost."

Xu Yuhu did not respond.

He compressed the last of his true energy into his dantian, and then transported it out of his dantian.

His protective aura surged dramatically.

Silvery-white light seeped from every pore of his body, converging at a point three zhang above his head.

The qi condensed into form, and a phantom of a twenty-foot-long flying sword emerged from the light.

The sword was translucent, with dense patterns of energy flowing along its blade, each one a condensation of the sword techniques Xu Yuhu had practiced throughout his life.

The phantom of the flying sword hovered above the back mountain, its tip pointing downwards, its light illuminating the entire mountaintop.

Xuan Yi looked up at the flying sword, his expression unchanged.

Knowing that Xu Yuhu was going to fight to the death, he didn't hold back either.

The old monk clasped his hands together in prayer.

Golden energy exploded from the top of his head, shooting three zhang into the sky.

The surging, condensing, and shaping energy in the air—a Buddha statue was born from golden light.

The Buddha statue is three zhang tall, sitting cross-legged with lowered eyebrows and downcast eyes. The right hand is in the mudra of subduing demons, and the left hand holds a lotus flower.

Its entire body shimmered with golden light, and its illusory face carried a hint of compassion.

Two illusory figures formed from true energy faced off in the sky above the back mountain of Xuanjian Pavilion.

Flying sword and Buddha statue.

He Dingbo left the battlefield after the two True Qi Realm Perfection experts summoned their phantom images. The battle between the two powerful figures was beyond the reach of someone like him who was only in the late True Qi Realm.

Xu Yuhu endured the bleeding, gritted his teeth, and used his remaining right hand to form a sword incantation.

Driven by its will, the illusory flying sword moved.

The twenty-foot-long sword, trailing a silvery-white sword aura, pierced straight through the air towards the face of the Buddha statue.

It was so fast that it left a white line in the sky.

But Xuan Yi was by no means weak. He formed a Dharma seal of Jin Yang Temple, and immediately the Buddha statue in the sky also formed a Dharma seal with its large hand.

The phantom of the Buddha statue pushed forward with its demon-subduing seal, and a golden palm wind met the flying sword.

There was no sound when they collided.

However, the ground within a radius of a hundred feet was simultaneously cracked by a gust of wind.

The steps on the back mountain of Xuanjian Pavilion were broken, the stone pillars of the main hall collapsed, and the roof tiles were blown into the air by the blast wave.

Even the severely injured Lü Song was thrown more than ten feet away by the shockwave, only stopping when his back hit an altar.

The illusory flying sword summoned by Xu Yuhu was bounced three zhang away by the Buddha's palm. The illusory sword trembled twice, and several hair-thick cracks appeared on its surface.

The illusory image of the Buddha remained completely still.

Blood seeped from the corner of Xu Yuhu's mouth, along with the wound inflicted on his flying sword.

The phantom was connected to the real body; the flying sword was damaged, and his meridians also suffered a backlash.

But he didn't stop; this time, he was going to fight to the death.

Only one of Xuan Yi and him can survive.

He raised his left hand, joined his index and middle fingers together, and pointed at the illusory flying sword.

The flying sword spun rapidly in the air, its tip drawing an arc as it slashed at the Buddha statue from the side at breakneck speed.

But just before it reached the Buddha statue, the twenty-foot-long flying sword slashed towards its chest.

This is the sword technique of the Xuanjian Pavilion—the Xuanxin Sword.

The sword energy bypassed the demon-subduing seal on the Buddha statue and slashed forward along the edge of the golden light.

Silver and golden light intertwined on the Buddha statue's chest.

The flying sword cleaved through the protective energy surrounding the illusory Buddha statue, heading straight for the central gate.

The blade of the flying sword phantom embedded three inches deep into the center of the Buddha statue's chest, and golden energy shattered outward from the wound.

Xuan Yi's body, which was wielded by a body of external martial arts, swayed slightly along with the injured Buddha statue.

A sword wound appeared on his chest, his clothes were torn, and pale golden blood seeped out.

If the Buddha statue is injured, the Buddha's body will also be damaged, just like Xu Yuhu's flying sword.

But in that instant, Xuan Yi seemed completely unconcerned about his own injuries, and changed the palm print in his hand from the Demon-Subduing Seal to the Demon-Binding Seal.

The mudra for subduing demons in the hands of the Buddha statue in the air has been replaced with the mudra for binding demons.

A giant golden hand slammed down from above, its five fingers spread wide, and its qi condensed into a cage, trapping the illusory flying sword in its palm.

Upon seeing this scene, Xu Yuhu's mind went blank.

With his flying sword trapped, his dantian tightened, and the circulation of his internal energy was forcibly interrupted for a moment.

Just this half-beat.

The other hand of the Buddha's phantom image is raised from the lotus seat.

The golden palm wind slammed down towards the flying sword phantom.

One palm strike.

Large cracks appeared on the blade of the flying sword phantom, and the silvery-white light began to dim.

Then the Buddha statue transformed its palm into a fist and slammed it towards the spine of the flying sword.

A crack ran through the entire spine of the sword, and fragments peeled off the blade, turning into specks of light and scattering in the air.

Without giving Xu Yuhu a chance to catch his breath, the second punch followed immediately.

The flying sword, having suffered repeated heavy blows, shattered.

The twenty-zhang-long silvery-white phantom was cut in two, then shattered into hundreds of pieces, exploding in the night sky like a shower of silver snowflakes.

Silvery-white sword energy fragments scattered everywhere, striking the palace walls and leaving countless scratches.

Xu Yuhu's body suddenly convulsed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His body, which he had been forcibly propping up, could no longer hold on. His knees buckled, and he fell forward.

The illusory image of his protective aura was shattered, which was equivalent to his dantian being severely damaged. It was an absolute serious injury, and his already weak body simply could not withstand such a backlash.

The vital energy circulating in the body's meridians then went out of control and flowed backward, causing a backlash that affected the internal organs as well.

Xu Yuhu lay prone in the pile of rubble, his hand still gripping the hilt of his sword, but his fingers were too weak to exert any strength.

Upon seeing this, Xuan Yi took a step forward.

The phantom of a Buddha statue hung behind him, enveloped in golden light.

He stopped three zhang in front of Xu Yuhu, looked down at the Xuanjian Pavilion leader on the ground, and had something indescribable in his eyes.

A flash of red light appeared in Xuan Yi's eyes as he calmly said:

"Amitabha."

He chanted a Buddhist prayer and raised his right palm.

Golden energy condensed in his palm; it was time to end everything.

Then his palm wind hadn't fully coalesced.

A gust of wind, almost too fast to be seen with the naked eye, attacked from his right.

The gust of wind seemed extremely light, without the violent outward release of powerful energy, and without the sound of weapons cutting through the air.

But as it approached Xuan Yi's right shoulder, the sleeve of his monk's robe was torn to shreds by the strong wind before it even got close.

Upon sensing this scene, Xuan Yi's expression changed drastically, and he could no longer maintain his composure.

He swiftly unleashed the concentrated energy in his hand towards his side.

The golden energy and the extremely fast wind collided and disappeared into the air.

Xuan Yi turned his head to the right with a solemn expression, looking at the uninvited guest.

A person stands at the end of the broken stone steps on the back mountain.

He had long, half-white hair tied back, wore a black dress and a black iron buckle around his waist.

It was Lu Quan'an who made the move just now.

He just stood there, his hands hanging at his sides, without any weapons.

It did not release any aura.

But the moment he stood there, the air in the entire back mountain became quiet.

It's not the application of external force.

It's something more fundamental—like a mountain being moved in front of you.

You try to go around it, but you find that there are mountain walls on both sides.

You try to climb over, only to find the mountaintop above the clouds.

Xuan Yi scrutinized Lu Quan'an, a hint of crimson and complexity flashing in his cloudy old eyes, but he remained silent.

He knew he was no match for his opponent.

Blood was still flowing from his chest, the marks left by Xu Yuhu's flying sword.

He didn't escape unscathed from this battle either. Forty percent of the true energy in his meridians was depleted, the illusory image of the Buddha had been maintained for too long, and his dantian was also throbbing with pain.

In his current state, what would happen if he encountered Lu Quan'an at his peak?

There is no chance of winning.

Even at his peak, he was no match for his opponent.

Knowing the outcome of the battle, Xuan Yi didn't waste any words.

His illusory image of Buddha suddenly receded behind him, and the golden light instantly shrank back into his body. Using the dissipating illusory image as a starting point, he unleashed his final attack on Lu Quan'an.

Then tap your toes.

His figure rose from the ground, his monk's robe billowing in the wind, and he swept towards the dense forest to the north.

Ran.

Decisive and straightforward, without even turning his head.

Lu Quan'an waved his arm, shattering the afterimage; he did not pursue.

Standing still, looking in the direction where Xuan Yi disappeared, he tapped his thumb on the iron buckle at his waist.

Then he walked up to Xu Yuhu and squatted down.

Xu Yuhu lay face down, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth and his waist.

His clothes were completely soaked, it was impossible to tell if it was sweat or blood. His fingers were still trembling slightly, but he gripped the sword hilt tightly.

Lu Quan'an reached out and turned his body over, placing two fingers on his pulse point.

A few breaths passed.

"The Qi Sea isn't shattered; there's still hope."

Lu Quan'an took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, poured out two pills, and stuffed them into Xu Yuhu's mouth.

Xu Yuhu's lips moved slightly, and the pill slid down his throat. As the medicine entered his stomach, his face changed from ashen to deathly pale—at least he regained some color.

He struggled to open his eyes.

His vision blurred for a few moments before it focused, and he recognized the face crouching in front of him, asking:

"Lu... Chief Inspector..."

"Don't talk." Lu Quan'an straightened his head and made him lie on his side to prevent blood from entering his trachea.

Lu Song crawled over from under the pine tree, breaking two ribs, and walked unsteadily.

Seeing Lu Quan'an, he clung to him like a drowning man grasping at a plank, most of his strength waning, and he said with difficulty:

"Chief Inspector... Xuan Yi... Jin Yang Temple has gone mad..."

Lu Quan'an raised his hand, signaling him not to rush.

He looked at Xu Yuhu again and asked softly, "Tell me, what happened?"

Xu Yuhu swallowed hard, his mouth full of bloody saliva, and recounted the story in fits and starts.

The Jin Yang Temple was attacked, He Dingbo betrayed them, Zhao Huai Ren died in battle, and they were trapped in the back mountain.

When he mentioned He Dingbo, he gritted his teeth and added, "He Dingbo's eyes are strange; there's a bloodshot light in his pupils. I've seen records of that in the sect's archives..."

He coughed twice, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth again, and then, after catching his breath, said:

"That should be the Mind Control Technique of the Nine Evil Sect. But such a method can only be used by a powerhouse at least at the 'Profound Realm'."

The Realm of Profound Understanding.

When those three words came out of Xu Yuhu's mouth, Lü Song, who was squatting next to him, froze.

The Profound Realm is a level above the True Qi Realm; it is a realm that stands above all martial artists in the city.

There are actually people from the Nine Evil Sects with the Tongxuan Realm in Suining Prefecture.

But Chief Inspector Lu Quan'an's expression did not change much.

He tapped his thumb twice on his knee, his eyes half-closed as he looked up at the northern sky.

"That guy...didn't he die more than ten years ago?"

The voice was soft, as if he were talking to himself.

But Xu Yuhu and Lü Song both heard it.

"What?" Xu Yuhu asked, struggling to stay awake. "Lord Lu, do you know who it is?"

Lu Quan'an stood up and dusted off his knees.

"I know, it's an old grudge from over ten years ago."

"That guy actually survived back then?"

He paused, a flicker of something passing through his deep brown, almost black eyes, but it vanished quickly. "Looks like he faked his death to escape, and hid for over a decade."

Lu Song's mind was a little slow to process it, but he still pressed on, asking, "Then, why is that person targeting our Xuanjian Pavilion? Was the Jin Yang Temple's attack at his behest?"

Lu Quan'an did not give a direct answer to Lü Song's question.

Lu Quan'an's gaze swept over the Xuanjian Pavilion's back mountain complex, which had been ravaged by the attack, and stopped in a certain direction deep within the main hall.

"Your Xuanjian Pavilion has something called the 'Mystic Mind Stone,' right?"

Upon hearing those three words, Xu Yuhu, who was lying on the ground, trembled.

Lü Song was also stunned.

Mysterious Stone.

That is the treasure of the Xuanjian Pavilion, which has been established for three hundred years. It is enshrined in the deepest part of the secret chamber in the back mountain and guarded by the successive sect leaders.

This stone is a naturally occurring spiritual object that can assist martial artists in tempering their sea of ​​consciousness and strengthening their divine sense, and has immeasurable effects on the cultivation of spiritual power.

More importantly, the Profound Thought Stone has a special effect on experts at the "Profound Realm".

According to ancient records of the sect, martial artists in the Tongxuan realm need to condense a "Dharma Body" in order to advance further, and the Xuan Nian Stone is a spiritual object that can assist in the condensation of the Dharma Body.

These True Qi Realm Perfection cultivators are currently only condensing the rudiments of "Dharma Bodies." Only by taking a further step can they reach a higher level of existence, but there is also a risk of failure when attempting to break through to a higher level.

When a True Qi Realm cultivator attempts to advance to a higher realm, if their foundation is insufficient, the blurry phantom will instead drain their essence and blood, resulting in a deficiency of both qi and blood and a regression in cultivation.

Xu Yuhu lay on the ground, not even having time to wipe the bloodstains from his face.

He finally understood.

The attack on Xuanjian Pavilion by Jinyang Temple was not a conflict between sects, nor was it a territorial dispute.

Someone is manipulating all of this behind the scenes.

The Nine Evils Sect Elder, who had been hiding for over a decade, wanted the Profound Thought Stone.

Controlling the abbot of Jinyang Temple, controlling He Dingbo, and taking advantage of the gap when the elites of various factions were transferred to Donglai County—all of these plans were for this stone.