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

Zhao Xunge tucked his whisk into his waistband, nodded to Yi Yang, and asked, "Commander Yi, would you like to come with me?"

"At the foot of the mountain, the monks of Jinyang Temple are still putting up a stubborn resistance. If they happen to encounter that evil man from the Nine Evils Sect, two people are better than one."

Yi Yang quickly considered the suggestion in his mind.

Zhao Xunge makes sense. The old monster at the Tongxuan Realm just took the Xuan Nian Stone and ran away; no one can guarantee he won't turn around and launch a surprise attack. He himself has already exhausted most of his True Qi, so acting alone is indeed risky.

Besides, there's no reason to refuse.

"Okay, let's do it together."

Zhao Xunge turned and walked down the steps.

Yi Yang picked up Xuan Yuan and followed behind him.

The two left the main hall at the back of the mountain one after the other and walked down the mountain path.

At this moment, the mountain road was littered with broken branches and rubble. The bodies of the Xuanjian Pavilion disciples had already been moved, but the bloodstains on the ground had not yet been cleaned up.

From a distance below the mountain, the sounds of clashing weapons, mixed with shouts and screams, could be heard from time to time. The monks of Jinyang Temple were fighting against the remaining disciples of Xuanjian Pavilion on the front mountain.

Looking down from the mountaintop, the Xuanjian Pavilion complex was utterly destroyed, with several courtyards reduced to ruins.

The two walked down the rocky mountain path for about a hundred feet. Zhao Xunge turned his head and his gaze fell on the long sword wrapped in coarse linen on Yi Yang's back. He asked casually, "Commander Yi."

"Um?"

"That sword you're carrying..." Zhao Xunge's speech slowed slightly as he twirled his whisk in his palm. "Although my knowledge is limited, I can tell it's no ordinary treasure. The patterns and aura on this black sword are quite remarkable."

His tone was tentative, but not aggressive.

Yi Yang didn't stop walking. He raised his hand and pressed down on the hilt of his sword, replying casually:

"Sect Leader Zhao flatters me. I found this knife by chance some years ago, and I don't know its exact grade. Anyway, it's handy, so I've been using it ever since."

Zhao Xunge glanced at him.

The curiosity in those eyes lingered for a couple of moments, but seeing that Yi Yang didn't intend to say anything more, they didn't press the matter further.

He tucked the whisk into his sleeve, then asked in a roundabout way:

"Commander Yi's journey has been truly remarkable." Zhao Xunge smiled, turned his head, and spoke with a touch of emotion.

"Although I have been in seclusion on Mount Cangwu for many years, I have heard about the affairs of the prefectural city. Commander Yi started as a patrol chief in a county town and rose to the position of commander of the Zhenfu Guard in less than a year."

"I heard that you were originally just a patrol chief in Yunlin County, a sinecure in charge of files and archives."

"Yes."

"Later, in the White Fish City campaign to wipe out the Nine Evil Cults, he killed many key members of the cult, gaining fame in one battle. Then, the Qingfeng Ridge stronghold was destroyed, and the century-old Wu family was uprooted. Wu Jiu died under the blade of Youquan Si..."

Zhao Xunge counted on his fingers, and the more he counted, the more outrageous it seemed.

"Anyone who did these things, even if they only accomplished one of them, would be living a life of glory. But Commander Yi accomplished all of these things by himself."

"The phrase 'still vigorous in old age' is perfectly suited to you. With such a resume, you probably can't find another like you in the entire Suining Prefecture for decades."

Yi Yang listened to the other party's flattery without any change in expression, and politely replied, "Sect Leader Zhao is too kind. With the powerful backing of the Sky Patrol Division, and with the Chief Inspector and Lord Yan supporting us, anyone could do the job."

"That's not how it works," Zhao Xunge waved his hand. "I've also heard that Commander Yi's cultivation has progressed extremely rapidly. From the Inner Qi Realm when he joined the department to now..."

He didn't say anything definitively, but the meaning in his eyes was clear: when he entered the Sky Patrol Division, he was only at the Inner Qi Realm, but now he is at the late True Qi Realm. There are very few people in the entire Qingzhou who can achieve this speed.

"Generally speaking, those who can make such progress are mostly people with extraordinary destinies." Zhao Xunge looked at the mountain road ahead, speaking casually, but his ears were perked up.

Destiny.

Upon hearing these two words, Yi Yang's ears perked up, but he smiled calmly.

"It's not that magical."

He rubbed his hands together, his tone honest and simple, "It's just a matter of diligent study and practice. Sect Leader Zhao's praise is too much for my old bones to bear."

Zhao Xunge chuckled and didn't ask any further questions.

The two continued walking down the ridge.

When they reached a bend halfway up the mountain, Yi Yang's pace suddenly slowed down.

It's not that something happened outside.

There was something making a sound inside his clothes.

It wasn't a violent tremor, but a slight, rhythmic pulsation.

Yi Yang's right hand instinctively reached inside his clothes, but he suddenly stopped as soon as his fingers touched the fabric of the collar.

He remembered something: all his belongings had been stored in the bronze ring.

He stuffed in the pills, silver notes, demon cores, and heart-touching pills used for cultivation, along with other odds and ends.

There was only one thing on her person that she didn't have a ring in.

The golden Buddhist beads that were found on Xuan Yi's corpse.

Yi Yang didn't put it in the ring at the time, but instead put it in his inner pocket, thinking he would study it carefully when he got back.

Buddhist prayer beads.

The golden Buddhist rosary with a scarlet blood-red glow inside.

He remembered clearly that when he first got his hands on it, there was only a trace of red inside the bead, so faint that it was almost invisible.

Yi Yang withdrew his right hand and placed it on his belt buckle, the movement so natural it seemed unnatural.

He didn't stop, but continued walking forward, while silently circulating his spiritual energy and reaching towards the Buddhist beads on his chest.

The moment his spiritual energy touched the Buddhist beads, Yi Yang's pupils contracted.

The red color inside the bead has already occupied half of the prayer bead.

The crimson light surged within the golden bead, rapidly expanding as if sensing something, completely different from what he had seen after killing Xuan Yi.

At that time, the bloodstain was just a wisp.

Now the blood-red light has turned into half a bead.

Something around is moving this Buddhist rosary.

Yi Yang's heart skipped a beat, but he forced it down. He thought to himself:

These prayer beads were obtained from Xuan Yi, who was controlled by the Tongxuan Realm elder of the Nine Evil Sect.

The blood-red color inside these prayer beads is very likely a method, mark, or medium of communication related to that elder.

Why is the blood color inside the bead getting darker now?

Since coming down from the mountaintop, there has been no one else around.

It was just him and Zhao Xunge.

When Lu Quan'an was present in the main hall at the top of the mountain, the prayer beads did not react.

After leaving the main hall and walking this distance, the prayer beads began to change, serving as a warning.

Thinking of this, Yi Yang felt a chill run down his spine.

He dared not draw a conclusion.

However, there was one possibility he couldn't ignore: that something on Zhao Xunge might be triggering the reaction of the Buddhist beads.

Did Zhao Xunge himself tamper with it? Or was he carrying some related item? Or perhaps...?

Yi Yang didn't want to keep guessing; the safest course of action was currently only one.

Go back, return to Lu Quan'an's side.

"Commander Yi?"

Zhao Xunge's voice came from ahead. He had already walked four or five steps when he realized that Yi Yang hadn't followed, so he turned around to look at him.

"What's wrong? Why did you stop?"

Yi Yang's face showed a "suddenly remembered" expression, and he slapped his forehead.

"Oh dear, Sect Leader Zhao, I suddenly remembered something."

His tone was one of frustration.

"Before Lord Xiao of the Punishment Division died in battle, he asked me to tell the Chief Inspector something in person. But the situation at Xuanjian Pavilion was too urgent, and I was so focused on saving people that I forgot about it."

He gestured with his chin towards the mountain.

"The matter is quite urgent; I need to go back and tell the chief inspector."

Zhao Xunge was taken aback.

"Then let's go back together."

He spoke naturally, his steps already changing direction.

"It won't make a difference if we stay down the mountain for a little while longer."

Yi Yang initially wanted to refuse.

But he opened his mouth, then swallowed his words back.

It would be abnormal to refuse. The two of them were traveling together, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to say he wants to go back and for the other person to follow. Forcing them to separate would only arouse suspicion.

"Very well, thank you for making the trip, Sect Leader Zhao."

The two turned around and headed towards the top of the mountain.

Yi Yang walked half a step behind Zhao Xunge, his spiritual energy constantly enveloping the figure in the gray-white Taoist robe in front of him.

Zhao Xunge's breathing was steady, his steps were normal, and his breathing rhythm was normal.

But the Buddhist prayer beads inside Yi Yang's clothes started to bounce more and more frequently.

He walked slowly, his mind racing.

Xuan Yi is the abbot of Jinyang Temple and the leader of the three major sects in the prefecture.

The fact that the Nine Evil Cult elder could control him shows that the other party's methods had penetrated to an extremely deep level.

Like Jinyang Temple, Cangwu Mountain is one of the three major sects in the prefectural city.

Sect Master Zhao Xunge is stationed at the mountain gate year-round, and has a wide network of contacts.

If that elder wants to plant spies among the three major sects, Cangwu Mountain will not be spared.

Of course, there is another possibility.

Zhao Xunge only happened to be carrying an item that was related to that elder, without his knowledge.

Neither of these situations is something Yi Yang can handle right now.

Entrusting this matter to Lu Quan'an is a good idea, since Yi Yang can't fathom the Chief Inspector's strength and can only feel that he is unfathomable.

At the end of the stone steps, the outline of the main hall on the back mountain came into view.

The door frame was half-collapsed, the stone slabs were broken, and there were several deep sword marks on the doorposts.

Yi Yang stepped over the threshold.

The situation inside the hall was not much different from when he left.

Xu Yuhu was still leaning against the stone slab, drowsy, while Lü Song leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, practicing his internal energy.

Lu Quan'an stood in the center of the hall, with his back to the door, flipping through a scroll that had been taken down from the wall.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around.

Those deep brown, almost black eyes swept over Yi Yang and Zhao Xunge, and his brow twitched slightly.

The two of them had only been gone a short while when they returned.

Lu Quan'an closed the scroll and placed it on the stone platform beside him. His gaze fell on Yi Yang's face, and he was about to speak.

Yi Yang spoke first, saying, "Chief Inspector."

Yi Yang spoke slowly, with an apologetic expression on his face.

"Lord Xiao of the Punishment Division has something he wants me to tell you."

When Lu Quan'an heard the words "Lord Xiao of the Punishment Department," the doubt in his eyes disappeared.

Xiao Zhengyan is already dead; he saw the body back then.

But Yi Yang mentioned the name of a dead person, which indicates that there is a problem.

Lu Quan'an's gaze lingered on Yi Yang's face for a moment.

Then he nodded and asked calmly, "What did Xiao Zhengyan tell you to say?"