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

When Yi Yang arrived at the entrance of the Zhenfuwei camp.

Just then, the door of a barracks that had been closed for three days was pushed open from the inside out.

A tall, upright man walked out of the camp gate. His aura was completely different from three days ago. True Qi flowed around his body. Although he had not completely concealed it, the heavy aura belonging to a True Qi Realm martial artist was undeniable.

It's Xu Min.

He was wearing his training clothes, which he hadn't had time to change out of yet, with the collar open and his forehead covered in sweat. The blue bricks under his feet had been stomped on uncontrollably, leaving two thin cracks.

Xu Min looked up and saw Yi Yang. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly walked over to greet him.

"grown ups."

Yi Yang stopped in her tracks, her gaze falling on him as he walked out.

well.

This elixir was not wasted.

Three days ago, after Yi Yang left the pass, he had a premonition that people from Qingzhou would soon arrive.

Before leaving, he needed a trusted confidant in Qingzhou who could help him with miscellaneous matters.

This trusted confidant must have a high level of cultivation and be absolutely loyal.

Xu Min is the best candidate.

From their first meeting in Baiyu City to the subsequent internal turmoil within the Zhenfu Guard, Xu Min was the only squad leader who stood by his side from beginning to end.

Xu Min's abilities were quite useful in suppressing the beast tide in Donglai County and quelling the chaos in Xuanjian Pavilion.

He has loyalty and ability; what he lacks is cultivation.

Therefore, Yi Yang handed over the "Condensing Qi Pill" that he had obtained from the treasure vault of the Wu family, a family with a history of hundreds of years, to Xu Min.

He still remembers Xu Min's expression when he saw that pill.

It was a complex expression, a mixture of shock, ecstasy, and disbelief.

For Yi Yang, the value of a Condensing Qi Pill is negligible now. He has already reached the Perfection of True Qi, so this thing is useless to him.

But for a martial artist who has been stuck at the peak of the Inner Qi Realm for many years, this pill is something he has been dreaming of, something he is even willing to risk his life for.

One such item occasionally appears at the prefectural city auctions, and each time it sparks fierce competition among various factions.

Xu Min, a mere town guard captain, didn't even have the qualifications to enter the auction, let alone buy anything.

"My lord...this...this is far too precious!"

Xu Min's hands were trembling as he held the pills, and his voice was quivering.

Yi Yang simply looked at him calmly.

"I'll give it to you, so just take it."

"Eat it, then go into seclusion. Whether you can break through depends on your own destiny."

Without hesitation, Xu Min swallowed the pill in front of him.

Then, he knelt down on both knees and kowtowed three times to Yi Yang.

"I would give my life to repay your kindness in saving me!"

"From this day forward, my life belongs to you, sir."

Yi Yang did not help him up.

He was beheaded by three people.

What he wanted was this loyalty.

At this moment, watching Xu Min successfully break through to the True Qi Realm, Yi Yang knew that his investment had been a success.

"grown ups!"

Xu Min also saw Yi Yang, walked over quickly, stopped three steps away, and bowed.

His posture was more respectful than before, and the awe in his eyes was almost overflowing.

"good."

Yi Yang nodded, which was a compliment.

"My life belongs to you from now on, sir." Xu Min clasped his hands in a fist and lowered his back. "If you have any orders, sir, I will not refuse."

Yi Yang raised his hand to indicate that there was no need for such formalities. "Don't rush to hand over your life. You've just broken through, so stabilize your foundation first. If you really want to work for me, living longer will be more useful."

Xu Min raised his head.

Yi Yang spoke casually, but Xu Min sensed the weight in his words.

He came from an ordinary background. In his youth, he worked as a bodyguard in the county town. Later, he joined the Sky Patrol Division and worked his way up to the rank of squad leader.

Cultivation resources are accumulated through salary and mission rewards. Reaching the peak of the Inner Qi Realm has already taken half a lifetime.

For him, the True Qi Realm was originally just a concept hanging on the wall.

You can see it, but you can't touch it.

Three days ago, Yi Yang delivered the pill to him, giving him a chance.

Xu Min was well aware that he had to do his best to repay this favor.

Let's get things done first.

"Understood."

Yi Yang glanced at the drill ground inside the camp gate.

"I have received the order to transfer to Qingzhou. I will be heading to Qingzhou with the Xifeng Cavalry immediately. The Zhenfu Guard has granted me permission to bring thirty men."

Xu Min immediately suppressed his previous joy and asked:

"Does Your Excellency wish to bring your subordinates along?"

"You've just broken through to the True Qi Realm, so you could stay in the city and hold your own. But I'm short-handed, and Qingzhou isn't a peaceful place. Taking you there would be more suitable than taking a Perfected Inner Qi Realm cultivator."

Yi Yang paused for a moment.

"Go and gather thirty trustworthy and skilled men."

"I want to see someone within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Yes!" Xu Min replied, then asked:

"What kind should the adults choose?"

"Loyalty comes first, intelligence second, and cultivation third."

Xu Min thought for a moment and asked, "What if none of the three are available?"

"Then there's no need to choose."

Xu Min's expression relaxed slightly.

"Rest assured, sir, I understand the situation."

He turned and went into the camp.

Half an hour later, thirty Zhenfu Guards lined up in the drill ground.

Although the number of people was small, their morale was more orderly than usual. Xu Min divided the people into three rows. The front row consisted mostly of veteran patrolmen who had followed Yi Yang on missions, while the back row consisted of elites who had joined the Zhenfu Guard in the past year.

Yi Yang stood at the front of the line and looked around from left to right.

These Zhenfu Guards were all clad in armor, exuding a deep and composed aura. They were all top-tier Inner Qi Realm experts, selected from among hundreds. If placed in Suining Prefecture, this force would be enough to suppress an entire county.

Upon arriving in Qingzhou, they could only be considered a group of usable personnel.

"Look up, everyone," Yi Yang said.

Thirty people stood straight.

"As you have probably heard, the imperial court is going to establish a 'Trade and Commerce Bureau' in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

A slight commotion arose among the crowd below.

"There, there is immense wealth, but also murderous storms."

Yi Yang's tone was very calm.

"I am about to be ordered to go to Qingzhou to participate in this matter."

"According to the rules, I can take thirty people with me."

He looked at the thirty faces before him, some young and some no longer young.

"Follow me, and I can't guarantee that every one of you will come back alive."

"But I assure you, you won't lose out."

His gaze lingered on Xu Min, seemingly casually.

The breathing of the thirty guards below became heavier.

Their gazes all turned to Xu Min.

Three days ago, Xu Min was at the same level of perfect inner energy cultivation as them.

Three days later, he had become a True Qi Realm expert whom they could only look up to.

All of this was simply because he followed the right person.

Xu Min is a living example right before their eyes.

Yi Yang's promise is more effective than any sweet talk.

"We swear to follow you to the death, sir!"

Xu Min was the first to kneel on one knee, his voice booming like a bell.

"I swear to follow you to the death, sir!"

Thirty men behind him knelt down in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, the clanging of their armor resounding.

Yi Yang raised his hand.

"Set off."

……

Suining Prefecture, outside the North Gate.

Fifty riders, the "Wind-Stopping Cavalry," stood silently in the middle of the official road, like fifty black statues.

The leader, He Ming, wore a mask, revealing only his cold eyes.

When Yi Yang led Xu Min and thirty-one others out of the city gate on strange beast horses, He Ming merely glanced at them.

His gaze lingered on Yi Yang for a moment, then paused for a second on Xu Min, who had just broken through to the True Qi realm, before finally settling on the thirty Zhenfu Guards.

There was no contempt or enthusiasm in his eyes, only pure indifference.

It's like looking at a bunch of pieces of wood that have nothing to do with you.

He didn't speak, but simply raised his right hand and waved it forward.

Fifty riders, riding silently, turned their horses around and headed north along the official road.

Yi Yang waved his hand.

"Keep up."

The two teams joined together and headed towards Qingzhou City along the official road.

Ten miles from the city gate, Yi Yang looked back.

The outline of the prefectural city had already shrunk behind us.

In the teahouse beside the official road.

An ordinary man in a short-sleeved shirt put down his teacup.

He raised his head and looked at the procession that was gradually disappearing into the distance on the official road, a cold smile curving his lips.

His name is Blood Butcher.

"Yiyang..."

He murmured the name as if savoring a delicious dish.

Although the "Wind Chariot" team seemed troublesome, taking down a conscripted prefectural commander was not a difficult task for him.

Quick fight.

Then, I left this poor, remote place.

Blood Butcher stood up, and with a flicker, disappeared into the crowd in the teahouse.

Like a ghost, he silently trailed behind the group, a hundred feet away, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

The official road winds its way through a sparse grove of trees.

The procession was moving slowly.

Blood Butcher followed behind, patient as a hunter.

He had already chosen the location to take action.

About three miles ahead, there is a downhill road with dense forest on the side, which is convenient for hiding and retreating.

He was prepared to take Yi Yang's head there as quickly as possible.

He had even mentally rehearsed the process of making the move.

Within three breaths, he broke through the formation of the Wind Chariots, beheaded them with a single stroke, and then fled into the distance.

perfect.

Blood Butcher licked his lips, a bloodthirsty excitement flashing in his eyes.

He quickened his pace, preparing to circle around to the ambush point ahead of time.

Just moments before he passed through a clump of bushes and his figure was about to blend into the dense forest.

One hand.

A hand, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, grabbed the back of his head without warning.

Five fingers, like iron clamps, gripped his crown.

The force was so great that even the protective qi of this Transcendent Realm expert didn't have time to react at all.

At that moment, every hair on Xue Tu's body stood on end.