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

Huang Yi scoffed, too lazy to waste words with this woman.

He leaned his scimitar against the rock wall, strode to the long stone table deep inside the cave, sat down, and glanced at everyone present.

Besides Ye Hanqian, there were four other people standing in the cave.

The four people all kept their auras under control, but judging from the distance between them and their overall demeanor...

These four are the leaders of the Nine Evil Sect.

Furthermore, Huang Yi's divine sense also told him that these were four incense masters at the late stage of the True Gang Realm or above, two of whom were powerful experts at the peak of the True Gang Realm.

Huang Yi has been here for three days, and after spending time with these people, he feels nothing but disgust and impatience.

The cave reeked of blood, and the ever-burning lamps were made with human oil, which emitted an unpleasant stench when burned, giving him a headache.

But no way.

The collaboration arranged by that important figure in the royal court left him no room to be picky.

"Is everyone here?" Huang asked in the Da Yu official language with a Wu Kingdom accent.

Ye Hanqian sat down opposite him, crossed her legs, and casually twirled the string of blood beads in her hand, replying indifferently.

"These people are enough."

Huang Yi frowned and asked unhappily, "Four incense masters, plus you, a Transcendent Realm cultivator, and the six people I brought. That makes a total of eleven."

"Ug is a master in the Profound Realm who is very close to the Dharma Body stage. I might not be able to handle him in a head-on fight. What if there are other masters—"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Ye Hanqian interrupted him, the blood bead spinning on her fingertip, "It's true that Wuge is at the Tongxuan Realm, but he left secretly this time. How many people could he have with him? At most, three or five Zhengang Realm guards."

She looked up at Huang Yi, her eyes filled with a condescending scrutiny, and asked:

"Your information can't be wrong, right?"

Huang Yi felt uncomfortable under her gaze, but still nodded and replied, "My information is naturally accurate."

Uge, along with Wu Yanluo, infiltrated a merchant caravan and traveled with the deputy chief inspector of the Great Yu Sky Patrol Division. That deputy chief inspector had about thirty garrison guards under his command, none of whom were highly skilled.

"Deputy Chief Inspector?" Ye Hanqian's interest was piqued. "What's his cultivation level?"

"Late stage of True Qi Realm".

Upon hearing this, Ye Hanqian scoffed and placed the blood droplet on the table.

"Late stage of True Qi Realm? This kind of trash dares to run into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range?"

"Ranked fifty-eighth on the list of heroes of the Great Yu," Huang Yi added.

"A list of heroes?" Ye Hanqian tilted her head. "What kind of worthless list is this? I've never heard of a list that isn't for the Profound Realm. Ranked fifty-eighth? If someone in the late True Qi Realm can rank fifty-eighth, how many useless people must be on this list?"

Huang Yi did not respond.

He wasn't familiar with the martial arts circles of the Great Yu Dynasty, and he wasn't sure what the significance of the Heroes List was. But the important figure from the royal court had instructed him to focus only on Wu Ge and Wu Yanluo this time; the others were unimportant.

A deputy chief inspector at the late True Qi Realm level was indeed not within his consideration.

"There's something," Ye Hanqian changed the subject, "How do you know when they'll arrive? There are so many roads along the way, what if they take a detour?"

It is true that Wanfeng County is the only way to Wanyao Mountain Range, but if details such as when the team will pass through and which official road they will take into the city are not accurate, the ambush will be a joke.

Seeing the doubt on her face, Huang Yi smirked, revealing a hint of smugness.

He took a bamboo tube about the size of a thumb from the animal skin bag at his waist, uncorked it, and poured it onto the table.

Five tiny black insects, each the size of a grain of rice, crawled out of the tube, circled twice on the table, and their antennae and wings twitched incessantly.

Ye Hanqian looked down at the insects, her pupils narrowing slightly in confusion, and asked:

"Is this the witchcraft of your Witch Kingdom?"

"This is not ordinary witchcraft."

Huang Yi flicked one of the insects with his fingertip, his tone revealing undisguised pride.

"This was personally given to me by that important figure in the royal court. The insects can track a special kind of scent that is colorless and odorless, and once it gets on you, it won't dissipate for a hundred days."

He raised his head, stared at Ye Hanqian with great pride, and said:

"I have someone in the delegation. Uge's inner robe has already been smeared with this fragrance, which those below the third stage of the Profound Realm Dharma Body cannot smell or sense. Once he enters the area of ​​Wanfeng County, the insects will sense it on their own."

Ye Hanqian didn't speak, staring at the five black insects on the table for a long time.

The insect crawled very slowly, its body gleaming with an oily sheen and it had a pair of wings. It didn't look like a living creature, but rather like some kind of tool.

"Is it imperceptible to those below the Dharmakaya level?"

"right."

Ye Hanqian tapped her fingers twice on the table, pondering Huang Yi's words. If they were true, then tracking wouldn't be a problem.

It's true that Uge is at the Tongxuan Realm, but he's only at the first or second level of the Tongxuan Realm. He hasn't yet condensed his Dharma Body, so naturally he can't detect it.

As for that deputy chief inspector ranked fifty-eighth on the list of heroes, he's only at the late stage of the True Qi Realm, not even worth discussing.

"Since you're prepared, that's for the best." Ye Hanqian glanced at the flying insects, a strange light flashing in her eyes, but she quickly returned to her indifferent expression.

She didn't want to waste any more words on this matter.

Tell me your plans.

"It's very simple." Huang Yi spread his hands, looking like he had everything under control. "Wanfeng County is the only way to the Wanyao Mountain Range. They will definitely stop in the city to rest after they arrive. My insects will keep an eye on Wuge. After confirming the location, you arrange for a branch leader to lead a group of people to attack the city."

"Attack the city?" Ye Hanqian raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's nothing new for the Nine Evils to cause trouble in various places. No one would doubt that a sect leader could lead dozens of people to attack Wanfeng County."

Huang Yi used the tip of his knife to stab heavily at the location of "county town".

"The deputy chief inspector leading that caravan is from the Sky Patrol Bureau. He can't possibly ignore something that happened in the city."

"Then we'll take advantage of the chaos to infiltrate and kill Ugg and Wuyanluo."

After listening, Ye Hanqian remained silent for a few moments.

Using a sect leader as bait to create chaos, she and Huang Yi, both at the Transcendent Realm, entered the city and ambushed and killed Uge with a single blow. Afterwards, they easily dealt with the deputy chief inspector who returned to the city; the deputy chief inspector, at the late True Qi Realm stage, was no match for them.

This plan is very crude.

But she did not refute it.

The task assigned to her by the Grand Elder was to cooperate with the people of the Witch Kingdom to get things done.

As for what method to use, she didn't care.

As long as the mission can be completed, even if the entire Huangfeng County is slaughtered, what does it have to do with her?

"I'll do as you say," Ye Hanqian replied calmly, then turned and walked back into the darkness.

Huang Yi watched her disappearing figure and snorted coldly.

A woman who hasn't even achieved the Dharma Body dares to put on airs in front of him.

If it weren't for the fact that this mission required members of the Nine Evil Cults to be cannon fodder, he wouldn't have bothered wasting his breath on such people.

……

Five days later.

Wanfeng County.

A fast horse, kicking up dust, rushed into the city gate from the east official road, its hooves striking the stone slabs with a rapid, drum-like sound.

The rider was a local镖师 (bodyguard/escort), who traveled on the official road year-round and was well-informed.

He dismounted and, without going home or to the security escort agency, went straight to the largest restaurant in the city, "Jufulou".

Old Chen, the restaurant owner, was working on his abacus behind the counter when he saw him rush in, sweating profusely, and he dropped his chopsticks in fright.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

The rider, catching his breath while supporting his knees, looked up and said something.

"Lord Yiyang, ranked fifty-eighth on the list of heroes, is leading his troops this way and will arrive the day after tomorrow."

Old Chen slammed the abacus on the table with a "bang".

The news spread faster than the wind.

Within half an hour, several prominent figures in Wanfeng County knew about it.

He Zhenyuan, the patrol director of the Wanfeng County Sky Patrol Bureau, was a man with a third-level internal energy cultivation who had been a powerful figure in this small county for over a decade. He was drinking tea in his backyard when he heard the news.

My hand trembled as I put the teacup down, and the tea spilled halfway across the table.

"Deputy Chief Inspector? Or one of the heroes on the list?"

The messenger nodded vigorously.

He Zhenyuan stood up from his chair and walked around the room three times.

Of course he knew about the upcoming opening of the three major towns in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains; the news had spread far and wide. But he always felt that it was a game for the big shots, and had nothing to do with a patrol director like himself from a small county town.

As it turned out, they had already set off and were heading in his direction.

Deputy Chief Inspector.

This position is more than two levels higher than his.

The other party has the right to inspect his jurisdiction, audit his accounts, and investigate his people at any time.

He Zhenyuan's back was instantly covered in sweat.

The foolish things he did in Wanfeng County over the years can't withstand scrutiny. If they're really brought up, he might not even keep his head, let alone his official position.

"Go and inform the Zhang family, the Zhou family, and Manager Zhao to come see me immediately."

He Zhenyuan's voice was trembling.

"They'll be here the day after tomorrow. Start preparing now and clean up any remaining mess!"

……

Two days later.

The entrance to Wanfeng County.

A cloud of dust rose at the end of the official road.

He Zhenyuan led several prominent figures from the county, standing in unison on either side of the city gate. Two rows of local guards stood beside them, their armor gleaming and their posture impeccably upright.

Zhang Dehou, the head of the Zhang family, was in his fifties. He had a protruding belly, and sweat was streaming down his forehead from his temples as he kept fanning himself with a folding fan.

"Director He, what's Mr. Yi's temper like? Is he easy to talk to?"

He Zhenyuan glared at him and said rudely, "How would I know? I've never seen it."

"Then... are the gifts we prepared enough?"

"Shut up." He Zhenyuan lowered his voice. "When we get in front of them, keep quiet and don't cause me any trouble."

The smoke and dust in the distance were getting closer and closer.

The outline of the procession emerged from the heat of the official road.

Leading the procession were about a dozen Zhenfu Guards in standard armor, their plates gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Behind them followed a dozen or so cargo wagons, and then another row of Zhenfu Guards brought up the rear.

He Zhenyuan narrowed his eyes and subconsciously circulated his internal energy to sense the surroundings.

The highest-ranking member of the group was the man on horseback, a True Qi Realm cultivator who had just reached the threshold. The rest of the guards were all at the Inner Qi Realm.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Then his gaze fell on the person riding the strange beast horse in the middle of the group.

He had a full head of black hair, looked to be in his early forties, and wore a dark gray official uniform for a candidate chief inspector, with a long black sword slung across his back.

The aura... is unfathomable.

He Zhenyuan's heart jumped again.

His cultivation level was limited, and if the opponent was even two minor realms higher than him, he would have a hard time making an accurate judgment. But since the opponent was ranked fifty-eighth on the Heroes List, he was definitely not someone he could handle.

"Welcome, Lord Yi!"

He Zhenyuan led a group of people to greet them, offering very respectful greetings.

Yi Yang reined in his horse and glanced at the group of people at the city gate. A few days ago, he had met a bodyguard from Wanfeng County. After learning his identity, the bodyguard went back to report. It seemed that these people were important figures in the county who had received the news.

His divine sense spread out silently, clearly probing the cultivation level of each person.

The highest level is this patrol director, who possesses the third level of internal energy.

The rest are not worth mentioning.

No experts have infiltrated; it seems the assassins from the Witch Kingdom haven't managed to get in.

Yi Yang withdrew his divine sense, dismounted, and nodded to He Zhenyuan, saying:

"Director He, you're too kind. We're just passing through and taking a break. There's no need for such a grand procession."

He Zhenyuan dared not believe these words, so he bent over and led the way, pouring out flattering words as if they were free.

"Lord Yi has come from afar. It is an honor for my humble place to receive you..."

Yi Yang ignored him and led his team into the city, just as the caravan was passing through the city gate.

Several tiny black insects, about the size of rice grains, flew up from the grass outside the city gate.

They were so small that they blended in with the mosquitoes and flies that are common in autumn, and no one noticed them.

The insect flew close to the ground, bypassing the wheels of the carriage, skimming over the armor of the Zhenfu Guard, and heading towards the middle of the caravan.

They had been moving through the ranks for less than three breaths when their whiskers suddenly twitched.

found it.

The scent emanated from a burly man in a grey cloak, riding a black horse. From deep within his inner robes emanated a colorless and odorless fragrance, a unique aroma that only these insects could detect.

The insect circled him twice without stopping, then quietly turned around and flew out of the city gate along the way it had come.

No one in the caravan noticed the entire process.

Ug did not.

There is no black smoke.

The guards of the garrison and the caravan guards were even less likely to notice.

But one person noticed.

Yi Yang sat on his horse, his expression unchanged, his eyes fixed on the direction He Zhenyuan was leading.

His "Breaking Through Illusions" realm divine sense locked onto the location of those insects the moment they flew into the caravan's area.

The insect was too small.

Ordinary martial artists cannot detect such things at all. Even experts at the Tongxuan Realm, unless they specialize in cultivating divine sense, may not be able to detect a few tiny insects at this distance.

But Yiyang is different.

His consciousness was at the "Breaking Illusion" stage.

At this level of spiritual power, one can penetrate walls and perceive the flow of spiritual energy. To him, a few insects flying in the air, carrying faint fluctuations of spiritual energy, are no different from lanterns lit in the dark.

The insect circled around Ug twice and then left.

They seem to be looking for something.

Or rather—to confirm someone's location.

Yi Yang rested his hand on his thigh, his thumb gently rubbing it, his expression unchanged.

He Zhenyuan was still chattering on about the reception arrangements in the county town, and Yi Yang nodded twice, but his mind had already wandered elsewhere.

Someone is watching Ug.

This shows that the other side knew Ug would pass through here and had set up a trap in advance.

Wu Yanluo said that someone within the Witch Kingdom wanted to ambush and kill them.

It seems those people have already made their move.

……

It is 30 li outside Wanfeng County.

In the valley cave.

Five black insects that flew back from the county town crawled into the bamboo tube, their antennae still trembling slightly.

Huang Yi held the bamboo tube to his ear, closed his eyes, and listened for a moment.

Then he opened his eyes and called out into the depths of the cave, "Elder Ye!"

A lazy reply came from the darkness deep within the cave: "What's wrong? Trying to call back your soul?"

Huang Yi grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, and said with a fierce glint in his eyes:

"The prey is in the cage."