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

Yi Yang stared at the yellowed booklet in his hand, his thumb tracing the words "Mind Monkey Guarding the Will - Movement Chapter" on the cover. The ink under his fingertip was rough, indicating that it had been there for quite some time.

He had been searching for this for a long time. He had already mastered the Still Image Technique and entered the second realm of "Breaking Illusion" with his divine sense, but he still had no idea about the subsequent techniques.

He had subtly inquired about Lu Quan'an's background, since Lu Quan'an had brought the book "Still Image Chapter" back to the Suining Prefecture armory from outside.

Lu Quan'an only replied with one sentence at the time.

When the time is right, it will happen naturally.

It seems that my destiny has arrived.

Yi Yang turned to the first page, scanned two lines, and saw that it read:

"Stillness is the foundation, movement is the application. Observe yourself in stillness, and you can control all things in motion."

The handwriting on it is exactly the same as the "Still Image Manual" he saw on the fourth floor of the Sui Ning Mansion armory, even the variations in ink density are identical, it is definitely not a forgery.

Yi Yang closed the booklet, looked up at Jiang Zhongtian, and asked:

"Sir, what is this thing...?"

Seeing his expression, Jiang Zhongtian seemed to see through his doubts. He twitched his lips and explained, "This thing was found by me and that old man Lu Quan'an more than ten years ago in the ruins of an ancient cultivator."

"There were only two books at the time, one still image and one moving image."

We each took one.

He paused, then said with a hint of displeasure:

"We made a deal: whoever mastered their half first would have to hand over their half. Only by practicing both halves together would the technique be considered complete."

At this point, Jiang Zhongtian's expression became somewhat subtle.

"And then?" Yi Yang asked curiously.

"Then for more than ten years, I hadn't even gotten close to the basics. So I switched to cultivating other spiritual techniques and reached the peak of the 'Breaking Illusion' realm."

Jiang Zhongtian spoke in a calm tone, but Yi Yang noticed that his right index finger was gripping the gun barrel tightly.

It seems the other party isn't as calm as they appear.

He was ranked 278th on the Hidden Dragon List, at the peak of the Profound Realm, and his divine sense had even reached the peak of the Breaking Illusion Realm. Yet, he hadn't been able to even begin to cultivate this technique after more than a decade.

Yi Yang silently memorized this information.

"I cultivated other spiritual techniques, and I progressed smoothly all the way to the second stage, Breaking Illusion, with great ease," Jiang Zhongtian said, his voice tinged with frustration. "But this 'Dynamic Image Chapter' is something I just can't comprehend no matter what I do."

He paused, then looked at Yi Yang and asked:

"What about Lu Quan'an? Has he finished practicing the Still Image Technique?"

Yi Yang recalled Lu Quan'an's expression when he first told him about this cultivation technique and the rumors circulating in the city, then shook his head and said:

"Even Lord Lu didn't master it. That book on stillness is still in the armory of the Suining Prefecture's Astronomical Bureau, gathering dust on the fourth shelf."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhongtian visibly breathed a sigh of relief and then burst into laughter.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He exclaimed "Good!" three times, unable to hide his smile. "That old geezer didn't even get it right! So, this round doesn't count as a loss!"

Yi Yang watched as this top expert on the Hidden Dragon Ranking was now arguing like a child, and his lips twitched, but he remained silent.

After laughing enough, Jiang Zhongtian composed himself and nodded to Yi Yang, indicating:

"Here you go."

"I've been studying and cultivating this for over a decade. Rather than letting it gather dust in my storage ring, I'd rather give it to someone who can use it. Since you were able to cultivate your divine sense to the perfection of 'Observing Myself' at the first level of the Profound Realm, it shows that you have talent on the path of divine sense."

He then changed the subject.

"However, I must remind you of something. The Dynamic Image Chapter is different from the Static Image Chapter. The Static Image Chapter trains 'defense' and 'stillness,' while the Dynamic Image Chapter trains 'movement' and 'breakthrough.' Together, these two chapters may very well constitute a complete supernatural power."

"So you'll have to go back to Sui Ning Prefecture and get your hands on the 'Silent Image' manual from the armory. Only by practicing both of them side by side can you possibly master this technique completely."

Yi Yang put the booklet into his storage ring and bowed with clasped hands.

"This subordinate has remembered."

Jiang Zhongtian waved his hand, changing the subject to another one:

"Alright, now that we've finished discussing personal matters, let's get down to business. The Witch Kingdom and the Nine Evil Sect have lost two Transcendent Manifestations and one Transcendent Witch Priest this time. They won't be able to organize a second wave of ambushes anytime soon, so the road ahead should be peaceful."

He gestured with his chin toward Wanfeng County.

"You can continue escorting Ug and that little girl from the Witch Kingdom. Make sure they are safely brought to Hengyue Town, and then this mission will be complete."

Yi Yang responded with a "yes".

Jiang Zhongtian turned around, took a step forward, and said, "I have to go back first. We can't leave the important town for too long."

He took two steps and then stopped without turning around. His voice came from ahead, "I will report your killing of Ye Hanqian and Huang Yi to the Qingzhou Sky Patrol Division. The heads of two Transcendent Realm cultivators are quite an achievement. Once we reach Hengyue, we will receive an official commendation document."

"in addition--"

He turned his head and glanced at Yi Yang out of the corner of his eye.

"When you get to Hengyue, a major town, the rules are different from those in Qingzhou. In the Wanyao Mountain Range, there are all sorts of things: demons, people from the Wu Kingdom, the Nine Evil Sects. Your thirty garrison guards won't be enough; you'll have to find a way to build your own force."

After saying that, he lightly touched the ground with his foot, and his whole body turned into a blur, disappearing into the horizon at the end of the valley in the blink of an eye.

Yi Yang stood there, looking in the direction where Jiang Zhongtian had disappeared, and let out a long breath.

Being around someone at the very top of the pyramid creates an incredibly strong, invisible sense of pressure.

Now that the person is gone, he finally feels that the string that had been taut all along has finally been released.

Ranked 278th on the Hidden Dragon List.

Even though the other party didn't release any pressure at all, just standing there breathing made Yi Yang's back tense the whole time.

This feeling was even more direct than when I faced Lu Quan'an.

Lu Quan'an is a cunning old fox, with a deep and calculating mind. He never shows his emotions. When you're with him, you know he's powerful, but you can't really gauge his true strength.

Jiang Zhongtian is different.

This man exudes a palpable murderous aura, like a gun without a sheath. You can tell how dangerous he is at a glance, yet you can't do anything about it.

Yi Yang surveyed the valley.

Five corpses.

Three leaders of the Nine Evil Sects, one Blood Envoy of the Nine Evil Sect, Ye Hanqian, and one fierce general of the Witch King's Court, Huang Yi.

Yi Yang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile as he said:

"If Lord Jiang doesn't want something, then don't blame me for being impolite."

He walked over to the headless corpse of the servant and squatted down, his movements practiced as he explored it.

Having lived two lives, he has been touching corpses since Miki Village, and now he is quite adept at it.

Huang Yi's storage bag hung from his waist, tied with an animal hide rope. Yi Yang pulled it down, weighed it in his hand, and opened it.

One by one, the spirit crystals were poured out. Yi Yang counted them; there were a total of eighty-three.

Besides the spirit crystals, there were also several sealed porcelain bottles deep inside the storage bag.

Yi Yang unscrewed one and brought it to his nose to smell it.

A pungent medicinal aroma wafted up, completely different from the elixirs used in the Great Yu region. Its medicinal properties were potent, suitable for quickly unleashing the body's potential.

Secret medicine of the Witch Clan.

He didn't rush to identify the specific type of medicine, and put all five bottles of medicine into his storage ring.

Next came a stack of silver notes, not in large denominations, totaling about three thousand taels, which was the operating expenses given by the Witch King's court.

The bronze token, about the size of a thumb, was inscribed with the script of the Wu Kingdom on the front and featured a strange bird totem with outstretched wings on the back. Yi Yang examined it twice, turning it over and over; it was likely a disguised token used for travel.

Finally, there's the sword that the Imperial Guard wields.

That uniquely shaped scimitar had a greater curvature than the scimitars commonly found in the Great Yu Kingdom. The back of the blade was thick, and the edge was thin and sharp. Several dark blue patterns were etched on it, just like the barbarian patterns on Huang Yi's chest.

Yi Yang drew his sword from its sheath and placed his fingertips on the blade.

Precious artifact.

The quality is not low; it's much better than the ones he previously confiscated from the Wu family.

Close.

After looting Huang Yi clean, Yi Yang got up and headed to another place in the valley.

Ye Hanqian was pinned to the boulder by Jiang Zhongtian's shot, her body mostly mangled, but her storage bag remained intact, hanging at her waist unaffected.

Yi Yang tore off the storage bag and opened it.

He raised an eyebrow; the number of spirit crystals inside was significantly more than that of Huang Yi.

Two hundred and thirty-seven.

It seems that no matter how rotten the Nine Evils Cult is in Qingzhou, they still make more money than the warriors of the Witch Kingdom.

Several bottles of True Essence Pills, of superior quality, are used to restore and enhance the True Qi cultivation of a Transcendent Realm expert, which is perfect for his current level.

Then there was a manual wrapped in black softcover, with four words written on the cover: "Thousand Illusions".

Yi Yang unfolded the manual, which was covered with densely packed small characters, and the energy cultivation route was drawn in great detail.

He glanced at the two lines, and his expression changed.

"A Thousand Illusions".

This is a top-tier, true-skill-level disguise technique. When mastered to perfection, it allows one to conceal oneself from powerful individuals below the second level of divine sense.

After cultivating it, one can change their appearance, aura, and even adjust their physique within a certain range. Ye Hanqian was able to disguise herself as Xie Tinglan and infiltrate his side using this technique.

nice one.

Yi Yang's "Concealing Breath and Formless Technique" can only conceal one's aura and cultivation level, but cannot change one's appearance. This "Thousand Illusionary Faces" technique perfectly fills this gap.

He carefully put the manual into his storage ring and continued searching through his storage bag.

Deep inside the bag, he saw a familiar blood-red mahogany box.

The dark red wood has several twisted lines carved on its surface, with a dark, blood-red sheen permeating the lines.

Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, the nine-foot-tall golden-haired giant ape opened all three eyes, its golden fur bristling, and let out a silent growl.

Yi Yang stopped moving.

He stared at the box in his hand, a scene flashing through his mind.

He had found something similar in Yinxi's storage jade pendant last time.

The box was dark gold, inside which was a statue of a three-headed, six-armed evil god soaked in golden blood.

That thing called itself the "True God of Spiritual Blood" and almost destroyed his sea of ​​consciousness.

Yi Yang hesitated for a moment, but still took out the box.

He didn't open it; he just held the box in his hand and could feel the eerie, corrupting spiritual fluctuations emanating from it.

Yi Yang withdrew his fingers from the box; he did not open it.

How come Ye Hanqian also has one of these?

He frowned and stuffed the dangerous object back into the deepest part of his storage ring, adding a triple seal on the outside using his divine sense.

This thing is too strange; we must not touch it lightly before we figure out where it came from.

After dealing with Ye Hanqian's belongings, Yi Yang searched the bodies of the three Nine Evil Sect leaders again.

Together, the three of them found over a hundred spirit crystals and some miscellaneous pills and silver notes.

He carefully sorted and put everything away, and looking at the mountain of spirit crystals and pills in his storage ring, he was in a great mood.

Finally, looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, Yi Yang thought for a moment and decided not to bother burying them.

This is the middle of nowhere; in a few days, the wild animals in the mountains will have cleaned these things up completely.

After he finished doing all this, he looked up at the sky.

He determined the direction and started walking towards Wanfeng County.

It's time to go back.

Although being used as a pawn this time was frustrating, the gains were truly significant.

With the follow-up techniques of "Mind Monkey Guarding the Will Technique" in hand, there's still a reward waiting for the Qingzhou Sky Patrol Division.

In addition to the gains from those five corpses, after digesting the information, his strength improved considerably.

After arriving at Hengyue, a major town, they will have Jiang Zhongtian to protect them.

It was worth getting involved in this mess.