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

Upon hearing Yi Yang's question, Xu Min chuckled and said, "Besides these, sir, you do have some other information, but some of it is hard to tell whether it's true or false."

"A month ago, the first trade activity since the opening of Hengyue, a major town, was led by an elder from the Tianxin Sect of Qingzhou. That elder was named Han Ji, a third-stage Tongxuan realm cultivator, a Dharma Body level figure."

Xu Min lowered his voice and said, "Han Ji personally led a caravan from Tianxin Pavilion to the Wu Kingdom. They brought with them pills refined in Qingzhou, high-quality silk, and finely forged ironware."

It's said they returned with over a dozen cartloads of goods: pelts of exotic beasts from the depths of the Witch Kingdom, ores from the Southern Frontier, and several cartloads of medicinal herbs and gold. The seasoned merchants in the tavern calculated that, just looking at the number of carts and the contents, Tianxin Pavilion had made a twenty-fold profit on this trip.

Xu Min's eyes lit up as he spoke.

A profit of twenty times. This figure is an astronomical number that no other prefecture-level city would even dare to dream of.

"However, the people from the major town's trade office are not having it." Xu Min's tone changed, and he said as if watching a show, "They said that all transactions passing through Hengyue major town must pay them 40% of the profits."

"Forty percent." Yi Yang repeated the number, he hadn't expected the Commerce Department to have such a big appetite.

"That's 40%." "Han Ji is from the Tianxin Sect, backed by one of the top sects in Qingzhou. He's also a great expert who has condensed his Dharma Body at the third stage of the Tongxuan realm. How could he stand this humiliation?" Xu Min spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he were telling a story.

"They immediately engaged the powerful Dharma Body expert sent by the Commerce Bureau in the city."

Han Ji transformed into a three-zhang-tall blue-faced divine general, holding a long halberd. The Trade Commissioner transformed into a golden-armored warrior, wielding two purple-gold maces.

The two didn't use weapons to fight, but clashed solely with the aura of their spiritual bodies. Dozens of bluestone slabs on both sides of the long street were torn away, and the walls of three shops selling weapons and furs were flattened by the pressure. Roof tiles were smashed all over the ground. Everyone on the street vanished without a trace.

"Who finally intervened?" Yi Yang knew that the two of them would never start a major conflict in the city, so someone must have stopped them.

"It's Commander Jiang Zhongtian."

When Xu Min mentioned this name, his back straightened unconsciously, and he said with a hint of pride, "Commander Jiang, carrying a silver spear, landed between the two men. He didn't say anything extra, but simply stuck the spear shaft into the bluestone paving stones. The two men then withdrew their Dharma bodies."

"Commander Jiang summoned the two men into the office of the Astronomical Bureau. Half an hour later, the two men came out. The final result was that Tianxin Pavilion handed over 20% of its profits, and the Commerce Bureau took the money and left."

After hearing these words, Yi Yang leaned back in his wooden chair and thought to himself:

"The Trade and Commerce Bureau is domineering; they demand 40% of the profits without even contributing anything."

"If it were the Xuanming stronghold, which is dominated by the Trade Bureau, taking away 60% would be considered a small amount. The situation in the Wan Yao stronghold wouldn't be much better. The Sky Patrol Bureau will definitely not be lenient with this newly opened trade route."

"But this is a crucial town in Hengyue, and no force here has absolute say. Jiang Zhongtian is nominally under the Sky Patrol Division, but he himself remains neutral."

Here, everything is decided by strength. Han Ji himself is powerful, and he has the backing of the Tianxin Sect, a major sect in Qingzhou. He dared to draw his sword against the merchants sent by the imperial city, so the merchants wouldn't be able to collect their dues. Neither side would be satisfied, and there's a possibility of further conflict.

Xu Min refilled the teapot and then reported to the leader, "There's another matter concerning Lu Zui. This happened more than half a month ago."

"When Lu Zui left the city, he encountered a passing monster at a mountain pass thirty miles away. It was an armored rock bear with the strength of the fifth level of the Profound Realm. This beast had a thick hide, and ordinary magic weapons couldn't even leave a white mark when they hit it. Two passing caravans were killed by it, and many people died."

"According to the rumors, Lu Zui went over alone, without any weapons." Xu Min gestured with his hands, "It lasted for a dozen or so moves. The old man withdrew his fist, turned around, and walked back along the official road."

The armored rock bear stood still for ten breaths before its massive body collapsed to the ground. Its bones had been shattered by the force of the punch, and its internal organs were completely destroyed. The soldiers guarding the city walls saw it all clearly from a great distance.

Yi Yang listened quietly, recalling the information about Lu Zui from Xu Min's previous report.

A powerful expert at the fifth level of the Profound Realm, the Transformation Realm.

Unexpectedly, the opponent was able to kill a monster of the same level in just over ten moves. Monsters are inherently stronger than human martial artists.

Yi Yang mentally assessed the difference in combat strength between Lu Zui and Jiang Zhongtian.

He had never seen either of them go all out. Jiang Zhongtian hadn't fired a single shot; he was able to suppress two Dharma Body experts simply by relying on his reputation and the gun stuck in the ground.

The gap between those at the fifth level of the Profound Realm is undoubtedly enormous. The combat power within the same realm can be worlds apart. Lu Zui's combat strength is astonishing, yet he still hasn't made it onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking; those on that list possess unfathomable depths of power.

"By the way, sir."

Xu Min suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh, saying, "Sir, we've arrived too late this time."

Yi Yang looked at him, his brows slightly furrowed, and asked, "What do you mean, late?"

"About two weeks ago, the largest merchant house in the city center, 'Qizhen Pavilion,' held an auction," Xu Min said regretfully. "One of the highlight items was a True Essence Lotus Seed."

"True Essence Lotus Seeds? What are they used for?"

"Eat it, and your chances of breaking through to the Profound Realm will increase by 30% for no reason."

Several old monsters in the city who had been stuck at the peak of True Qi for decades all went to the auction house that day.

For this lotus seed, several factions bid against each other in a private room on the second floor, almost coming to blows. The starting price was 10,000 taels of silver, but it was eventually raised to 50,000 taels of gold plus 80 spirit crystals.

Finally, it was bought by a rogue cultivator wearing a straw hat. That cultivator disappeared as soon as he left the auction house, and several groups of people chased him out of the city but couldn't find him.

Xu Min's face was full of regret as he said, "My lord, if you had come half a month earlier, with your skills and wealth, you might have had a chance to obtain this True Essence Lotus Seed. That would have made your breakthrough to the Profound Realm much more secure. If you miss this treasure, you'll probably never see another one like it."

Yi Yang smiled. Holding his teacup, he said calmly:

"No rush. My current cultivation level is still in the late True Qi Realm, and I still have a long way to go before I can break through to the Profound Realm. It's too early to think about these things."

He said this without a trace of suspicion on his face.

Yi Yang looked out the window and could vaguely see the distant mountains.

"Besides, this place is near the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains. Countless people go into the mountains every day to search for treasures, and people from the Witch Kingdom also come here to trade rare and exotic herbs. Even if the True Essence Lotus Seeds are gone, there will be other rare and precious materials in the future. There are plenty of opportunities in this kind of place."

Xu Min thought about it and agreed. His master was only in his early sixties and was exceptionally talented, ranking high on the list of heroes. Breaking through to the Tongxuan realm was only a matter of time, so there was no need to rush.

"What you say makes sense, sir. I was short-sighted and only focused on the past." Xu Min stood up and tidied the tea set on the table. "Please rest, sir. I'll go for a walk on the street ahead and listen in a bit more."

Yi Yang waved his hand.

Xu Min carried the teapot out of the room and closed the door behind him.

The wooden door closed. The room fell silent.

Yi Yang stood up, closed the window curtain, and sat down on the bed.

Strength is the foundation of survival, and what Xu Min just said proves this point. In this important town of Hengyue, without strength, you can't even keep the money you earn, let alone seize resources.

With a flick of his wrist, the yellowed booklet appeared in his hand.

"The Mind-Monkey Guardian Technique: The Dynamic Image Chapter"

The edges of the hemp binding were worn, and the pages were rough. I was interrupted by that strange experience. Today, I must finish reading it no matter what.

Yi Yang laid the booklet flat on his lap and opened the cover. The words on the pages were densely packed in tiny characters, accompanied by diagrams of meridian circulation.

He mobilized his divine sense and sank into his sea of ​​consciousness.

Within the space of consciousness, a nine-foot-tall golden-haired ape sat cross-legged in the center. All three of the golden-haired ape's eyes were open.

Yi Yang's thoughts came into contact with the words on the booklet.

Those tiny characters transformed into light and shadow, following the line of sight into the mind and merging into the body of the golden ape.

This "Dynamic Image Chapter" is less a technique for cultivating spiritual awareness and more a pure art of killing that uses spiritual awareness as a weapon.

The mental techniques and energy circulation routes of the first three forms unfolded in the sea of ​​consciousness.

First move: Heart Prison Burns the Body.

After practicing this technique, one's divine sense is no longer just used for exploration; instead, it can be compressed and condensed into an extremely small thought.

This thought penetrated the enemy's eyes, ears, and nose, advancing deep into their very core.

This thought is like a seed; once planted, it will instantly ignite the deepest fear within the other person.

You might see an abyss, betrayal by your loved ones, or the thing you fear most in your life emerging endlessly from the darkness.

The most ruthless aspect of this tactic is that the fear is not something you create; it's something the enemy already has in their mind.

The "Mind Monkey Guardian Technique" simply brought that fear up from the deepest part of his consciousness and then overwhelmed him.

Those who are affected often freeze in place, their eyes glazed over, their faces ashen. In reality, their consciousness is undergoing an endless cycle of hell.

Second move: Heart Mirror Crack.

By practicing this technique, one's own divine consciousness will transform into a sharp dagger.

This strike doesn't cut the flesh; it severs the connection between the opponent's spirit and five senses. If struck by this strike, the enemy's sight, hearing, and smell will be forcibly severed.

When you look at a person, that person will split into two, one on the left and one on the right.

Look at a road; one half is in daylight, and the other half is in darkness.

When you listen to someone speak, it feels like there are two voices repeating the same sentence in your ear.

Even the "self" will be cut apart.

The person hit cannot distinguish whether the punch they just threw was their own or that of an enemy, nor can they tell whether the opponent was in front of them or behind them. The connection between their mind and body is severed, turning them into a mindless target.

The third move: The fire of the heart spreads like wildfire.

The most vicious and deadly move in the animation section.

His divine sense condensed into a blazing intent. This intent traveled along his meridians and penetrated into the enemy's dantian (energy center).

It doesn't burn flesh and blood; it burns true qi, using the enemy's hard-earned true essence as kindling.

The deeper the true essence, the more fiercely this fire burns.

At first, those affected will feel a burning sensation in their lower abdomen. They will experience a sensation of thousands of ants biting them throughout their limbs and bones. Finally, their internal organs will feel like they are being roasted by the intense heat.

The vital energy flowed back uncontrollably, causing the meridians to break inch by inch.

The inner fire is fueled by true qi. If someone who has been affected tries to suppress it by circulating their internal energy, it's like pouring oil into a fire; it will only burn faster.

There was only one way out: use your powerful divine sense to forcefully extinguish this surging thought.

In battles between cultivators of the same level, those who can cultivate spiritual awareness are extremely rare. Finding someone with a spiritual awareness stronger than that of a practitioner of the "Mind Monkey Guarding the Will Technique" is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

The methods of the first three forms circulated within his consciousness. Yi Yang memorized each energy circulation route.

The names of the two types of books are written on the back.

Fourth move: Heart Locks the Abyss; Fifth move: Mind Monkey Shatters the God.

There are no formulas for these two moves. The book states that one must master the first three moves to perfection before one can attempt these two moves.

There's a message at the end of the book: "Only by guarding your own heart can you enter the heart of others. Stillness is the root, movement is the blade; a deep root makes the blade sharp, a settled mind makes the will swift and deadly."

Yi Yang closed the booklet, leaned back in his chair, and remained silent for a long time.

This technique is incredibly powerful.

The Still Image chapter teaches him to guard his own heart and let his consciousness step into the realm of breaking through illusion. The Moving Image chapter teaches him to penetrate the hearts of others.

The foundation and the sharpest weapon are now both in place.

Jiang Zhongtian had studied this for over a decade without even getting a grasp of it, while Lu Quan'an had left the "Silent Image Manual" gathering dust in his armory for over a decade. These two old monsters, who had reached the pinnacle of understanding, weren't lacking in talent; it was just that this technique was selective in its practitioners.

As for himself, he had already perfected the Still Image Chapter and had the "Destiny" upon him, so successfully cultivating it was naturally not a problem.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the nine-foot-tall golden-haired giant ape opened all three eyes and let out a deep roar.

Yi Yang's consciousness began to slowly circulate along the path of the cultivation technique.