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

Jiang Zhongtian's words made Yi Yang frown.

Yi Yang had never been to the capital, nor had he ever met the legendary figure who had dominated the world for eight hundred years. However, his sixty years of hard work at the bottom of society, coupled with his experience reviewing the historical files of the Great Yu Dynasty in the Sky Patrol Division, made him acutely aware of the weight of the title "Martial Saint."

The founder of the Sky Patrol Bureau, the guardian of the imperial city, and the person standing at the very top of the Great Yu Dynasty.

The entire military order of the empire was built upon that person. The Heavenly Patrol Bureaus of various prefectures, the Transcendent Realm experts on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and even those sects and families that controlled their own territories, all ultimately lived in that person's shadow.

How could someone who could be accepted as a disciple be an ordinary person?

If the disciples of the Martial Saint are not invincible, they must be unparalleled geniuses. How could they be surrounded and killed?

For Shang Yu, a grandmaster, to dare to surround and kill the disciple of the Martial Saint, he must have a greater backing or some other purpose.

A thought flashed through Yi Yang's mind: he remembered Lu Quan'an's mention of the rumor that the Martial Saint had not shown his face for many years.

A thought, uncontrollably rising from the depths of his mind, escaped his lips:

"Was their battle three years ago a test for the Martial Saint?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Yi Yang noticed that Jiang Zhongtian's expression had changed.

With a mixture of shock and surprise, Jiang Zhongtian stared at Yi Yang for a couple of moments. Something flickered in his deep gray eyes, something that was hard to define as scrutiny or reassessment.

"You actually knew that the Martial Saint hadn't shown his face for many years."

"It seems Lu Quan'an told you."

Yi Yang did not deny it.

Jiang Zhongtian leaned back in his chair and, without waiting for Yi Yang's reply, continued, "A few years ago, this matter was the top secret of the Great Yu Dynasty. The people in the capital tried their best to cover it up, wishing they could sew the mouths of everyone who knew about it shut."

"But the Great Yu Dynasty is such a large organization, there are bound to be secrets. The news that the Martial Saint has not shown his face for many years has eventually spread in recent years. Most of the well-informed experts in the Tongxuan Realm have heard about it."

"Therefore, the Battle of Dingfeng Mountain, in which a Grandmaster was involved, broke out three years ago."

Yi Yang sat there without moving, but his back was tense.

"Grandmaster".

In his understanding, these three words were even more distant than the five realms of the Profound Realm combined. Lu Quan'an was already above the Profound Realm, and Yi Yang still hadn't been able to figure out his true strength, while the Grandmaster realm was an existence that seemed infinitely far off.

"The outcome of the battle at Dingfeng Mountain is still inconclusive."

Jiang Zhongtian's voice deepened slightly as he said:

"The rumors circulating are fragmented and come in various versions, so I can't confirm much of what's going on."

"The clearest thing is that the one who is in charge of this matter is the White Lotus Society, the rebellious force in the north that has been causing trouble for many years."

"It is said that three auras of Grandmaster level appeared on Dingfeng Mountain that day. One belonged to the disciple of the Martial Saint, and the other two belonged to his enemies who were trying to kill him."

"Finally, after that battle, the summit of Dingfeng Mountain was razed to the ground. The forests within a radius of a hundred miles were completely destroyed, and the ground was plowed with ravines dozens of feet deep. It is said that even a river at the foot of the mountain changed its course."

Jiang Zhongtian paused here, his gaze falling on Yi Yang, and said with a hint of warning in his tone:

"Shang Yu was only a Grandmaster at the time, not a Great Grandmaster. But he participated in that battle and survived it."

"You'd better pray you don't run into such a terrible person, I'm not kidding."

Yi Yang's fingers rested on the hilt of the Xuan Yuan Blade. He remained silent, processing the information.

Three grandmaster-level powerhouses were locked in a fierce battle. Their battle was so powerful that it leveled mountains and altered the course of rivers. He didn't even dare to think about such a scene in detail.

Shang Yu, a grandmaster, dared to participate in such an extremely dangerous event and emerged unscathed.

No wonder Helian Zhu was so afraid.

No wonder the entire Hengyue town was in such turmoil last night. The prince was used as bait, the spirit soldiers as lure, and the three members of the Hidden Dragon Ranking joined forces to set up a net. Shang Yu didn't even show his face; he only sent a sharpshooter to probe the situation.

Such a person is a walking disaster.

Yi Yang was still thinking about something else.

"The White Lotus Society".

Rebellious forces in the north.

When he was in Suining Prefecture, he only came into contact with forces at the level of the Nine Evil Sects. He saw very little about the overall situation of the Great Yu Dynasty. Now he realizes that the waters above are much deeper than he thought.

The Martial Saint has not shown his face for many years. In the north, the White Lotus Society has emerged, which dares to surround and kill the Martial Saint's disciples. In the south, the Witch Kingdom is also making trouble under the guise of trade. The Nine Evil Sects are also reaching out everywhere. This Great Yu Dynasty is probably rotten to the core.

"Alright."

Jiang Zhongtian interrupted Yi Yang's thoughts. He stood up from his chair, slung his silver spear over his back, and prepared to leave without making any further moves.

"I came here today to check on you, so you don't get killed by last night's mess, or Lu Quan'an will come after me."

"Secondly, I'm informing you that you'll be gathering at the city's central military camp in three days. All the warriors on the Heroes Ranking will be summoned then, and you're on the list."

Yi Yang snapped out of his daze and nodded. "I understand."

Jiang Zhongtian pushed open the door, one foot already outside.

Watching his retreating figure, Yi Yang suddenly asked, "Sir, the one who took down Blood Illusion Venerable in one move last night..."

The room was quiet for a couple of breaths.

Jiang Zhongtian stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn around, but his voice still came out to explain: "The Gu family, one of the four great families of Qingzhou, is a master."

"Gu Zhaohuang".

After saying the name, he added, "However, that person should have already left the important town of Hengyue."

The words fell.

Jiang Zhongtian's figure disappeared outside the door.

Yi Yang stood inside the house, looking at the empty space by the door, lost in thought:

"Master Gu Zhaohuang of the Gu family."

"Qingzhou has even mobilized someone of this caliber to deal with Shang Yu."

"But has this grandmaster truly departed?"

Yi Yang didn't believe it; how could the whereabouts of a grandmaster be so easily guessed?

It seems that he needs to be more cautious in his actions during this period. The methods of a grandmaster are beyond his current comprehension.

He has too many secrets.

The Destiny Panel, the second realm of Divine Sense Breaking Illusion, the perfected Martial Extreme Dragon Elephant Body, the three killing moves of the Mind Monkey Guarding Intent Technique Moving Image Chapter, and the pile of spoils of war in the storage ring of unknown origin—any one of these, if seen through by a Grandmaster-level figure, would be enough to give him a hard time.

Yi Yang walked to the window, placed his fingers on the window frame, and glanced outside.

People were already sweeping up rubble and charred wood on the streets, and several squads of Sky Patrol warriors patrolled back and forth with swords. A faint smell of burning still lingered in the air.

"We need to be more cautious during this period."

Yi Yang set a tone for himself in his mind.

Do not provoke trouble, do not reveal your cultivation level casually, and focus on cultivating to improve your strength.

He closed the window, sat back down on the edge of the bed, took out a Xuan Yuan Pill from his storage ring, and put it in his mouth.

As the medicine entered his stomach, Yi Yang closed his eyes and began to circulate his internal energy.

The numbers on the panel jumped forward again.

……

Two days later.

On the other side of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains, within the territory of the Witch Kingdom.

Yatongcheng.

This city guards the first pass leading from the Wanyao Mountains to the heart of the Wu Kingdom. The city walls are built of black stone, and the base of the walls is engraved with dense Wu tribe protective patterns.

Every night, these patterns glow with a dark red light, looking from a distance like a giant beast crouching at a mountain pass with countless eyes.

And on the top floor of the city lord's mansion in this city.

The city's lord, Qi He, was bowing his head, sweat beading on his forehead, his knees pressed against the cold stone bricks, having been kneeling for almost half an incense stick's time.

"grown ups."

Qi He's voice trembled slightly, "The sharpshooter we sent to the important town of Hengyue has returned."

"But... he was seriously injured."

The city lord's throat was a little dry, so he swallowed and continued speaking.

"According to him, a Grandmaster-level expert appeared in Hengyue Town last night. Judging from the characteristics of the residual aura when he made his move, it should be Gu Zhaohuang, the 'Rotten Wood Cold Sword' of the Gu family."

After saying this, Qi He shut his mouth and lowered his head even further.

The room was quiet for a few moments.

The man sitting in the head seat of the table, on a piece of nanmu wood, was reading a book.

He has turned three pages since the city lord entered the door.

The book is written in ancient script in vertical columns, the pages are yellowed, and it is bound with animal hides. Its origins are unclear.

The man was dressed in a dark robe with extremely fine, subtle patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar, almost invisible unless you looked closely.

He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with a refined and handsome face, high and narrow brow bones, and a sharp jawline. The only thing that didn't quite match his gentle appearance was his eyes—his pupils were vertical.

From a distance, it looks like a dragon or a snake.

After listening to the city lord's report, the man in black turned another page of his book, read for a moment, and then closed it, saying:

"Gu Zhaohuang".

When the man pronounced those three words, he spoke very slowly, one word at a time, as if he didn't quite remember the other person.

"Ah, I remember now, it was him. He was among the top fifty on the Hidden Dragon List back then."

The man placed the book on the armrest, then looked up as if suddenly realizing something and said:

The man's vertical pupils fell on the kneeling city lord, and the city lord Qi He's back visibly tensed up upon feeling that gaze.

"He must have something to rely on for coming here. He probably brought the Gu family's spiritual weapon, the Nine Rhymes Azure Light Sword, which is ranked on the Divine Weapon Ranking."

Sweat trickled down Qi He's forehead and nose, and he didn't dare to reply.

The man in black ignored his reaction and tapped his fingers twice on the armrest.

"But don't worry about it." He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window is the entire view of Yatong City: black stone city walls, witch-patterned lights, and the outline of the Wanyao Mountain Range on the distant ridgeline—further beyond lies the territory of Dayu.

"I am determined to obtain the dragon aura emanating from the prince of Great Yu."

The man spoke softly, but his tone carried a chilling certainty.

"With the dragon's aura, I will transform from a serpent into a dragon."

He turned his head, the moonlight from the window illuminating his handsome face, his vertical pupils reflecting the shadows of distant mountains as he said with certainty:

"At that time, nothing will be able to stop me on the path to becoming a Grandmaster."

Upon hearing this, the city lord, who was kneeling on the ground, felt a jolt in his heart and his legs trembled.

Grandmaster, this great man is actually plotting something at that level.

"Wait a little longer."

The man in black turned his gaze away from the window, his voice carrying a hint of something more—not anticipation, but rather a certain certainty, a sense of composure that he had the upper hand.

"Wait for my partner in the north to arrive."

Upon hearing this, the city lord's mind went blank for a moment.

Partners in the North.

That's it—

The White Lotus Society, which swept across three prefectures and caused headaches even for the Great Yu Dynasty.

Someone from that kind of power is actually coming?

The city lord dared not think further, pressing his forehead against the cold stone bricks, his voice trembling as he replied:

"Yes."

The man in black standing by the window didn't look at him again.

His gaze passed through the city walls of Yatong City, over the ridge of the Wanyao Mountain Range, and landed in the direction of Dayu.

His lips twitched, and he sneered, "By then, I will definitely conquer the three major strongholds."

"Horses trampled through the thirty-eight prefectures of Qingzhou."