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

Four figures entered the tent, and Jiang Zhongtian came to the cowhide map placed in the center of the tent.

The other two powerful figures, Chu Tiankuo and Lu Zui, sat on either side, while Lu Qinglan stood behind her grandfather, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

Once all the important figures from this major town had arrived, the tent fell silent.

After standing up, Jiang Zhongtian looked around at the seventy or eighty people present. Without exchanging pleasantries, he went straight to the main topic of the day:

"I think everyone here still remembers and has experienced the chaos that occurred three days ago."

"The martial artists from the Witch Kingdom and the members of the Nine Evil Sect who infiltrated the city took advantage of the night to carry out their actions, setting fires, killing people, and creating chaos. Overnight, dozens of people were killed or injured in the city, including three martial artists at the Profound Realm, as well as your fellow disciples and colleagues present here."

Upon hearing this, several barely audible breaths were heard inside the tent.

Some people lowered their heads.

Yi Yang noticed a young man in a gray-white martial arts uniform in the front row with his fist clenched on his knee, his knuckles tightly clenched. There was an empty space next to him, where a long, sheathed sword rested.

The dead's weapons.

Jiang Zhongtian didn't linger on the topic for long. He turned around, pointed to the leather map behind him, and said:

"I have already reported this matter to Qingzhou. After the approval of Inspector Cao Wenyuan, it was confirmed that the Wu Kingdom warriors who participated in the rebellion all came from the other side of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains."

His finger landed on a city marked in black on the map.

"Teeth Copper City".

"This city, located in the southwest of the Wu Kingdom, guards the first pass leading from the Wan Yao Mountain Range to the heart of the Wu Kingdom. Its city lord is named Qi He."

Upon hearing the governor's words, some people inside the tent whispered a few words, but they were quickly silenced.

Jiang Zhongtian continued, "In fact, the leaders of our two countries share the same desire for trade and peace, but there are always some people who are blinded by greed and disregard the overall situation. Qi He, the city lord of Yatong City, is one of them. He colluded with the Nine Evil Sects to deliberately sabotage trade routes and offend the majesty of our Great Yu."

Jiang Zhongtian's tone appeared calm, but everyone present sensed the murderous intent in his words.

"After discussions between the Qingzhou leadership and the Wu Kingdom, both sides agreed to arrest and convict Qi He. However, the Wu Kingdom is currently preoccupied with its own problems and in great internal turmoil, leaving it with no resources to carry out this task. Therefore, this matter has been entrusted to Qingzhou."

Jiang Zhongtian's finger traced the ridgeline of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains from the location of Yatong City, finally stopping at Hengyue Town.

"That's why I called you all here."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping from left to right:

"Ten days later, the Qingzhou army stationed here will set off to conquer Yatong City and capture Qihe. Elder Chu Tiankuo and Senior Lu Zui will accompany the army."

The moment those two names were mentioned, the atmosphere inside the tent shifted again. Yi Yang pondered thoughtfully, "With two powerful figures of this caliber accompanying us, it seems the Qingzhou side is furious about the chaos that night? Or do they have other motives?"

"You are all outstanding talents on the list of heroes, and you may voluntarily sign up to participate."

As Jiang Zhongtian finished speaking, he took a book from the side, spread it out on the table, and opened his storage ring to distribute the book to each martial artist.

"To incentivize everyone, the Sky Patrol Bureau has decided that anyone who slays a warrior from the Witch Kingdom during this operation will receive contribution points. These contribution points can be used to exchange for cultivation resources—spiritual herbs, weapons, and cultivation manuals are all eligible for exchange."

The warriors below eagerly opened the booklet recording the items that could be exchanged with their contribution points, and found that the Qingzhou Sky Patrol Division was truly generous. All the items inside were considered rare, including century-old spiritual herbs and pills to enhance cultivation, as well as treasures.

After examining the records for a while, Jiang Zhongtian and the other martial artists below dropped another bombshell:

"Furthermore, the Sky Patrol Division will reward the top three finishers in this campaign with a True Essence Lotus Seed each."

Upon hearing this, an uncontrollable discussion immediately broke out within the tent:

"True Essence Lotus Seeds?!"

Three?!

"Wow, one of those sold for over three hundred spirit crystals at the auction before, and those rich people were fighting over it like crazy—"

"That thing is simply—"

The rustling sounds blended into a buzzing noise, and at least sixty of the seventy or eighty True Qi Realm martial artists present were whispering among themselves.

Yi Yang remained seated without moving.

He understood the excitement of these people. Most of them were stuck at the late stage or perfect stage of the True Qi Realm. What they lacked most when they wanted to enter the Profound Realm was rare and precious natural treasures that could help them break through.

True Essence Lotus Seeds are something that money can't always buy, and at auctions, they're often snatched up by powerful figures at the Profound Realm.

Now I'm telling you, there's actually a way to redeem it, who wouldn't be excited?

Yi Yang had five True Essence Lotus Seeds lying in his storage ring. He had picked them himself from the bottom of the lake in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range and hadn't used them yet. He planned to use them to exchange for resources later.

This thing is no longer scarce for him.

"Brother Yi," Luo Kaishan nudged him with his elbow, his face full of eagerness, "Are you going or not?"

Yi Yang shook his head, his expression showing a hint of helplessness and distress: "I was caught in the chaos three days ago and my health was damaged. It's not advisable for me to take action for a while, so I won't cause any more trouble for you all."

These were polite words, but the others at the table interpreted them quite differently.

The several Sky Patrol Warriors from various prefectures exchanged glances. They didn't say anything, but the meaning in their eyes was clear—they could sense that Yi Yang's aura was stable, and he didn't look injured at all.

"Not participating now means they're afraid of going to the battlefield. They've witnessed the ferocity of the Wu Kingdom warriors, and they are indeed terrifying. But to not seize such a huge opportunity is truly cowardly." Several warriors from the Sky Patrol Division inwardly looked down on Yi Yang, but didn't show it on their faces. They turned to discuss how to obtain contribution points.

"Brother Yi." Xie Yungui's voice came from the side at this moment.

Yi Yang turned his head and saw Xie Yungui's brows furrowed slightly, as if he was carefully considering his words.

I plan to participate.

Xie Yungui paused, then looked at Yi Yang and said, "Brother Yi, if you'd like to come along, I'll take care of anything that might be inconvenient on the road. It's safer for a group of us to go it alone. Maybe we can even manage to get one of those three lotus seeds."

Yi Yang hadn't expected Xie Yungui to bring this up.

At the gathering at Wangyue Tower, their acquaintance was merely superficial. They met a few more times in Hengyue, a major town, but didn't have any deep conversations. Xie Yungui was a man of few words, but every word he spoke carried weight; he wasn't the type to offer casual pleasantries.

He was genuinely trying to persuade Yiyang with his words.

Yi Yang mentally reviewed the situation—Xie Yungui was ranked thirty-ninth on the Heroes List, a Perfected True Qi Realm cultivator, quite powerful, and a steady and reliable person among this group. But why did he pull him in?

Do you think that having more people means more strength?

still is……

Yi Yang recalled the few times Xie Yungui had subtly glanced at him before; that look wasn't wary, but rather closer to an intuitive curiosity.

This guy might have sensed something.

It might not be that they had glimpsed Yi Yang's specific cultivation level, but rather that it was a vague judgment formed based on years of experience—that Yi Yang was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

Yi Yang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then used the rim of the cup to partially cover his face, politely declining the offer:

"I appreciate your kindness, Brother Xie, but I won't hold you back. Please be careful, Brother Xie; those people from the Wu Kingdom are quite arrogant."

Xie Yungui looked at him, and the two stared at each other for a moment.

Xie Yungui didn't try to persuade him further. He withdrew his gaze and nodded, "Alright, then I won't force you. Take care, Brother Yi."

After saying that, he picked up the teacup on the table and took another sip, without any further expression.

But Yi Yang noticed that Xie Yungui's drinking motions returned to normal, showing no signs of disappointment or anger.

Yi Yang's opinion of this person rose even higher.

A smart person.

They know when to back down and won't keep asking why. These are the easiest people to befriend, but also the hardest to deal with.

Yi Yang put the teacup back on the table, ignoring the lively discussion among the martial artists next to him about how many heads they needed to exchange for a lotus seed, and started to plan his own affairs.

Ten days.

Jiang Zhongtian said that the Qingzhou army would set off in ten days.

Compared to going to the Witch Kingdom to gain merit points in exchange for a few lotus seeds, it is far more valuable to cultivate diligently behind closed doors.

While these people are causing trouble in the Witch Kingdom, Hengyue Town will actually quiet down, which will create an undisturbed environment for his cultivation.

Just as Yi Yang was comfortably calculating, a steady voice came from the front of the tent.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

It's not Jiang Zhongtian.

It was the voice of Chu Tiankuo, the law enforcement elder of the Tianxin Sect.

The buzzing sound inside the tent was as if it had been pinched by an invisible hand and instantly cut off.

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned to the front. Chu Tiankuo remained seated in his chair, his square face revealing no emotion, but the air in the entire tent seemed to grow heavier under the flow of his perfected Profound Realm aura.

"I am seeking the help of you all for a matter concerning my elder Han Ji of the Tianxin Sect, who was murdered three days ago in the important town of Hengyue."

"The body was found in the abandoned neighborhood in the south of the city. The cause of death was the chaotic internal energy burning the body, leaving the body unrecognizable."

No one spoke inside the tent. Even those who had been excitedly discussing contribution points earlier fell silent.

The elder of the Heavenly Heart Sect, a powerful expert in the Dharma Body Realm, died in the ruins.

Chu Tiankuo's gaze slowly swept over every face in the tent. The way he looked at people wasn't threatening, but rather closer to identification—identifying the reaction of each person present:

"If any of you have any relevant clues, please let me know."

"I, Chu, will certainly repay you handsomely."

When he said "I will be richly rewarded," his lips didn't move and his eyes didn't show any emotion, but everyone present understood the weight of those four words.

The Heavenly Heart Sect expressed its deepest gratitude.

That's not just a matter of a few spirit crystals.

Chu Tiankuo's gaze swept across the rows from left to right.

He scanned the sect disciples in the front row, the scions of aristocratic families in the middle, and the Sky Patrol Warriors in the back row.

Then, his gaze stopped.

It landed in the direction of Yiyang, not just sweeping across, but staying fixed.

Two breaths passed.

Yi Yang's hand holding the teacup didn't move, and his expression didn't change, but the hairs on the back of his head stood on end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry, I was too tired from going out yesterday and forgot to update today. I'll update this chapter first, and I'll see if I can write more later. If I can write more today, I'll update another chapter. Sorry everyone, I'll try to update on time tomorrow.