Learned Martial Arts, Only Then Can One Break Through Realms

"Wasteful."

Xu Yanwu shook his head. "You're only at the First Dragon Gate, how much Blood Essence can you cultivate? Every cultivation session at this stage is difficult, and you're not even cultivating the complete technique. What I can do is teach you the complete martial arts."

He looked at Li Ye. "Can you still cultivate?"

Li Ye nodded.

He could definitely cultivate. That meal had directly converted into Blood Essence, and combined with yesterday's, it was more than enough.

"Continue."

Xu Yanwu said, "Slower this time. Maintain your Qi Circulation. Fast has its frequency, but slow has its benefits. Circulate energy through the Dragon Tiger Gate. This time, when you expand your Blood Essence, try to maintain it."

Li Ye had no choice but to circulate his energy again, condensing his Blood Essence, pouring it into his spine, and then expanding it to his limbs and torso.

Crack!

Just then, Xu Yanwu walked behind Li Ye and struck his tailbone with a stick, making him jolt.

"This is the Golden Palace, which is refinement. The Twelve Golden Palaces Dragon Tiger Gate is essentially an Iron Body Technique, and it's the most crucial part of our sect's martial arts. Remember every point I strike. Try to condense your Blood Essence into a Skin Membrane. Next spot!"

Crack!

Xu Yanwu swung his stick again, this time hitting just above the tailbone. Li Ye unconsciously focused his Blood Essence there, trying to hold it.

"Hold on for as long as you can. If you really can't take it anymore, let go, but remember the points I hit. It's not intuitive to feel the Blood Essence circulating on your skin. You'll only know when it's struck."

Xu Yanwu swung his stick again, then without stopping, struck directly at Li Ye's entire spine. Although it was an iron rod with a surface area, when he struck, the impact was on a single small point.

It was this sensation that allowed Li Ye to clearly sense where his Blood Essence was condensing. Little by little, point by point, as Xu Yanwu struck, he directed his Blood Essence to gather externally.

This wasn't just forming a layer on the surface of his skin; it was the entire flesh and skin, inside and out, condensing with Blood Essence to form a membrane.

And the more places Xu Yanwu struck, the more this membrane would connect, ultimately forming a membrane both inside and outside his body.

It was very thin, but Li Ye could feel it.

Crack!

Xu Yanwu struck Li Ye's throat with his stick, then his mouth, nose, eyes, ears, temples, and the crown of his head, as if being soaked, he was struck all over his body.

Then his stick pointed directly at Li Ye's lower body.

This sudden move made Li Ye's pupils contract. Before he could react, Xu Yanwu's voice rang out.

"If you want to protect your Life Gate, dodge. Don't worry, I'll stop before causing real harm. The main point is to make your Blood Essence condense here. It's the simplest for men. You know how to get blood rushing there, right? This time, it's with Blood Essence, including your testicles."

As he spoke, Xu Yanwu swung his stick.

The force of the swing even produced a whistling sound through the air!

Li Ye's eyes widened. Even before the stick reached him, he instinctively understood and forcefully agitated his Blood Essence to his lower body.

At this moment, Xu Yanwu showed a hint of a smile. He didn't actually strike Li Ye's lower body, the iron rod swept past the edge.

He glanced at Li Ye. His face remained expressionless, but the smile in his eyes was obvious to anyone with sight.

"Did it work?" he asked.

A thunderous sound erupted from Li Ye's body, and he exhaled white mist. He instinctively took two steps back and nodded twice.

"My master treated me the same way back then. This is about whether you want to protect your Life Gate or not. If you don't want to be invulnerable to blades and spears later but have a weak spot exploited, it's best to truly achieve it. But there are benefits too – it strengthens your essence and solidifies your body. I guarantee you'll be vigorous even when you're dying."

Xu Yanwu said, then appraised Li Ye again. "But you've exceeded my expectations. Your control over Blood Essence isn't just 'excellent'. I thought you'd only manage to complete half the circulation and form a few points of the Skin Membrane at most. I didn't expect you to hold on until the entire Skin Membrane was cultivated. In this regard, you are a genius among geniuses."

Li Ye felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. What use was being a genius in this area? He was like Wang Yuyan, knowing everything but being unable to do anything. It was useless.

Fortunately, he had obtained Authority.

Li Ye shook his head and asked, "Master, is the next step Hundred Refinements? Continuously striking to strengthen the Skin Membrane?"

He could handle other parts of his body. Even his vulnerable eyes could endure the strikes by closing them, as they weren't very heavy.

But that particular area still made him a little apprehensive.

Xu Yanwu looked at Li Ye as if he were an idiot. "Iron can be refined a hundred times, becoming refined iron and tempered steel. Meat refined a hundred times can only be made into beef balls for urine. Being able to condense the Skin Membrane is enough. The next step is about Qi Circulation. Continuous Qi Circulation every day, allowing your Blood Essence to break through constantly, will make you stronger."

Li Ye raised an eyebrow. "So I've already succeeded in this?"

Xu Yanwu shook his head. "How slow can learning martial arts be? In the end, it's all about Qi Circulation. But there's no such thing as 'completing' it. The stronger your martial arts, the stronger your Blood Essence. The stronger your Blood Essence, the stronger your martial arts. It's endless. Otherwise, where would the Nine Dragon Gate Leaps come from?"

He glanced at the empty food tray on the stone table. "Remember the circulation route. This is the most complete. Next, I'll teach you some moves, and also the [Foundation Building Technique] you'll learn in the Martial Arts Major. Your aptitude is average, so progress in this martial art might not be very fast. Use the Foundation Building Technique to increase your Blood Essence first."

"Master, didn't you say the First Dragon Gate and Nine Dragon Gate are the same?" Li Ye asked, confused.

"They're the same for martial arts, but not for your university entrance exams."

Xu Yanwu said, "You can cultivate martial arts anytime, but there isn't much time for you at top Martial Arts Universities. I'll teach you martial arts, but I can't delay your future. The Foundation Building Technique can help you circulate your Blood Essence first."

"I don't understand. If it's all about circulating Blood Essence, and simple martial arts can do that, why learn such difficult ones?"

Li Ye truly didn't understand. Especially since he had Authority, he didn't even need to learn martial arts. He could just circulate his Blood Essence first and then take his time. Those with high talent could also reach the Nine Dragon Gate and then slowly learn martial arts.

If it was all more or less the same, having higher Blood Essence would definitely give a better starting point.

"As I said, there are no shortcuts in martial arts. Taking a quick path will have consequences. A martial artist isn't just about the Dragon Gate Realm..."

Xu Yanwu sighed slightly. "Since you've succeeded, I'll tell you. The Nine Dragon Gate Leaps, Breaking Mortal Shell to Become Martial, circulating to the peak only makes you a mortal, not a true martial artist."

"There are many ways to increase Blood Essence. Martial arts can increase it, Magic Treasures can increase it, and top-tier ingredients can also increase it. If you simply want to get into a top university, get a good degree, and find a good job afterward, then yes, it's very useful."

Xu Yanwu paused. "But the Nine Realms of a Martial Artist are more than just the first realm. To advance, you need to learn martial arts. Only by learning martial arts can you break through the gates."

"The second realm is the Break Through Realm. Breaking through the Adamantine Gate, Divine Movement Gate, Qi Meridian Gate, Army Breaker Gate, Five Senses Gate, and Soul Stabilizing Gate – breaking through one of these six gates means entering the second realm, Breaking Mortal Shell to Become Martial."

"My martial art, if practiced well, can allow you to break through three gates at once!"