A Man Over Twenty-Eight Is Sixty

Li Ye stood in the center of the room after his parents finished their discussion outside. He took a deep breath, stood with his feet together, and swept his arms out to the sides like a roc spreading its wings, stretching his muscles and bones while his breathing deepened and grew powerful.

Five minutes later, Li Ye's hands formed dragon claws as he yanked them upwards, stretching his spine as much as possible. His breathing became rhythmic, and his outstretched arms pointed straight towards the sky.

Opening the shoulders and raising the spine, activating the meridians, blood essence surged, and his spirit was invigorated.

After maintaining the pose for a while, Li Ye changed his stance. His feet planted firmly, he engaged his hips and waist, and his shoulders and back slowly yet heavily impacted the air. He exhaled at that moment, causing his muscles and bones to vibrate.

The current movements and breathing were a Guiding Method practiced in the Divine Land since elementary school, which strengthened the body and improved Blood Essence.

There were eighteen sets of movements in total. For those with martial artist aptitude, this was a direct path to the Dragon Gate Realm.

The first realm of the nine martial artist realms was the Dragon Gate Realm, also known as 'Fish Leap'.

Nine leaps of Blood Essence to break through mortality and become a martial artist.

Each leap represented a qualitative leap for the Blood Essence.

It was also the foundation for fighting Demons.

It wasn't that weapons were ineffective; on the contrary, gunpowder was used to ward off evil, with records dating back to Tang Dynasty ancient texts. Thus, the greater the quantity, the greater the effect.

However, the pollution from Demons was not something ordinary people could handle. Only those with abundant Blood Essence could achieve twice the result with weapons.

But breaking through the Dragon Gate did not mean everything was settled. If one could not complete the nine leaps to consolidate their Blood Essence, their strength would decline with age.

The old do not rely on muscles and bones for strength.

Especially for those who had only leaped once in their Blood Essence, as they aged, they would only be slightly healthier than ordinary people.

Many people gave up practicing martial arts for this very reason. After all, if they couldn't break through the Dragon Gate into the martial path even in their youth when their Blood Essence was abundant, could they do it when they were older?

If not by eighteen, should they wait until twenty-eight? For a man, twenty-eight is already sixty!

Someone like Fu Yan was truly rare.

Even though he had given up practicing martial arts, he could still practice the Guiding Method from time to time; it was good for strengthening the body.

After completing the entire set of movements, Li Ye stood still and adjusted his breathing for a few moments. He suddenly twisted his left foot. Although he was only wearing socks, the floor beneath him made a strange 'squeak' as it rubbed.

Hoo!

His right foot shot out like a sword, whistling through the air, and struck fiercely into the emptiness at an angle.

Immediately after, Li Ye pressed his upper body down, his legs like iron rods swinging downwards. Just as they were about to land, he landed them lightly, propelling his body high into the air, his legs continuously kicking in a rapid succession.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

His legs cut through the air, and Li Ye finally landed. Upon touching the ground, he delivered three more kicks in rapid succession, from bottom to top, as if striking a person's knee, heart, and head. They were swift and powerful, yet precise and strong like shooting stars!

Training Method: Springing Leg!

The 'Springing' from a bullet!

This was the result of Li Ye's five years of training at the martial hall.

If the Guiding Method was about building a foundation, then the Training Method was about further utilizing that foundation to improve Blood Essence to the point of leaping.

This was the way of training at the martial hall, and a mainstream path for most preparatory students.

It was like cram school in his previous life.

At most, the preparatory courses at school lasted two years, teaching things to strengthen the body's foundation.

Running laps, climbing, weightlifting, obstacle courses, hitting punch targets, standing meditation, moving meditation, etc., all built up stamina, resilience, and flexibility. Combined with the Guiding Method, it was also a form of indirect enhancement.

After all, the improvement of Blood Essence was not directly related to physical strength, but physical strength was definitely related to Blood Essence.

And the martial hall's Training Method, in his previous life, was equivalent to a killing martial art.

In a way, Li Ye was a martial arts master.

This was the source of his 'Excellent' rating in the preparatory physical test.

And this source was the most expensive!

The Thunderclap Martial Hall he attended had a certain reputation locally. Its Training Method, 'Springing Leg', relied on leg techniques to boost Blood Essence from the soles of the feet upwards throughout the entire body.

The tuition was 100,000 yuan per year.

This did not include auxiliary services like food and medicinal baths provided by the martial hall.

The Guiding Method and preparatory training, as long as the family provided timely supplements, like the soup he drank today, would not cause any problems. It was gentle and suitable for the general public.

However, the martial hall's Training Method required the use of specially provided food and medicinal baths to compensate for the damage left by the training.

The cost of these supplements and medicinal baths alone had cost Li Ye nearly 300,000 yuan in the past five years. Especially in his second year of preparatory school, the tuition plus supplementary fees totaled 200,000 yuan.

Even so, a large number of people still failed to break through the Dragon Gate.

His family's finances were long depleted. He knew his parents had borrowed money, so he had to cut his losses in time.

If he were to train for another year, it would likely cost more than 200,000 yuan.

The martial path was indeed captivating. The Training Method alone had given Li Ye a taste of what it meant to be a martial arts master.

For someone with his past-life experience, he was very curious about what kind of scenery lay beyond the martial path.

But reality was inescapable.

Li Ye kicked a few times, then stopped, gathered his breath, and stood still, breathing deeply for ten minutes before pulling out a chair and starting on his practice papers.

As for academics, the only difference between Divine Land and his previous life was that the cultural subjects were Chinese, Math, and General Studies, with no foreign languages. Those were only electives available in university.

From now on, he needed to improve his grades in these areas and aim for a better university in a year.

Another hour passed, and Li Ye put down his pen, checked the time. It was exactly nine in the evening.

Time for his nightly run.

Li Ye pulled a backpack and a box from under his bed, stuffing the contents of the box into the backpack.

Things like a salt water pellet gun, a peach wood dagger, a high-intensity flashlight, a small fire extinguisher, and even some righteous songs. He'd even packed two homemade Molotov cocktails.

Salt had a suppressive effect on some demons.

Peach wood repelled evil.

Light drove away malevolent spirits.

Filth feared purifying winds.

Fire extinguished Yin energy.

Righteousness warded off demons and ghosts.

These ancient methods were not uncommon in history. Li Ye brought them on every night run, just in case he encountered any demons and needed a way to deal with them.

As for why he did this...

It was because night running was the only way to train the 'Springing Leg' technique without spending money.

Once he was ready, he slung the backpack over his shoulders and left the house to start his night run.

As he ran, his legs vibrated according to the training method, aiming to train from thigh to sole with every step. After one foot landed, the other would swiftly kick out, then vibrate down again.

Doing this for two hours could consolidate his training.

Martial arts training was like sailing against the current; not advancing meant falling behind.

He had spent money, and he couldn't waste it. He had to at least maintain his current strength.

At eleven at night, Li Ye ran back into the residential complex.

There were no night markets around the old complex. Most people were already asleep, with only a few windows showing lights. The complex itself was very quiet.

Li Ye adjusted his backpack and continued forward, but the faint strange smell he'd noticed earlier was becoming more pungent.

It was much stronger than when he'd returned from school, forcing him to hold his breath.

He'd call the property management tomorrow and tell them to sort it out quickly. Otherwise, in another day, who knew how much worse the smell would be.

There were no streetlights within the old complex. Only the scattered lights from the floors and the moon in the sky provided a dim illumination, making the surroundings appear indistinct.

Li Ye pressed on through the stench. As he neared the building next to his, he saw a hunched figure rummaging through a garbage can that was emitting a foul odor.

As he got closer, he could see it was a stooped figure with graying hair.

Li Ye recognized him. He was from the fourth floor of the building next door, surnamed Zhao. Like ordinary old men, he had a hobby of scavenging at night.

But this man took it to an extreme. While others might pick up a few plastic bottles or cans, this Old Man Zhao took everything home.

Expired food, leaky dolls, discarded cigarette butts... apart from swill, it seemed he'd take anything.

His home was even more unbearable. Li Ye had seen neighbors argue with him several times because of this.

But the old man had no children and lived alone. In Divine Land, not only could no one do anything about him, but the staff had to treat him with respect. He received social security, and they even sent gifts and visited him during holidays.

No one could do anything about his peculiar habit.

Li Ye didn't want to get involved and sped up a little. However, as he got closer, he could see more clearly.

Old Man Zhao was still wearing filthy clothes he must have found somewhere. But more striking than his clothes were his actions at that moment, which made Li Ye freeze.

The garbage around him had been thoroughly overturned. He himself was practically inside the trash can, reaching in and pulling out a handful of food waste mixed with fish bones and other decaying matter. He grabbed it like mud and shoved it directly into his mouth!

He was eating garbage!

Old Man Zhao made no sound. He was like a puppet, his vacant face chewing twice as his hands continued to rummage through the trash can, as if he hadn't eaten in a long time.

The bizarre scene stunned Li Ye.

Old Man Zhao seemed to sense something and looked up, tilting his head. Li Ye saw his eyes, hollow and gray like those of a dead person, and his open mouth. Within the mud-like food, something was still wriggling.

Something was wrong.

"Ah!"

Just as he thought this, a hoarse, grating cry like a broken gong suddenly rang out beside his ear, making Li Ye jump.

Old Man Zhao leaned forward, rushing at Li Ye like a crazed zombie, flailing his arms and reaching out!

In the dim light, Li Ye could even make out the blackness under Old Man Zhao's fingernails and the moldy green growths on the back of his hands!

In an instant, Li Ye's mind raced.

Zombie? Roaming Corpse? Puppet Corpse? Rotten Creature Demon? Returning Evil?

Demons!