Moves Like a Swimming Dragon, Strength Like a Fierce Tiger, Body Like Metal

In the rented house on the outskirts, Li Ye turned on the dim chandelier and looked at the pile of rice. He spread his stance slightly, adjusted his breathing, and circulated the Twelve Golden Palaces Dragon Tiger Gate, condensing his Blood Essence into a membrane. It only lasted for an instant before he exhaled a puff of white mist that reached only his chest.

"This way, the remaining Blood Essence is completely condensed," Li Ye murmured.

The meals he had today, thanks to the Five Flavors Chopsticks, had increased his Blood Essence by 150 points. Adding his original amount, it should have been 240.

However, cultivating the Twelve Golden Palaces Dragon Tiger Gate had consumed a lot.

A single circulation exercise, which was usually 7 points down and 2 points up, became 18 points down and 2.5 points up. A full martial arts circulation exercise was even more exaggerated, causing Blood Essence to drop by 30 points while only increasing by 3!

He had practiced quite a few times today. Whether it was normal or slow circulation, the decrease was the same, almost equivalent to six repetitions, totaling 180 points. He had eaten for free today and even lost some Blood Essence.

But he couldn't calculate it that way. He first decreased and then increased, and the increase in Blood Essence was the strength gained from the martial art.

He had decreased by 180 points and then increased by 18. These 18 points represented the martial art's improvement to his Blood Essence.

This martial art required a tenfold conversion rate to cultivate!

As for the remaining 60 points of Blood Essence, they were also converted during the recent circulation, becoming 6 points.

His current Blood Essence was only 24.

It was also the purest power of the Twelve Golden Palaces Dragon Tiger Gate.

The datafication of Blood Essence was his own way of using his Authority for intuitive perception, not actual data.

Now, if he wanted to advance further with martial arts, he naturally had to change his approach.

"Condensing Blood Essence with the purest martial art is ten times the normal Blood Essence. But if I follow this path to leap to the Nine Dragon Gate, I should be able to break through directly, and..."

He clenched his fist, a smile appearing on his face, "I will be very strong!"

It would just require even more food.

These ten tons of rice were originally intended for another leap through the Dragon Gate. But now, if he used martial arts for condensation, it would only increase his Blood Essence by 30 points.

To break through the Second Dragon Gate, he theoretically needed a hundred tons of rice, which was simply unaffordable.

Fortunately, he could now freeload meals every day, and his appetite could gradually increase. He could completely wait until he had enough Blood Essence before condensing it all at once to break through the Second Dragon Gate.

Instead of relying on a simple breakthrough of Blood Essence, he would store it up and use it as nourishment for his martial art.

"Time to eat!"

Li Ye tore open the rice packaging and began to cook.

The outskirts at night were very quiet, with only the dim yellow light from the small house and the moving figure visible through the window.

For the remaining days, Li Ye followed a very regular routine.

In the morning, he would eat first, then practice circulation, and then, following Xu Yanwu's guidance, begin practicing his moves.

In the Twelve Golden Palaces Dragon Tiger Gate, the movement technique was like a swimming dragon, while the Lightness Skill required stepping on the air with his feet to ascend, which was more difficult than the movement technique. It wasn't simple high jumping; it was stepping on the air with each foot to achieve lift-off.

Before mastering it, he first trained with these iron stakes, from low to high, constantly jumping to grasp the feeling of stepping on the air.

Although more difficult than the movement technique, this was actually the first thing Li Ye learned.

Lightness Skill relied more on Blood Essence control, which wasn't too difficult for Li Ye.

Even if he could only step on the air three times at first, it was only limited by his current realm.

After mastering the methods of movement and lightness skill, Xu Yanwu began teaching him other moves.

The Twelve Golden Palaces Dragon Tiger Gate did not use weapons; it emphasized punches and kicks, with significant gains in claw techniques.

Both dragon and tiger used claws.

This aspect wasn't difficult, but it emphasized longevity. By mastering the techniques of force generation and forming muscle memory, and then engraving it into his bones through long practice, the moves would be considered mastered.

Li Ye even turned the Pest Control Bureau into his daily routine: practice and eat, eat and practice.

24, 40, 57, 75, 95, 120

The condensation of Blood Essence increased day by day, and the food served each day also increased. He would also go to the rented house at night to finish the remaining rice.

After half a month of martial arts training, Li Ye's Blood Essence finally surged again, breaking through to the Second Dragon Gate.

The Blood Essence value from the Second Dragon Gate to the Three Dragon Gate became 450 in the datafication.

This noon.

Dong!

On the iron stake, a figure leaped into the air at high speed, stepping on the air and creating a circle of energy that allowed him to ascend further. After stepping with his left foot, he switched to his right foot and stepped again, ascending continuously.

It was like a swimming dragon ascending, reaching out its claws to tread on clouds, but the energy circles it created also had a sense of explosive power.

After maneuvering in the air seven or eight times, Li Ye turned his body and landed lightly. He then slipped into the gaps between the iron stakes, moving through them like a snake. He quickly reached the end, spun around without hesitation, and struck a claw at the iron stake.

Screech!!

A muffled sound mixed with a strange twisting noise. On the iron stake, as thick as a thigh, a deep claw mark appeared. The originally straight iron stake even bent backward, showing the immense force.

The figure then stood firm, exhaling a breath of turbid air through his nose. However, unlike before, it did not spray out as white mist but merely became a longer, more sustained breath.

"Moves like a swimming dragon, strength like a fierce tiger, body like metal... This is only the Second Dragon Gate, and the signs are already appearing."

Pan Zhengyang, who was watching from the side, clicked his tongue and looked at Xu Yanwu, "I always thought you wouldn't become this monstrous until the Nine Dragon Gate."

"Pure martial arts condensation, of course, the higher the realm, the more powerful it becomes. The Second Dragon Gate should not be underestimated."

Xu Yanwu said calmly, "Besides, without this much power, you wouldn't enjoy spending your money."

Hearing this, Pan Zhengyang clutched his chest, feigning heartache.

"Li Ye, time to eat," Xu Yanwu said to Li Ye, who was in front of the iron post, without looking at Pan Zhengyang.

"Coming, Master."

After adjusting his breathing for a moment, Li Ye smiled at the two of them and walked over.

But he didn't head towards the stone table. There were only a few dishes on the stone table, which Pan Zhengyang had eaten with Xu Yanwu during his visit.

As for his meal...

Li Ye walked towards a large cauldron half his height. He took out the Five Flavors Chopsticks with his right hand and supported the cauldron from below with his left. He effortlessly lifted the cauldron, bringing it right up to his face. He tilted the rim of the cauldron and began to eat directly with the chopsticks.

For the past two days, Li Ye's food had been served in this large cauldron instead of the spacious stone table.

Just as Pan Zhengyang had once said, Li Ye's current dining style could be described as 'feasting on delicacies and ringing bells.'

After so many days of intense training, his appetite had gradually increased. Neither of them prepared digestive aids for him anymore; he now ate only hearty, substantial dishes, all cooked together in one pot.

The taste didn't matter. With the Five Flavors Chopsticks, even the most unpalatable food could be made delicious.

He could even make cigarette butts taste good!

The benefit of such a huge appetite was that Li Ye could increase his Blood Essence by about 200 points after his three meals a day, which translated to 20 points of progress in his martial arts.

The downside, however...

"You're costing me a hundred thousand a day."

Pan Zhengyang wasn't faking his heartache; he was genuinely distressed.

With his connections, acquiring these ingredients wasn't prohibitively expensive, not like the prices outside. But they weren't cheap either. Li Ye's appetite meant he was spending an average of a hundred thousand yuan daily.

"If this keeps up until the Nine Dragon Gate, I'll have to start selling my collection," Pan Zhengyang grumbled.

Money wasn't the issue; he had deep pockets. At worst, he could sell some of his past acquisitions.

"Who said anything about the Nine Dragon Gate?" Xu Yanwu interjected.

"Huh? If you're not going to the Nine Dragon Gate, you're practically dying. And you're leaving your successor like this? Shouldn't you be nurturing him?" Pan Zhengyang asked, surprised.

Xu Yanwu shook his head. "There's no need. Martial artists nurtured like that, no matter how strong, will lack a certain edge. Besides, how long can you keep nurturing him? Forget getting into a Martial Arts University; even entering a Martial Arts Major requires practical experience. The Three Dragon Gate is sufficient; he'll be able to protect himself."

"Director Pan, you've already helped me more than enough."

During the meal, Li Ye also looked up and joked, "Any more help, and the kindness will turn into a burden. If I can't repay it, I'll have to kill people."

"Get out! You're barely out of diapers and you're talking about killing people? Do you think you have that ability? Do you think this is our era?"

Pan Zhengyang rolled his eyes, then nodded and said to Xu Yanwu, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Three Dragon Gate it is."

Li Ye grinned and continued to bury his head in his food.

Director Pan's great kindness was beyond repayment.

He had given him Magic Treasures, dealt with troubles, let him collect a salary, brought him a master to teach him peerless martial arts, and on top of all that, supplied him with three meals a day at such a high cost...

Li Ye had only helped Pan Zhengyang with a small favor, and the reward was so immense. Even if the great figures didn't care, Li Ye himself was content.

A person shouldn't be so shamelessly greedy.

With Authority and martial arts, couldn't he find ingredients himself?

Most of these ingredients were obtained from Demons, after all.

At worst, he could just spend more time eating!