Li Ye no longer eagerly converted his qi and blood every day right after eating. Following Xu Yanwu's advice, he tried to complete twelve cycles in one go.
He called this method the Twelve Cycles Technique.
It required 360 points of qi and blood to convert, so Li Ye would wait until he had stored that much before practicing all at once.
A complete set of twelve cycles truly had its benefits. It gave Li Ye an extra breath of qi that he could release when necessary.
It was like a reservoir dam, accumulating water in ordinary times. At a critical moment, he could open the gates and make the current surge larger.
And this reservoir dam could be stacked without limit, like a sluice whose water level only ever rose. Opening the gates would not cause it to drain away.
But the requirements were even more exaggerated than ordinary training. Generally speaking, one had to reach the Six Dragon Gate before being able to touch upon this method of cycling qi—and even then, one needed to be an exceptionally gifted Six Dragon Gate martial artist.
An ordinary Six Dragon Gate martial artist lacked the aptitude to cycle qi this way, while average martial artists had no chance of consuming so much qi and blood in one sitting. No matter how enormous an eater someone was, they could not eat and digest it on the spot.
With the amount of qi and blood required by the Second Dragon Gate, completing one Twelve Cycles Technique would be enough to break through into the Three Dragon Gate. At the Three Dragon Gate, one could only cycle qi a few times before possibly breaking through again.
Only Li Ye could rely on his authority to accumulate endlessly, suppressing his breakthroughs and forcefully converting it into the Twelve Cycles Technique, breaking through through the purest martial arts.
It was even purer than Xu Yanwu had imagined. He had never believed Li Ye could use the Twelve Cycles Technique at this stage; whenever he mentioned it, he had always meant the future.
Every time, Li Ye would eat here, casually go through the motions of training, then return to his rented room and convert his stored qi and blood while cooking, completing the Twelve Cycles Technique.
No wonder Pan Zhengyang had said that once this martial art was trained to perfection, even if someone hung him up and beat him, he could still casually beat others.
At this grand residence, he spent more of his time familiarizing himself with techniques.
His master said he was about to die. Before that happened, Li Ye had to see where his techniques still fell short, so he could correct them in time.
Another half month passed.
Night.
Inside the grand residence, Li Ye took a deep breath and nodded at Pan Zhengyang.
Pan Zhengyang grabbed a handful of iron chunks piled beside him like a small mountain. He picked one up and weighed it in his hand. "Then catch this."
Whoosh!
With only a light toss, the iron chunk tore through the air as it sped toward Li Ye.
Li Ye tilted to the side, dodging with the flying iron chunk almost grazing him. The tremendous force sent his hair whirling, but it ultimately failed to touch him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Pan Zhengyang hurled iron chunks with each hand at astonishing speed. As they split the wind, they shot forward like a barrage of bullets.
Facing the mass of iron chunks, Li Ye's body moved as though drunk. He staggered east and west, seemingly barely slipping past the chunks, yet his center of gravity remained steady. He even weaved and shifted continuously through the dense storm of iron.
Like a dragon roaming the heavens, threading through clouds.
"Again. Catch this!"
Pan Zhengyang laughed at the sight. He stepped back, then kicked the remaining iron chunks with one foot.
Bang!
The remaining chunks blasted out like buckshot, leaving not even a gap for someone to pass through. Even before they reached him, their power could be felt in the gusting wind that rushed forth.
Li Ye planted his feet and watched the mass of incoming iron chunks. Qi circulated through his entire body. He exhaled turbid breath and let the iron chunks charge at him.
Clang!
Clang, clang, clang!!
As though striking an iron plate, the scattered iron chunks hit every part of Li Ye's body—his head, eyes, mouth, chest, abdomen, knees, even his groin. Yet they only produced crisp rings before falling from his body.
Metal rang against metal; his body was indestructible.
"Let's make it bigger!"
Pan Zhengyang's smile deepened. Reaching backward, he tossed an iron block nearly half a man tall into the air.
Li Ye's gaze followed it upward. He bent his knees slightly, then leaped straight up with a thud. His hands formed claws and thrust forward, plunging into the iron block as though it were foam.
Riiip!!
The half-man-high iron block was torn in two by Li Ye's motion. Only then did he land lightly.
On closer inspection, the edges of the iron block in his grip had wrinkled between his fingers like a plastic bag being clutched.
His strength was that of a fierce tiger; his claws split iron and stone.
"Though it isn't refined iron, it's already impressive enough. When I was in the Dragon Gate Realm, I trained top-tier martial arts too, but at the Three Dragon Gate, I wasn't as capable as you."
Pan Zhengyang smiled and turned to Xu Yanwu, who sat in a grandmaster's chair. "Are you satisfied with the disciple I found for you?"
Xu Yanwu slowly nodded and looked at Li Ye. "Come."
Li Ye obeyed and approached, standing before Xu Yanwu. "Master."
By now, Li Ye had already reached the Three Dragon Gate.
The rice in his rented room had run out a few days ago. After packing up, he had terminated the lease and ate only here.
Not only had he improved quickly, his techniques had become so standard that they developed a style of their own. He used the methods best suited to his body to execute every move, without the slightest obstruction.
He had not intended to advance so quickly. But five days ago, Xu Yanwu's condition had taken a sudden turn for the worse. Previously, he had been an ordinary man who could eat and walk. Now, he could only sit in the grandmaster's chair, and his body had begun to stiffen.
Xu Yanwu could still speak, but he unconsciously accelerated his guidance for Li Ye. Not wishing to disappoint his master, Li Ye did not delay when it was time to break through. He had entered the Three Dragon Gate earlier that day.
Xu Yanwu watched Li Ye. "When your realm is higher in the future, make sure you complete twelve cycles. You've played games, right? It will make you like a BOSS, with a 'second phase.'"
Then he looked at Pan Zhengyang. "Old Pan, we've known each other for over thirty years. I have nothing to leave you. Passing down my martial arts gives me an answer, and it gives you one too. This is good. Thank you."
Pan Zhengyang seemed to sense something. A trace of sorrow showed in his eyes, but he immediately laughed and cursed, "Cut the nonsense! After all these years, you're still arrogant as hell, acting like you're so damn amazing! If you really want to thank me, then once you recover a little, treat me to a huge drink, find a few girls, and while you're at it, lose your virginity!"
Xu Yanwu smiled at that, but that very smile was all the more terrifying.
"I don't have a home either. My ancestors all died long ago, so I suppose I'm an orphan. There's no need for a memorial tablet. After I die, burn me to ashes. Find a day when the wind is strong and let them scatter where they will. I never properly saw the world all these years. I hope that after death, I can take a look."
Then he said to Li Ye, "Train well. See the scenery beyond the martial path. I won't get to see it, so let you, my successor, see it on behalf of my lineage."
At this, Li Ye dropped to his knees with a thump. He said nothing more and struck his head against the ground three times. He put all his strength into every kowtow, cracking the stone slabs beneath him.
On the final one, Li Ye did not raise his head. "Master, rest assured. I will do it!"
There was no sound from across from him.
"Old Xu!"
Pan Zhengyang's choked voice rang out.
Li Ye abruptly raised his head. Xu Yanwu sat steady in the grandmaster's chair, a faint smile on his face. No longer wearing that cold expression, he had frozen beneath the moonlight.
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