Just Missing a Worm Split in Half

The Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toad prefers water, appearing in places where streams and rock crevices seep water. They emerge in greater numbers after rain.

Li Ye climbed straight up to another peak, landing on a flat area near the summit. A stream of living water had pooled here, forming a small pond. Li Ye walked to the edge of the pond and circled it.

The pond water wasn't stagnant; it flowed downwards, forming a stream on the mountainside.

Li Ye approached the pond near a rock, staring at the spiral-shaped white foam appearing on the surface, the frost-like traces emerging from the rock crevices, and the slime-like spiderweb imprints at his feet.

A smirk touched his lips. He squatted in front of the pond and dipped his finger in, causing ripples.

These traces were signs of the Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toad's presence. The frost in the rock crevices and the slime-like webs underfoot indicated it had hunted nearby, while the white foam in the pond suggested it was right below.

With these signs, it meant there was definitely a cave nearby, likely inhabited by many Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toads.

Splash!

Just as he thought this, the water where his finger had dipped stirred. Li Ye pulled his hand out, bringing with it a giant grey toad that had swallowed half his arm, reaching up to Li Ye's knee.

"Trying to swallow me? Your mouth isn't big enough!"

Li Ye grinned menacingly. He reached into the toad's mouth and hooked upwards, ripping out a mass of flesh from its spine. With a flick of his arm, he easily tossed the toad onto the ground.

He washed his arm with the pond water, looking at his torn sleeve and exposed forearm. He shook his head slightly and then looked at the Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toad, from whose back he had just ripped out flesh.

Essentially, apart from its size, it was no different from a normal toad. However, the saliva on its tongue was corrosive, and being hit by it would likely be unpleasant.

Only someone like him, who had practiced the Iron Body Technique and solidified their Blood Essence into a hard membrane, could withstand it.

Yao Leden had said that most Martial Arts Students preferred the Ironclad Boar because it was the easiest. The others were beyond their league.

He had reviewed the information on the demons of Dragon Mountain. Those marked with green names were not difficult for him, and he didn't need to be overly cautious.

"It should be around here."

Li Ye ignored the toad and walked downstream along the flowing stream. He then found an opening on the left. Looking down, he saw only darkness.

He took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and kicked off, jumping into the opening. He stomped on the air, creating several waves of energy, like descending stairs, and easily landed inside.

This was a cave. Water flowed down nearby, and the surroundings were covered in moss. It was much cooler here than the muggy heat of the day.

"Gulp—"

A muffled toad-like sound came from nearby. Li Ye turned his phone and saw numerous toads and frogs hopping around. Among them were about a dozen grey toads, much larger than the others.

Blinded by the strong light, the Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toads reacted, their mouths opening as they shot out blurry streaks of foamy saliva.

Li Ye dodged to the side, his feet barely touching the ground. He moved as if skimming low in the air, or swimming through it, quickly darting forward. His fingers splayed open instantly, slashing straight ahead.

"Golden Dragon Claw."

Swoosh!

His fingers became like hooks, easily tearing a large gash in the head of a large toad.

Thump!

Killing it with one move, Li Ye suddenly leaped to the side, his clawed hand lunging forward, creating a whistling sound in the air.

"White Tiger Leaps Over the Stream."

With one grab, he tore downwards from the toad's head, like pressing into mud, ripping the toad in half.

A toad nearby seemed to sense danger and sprang away, but just as it launched, Li Ye grabbed its leg and swung it violently against the cave wall ahead.

"Golden Palace Suppresses the Underworld."

Bang!

The force was immense, creating a dull thud. The Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toad's toughness was only slightly greater than a normal toad's. The real difficulty lay in its incredibly fast tongue and its corrosive saliva.

But Li Ye could ignore all of that.

His Dragon Gate Technique, specifically its movement skill, Swimming Dragon, allowed him to dodge the darting tongues at extreme speed. Once he got close, it was over for them.

Golden Dragon Claw was an attack that complemented his movement skill, White Tiger Leaps Over the Stream focused on explosive power, and Golden Palace Suppresses the Underworld was pure brute force.

These were the basic three forms of his [Twelve Golden Palaces Dragon Tiger Gate]. With just these three forms, he was capable of dealing with many enemies.

Not long after, he had wiped out all the conspicuous Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toads, leaving only scattered remains in the cave. He then used his movement skill to leap out of the cave and head towards the higher mountain summit.

There were many demons to train against, but primarily three types: the Ironclad Boar on land, the water-dwelling Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toad, and one more... in the sky.

At the summit of the peak lived a type of bird, the Hidden Stone Partridge Owl. They were demon-like creatures resembling pigeons, preferring high places and nesting on rocky peaks.

As long as one found a high, bare rocky peak, their traces could be found. This was not difficult for Li Ye. With a display of his movement skill and kicks from his legs, he quickly discovered the birds nesting in their nests.

Overall, they looked like large, grey-and-white pigeons, but their long beaks had sharp teeth. Upon seeing someone approach, they immediately opened their mouths and let out piercing, disorienting cries.

The greatest characteristic of this type of demon was its ability to emit shrieks, disorienting enemies before charging in with their sharp beaks.

However, this was also useless against Li Ye.

He leaped onto the rocky peak, his hands moving rapidly. His left hand grabbed a bird and crushed it into a bloody pulp with a forceful squeeze. His right hand tore another bird into several pieces.

These birds had to be dealt with quickly. If he was slow and they flew away, it would be much harder to catch them again.

Soon, feathers flew and flesh splattered. Nothing remained on the bird's nest.

He exhaled, casually flicked the blood from his hands, and laughed.

"Interesting. The Ironclad Boar tests one's patience, as well as their strength and martial arts prowess. The Whirlpool Saliva Grey Toad tests knowledge of finding demon traces and reaction speed. The Hidden Stone Partridge Owl, on the other hand, tests one's Qinggong and ability to quickly resolve threats."

These were indeed meant for training, testing a person's martial arts strength. Their overall danger was far less than that of the Five Plagues Ghost, which could cause disasters. Even the lesser demons he encountered in the city would be more harmful if they developed.

No wonder that person named Fu Chuxue didn't participate. For someone practicing an Eight Dragon Gate and a realm-breaking martial art like himself, there was no real necessity for this kind of training unless it was for resources.

But for Li Ye, this was great news. It meant no one would be competing with him.

These demons were his Blood Essence food!

Li Ye pushed off the ground, unleashing another wave of energy, and moved to another area.

He needed to take down a few more to accumulate some points.

Li Ye thought about exchanging them for more Nutrient Solution, but the demons that were caught were in for a world of pain.

For ordinary Martial Arts Students, even those at the Three Dragon Gate or Fourth Dragon Gate, facing a single demon involved many considerations.

To deal with a demon, if training alone, one would need to confirm if the target was isolated, if they had a suitable weapon, and also search for demon traces while formulating a battle plan.

Dealing with a single demon, no matter how you approached it, would take at least tens of minutes.

Someone like Li Ye, rather than hunting, was more like confirming his ecological position. Like a fierce tiger entering a grassland, he killed whatever he saw. No demon could escape his grasp.

After clearing out most of the basic three types of demons, Li Ye turned his attention to the rarer ones, and then began his rampage!

Rock Dwelling Ground Snake, a type of snake that lived under rocks or in crevices, was an expert at hiding. Li Ye directly shattered the rocks and tore the snake apart.

There was no need to search specifically. If he saw something that looked roughly like it, he'd just destroy it.

Pine Needle Demon Locust, resembling tree resin, was wrapped around the bark and also difficult to spot. Li Ye tore it away along with the tree.

Rock Armor Mountain Monkey, similar to the Ironclad Boar, had hardness comparable to hard iron. They lived in sloped rocky caves. Li Ye directly smashed open the mountain entrance, grabbed the monkey, and tore it into pieces.

Steel Needle Spider, a spider that lurked in bushes, was cleared away by him along with the bushes, leaving only remains.

As long as he encountered a demon, none of them could escape.

This caused a headache for the monitoring military camp.

A staff member pointed at the screen and shouted, "This is unmanageable! Forget a day, we can't even last the afternoon. What's wrong with this person? He's fighting everything. Is he desperate for money?"

Not only were the three deliberately placed major demons being eliminated, but even the demons that had developed naturally in the area were being found and killed by this student.

He wasn't even looking for clues; he was directly smashing through things. Anything he thought looked like a demon was not spared.

The reason these demons were allowed to develop was twofold: first, they wouldn't proliferate due to ecological balance, and second, they served a purpose in the ecosystem.

For example, the Rock Armor Mountain Monkey could clear away loose stones on the mountainside, preventing landslides.

The Rock Dwelling Ground Snake was food for the Hidden Stone Partridge Owl, and upon death, it had a chance to combine with rocks to form high-quality mineral veins.

These naturally occurring demons, as long as their numbers were controlled, were not harmful and even beneficial.

Moreover, they were inherently difficult to find. A training session for a Martial Arts Student would at most serve to control their numbers. But this student was performing a complete sweep, practically turning over the earth and splitting earthworms in half.

What was he trying to do?

Was he desperate for money?

No, that couldn't be right. Someone who could train to this level wouldn't be poor, would they?

"What a talent!"

A military officer, drawn by the commotion, had his eyes light up. "Poverty is good! Being poor is good! If he's poor, it means he hasn't been sponsored by anyone. If he hasn't been sponsored, doesn't that make him a wild genius? Excellent, excellent! Then we can sponsor him!"

"There's a situation!"

At this moment, another staff member exclaimed in surprise. Everyone turned to look, not at the destructive student, but at a muscular student nearly two meters tall. He had approached the edge of the area, near a section of the mountain that had been excavated, when he was suddenly attacked and sent flying backward.

However, the display screen showed nothing.

But this was already indicative of a problem!

"Mobile unit!"

The officer shouted and prepared to go out.

"That student is approaching too!"

"Use drones to block them and have them retreat!"

The officer paused, then glared fiercely at the staff members but said nothing.

Insufficient screening could happen, and it wasn't their fault. There were always some demons that appeared unexpectedly.

This was why they were responsible for monitoring, to provide support in case of emergencies.

Just as the officer stepped out the door, the staff members cried out again, "Gone! It's gone!"

He turned his head, and on one of the screens, showing a first-person perspective, the image showed a lizard-like creature being split in half and falling to the ground.