Dan River

"Gurgle, gurgle~"

As Shi Yi tested the increased strength in his punches, his stomach let out a hungry protest.

His belly was no longer protruding, but slightly sunken instead. The sound had come from within it.

"Zhao Cheng was right. Breaking through to the Blood Essence Realm really consumes a great deal."

"I ate ten jin of beef and drank soup beforehand, yet after breaking through, I still feel incredibly hungry."

"Fortunately, I prepared in advance."

"Whenever my martial cultivation breaks through in the future, I'll need to prepare food beforehand as well."

Throughout the breakthrough, Shi Yi used his Double Pupils to observe his own condition.

He could clearly see the changes in his blood essence and physical state.

Under his body's rapid consumption, the food within him perfectly merged with the red aura in the air. Combined with the cultivation technique he practiced, it transformed into blood essence within his body, tempering his flesh, increasing his strength, and making his constitution stronger as well.

During the breakthrough into the Blood Essence Realm, his body had undergone a transformation, breaking through the limits of the flesh.

This breakthrough made Shi Yi feel that the path of martial cultivation was likely one of breaking the body's limits again and again, ultimately stepping onto the true path beyond the ordinary.

Taking out the beef he had brought along, Shi Yi feasted heartily once more, eating every last bite without leaving anything behind.

"I actually still don't feel full."

"My appetite has grown again after my strength breakthrough!"

After eating, Shi Yi only felt about sixty percent full.

This caught Shi Yi by surprise. Previously, his normal appetite had been around five or six jin of meat. He had eaten ten jin of beef earlier only because his martial cultivation had been breaking through, causing him to eat more than usual.

He had not expected his appetite to nearly triple after the breakthrough. Of course, that was also related to the energy consumed during his breakthrough. Under normal circumstances, ten jin of beef should have been about enough.

"No wonder it's so difficult to achieve anything in martial cultivation. With such a huge appetite, ordinary families simply can't afford it."

"During the dozen or so days ahead at Anyang Martial Arts School, I'll need to watch my food intake. For now, I can't let anyone notice that my appetite has increased."

"If I can't eat enough, I'll come back and deal with it then."

As Shi Yi sensed the changes in his appetite, he also considered the potential hidden troubles those changes might bring.

As for money, it had no effect on him for the time being.

Even if he ate more than twenty jin of beef a day, his monthly food expenses would still not reach twenty thousand.

Buying beef in bulk came with a small discount. If conditions allowed, buying live cattle and slaughtering them himself would be even cheaper, though much more troublesome to handle.

If Shi Yi replaced some of it with chicken, pork, and the like, he could buy even more. It was simply that their effects in assisting cultivation were inferior to beef.

Shi Yi swept his gaze over the panel's traversal function again, delight flashing through his eyes.

There was another Anchor Point on the panel.

There were four Anchor Points in total. He had used all three from before, and now one remained.

This was good news for him, especially since he planned to leave Anyuan Town for two days afterward.

Anyang Martial Arts School.

"You're going back to Dan River? You'll return in around three days?"

Lu Feng looked at Shi Yi and asked.

After Shi Yi told Zhao Cheng that he needed to return to Dan River, Zhao Cheng brought him to the pavilion in the rear courtyard where Lu Feng was drinking tea.

Through Shi Yi's Double Pupils, Lu Feng's blood essence remained the same as when he had seen him last, without any noticeable change. Clearly, his strength had become difficult to improve and had stagnated.

In comparison, although Zhao Cheng's blood essence was not as powerful as Lu Feng's, Shi Yi could still see a faint improvement.

This was likely related to factors such as age, bone structure, and talent. Only when one's strength became difficult to improve would one choose to indulge in leisure.

Whoever wished to keep increasing their strength would spend every day drinking tea in a pavilion?

"Yes, Master Lu."

"I have no relatives in Dan River. I'm going back this time to take care of a few matters, and while I'm there, I'll transfer my household registration to Anyuan Town so I can settle here more conveniently."

Shi Yi nodded and explained his arrangements.

Now that the travel permit issue had been resolved, Shi Yi intended to handle his household registration as well.

He was now a member of Anyang Martial Arts School. Using the school's backing, dealing with household registration would be simple.

After obtaining a travel permit, Shi Yi could pay to replace his household registration, because in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the authorities placed greater importance on travel permits.

If Shi Yi had not previously claimed to be from Dan River, and if he did not need to return to Blue Star for his exams, he would not even have needed to visit Dan River. He could have replaced it directly in Anyuan Town!

Things like household registrations and travel permits were troublesome for ordinary people, but for those with backing, they were extremely simple.

"The household registration matter is easy. When the time comes, have your Senior Brother Zhao help you handle it."

"As for the miscellaneous affairs at your home, deal with them yourself. If you encounter a problem you can't resolve, tell your master. I can step in and settle it for you."

Although Lu Feng had not personally instructed Shi Yi during these past few days, he was very clear on Shi Yi's cultivation progress, because Zhao Cheng reported Shi Yi's progress to him.

Seeing Shi Yi's obviously more robust physique, he knew that Shi Yi had already achieved some results in cultivating the Blood Essence Chapter of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist. Otherwise, his figure would not have changed so much.

It was estimated that before long, Shi Yi would become his disciple. Thus, Lu Feng attached even greater importance to him.

Naturally, he could not stop Shi Yi from handling family matters.

"Thank you for the trouble, Master Lu and Senior Brother Zhao!"

Shi Yi said with clasped fists.

Dan River was not particularly far from Anyuan Town. It could be reached in a little over half a day. However, because it lay by the river, the residents were scattered about. Sometimes, people suddenly moved in without anyone nearby even knowing. Such things had happened before.

Sometimes, people were swept away and vanished when the river flooded. That was also a common occurrence.

Shi Yi had chosen to use the identity of someone from Dan River precisely because he knew these things.

Handling household registration here was nowhere near as troublesome as it was in Great Xia.

After leaving Anyang Martial Arts School, Shi Yi returned to the place he had rented. Since he was leaving this time, he needed to bring his bundle with him so that it would appear he had left normally.

Originally, if breaking through to the Blood Essence Realm had not given him an additional Anchor Point, Shi Yi would have removed the Anchor Point in the room first and left that slot empty.

Then, if he wanted to return to Blue Star while on the road, it would have been much easier!

But now, there was no need.

After packing his bundle, Shi Yi left!

Other than hidden cameras and a few detection tools, he had not left anything useful in the room.

He had taken all those modern tools back to his home on Blue Star. This place was now little more than an empty shell.

No one had come to cause trouble these past few days, but that did not mean no one would secretly sneak in.

With hidden cameras and similar items concealed in the room, if someone came, he would be able to learn of it through them.

Shi Yi left Anyuan Town openly and aboveboard, just as he had when he first arrived in Anyuan Town.

As he walked, Shi Yi observed his surroundings. After leaving Anyuan Town, he did not discover anyone following him.

People in this world basically all possessed blood essence, which was also related to the special red aura in the air. So long as they lived and breathed here, blood essence would show on their bodies.

Shi Yi had checked. Even newborn babies were no exception, though their blood essence was relatively weak.

Blood essence was extremely obvious in Shi Yi's Double Pupils. Therefore, if anyone had followed him out, there was no way they could have escaped his Double Pupils.

"No fools who failed to see what was before them. The great tree has one less source of nourishment."

"But that's good too. It saves me some trouble."

Shi Yi headed in the direction of Dan River.