Blue Star.
"The books have finally been sorted out!"
"Using photo-to-text printing is fast, but I should still copy them out again later as handwriting practice."
Printed books were stacked beside Shi Yi.
They were all books he had borrowed from Lou Xuanming and reproduced using modern technology.
Though it cost some time and money, the efficiency was indeed high.
Shi Yi had also kept Lou Xuanming's reminder firmly in mind. These books were not meant to be read once and set aside; they needed to be revisited repeatedly and their deeper meanings carefully studied.
"Once I've more or less finished the Four Books and Five Classics, I'll read these books."
Shi Yi had made plans for his reading.
His schedule was tightly packed now.
If he had not learned that Lou Xuanming was leaving on a study tour, he would have postponed copying these books for even longer.
"Next, I'll focus on the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist."
"At my current cultivation pace, in a few more days, I'll complete my accumulation in the Blood Essence Realm and attempt to break through into the Flesh and Blood Realm as a Martial Scholar!"
For Shi Yi, martial cultivation was the only path currently available to him, so he still needed to devote more of his energy to it.
With various cultivation resources assisting him now, his cultivation efficiency had risen greatly. For the time being, he did not need to worry about lacking resources.
"Zhao Cheng told me before that once he breaks through the second level of the Flesh and Blood Realm, the Stone Skin Inscription, he'll also head to the Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County to cultivate."
"With his original cultivation progress, it should have taken a long time. But now that Zhao Cheng has obtained Silver Wolf Spirit flesh and blood, his breakthrough will definitely come earlier."
"If I break through into the Flesh and Blood Realm first, then reveal my Flesh and Blood Realm cultivation once Zhao Cheng breaks through, perhaps I can go with him to cultivate at the Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County."
Shi Yi had learned from Zhao Cheng that the requirements for cultivating at the Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County varied.
The younger one was, the lower the requirements.
Zhao Cheng was already twenty-three, so the requirement he needed to meet for the Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County was to break through to the second level of the Flesh and Blood Realm, the Stone Skin Inscription, before turning twenty-five.
Shi Yi, meanwhile, was sixteen. What he needed was to break through into the Flesh and Blood Realm before turning eighteen. Those with outstanding performance could qualify even with consummate Blood Essence Realm cultivation.
Given Shi Yi's performance, he naturally met the standard for being outstanding.
"For Martial Scholars of the Flesh and Blood Realm who cultivate the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist, the best choice for advancing further is to go to the Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County and cultivate the Great Heavenly Cycle Body Tempering Fist. Only by combining the two can they produce the best results."
"If I switch to another cultivation method, whether for Muscle Refinement or Bone Tempering, the effects will be far inferior."
Shi Yi knew very well that choosing his primary cultivation method carelessly would ultimately make it difficult to cultivate to completion. His body would not be tempered sufficiently, and his strength would be weaker than others at the same level.
Among people of the same realm and stage, differences in blood essence arose from cultivation methods, resources, the degree of bodily tempering, and other such factors.
Under equal conditions, the most important factor was the degree of bodily tempering.
"Anyuan Town is still too small. I need to go somewhere bigger."
"My Daoist cultivation also needs to be resolved in Ninghe County."
Shi Yi had already recognized every character in the Great Vehicle Tathagata Sutra within the Bodhi seed and had pondered its cultivation methods.
But the more he read, the more he felt that it lacked certain foundational, or perhaps early-stage, cultivation essentials.
It began right away with the cultivation of Spirit Wandering, yet Shi Yi did not understand at all how to make the soul wander. This made him feel that a portion was missing.
Or perhaps it was not missing at all—it simply had never included that initial portion to begin with.
That early knowledge was likely something anyone wishing to cultivate was supposed to have already mastered, rather than starting out knowing nothing.
Shi Yi felt as though he were lost in clouds and mist because he lacked this foundational knowledge.
To make up for it, he needed to come into contact with a Daoist temple and obtain the basics of Daoist cultivation.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Anyuan Town.
"Phew!"
"My blood essence accumulation has finally reached completion!"
Inside his rented room, Shi Yi stopped cultivating and let out a long breath.
He could clearly sense that the blood essence within his body had finally accumulated to its limit.
His strength had improved every day over the past few days, gradually approaching the force of five hundred jin.
This was also one of the signs of the peak of the Blood Essence Realm.
Compared to testing his strength against others, Shi Yi could gain a clearer understanding by examining the accumulation of blood essence within his body.
He could see that the blood essence within his body had accumulated to the physical limit of his flesh.
Though he had not tested his strength, it had definitely surpassed five hundred jin.
At the same time, on the panel, the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist under the cultivation methods section had changed from Minor Mastery to Proficiency.
This surprised Shi Yi. He had originally thought the change would only occur after breaking through into the Flesh and Blood Realm, so it differed somewhat from what he had expected.
Shi Yi glanced again at the Anchor Points on the panel. The number was still four, unchanged.
"Looks like Anchor Points can only possibly increase after a realm breakthrough."
Shi Yi frowned slightly as he made his guess.
The last time the number of Anchor Points had increased was when he broke through into the Blood Essence Realm.
"Since I've completed my accumulation in the Blood Essence Realm and reached its peak, then I'll try the Wood Skin Inscription!"
After resting for a brief moment, Shi Yi made his decision.
To break through from the Blood Essence Realm into the Flesh and Blood Realm, one needed to use blood essence to inscribe markings within the body. This was also why one could only attempt the breakthrough at the peak of the Blood Essence Realm.
Without sufficient blood essence accumulation, it was simply impossible to complete the inscription.
To break through, I'll still follow the original plan and complete the inscription on my right arm.
Shi Yi already understood the process of breaking through into the Flesh and Blood Realm very clearly, because Lu Feng had explained it thoroughly when teaching him to cultivate.
Moreover, Lu Feng had given him the book on the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist, which also contained records of it.
To break through into the Flesh and Blood Realm, one did not need to complete the entire inscription. Completing only part of it was enough, and the four limbs were the best choice.
Shi Yi chose his right arm.
"Circulate the blood essence in my body into my right arm, then control the power of blood essence to carve the inscription onto it."
Following Lu Feng's teachings, Shi Yi carved the inscription bit by bit.
Throughout the process, Shi Yi's Double Pupils saw everything with exceptional clarity.
Under his control, the blood essence left inscription after inscription within his arm, spreading from the inside outward. The flesh and skin of his right arm gradually became rougher, while also growing stronger.
These changes were extremely obvious. Seeing this, Shi Yi's expression did not change as he continued controlling his blood essence to form the inscription.
Only when the inscriptions across his arm were finally completed did his expression relax somewhat.
At this point, his entire right arm had undergone a drastic transformation.
Its formerly smooth skin had turned coarse, like weathered wood.
Shi Yi took out a kitchen knife and lightly drew it across his arm. His skin was not cut open; only a white mark remained.
"After completing the Wood Skin Inscription, the defensive power of the flesh and skin has indeed increased greatly."
"An ordinary blade lightly drawn across it can no longer leave a wound on my right arm!"
Shi Yi was highly satisfied as he looked at the change.
This was only the transformation brought by the first level of the Flesh and Blood Realm. After inscribing the Stone Skin Inscription and Copper Skin Inscription, his defensive power would increase again. At that point, the defensive power of his flesh and skin would rise once more, becoming even more formidable.
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