Chapter 689: Living Off the Land

Although he hadn't come to Beihuang City in a long time, everything here remained unchanged: the streets teemed with all manner of people, riding exotic beasts and accompanied by servants, their frames towering and muscular; apart from women and the elderly, nearly everyone radiated a wild, ferocious aura.

In Beihuang City, the number of powerful warriors was countless.

As Li Yi merely walked through the city, he sensed many qi signatures no weaker than his own.

"Truly a place teeming with hidden dragons and tigers," he thought to himself.

But in the Wildlands, one cannot travel without money.

Moreover, money in this world was peculiar—made of chi-jin, forged from Kunwu stone, which itself was a rare material for crafting artifacts, making this world's currency exceptionally valuable.

Li Yi had not a single silver tael, meaning he had nowhere to stay in Beihuang City; thus, following memories of past routes, he prepared to seek out the merchant lord Xiu Xiang and, incidentally, repay the favor.

He walked along ancient streets, passing rows of simple, rustic homes.

Soon.

Li Yi arrived before a residence.

The residence was spacious and grand, with guards taking turns on duty at the gate; yet Li Yi did not recognize these two guards—likely, Xiu Xiang had reorganized his personal security during his absence.

"Is this the home of Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang?" Li Yi stepped forward and asked one of the guards.

The guard stood over two meters tall, clad in a hide armor crafted from jiao dragon skin, wielding a long bone spear, his aura fierce and intimidating, deterring casual approach.

Upon seeing Li Yi approach and inquire, the guard immediately grew wary and sized him up.

Seeing his exquisite armor, the extraordinary great bow on his back, and the various divine signs emanating from him, the guard immediately suspected the man might be a Divine Blood warrior.

After all, Divine Blood warriors were not uncommon in Beihuang City.

Yet he had never seen this one before.

"This is indeed the home of Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang. Who are you?" the guard replied politely.

Li Yi said: "I am Da Yi, a guest of Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang. I once lived here with Lord Nan Shan. Today, I've come to Beihuang City specifically to pay my respects and thank the merchant lord for his past aid."

Upon hearing this, the guard's demeanor shifted instantly—he became respectful. "So you are the merchant lord's honored guest! I erred in not recognizing you. Please, come inside—we will treat you with the utmost courtesy."

"However, our merchant lord is currently not in Beihuang City—he is on business. You may stay several days; as soon as he returns, I shall notify you immediately."

Li Yi nodded at this.

Staying here for a while would be beneficial—he could rest, complete his transformation, and further nurture his Divine Blood.

Soon.

The guard led Li Yi into the merchant lord's residence.

The place was unchanged from before, but as the guard summoned a servant to inform a house steward of Da Yi's arrival.

The steward was an elderly man who had served here for decades; whenever Xiu Xiang was away, he managed all household affairs.

Upon hearing Da Yi had arrived, the old steward was startled.

"Is Da Yi truly here?" the old steward exclaimed, deeply moved—ever since Da Yi left, his master had spoken his name countless times, lamenting daily that he could not see him again.

He had even repeatedly instructed all servants and slaves: if Da Yi ever returned, they must receive him with the finest wine, the most sumptuous food, the most beautiful concubines, and the highest honors.

Any servant or slave who showed the slightest disrespect would be sold to a slave master.

Thinking of this, the old steward immediately dropped everything and hurried over.

Soon, he saw Li Yi standing in the courtyard.

Though much time had passed, the old steward still remembered Li Yi clearly from their last meeting; though Li Yi's aura had changed dramatically, his face remained unaltered.

In Beihuang City, men so fair and refined were rare; moreover, the unique Divine Blood aura he carried could not be faked.

"Are you truly the honored guest Da Yi?" the old steward hurried forward. "I have failed you, sir. Forgive this servant's negligence."

Li Yi regarded the old steward—he had a faint memory of him, having met him before. "I came to pay respects to Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang. My arrival was sudden. How could you be at fault? I intend to stay here for a while until the merchant lord returns."

"Your stay is the greatest joy for this servant. I shall immediately order the servants to prepare the finest eastern courtyard. Please wait a moment." The old steward then summoned other slaves to prepare for the honored guest.

Li Yi could not help but admit: Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang was still a man of righteousness. He had left without farewell, vanished for so long, yet now, bold-faced and returning, he was received with such honor—it was more than he deserved.

Moments later.

The old steward led Li Yi to an eastern courtyard.

This was an independent courtyard, reserved only for esteemed guests; even the household's own retainers were not permitted to stay here.

Inside the courtyard, two beautiful concubines awaited—skin as white as snow, figures graceful and alluring, radiating classical elegance, pleasing to the eye.

In the center of the courtyard, a feast had been laid out.

A cauldron of bronze simmered with meat emitting an exotic fragrance; beside it stood several jars of fine wine and a platter of rare fruits.

Though the dishes were few and unadorned, this was the way of this world—and this was already the highest hospitality Xiu Xiang's household could offer, for the meat was no ordinary fare, but flesh from an exotic beast: delicious, strengthening the body, prolonging life.

"Please, honored guest, enjoy," said the old steward.

"Thank you for Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang's generosity," Li Yi replied, accepting everything with ease, adapting to local customs.

The old steward was delighted—he felt he had treated the guest well, that Da Yi would not be displeased, and when the merchant lord returned, he would surely be rewarded, at least spared reprimand.

As Li Yi smelled the meat's aroma, his Divine Blood stirred within him.

Indeed.

The bloodlines of this world required this world's nourishment—even consuming elixirs or absorbing celestial energy could not match the effect of simply feasting here.

He made no pretense.

Li Yi strode to the stone table, sat down, and seized a large chunk of meat from the bronze cauldron, taking a bite.

The moment it passed his lips.

A torrent of blood essence surged through his body, and a warm energy radiated outward from within.

Yet now he was a Fifth Qi Realm cultivator.

Once the Fifth Qi was established, his five viscera transformed; Li Yi was no longer a mere mortal body. Thus, the exotic beast meat was instantly digested, aided by the coordination of his five viscera and the circulation of the Five Qi.

His body became a furnace: whatever he consumed was rapidly converted into nourishment.

As the surging blood essence surged forth, his Divine Blood churned and surged, slowly refilling the empty acupoints within his body.

"This meat is even more potent than jiao dragon flesh—what kind of exotic beast is this?" Li Yi was secretly astonished.

He had once eaten an eight-hundred-year-old jiao dragon; yet this meat surpassed it.

But Li Yi was no longer the same man—he could not be satisfied by a single bite. He continued eating, and whenever he felt thirsty, he drank deeply from the fine wine.

The wine was crisp, carrying the fragrance of rare fruits; drinking it brought profound comfort to his soul.

Clearly, this wine was no ordinary brew—it strengthened the soul, far surpassing the Soul-Returning Elixir of the Golden Academy.

"Indeed, this world is full of treasures. Here, one needs only to eat and drink, and the body evolves rapidly—no deliberate cultivation required." Li Yi felt he had come to the right place.

In terms of resources, the Wildlands possessed the finest.

Unlike other worlds, where even the slightest treasure required bloody struggle—or even death—to obtain.

Here, rare treasures were everywhere; some were even cheap, purchasable with mere silver.

Unfortunately, the martial power here was too high; without formidable strength, one would likely be sold into slavery—otherwise, Earth's evolvers would have flooded across dimensions long ago.

Li Yi gave no further thought—he continued eating and drinking.

He devoured the entire cauldron of meat, both jars of wine, and the entire platter of rare fruits, leaving nothing.

Normally, consuming so much at once would overwhelm digestion.

But Li Yi's body had been severely depleted, and he was undergoing transformation—only then could he endure such immense blood essence.

Now he sat motionless on the stone bench.

His body blazed like a furnace, radiating astonishing heat; a torrent of blood energy burst forth from him, forming a golden-silver light that shot skyward.

Golden flames danced around him; silver lightning wove through the air.

Under this divine spectacle, the two concubines dared not approach; one hurried to inform the old steward.

Seeing this, the old steward dismissed the concubines—he knew this was the manifestation of a Divine Blood warrior growing stronger; one must not disturb during such a transformation.

Now, Li Yi's body transformed, his soul strengthened, and his Divine Blood nurtured at an astonishing rate.

This transformation lasted three days and three nights.

Only when all the wine and meat had been fully consumed did it end.

Yet as soon as it ended, the old steward sent another meal.

Another cauldron of exotic beast meat, wine, and rare fruits—even more lavish than before.

He likely feared Li Yi had not eaten enough.

Li Yi made no protest—after digesting the first meal, he resumed eating, finishing every morsel, and his body continued transforming, the divine spectacle reappearing.

This time, digestion was faster.

The phenomenon lasted only three days and two nights before subsiding completely.

This meant Li Yi's body had grown stronger than before—he could now endure and absorb such quantities of food.

The old steward said nothing, merely continued delivering meals, satisfying Li Yi's insatiable appetite.

Fortunately, Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang was wealthy—supplying meat every three days posed no problem, allowing Li Yi to live in great comfort and ease.

(End of Chapter)