As the last bit of darkness from the night disappeared, the sun slowly rose from the horizon.

The once quiet Shi Village seemed to come alive all at once. Li Yi stretched lazily, feeling the energy that had been nourishing his internal organs overnight. After a full night’s sleep, it had completely absorbed into his body.

Logically, he should be able to cultivate in this world, but unfortunately, he didn’t have any cultivation methods. Not only did he not have them, but neither did anyone else in the village.

If it weren’t for the Willow God, Shi Hao might never have had the chance to begin his cultivation journey. Li Yi knew that the Willow God took Shi Hao as a disciple because she was gradually absorbing the spiritual remnants of the god beneath Shi Village. As part of that, she wanted to compensate the village by taking Shi Hao in.

Li Yi didn’t think that by flexing his muscles, the Willow God would accept him as a disciple too, so for now, he couldn’t cultivate in the traditional sense. He could only focus on strengthening his physical body.

Cultivation was something to think about slowly, and maybe one day, he would get lucky and refresh a cultivation method.

On the stone table in front of him, there were already several items. Some fine iron, a piece of a fierce beast's bone, and four bottles of Wangzai Milk.

He opened the small cart beneath him, praying that today’s refresh would yield some good items.

Items Refreshed:

* Fruit Wine (5 kg) – 3 points

* Salt (1 kg) – 5 points

* Soap (105g) – 7 points

* Strengthening Bone and Muscle Pills (3 pieces) – 30 points

* "Brother, Your Home... It's Very Beautiful" (Use to ask anyone for anything, as long as they have it. You will maintain a brotherly relationship with the person until the request is fulfilled.) – 200 points.

Looking at the last item, Li Yi immediately knew who he wanted to use it on.

After a few days of refreshing and purchasing, Li Yi had gradually figured out the pattern. The first few items usually consisted of daily necessities. Then came more useful items that would generally enhance his abilities. As for special items, they had only refreshed twice, and their effects were clear.

Though the last ability he obtained wasn’t very useful, it did prove that these items had potential.

Li Yi bought everything except for the "Brother, Your Home... It's Very Beautiful" item. He quickly bought everything else, leaving that item for later.

The salt jar, which looked very similar to the wine jar but much larger, had a mud seal on the opening. The pills were stored in a jade bottle that was beautifully crafted—smooth, transparent, and a lovely green color. He opened the jade bottle, took one of the pills, and swallowed it.

Immediately, he felt a wave of warmth spread through his body. There was no cracking sound from his bones, but he could feel the warmth spreading through him, making him feel comfortable and relaxed.

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He pushed open the door. Shi Hao was standing nearby. He lived with Shi Yunfeng, and every morning, he drank fresh beast milk.

Li Yi drank the milk, and although he could feel the effects, it wasn’t as good as before. Even though today’s ingredients might have been more precious, the effect wasn’t as strong as the first time.

It seemed that strengthening the body followed the law of diminishing returns—the higher the level, the harder it was to improve.

Even more concerning, he had a vague sense that his limits were quite low. He needed to improve quickly. After just two medicinal baths, his body had already surpassed the growth of these children who had been strengthening their bodies for years.

The issue was that the methods were fundamentally different. The children were laying the foundation for later growth, while Li Yi was trying to improve directly at an older age.

It was like building a house. The children were building their foundation and would later be able to reach greater heights. Li Yi, on the other hand, was already trying to build on the ground, which was faster at the start, but the structure might collapse once it reached a certain height.

Shi Hao had finished his medicine and didn’t act the same as last time. His effect was shorter this time. Now, he was running around like a little animal, climbing walls, jumping onto trees, tearing off roof tiles, chasing chickens, teasing dogs, and bullying cows.

Li Yi sighed to himself, thinking that life in Shi Village was tough. Only the villagers' kindness allowed them to tolerate such antics. If this were another place, they wouldn’t stand for it.

Shi Yunfeng had prepared the daily beast milk for Shi Hao and then turned to leave. He and the other elders were still studying the book. They hadn’t gotten far, and there was much left to explore.

Li Yi immediately stopped him. "This bone, when ground into powder and added to weapons during forging, will enhance their durability and sharpness. These iron pieces are excellent. Keep them for now. These things aren’t worth much. With them, hunting fierce beasts will be easier."

Shi Yunfeng originally wanted to refuse, but after hearing Li Yi’s words, he found no reason to turn him down. Li Yi was right; with these materials, their weapons would be stronger and they could hunt beasts more effectively, helping them repay their debt faster.

Li Yi wasn’t asking for money. Instead, he hoped the stronger weapons would make hunting easier, which would result in more profit.

Shi Yunfeng silently accepted the items and instructed his men to forge the weapons. He knew that the skins Li Yi had brought into the house were already gone, but he didn’t ask any questions.

As someone strong enough to travel through the vast wilderness, it was normal for Li Yi to have his own secrets. Shi Yunfeng respected that and didn’t pry.

Li Yi had been very kind to the villagers, but that didn’t mean they could take advantage of him. He quietly trusted them and decided to help them get stronger by providing these materials.

With the fine iron and the beast bone, Shi Yunfeng would be able to forge better weapons for the village. Li Yi was prepared to give them whatever they needed, as long as it helped them survive.

Shi Yunfeng, excited by the possibility of better weapons, hurried to give the orders for forging. He also knew that with the materials Li Yi had provided, they could make arrows and possibly even some other weapons.

This would allow the village to hunt more effectively in the coming days, and the next hunt could take place in just two or three days. After sending the materials, he was back to studying the book. He was determined to fully understand it. The book contained important information on the weaknesses of fierce beasts, how to attract them, how to poison them, and what herbs to combine with their blood for optimal results.

The knowledge from this book was essential for survival in the wild. Shi Yunfeng felt excited, knowing that if they followed the instructions, they could strengthen the village’s future generations.