Li Yi spent considerable time reading the books Zang Li had brought him.
He discovered that this world was larger and more mysterious than it first appeared; it was ruled by humans and beasts divided into races—some cultivated the Dao, while others followed the path of the Bloodline.
Furthermore, he learned of humans who followed the Demonic Path, dedicating themselves to slaughter and the cultivation of malevolent arts. Most dangerously, they hid within the ranks of the human race and formed alliances with beasts to pillage villages for the benefit of their own cultivation. They were humanity's second greatest enemy, followed only by the beasts themselves.
After this, he read the cultivation manual.
As he did, a surge of knowledge seemed to unlock in his mind, retrieved from the memories of his current body. It appeared that the previous owner had actually collected and prepared everything necessary to form a solid base.
However, although the quantity of energy-laden herbs seemed adequate—even superior to what was required—the energy had been refined and purified in an unusual manner before condensing. At that moment, Li Yi recalled that in some of the cultivation stories he had read in his past life, there existed certain types of constitutions or Sacred Bodies; some of these bodies greatly boosted cultivation and possessed extraordinary abilities.
Perhaps this body also possessed a special constitution, one that was much more difficult to awaken. Despite having the necessary resources to form a normal base, it had been insufficient to complete his own, leaving his foundation incomplete.
This, while slightly increasing his strength, prevented him from further cultivation. Because of this, the previous owner had risked stealing high-level resources from the martial arts school area to solidify his power. Had he succeeded, he would have obtained a near-perfect base that would have guaranteed his entry into the school. He was truly brave; he decided to bet it all, but in the end, he lost.
With the knowledge unlocked, Li Yi managed to exert slight control over the energy escaping from his shattered base. As best as he could, he recreated a flow through his body, forming a sort of barrier that allowed the energy to circulate without leaking out, which helped him heal faster. He knew that if he didn't repair the damage completely, his base would eventually disperse, turning him into an "ephemeral mundane" or something worse.
When night fell, everyone retired to their respective cabins to sleep. Only Zang Li decided to stay with him. By dawn, Li Yi's body felt much healthier—enough to head to the village center to find tasks, food, or resources. He stood up, removed his bandages to wash them, and put them back on. After saying goodbye to some of the "younger siblings" staying in the cabins, he walked toward the center.
First, he went to an old man's shop. Zang Li had mentioned that he used to lend out basic books on Base Condensation and Forging. Upon entering, he found the vendor sitting in a corner.
"It seems things haven't gone well for you lately," the old man remarked, seeing his bandages. "Did you cross someone and get a beating?"
"It was just a simple problem, but I'm feeling much better now," Li Yi replied.
"You've come to read, I assume. One of my daughters-in-law had discarded some books in her cabin, and I decided to collect them and bring them here so you all can read them," the old man said kindly.
"Thank you very much, elder," Li Yi said with a bow.
He headed to the back, where several baskets sat. He recognized some books immediately but focused on the new ones. He sat cross-legged in a corner and began to read. Many contained different methods for forging a base.
In this world, the base resembled the formation of the Dantian from the novels Li Yi remembered from his previous life, with one difference: in addition to the spiritual sphere in the abdomen, one had to construct a series of roots—similar to nerves or blood vessels—that originated from the base and distributed energy throughout the body. This increased both power and life expectancy: a cultivator in the Base Forging Realm could live between 150 and 170 years, unlike an ephemeral mundane, who barely reached 80 or 100.
Li Yi began to reflect. The techniques indicated that the base filled the body's cells with energy. In that moment, he made his energy flow and felt his particles charging.
"Since I am a transmigrator and possess the knowledge of both worlds, I am going to forge my own path to the top," he thought. "I will fuse what I already know with the techniques of this world. Perhaps it's the fastest and most viable way to go far."
After several hours of reading, he bid the old man farewell, but not before asking if he needed help with any errands. Since there were no pending tasks there, he went out to the street to ask at other stalls for food or low-level spiritual stones. He managed to secure small assignments for gathering medicinal herbs and firewood.
Li Yi headed to the outskirts of the village, trying not to run into anyone. He remembered there were places where low-level beasts usually appeared and avoided them quickly by taking alternative paths. After a while, he strayed from the main trail and entered the areas where he usually found herbs. He only found a few; other species simply weren't in that location.
He moved to other known spots and, after a constant effort, gathered enough medicinal herbs. He took them first to the shops, where some gave him food and others a few spiritual stones. He brought the provisions to the cabins to share with his siblings and kept the spiritual stones in a pouch tied to his body.
Then he returned to the forest to collect firewood. He made several trips, and along the way, found more herbs which he gathered to sell later. He finished nearly at dusk. He returned with more food and a few extra spiritual stones; he distributed the food among his siblings and stored the surplus.
Upon reaching his cabin, he began to plan his cultivation. He knew that, above all, he had to gather a massive amount of spiritual stones and herbs—a task that proved even more difficult than he had projected. That night, he dedicated himself exclusively to formulating and mentally rehearsing all the techniques he had read throughout the day.