Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes

There were still several days left on the Seclusion Chamber fee that the Ji family had prepaid.

He had already succeeded in his Foundation Establishment, but the Spiritual Qi in the Seclusion Chamber was extremely dense. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.

Li Yuan continued to cultivate inside the chamber.

After he finished cultivating, Li Yuan began making Talismans.

His precision in controlling liquid Spiritual Power was on a completely different level than during the Qi Refining Stage. The stability, density, and penetration depth of the Spiritual Power as it seeped from his fingertips into the talisman paper had all undergone a qualitative change.

Li Yuan spread out a sheet of herbal talisman paper, dipped his brush in Spiritual Ink, and began to draw.

The sensation was completely different from before.

It wasn’t just a matter of feeling smoother. It was like looking down on his former self from a higher dimension.

When he was in the Qi Refining Stage, he had to control the Spiritual Power’s direction, density, and diffusion after it seeped from his brush tip into the talisman paper. Although this control had become instinctual after reaching Great Success, instinct still had its limits. There were always blind spots in the furthest, most minute corners within the paper that the Spiritual Power couldn’t fully cover.

Now, those blind spots were gone.

The subtlety of liquid Spiritual Power far surpassed that of its gaseous form. Combined with the enhanced refinement and flow rate of his Spiritual Power from his unique Foundation Establishment breakthrough, its penetration depth and coverage within the talisman paper reached an unprecedented level.

Every corner of every Spirit Pattern was filled with perfect precision.

The crimson glow that floated on the Talisman’s surface was deeper, richer, and more uniform than any Fireball Talisman he had ever made.

A panel popped up.

[Tier One Talisman Making Skill — Perfection (3200/3200)]

It had jumped directly from Great Success to Perfection.

This wasn’t the kind of Perfection achieved after long accumulation. Instead, the leap in his Spiritual Power’s level after Foundation Establishment had simply crushed the upper limits of the Tier One Talisman Making Skill.

In the face of liquid Spiritual Power, all the techniques of the Tier One Talisman Making Skill had become basic operations.

It was like an adult looking back at a child’s arithmetic problems. The problems hadn’t gotten simpler; his own abilities had just far surpassed their upper limits.

Li Yuan spread out a few more sheets of talisman paper and drew a Vajra Talisman, a Rejuvenation Talisman, a Qi Gathering Talisman, and a Breaking Charm, respectively.

The quality of each one was exquisite. The precision of the Spirit Patterns, the distribution of Spiritual Power, and the control over leakage during the final binding—everything was maxed out.

A series of proficiency notifications flashed across the panel.

The proficiency for Talismans that had previously been at the Novice or Skilled level all shot up. The Ice Cone Talisman and Wind Traveling Talisman jumped directly from Novice to Expert. The Breaking Charm went from Skilled to Expert, nearing Minor Achievement. The Investigation Talisman also reached Minor Achievement.

As for the few Talismans that were already at the Expert level:

The Golden Armor Talisman, Replenishing Talisman, Qi Gathering Talisman, Heart-lock Talisman, and Concealing Breath Talisman.

All of them were pushed to Minor Achievement, approaching Great Success.

His post-Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power was on a completely different plane when it came to making Tier One Talismans. The proficiency that once required repeated practice to slowly accumulate could now be advanced significantly just by drawing a few Talismans.

Li Yuan stacked the finished Talismans and put them away in his storage pouch, then resumed his cultivation.

He activated the Cyan Wood Longevity Skill, and liquid Spiritual Power flowed through his meridians. The concentration of Spiritual Qi in the Seclusion Chamber was extremely high, and the amount of Spiritual Power he accumulated with each circulation cycle was substantial.

He interspersed his practice of the Cyan Wood Longevity Skill with the tempering of his Soul Condensation Skill, causing his Divine Soul to continue solidifying from its post-Foundation Establishment state.

He also ran through the Iron Wall Body Refining Skill a few times. Empowered by his post-Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power, the tempering effect at the Great Success stage was even better.

Time slowly passed as he cultivated.

「On the morning of the third day.」

Li Yuan was sitting cross-legged and circulating his energy when his Divine Sense suddenly detected movement outside the stone door.

Two people.

One was the Primordial Yang Sect disciple on duty at the alley entrance, his aura familiar.

The other was a stranger, a Qi Refining Eighth Level Cultivator, also from the Primordial Yang Sect, carrying one of their Tokens.

The two walked down the alley, stopped in front of the stone door, and cautiously activated a Sound Transmission Talisman.

Li Yuan stopped cultivating, rose, and walked to the stone door.

He pressed his Token into the recess, and the stone door slowly slid open.

Two people stood outside.

The disciple on duty stood in the back. In front of him was a young Cultivator, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, dressed in the gray and white robes of the Primordial Yang Sect. A finely crafted Token hung at his waist, different from the standard-issue ones used by regular Inspector Generals; this one had an extra ring of golden patterns around the edge.

Qi Refining Eighth Level.

When the young Cultivator saw Li Yuan, he cupped his fist and bowed.

"Senior."

Li Yuan glanced at him.

In the cultivation world, titles were based on one’s Cultivation, not age.

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator was a Senior to a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator, even if the latter looked thirty years older.

"What is it?"

The young Cultivator straightened up, his attitude respectful.

"I have come on orders. Senior, the Spiritual Wave from your breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was detected by the marketplace’s defensive Array and recorded by the Sect."

He paused for a moment before explaining.

"When a Cultivator breaks through to Foundation Establishment, the process of their Spiritual Power transforming from a gaseous to a liquid state produces a powerful Spiritual Wave."

"This wave doesn’t have a large range, so ordinary Cultivators can only sense it if they are nearby. However, the defensive Array that the Primordial Yang Sect has deployed covers the entire marketplace and is capable of detecting such fluctuations."

Li Yuan nodded.

So the Spiritual Wave from his Foundation Establishment had been caught by the Array. The Seclusion Chamber was within the marketplace’s bounds, so it wasn’t surprising that he was detected.

"An Elder from the Sect is currently in the marketplace. After learning that a Cultivator had broken through to Foundation Establishment, he wishes to meet you, Senior," the young Cultivator said politely.

"The Elder is waiting at the Assembly Hall in the northern part of the marketplace. Is it convenient for you now, Senior?"

Foundation Establishment Cultivators were rare in this area. With a new one suddenly appearing, it was only natural for the Primordial Yang Sect to make contact.

"Let’s go."

Li Yuan closed the stone door to the Seclusion Chamber and followed the young Cultivator out of the alley.

The disciple on duty watched them leave, a new layer of respect in his gaze.

They walked north along the main street for a while before turning into a wide side street. At the end of the street stood a three-story stone building, a full size larger than the surrounding structures. A plaque hung on the lintel, engraved with the powerful strokes of the words "Assembly Hall."

Four Primordial Yang Sect disciples stood guard at the entrance of the stone building.

The young Cultivator led the way. When the four guards saw the gold-rimmed Token at his waist, they all bowed and stepped aside.

They entered the stone building and walked down a corridor. The corridor was lined with closed rooms, their doors inlaid with Spirit Patterns for sound-insulating Restrictions.

At the end of the corridor, the young Cultivator stopped before a larger door and knocked three times softly.

"Come in."

A steady voice came from inside.

The young Cultivator pushed the door open and stepped aside.

"After you, Senior."

Li Yuan walked in.

The room wasn’t large and was sparsely furnished. There was a stone table with two stone chairs, upon which sat a pot of tea and two white porcelain cups. A wooden bookshelf stood in the corner, holding a few bamboo scrolls and several booklets.

A man was seated behind the stone table.

He had the face of a man in his fifties, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth were shallow, making him look much younger than his apparent age. He had a medium, slender build and wore a deep blue robe with the golden emblem of the Primordial Yang Sect embroidered on the chest.

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

His spiritual pressure was restrained but heavy, more than a level stronger than Ji Huaiyuan’s.

Seeing Li Yuan enter, the Elder stood up and cupped his fist in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist, please have a seat."

Li Yuan sat down on one of the stone chairs.

The Elder pushed a cup of tea toward Li Yuan, then picked up the other cup, took a sip, and set it down.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Chen Yi, an Inner Sect Elder of the Primordial Yang Sect, currently responsible for managing the Yunyang marketplace and its surrounding areas."

"You broke through to Foundation Establishment in a Seclusion Chamber, and the Array recorded it. Congratulations, Fellow Daoist."

"For now, only those within the Primordial Yang Sect know about your breakthrough. We won’t deliberately publicize it, but you are free to announce your new status yourself."

Li Yuan nodded.

Chen Yi didn’t waste time with pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"As you should know, Fellow Daoist, there aren’t many Foundation Establishment Cultivators in this region."

He tapped his finger on the tabletop twice.

"The Primordial Yang Sect’s foundation is on Primordial Yang Mountain, several thousand miles from here. The Sect has several Golden Core Stage Cultivators overseeing it, so our strength is not weak. However, our presence in this particular region is relatively thin."

He turned his teacup halfway around.

"The reason is simple. This area used to be the territory of a Demon Sect."

Li Yuan’s gaze flickered slightly.

Chen Yi continued.

"About a hundred years ago, the Primordial Yang Sect allied with several other sects to expel the Demon Sect forces entrenched in this region. After the Demon Sect was driven out, this territory came under our Sect’s jurisdiction."

He lifted his finger from the tabletop.

"But during the Demon Sect’s rule, more than half of the Cultivators here died. Righteous Cultivators were purged, Loose Cultivators were exploited, and anyone with talent was either killed or fled. By the time the Primordial Yang Sect took over, this region was practically in ruins."

"We’ve been rebuilding all these years. The marketplace, ore veins, Spirit Fields, and Loose Cultivator settlements are all being restored bit by bit. But the recovery has been slow, especially when it comes to the number of High-Tier Cultivators."

He looked at Li Yuan.

"Foundation Establishment Cultivators are a scarce resource in this region."

"That is why the Primordial Yang Sect proactively contacts every new Foundation Establishment Cultivator who appears."

Li Yuan grunted in acknowledgment, waiting for him to continue.

Chen Yi’s tone softened slightly.

"Fellow Daoist, I’ll be direct. The Primordial Yang Sect would like to invite you to serve as a Sect Protector."

A Protector.

Chen Yi laid out the conditions one by one.

"First, we will not force you to do anything. Protector is a title, not a contract. You can do what you want, go where you want. The Primordial Yang Sect will not interfere."

"Second, you must not take hostile action against the Primordial Yang Sect. This is the bottom line."

"Third, you must not take the initiative to kill Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators within the Primordial Yang Sect’s jurisdiction. Qi Refining Stage Cultivators are not subject to this restriction, but please do not slaughter the innocent indiscriminately."

"Fourth, the Primordial Yang Sect will periodically issue missions. As a Protector, you can choose whether or not to accept them. There are rewards for completing missions, but no penalty for declining."

"Fifth, you will receive an annual stipend of Spirit Stones and Contribution Points. The Spirit Stones are paid out monthly, while the Contribution Points are given in a lump sum at the end of the year. Contribution Points can be used at the Sect’s exchange to redeem items, Cultivation Techniques, pills, and other resources."

He folded all five of his fingers back into his palm.

"Those are the conditions. They are very lenient."

Li Yuan reviewed the five conditions in his mind.

’No forced duties, no interference with my freedom. Only two restrictions: don’t act as an enemy, and don’t kill those of the same stage. Those two aren’t much of a constraint for me. I never planned to oppose the Primordial Yang Sect anyway, and I certainly wouldn’t go around killing Foundation Establishment Cultivators for no reason. Plus, I get an annual income of Spirit Stones and Contribution Points, with optional missions. It’s basically getting a title and a fixed income for free. The only price is accepting the title of Protector of the Primordial Yang Sect.’

"I accept," Li Yuan said.

The corners of Chen Yi’s mouth lifted slightly. He took a Token from a drawer under the table, placed it on the tabletop, and pushed it over.

The Token was a size larger than an Inspector General’s. It was a dark gold color, engraved with the words "Primordial Yang Sect" on the front, and the word "Protector" along with a string of Spirit Pattern symbols on the back.

It felt heavy in his hand, and Spiritual Power circulated slowly within it.

"This is the Protector’s Token. It comes pre-loaded with five hundred Contribution Points as an initial stipend."

Chen Yi briefly explained how to use the Token.

Infusing the Token with Spiritual Power allows you to check your current Contribution Point balance and the list of redeemable items.

The Token will automatically notify you when new missions are posted. It also serves as a proof of identity, granting passage to all marketplaces and strongholds under the Primordial Yang Sect’s jurisdiction.

Li Yuan placed the Token in his storage pouch.

With that concluded, Chen Yi stood up and cupped his fist toward Li Yuan.

"Welcome, Fellow Daoist. If you need anything, feel free to come find me at the Assembly Hall at any time."

Li Yuan nodded, then rose and left the Assembly Hall.

He followed the same path back to the alley where his Seclusion Chamber was located.

His Divine Sense swept over the Loose Cultivators coming and going on the main street. Most of them were at the Qi Refining Stage. Looking down from the perspective of Foundation Establishment, their aura fluctuations were exceptionally clear.

With a single sweep of his Divine Sense, he could roughly determine each person’s Cultivation level, Spiritual Power Attribute, and physical condition.

He returned to the Seclusion Chamber and closed the stone door.

First, he would use up the remaining time he had in the chamber.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and circulated his energy, the liquid Spiritual Power flowing through his meridians. Under the continuous pull of the Spirit Gathering Array, the concentration of Spiritual Qi in the Seclusion Chamber had already returned to its normal level, making his cultivation extremely efficient.