Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes

Li Yuan took out his Protector Token, infused it with Spiritual Power, and sent a brief message to the Primordial Yang Sect about killing the Demon Cultivator.

Less than half a day after he sent the message, Chen Yi arrived.

He was faster than usual this time, and he had two Primordial Yang Sect disciples with him.

Chen Yi walked through the thick fog and into the encampment. His gaze first swept over the Array layout around the clearing, then landed on Li Yuan.

"Tell me the details."

Li Yuan recounted the incident, but he left out many details.

Chen Yi listened, silent for a few breaths.

"Where is the body?"

Li Yuan led Chen Yi to a hollow on the outskirts of the encampment and retrieved the body that was sealed beneath the rocks.

Chen Yi crouched down to carefully examine the body’s face and features. He then used his Divine Sense to probe the remnants of Spiritual Power and Demonic Qi inside the corpse.

"Early-stage Foundation Establishment, and his demonic cultivation isn’t low."

Chen Yi stood up.

"His features don’t match any of the Demon Sect remnants the Sect was previously tracking. He might be a new one, or perhaps one that was never discovered before."

He had the two disciples behind him take the body away.

"Your Contribution Points reward will be settled as soon as possible. To be honest, the Sect doesn’t have a reward for this sort of thing, because no mission was issued."

"But based on the Sect’s usual rates, I’ll allocate four thousand Contribution Points to you."

Four thousand Contribution Points.

’With my previous savings, my Contribution Points are looking quite healthy again.’

Chen Yi asked a few more questions, and Li Yuan gave him a rough inventory of the items from the Demon Cultivator’s storage bag. Chen Yi was particularly interested in the vial of blood that had the same aura as Li Ze’an, saying he would hand it over to the Li family for investigation.

"Be careful, fellow Daoist," Chen Yi said before leaving. "For a Demon Cultivator like this to actively seek out a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he either didn’t know your strength or had backing. If any other suspicious individuals show up, notify the Sect immediately."

Li Yuan nodded.

Chen Yi left with the two disciples and the body.

In the afternoon, the Early Warning Array triggered again.

It was someone from the Wang family.

A Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator from the Wang family, accompanied by two attendants, approached from the outskirts of the Ghost Mist Forest.

"Senior Li." The managing cultivator cupped his fists in salute.

"The Patriarch sent me to discuss the continued supply of Spirit Water Talismans."

The two sat down on a rock beside the clearing.

The managing cultivator explained the Wang family’s needs. The effects of the Spirit Water Talismans had been verified in the Wang family’s Spirit Fields; the yield had increased significantly, and the Wang family intended to make long-term purchases.

"Senior, the Wang family would like to take ten talismans this time," the managing cultivator said. "We will make fixed monthly purchases after this, with the exact quantity to be determined by the expansion of our Spirit Fields."

Li Yuan had a batch of Spirit Water Talismans on hand, and he had just enough to make ten.

"Is the price the same as before?"

"Yes, one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones per talisman."

Ten Spirit Water Talismans meant one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.

Li Yuan took out ten Spirit Water Talismans from his storage bag. After the managing cultivator inspected the quality of each one, he handed over the Spirit Stones.

After the Spirit Water Talismans were exchanged, the managing cultivator took a wooden box out of his personal storage chest.

"The Patriarch said that this more advanced Array Dao inheritance is to be considered payment for the transaction."

He opened the wooden box, revealing two jade slips inside.

"The first slip contains the basic theory and deployment methods for composite Arrays."

the managing cultivator explained. "It details how to link multiple Arrays to form an interconnected system. For example, an Early Warning Array triggering would automatically activate a Defense Array, and if the Defense Array is breached, it would automatically activate an Attack Array, and so on."

He pushed the second jade slip toward Li Yuan.

"The second slip contains a Fire Element Attack Array. Once activated, the Array can generate attacks of Fire Spiritual Power within its coverage area, harming any intruders. It is even more effective when used in conjunction with the Early Warning and Defense Arrays."

"I wonder if Senior is willing to accept this exchange? If not, we will use Spirit Stones as payment instead."

Li Yuan picked up the two jade slips and probed them with his Divine Sense.

The contents of the first slip were indeed a level deeper than the previous Tier One inheritance. The core of a composite Array lay in the linking mechanism between Array Bases. Different types of Arrays achieved signal transmission and energy exchange by sharing Array Base nodes.

The Spirit Pattern structure of the Fire Element Attack Array in the second slip was much more complex than the Golden Light Array’s, but its core principles had commonalities with Fire Element Magic. With his foundation in the Fireball Technique and Fire Python Skill, it wasn’t difficult for him to understand.

"Thank Patriarch Wang for me."

Li Yuan nodded, putting the two jade slips away.

The managing cultivator cupped his fists in salute again and left with his two attendants.

Li Yuan reviewed the inheritance for the composite Array. A composite Array required far more Array Bases than a single Array. The linking nodes needed special conductive materials, and the Array Hub of the Fire Element Attack Array also required a high-quality ore with a Fire Attribute.

The next morning, Li Yuan used the Wind Escape Skill to fly to Yunyang Market.

Setting up the Array would require a large amount of materials.

In addition to the materials for his daily Talisman Making and the pills that aided his cultivation, he needed to purchase quite a few materials this time.

He landed outside the market’s south gate and walked into the city.

The main street was bustling with people, just like any other day.

Li Yuan first went to the Materials Shop and bought all the materials he needed for the Array in one go: Array Foundation Stones, Conductive Spirit Sand, linking node stones, Fire Sun Stones, and more. Seeing such a large order, the Shopkeeper personally selected the best batch from the warehouse.

After leaving the Materials Shop, Li Yuan continued north along the main street, stopping at a few shops along the way to restock on Talisman Making materials and daily necessities.

As he reached the entrance of a shop that sold Magic jade slips, his entry perception detected a faint ripple.

’White.’

Li Yuan entered the shop and walked slowly along the shelves.

The ripple was coming from a jade slip in the middle of a wooden shelf on the left.

Li Yuan pulled out the jade slip.

The jade slip was made of ordinary material, with three words carved on its surface: Earth Transporting Skill. It was a low-grade Earth Element Magic used to control earth and stone, mostly for building cave residences and excavating mine tunnels.

The price tag read thirty Spirit Stones.

"I’ll take this Earth Transporting Skill."

The Shopkeeper accepted the Spirit Stones, and Li Yuan left the shop with the jade slip.

He stopped in a quiet alley.

[Equippable Item Detected: Earth Transporting Skill (Complete)]

[Equip Entry Preview: Earthen Augmentation (White) — Increases the power of Earth Element Magic by thirty percent.]

[Permanence Condition Preview: Master one Earth Element Cultivation Technique to the Great Success realm (0/1).]

[Equip?]

’A white entry. Earthen Augmentation.’

’Increases the power of Earth Element Magic by thirty percent. The condition for permanence is to master an Earth Element Cultivation Technique to the Great Success realm.’

He didn’t have an Earth Element Cultivation Technique at the moment, so achieving permanence was impossible in the short term. However, the entry itself provided a direct boost to Earth Element Magic, which would benefit both his Earth Shield Skill and Earth Escape Technique.

Li Yuan continued to browse a few more shops and bought two pill formulas at a Pill Shop.

One was the formula for the Qi Condensing Pill, a Tier One Middle Grade pill that could accelerate the condensation of Spiritual Power and aid cultivation. The other was the formula for the Nourishing Essence Pill, another Tier One Middle Grade pill that could nourish the meridians, making it suitable for recovery after long periods of cultivation.

The two formulas cost him nearly a thousand Spirit Stones in total.

They were both very practical formulas, so of course they were expensive.

Li Yuan then purchased a batch of materials for the formulas.

With his purchases complete, Li Yuan returned to his encampment in the Ghost Mist Forest with a full storage bag.

It was already afternoon by the time he reached the encampment.

The two Loose Cultivators who practiced the Evil Qi Cultivation Technique were still behind the thicket of dead trees at the edge of the clearing. When they saw Li Yuan return, they cupped their fists from afar.

Li Yuan sorted and stored the materials he had purchased, then took out the jade slip for the Earth Transporting Skill and immersed his Divine Sense in it to study.

The principle behind the Earth Transporting Skill was not complex. It used Spiritual Power to move, shape, and compact earth and stone. The key was the affinity and control precision of one’s Spiritual Power over the earth element.

With his foundation in the Earth Shield Skill and Earth Escape Technique, he picked up the Earth Transporting Skill quickly.

Li Yuan walked to a flat area north of the clearing, raised his right hand, and poured Spiritual Power into the ground beneath his feet.

Earth and stone began to move under the drive of his Spiritual Power.

The ground bulged, soil churned, and rocks were pushed up from underground, stacking one by one as they were shaped by his Spiritual Power.

A wall took form.

Four walls rose from the ground, about twelve feet high and two feet thick. The Spiritual Power compacted the soil and gravel within the walls, making them far denser than ordinary rammed earth. Tapping on them felt like hitting solid rock.

The roof was more troublesome. He needed to extract large stone slabs from the ground, trim their edges, place them on top of the walls, and then use Spiritual Power to seal the seams.

In about the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, a stone house was complete.

It was thirty feet long, twenty feet wide, and twelve feet high. The interior had enough space for a stone bed, a stone table, and several storage shelves. There were no windows, only a single stone door facing south.

It was simple, but practical.

Li Yuan stood at the entrance of the stone house for a moment, then went inside to feel the flow of Spiritual Qi. The walls were too thick, so the penetration of Spiritual Qi was inefficient. He needed to make a few vents in the walls.

He used the Earth Transporting Skill again, creating two fist-sized vents near the top of each of the four walls. The Spiritual Qi circulation improved significantly.

[Earth Transporting Skill: Entry (0/200)]

’Now I have my own place to live, and my Earth Transporting Skill has reached the Entry level.’

’Next, I’ll build some for the others.’

The two Loose Cultivators who practiced the Evil Qi Cultivation Technique had been squatting behind the thicket of dead trees in poor conditions. There were also mining Loose Cultivators from the nearby mine tunnels, who usually cultivated in the open or found a sheltered spot to make do.

Li Yuan built several more stone houses on the south and east sides of the clearing. They were a size smaller than his own but had all the basic functions. He built six in total, enough for everyone currently there.

With repeated use, he became more and more proficient with the Earth Transporting Skill. The last two stone houses were built nearly twice as fast as the first, and his precision in controlling earth and stone with Spiritual Power had also improved noticeably.

After the stone houses were finished, the two Loose Cultivators walked out from behind the thicket of dead trees.

The male cultivator with the surname Zhou looked at the row of stone houses, a surprised expression on his face.

"Senior, these are..."

"Places to live. Pick one."

The two exchanged a glance, then hurriedly cupped their fists in thanks, each picking a house to move into.

Li Yuan returned to his own stone house, sat down, and laid out his Talisman Making materials.

He had just given ten of his Spirit Water Talismans to the Wang family, so he needed to replenish his stock. He also had orders for several other types of Talismans to complete, and the demand for Soul-Refining Talismans and Gathering Essence Talismans was also considerable.

Li Yuan began to draw Talismans.

He rotated between drawing Tier Two Spirit Water Talismans, Tier One Soul-Refining Talismans, and Tier One Gathering Essence Talismans.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, the fine control he had over his liquefied Spiritual Power made the flow and connection of the Spirit Patterns extremely smooth. His success rate for Tier Two Spirit Water Talismans had stabilized at over fifty percent, and he almost never failed when making Tier One Talismans.

He drew continuously for two days.

On the evening of the second day, as he finished the final Spirit Pattern on a Spirit Water Talisman, a rich, aquamarine light shimmered on its surface. The flow and connection of the Spirit Patterns were more fluid and natural than any he had drawn before.

The panel popped up.

[Talisman Making Skill: Tier Two Talisman Making — Proficient (0/400)]

’My Tier Two Talisman Making Skill has reached the Proficient level.’

The process of drawing Spirit Patterns had gone from deliberate control to being semi-automatic. The rhythm of his wrist movements, the ratio of Spiritual Power distribution, and the method of connecting the Spirit Patterns had all formed a stable muscle memory.

His success rate would increase further, and the quality of his work would become more consistent.

Li Yuan put away his talisman brush and Spiritual Ink, sat down cross-legged, and began to cultivate.