Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes

The next morning, Li Yuan left with his materials box, preparing to go to the stall area to restock on some Spiritual Ink.

As he passed the western side of the settlement, he saw people moving in the distance in the direction of Pill Refiner He’s courtyard.

There were three people: two dressed as Loose Cultivators and one in a grayish-green long robe.

The dark-patterned belt on the grayish-green robe was very familiar—it was the attire of the Li family.

The three of them, with one in the lead and two following, walked straight to the gate of Pill Refiner He’s courtyard. The Restriction at the entrance flashed, and the three filed inside.

Li Yuan averted his gaze and continued toward the stall area.

’It’s Pill Refiner He’s own business who he deals with.’

After buying the Spiritual Ink and returning to his shop, Li Yuan closed the door and took the Jade Breakthrough Pill out of his storage pouch.

Li Yuan equipped it, filling the empty slot that had opened up after making the beast hide permanent.

The moment the attribute took effect, the Spiritual Power in his Dantian felt as if its flow had been sped up.

The originally stable flow of Spiritual Power suddenly accelerated. The rhythm of it surging through his meridians changed from a steady pace to a torrent, and the time for each complete cycle was shortened.

It wasn’t the feeling of being forcibly pushed by an external force. Instead, it was as if the meridians themselves had become slicker. The resistance to the Spiritual Power flowing within them decreased by twenty percent, so it naturally moved faster.

Li Yuan sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.

The increase in the speed of his Spiritual Power’s circulation was the most noticeable effect. After each complete cycle, the interval before the next one began was shortened to almost eighty percent of what it was before.

The change in his Spiritual Power recovery speed was also palpable. The efficiency with which his Dantian absorbed Spiritual Qi from the outside world and converted it into his own Spiritual Power had clearly quickened, as if another irrigation channel had been opened.

The increase in the rate of Spiritual Power growth was the hardest to perceive. There was no discernible difference in the short term, but over time, his Cultivation would increase twenty percent faster than before.

A twenty-percent boost in each of the three areas wasn’t astounding on its own. But when stacked with the Spiritual Essence condensation from the Spirit Absorption Pill, the cultivation acceleration from the Pure Spiritual Power, the cyclical acceleration, and the Spiritual Qi convergence effects, these multiple layers of benefits pushed his overall cultivation efficiency up another notch.

For the next few days, Li Yuan’s life was split in two: making Divine Talismans during the day and cultivating at night.

The Divine Talisman was a Tier One Top Grade Talisman, which required a high degree of precision with Spiritual Power and a strong Divine Soul. After his Talisman Making Skill reached Minor Achievement, Li Yuan’s success rate in drawing Divine Talismans stabilized at around seventy percent, reaching eighty percent on a good day.

The materials Pill Refiner He had provided were high quality. The compatibility between the talisman paper and the Spiritual Ink was better than what the Wang family’s Talisman Hall supplied, making the drawing process smoother. There was more material left over than expected.

Li Yuan didn’t return the extra materials.

Pill Refiner He wanted thirty-five finished products. As long as the quantity was sufficient and the quality met the standard, how much material was used was the Talisman Maker’s own business.

Li Yuan put the extra talisman paper and Spiritual Ink into his storage pouch to keep for his own use.

On the evening of the fourth day, after he finished cultivating, Li Yuan felt a change in the rhythm of his Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill.

The speed at which the different attributes of Spiritual Power harmonized within his meridians had quickened, and the switch between attributes changed from "requiring deliberate guidance" to a "natural transition."

The distribution of Spiritual Power in his meridians became more even, and the occasional feeling of conflicting attributes almost completely disappeared.

[Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill — Great Success (1/3200)]

Great Success.

The most direct change from Minor Achievement to Great Success in the Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill was a significant increase in the meridians’ capacity to accommodate different Spiritual Power Attributes.

This was also beneficial for talisman making. The switch between Spiritual Power Attributes during the process was now faster and cleaner.

That afternoon, Wang Lu arrived.

"You broke through?"

Wang Lu sensed Li Yuan’s aura after entering and asked.

"Yes, Qi Refining Seventh Level. Pill Refiner He gave me a Realm-Breaking Pill in advance."

Li Yuan had deliberately adjusted his displayed Cultivation to the Qi Refining Seventh Level.

Wang Lu looked at Li Yuan for a moment. He didn’t offer any congratulations, his expression somewhat grim.

Qi Refining Seventh Level meant he was in the Late-stage of Qi Refining.

According to the terms of the Wang family’s contract, peripheral members who reached the Late-stage of Qi Refining could apply to shorten the duration of their contract, on the condition that they complete a designated mission.

Wang Lu sat on a stool for a while before asking, "What are your thoughts on the contract?"

"I haven’t decided yet," Li Yuan said.

Wang Lu nodded and didn’t press the matter.

"I can’t make the decision. We’ll have to wait until reinforcements arrive. Someone will be assigned to talk to you about this then."

After Wang Lu left, Li Yuan closed the door and sat for a while.

’It really was time to think about the contract.’

If he stayed with the Wang family, he would keep his status in the Talisman Hall, allowing him to continue taking on its missions to earn Contribution Points. He would also have a stable channel for obtaining talisman-making materials and information on Magic.

But the war of attrition between the Wang family and the Li family was still ongoing. After Uncle Qu’s death, the Wang family had a huge gap in their combat strength here. It was very likely that people would be sent to the front lines after reinforcements arrived.

Talisman Makers weren’t guaranteed to be sent to the front lines, but they weren’t guaranteed to be exempt either. When the time came, his fate wouldn’t be his own to decide. If he were assigned to a dangerous position, it would be a huge problem.

Besides, the contract itself was a restraint. A contract refined with blood essence could track one’s general location. While it wasn’t as though he would be monitored at all times, it was still unsettling.

After breaking the contract, he wouldn’t necessarily lose his status in the Talisman Hall completely—they were still recruiting Loose Cultivators—but his compensation would definitely be reduced.

The gap between a Loose Cultivator Talisman Maker and a contracted one was not small. The missions and resources he could obtain would be diminished.

But he would be free.

The scales in Li Yuan’s heart tipped toward leaving.

But there was no rush for now. Wang Lu said they would talk after the reinforcements arrived, so he would wait. Until then, he would do what needed to be done—make talismans and cultivate.

That evening, Li Yuan sat at his desk and continued to draw Divine Talismans.

The talisman brush touched down on the talisman paper. Spiritual Power seeped from the tip into the paper’s surface, and one after another, the talisman patterns took shape under the guidance of the Spiritual Ink.

Now that his Talisman Making Skill had reached Great Success, the amount and speed of Spiritual Power output for each stroke were a notch more stable than when the skill was at Minor Achievement. The connections between the talisman patterns were more fluid, requiring almost no mid-process adjustments.

He finished drawing a Divine Talisman. The patterns on its surface flared with light for a moment before the Spiritual Power converged. It was a success.

Li Yuan set the Talisman aside and spread out a new sheet of talisman paper.

Thirty-five talismans in ten days. At his current pace, he could finish them all in eight.