Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

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Three days later, the Wang family's reinforcements arrived.

Li Yuan heard the commotion outside while he was drawing talismans in the shop.

Several auras rapidly approached from the south, their speed not slow, their cultivation levels ranging from the fifth to the eighth level of Qi Refining. The aura leading them was deep and steady, with a noticeable sense of oppression.

Nine layers of Qi refinement.

Li Yuan put down the talisman brush, walked to the door, and glanced outside.

Six people walked along the dirt road, all dressed in gray and white outfits, their steps perfectly synchronized.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, tall with broad shoulders and a square face.

He had a long sword hanging at his waist, the scabbard of which was engraved with the Wang family's crest.

Captain of the guard team in Qinghefang City.

Wang Lu followed behind the group, and the fatigue on his face finally subsided somewhat.

After Captain Wang led his men into the settlement, he made no announcement and headed straight for Wang's shop.

Wang Lu entered first and waved to Li Yuan: "The captain wants to see you and Lao Sun."

Old Sun came out of the inner room, his hands still covered in the medicinal powder.

Captain Wang walked into the shop, glanced around the room, and then looked at Li Yuan and Lao Sun.

"Speak behind closed doors."

Wang Lu closed the shop door, blocking the view from outside. The guards that Captain Wang brought dispersed around the perimeter of the shop, standing at a distance, seemingly both on guard duty and casually strolling around.

Only Captain Wang, Wang Lu, Li Yuan, and Lao Sun remained in the room.

Captain Wang pulled up a stool, sat down, and placed his hands on his knees. He got straight to the point: "You all know about Uncle Qu's matter. Let me go over the situation first, and feel free to add anything."

He looked at Wang Lu, and Wang Lu nodded.

"Before Qu Bo had the accident, he was carrying a Spirit Essence Fruit."

Old Sun frowned slightly, clearly hearing about the Spirit Essence Fruit for the first time.

Li Yuan remained calm and did not speak.

"Qu Bo used the Spirit Essence Fruit as bait, hoping to lure the leader of the Tribulation Cultivator into a trap. However, he fell for the trap and chased after him, never to return."

Captain Wang spoke in a very calm tone, as if he were presenting a verified report.

"The soul tablet is broken, so the person is definitely gone. The Spirit Essence Fruit has most likely fallen into their hands as well."

He paused for a moment.

"The leader of the Tribulation Cultivator is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and he has been active on the outskirts of the secret realm. This person is likely supported by the Li family, or he may even be a member of the Li family. The timing of the Li family cultivators appearing on the hillside on the day Qu Bo had his accident is too coincidental."

Captain Wang's gaze swept over Li Yuan.

Li Yuan knew he was waiting for him to add more information.

"After Qu Bo chased after me, I waited on the hillside for a while. Then four members of the Li family came from the northeast, so I left," Li Yuan said, just as he had told Wang Lu before.

Captain Wang hummed in agreement and didn't ask any further questions.

"The Spirit Essence Fruit is in the hands of the Tribulation Cultivator. If the Tribulation Cultivator wants to use it, he will have to find someone to refine the pill."

Captain Wang steered the conversation to the main point: "The Spirit Essence Fruit is the core ingredient of the Breakthrough Pill, and that Tribulation Cultivator leader has already gathered all the materials."

"To refine the Breakthrough Pill, one needs an alchemist at the Foundation Establishment stage or above. Within a radius of several hundred miles around the outer edge of the secret realm, there is only one person capable of refining this kind of pill."

"Master He Dan," Wang Lu replied.

Captain Wang nodded: "So from now on, keep an eye on Alchemist He's movements. Record who comes in and out, what they bring, and how long they stay."

Li Yuan thought for a moment and then asked, "Didn't the Wang family also plan to have Alchemist He refine pills before?"

Captain Wang glanced at him.

"The Wang family is refining the Gathering Yuan Pill, which is not the same as the Breaking Yuan Pill. The main ingredient of the Gathering Yuan Pill does not require the Spirit Yuan Fruit," Captain Wang said.

"However, Alchemist He had some unforeseen circumstances, so the pill refining session was postponed. Now that he's come to the outer edge of the secret realm, this matter needs to be discussed again."

"Wang Lu." Captain Wang turned to look at Wang Lu.

"Go and contact Alchemist He to finalize the Gathering Yuan Pill. While you're at it, try to find out what orders he's taken on lately. Don't be too direct; Alchemist He is very shrewd, and he won't be happy if you ask too many questions."

Wang Lu nodded in agreement.

Captain Wang then turned to Li Yuan: "Are you still making divine talismans for Alchemist He?"

"Yes, 35 sheets in 10 days, that's enough for two days."

"Alright. Continue making talismans, don't stop. You have more opportunities to interact with Master He than we do, so keep an eye on what's going on in his courtyard when you're delivering talismans or picking up materials."

Li Yuan nodded.

After Captain Wang finished recounting Master He's story, he took out a wooden plaque from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"There's one more thing."

His tone changed, becoming more formal than before.

"The Li family has been frequently entering and leaving the secret realm recently, not just one or two people, but in groups. We need to know what they're doing in there."

Captain Wang looked at Li Yuan.

Have you ever been to the secret realm?

"no."

"The situation inside the secret realm is complex, with many demonic beasts, varied terrain, and frequent conflicts between cultivators."

"But your cultivation and abilities are sufficient for the late stage of Qi Refining, and you have the means to conceal your aura, making you more suitable for this kind of thing than others."

Captain Wang pushed the wooden sign towards Li Yuan.

"The mission is simple: enter the secret realm, find the area where the Li family cultivators are active, figure out what they are doing, and bring back the intelligence."

"What about the reward?" Li Yuan asked.

"If we want to smuggle out important information, there are two paths."

Captain Wang held up two fingers. "First, the contract is terminated, the Wang family releases you, and you are now a free person. Second, you officially join the Wang family, no longer an outer member, but directly enter the core staff, with the same treatment as other family members."

"Choose one of the two?"

"Choose one of the two: ordinary intelligence will be rewarded with the normal contribution spirit stones."

Li Yuan did not answer immediately.

"What happens to the status of the Talisman Hall after the contract is terminated?"

Captain Wang had clearly anticipated this question and answered quickly:

"The Talisman Hall is currently recruiting independent talisman makers. Even after you leave the Wang family, you can continue to cooperate with the Talisman Hall."

"But the conditions will change. You can no longer advance your contributions or take on tasks on your own initiative. You can only hand in talismans in exchange for rewards, and the rewards will be lower than those for contracted talisman makers."

"Simply put, the work is still the same, but the pay is lower, but the freedom is greater."

Wang Lu added a comment from the side.

Li Yuan quickly went through it in his mind.

The treatment of independent talisman makers is indeed worse than that of contracted ones. They acquire contribution points much slower, and their access to talisman-making spells and materials, which are only available internally, is also limited. However, the advantage is that they are not bound by contracts, will not be transferred to the front lines, and can go wherever they want.

"When will this mission begin?" Li Yuan asked.

"No rush, let's finish making the talismans for Master He first. I'll arrange the entry into the secret realm later; someone will go in with you then." Captain Wang stood up and pushed the stool back to its original position. "Think carefully about which path you want first."

After Captain Wang left, Old Sun barely said a word.

Li Yuan returned to his room, closed the door, and sat back down at the table.

Spiritual energy seeped into the talisman paper from the tip of the brush, and the talismanic patterns took shape one by one under the guidance of the spiritual ink. While drawing talismans with his hands, he was thinking about the secret realm.

Investigating the Li family's activities in the secret realm is quite risky. There's no rule against fighting like the Yuan Yang Sect's within the realm; encountering members of the Li family means real combat.

Moreover, the Li family has recently been sending large numbers of people into the secret realm, including many experts at the late stage of Qi Refining, giving them a numerical advantage.

But the reward was sufficient. The option to terminate the contract was exactly what Li Yuan wanted.

Moreover, their own strength is undeniable. With their ability to conceal their aura and keenly observe hidden movements, their ability to remain hidden in secret realms far surpasses that of most cultivators of the same level.

If they really encounter someone they can't beat, they're not lacking in ways to escape.

Li Yuan carefully put away the last rune, and the spiritual energy on the talisman paper was gathered, completing the Refining God Talisman.

He set the talisman aside to dry, and then spread out new talisman paper.

Seven more sheets to go to finish this batch. After that, deliver the finished product to Master He, and then prepare to enter the secret realm.

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