Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

After cultivating in the Ghost Mist Forest for half a month, Chen Yi came again.

This time he wasn't alone; he was followed by four Yuan Yang Sect disciples, each carrying a heavy storage box on their back.

Li Yuan was cultivating in an open space when the early warning array detected their presence first.

Chen Yi walked through the thick fog to the edge of the open space and glanced around.

Although the foundation stones of the three-gate formation are buried underground and cannot be seen, the traces of the conductive spirit sand and the spiritual energy fluctuations of the formation's core cannot be hidden from him.

"A formation has been set up?"

"Early warning, spirit gathering, and defense—the three gates."

Chen Yi nodded without asking any further questions.

He sat down on a rock and put his hands on his knees.

"Let me tell you about what happened in the mine."

"The demonic energy ore in the deeper areas has already been dealt with by the Yuan Yang Sect, and the blockade will continue for some time. Mining of the shallower spirit iron ore has also basically ended, and the remaining reserves are not much. It will be about time to mine them all in another month or two."

He turned his gaze to Li Yuan.

"Although the mine development is almost complete, the value of this area goes beyond just the mineral veins. There are still many independent cultivators active around Ghost Mist Forest, gathering herbs, hunting demons, and mining. Their safety needs to be guaranteed."

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He held up one finger.

"The sect would like to request that you be stationed in Ghost Mist Forest long-term, responsible for clearing out the surrounding demonic beasts and protecting the safety of the cultivators active in this area."

He explained the terms.

"Two hundred contribution points will be distributed monthly as a reward. If a monster of tier two or higher is killed during this period, additional contribution points will be awarded."

Two hundred contribution points per month.

That's 2,400 a year. Add to that the basic contribution points distributed at the end of each year for those with Dharma Protector status, and the income from contribution points becomes quite stable.

"There is no mandatory requirement."

Chen Yi added a sentence.

"You should focus on your cultivation and talisman-making as usual. You don't need to patrol every day. Just be able to respond promptly to threats when the array's warning is triggered."

I had already planned to cultivate in the Ghost Mist Forest for a long time, and now that I have an extra reward, I have no reason to refuse.

"Can."

Chen Yi nodded and waved to the four disciples behind him.

The four disciples put down the storage boxes on their backs and opened the lids.

Inside were a large number of array foundation stones, conductive spirit sand, and early warning spirit runes.

"The Yuanyang Sect will set up a large-scale early warning array around the Ghost Mist Forest, covering the mine and several major areas where independent cultivators are active."

Chen Yi pointed to the materials in the storage box.

"The central node of the formation is located here. Once the warning is triggered, the signal will be transmitted to your core. You will then determine the threat level based on the signal and decide whether to deploy."

He looked at Li Yuan.

"The sect will handle the setup; you don't need to worry about it. However, the array's center will be within your territory, where you'll need to cultivate to ensure an immediate response when an alert is triggered."

Li Yuan nodded.

Over the next two days, the four Yuan Yang Sect disciples busied themselves on the outskirts of the Ghost Mist Forest. One by one, the array foundation stones were buried in their designated locations, conductive spirit sand was laid along the planned route, and warning spirit runes were affixed to key nodes as signal relays.

The deployment of the large-scale early warning array was far more complex and covered a much larger area than the one Li Yuan had set up himself. The entire outer perimeter of Ghost Mist Forest and the area surrounding the mine were included in the early warning network.

The signal receiving array at the center of the formation was placed on an open space in Li Yuan's residence, operating in parallel with the early warning array he had set up himself.

Two days later, the large-scale early warning array was activated.

The four disciples packed up their tools and left with Chen Yi.

Li Yuan sat in the center of the open space, feeling the effect of the two early warning arrays operating simultaneously.

The early warning array they deployed themselves covered an area of ​​eighty zhang (approximately 33 meters), primarily protecting the area surrounding their base. The large-scale early warning array deployed by the Yuanyang Sect covered the entire outer perimeter of the Ghost Mist Forest, a range more than ten times larger.

With the two sets of formations superimposed, every inch of the area from the base to the edge of the Ghost Mist Forest is covered by the perception network.

With a stable income from contribution points, Li Yuan began to consider things that had been put on hold before.

Second-order spells.

I've already mastered the basics of Fire Serpent Technique and Wind Escape Technique, but having only two second-tier spells is far from enough. Fire Serpent Technique is an offensive spell, and Wind Escape Technique is a movement technique; I still lack defensive and support spells.

Li Yuan took out the guardian token, infused it with spiritual power, and checked his contribution point balance and exchange list.

With my current contribution points balance plus the 200 points I just received this month, I have enough to exchange for two more items.

Li Yuan picked two items from the list.

The second-tier upgraded version of the Spirit Shield Technique is called the Mystic Light Shield. A second-tier defensive spell, the shield formed by condensed spiritual energy is several times thicker than the first-tier Spirit Shield Technique, capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. Contribution points: 520.

The second-tier upgraded version of the Spirit Condensation Technique is called the Spirit Condensation Art. This second-tier auxiliary spell can highly compress spiritual energy for a short period, significantly increasing the power of the next attack or defense. Contribution points: 880.

The two courses together cost 1,400.

Li Yuan registered his application at the exchange office, and the magic jade slip was delivered to the Ghost Mist Forest camp that afternoon.

The two jade slips were placed on the fingers one after the other.

No entry.

Li Yuan carefully put away the jade slip and poured his divine sense into it to study it.

The spiritual pattern structure of the Mystic Light Shield is a level more complex than that of the first-tier Spirit Shield Technique, but the core principle remains the same. Having already mastered the Spirit Shield Technique, the upgraded second-tier version shouldn't be difficult to learn.

The principles of the Condensing Essence Technique and the Condensing Essence Arts are similar, with the core being the instantaneous and highly compressed spiritual energy. A foundation in micro-controlling spiritual arts makes manipulating spiritual energy compression no problem.

Li Yuan began practicing two new spells at the camp.

After practicing the Mystic Light Shield for half a day, I've already mastered the basics. The shield formed by condensed spiritual energy is much thicker than the first-tier shield, and its golden luster is calm and restrained. Tapping on it feels like hitting an iron wall.

It took a whole day to master the Condensing Yuan Technique. The instantaneous high compression of spiritual energy places high demands on the dantian and meridians' resilience. In the first few attempts, the energy was only compressed halfway before being bounced off by the rebound force of the spiritual energy. It wasn't until the twelfth or so that I found the trick: drawing the spiritual energy from the dantian while simultaneously using the meridian walls to apply pressure, thus completing the compression through a pincer attack from both inside and out.

[Spell: Mystic Light Barrier - Beginner (0/200)]

[Spell: Condensation Technique - Beginner (0/200)]

He has mastered both second-tier spells.

With the addition of the Fire Serpent Technique and Wind Travel Technique, I now possess four second-tier spells. Attack, defense, movement, and support—the basic framework is now in place.

Li Yuan carefully put away the magic jade slip, sat down cross-legged, and continued his cultivation.

The Spirit Gathering Array concentrates spiritual energy towards its center, while the Demonic Essence Unifies in sync. The Azure Wood Longevity Technique, Soul Condensation Technique, and Demonic Essence Technique operate alternately, advancing multiple cultivation paths simultaneously.

The early warning array was operating quietly, and everything within its coverage area was normal.