Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

After the Demon Sect's Golden Core cultivator examined the evil veins, Ghost Mist Forest remained quiet for two more days.

But this time, the silence didn't last long.

At noon on the third day, a new aura suddenly appeared in the sky.

The aura arrived extremely quickly, without any deliberate fanfare, yet as soon as it entered the airspace above the Ghost Mist Forest, the spiritual energy of the entire area seemed to have been gently pressed down. Many cultivators in the market immediately looked up, and the array devices at the outpost also lit up several times in succession.

Li Yuan stood outside the stone building of the management office, looking south.

Another Golden Core cultivator has arrived.

Moreover, it belongs to the Yuanyang Sect.

Chen Yi arrived from the other end of the main street at almost the same time, walking quickly, but his face looked more relaxed than a few days ago.

"The second Golden Core Ancestor has arrived."

Li Yuan nodded.

With this move, the situation in Ghost Mist Forest is pretty much settled. Previously, it was a Yuan Yang Sect Golden Core cultivator versus a Demon Sect Golden Core cultivator, and neither side was willing to make a move. Now that the Yuan Yang Sect has gained another member, the balance has shifted.

That afternoon, a standoff broke out again on the outskirts of the Ghost Mist Forest.

Chen Yi didn't return until night.

After entering the room, he took a sip of tea before speaking, "It's settled."

"The Demon Sect has withdrawn," Chen Yi said. "The ruins have been taken over by the Yuan Yang Sect, and the Demon Sect will no longer interfere with the ruins themselves. In exchange, Liangzhou acknowledges that the Dark Abyss Society can now operate openly."

Li Yuan's brows twitched slightly.

Chen Yi glanced at him and continued, "We won't let them do whatever they want. The sect has set a line: no one is allowed to harm the innocent. If they dare to slaughter people and practice demonic arts as they have before, the Yuan Yang Sect will take direct action."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.

The Dark Abyss Society has transformed from an underground organization into a semi-public force in Liangzhou, a change far greater than the mere loss of a Golden Core cultivator.

Li Yuan didn't immediately comment, but only asked, "Does the Demonic Sect really follow the rules?"

"Whether they defend or not is not something that can be completely decided right now," Chen Yi said. "But what they need right now is a foothold, not to break ties with the Yuanyang Sect immediately. As long as the Qishui Sect is still holding out, they won't go too far in Liangzhou."

Qishui Sect.

This wasn't the first time Li Yuan had heard this name. That was the main battlefield where the Demonic Sect was truly pressing in; no matter how much trouble Liangzhou and Ghost Mist Forest caused, they were ultimately just a piece of the chessboard on the sidelines.

Now that the situation has been settled, the Yuanyang Sect will not delay any longer.

Starting the next day, the ruins officially came under the control of the Yuanyang Sect. Another group of people were deployed outside the outpost, and the team that was originally just guarding the outer perimeter began to organize the area more systematically.

The most crucial element is breaking through the deepest layers of the formation.

Both of the Golden Core cultivators from the Yuanyang Sect personally went there.

Li Yuan didn't go in; he only helped with some array pattern adjustments and clearing obstacles from the old path on the outer layer. By the time the two Golden Core cultivators emerged from the depths, quite a few people were already waiting outside.

The result was not unexpected.

It can be broken, but not quickly.

The deeper layer of restrictions is far more complex than the outer layer. Even if a Golden Core cultivator has sufficient strength, it is not suitable to simply crush it with brute force.

If a direct assault is launched, the door may not open first; the internal structure and remaining resources may be damaged first.

After Chen Yi returned, he only exchanged a few words with Li Yuan.

"It's been decided from above; we'll be recruiting independent cultivators and sect-based array masters to assist us."

"Grind it slowly."

This step also means that the subsequent development of the ruins will be further publicized. Once the news is released, most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in Liangzhou and the surrounding areas who make a living from array formations will be attracted to come.

The Foundation Building Trade Fair, which was originally scheduled to start earlier, has finally been rescheduled.

Because of the previous situation between the demonic cultivators and the Ghost Mist Forest, this event was delayed again and again until the three-way struggle temporarily came to an end before it was able to resume.

Li Yuan went as usual.

The location was the same as always, but this time it was more lively and chaotic than before. There were quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators present, some from within the Yuan Yang Sect's territory, others from nearby prefectures, and even a few people carrying some demonic techniques had infiltrated. No one pointed it out, so everyone pretended not to notice.

As soon as the trade fair began, the topic inevitably turned to the current situation.

"The Dark Abyss Society has now officially made its debut."

"Liangzhou will only get more chaotic from now on."

"I heard that the Qishui Sect is having a hard time holding on; the Demon Sect actually has most of its strength on the other side."

Despite their banter, when they actually sat down to trade, their hands were busy. Resources are most valuable at times like these. Healing medicines, magic artifacts for escape techniques, array materials, and tracking devices are all easier to sell than usual.

Li Yuan's goal this time was also very clear: to avoid anything too complicated and focus solely on high-value resources.

The evil vein has already begun to approach the mid-grade level, and now is the time to add fuel to the fire. If we can obtain some more high-quality evil energy crystals or evil-type materials of the second rank or above, the cultivation speed can naturally be accelerated even further.

After circling around twice, he finally saw what he wanted in the hands of a Foundation Establishment cultivator in black.

The man's stall was small and its contents were varied, but inside were three dark crystals sealed in a small box. As soon as the box was opened, a heavy, malevolent aura emanated from it, indicating that its quality was significantly higher than that of ordinary malevolent stones.

"A second-order baleful energy crystal?" Li Yuan asked.

The black-clad monk raised his eyes.

"Two low-grade pills and one near-mid-grade pill. Take them or exchange them for spirit stones or healing pills of the same grade."

Li Yuan didn't waste any words with him and went straight to inspect the goods.

The items were fine, and the price wasn't outrageous. In the end, he exchanged all three pieces of demonic energy crystals for a batch of healing pills and some spirit stones. In addition, he also obtained a high-quality demonic material from another person, which was the residual bone core of a second-tier demonic demon, which could also be used to replenish the ore vein.

This trip was quite fruitful.

During the latter half of the trade fair, the participants continued to discuss the situation outside the country.

Some say the Dark Abyss Society will set up outposts in the future, while others say that since the existence of demonic cultivators is now tacitly acknowledged, Liangzhou will likely experience more friction in the future.

Li Yuan didn't participate; he simply collected the necessary resources and jotted down a few rumors related to the Ghost Mist Forest.

By the time he returned to Fog Forest Market, many changes had already become apparent.

On the main street, there were several faces that would never have appeared before.

Clad in black, with a somber aura, he was surprisingly well-behaved when buying materials for repairing magical artifacts and healing pills, and readily paid with spirit stones. At first, the rogue cultivators in the market would avoid him, but after a few days, seeing that no trouble had occurred, they gradually grew bolder.

The demonic cultivators began to trade openly in the market.

When Li Yuan first saw it, he paused for a moment.

They didn't meet secretly, nor did they come in disguised as rogue cultivators. They simply walked down the main street, going to pharmacies, secondhand shops, and magical artifact repair shops, buying and selling things like ordinary cultivators.

In the following days, the changes in the market became even more pronounced.

After the arrival of demonic cultivators, many businesses actually increased rather than decreased. After all, apart from the different cultivation techniques and sources of demonic energy, their needs were not much different from those of normal cultivators. They needed to buy pills, collect spiritual herbs, repair damaged magical artifacts, and travel out to explore, requiring maps, talismans, and supplies.

Demonic cultivators have always been active near the Misty Forest Market. Now that they can openly enter the market, their business will only get better.

The shopkeeper was initially tense, but after a few days, seeing that he could indeed accept spirit stones, his attitude softened.

As long as no one causes trouble in the market, it doesn't matter who you sell to.

It seems that Wulin Market has developed even more overnight.

Li Yuan didn't say much about this, focusing his attention back on the mines and the ruins. The more bustling the market became, the more complex the situation became. On the surface, it appeared that the three-way power struggle had ended, but in reality, it had simply shifted from open conflict to another kind of undercurrent.

Back in the stone house at night, he took out the three high-level evil energy crystals and the bone core he had obtained at the trade fair.

The evil energy vein needs to be nurtured further.