Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

The outer and middle layers of the ruins were cleared for a long time.

Layer after layer of the flow-guiding array patterns were dismantled, and the old mechanisms were gradually straightened out. The loops, false patterns, and interlocking structures that were originally wrapped around the deep entrance were peeled away bit by bit by the array masters and sect cultivators, finally clearing out a large area around the deep entrance.

Once this step was reached, the two Golden Core cultivators from the Yuan Yang Sect once again personally took to the field.

When the message reached the outpost, Li Yuan was refining pills in the stone house. The furnace had barely been extinguished when the order arrived from the outpost. It was brief, stating only that the deeper entrance would reopen today.

Li Yuan put away the jade slip and set off immediately.

Upon arriving at the outpost, a considerable number of people were already gathered outside. However, only a few were actually able to venture deeper into the ruins. Apart from the two Golden Core cultivators and several array masters, the remaining members of the initial support team were mostly people who had been working on the outer and middle levels of the ruins in recent days.

Li Yuan was among them.

The scene outside the deep entrance was different from the last time.

Most of the obstructive broken walls, brick fragments, and old mechanisms around the entrance have been cleared away.

The heavy stone door at the front is still there, but the old patterns that were once densely intertwined outside the door have now darkened considerably, with only the few sections of the main loop at the deepest part still stubbornly holding on.

Two Golden Core cultivators from the Yuan Yang Sect stood one in front of the entrance.

Several array masters were positioned on both sides, making a final check of the loop.

As soon as Li Yuan arrived, his gaze fell upon the torn area outside the stone gate. It wasn't blasted open directly, but rather a passageway that two Golden Core cultivators had forcibly carved inwards, following the main meridians that had already been cleared, after the array master had stabilized the outer spiritual flow.

Chen Yi stood on the outside and saw Li Yuan coming over, so he just said something in a low voice.

"When you go inside, look around first, but don't touch anything."

Li Yuan nodded.

A moment later, a low vibration came from inside.

It wasn't a loud bang, but rather like a large layer of suppressed stone and spiritual energy slowly shifting apart.

Instead of smashing down the door, the two Golden Core cultivators followed the main entrance route, which had been almost completely demolished, and painstakingly tore open the locked passage inch by inch.

This process lasted for a full fifteen minutes.

Only after the last dull thud subsided did the distorted space in front of them finally stabilize.

The passage is open.

The two Golden Core cultivators went first.

Several array masters followed closely behind.

Li Yuan and several other auxiliary cultivators were in the first batch and followed them inside.

The moment I stepped through the entrance, the feeling around me changed instantly.

The dilapidation, old age, and clutter of the outer ruins suddenly faded here.

The deeper areas were not brightly lit, but they were very orderly. The stone bricks underfoot were much more intact, and the walls on both sides did not have the obvious damage seen on the outer layers. There was no lingering smell of decay in the air, only a cold, somber atmosphere left by long periods of closure.

Walk forward a short distance, and your view will open up completely.

When Li Yuan looked up, the first thing that caught his eye was a circular area.

It's neither a palace nor a storeroom.

It's more like an outer ring structure built around the central core area.

The ground was paved with neat stone bricks, with faint ancient patterns carved along the edges, and broken spiritual energy loops could still be seen at several joints.

Inside the outer ring, there are several small quiet rooms that are clearly for people to stay, adjust their breathing, and wait.

Further inside, there is a corridor.

The corridor was not wide, but it was very long, and it turned out along a certain fixed direction.

The stone walls are engraved with many old patterns related to the protection of the veins. Many parts are broken, but you can still see that they were originally structures used to stabilize the environment for core formation and to connect the spiritual veins.

Apart from that, there isn't much that's actually out in the open.

There are no warehouses filled with resources.

Only a few scattered books remain, lying on stone shelves and in quiet rooms along the outer ring road; some are pressed on tables, while others have fallen to the ground. Besides these, there are only a few old artifacts and some long-lost junk.

Two Golden Core cultivators from the Yuan Yang Sect were also watching.

One of them walked around the outer ring, his gaze sweeping over the protective corridor and several quiet rooms, before slowly speaking.

"Golden Core Formation Platform".

The other Golden Core cultivator nodded.

"Judging from this layout and the protective structure, it is most likely the place where the Nascent Soul sect used to help its disciples form their cores back then."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the several cultivators nearby changed.

The place where the Golden Core is formed.

Moreover, it was a place specifically prepared by the Nascent Soul sect for its disciples to form their core.

Li Yuan didn't interrupt, but simply strolled along the outer ring road.

At first glance, there are no obvious restrictions here, at least not like the outer and middle layers, where complete array patterns and mechanisms are readily displayed. But as soon as Li Yuan released his divine sense, the spiritual vein perception immediately reacted.

Main vein.

That familiar sense of connection came directly up from underground.

Li Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

The restriction he had sensed above the main vein of the large spiritual vein suddenly felt completely connected here. It wasn't a vague judgment, but a very clear connection that formed a straight line.

The restriction pressing down on the main vein is the path leading here.

In other words, there is a clear connection between the spiritual vein and this deep core formation area.

This connection is not merely geographical proximity, but structural integration. The main vein below, the restrictions above, the corridors here, and the alchemy platform are all part of the same system.

As you walk to the other side of the outer ring road, a stone wall in front of you catches the eye of many people.

There were words on the wall, a single word written in blood.

Li Yuan had only glanced at it twice when one of the Golden Core cultivators from the Yuan Yang Sect spoke up.

"This sect was neither purely righteous nor purely demonic back then."

"It's a complex mix of good and evil."

Li Yuan turned his head and looked over.

The Golden Core cultivator's gaze remained fixed on the blood-red characters, his tone remaining calm.

"According to the records left from the past, this sect was divided into several branches, each following its own path. Some followed the orthodox methods, while others practiced unorthodox ones. In name, it was a sect, but in reality, it was more like a federation."

Another Golden Core cultivator chimed in.

"The collapse is probably related to this."

Li Yuan wrote down these two sentences.

After everyone dispersed to the outer perimeter of the inner area, Li Yuan, taking advantage of his identity, slowly checked the outer ring.

In places like this, others see the existing objects and the obvious structure, but Li Yuan sees them in much greater detail.

The advanced perception brought by the spiritual vein has always been there, and the protective vein markings have long been permanent.

With the two abilities combined, many places on the outer edge of this deep layer that others might not have noticed were gradually revealed in Li Yuan's eyes.

For example, the direction of residual spiritual energy inside the wall.

Some places appear unremarkable on the surface, yet they still retain very faint traces of spiritual energy, indicating that a complete circuit once operated here for a long period. It was only later that it broke, the spiritual flow disappeared, and that's why those traces in the walls have remained until now.

Li Yuan looked around without making a scene, only slowing down his pace in front of a quiet room on the outside.

The quiet room was small and empty, containing only a stone couch, an overturned old wooden shelf, and an object covered in dust in the corner. The object resembled a half-broken incense burner, devoid of any spiritual light, and with two fine cracks on its surface.

As soon as Li Yuan got close, his senses settled on him.

There is an entry for it.

Li Yuan bent down and picked up the thing, and a panel popped up.

[Equipable item detected: Old Furnace for Nourishing Spirit (Complete)]

[Equipment Attribute Preview: Spiritual Nourishment (Green)]

[Effect: Increases soul recovery speed by 30%]

[Preview of conditions for permanentization: Achieving perfection in one of the soul cultivation techniques]

[Current equipment slots are full (5/5). Replace current equipment?]

Green entries.

The effect is very direct.

Increases the speed of soul recovery by 30%.

Li Yuan glanced at it and put the old furnace away first.

This exploration did not last long.

With the deep passageway now firmly opened, the Yuan Yang Sect couldn't allow everyone to continue rummaging through it. After the first team had a preliminary look at the outer ring and corridors, they began to gather the books and records by area.

When Li Yuan came out, he also carried a small stack of old books that he had sorted out from the quiet room and the outer ring stone shelves.

According to the rules, these items must first be submitted to the sect for unified registration.

However, after registration, they will generally be released so that people can exchange them for contributions.

Li Yuan was already experienced with this, and after the outpost had finished organizing the registers, he went directly to the exchange office.

Many books were unearthed from the outer perimeter of the deep layer this time, but the truly valuable ones haven't been released yet. Most of what was released first were materials related to Core Formation preparation, meridian protection records, and daily cultivation practices from old sects. Li Yuan immediately took a liking to a more complete Core Formation preparation record.

The price is very low.

Li Yuan didn't hesitate and directly exchanged his contribution for it.

After returning to the stone house, Li Yuan opened the record of preparations for Core Formation.

Compared to what he had seen before from the outer layers of ruins and sect records, this one was more complete and closer to the path of that Nascent Soul sect itself. It not only described what to prepare before forming the Golden Core, but also recorded what changes would occur in the outside world when a disciple of this sect broke through to the Golden Core stage.

Li Yuan flipped through the pages one by one.

Some places describe how spiritual energy fluctuations manifest outwardly.

Some passages describe how the fluctuations of the soul change.

There are also some entries that specifically record the unusual phenomena and risks that certain techniques within their sect might cause during the Core Formation process.

After reading it, Li Yuan closed his eyes and continued his cultivation.