Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

The next morning, Li Yuan received a notification from the outpost.

This personnel transfer at the outpost was more formal than usual.

The Yuanyang Sect wants to venture deeper into the ruins once more.

After receiving the transfer order, Li Yuan went to the outpost first.

There were already more than a dozen people standing in the main hall, mostly array cultivators and auxiliary cultivators who had participated in the in-depth exploration some time ago, as well as several deacons in charge of coordination. Chen Yi was also there, and when he saw Li Yuan enter, he waved to him.

"You'll have to go in this time."

Li Yuan walked over and asked, "What are you mainly cleaning?"

Chen Yi pushed a simple diagram over to him.

"It's still those corridors in the deep outer area and leading to the Core Formation area. The daily access in front is not affected because the main road has been opened, but there are still many residual formations and restrictions on both sides that have not been completely removed. Normally, it is relatively safe as no one touches them. But if we really want to re-set up the formations and station people there for a long time, those things can no longer be left."

He pointed to several spots on the map with his fingertip.

"Here, here, and this section of the side corridor. On the surface, they are just remnants and old nodes, but they are actually interconnected. When dismantling them, we must do it layer by layer, otherwise, when we re-set the array, the old restrictions next to it may be brought up when the spiritual energy is pressed in."

After looking down at the document, Li Yuan had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

I've already proven myself in the previous ruins. Although I wasn't a formally trained array master from the Yuan Yang Sect, I was faster than many others when it came to dismantling these old arrays. Now that the sect is rebuilding its inner workings, it would be strange if they didn't call on me.

After leaving the outpost, Li Yuan did not immediately enter the ruins, but instead went back to the stone house first.

After equipping the array's pivot plate, Li Yuan decided to go to the ruins again.

The moment the entry entered the field, Li Yuan felt that the array patterns that were originally laid out flat in his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly had more distinct layers. The connections between the main array, auxiliary array, concealing patterns, and backflow were no longer just placed side by side, but were like layers pressing on top of each other. Many places that originally required repeated deduction could be seen at a glance as primary and secondary.

The second time we entered the deeper levels, we were much more familiar with the path than before.

The passageway leading down from the middle level was still guarded by the Yuan Yang Sect members, and two more layers of temporary formations were laid near the entrance, clearly to prevent the previously suppressed spiritual energy structure from being disrupted again by frequent entry and exit. Li Yuan followed the group in and soon reached the outer perimeter of the deeper level.

This place is much cleaner than last time.

The outer ring area has been re-divided. Several places that were originally piled with scattered stone shelves and old debris have now been cleared out. Several temporary lighting lamps have also been added to both sides of the corridor, illuminating the old patterns and broken paths on the stone walls more clearly.

But as soon as Li Yuan stepped inside, he saw the problem.

Just because you can enter here doesn't mean it's clean.

Many old patterns, seemingly just remnants hidden in the stone walls, actually still retain a very faint connection to spiritual energy. Some of the paths even interlock with each other along the corridor floor tiles and the interior of the walls; if one is suppressed by a new formation, the other may react accordingly.

Once the interconnected array is activated, this multi-layered, overlapping feeling becomes even more pronounced than before.

Li Yuan walked to the first side corridor to be demolished, bent down and looked at it for a moment before speaking: "Don't touch those cracks on the outer layer yet, first pick out the underground backflow."

A Yuan Yang Sect formation cultivator standing nearby was taken aback.

"Are they underground too?"

Li Yuan raised his hand and pointed to an inconspicuous stone brick in the lower left corner of the side corridor entrance.

"The spiritual energy doesn't just stay on the wall; it flows down from here and then circles into the opposite stone wall. If you cut through these upper sections now, you'll only disturb the flow that flows back down below."

The man immediately suppressed his divine sense downwards, and after a moment, his expression changed slightly.

"There really is one hidden."

This is the direct benefit of array-to-array communication.

Previously, when examining such multi-layered, fragmented formations, one often had to examine each layer carefully to discern the primary and secondary elements before connecting them. Now, however, as soon as many structures came into view, Li Yuan could immediately identify which layer was merely a superficial shell and which was the true connecting point that linked the various layers of the formation together.

Li Yuan first located the point where the underground backflow ended, suppressed the remaining patterns on both sides, and then had someone cut off the section that truly connected to the main flow from the inner layer of the side wall. After this step was completed, the few cracks on the surface that would have lit up at the slightest touch indeed dimmed on their own.

The same approach was used in the following places.

Li Yuan was looking forward along the side wall when he suddenly stopped at a certain wall.

The place looked no different from the one before, with gray-white stone walls and half-buried old bricks. But when Li Yuan pressed down with the array's connection and the protective vein pattern, he saw a very strange structure.

Read the full text of Chapter 280, "The Core Formation Platform Array," for free at: [link missing].

It's not a regular depleted formation.

It resembles a closed doorway that has been buried and then blended into the surrounding stone layers.

Li Yuan raised his hand and tapped it, but the sound was wrong.

A nearby monk noticed him stop and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Empty?"

After saying that, Li Yuan touched the side along the gray line.

"This isn't a solid wall; it's a sealed stone chamber."

The news immediately put everyone's spirits up.

In places like this, many things have already been unearthed before. Now, the discovery of a previously buried, sealed stone chamber deep inside is naturally not something anyone would take lightly.

Chen Yi rushed over upon hearing the news.

After confirming the situation, the group did not make a rash decision, but instead began to dismantle the outer sealing wall little by little, following the location pointed out by Li Yuan.

The restrictions here weren't particularly strong; the real problem was that it and the surrounding stone layers had been buried for so long. If they were to forcefully break through, the things inside might be damaged as well. Fortunately, the seal itself was only for concealment and isolation, not a killing barrier. It took more than half an hour to finally clear out the stone door buried in the side wall.

As soon as the door opened, it was indeed a stone chamber inside.

It wasn't large, even smaller than the quiet chambers on the outer perimeter of the inner layer. There were no alchemy furnaces, magical artifacts, or rows of medicine shelves and array materials inside. The only thing actually placed inside was a stone table, on which were two old notebooks, and next to it was an old token that had lost its spiritual power.

Li Yuan first glanced at the interior structure to confirm that there were no additional restrictions before following the others inside.

The manuscript is relatively well preserved.

Chen Yi picked up the first volume and flipped through a few pages. He quickly realized it wasn't an ordinary disciple's notebook, but rather a record. Another cultivator next to him took the other volume, looked at it for a moment, and his expression changed as well.

"It's a Core Formation manual."

Upon hearing these four words, the people inside the room became quieter.

Li Yuan also took one of the books and flipped through it.

The notes in the journal were not just vague insights, but rather very concrete lists and records.

The records show which disciple entered the Core Formation Platform in a certain year and month, their cultivation level, cultivation method, age, auxiliary materials used, and the results of their Core Formation.

These records span two hundred years.

This shows that the sect took the Core Formation process very seriously back then, and indeed had a stable and functioning Core Formation system. Otherwise, they wouldn't have left a sealed stone chamber deep inside specifically for storing Core Formation records.

Li Yuan continued flipping through the pages.

Some entries are very short, only recording successes and failures.

Some would write a few more sentences, mentioning the activation status of the Core Formation Platform, whether the auxiliary array was activated, and whether the main vein's spiritual energy attraction was normal during the Core Formation.

Upon seeing this, Li Yuan's gaze sharpened slightly, realizing the crucial point.

The Core Formation Platform requires the coordination of an array to be activated.

This booklet seems to only record this aspect, nothing else.

There weren't many things in the stone chamber, so taking inventory was quick.

Two volumes of Core Formation manuals and an old token. The token itself is no longer of any use; I can only take it back to read later. The real value lies in the two volumes of manuals.

According to the rules, the items should still be handed over to the sect for unified registration first.

When we came out of the stone chamber, several spirit lamps had been lit outside the passage, illuminating the newly cleared doorway and the surrounding stone layers very clearly.

When the people waiting outside saw them come out, they immediately surrounded them and asked what was inside. Chen Yi didn't explain in detail, but only told them to continue clearing the surrounding passages and include the stone chamber in the later reconstruction area.

Over the next two days, the team continued to clear out the remaining enemy forces and dismantle the old fortifications.

On the evening of the third day, Li Yuan had just removed a second-level stabilizer buried under the floor tiles when the panel popped out.

[Permanentization progress of the mobile phone interconnection (green) feature: 4/5]

When I walked out of the passage that had been widened considerably, the outer ring area was much tidier than it had been a few days ago. Several temporary stabilizers were functioning normally, and the old spirit patterns that used to light up from time to time on both sides of the protective corridor had dimmed considerably.

Li Yuan followed the crowd out of the deeper levels; it was already getting dark outside.

Chen Yi put away the jade slip containing the record and glanced at Li Yuan.

"We'll probably have to keep digging down into the Core Formation area."

Li Yuan nodded, said nothing more, put his identity token into his sleeve, and turned to walk towards the market.