Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

The author's latest work, "Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes," is exclusively published on Cola Novels!

After the official commencement of the auxiliary formation setup at the Core Formation Platform, the reconstruction of the ruins' defense system was also launched simultaneously.

Both tasks were coordinated by the Yuan Yang Sect, with manpower and materials sharing the same process. Li Yuan's first assigned task was to set up a coordinated defensive array in the transition area between the middle level of the ruins and the outer ring of the Core Formation area.

The setup is relatively simple, but the process is complicated and requires division of labor and cooperation with other personnel.

The next day, the work area was moved from the transition zone to the outer ring of the Jiedan District.

After Li Yuan entered the outer ring as a formation master, he needed to further survey and adapt the old restrictions surrounding the Core Formation Platform while setting up the new formation. The guiding patterns of the new auxiliary formation had to bypass the nodes of the old restrictions; otherwise, the spiritual energy flows on both sides would interfere with each other.

This gave Li Yuan a perfectly reasonable excuse to linger in a key position of the old restriction for an extended period of time.

Li Yuan squatted in front of a node in the first layer of the old restriction, holding a jade slip for surveying. He recorded the direction of the array patterns while carefully probing the node structure with his divine sense.

The node positions are consistent with those recorded during daytime surveying, and the nesting relationship of the array patterns remains unchanged.

After Li Yuan finished recording the survey data, he casually left a very faint spiritual energy fluctuation on the stone wall next to the node.

At the same time, the spiritual energy of the spiritual vein suddenly surged up, combining with the spiritual energy fluctuations to form a spiritual energy mark. This spiritual energy mark was completely ownerless, so naturally no one could tell that it was set up by them.

The markings were almost invisible, with only a thin film of spiritual energy clinging to the cracks in the stone wall's patterns, blending seamlessly with the natural spiritual energy fluctuations of the surrounding stone walls. Even if someone were to scan this place with their divine sense, it would be difficult to detect this trace left by human intervention.

The purpose of the marker is very simple.

When coming up from the underground passage at night, these markers can help Li Yuan quickly locate the precise position of the node in the dark, saving time of re-exploring.

Li Yuan made the same mark at each of the three key nodes of the first layer of the old restriction, and then continued with the normal array deployment without lingering at any node.

During the break in setting up the formation, Li Yuan also took a look at the materials used in the formation.

The quality of the materials provided by Yuanyang Sect was better than he had expected.

The purity of the stabilizing spirit sand was very high, the spirit-guiding efficiency of the channeling stone was also top-notch, and the array-stabilizing copper sheet was polished to an extremely neat finish. Li Yuan used his divine sense to examine each material he handled one by one, and found no traces of tampering.

There are no hidden array patterns, no adulteration of quality, and no spiritual energy contamination.

Clean and tidy.

Li Yuan noted down the test results and continued with his work.

After several days of intense deployment, Li Yuan returned to the stone house late at night.

Several summaries of market transactions delivered by the management office that day were piled on the table. Li Yuan washed his face, sat down at the table, and flipped through them.

Material prices have gone up again.

The situation of supply falling short of demand is becoming increasingly apparent.

The price of pills has increased by 20%, array materials by 30%, and longevity-promoting herbs have nearly doubled.

The profits from Li Yuan's various business lines rose accordingly. The prices of Qi-Replenishing Pills and Qi-Gathering Pills were also significantly higher than a month ago. Although the spiritual herbs produced in the spirit fields did not directly increase in price, the profits from the finished products used in alchemy also increased.

With multiple lines recovering health simultaneously, resources are accumulating faster than ever before.

When Li Yuan turned to the last page of the transaction summary, he noticed a message.

The Yuan Yang Sect seems to be leaking information that once the auxiliary array for the Core Formation Platform is completed, they will open up Core Formation slots.

There was no official document about the news; it was just mentioned by someone at the outpost, and then it spread throughout the market.

The specific requirements for obtaining the quota have not yet been announced. Some say it depends on the sect's contribution ranking, some say it requires passing an assessment, and others say it requires paying a large amount of spirit stones and materials.

There are many opinions, but no one can say for sure.

Li Yuan put the transaction summary aside and didn't think much about the matter.

We'll see about the quotas; everyone has to walk their own path.

On the morning of the second day, after finishing his daily affairs at the management office, Li Yuan casually flipped through the list of sect contribution exchange slots.

A new item has been added to the list.

A life-locking charm.

The crafting method isn't cheap, but it's within Li Yuan's current contribution balance.

Li Yuan glanced at the description of the Life-Locking Talisman.

Second-tier talismans function to slow down the wearer's lifespan decline. The closer the lifespan is to the upper limit, the stronger the effect, reducing decline by up to 50%.

Li Yuan immediately thought of the old scrolls on life-preserving methods hidden deep within the ruins.

After those old scrolls were sent to the outpost for archiving, the Yuan Yang Sect should have already begun studying them. The Life-Locking Talisman is most likely one of the research results, simplifying a life-preserving method from the old scrolls into a talisman form.

After obtaining the method, Li Yuan returned to the stone house and read through the entire talisman-making process at the table.

The method of making the Life-Locking Talisman is somewhat different from that of regular talismans.

The core of a conventional talisman is to seal the spell's effect onto the talisman paper, which is activated when needed. However, a Life-Locking Talisman is not a one-time activation but rather a long-term wearable item. Its rune structure includes an additional, continuously operating circuit, which must be embedded during the talisman's creation.

The main ingredient is a rare and precious herb called Longevity Grass, supplemented with Nourishing Meridian Sand and a mineral powder that Li Yuan couldn't name.

Li Yuan didn't have any Longevity Grass on hand, but he had previously stockpiled a batch of longevity-extending auxiliary materials, and after rummaging through his storage bag, he indeed found three plants.

There is no shortage of nourishing cinnabar and mineral powder.

After preparing all the materials, Li Yuan spread out the talisman paper and began to write.

The three lines of divine consciousness, used for multiple purposes, came in handy here. The main line controlled the talisman brush to create patterns, one branch monitored the stability of the spiritual energy output, and another branch watched the penetration of spiritual ink on the surface of the talisman paper.

Li Yuan's talisman brush moved across the talisman paper for about a quarter of an hour.

Once the main pattern is complete, the loop is inserted, and the stroke ends.

The spiritual patterns on the surface of the talisman slowly lit up, then receded, the light receding into the interior of the talisman, leaving only a very faint soft light on the surface.

The life-locking talisman is complete.

Li Yuan picked up the talisman and looked at it.

The talisman wasn't large, and it was slightly thicker than a typical second-tier talisman, with its spiritual patterns running inwards and densely. Holding it in your hand, you could feel the circuitry inside the talisman operating extremely slowly, like a faint heartbeat.

The panel then pops up.

[Equipable item detected: Life-Locking Charm (Complete)]

[Equipment Attribute Preview: Life-Locking Charm (Green)]

[Effect: The closer one's lifespan is to its maximum, the slower the rate of lifespan decay, which can be reduced by up to 50%]

[Preview of Permanentization Conditions: Accumulates 100 years of lifespan (including natural attrition)]

The condition for permanentization is the cumulative consumption of one hundred years of lifespan, including natural loss.

My current lifespan is about 350 years. With the breakthrough in my cultivation and the increase in my proficiency with the Green Wood Longevity Technique, my lifespan has increased considerably.

The cumulative consumption over a hundred years would take a very long time to accumulate, even considering natural attrition.

However, if other lifespan-consuming situations occur along the way, the progress will be accelerated.

However, I won't deliberately expend my lifespan just to make this entry permanent.

Li Yuan put away the talisman-making tools and returned the remaining Longevity Grass and Nourishing Meridian Sand to his storage bag.

It was already dark outside the window.

The lights in the market dwindled, and in the distance, the flickering of spiritual light could be faintly seen as the patrolling monks changed shifts in the direction of the outpost.

Li Yuan sat at the table for a while, then sat cross-legged on the futon and closed his eyes to practice his internal energy.