Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

Deep in the Ghost Mist Forest.

A dark gray aura tore through the thin mist in the forest like a sharp blade, precisely piercing the head of a mid-grade first-level blue-scaled leopard.

The monster's massive body twitched twice before collapsing heavily into the pile of decaying leaves, its blood quickly staining the ground red.

[Conditions for permanent activation of Flame Fiend Spirit Essence (Green): Kill thirty Tier 1 Mid-grade or higher monsters using fire or fiend magic (11/30)]

Li Yuan slowly descended from the air, skillfully dissecting the monster's head and storing it in his storage bag.

Instead of going any further, they turned back to the market.

While walking on the streets of Fangshi.

The passive perception of [Dark Insight (Blue)] suddenly transmitted a very subtle fluctuation.

Li Yuan paused, sensing the subtle changes in his surroundings.

Within the perception network, a faint trace of demonic energy emanated from the ground in the direction of the market, extending into the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest.

This demonic energy was extremely weak, and it was also mixed with spiritual energy to mask it. If it weren't for the blue attribute of [Dark Fiend Insight], even if Li Yuan released his divine sense to scan the ground, he would have had no chance of discovering it.

What truly caught his attention was the frequency of this demonic energy's fluctuations.

It wasn't a natural spread, nor was it a leak of the formation; rather, it was pulsating in an extremely regular rhythm.

One long, two short. Pause. Three short, one long.

It's like striking some kind of invisible drumhead deep underground.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and focused all his senses on the thin thread of demonic energy.

He imprinted the frequency, intervals, and intensity changes of the demonic energy into his mind without any error.

This is a set of codes.

This wasn't a random surge of spiritual energy, but rather a special communication method used by the Dark Abyss Society or demonic cultivation organizations to transmit intelligence. This mole, lurking within the patrol team, was attempting to relay information about the market over the past two days.

Li Yuan did not sever that wisp of demonic energy, as the value of this set of demonic energy codes was considerable.

If we can rely on this mole to crack the pattern of this frequency, we will not only be able to intercept the mole's intelligence in the future, but also potentially directly spy on the information network of the Dark Abyss Society in the surrounding area, and even reverse locate the communication nodes of the demonic cultivators.

After noting down the pattern of the frequency fluctuations, the demonic energy fluctuations gradually subsided.

Li Yuan paused for a moment to confirm that the other party had finished transmitting the message before turning around and walking towards the direction of Wulin Market.

By the time I returned to the market management office, it was nearly dusk.

As soon as Li Yuan entered, he saw Chen Yi talking to a haggard-looking old man. The old man was wearing a tattered gray Taoist robe and had a cultivation level of the eighth level of Qi Refining. Eight cultivators stood behind him, looking rather restrained.

Most of the eight people were injured, their spiritual energy was weak, and their eyes revealed the fatigue of a long journey and an instinctive vigilance.

Upon seeing Li Yuan walk in, Chen Yi immediately stood up.

"Master Li, these people have fled from Yunzhou. They say they know Sun Tong and came specifically to seek refuge in Wulin Market."

Upon hearing this, the old man quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"My name is Sun Henian, a member of the Sun family of Yunzhou. Sun Tong sent a message saying that he had been sheltered by Master Li. After the Sun family's residence was destroyed, our branch has gone through many twists and turns before finally arriving here. I humbly request Master Li to take us in."

Li Yuan's gaze swept over Sun Henian and the eight clansmen.

The remaining power of the Sun family.

It has been some time since Sun Tong last brought news of the Jade Marrow Fungus. It seems that Sun Tong did indeed spread the news of the market to the other scattered clansmen.

"Sit down and talk."

Li Yuan walked to the head seat and sat down.

Sun Henian then sat down, leaning half his body against the chair, and took a breath. He first thanked Senior Li.

Then he continued, "We came in a hurry, and several of our people died on the way. We were truly desperate."

"What is the current situation in Yunzhou?" Li Yuan cut straight to the point without any pleasantries.

Sun Henian gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"It's a complete mess. The Qishui Sect and the Shamo Sect have started fighting each other. The Qishui Sect is suffering repeated defeats, and several large markets in the central region have been captured one after another."

He paused briefly and lowered his voice.

"Most importantly,

The demonic cultivators completely blocked several main roads leading to the heart of the Yuan Yang Sect. Many families and independent cultivators who had originally planned to escape directly to the Yuan Yang Sect's core market town are now trapped with their roads blocked.

Li Yuan tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

"So, their only option is to head towards the border?"

"That's right." Sun Henian nodded emphatically. "The main roads are impassable, so we can only take the remote border trails. Now, a large number of independent cultivators, small families, and even some disciples from scattered sects are desperately rushing to the border towns where Liangzhou and Yunzhou meet. Although the trade routes in the Misty Forest Town are remote, it is precisely because of this remoteness that the demonic cultivators' blockade is relatively weak, making it a way to survive."

Upon hearing these words, Li Yuan immediately formed a judgment in his mind.

The situation evolved faster than he had anticipated.

Fog Forest Market was originally just a remote outpost on the border. It made a fortune by taking in the first batch of refugees and could barely be considered a refuge.

But now it's different.

With the main passage cut off, the flow of people was forced to crowd towards the border. Along with this came not only a large number of people, but also the supplies they carried, fragmented traditions, and various intelligence.

As more and more cultivators flock in, Misty Forest Market will eventually become a huge "border transit point." Cultivators will need to settle down here, heal their wounds, replenish their elixirs and talismans, and then figure out how to find their next way out.

The massive flow of people means an extremely high throughput of goods.

The existing layout of the market area needs to be further expanded.

Li Yuan collected his thoughts and looked at Sun Henian.

"You are free to come and go from Fog Forest Market. If you want to stay, you can just rent a house normally," Li Yuan said calmly.

Sun Henian nodded, stood up, and carefully took out a jade slip with a sealing talisman attached to it from his pocket, then handed it to Li Yuan with both hands.

"The Sun family's foothold in Yunzhou is not only due to its territory, but also to the talisman-making skills passed down from our ancestors," Sun Henian said respectfully. "This is the complete recipe for a second-tier mid-grade attack talisman. We are willing to exchange this for the right to reside in several houses in the southern district and a shop."

Li Yuan took the jade slip, but instead of immediately removing the sealing talisman, he used his divine sense to scan it slightly through the crack.

Spirit-Breaking Talisman. Second-tier, mid-grade.

The jade slip contains not only a complete diagram of the spirit pattern, but also detailed instructions on the spirit ink ratio and stroke details.

In offensive spells and talismans, the term "spirit-piercing" carries immense value. In cultivator duels, the initial move is always a protective aura or defensive magical artifact. Methods that can penetrate or weaken spiritual defenses are always invaluable in actual combat.

This is a very substantial offer.

"Okay." Li Yuan put the jade slip away.

"Thank you very much, Master Li!"

Sun Henian breathed a sigh of relief, and the eight clansmen behind him also showed expressions of relief after surviving a disaster, before walking out of the management office.

Li Yuan sat in the chair for a moment.

The situation in Yunzhou is in a state of disarray, and a large influx of people is expected to follow.

I must increase the production capacity I have.

After leaving the management office, Li Yuan went straight back to the stone house.

The doors and windows were sealed off, and the soundproofing and early warning arrays were activated simultaneously.

Li Yuan sat down at the table, swept away the clutter on the table, and took out a high-quality second-tier talisman paper and flattened it.

Then, Li Yuan took out the jade slip that Sun Henian had just handed over from his storage bag, tore off the spirit-sealing talisman, and probed into it with his divine sense.

The complete structure of the spirit-breaking talisman unfolded instantly in my mind.

The second-tier mid-grade spirit runes are extremely complex. They are no longer the simple single-line outlines of first-tier talismans, but rather a three-dimensional structure with three nested layers: inner, middle, and outer. The innermost layer is the core that condenses spiritual power, the middle layer is the acceleration circuit, and the outermost layer is a spirit-piercing spike, like a sawtooth, specifically designed to tear apart the enemy's shield.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and used his divine sense to repeatedly disassemble and reassemble the set of spiritual patterns in his mind, deducing the spiritual pressure and turning angle of each stroke.

The foundation of his second-order talisman-making skill, which had reached a minor level, was now fully activated.

After an incense stick had burned, he opened his eyes.

On the corner of the table, a bottle of specially made spirit ink, infused with the blood of a second-tier demon beast, had been ground and was emitting a pungent bloody odor and rich spiritual energy.

Li Yuan raised his right hand, and the five lines of divine sense spread out as usual.

One of the threads of divine consciousness wrapped around the handle of the talisman brush, supporting it steadily, and the tip of the brush precisely dipped into the spiritual ink.

He prepared to immediately try drawing the spirit-breaking talisman.