Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

After returning to the stone house, Li Yuan continued his cultivation.

Although it was disguised as a serious injury, it had little impact on his powerful physique.

Two hours later, there was a knock on the door.

Li Yuan suppressed his breathing, making his face appear slightly pale, before speaking.

"Enter."

Chen Yi pushed open the door and entered. Seeing the blood-red liquid churning in the wooden tub and Li Yuan's weak face, his brows furrowed tightly.

"How badly are you injured?" Chen Yi walked to the bucket and glanced down at it.

"I won't die. Those three demonic cultivators were like mad dogs." Li Yuan's voice was hoarse. "The leader was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. I risked taking a fatal blow from him and only managed to kill him by using the formation."

Chen Yi pulled up a chair, sat down, and sighed.

"You've done a great service this time. You risked the lives of three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators in one fell swoop."

Li Yuan leaned against the barrel wall.

"Why are the demonic cultivators acting like they've gone mad lately?"

"They're looking for something," Chen Yi said in a low voice. "Not only Misty Forest Market, but several other border outposts have also been attacked recently. The Dark Abyss Society and the Demonic Fiend Sect are searching everywhere for specific materials. Sect intelligence indicates that they are looking for the method of demonic cultivators forming their core."

Li Yuan's heart stirred.

"What are the differences between a demonic cultivator's Core Formation and a traditional cultivator's Core Formation?"

Chen Yi didn't hide these common facts, explaining, "Demonic cultivators cultivate demonic energy, so what they form is naturally a demonic core. But whether it's a demonic core or a golden core, they essentially share a common core structure. Both are energy centers that compress and condense one's cultivation into a solid state."

He shook his head, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself a cup of water.

"However, demonic energy itself is volatile and easily out of control, making it extremely dangerous to use for core formation. In contrast, spiritual energy core formation has been passed down since ancient times, with a clear path to follow, making it much more stable. Therefore, most demonic cultivators with a bit of sense actually cultivate spiritual energy techniques as a supplement within their bodies. When it comes to the core formation stage, they prefer to use spiritual energy to take the path of spiritual energy core formation."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan couldn't help but ask another question.

"Is it possible to form a dual core? To simultaneously develop both a spiritual core and a demonic core within the body?"

Chen Yi shook his head as if he had heard a joke.

"Absolutely impossible."

He put down his teacup, his expression turning serious.

"The formation of the Golden Core is not a simple compression of spiritual energy. The Golden Core is the product of the fusion of essence, qi, and spirit. A cultivator's physical foundation, total spiritual energy, and divine will must be perfectly integrated at the moment of breakthrough, and all of them must be poured in in order to form a Golden Core."

"A cultivator only has one essence, energy, and spirit; there is no second portion to use for forming a second core. If you forcibly separate them, you will end up with nothing and die on the spot."

Li Yuan silently made a note of it.

The unity of essence, energy, and spirit.

This aligns perfectly with his current strategy of accumulating resources. Physical cultivation is the essence, the spiritual energy in the dantian is the qi, and the five lines of divine consciousness are the spirit. Every step he takes is making the ultimate preparations for this three-in-one unity.

Chen Yi spoke with Li Yuan for a few more minutes, telling him to rest and recover, before getting up and leaving the stone house.

The door was closed tightly again.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and focused his attention entirely on his body.

One hour later.

A panel pops up.

【Demonic Yuan Technique: Minor Success (0/800)】

Li Yuan stood up from the wooden tub, water droplets sliding down his muscular physique.

With his Demonic Essence Technique reaching a minor breakthrough, the amount and purity of demonic energy within his body increased accordingly. He took out the dark, restricted box he had seized the previous night from his storage bag and placed it on the table.

The intricate magic patterns on the box still gleamed with a dangerous light.

His demonic energy cultivation had also reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Li Yuan changed into a clean Taoist robe, took the box, and went out to the South District to find Ji Huaiyuan.

Ji Huaiyuan held the box and examined it for half an incense stick's time, finally shaking his head helplessly.

"The self-destruct seal on this box is extremely malicious, and it's encrypted with high-level demonic energy. If I forcibly try to break it, even the slightest mistake on a single node will turn everything inside, including the box, to ashes."

Li Yuan didn't linger and turned to find Zhou Yuan again.

Zhou Yuan shook his head when he saw the restriction on the box.

"Master Li, this is quite a feat. It's definitely a series of interlocking locks set up by a master who is proficient in demonic arrays." Zhou Yuan wiped his sweat. "I can't untangle its core circuit. But if Master Li insists on trying, I do have a clumsy method."

Zhou Yuan took out a blank jade slip, inscribed a spell on it, and handed it to Li Yuan.

"This is an exhaustive stripping method. It cannot directly break the seal, but it can help you test the reaction of each demonic energy circuit. As long as you control your spiritual power well, once you detect that a circuit is on the verge of exploding, cut it off immediately to avoid triggering self-destruction as much as possible."

Li Yuan accepted the jade slip.

With this bottom line of trial and error as a guarantee, coupled with the set of demonic energy encoding frequencies he had previously intercepted, it was only a matter of time before the box was opened.

After leaving Zhou Yuan's residence, Li Yuan went straight out of the market.

He patrolled the area around the market, clearing out a few scattered first-tier demonic beasts. After confirming that there were no other demonic cultivators lurking there, he plunged into the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest.

He needs to expedite the process of making the entry permanent.

After traveling more than thirty miles through the Ghost Mist Forest, the edge of Dark Fiend's perception network suddenly touched a highly aggressive fluctuation of water-attribute spiritual energy.

Li Yuan concealed himself and approached silently.

Beside a deep pool in the forest, lay a giant toad the size of a calf. Its back was covered in blue venomous growths, and with each breath, it created a cold, white mist in the surrounding air.

Second-tier low-grade demonic beast, Frosty Jade Toad.

This is a monster that relies heavily on water-based magic attacks. Its melee combat ability is relatively weak, but the frost water arrows it spits out have extremely strong penetrating power.

This was exactly what Li Yuan wanted.

He removed his concealment and strode out of the woods.

The Frosty Jade Toad's bulging yellow vertical pupils instantly locked onto Li Yuan. Its massive maw opened wide, and an ice-blue water arrow, as thick as an arm, tore through the air like a crossbow bolt, heading straight for Li Yuan's chest.

Li Yuan stood still, neither dodging nor avoiding.

The moment the water arrow struck, a dark purple magic-patterned shield burst open on his body.

boom.

The water arrow slammed heavily into the magic-inlaid shield, exploding into a shower of ice shards.

The shield only rippled slightly, without even shaking.

The strength of the magic-patterned shield is directly proportional to the strength of the host's physical body. Li Yuan currently possesses multiple body-refining attributes, including Iron Bones and Golden Body, and Medicine-Refined True Body, making his physical body incredibly powerful. The shield that this round shield activates on him far exceeds its original design limit in terms of hardness.

Seeing that its attack had failed, the Frosty Jade Toad suddenly swelled up its abdomen and let out a low croak.

More than ten water arrows condensed in mid-air at the same time, shooting towards Li Yuan in a massive, overwhelming manner.

Bang bang bang.

Dense water jets pounded against the shield, producing dull thuds.

The light of the magic shield began to dim rapidly. After all, it was only an attack from a second-tier low-grade demonic beast, but there were too many of them, which continuously consumed the shield's energy.

The twentieth question.

The twenty-fifth question.

When the twenty-ninth water arrow shattered the magic-patterned shield, and the last water arrow headed straight for Li Yuan's throat, Li Yuan raised his right hand and crushed the cold water arrow in one swift motion.

The panel pops up immediately.

The conditions for permanent Magic Rune Protection (Green) have been met.

[Sustaining more than 30 spell attacks within a month (met)]

[Magic Rune Protection (Green) has become a permanent attribute]

In the equipment slot, the phantom of the magic-patterned round shield instantly disappeared, freeing up a slot.

Li Yuan felt the extra layer of invisible magical runes on his body that would automatically activate whenever he was attacked by magic, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He did not give the Frosty Jade Toad another chance to breathe.

With a powerful push of his feet, he shot forward like a cannonball. His right hand condensed a dazzling crimson flame, enhanced by both the Fiery Spirit Essence and the Spirit-Piercing Sharpness.

A punch landed.

The water curtain shield that the Frosty Jade Toad hastily erected was torn apart like paper, and a fist carrying a violent, fiery aura slammed solidly into its head.

The sound of a skull shattering rang out, and the giant toad's massive body was smashed directly into the depths of the mud, where it remained silent.

Then, Li Yuan took out the essence blood array eye.

[Equipable item detected: Essence Blood Array Eye (Complete)]

[Equipment Attribute Preview: Essence Blood Refinement (Blue)]

[Effect: Can extract essence blood from blood]

[Preview of Permanent Status Requirements: Defeat five different Tier 2 monsters (Already met)]

Li Yuan's gaze fell on the panel. After confirming that the conditions were correct, his thoughts stirred slightly.

[Equipped: Essence Blood Array Core (Complete)]

[Essence Blood Condensation (Blue) has become a permanent entry]

The phantom of the essence blood array slowly appeared in the equipment slot, then transformed into a stream of light that was deep red mixed with light blue and disappeared into the body, and the slot that it originally occupied became empty again.

The moment the entry was made permanent, Li Yuan clearly felt that his spiritual power's ability to distinguish the origin of blood had suddenly increased. From now on, whether it was the blood of a demon beast or the blood of a cultivator, as long as the quality was sufficient, it could be further purified and condensed under the guidance of spiritual power, turning into true essence blood.

Li Yuan withdrew his fist and casually cut off the material.

For the next half hour, Li Yuan did not venture deeper, but instead frantically searched the surrounding area.

Use fireball and baleful energy stab alternately.

First-tier mid-grade Wind Wolf, first-tier high-grade Poisonous Python, first-tier mid-grade Ironclad Boar.

As a wind wolf was reduced to charred remains in the flames, the panel popped up again.

The conditions for making the Flame Spirit Essence (Green) permanent have been met.

Kill thirty Tier 1 mid-grade or higher monsters using fire or evil magic (this requirement has been met)

[The Fiery Spirit Essence (Green) has become a permanent entry.]

The phantom of the Flame Fiend Stone in the equipment slot then disappeared.

The two empty seats are now completely freed up.

After the Flame Fiend Spiritual Essence became permanent, the thin membrane covering the inner wall of his meridians completely merged into his flesh and blood. Li Yuan could clearly feel the fire and fiend spiritual energy in the surrounding environment rapidly converging into his body.

Cultivation efficiency has increased once again.

Having completed the progress of two entries, Li Yuan left Ghost Mist Forest with satisfaction and returned to the market.

However, when he entered the Misty Forest Market from the south gate, the scene before him made him pause slightly.

After only one day away, the population density in the market has increased significantly again.

The once spacious main street now has many more cultivators sitting on the ground, as well as some cultivators wearing uniforms.

Various minor factions and broken families were forced to abandon their original strongholds under the harassment of demonic cultivators, and all moved towards this border town that could still provide some protection.

Li Yuan walked through the crowd and returned to the stone house.