Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

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Inside the stone house, Li Yuan took the Mysterious Pearl out of the jade box and slowly twirled it twice on his fingertips.

The dark blue bead is warm and understated, and its radiance flows with extreme restraint.

This thing looks no different from an ordinary spirit stone, but it contains a Golden Core level aura sealed inside. When activated, it can be released outwards for a short time, making people around it mistakenly believe that a Golden Core cultivator has arrived.

One of the core requirements of the mission is to activate the bead during the attack.

The panel had previously displayed information about this bead. It was a blue-grade bead, its effect being the ability to roughly sense the next realm in advance, and its permanent effect requiring a breakthrough of a major realm.

The value of the equipment is undeniable. However, the problem is that the beads will go into the equipment slot after the equipment is equipped.

This bead must exist in physical form during the mission and be manually activated to release the aura of the Golden Core. Once equipped, its physical form disappears, and the mission cannot be completed.

Li Yuan put the Mysterious Pearl back into the jade box, closed the lid, and put it into his storage bag.

He got up and pushed open the door, just in time to see Chen Yi walking along the path in the courtyard.

"Have you thought it through?" Chen Yi stopped at the door.

"catch."

Chen Yi nodded and walked into the stone house.

The two sat down at the table. Chen Yi took out three items from his storage bag and placed them on the table one by one.

A jade slip, a scroll of animal skin depicting a human figure, and a mask the size of a palm.

The mask was made of an indistinguishable material, either metal or jade. It was slightly cool to the touch and had a smooth, mirror-like surface without any texture.

Chen Yi first picked up the jade slip.

"Action plan. The target is the Valley of Dry Bones, 180 miles northeast of the Ghost Mist Forest. The Dark Abyss has set up a medium-sized base there, and according to intelligence, it is guarded by three to four Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators."

He handed over the jade slip, and Li Yuan probed it with his divine sense, scanning it once.

The map included a topographical map, a preliminary sketch of the encampment layout, and a brief record of the demonic cultivators' activity patterns. The information was not detailed, but the framework was clear.

"Three requirements." Chen Yi held up three fingers. "First, kill all the demonic cultivators within the base, leaving none alive. Second, use the Xuan You Pearl to release a momentary Golden Core level aura, making the Dark Abyss believe that a Golden Core cultivator has personally taken action. Third, dispose of all the corpses without leaving any trace."

Li Yuan put down the jade slip and his gaze fell on the animal skin scroll.

Chen Yi unrolled the scroll.

The portrait depicts a middle-aged man with a thin face, prominent cheekbones, and a scar at the corner of his left eye. Next to him, in tiny, densely packed characters, are notes describing his height, build, physical characteristics, habits, and even his gait.

"This man was Zhou Tong, an external liaison for the Dark Abyss Society, at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. He was secretly assassinated by his sect three months ago, and the news was kept very secret. The Dark Abyss Society is currently unaware that he is dead."

Chen Yi tapped the mask with his finger.

"Put this on and disguise yourself as Zhou Tong to infiltrate the base. The mask can alter the wearer's appearance, aura, and physique, making you look exactly like Zhou Tong."

Li Yuan picked up the mask.

It's lighter than I expected. The panel pops out the instant my fingertips touch it.

[Equipable item detected: Mask (Complete)]

[Equipment Attribute Preview: Illusionary Disguise (Green)]

[Effect: When disguised, enhances the disguise effect by 30%; can be disguised independently, the greater the difference in spiritual power (the stronger one's own spiritual power is than the opponent's), the stronger the disguise effect]

[Preview of Permanentization Conditions: Successfully deceived three Foundation Establishment cultivators when using this artifact (0/3)]

Green entry. The disguise effect is enhanced by 30%, and is linked to the difference in spiritual power. My spiritual power has been perfectly refined through the Concentration and Soul Guiding Technique, and further tempered by the five lines of spiritual consciousness, making it far stronger than others of the same level. This means that the disguise effect of the mask in my hands will be several levels higher than when used by an ordinary person.

The conditions for making it permanent are simple: just successfully deceive three Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"There's one thing I need to make clear beforehand."

Chen Yi added a sentence.

"The mask only changes outward appearance; it can't simulate demonic energy. The key is to lower the opponent's guard as soon as possible."

Li Yuan nodded and put the mask on his face.

An extremely subtle change spread from the facial skin to the entire body. This feeling was not like being covered by something, but rather like the body itself undergoing some kind of adjustment. However, what exactly was adjusted and to what extent could only be fully revealed when the mask was worn.

"The Mystic Pearl is yours once the mission is complete." Chen Yi stood up. "The mask is an extra reward and is not included in the overall compensation."

Li Yuan put the animal hide roll into his storage bag.

Chen Yi paused at the door without turning back.

"Be careful."

After the door closed, the stone house returned to silence.

Li Yuan sat at the table, mentally reviewing every step of the mission.

The sect sent a Foundation Establishment cultivator to disguise himself as a Golden Core cultivator to attack the demonic cultivators' stronghold, not just to eliminate the stronghold.

The fact that a Golden Core cultivator cannot personally intervene, yet the need to create the illusion of a Golden Core cultivator taking action, suggests that there is a more complex scheme behind this operation.

As long as I get the payment, that's fine.

That night, at midnight.

Li Yuan left the market town, opened all three layers of cover, and hurried along the northeast direction of the Ghost Mist Forest.

One hundred and eighty li is not a long distance; at his current pace, he could travel at full speed in just over half an hour. However, he did not choose the shortest route, but instead circled around the outside of the treeline in an arc, approaching the Valley of Dry Bones from the east.

As dawn approached, the target area appeared within the perception range of Dark Insight.

Valley of Dry Bones.

The secluded valley, enclosed by three stone walls, opens to the northwest and is shaped like an irregular winnowing basket. The stone walls are about fifty feet high, and their surfaces are covered with weathered cracks and weeds and vines, making them indistinguishable from ordinary valleys from the outside.

Dark Fiend's perception penetrated the air layer at the valley entrance.

A demonic energy shielding array. A shielding array covering the entire valley was set up inside the valley entrance, completely sealing off any fluctuations in demonic energy within its range. Ordinary detection methods could not detect anything from outside the valley.

However, Dark Insight is not an ordinary detection method.

The blue permanent attribute's extremely high sensitivity to fluctuations in demonic energy significantly reduces the shielding effect of the shielding array. While the shielding array can prevent the outward spread of demonic energy, it cannot completely eliminate its presence. What Dark Fiend Insight detects is not the leaking demonic energy, but rather the faint harmonics of demonic energy generated by the shielding array itself during operation.

Currently reading: Chapter 373, Valley of Withered Bones. The latest chapters are available here.

By analyzing the intensity distribution and spatial location of the harmonics, Li Yuan pieced together a general picture of the valley's interior in his mind.

Five clusters of demonic energy.

It wasn't three or four people as the intelligence indicated, but five.

One of the clusters of demonic energy had a significantly higher concentration and density than the other four. It was located deep within the valley, towards a stone house, and was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. The other four clusters were scattered throughout the valley, with strengths ranging from the early to mid-Foundation Establishment stages.

There was one more person than expected.

Li Yuan lay prone on a high slope on the east side of the valley, comparing the results of his perception with the information provided by Chen Yi one by one.

The layout of the outposts marked in the intelligence report largely matches the actual situation; the location of the stone houses, patrol routes, and the coverage area of ​​the shielding array all match. The only discrepancy is in the number of personnel.

The extra person won't affect the overall situation. There are five Foundation Establishment cultivators, one in the late stage and four in the early to mid-stages. With our current combat strength, a direct assault can resolve the situation quickly.

After entering the valley, Li Yuan took out the mask and put it on his face.

The moment the mask fit the face, a gentle spiritual energy seeped out from the inside of the mask, spreading along the skin's surface throughout the body. The bones remained unchanged, but the contours of the muscles, the color of the skin, and even height and physique were adjusted within a few breaths.

Every feature of the gaunt face on the animal skin scroll was precisely copied onto his body.

The mask itself was already deceptively realistic. More importantly, it provided an additional boost from the difference in their spiritual power. Li Yuan's spiritual strength far surpassed that of other Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and the mask's deceptive effect in his hands almost reached the limit of the magic weapon itself.

Furthermore, since his Demonic Yuan Technique had reached perfection, he naturally possessed genuine demonic energy within his body. This demonic energy was not fabricated by the mask, but was truly cultivated; any detection method would only sense the aura and characteristics befitting a demonic cultivator.

Li Yuan put away the triple concealment and strode towards the main passage leading to the valley entrance.

It's not stealth; it's walking in openly and honestly.

At the valley entrance, a magic cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage was dozing against the stone wall. Upon hearing footsteps, he suddenly opened his eyes, half-raising his magical artifact, but lowered it again after recognizing the person.

"Zhou Tong?"

Li Yuan didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly and walked past him without stopping.

The markings on the animal hide scroll clearly stated that Zhou Tong was a man of few words, with a gloomy personality, and his relationship with the people in the garrison was merely average. His aloofness was actually his most natural trait.

The demonic cultivator didn't ask any further questions and leaned back against the stone wall.

After venturing deeper into the valley, he passed two mid-Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators who were organizing materials in an open area. The two looked up at him, and one of them grinned as a greeting.

Li Yuan never slowed his pace, silently walking straight into the depths of the valley.

No one suspected anything.

The entire infiltration went much more smoothly than expected. None of the five Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators detected the disguise.

In front of the stone house deep in the valley, three Foundation Establishment demon cultivators were talking to a tall, middle-aged man.

A middle-aged man sat cross-legged on a bluestone at the entrance of the stone house. His face was square, his eyes were half-closed, and his demonic aura was restrained. He was in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

As Li Yuan approached, the flattering voices of the three demonic cultivators clearly reached his ears.

"Brother Qian's aura is even deeper this time than before, it seems that a breakthrough is not far away."

"The Great Perfection is just a matter of the next year or two, right?"

The middle-aged man shook his head and waved his hand.

"Still a long way off. Alright, everyone get back to your work, and don't forget to change the patrol shift on the east side."

"You've come at the right time. They've been pressuring us a lot lately, and there are some things I can't discuss with them."

The sound was transmitted secretly. Only Li Yuan could hear it.

Li Yuan sat down on a rock next to the stone house, his expression unchanged, and replied with a single word transmitted through telepathy.

"speak."

That's Zhou Tong's style of doing things: concise and to the point, never wasting words.

The demonic cultivator surnamed Qian seemed used to it and didn't care, continuing to speak as if nothing was amiss.

"We've basically used up all of our White Nether Sect members. We were mostly the ones who rushed to the front lines to scout and test the Yuan Yang Sect's patrol and defense lines. We don't care if they die."

The demonic cultivator surnamed Qian spoke with a hint of impatience.

"How much intelligence did we provide to the Demon Sect? The sect's defenses in Liangzhou, the distribution of mines, the mobilization of market personnel—we provided everything! And what was the result? A pitifully small return. A few mid-grade spirit stones to appease a beggar."

Li Yuan did not respond and remained silent.

The demonic cultivator surnamed Qian ignored his response and continued speaking.

"Recently, we've had another task. We've been asked to collect materials for someone to form their core. It's not one of our own, but someone from the Demonic Fiend Sect. They say he's about to form his core and they need us to gather the necessary materials here."

Core formation.

Li Yuan replied telepathically, "Where shall we get married?"

"I don't know the exact location; I'm not at a level to access it," the demonic cultivator surnamed Qian shook his head. "But from what I've heard, it's in the Ghost Mist Forest."

Why choose Ghost Mist Forest?

The demonic cultivator surnamed Qian remained silent for a moment, lowering the intensity of his telepathic transmission.

"It's said to be related to the Xuan You Sect. The Xuan You Sect may have hidden something deep in the Ghost Mist Forest that could help with Core Formation. But I don't have the authority to find out exactly what it is."

He took out a jade slip from his sleeve and transmitted his voice, saying, "These are the coordinates of a few suspicious locations that I have, all deep within the Ghost Mist Forest. Some people have sensed unusual spiritual energy fluctuations near these locations before, but no one has dared to venture deeper."

The jade slip was handed over.

Li Yuan took it and quickly scanned it with his divine sense. The three coordinates were located in the northern part of the Ghost Mist Forest, with a distance of twenty to forty miles between them.

He put the jade slip into his storage bag.

The demonic cultivator surnamed Qian stood up and stretched his shoulders.

"Alright, that's all I have to say. You should go back and report as soon as possible. This place has been rather unsettled lately; the Yuan Yang Sect's exploration team has already ventured deep into the forest."

Li Yuan nodded and got up to walk towards the valley entrance.

After walking seven or eight steps, he stopped.

The positions of the five demonic cultivators within the valley were clearly discernible through Dark Fiend's perception. The one who had been dozing at the valley entrance remained in his original spot, while the two who were organizing materials had already moved towards the eastern patrol route. The demonic cultivator surnamed Qian had returned to his seat on the bluestone.

The fifth demonic cultivator was rummaging through something in a small shed in the northwest corner of the valley.

The intelligence has been gathered to a sufficient extent.

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