Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

Early in the morning, Li Yuan came out of the stone house to get some fresh air.

Two consecutive days of intense cultivation had left the spiritual energy in his meridians somewhat stagnant, requiring him to move around to regulate it. He strolled slowly along the patrol path outside the market, breathing in the damp air unique to the edge of the Ghost Mist Forest.

My focus should now be on preparing for the re-formation of the shattered elixir.

The most important part of the preparation is the elixir.

Li Yuan took out the exquisite dark blue alchemy furnace from his storage bag and placed it on the stone table.

The second-tier superior-grade furnace wall has a spirit-guiding pattern on the inner side that has become perfectly compatible with his spiritual power after long-term use.

The improvement brought by the cultivation level of the Golden Core stage to alchemy is all-round.

The strength and precision of his divine sense increased several times over, allowing him to monitor every slight change in the medicinal liquid within the furnace in real time. The effect of increasing the success rate and quality of the refined pills by 30% on top of this base level far exceeded that of the Foundation Establishment stage. The medicinal body refinement process greatly improved his own efficiency in digesting pills, meaning he could take pills more frequently and in larger doses to strengthen himself.

Most importantly, the permanent enhancement of spiritual energy within the spiritual veins results in a 50% increase in the quality of spiritual power.

The purer the spiritual energy injected into the alchemy furnace during alchemy, the more refined and effective the medicinal properties will be. Using the same medicinal materials and the same formula, but refining with 50% high-quality spiritual energy, will significantly increase the yield ceiling.

Li Yuan took out a batch of raw materials for the Concentration Pill and began refining it.

The Concentration Pill is a second-tier pill, mainly used to refine and restore spiritual consciousness. His previous skill level in refining it was between beginner and proficient, meaning he had just begun to grasp the basics.

First batch, ignited.

Spiritual energy flowed into the fire array patterns at the bottom of the furnace. The output of spiritual energy at the Golden Core stage was extremely stable, and the precision of fire control was far superior to that of the Foundation Establishment stage. He had long since memorized the order and timing of adding the medicinal herbs, and his operation was fluid and effortless.

The medicinal liquid inside the furnace surged and churned, impurities were stripped away, and the essence began to gather towards the center.

Previously, at this stage, he needed to concentrate all his attention to barely control the direction of the medicinal liquid's condensation. But now, his divine sense probes into the furnace, each line precisely locking onto a key point. The enhancement from the refined cultivation of the pill has made his judgment on the heat and the amount of spiritual energy injected almost instinctive.

Completed.

The furnace lid was lifted, and three Concentration Pills, emitting a pale golden luster, lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace.

Second-tier superior grade.

All three are of superior quality.

Li Yuan put the pills into a jade bottle and, without pausing, immediately began the second batch.

The second batch went even more smoothly than the first. The spiritual energy reserves of a Golden Core cultivator are extremely abundant, completely eliminating the need for the meticulous calculation of every ounce of spiritual energy allocation required for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Under his near-perfect control, the medicinal liquid within the furnace solidified obediently according to his will, like clay molded by an invisible hand.

Four pills were formed. They were of superior quality, second rank, with one of them faintly revealing a deeper luster, almost reaching the edge of being of the highest grade.

The third batch produced five pills. Three were of superior quality, and two were of the highest quality.

The quality of the top-grade pills was exceptional, and the pills were perfectly round. The surface luster is restrained and deep, and the medicinal properties are locked in the core of the pill, without leaking out even a trace.

After three consecutive batches, Li Yuan had fully established his skills in alchemy at the Golden Core stage. The success rate, quality, and precision of fire control completely surpassed his level at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He was not satisfied with this.

The fourth batch used a different formula.

Condensing Evil Pill.

This is one of his signature pills, and also the core profit-generating product of the market. But this time, he doesn't intend to refine it according to the conventional formula. Instead, he adds a trace amount of malevolent energy to the original formula for harmonization.

The permanent attribute "Unity of Evil Qi" allowed his evil energy and spiritual power to flow freely within him. He infused a wisp of extremely pure evil energy into the furnace, where it resonated with the essence of the Evil Soul Grass in the medicinal liquid.

The reaction inside the furnace was far more intense than the previous three. The color of the medicinal liquid changed from dark green to inky black, and then a deep purple tinge emerged from the inky black. The addition of the malevolent energy stimulated the core medicinal properties of the Condensing Malevolence Pill to an unprecedented degree.

Completed.

The moment the furnace lid was opened, a strong, malevolent medicinal aroma wafted out.

Two Qi Condensation Pills. Their quality directly broke through to the second-tier top-grade level.

Dark purple patterns flowed across the surface of the pill, and its medicinal properties were far more refined than those of a regular Qi Condensation Pill. After consumption, it would increase the cultivation level of a Qi Condensation cultivator by at least 30%.

After refining the pills in four batches, Li Yuan put down the furnace and let out a long breath.

A panel pops up.

[Alchemy Proficiency: Second-Tier Mastery → Second-Tier Perfection]

Consummation.

The highest level of second-tier alchemy. From this moment on, the refining of all second-tier pills no longer posed any technical obstacles for him. The control of heat, the infusion of spiritual energy, and the condensation of the medicinal liquid—every step had become an instinctive reaction, like muscle memory.

But this also means that second-tier pills can no longer provide him with any improvement in his alchemy skills.

To continue improving, you must advance to the third level.

In the evening, Li Yuan went to the Mingyuan Chamber of Commerce's shop.

Xu Zhang was behind the counter calculating the month's accounts when he saw Li Yuan come in and put down his brush.

"Do you have any third-tier pill formulas?" Li Yuan asked directly.

Xu Zhang was taken aback.

"What do you need this for?"

For reference only.

Xu Zhang stared at him for a couple of moments, then shook his head without asking any further questions.

"Third-tier pill formulas are not something that can be obtained easily. Our chamber of commerce does not have them in the inventory of Yunyang Market. The headquarters does have several common third-tier pill formulas, but they are extremely expensive and require advance application for requisition, which takes at least a month."

Li Yuan frowned. A month was too long.

Xu Zhang thought for a moment and then added a sentence.

"If you're in a hurry, you can go to Baijing Market. The foundation of the three sects of Jingzhou is there for all to see. The scale and variety of goods in Baijing Market far surpass those in Yunyang Market. Although third-tier pill formulas are scarce, you might not be unable to find them in a market of that level."

Baijingfang Market.

Li Yuan had been there once before and had a direct impression of the number and strength of the cultivators there. With the three sects of Jingzhou complementing each other, plus the Tianyue Sect providing support, the long period without major battles had allowed them to accumulate a foundation far superior to that of Liangzhou.

"I understand." Li Yuan turned and left.

After returning to the stone house, he sorted the pills he had refined that day into his storage bag and planned out his next steps in his mind.

White Mirror Market. Third-tier Elixir Formula. Auxiliary material for reconstituted broken elixirs.

It can be resolved in one trip.