Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

The concealment array of the stone house was fully activated.

Li Yuan sat on the futon, took the jade bead out of his storage bag, and held it in his palm.

The milky white beads shimmered and swayed in the dim light, and the fine cracks on their surface, as thin as hair, were clearly visible.

The cracks are not deep, but they are distributed in a very regular pattern, extending in a spiral shape from the top of the bead to the bottom, as if the final step of the production process of a certain vessel had been deliberately interrupted.

Li Yuan activated the perception of the Earth Vein Spiritual Pivot, injecting a wisp of extremely fine spiritual vein energy into his palm, which seeped through his skin into the surface of the jade bead.

After a deeper perception, Li Yuan quickly saw the problem. The spiritual energy circulation inside the jade bead had broken in many places, and the spiritual energy would dissipate every time it flowed into the void, making it impossible to complete a complete cycle.

The cracks are just the surface issue; the real problem lies in the loopholes.

Li Yuan immediately rejected the idea of ​​forcibly infusing spiritual energy.

That would only completely destroy the remaining loop. To repair it, we must use the same source of spiritual energy.

Li Yuan's gaze fell on the batch of auxiliary materials for the stabilizing pill in the storage bag.

He reached out and took out several pieces of old artifacts, placing them in front of him.

These fragments come from the relics of the Xuanyou Sect preserved by the remnants. Although the artifacts themselves have long been destroyed, the spiritual energy sealed within the fragments is of the same origin as that of the jade bead.

As a medium, it's just right.

Li Yuan ground a piece of the fragment, about the size of a fingernail, into powder and evenly applied it to the shallowest areas of the cracks on the surface of the jade bead.

The residual energy in the powder, upon contact with the surface of the jade bead, produced an extremely weak resonance.

He used the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot to guide a wisp of spiritual energy into his palm, which then slowly seeped into the jade bead through the medium of the remaining powder.

An hour has passed.

Li Yuan opened his eyes and looked down at the jade bead in his palm.

The shallowest crack on the surface showed a very subtle change. The edges of the crack were no longer as sharp and clear as before, but slightly blurred, like a wound beginning to scab over.

The contraction was so slight that it would require a Golden Core cultivator's divine sense to detect the change. But the direction was correct.

During the repair process, Li Yuan's senses detected an unexpected event.

When the spiritual energy seeped into the deepest cavity of the jade bead, a small cluster of extremely faint information fragments remained at the bottom of the cavity.

These fragments are not spiritual energy, but rather sealed deep within the bead in the form of array information, like words engraved in the marrow.

Li Yuan carefully touched the cluster of information fragments with his divine sense.

Stimulated by divine sense, the fragments slowly unfolded, like a map folded over hundreds of years.

The diagram is blurry and incomplete, but its general outline is still discernible. It is an aerial view of a large building, showing the relative positions of several halls, passageways, and restricted areas.

Partial structural diagram of the outer hall of the Shenyuan Secret Cave.

The map shows the three main entrances to the outer hall, five connecting corridors, and two specially marked areas.

The symbols marked are consistent with the array inscription system of the Xuanyou Sect, but their specific meaning requires more reference information to be fully deciphered.

Another set of data was also sealed within the information fragments.

This set of data records the manufacturing process of the jade bead itself. From material selection, the sequence of spiritual power infusion, the weaving method of the internal circuits to the final sealing and shaping, each step is described in great detail.

This is the core archive that the Xuanyou Sect sealed away using jade beads as a medium. The structural information of the secret cave and the manufacturing process of the jade beads were engraved deep inside the beads as a means of backup or inheritance.

Li Yuan made copies of both sets of information and archived them.

Once the manufacturing process was in hand, the subsequent repair path became much clearer.

Li Yuan re-examined the jade bead in his hand.

According to the information provided by the manufacturing process, the spiritual energy circulation system inside the bead has twelve main trunks and thirty-six branch lines. Currently, four main trunks and eleven branch lines are broken. There are a total of fifteen voids, the largest of which is located slightly below the center of the bead, with a diameter of about half an inch.

Given the current repair speed and material reserves, it will take a considerable amount of time to fill all the voids. Moreover, some voids are located very deep, and the penetration depth of the residual powder as a surface medium is limited, requiring higher-quality homologous auxiliary materials to reach them later.

But at least the first step has been taken.

Li Yuan carefully put the jade bead away. The bead's current condition still made it unsuitable for prolonged exposure; it needed a continuous environment of shared energy to nourish it.

The best location is the core area of ​​the Mo Zhou spiritual vein, where the energy concentration is the highest. Moreover, the spiritual vein environment has long been immersed in the legacy system of the Xuan You Sect. In addition, it is well hidden, making it more suitable as a nourishing base than the Liang Zhou branch.

When the jade bead is placed near the core node of the spiritual vein, the spiritual vein energy will automatically and slowly seep into the bead, resulting in a continuous repair effect.

Li Yuan then traveled to Mozhou via a teleportation array.

Near the core node of the spiritual vein, he constructed a miniature nourishing nest using array formations and spiritual energy threads.

The nest's structure is simple, using three fragments of the same origin as fulcrums to support a spiritual energy field the size of a fist. The jade bead floats in the center of the spiritual energy field, and spiritual vein energy seeps in evenly from the three fulcrums, like immersing an injured person in a medicinal bath.

The energy concentration at the core of the spiritual vein far exceeded that of the branch veins beneath the stone house, and the infiltration speed was at least three times faster.

After confirming that the nest was operating stably, Li Yuan returned to Liangzhou Market via the same route.

It was already afternoon when we arrived at the market.

Li Yuan returned to the stone house, sat cross-legged, and used the remote perception of the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot to extend into the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest.

Perception travels through the outer perimeter of the market town and the heart of the Ghost Mist Forest, eventually reaching the branch temple area near the Abyss Rift.

The perception range of a Golden Core cultivator, combined with the superposition of the earth vein spiritual pivot and the slight increase in array sense, is sufficient to capture the changes in spiritual energy fluctuations in the direction of the branch hall from this distance.

The mist formation inside the branch hall was still operating. The spiritual energy he injected last night was still maintaining the basic functions of the formation, although the rate at which its coverage area was shrinking was slower than expected.

However, the condition of the two Tianyue Sect formation masters changed.

The older array masters' spiritual energy fluctuations changed from stable to intermittent slight tremors. The fluctuations of the younger array masters were more obvious, exhibiting a pattern of repeated probing, retraction, and re-probing.

They began to realize that something was wrong.

The energy supply structure of the formation has changed. Although the energy provided by the jade bead and the energy of the spiritual vein are of the same origin in terms of attributes, there are subtle differences in frequency.

For a formation master who is breaking down the formation layer by layer, the changes in feel are impossible to hide.

The latest chapter is packed with exciting plot twists! Come check it out!

Li Yuan withdrew his senses and stopped paying attention.

The situation was beyond repair; all he could do was delay the discovery as long as possible. As for how the Tianyue Sect would react after the discovery, that was beyond his control.

About two more hours passed.

The aura of the Golden Elixir in the sky suddenly changed.

Dark Fiend's passive perception network detected the violent fluctuations. Above the Ghost Mist Forest, the late-stage Golden Core aura of True Person Xuanpu suddenly expanded, and the previously restrained and guarded pressure was released in an instant, like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting.

The spiritual energy fluctuations of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator transformed into an invisible shockwave, sweeping across a radius of dozens of miles in the heart of the Ghost Mist Forest. Several weaker rogue cultivators in the market were so agitated by this oppressive force that their faces turned pale, and they all looked up at the sky.

Xuanpu moved.

His aura suddenly surged from his original position, shooting off like an arrow towards the branch hall deep within the Ghost Mist Forest. His speed was so great that even Dark Fiend's perception could only detect a blurry trajectory.

At almost the same moment, the auras of the two Golden Core cultivators from the Yuanyang Sect also underwent drastic changes.

The elder in the mid-stage Golden Core realm suddenly tightened his spiritual energy fluctuations, switching from monitoring mode to combat readiness. The elder in the early-stage Golden Core realm followed closely behind, and the two almost simultaneously chased after Xuanpu's direction of movement.

Three golden core-level auras swept into the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest one after another, their speed far exceeding that of ordinary flight.

A moment later, a muffled sound of spiritual energy colliding came from deep within.

The distance was too great for Li Yuan to capture the scene of the battle with his naked eye or direct perception, but the passive perception network recorded the spectral changes of the spiritual energy fluctuations.

The collision pattern of the three Golden Core auras was quite peculiar. The intensity was far less than the direct confrontation in the branch hall's passageway last time. The spiritual energy fluctuations exhibited an intermittent rhythm, erupting for a while, then quieting down briefly before erupting again.

It wasn't like a full-blown battle; it was more like fighting and stopping intermittently.

The exchange of blows was interspersed with telepathic communication.

They fought while negotiating.

This pattern lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Then the three auras dispersed.

Xuanpu's aura returned to the direction of the branch hall, but its position was closer to the abyss rift than before, almost directly above the branch hall. The auras of the two Golden Core cultivators from the Yuanyang Sect retreated to the vicinity of the outpost, maintaining a vigilant distance.

The three parties have returned to a standoff.

As night fell, the atmosphere in the market became tense.

Ji Wenchuan brought news.

"The outpost is under full martial law." His expression was grim. "No one is allowed in or out; even supply convoys have been stopped outside."

Li Yuan nodded without asking why.

About half an hour later, a late-stage Foundation Establishment deacon from the Yuan Yang Sect arrived at the market under the cover of night. His face was ashen, and he handed a jade slip containing a message to Li Yuan.

"Order from the Inner Elders of Yuanyang Sect: All personnel who have entered the branch hall area with the team are prohibited from leaving Liangzhou from this day forward, pending individual investigation. Li Yuan, the supervisor of Wulin Market, is included in the investigation list and will be inspected within three days."

The steward didn't say a word more, put down the jade slip, and turned to leave.

Ji Wenchuan's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

"Investigate what?"

Li Yuan glanced at the contents of the jade slip. The investigation covered all personnel who had entered the main hall of the branch hall, including disciples of the Tianyue Sect, disciples of the Yuanyang Sect, and the market manager.

"Just routine." Li Yuan put the jade slip away.

Three days later, at the outpost.

Li Yuan was led into a makeshift stone chamber. The chamber was small, with a stone table in the center, behind which sat the Golden Core elder from the Yuan Yang Sect.

In addition, each of the four corners of the stone chamber is inlaid with a grayish-white array stone, the array patterns of which are intertwined and form a light blue magic array about ten feet in diameter on the ground.

On one side of the stone table, there is a bronze mirror that is half the height of a person.

The mirror was dark and still, like a stagnant pool of water, reflecting no human image, only fine runes floating on its edges.

Li Yuan's gaze swept over the area, and he had already made a judgment in his mind.

The Mirror of Discernment.

It is neither a soul-searching technique nor a direct probe into memories, but rather a reflection of the subject's spiritual fluctuations and emotional ups and downs. Once there is a clear discrepancy between words and thoughts, ripples will appear on the mirror, and the mind-discerning array on the ground will respond accordingly.

With the theft having escalated to this point, Yuan Yang Sect clearly dared not continue to use the usual procedures to gloss over it.

"sit."

The elder, who was in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, spoke in a calm tone.

Li Yuan sat down as instructed.

The divine sense arrived first.

The divine sense of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator descended from above, sweeping down inch by inch along the meridians, even more meticulously than before. At the same time, the Mind-Discerning Array operated silently, and a faint ripple rose from the ground, slowly brushing across the edge of the sea of ​​consciousness, as if touching the surface of one's thoughts.

It operates silently and stealthily within the body.

On a deeper level, it will suppress all extroverted characteristics.

Spiritual energy is like this, demonic energy is like this, and even the fluctuations on the surface of the soul are the same. What external divine sense and the Mind-Discerning Array can perceive is merely a modified, normal result.

When the Golden Core Divine Sense swept across, it read the distribution of meridians, qi, and spiritual power that a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator should have.

When the Mind-Discerning Array swept over, what was perceived was a calm and undisturbed state of mind.

No exception.

After doing all this, he looked up at Li Yuan and finally spoke.

"On the night the branch temple was stolen, did you leave the market area without permission?"

"No," Li Yuan replied calmly.

The mirror of discernment is as still as stagnant water.

The elder then asked, "Have you seen the core item of the branch hall?"

"I've seen part of the outer perimeter of the array's central structure in operation, but I've never come into contact with the core."

It's still half true and half false.

The mirror surface remained still.

After several questions, the elder, who was in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, finally nodded.

"That's enough. You can go now."

Li Yuan rose, bowed, and steadily left the stone chamber.

As he walked out of the outpost, he brushed past several other Yuan Yang Sect disciples who were waiting for screening. They looked nervous and were whispering among themselves.

Li Yuan did not turn around and walked steadily toward the market.