Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

Upon returning to Liangzhou, the atmospheric patterns in the sky changed again.

Dark Fiend's passive perception swept across the sky above Ghost Mist Forest. The three Golden Core auras were still there, but their relative positions had noticeably shifted.

The aura of True Immortal Xuanpu retreated about ten miles from directly above the branch hall, settling at the eastern edge of the abyss rift. The auras of the two Golden Core cultivators from the Yuanyang Sect moved forward nearly five miles, getting closer to the direction of the branch hall than before.

The Yuanyang Sect is pressing forward. The Tianyue Sect is retreating.

Chen Yi arrived after nightfall.

When he entered, the gloom on his face lessened, and he even showed a hint of barely suppressed pleasure.

"Good news." Chen Yi sat down at the stone table. "The Yuan Yang Sect members can now also go in and garrison the branch hall."

"The Tianyue Sect has conceded?"

"We have no choice but to compromise." Chen Yi sneered. "The Jade Bead is gone, and the Tianyue Sect has lost face. That area was completely under their control. They set up all the array masters, monitoring arrays, and protective arrays, and the people were all theirs. In the end, the item disappeared right under their noses, and they haven't even been able to find a single clue."

He leaned back in his chair, his tone tinged with schadenfreude.

"Yuan Yang Sect seized the opportunity to make trouble. The reason is simple: your Tian Yue Sect monopolized the branch hall, claiming to guard it for everyone, but it got lost. Since you alone can't guard it, then everyone will guard it together. Although True Person Xuanpu has a high cultivation level, it's morally wrong, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree."

"Starting tomorrow, the Yuan Yang Sect can send three disciples to the branch halls for rotation and guard duty. Although the number is less than that of the Tian Yue Sect, at least they will no longer be completely excluded."

Li Yuan nodded.

The loss of the jade bead is a blow to the Tianyue Sect that goes beyond mere face. The jade bead is the core of the mist formation, which in turn is one of the most valuable remnants of this branch hall. Losing it greatly diminishes the legitimacy of the Tianyue Sect's exclusive control over the branch hall.

"Will the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Tianyue Sect come in person?" Li Yuan asked.

Chen Yi thought for a moment and shook his head.

"Unlikely. The deployment of Nascent Soul cultivators is a major event, involving strategic decisions at the sect level. The matters in Liangzhou are not worth a Nascent Soul patriarch's personal trip."

"What brings Master Xuanpu here?"

"Earthly Spirit Embryo," Chen Yi said in a low voice.

"Do you know how difficult it is to break through from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage? Even a hundred years of arduous cultivation doesn't guarantee a 10% success rate, but if you can obtain a rare treasure like the Earthly Spirit Embryo, the probability of breaking through will at least double. It is said that there are clues to the Earthly Spirit Embryo in the ruins of the Xuan You Sect, which is why True Person Xuan Pu went to such great lengths to come here."

"I heard that he fought for a long time with his fellow disciples within the sect to get this opportunity to go out. The Nascent Soul Ancestor of Tianyue Sect doesn't care about Liangzhou, but he can't stop the Golden Core disciples below him from having their own demands. Xuanpu wants to break through from the Earthly Yuan Spirit Embryo to the Nascent Soul stage; this is his personal opportunity."

"As for why they didn't send more Golden Core cultivators, it's probably because they were afraid their fellow disciples would fight each other over this Earthly Spirit Embryo?"

When Chen Yi spoke his second sentence, his speech slowed down considerably.

Li Yuan took a moment to process the information.

"What if we find an even greater opportunity? Like something that allows us to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

Chen Yi chuckled.

"That's a different story. The opportunity to transform into a Nascent Soul cultivator can attract other Nascent Soul cultivators. But the sect leader of the Xuanyou Sect follows the path of the unity of spirit and demon, which is too evil, and basically no Nascent Soul cultivator dares to touch it."

"The risks are too great. The cultivation systems are incompatible. If you force yourself to learn it, you'll either suffer a qi deviation or die on the spot. That's why the patriarch of Tianyue Sect isn't very interested. Even if he really finds out the opportunity to become a Nascent Soul cultivator, he'll probably just come and take a look."

Chen Yi didn't elaborate on this topic, but instead brought up another matter.

"Oh, right, the sect has a mission for you." He took out a jade slip from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"Escort a team to the northern edge of Ghost Mist Forest. The team consists of five mid-Foundation Establishment disciples, ostensibly to gather spiritual materials."

Li Yuan took the jade slip and glanced at it.

"In name only?"

Chen Yi's expression turned serious.

"It was actually bait. After the Demonic Sect withdrew from the northern front, the Yuan Yang Sect wanted to find out exactly how many people they had left on the northern edge. They sent a small team that looked unguarded to see if any demonic cultivators would take the bait."

"Your mission is escort. In case of an attack, protect the team while trying to ascertain the enemy's numbers and deployment. Annihilation isn't necessary; fight if you can, retreat if you can't."

Li Yuan carefully put the jade slip away.

"When are we leaving?"

"First thing tomorrow morning."

The next morning, five Foundation Establishment stage disciples of the Yuan Yang Sect gathered outside the north gate of the market.

The leader was a young cultivator in his early twenties with a calm and composed demeanor, clearly carefully selected by the sect. The other four had varying levels of cultivation, the highest being the peak of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and the lowest being the early mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Li Yuan, as the market supervisor, set off with the team, positioned at the very back of the group.

He wore an ordinary gray robe, without any magical artifacts or armor over it. The golden armor in his storage bag lay quietly on the top shelf, ready to be retrieved at any time.

Remember this name: . Remember this domain name: . Good books won't lead you astray.

The group advanced along the usual route used by demon-hunting teams in the northern part of Ghost Mist Forest. Their pace was slow, and their deliberate manner of movement conveyed a sense of laxity and lack of vigilance, as if they were truly just a small team gathering spiritual materials.

After walking for about two hours, the group entered a sparse mixed forest.

Dark Fiend's passive perception network detected four clusters of demonic energy signals on the outskirts of the mixed forest.

Two were at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and two were at the mid Foundation Establishment stage. They were lurking in an arc shape to the right front of the group's route, at a distance of about 150 zhang.

coming.

Upon entering the depths of the mixed forest, the four clusters of demonic energy began to move. Two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators circled around from the right front to the front of the group, blocking their path. Two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators then circled around to the left flank, forming a semi-encirclement.

The team leader was the first to notice something amiss. He placed his hand on the magical artifact at his waist and stopped in his tracks.

"There's someone there."

As soon as he finished speaking, two figures darted out from the bushes ahead.

Two late-stage Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators. One wielded a knife, the other a staff, their demonic energy radiating outwards as they charged straight towards the front of the group.

Two mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators on the left flank simultaneously emerged from behind a tree, unleashing two intersecting beams of demonic energy towards the middle of the group.

The team leader shouted, "Form ranks!"

The five disciples quickly tightened their formation, standing back to back in a huddle, their spiritual energy shields rising in front of them. Demonic spells struck the shields, sending up a shower of dark red sparks, but they failed to penetrate them.

The demonic cultivator team's offensive rhythm was rapid. Two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators advanced alternately, attempting to tear a gap in the shield. Two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators continuously unleashed spells on the flanks to suppress the disciples and distract them.

The troops were forced to retreat step by step.

Li Yuan stood at the back of the group, his right hand already quietly taking out the Golden Body Armor from his storage bag.

He didn't put it on immediately, but instead draped the golden armor over his left arm, like an ordinary market manager trying to find cover in battle.

At the same time, his right hand, with two fingers joined together, hung down at his side.

Sky-Splitting Slash.

A gray fissure shot out from the fingertip, skimming the ground. The fissure avoided the positions of all friendly disciples, silently traversing a distance of sixty feet along the gaps in the thicket of miscellaneous trees.

The leader, a late-stage Foundation Establishment mage, raised his sword and slashed at the shield. A fissure cut diagonally upwards from below his right foot, passing through his calf, knee, and thigh, all the way down to his waist and abdomen.

The demonic cultivator froze in mid-air. The scimitar flew out of his hand, and his body began to crack from the right side, tilting to the left.

The second Sky-Splitting Slash followed closely behind, at an even more cunning angle. It shot out from the shadow of the tree trunk on the left, slicing across the nape of the neck of the second late-stage Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator.

The demonic cultivator reacted a fraction of a second faster than his companion, sensing the threat from behind and raising his staff to block. The iron staff blocked the front of the rift, but the sharpness of the Sky-Splitting Slash was not something a Foundation Establishment magic weapon could completely neutralize. A third of the iron staff was severed, and the remaining force of the rift grazed the demonic cultivator's shoulder, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound.

The demonic cultivator screamed and staggered backward.

Li Yuan followed up with his third Sky-Splitting Slash. This time, instead of slicing from the side, he aimed straight for the throat.

The demonic cultivator wielding the staff was powerless to defend himself.

Two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators collapsed one after the other.

The remaining two Foundation Establishment stage demonic cultivators were terrified upon seeing this and turned to run away.

The team leader wanted to give chase, but Li Yuan stopped him.

"Don't chase after them."

The two demonic cultivators who retreated on the left flank were no longer a threat. Li Yuan's attention was focused on something else.

During the battle, three waves of spells cast by two mid-Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators on the flanks directly hit his direction.

He put on the golden armor as the first wave of spells came.

The spells of the two demonic cultivators on his flanks landed on him several times, but his golden armor, flashing with spiritual light, withstood them steadily. When the battle ended, the panel popped up.

This corresponds exactly to the three hits required for the Golden Body Armor to become permanent.

The conditions for permanent "Indestructible (Green) Body" have been met.

Li Yuan during a break in the team's reorganization.

"Equip with golden armor."

[Equipped: Golden Body Armor (Complete)]

The phrase "Indestructible Gold (Green)" has become a permanent entry.

The phantom of the golden armor flickered briefly in the equipment slot before shattering into green specks that merged into its body. The slot became available.

Defense increased by 20%. Spiritual energy protection increased by 10%.

Two permanent buffs were stacked on top of a series of defensive attributes such as Triple Protection, Iron Bones and Golden Body, and Body Protection. Li Yuan clenched his fist, feeling an extremely thin but extremely tough spiritual energy membrane on the surface of his muscles, as if an invisible armor had been applied under his skin.

This layer of defense is passive, does not require the consumption of spiritual energy to maintain, and is always in effect.

The team assessed the casualties. Two of the five disciples sustained minor injuries, while the rest were unharmed.

Li Yuan walked to the corpses of two late-stage Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators and squatted down to clean their storage bags.

The spoils were few, but they confirmed one thing: the Demon Sect still had scattered small forces operating on the northern edge, but on a much smaller scale than before.