Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

Back in the stone house, Li Yuan first circulated the Profound Netherworld Fiend Technique. The blessing from the Dark Yuan Demon Mirror was still evident, bringing him one step closer to mastery.

Li Yuan then tried to crack the encrypted jade slip. However, neither the Dark Demon Token nor the existing continuous wave frequency band could trigger the outermost lock.

The encryption level of this thing was clearly superior to his current methods. Li Yuan put away the jade slip, deciding not to waste any more time.

The next morning, Li Yuan left the stone house and made his routine patrol along the main street of the market.

The number of people on the streets was significantly higher than it had been two weeks ago. The shantytown was expanding rapidly; the newly paved stone slabs hadn't even had time to show signs of wear before the sides were already packed with stalls and small shops. The number of independent cultivators and low-level cultivators continued to grow, driving up basic consumption levels in the market.

When Li Yuan reached the East District, he slowed down.

A long queue was forming in front of Yueqi Pavilion.

When did so many people from the Tianyue Sect appear in the market?

Li Yuan entered Yueqi Pavilion.

The shop was much busier than when I last visited. The variety of goods on the shelves had increased significantly. In addition to the original array materials and exploration-type magical artifacts, a whole row of talisman-making materials and weapon-refining auxiliary materials had been added. Several new display jade slips were hanging on the wall behind the counter, with extremely eye-catching text on the labels.

The shopkeeper greeted Li Yuan as he entered.

"Master Li, it's been a long time." The late-stage Foundation Establishment shopkeeper was much more polite than last time. "Please feel free to browse. We just received a new batch of goods today."

Li Yuan's gaze swept across the shelves.

In one corner of the talisman-making area, there was a stack of pale silver talismans. The talisman paper was made of a special material, with a very fine metallic luster on the surface, and the edges were sealed with spiritual energy.

"What kind of talisman is this?"

"Mirror Binding Talisman," the shopkeeper introduced as he approached, "a second-tier control talisman specially made by the Tianyue Sect."

"Once activated, it creates a mirror-like binding force field around the target, restricting their movement and spellcasting for a short period. It is quite effective against Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"Produced by the Tianyue Sect itself?"

"Yes. This batch was allocated from within the sect, and the quantity is limited. It costs five mid-grade spirit stones per piece, with discounts for bulk orders."

Li Yuan picked up a Mirror Binding Talisman and felt the spiritual energy patterns on its surface with his fingertips.

The craftsmanship of this talisman is significantly superior to that of commonly available second-tier talismans on the market. The patterns on the array are extremely regular, and the connection method between the nodes is unlike any talisman-making system he is familiar with.

I can't see through it.

Li Yuan flipped through them, didn't ask any more questions, and directly asked for fifty.

After paying the spirit stones, he turned his attention to the newly added jade slips in the weapon refining area.

Seven or eight jade slips were neatly arranged on the display shelf, their labels indicating various weapon-refining techniques and blueprints. Most were basic tutorials for second-tier weapon refining, of little value to him. But the jade slip on the far right caught his attention.

The jade slip's outer shell was a deep cyan color and thicker than the others next to it. The label read: Forging Techniques, Second-Tier Refinement Manual.

Li Yuan picked up the jade slip, and the moment his fingertips touched it, the perception of the entries within a three-foot radius was triggered.

green.

"How much is this?"

"That one's more expensive," the shopkeeper quoted a price, "One hundred and twenty mid-grade spirit stones. It's a weapon-refining manual from the Tianyue Sect; you can't buy it outside."

"Let's round it up, including the other weapon-refining manuals."

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright. The shop owner has a lot of influence, I'll give you a 10% discount."

The spirit stone transaction was completed. Li Yuan put all the purchased items into his storage bag and left Yueqi Pavilion.

After returning to the stone house, Li Yuan first took out the dark blue jade slip.

Touch it with your fingertip and the panel pops up.

[Equipable item detected: Forging Manual (Complete)]

[Equipment Attribute Preview: Forging Refinement (Green)]

[Effect: Increases weapon crafting proficiency by one minor tier; when weapon crafting proficiency reaches the current tier's maximum, the success rate of weapon crafting increases by an additional 30%]

[Preview of Permanentization Conditions: Crafting magical artifacts for 30 consecutive days (0/30)]

[Current equipment slots are full (5/5). Replace current equipment?]

The green entry. Both effects are extremely useful.

My weapon crafting proficiency has increased by one minor level. I am currently at level two weapon crafting mastery, and after equipping the weapon, I will jump directly to minor mastery.

The second effect is even better. When the proficiency reaches the current perfection, the success rate of crafting second-tier artifacts increases by 30%, which almost means that there is no possibility of failure in crafting second-tier magical artifacts.

The conditions for permanentization are not difficult; they only require time and materials.

"The Secrets to Equipment Forging"

[Equipped: Forging Manual (Complete)]

[Forging Refinement (Green) in effect: Refinement proficiency increased by one minor tier]

[Current Tier 2 Refining Skill: Proficient → Minor Success]

Change is instantaneous.

Li Yuan closed his eyes, and his understanding of second-tier weapon crafting suddenly expanded. The bottlenecks in the arrangement of spirit patterns that he had vaguely grasped but couldn't overcome while crafting the Frost Armor were now as if a thin layer of mist had been lifted. Optimal connection methods between nodes and redundant segments that could be streamlined in the spiritual energy circulation all clearly emerged.

Li Yuan carefully put away the books and then took out the fifty Mirror Binding Talismans he had just bought.

He spread out a Mirror Binding Talisman and used his Golden Core stage divine sense to penetrate deep into the talisman's body, scanning the array pattern structure layer by layer.

Complex.

The internal array patterns of the Mirror Binding Talisman were unlike any other second-tier talisman he was familiar with. A typical second-tier talisman array has a maximum of twelve to fifteen main lines and around thirty nodes. However, this Mirror Binding Talisman has more than twenty main lines, and its node density exceeds fifty.

More importantly, the array patterns do not spread out in a flat plane, but rather are spirally layered and compressed within the thickness of the talisman paper. Li Yuan had only seen this three-dimensional talisman-making technique described in theoretical literature on third-order talismans, and had never personally performed it.

Simply disassembling the external structure is not enough to reconstruct the manufacturing process.

Li Yuan took out a second one and scanned it from a different angle. The result was the same. The core circuit of the array pattern was enveloped by a layer of spiritual energy seal unique to the Tianyue Sect, making it impossible to observe the internal energy flow path without activating the talisman.

We can only use it first, observe the trajectory of energy activation during the process, and then deduce the production method.

Li Yuan carefully put away the talisman bound to the mirror. Making talismans wasn't urgent; he needed to figure out the method first.

After nightfall, the hidden array outside the stone house was activated from the outside.

Li Yuan scanned it with his divine sense.

Chen Yi.

Chen Yi opened the door and strode in, his face solemn.

"Another mission?" Li Yuan sat down at the stone table.

"The sect has verified the intelligence you brought back last time." Chen Yi skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point. "The coordinates of all three backup rendezvous points on the western front have been confirmed, and two of them have already been taken down. However, the location of the third rendezvous point was off; the sect's people went there only to find it empty."

"deviation?"

"The coordinates are real, but the other party withdrew beforehand." Chen Yi sat down at the table. "Either the Demonic Sect reacted faster than expected, or they have an internal early warning mechanism that detected that the roster had been accessed."

Li Yuan remained calm.

When he last infiltrated the abandoned post station, he only spent a very short time flipping through the roster, no more than five breaths. However, the roster might have some kind of microscopic array pattern that records the order of touches, so that if it is touched by unauthorized personnel, it will leave a trace.

"The sect hopes you will make another trip." Chen Yi took out a jade slip from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"The target is still that abandoned post station on the west side of Dry Bone Ridge. Last time you only got fragments of the roster and the logistical records. The sect wants more. The contact method, the code words, and the command hierarchy of the Demon Sect's western front."

"After this mission is completed, I can provide you with the materials needed to form your core." Chen Yi paused.

"Plus a batch of cultivation resources from within the sect. You can make a list, and we can discuss anything within a reasonable range."

Li Yuan thought about it.

"Mechanical crafting manuals".

"A manual on weapon crafting?" Chen Yi was slightly taken aback, then nodded.

"That's fine. The sect doesn't lack weapon-refining manuals, but most of those circulating outside are beginner level. Higher-level ones require internal approval, but with the contributions you've made to the sect, getting them approved shouldn't be a problem."

"Then it's settled."

Chen Yi got up to leave, but looked back as he reached the door.

"Try to finish it within five days. The sect needs the intelligence."

After the stone gate closed, Li Yuan sat quietly for a moment.