Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

High-energy chapter 424, Infiltration Joint Point, updated! Read now:

The following afternoon. Inside the stone house, the lamplight was dim and yellow.

Several books on weapon crafting, including jade slips and other books, were spread out on the table.

The edges of the pages were already curled, clearly indicating that they had been read many times. Li Yuan sat cross-legged on the futon, his fingertips twirling a page of animal hide as thin as a cicada's wing, his divine sense slowly sweeping along the spiritual runes recorded on it.

The book records three common connection structures for second-order magical artifacts.

One type emphasizes the flow of spiritual energy, another emphasizes stability, and the third is used to reconcile conflicts between spiritual materials of different attributes. Individually, none of them seem complicated, but when placed on the same magical artifact, the choice and arrangement of these elements determine not whether it can be successfully crafted, but whether the finished product is low-grade, mid-grade, or almost waste.

Li Yuan finished turning the last page and closed his eyes for a moment.

In his mind, several spiritual rune structures rapidly disassembled and reassembled within his consciousness, revealing their points of conflict and areas for improvement. The previously somewhat awkward connections between nodes finally became smooth.

A moment later, the panel vibrated slightly.

[Second-Tier Refining Proficiency Improved: Minor Success]

Li Yuan opened his eyes, his gaze calm.

The completion of the second-tier minor refining skill means that he has truly crossed the threshold from being able to refine to being skilled at refining. If the attributes in the equipment slot are added, it is enough to push his current refining level to the second-tier major level.

He raised his hand and flicked it, and the spirit fire in the small refining furnace beside the table lit up.

Several pieces of cold-attribute spiritual materials were thrown into the furnace. The molten metal flowed slowly under the guidance of his divine sense, drawing out fine spiritual patterns. Li Yuan did not refine any magical artifacts, but instead directly attempted to reverse-engineer the complete structure of the Mirror Binding Talisman.

Ice Soul Paper, Cold Pattern Sand, Condensed Water Elixir.

The three materials fused rapidly under the combined control of spiritual fire and spiritual power. The surface of the talisman glowed with a pale blue light, and fine, hair-like lines spread out from the center, like cracks that naturally grow on ice, yet returned to neatness before reaching the edges.

Half an hour later, Li Yuan looked at the arrangement of the spirit patterns and seemed to have some understanding.

He picked up his pen and the first talisman was completed.

Li Yuan raised his hand and picked up the talisman. The surface of the talisman was slightly cold, and a faint white frost lingered around its edges. Inside the talisman, more than twenty main lines and dozens of spiritual energy nodes were nested together. Although it was a bit rougher than the original version from the Tianyue Sect, its structure was already fully formed.

Within a three-foot radius, the perception of the term was triggered.

[Equipable item detected: Mirror Binding Charm (Complete)]

[Equipment Attribute Preview: Cold Vein Slowness (Green)]

[Effect: When ice-based spells hit a target, they can slowly freeze the flow of spiritual energy in the target's meridians.]

[Preview of Permanentization Conditions: Successfully bind targets at Foundation Establishment level or above ten times (0/10)]

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

Li Yuan's gaze lingered on the panel for a moment.

The new entry isn't overpowered, but its strength lies in its practicality. In particular, the condition "triggered upon hit by an ice spell" synergizes extremely well with his existing ice-sealing technique. If it hits an opponent during combat, it can not only freeze their body surface but also slow down the flow of spiritual or demonic energy in their meridians, making it equally effective against Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The conditions for permanentization are not difficult to meet.

If you achieve the goal of binding and establishing the foundation ten times, as long as there is a suitable opportunity to take action later, it is only a matter of time before you complete it.

Li Yuan did not immediately replace the equipment slots.

He put away the Mirror Binding Talisman, got up and walked to the other side of the stone table. There was a black wooden box there, containing the Dark Demon Token that Chen Yi had given him earlier, as well as a grayish-white mask as thin as human skin.

About half an hour later, on the west side of Kugu Ridge, underground at the abandoned post station.

Li Yuan reached out and pressed his hand against the illusory mask. The mask conformed to his facial contours as if it were alive, and his aura, features, and skin tone all underwent subtle changes. He then circulated his Demonic Yuan Technique, and the spiritual power within his body quietly subsided. Strands of pure and cold demonic energy slowly escaped from his meridians, completely altering his entire aura.

A moment later, the original market supervisor had disappeared.

Instead, there was a late-stage Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator with a sinister face and a cold, deep aura.

Li Yuan put away the wooden box and went out.

The night was deep.

The wind howled on the western side of the Ghost Mist Forest, and the mist swirled among the trees. Li Yuan sped outward along an old, abandoned path, always controlling his speed, neither too fast nor too slow, maintaining the normal level for a late-stage Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator going out.

Two hours later, the Bone Ridge appeared at the edge of the horizon.

This mountain range is shrouded in miasma year-round, its rocks and soil a grayish-black color, with scattered, pale animal bones scattered across its slopes, making it look like a burial ground where people have been dead for many years. At the foot of the western side of the mountain, the ruins of an abandoned post station are hidden in the night, the gatehouse half-collapsed, the walls covered with black moss, appearing perfectly normal at first glance.

But according to Dark Fiend's keen observation, the post station was not empty.

Behind the wall, three zhang underground, three clusters of demonic energy signals remained still, their auras steady, like cultivators guarding the entrance. Deeper still, there were even more chaotic fluctuations, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, clearly indicating that there was another space underground.

Once underground, visibility suddenly darkened.

Several dim, yellowish moonstones were embedded on either side of the passageway, casting a mottled glow on the stone walls. A faint smell of blood and a sinister aura permeated the air, and the ground was damp, indicating that this place was not a temporary opening but had been in operation for some time.

At the end of the passageway is an underground stone chamber that has been converted into a council hall.

The stone chamber was small, but it was divided into two levels. The outer level had two long tables with several jade slips, account books, and sealed wooden boxes on them. Several demonic cultivators were moving around, responsible for registering, handing over, and counting. The inner level was separated by a semi-transparent black gauze, through which one could vaguely see an elderly man with a stronger aura sitting in the main seat. His cultivation level was around the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and he was clearly the person in charge of this place.

Li Yuan stood at the edge of the passageway, not going out, but using the effect of concealing his aura to hide himself.

There is a naturally recessed shadow on the left side of the stone chamber, which is blocked by a thick stone pillar and is extremely difficult to notice from the outside.

Not long after, footsteps could be heard outside.

Three cultivators entered the stone chamber. The one in the lead wore a dark blue robe and had a jade pendant engraved with the character "Lu" hanging from his waist. His aura indicated he was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. The two behind him carried a long wooden box sealed with a preservation talisman, from which the unique fragrance of spiritual herbs wafted.

The black veil behind the main seat fluttered slightly, and the elder in charge, who had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, let out a hoarse voice.

"Did you bring the things?"

The Lu family cultivator cupped his hands in greeting, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "As agreed, we have three Seven-Leaf Cold Ganoderma, five Crimson-Veined Ginseng, twelve catties of Green Dew Grass, and two portions of second-tier Nourishing Vein Spirit Herbs. These are all goods accumulated by the branch herb garden over the past three months."

As he spoke, he gestured to the two people behind him to place the medicinal herbs on the long table.

The demonic cultivator standing guard at the table stepped forward, removed the seals, and examined each item. Soon, a stronger medicinal fragrance filled the room, and several well-preserved spiritual herbs gleamed faintly under the moonstone's light, clearly indicating their high quality.

The elderly man in charge glanced at it and nodded slightly.

"The Lu family's goods this time are better than the last time."

The Lu family cultivator smiled and said, "Last time it was rushed, but this time we are well prepared. However, we hope that what we need will not be reduced again."

As soon as he finished speaking, another demonic cultivator brought over a black wooden box from behind and opened it.

The box contained six dark-colored array stones, with wisps of demonic energy flowing within them and simple array patterns engraved on their surfaces.

The Lu family cultivator did not accept it immediately, but instead picked up a formation stone and infused it with a trace of spiritual power to test it.

A faint glow flashed across the surface of the array stone, and the demonic energy inside circulated steadily, showing no signs of tampering.

"Can."

After the deal was struck, the two parties did not leave immediately, but exchanged a few more words in hushed tones.

When will the next delivery be?

"Fifteen days later..."

……

Li Yuan wrote down every single word of the conversation.

More valuable than the materials themselves on paper are the handover process, communication methods, and timing habits. They allow one to truly see how a connection point operates, rather than simply knowing that it exists.

Half an incense stick later, the members of the Lu family's collateral branch left with a black wooden box.

The stone chamber returned to its usual bustling state.

The elderly man in charge processed two more small transactions, then, as if remembering something, he got up and walked towards the back of the inner room. Before leaving, he said to the monk in charge of recording, "Leave the roster for now. I'm going to check the receipts sent from the eastern front. If anyone comes to collect today's dispatch slip, tell them to wait."

"Yes."

The demonic cultivator in charge of recording responded, but just then he was called away by someone outside to move boxes.

The long table suddenly became empty.

The opportunity has arrived.

He stepped out of the shadows, his movements as light as a breeze. Almost instantly, he was beside the long table, his divine sense sweeping over the black leather register at the top.

Li Yuan's senses were extremely fast; he memorized the coordinates, marking methods, and communication codes, and then flipped to the material dispatch records at the back.

In the past twenty days, in addition to the routine allocation of spiritual materials, blood offerings, and low-level talisman materials, there are several records that have been specially marked:

"One Tier 3 Barrier-Breaking Talisman, transiting through the northern route, will be delivered to the western route within twenty days."

"The twelve stones of the Nourishing Evil Array were split into three batches and sent to Liangzhou."

"We will continue to acquire fragments of old battle formations and ancient inscription materials, regardless of their source."

Li Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.

The first two points were relatively normal, but the third point made his heart sink slightly.

Fragments of old battle formations and ancient inscriptions.

This is no longer something that ordinary demonic sects would need in large quantities for expansion; it's more like a long-term, purposeful collection of ancient array materials. Combined with the clues he had previously obtained, it's almost certain that the other party is still continuously gathering array remnants of the same origin as the Xuan You Sect.

But what bothered him even more was that some of the information did not match the intelligence he had previously gathered.

According to the intelligence provided by Chen Yi, the second backup rendezvous point on the western front should have been abandoned and relocated half a month ago, but the latest record on the roster shows that supplies were still being transferred there three days ago.

In addition, the quantity of spiritual herbs recently delivered by the Lu family's collateral branch differs slightly from the recorded amount. There were at least two portions of second-tier meridian-nourishing spiritual herbs in the wooden box, but the register only recorded one substitute material.

It's not a mistake.

Someone in charge of such a meeting point wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

That leaves only two possibilities.

Either the ledger was deliberately concealed, or the list itself is not entirely true, containing false information released to test the mole.

Li Yuan noted down the anomalies and was about to back away when he suddenly caught the sound of footsteps coming from the direction of the inner room.

came back.

Without further hesitation, Li Yuan swayed and disappeared back into the shadow behind the stone pillar.

Almost simultaneously, the elderly man in charge lifted his black veil and stepped out, returning to his seat. His gaze swept indifferently across the long table, finding nothing amiss. The demonic cultivator responsible for recording also returned from outside carrying a wooden box, continuing to organize the account books and jade slips.

Everything in the stone chamber seemed as if it had never happened.

Li Yuan lay in wait for a while longer, and after confirming that there was no further information to be found, he quietly exited the tunnel along the same route.

It was already late at night when I left the abandoned post station through a hidden door in the well wall.

This trip was very fruitful.

The coordinates of the three backup rendezvous points on the western front, recent material dispatch records, the stable trading channels between the Lu family's branch and the Demonic Fiend Sect, and even clues about the acquisition of third-tier barrier-breaking talismans and ancient array auxiliary materials—if this intelligence were given to Chen Yi, it would be enough for the Yuan Yang Sect to make another round of precise arrangements.

But those discrepancies also made him wary.

A night breeze rustled through the trees, creating a soft rustling sound. Just then, in the passive perception of Dark Fiend Insight, a very subtle anomaly appeared in the texture of the background spiritual energy.

Extremely far away.

Two faint signals of demonic energy were slowly moving from the direction of the Dry Bone Ridge.

The direction is the same as his.