Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

After returning to the market from Kugu Ridge, Li Yuan only stayed for one day.

Xu Zhang was put in charge of restocking Yuanmingzhai, while Ji Wenchuan handled the data collection for the Spirit Detective Talisman Network. The daily operation of the market had already formed a stable system, so he didn't need to monitor it constantly.

Li Yuan organized the supplies in his storage bag, then traveled to Mozhou via the teleportation array. From there, he crossed the high mountains through a hidden exit in Mozhou and entered Shuizhou.

The arid Gobi Desert of the Spirit-Severing Zone receded rapidly beneath his feet. The purple aura of the spiritual veins maintained the basic circulation of spiritual energy within his body, and the Golden Core's self-sufficient foundation was enough to support the entire process.

It took two and a half days to cross the Spirit-Slaying Zone, which was much faster than last time.

On the evening of the third day, the salty sea breeze blew in again.

The outline of Luoxia Port appeared below the mountain ridge. The size of the port had not changed much since my last visit, with more than twenty ships moored on the dock, and dockworkers and fishermen bustling about.

Li Yuan lowered his breath and blended into the crowd in the port area.

Their gaze first swept towards the south dock.

The grey-and-white flag fleet was still anchored there. But the number of ships had increased from two to three, with the extra ship having a very deep draft, nearly twice the size of the other two, and significantly more cargo containers piled on its deck.

Dark Fiend's perception penetrated the wooden planks of the cabin.

The demonic energy markings in the lower decks of the new ship were much denser than those detected last time, and the energy-concealing array patterns on the seals had also been upgraded to a higher-level design. The cargo had changed from miscellaneous items to a uniform mix of ores and metal ingots, heavy in volume and extremely dense.

Raw materials for weapon crafting.

It matched the procurement list on the Demon Sect's contact list perfectly. It included Cold Water Refined Iron, Spirit Silver Ore, and several deep-sea minerals he didn't recognize.

The supply routes around Yuanzong have extended to the coastal areas of Shuizhou, and the scale continues to expand.

Li Yuan recorded the new ship's location, cargo type, and frequency characteristics of the demonic energy markers, but took no further action. The chain behind the gray-white flag fleet couldn't be moved now; alerting them would only cause the entire chain to retract.

After finishing his notes, he walked more than ten miles north along the coastline and arrived at the secluded bay where he had stayed before.

The uninhabited islands off the bay remain quiet and deserted.

Li Yuan did not go ashore, but instead jumped directly into the sea.

The permanent attribute of Water Release: Swiftness takes effect the instant one enters the water, resulting in an extremely high degree of compatibility between the body and the seawater. The Water Vein Survey clearly maps the flow of water veins within a radius of several hundred feet onto the sea of ​​consciousness, revealing the direction and intensity of every undercurrent.

Li Yuan followed the terrain of the coastline and dived towards the deep sea, finding a wide and flat seabed.

The rock bed, free from the disturbance of corals and aquatic plants, is an ideal place for cultivation.

Sitting cross-legged on the rock bed, Li Yuan activated his Ice Sealing Technique.

In the deep sea environment, the concentration of water-based spiritual energy far exceeds that on land. The radiation from the underwater spiritual veins continuously seeps from the rock layers beneath his feet, providing an inexhaustible supply of water-based spiritual energy for the cultivation of the Ice Sealing Technique. His mastery of the water veins increases the precision of his perception of water-based spiritual energy by 30%, his Water Movement Speed ​​increases both his casting speed and power by 10%, and his Water Escape Swiftness further enhances his power by 30%.

With the support of multiple attributes, each casting of the Ice Seal spell completes a full cycle of spiritual energy conversion in a very short time.

A chill surged from his dantian, compressing and condensing within his meridians. He extended his right hand, palm facing down.

It took three days to go from minor success to major success.

After mastering the technique, Li Yuan's control over the Ice Sealing Technique underwent a qualitative leap. He no longer needed to exert all his strength to condense high-density ice; with just a thought, he could precisely release an ice-sealing force field of any shape from his palm. Ice walls, ice spikes, ice prisons, ice armor—all were at his command.

The final step from mastery to perfection was completed on the morning of the fifth day.

At that moment, Li Yuan felt that the circulation of water-based spiritual energy within his body had reached a state of perfect harmony. The flow of the Ice Sealing Technique no longer required deliberate guidance; the spiritual energy flowed along the optimal trajectory on its own, and the process of freezing was as natural as breathing.

[Ice Seal: Perfect]

The Ice Seal Technique is now complete.

Having mastered the second-tier low-grade water magic to perfection, the conditions for making the Frost Armor permanent have been met.

Li Yuan rose from the seabed and arrived at a reef area ten feet below the surface. He took out the Frost Armor from his storage bag.

The deep blue armor gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the seawater, its spirit patterns as intricately distributed as cracks in a glacier.

After equipping the Frost Armor, its phantom flickered briefly in the equipment slot before shattering into green specks that merged into the user's body. The slot became available.

The change was instantaneous. Li Yuan felt an extremely thin yet incredibly resilient protective layer of cold energy appear on his body. This protective layer was passively activated and did not require the consumption of spiritual energy to maintain. Any attack that hit would automatically release a cold energy counterattack, slowing down the opponent's attack speed, while the strength of the water-based spiritual energy protective layer would be permanently increased by 20%.

With the addition of defensive attributes such as Triple Protection, Invincible Body, and Body Protection, his passive defense system has become even thicker.

Li Yuan reinstalled the forged pattern refinement into its slot, stretched his shoulders, and swam towards Luoxia Harbor.

After getting ashore, he went directly to the Su family's shop.

It was the same private room on the third floor, and the same dark-skinned manager who greeted him last time. The manager was even more welcoming than before.

"Fellow Daoist, you're here to buy again? Azure Tide Sand and Ocean Pearl Powder are always in stock."

"I'm not in a rush to buy anything this time," Li Yuan said, sitting down in a chair. "I wanted to ask you about Shuizhou."

The manager paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Fellow Daoist, please ask away. The Su family has been based in Luoxia Port for three generations; there's nothing about Shuizhou that we don't know."

Are there any other forces operating outwards from the coastal area of ​​Shuizhou?

The person in charge's expression became more serious.

"Yes." He got up, walked to the window, pushed open the wooden window, and pointed to the azure sea outside the harbor. "Go outwards, past a few islands near the coast, and then about three thousand miles further inland, and you'll enter the territory of the outer sea powers."

"Foreign maritime forces?"

"Cultivation forces based on islands." The steward turned around. "The number of islands at sea is far greater than people on land imagine. Some islands are as large as a small city, rich in spiritual energy, and some even have branches of underwater spiritual veins emerging to the surface. Those forces establish sects and families on these islands, cultivating for generations."

"What about the scale?"

"They vary in size. The smaller ones are just one or two families occupying an island, with about a hundred people. The larger ones..." the steward lowered his voice, "are said to be several extremely large island alliances deep in the outer sea, each with a Golden Core cultivator in charge, and the strongest among them even have Nascent Soul stage ancestors."

Nascent Soul stage.

Li Yuan's brow twitched slightly.

"Do these forces have any dealings with the mainland?"

"Yes, but not much." The steward sighed. "The ocean is too vast, and Shuizhou is a spiritually barren zone. There's almost no spiritual energy from the coast to the interior of the land, and cultivators expend a great deal of energy crossing it. Therefore, the maritime forces mainly trade with the Tianyue Sect, using the coastal route of Jingzhou. The Tianyue Sect has established several trading ports in the eastern coastal area of ​​Jingzhou, specifically to connect with these overseas forces."

What do maritime powers need?

"Land-based materials: spiritual herbs, ores, refining materials, and elixir recipes." The steward counted on his fingers, "The sea has no shortage of aquatic spiritual materials and seafood, but fire, earth, and metal materials from the land are extremely scarce at sea. Conversely, some specialties from the sea are also priceless on land. The two sides exchange goods, and the Tianyue Sect takes a cut, making a fortune."

"What about Shuizhou itself? Are there any forces at the Golden Core level?"

The manager shook his head.

"Shuizhou is too poor. The Spirit-Severing Zone occupies 90% of the inland area, and the only place suitable for cultivation is along this narrow strip of coastline. It can't support large sects and families. The Su family is considered the largest power in the area, but they are only at the Foundation Establishment level."

He paused, then added.

"However, there is a Golden Core cultivator on the border of Shuizhou."

"oh?"

"A rogue cultivator. Not affiliated with any faction." The steward's tone carried a hint of reverence. "It's said that this senior was an ordinary cultivator on the coast of Shuizhou in his youth. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he ventured alone to the depths of the outer sea for training. Somewhere underwater, he encountered a great opportunity and broke through to the Golden Core stage in one fell swoop."

"And then what?"

"After returning, he settled in a bay at the southernmost tip of Shuizhou. Beneath that bay lies a branch of an underwater spiritual vein, its spiritual energy quite abundant. This senior built a small market there, specializing in transshipment trade between land and sea."

What does he do for a living?

"An alchemist." The steward's face showed undisguised admiration as he spoke. "The only Golden Core alchemist in Shuizhou. The pills he refines are of extremely high quality. Cultivators from the island powers in the outer seas often travel thousands of miles to buy pills from him. Some independent cultivators from the mainland also make special trips to Shuizhou to seek pills, but the journey is too far, and not many actually make it."

A rogue cultivator at the Golden Core stage. An alchemist. He built a trading market at the southern end of Shuizhou.

Li Yuan wrote down all this information.

"What's the name of that market town?"

"It doesn't have an official name. Everyone just calls it Nanyuanfang." The manager thought for a moment. "It's about a five- or six-day walk south along the coastline from Luoxia Port. There's nothing dangerous along the way, just a long journey."

"Does the Su family have any business dealings with him?"

"There are some. The Su family regularly sends a batch of terrestrial spiritual materials to Nanyuanfang in exchange for the pills he refines. But the quantity is small; that senior's production is limited, and most of them are pre-ordered by major clients overseas."

Li Yuan nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

The situation in Shuizhou was more complex than he had previously understood.

The Spirit-Severing Zone on land isolates Shuizhou from the inland, but the ocean connects it to a cultivation world far larger than the land. The existence of powerful island forces in the outer seas means that although the coastal areas of Shuizhou are barren, they serve as a natural transit hub between the land and sea.

The Tianyue Sect monopolized the majority of this trade route, leaving the three sects of Jingzhou and the Yuanyang Sect unable to participate. The Yuan Sect's grey-white flag fleet's decision to stockpile supplies at Luoxia Port likely stemmed from the secrecy of Shuizhou as a transit hub. The Jueling District naturally shielded the area from inland surveillance, making smuggling here far safer than in Jingzhou or Liangzhou.

The Tianyue Sect monopolized the majority of this trade route, leaving the three sects of Jingzhou and the Yuanyang Sect unable to participate. The Yuan Sect's grey-white flag fleet's decision to stockpile supplies at Luoxia Port likely stemmed from the secrecy of Shuizhou as a transit hub. The Jueling District naturally shielded the area from inland surveillance, making smuggling here far safer than in Jingzhou or Liangzhou.

Li Yuan gathered his thoughts, got up, and walked outside.