Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

In the days that followed, the situation in the direction of Kugu Ridge continued to escalate.

Every two or three days, Li Yuan would pause briefly at a high point on the outskirts of the market, using his Dark Insight to scan the northwest direction.

The aura of the Golden Core was increasing.

The late-stage Golden Core aura of True Immortal Xuanpu remained firmly stationed on the east side of the Bone Ridge, like an immovable iron tower. In addition to him, there were two more early-stage Golden Core auras from the Tianyue Sect, their positions suggesting they were forming a pincer formation in coordination with True Immortal Xuanpu.

The three Golden Core cultivators from the Yuan Sect did not retreat. Three clusters of demonic energy, characteristic of continuous waves, were scattered to the west and north of the Dry Bone Ridge, facing off against the Tianyue Sect from afar.

The Demonic Fiend Sect's movements became even more covert. Li Yuan detected two extremely restrained demonic energy signals in a valley about twenty miles south of the Bone Ridge. The signals were segmented pulses, typical characteristics of the Demonic Fiend Sect. They only possessed late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, but they were extremely well hidden, as if they were secretly observing the situation.

The Yuan Yang Sect was also present. Two more Golden Core cultivators appeared in the direction of Chen Yi's outpost.

What Li Yuan cared about most was another group of auras.

About ten miles northeast of Kugu Ridge, there is the aura of a Golden Core cultivator.

His aura was pure, and the fluctuation spectrum of his cultivation method was highly consistent with the Bitan Sect disciples he had previously met in Baijing Market and Yunyang Market.

All forces gathered at Kugu Ridge.

As the number of pieces on the chessboard increased and the space became smaller, Li Yuan knew very well that in this multi-party game, the wisest choice was to remain still and continue to accumulate strength.

He closed the door of the stone house, activated the concealment array, and devoted all his energy to cultivation.

On the fourteenth night.

A deep, resonant hum came from the depths of his dantian.

At this moment, the dark patterns covering the surface of the mid-grade demonic energy golden core lit up simultaneously. The golden core began to rotate on its own, the speed increasing, and the demonic energy on the surface peeled off layer by layer like a silkworm cocoon, only to recombine again. With each layer peeled off, the purity of the re-condensed energy increased.

The internal structure of the Golden Elixir is being reorganized.

The process lasted for about two hours.

When the golden elixir finally stopped spinning, the scene in the dantian was completely different.

The Golden Core had shrunk in size compared to its initial form, but its surface luster had changed from dull to a deep, dark purple, like a miniature star condensed with endless dark energy. The concentration of demonic energy flowing through its meridians had almost doubled, and the destructive power contained in each wisp of demonic energy far exceeded that before the breakthrough.

At the moment of breakthrough, Li Yuan felt something in his equipment inventory being activated.

Demonic Essence Bead.

The conditions for making the [Magic Orb: Reshaping Against Adversity (Blue)] permanent have been met.

"Adversity Resilience (Blue)" has become a permanent keyword.

The phantom of the Demon Orb shattered in the equipment slot, turning into blue light spots that merged into the body. The slot became free.

Rebuilding from Adversity – When one's cultivation level drops, their cultivation aptitude and lifespan are permanently enhanced. The higher the cultivation level at the time of the drop, the greater the increase in aptitude and lifespan.

An ultimate insurance policy.

This entry itself won't make him stronger, but it provides an extremely solid safety net for the possible "rebirth after shattering the core" in the future. Once he intentionally shatters his core and falls into a lower realm, the rebirth process will be triggered at the moment of the fall, converting the level of his golden core at the time of the fall into a permanent improvement in aptitude and lifespan.

The higher the fracture, the more it needs to be repaired.

The compensation gained from shattering the Golden Core in the mid-stage and the Golden Core in the early stage after triggering adversity reshaping is on completely different levels.

He also possesses the skill to break through to the next level and refine his cultivation.

Another change is equally significant.

The strength of divine sense at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm represents a qualitative leap compared to the early stage. The original eight stable parallel lines of divine sense were instantly increased to ten after the breakthrough.

The two additional spiritual threads mean that the upper limit of multitasking has been further expanded. He can handle more tasks simultaneously, and the efficiency of multitasking in cultivation, combat, exploration, and alchemy will be greatly improved.

With the breakthrough to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, the upper limit of demonic energy has also increased significantly. The total amount of demonic energy that a mid-grade demonic energy Golden Core can bear and release at the new realm far exceeds that of the early stage. Combined with the 30% boost from Dark Demon Concealment, his combat power in terms of demonic energy is now completely different from before.

Li Yuan spent three days stabilizing his cultivation level.

After confirming that his aura was completely contained and his meridians were flowing smoothly, he took something out of his personal space.

Mysterious Jade Beads.

The milky-white bead gleamed with a warm luster in my palm. After the repair, the jade bead was brimming with spiritual energy, its twelve main pathways and thirty-six branch pathways flowing smoothly, its internal energy circulation resembling a perfectly beating heart.

"equipment."

Breakthrough to a higher realm. (Purple entry)

Effect: Consumes the user's own Golden Core grade to advance one minor realm. Each use reduces the Golden Core grade by one level. After the first use, the Golden Core grade can be re-formed, and the maximum value of Essence, Qi, and Spirit increases by 10%.

Li Yuan's gaze remained calm.

I am currently in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, a mid-grade demonic Golden Core.

Li Yuan's gaze remained calm.

I am currently in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, a mid-grade demonic Golden Core.

After using the Breakthrough Tempering Realm, your cultivation level will jump directly to the late Golden Core stage, but the Golden Core grade will drop from mid-grade to low-grade.

If a mid-grade product becomes an inferior product, its foundation is damaged, but it can be repaired.

Moreover, he had originally planned to shatter his core and start over.

Dropping the Golden Core grade to the lower grade will not affect subsequent plans. After the Golden Core is shattered, everything is reset to zero. The grade of the re-condensed Golden Core depends on its foundation, attributes, and alchemy aids, and is unrelated to the current Golden Core grade.

The 10% increase in the maximum potential of essence, energy, and spirit granted upon first use of the Breakthrough Realm Tempering skill is permanent. This 10% boost will accompany him for life and will not disappear regardless of whether he shatters his core or starts cultivating again.

The cultivation level of the late Golden Core stage, coupled with the guaranteed mechanism of reshaping through adversity, and the permanent increase of 10% to the upper limit of essence, energy, and spirit.

The triple benefits come at the cost of a Golden Core that is destined to shatter.

There was no reason to hesitate.

Breakthrough Realm Activation.

The mid-grade demonic energy golden core in his dantian trembled violently under the impact of this external force.

The deep, dark purple sheen on the surface of the golden core began to peel away.

One floor, two floors, three floors.

With each layer peeled away, the purity of the demonic energy contained within the golden core decreased by one point. The purplish-blue luster gradually faded, replaced by a duller grayish-purple. The golden core's volume remained unchanged, but its internal crystalline structure noticeably loosened.

The medium grade was downgraded to the low grade.

At the same time, the energy extracted from the Golden Core did not dissipate, but was instead carried by the power of breaking through to a higher level, flowing along the meridians.

The barriers between the mid and late stages of the Golden Core realm are as fragile as paper in the face of this power.

A deep, resonant hum, even more so than when he broke through to the mid-stage, exploded deep within his dantian.

The Golden Elixir began to regenerate once again.

This restructuring was even more intense than the one during the mid-stage breakthrough. The energy circuits within the Golden Core were completely shattered and rebuilt, with each circuit rearranged under the guidance of the power of the breakthrough tempering realm, forming a more compact and complex new structure.

Although its grade has dropped to low grade, the structural level of the late Golden Core stage is far superior to that of the mid-stage. The efficiency of spiritual power and demonic energy circulation, the upper limit of its capacity, and the intensity of its bursts have all leaped to a new level.

The reorganization lasted for a full six hours.

After everything calmed down, Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

A grayish-purple golden core was quietly rotating in the dantian. Its size had shrunk compared to when it was in the middle stage, but its density was higher, and its surface was faintly covered with fine, spiderweb-like patterns.

Low-grade Golden Core, late stage of Golden Core.

The panel kept displaying prompts.

Li Yuan clenched his fist.

The power of the late-stage Golden Core stage surged within his body, filling every inch of his meridians to overflowing levels with spiritual energy and demonic energy.

The ten lines of divine consciousness have now become twelve.

The twelve divine sense lines were neatly arranged in his sea of ​​consciousness. The two extra lines compared to when he was in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm further enhanced his multi-line processing ability.

The effect of increasing the upper limit of spirit, energy, and vitality by 10% is comprehensive. Total strength, total demonic energy, spiritual awareness, and blood reserves all increase by 10%. Combined with his already extremely solid foundation, the actual benefits brought by this 10% increase far exceed the literal numbers.

Li Yuan stood up and stretched his body.

Late stage of Golden Core.

Many years have passed since he first embarked on the path of cultivation. From an ant in the Qi Refining stage to the late Golden Core stage, every step he has taken has been extremely solid.

The road ahead is still long.

Nascent Soul.

The elixir is shattered and the process begins anew.

The deep abyss and secret cave.

Li Yuan pushed open the stone door and stepped into the night.

In the distance, towards the direction of the Dry Bone Ridge, several Golden Core level auras were still silently confronting each other.