Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

Chapter 494 Yao Guang Secret Realm

Once the direction for crafting the natal magic weapon is determined, the material list is also generated.

The frame of the universal changer pattern has extremely demanding requirements for materials.

The artifact's pattern layer requires highly compatible spiritual materials to support the switching between various patterns. The core hub requires spiritual materials with spatial properties to maintain the stability of the artifact's pattern circuit. The outer shell, on the other hand, needs to be made of materials that balance hardness and spiritual energy conductivity.

Li Yuan went through the list from beginning to end.

Among the core materials, we already have a stockpile of Sea Essence Iron and Spirit Silver.

We also have some leftover materials for spatial applications, but the quantity is far from enough.

The most crucial high-level spiritual materials, such as the Heavenly Origin Black Iron used for the artifact pattern layer and the Void Crystal used for the core hub, are simply not available in ordinary markets.

And another thing is that I don't have enough spirit stones right now.

The last auction cost me most of my fortune. Although I made up for it through trade and extermination missions, I'm still far from getting high-level spiritual materials.

In addition, Qinghe Market needs to hold auctions and trade fairs, which require various high-level items to support the event.

I need to earn money.

Fortunately, the materials from the monsters we hunted earlier are still there, but they are too limited, so it's better to trade one of them.

As I left the house, I passed a teahouse and heard the voices of several monks talking inside.

"The Yao Guang Secret Realm is about to open, have you heard?"

Li Yuan paused slightly.

Three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were sitting in the teahouse, huddled together and talking in hushed tones.

"The news has spread. The Dragon Abyss Pavilion has issued a notice saying that the Yao Guang Secret Realm will be opened once soon, with limited spots available on a first-come, first-served basis."

"How are the spots calculated?"

"As usual, I handed over the knowledge and some spirit stones."

One of the cultivators took a sip of the spiritual tea.

"What is the knowledge to be submitted? Brother He, could you please answer this for me?"

"Entering the secret realm requires knowledge of cultivation techniques and spells. This knowledge is not collected by the Dragon Abyss Pavilion, but must be tested by the secret realm."

"By providing enough knowledge to the secret realm, you can exchange it for a qualification to enter."

"What happens after you hand over the cultivation technique and go inside?"

"Those who pass the test will receive cultivation techniques and spells," the cultivator said.

"The Yao Guang Secret Realm was originally a place for transmitting knowledge. The sect that created the secret realm designed it as a place for exchanging knowledge. You hand over your knowledge and pass the tests inside, and the secret realm will take out the corresponding grade of cultivation techniques or spells from its inventory for you."

"It is said that there are magical artifacts in the secret realm, but fewer and fewer people have gone in over the years, and no one has been replenishing the magical artifacts inside, so the stock is almost depleted."

Another cultivator interjected, "Who exactly created that secret realm?"

"I don't know. Its origin is unknown. All I know is that it was made with a lot of materials from the upper realm. The predecessor of Dragon Abyss Pavilion was a Nascent Soul power, and its origin was already unclear when it took over the secret realm."

"Didn't the Nascent Soul ancestor of the Kunpeng Alliance go there?"

"I went, but I couldn't get in." The cultivator shook his head.

"It is said that the ancestor tried to force his way into the secret realm, but was bounced out by the realm's defense mechanism. The ancestor himself said that if he forced his way in, the secret realm would activate its self-destruct program, and everything inside would be destroyed along with it. So the only option is to follow the rules properly."

Li Yuan stood at the entrance of the teahouse for a moment, noted down the information, and then turned and left.

Yao Guang Secret Realm.

I had previously seen records about Yao Guang Island in the jade slips of the Canglan Sect. Yao Guang Island has a Nascent Soul ascension passage, constantly receiving spiritual energy from the upper realm. The cultivator who previously broke through to the Nascent Soul stage drained the island's spiritual veins during his breakthrough.

The Yao Guang Secret Realm is about to open, and it was built using materials from the Upper Realm.

The connection between the two events is becoming increasingly clear.

After returning to Nanyuanfang, Li Yuan continued his seclusion.

There are two main focuses for this retreat.

The first one is the Dragon Blood Tempering Technique.

This third-tier body-refining technique requires the essence blood of demonic beasts to cultivate. Li Yuan happened to have materials from a third-tier shelled crab demon and a third-tier high-grade ice serpent demon, which he had obtained during the deep-sea cleanup mission. He had already stored the essence blood separately.

Under the pull of spiritual power, the dark red essence blood of the demon beast condensed into a few drops of blood the size of a thumb.

The basic requirement for mastering the Dragon Blood Tempering Technique is to introduce the essence blood of a demonic beast into the body's surface, allowing it to seep into the skin and bones along specific meridian pathways. The life force of the demonic beast contained in the essence blood will temper the body during the penetration process, thereby increasing its strength and resilience.

Li Yuan placed the first drop of essence blood on his palm, guiding it with spiritual power to seep in along the route specified by the body-refining technique.

The learning speed boost from Wanfa Xizhen significantly shortens the introductory process of Body Refining Technique.

[Dragon Blood Tempering Technique: Beginner]

Li Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the changes beneath his skin. A very faint layer of dark red lines appeared on the surface of his skin, which had been tempered by the essence blood. They were almost invisible to the naked eye, but could be sensed when spiritual energy flowed through them. This was a passive defense network formed in his skin after the essence blood of the demon beast seeped in.

My physical strength increased by about 10%, and my recovery speed also increased significantly.

The second focus is the Tide Array Heart Sutra.

The method of cultivating array formations is completely different from ordinary cultivation methods.

Instead of circulating spiritual energy in the dantian, the spiritual energy is laid out in the meridians according to the formation of a circuit.

Each meridian is used as a spiritual energy guide for the formation, and each acupoint is used as a node in the formation.

This cultivation method demands an extremely high level of mastery of formations. If one's understanding of formations and pathways is not deep enough, the distribution of spiritual energy in the meridians will be flawed, resulting in ineffective cultivation at best, and damage to the meridians at worst.

However, Li Yuan's array formation cultivation has already reached the third level of minor completion. Combined with his intuitive judgment of the permanent array rhyme entries and his passive perception of array network overview, his understanding of array circuits far surpasses that of his peers.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and focused his energy.

The "Ten Thousand Laws Practice True" and "Array Rhyme Permanent" entries work together simultaneously.

Two days later.

The rudimentary array within the body completed its first full cycle. Spiritual energy flowed freely through all nodes and guiding lines without any obstruction.

【The Heart Sutra of Tide Formation: Introduction】

After completing the initial stage, Li Yuan could clearly feel a subtle change in the way his spiritual energy circulated within his body. The spiritual energy no longer simply flowed through his meridians, but instead carried a cyclical rhythm unique to array formations.

The effect described in the "Formation Breath Symbiosis" entry—the simultaneous growth of array mastery and cultivation technique—takes effect from this moment on.

Each time you practice array formation techniques, your mastery of array formations will increase by one point. Conversely, each improvement in your mastery of array formations will also contribute to your progress in array formation technique cultivation.

The two roads were merged into one.

Li Yuan opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

He has mastered the basics of body refinement and array formation techniques. In addition, he has already achieved proficiency in the Burning Wood Everlasting Spring Technique and the third-tier weapon refining technique. The gains from this period of seclusion have been extremely substantial.

He took out the material list for his natal magic weapon from his personal space and reviewed it again.

We've gathered about 70-80% of the core materials; for the remaining ones, we need to keep an eye on various markets and auctions.

Not urgent.

Crafting a natal magical artifact is a long-term project; both the collection of materials and the refinement of crafting techniques require time.

Li Yuan put the list away and stood up to stretch his limbs.