Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

Chapter 521 Yao Guang Secret Realm

In the days that followed, Li Yuan cultivated near the Misty Forest Market while frequently using his spatial search technique.

Upon arriving at each new location, it would release probe waves into the void at a specific frequency using spiritual energy. It scanned the area beneath the market town, deep within the surrounding mountains, through the wilderness, and along ancient roads—every area it passed through was thoroughly examined.

The detection range of the beginner stage of spatial exploration is limited, roughly covering a few miles around. The accuracy at the beginner level is also not high, only able to detect relatively obvious residual spatial fluctuations.

However, nothing has been found in the past few days.

Pre-existing spatial storage spaces left by our predecessors are extremely rare, mostly concentrated near the ruins of ancient sects or the remnants of great battles; the probability of them appearing in ordinary mountains and fields is negligible. The proficiency in spatial exploration techniques still needs continuous improvement; there is significant room for growth in both detection range and accuracy.

No rush. This spell is a long-term approach; use it slowly.

That evening, Zhou He sent a message via his token.

The Yao Guang Secret Realm is about to open.

Li Yuan had heard the name Yao Guang Secret Realm several times. It was widely known among cultivators in Shuizhou and was considered one of the most valuable cultivation secret realms in the sea. The opening time of the secret realm was not fixed, varying from several decades to hundreds of years apart, depending on the spiritual energy cycle within the secret realm.

Li Yuan handed over his affairs to Ji Wenyuan and Xu Zhang, then transformed into a beam of light and left Wulin Market, flying towards Tianyue Market.

After paying the spirit stones, Li Yuan used the teleportation array, then turned back and arrived at Nanyuanfang.

Li Yuan found Zhou He in the market.

The two took their seats in a side hall of the lord's mansion.

"The news of the opening of the Yao Guang Secret Realm has spread, and the number of Golden Core cultivators coming to Nan Yuan Fang has doubled recently."

Zhou He poured Li Yuan a cup of tea. "Are you here to participate too?"

"Hmm. I don't know much about the specifics of the secret realm."

Zhou He nodded and leaned back in his chair.

"I went there once before, let me share my experience."

"The Yao Guang Secret Realm is not what you imagine. Once inside, there are no demonic beasts, no dangerous areas, and you don't need to fight your way in and out. The entire secret realm is structured as a test: spells, formations, alchemy, weapon crafting, and talismans. Completing the test will earn you rewards."

"What kind of reward?"

"Cultivation techniques and knowledge. The kind that's directly poured into your brain." Zhou He gestured. "When you complete an assessment, the secret realm will give you a corresponding cultivation technique insight based on your performance. It's not a jade slip, not text, but an information stream that's directly transmitted into your divine sense. The better your performance in the assessment, the deeper your insight will be."

"What about physical rewards?"

"Basically none. Unless you have exceptionally outstanding performance, you only have knowledge." Zhou He shook his head.

"There used to be a passage in the secret realm with magical artifacts. Once inside, you could compete for magical artifacts left behind by ancient cultivators, but that passage has long been abandoned. There are too few magical artifacts left, and it's not worth fighting to the death for a few incomplete items. Now, most people who go to the secret realm are there for the assessment rewards."

"Are there any competitive assessments?"

"Yes. Some assessments are completed individually, while others require competing against other cultivators. The higher the ranking in the competition, the better the reward. But don't worry, the competitive assessments won't involve fighting; the rankings are determined solely by the assessment performance."

Zhou He took a sip of tea and added a sentence.

"However, when I went there last time, the structure inside the secret realm was already quite different from earlier records. This time, with a longer opening interval, the changes should be even greater. We'll only know what it's like inside once we go in."

"Aren't you going this time?"

"I'm not going." Zhou He waved his hand. "I gained quite a bit last time, but I won't get much new stuff if I go again in the short term. I can't leave the market area; I'm busy lately."

Li Yuan noted down this information, thanked Zhou He, and left Nanyuanfang.

The light followed the direction of the navigation mark in the sea, and about half a day later, an isolated island appeared on the sea ahead.

Yaoguang Island.

The island is not large, only a few hundred feet from north to south, and even narrower from east to west. But the first impression of the island is not that it is small, but rather that it is exquisite.

The island's outline is extremely regular, almost a perfect circle. It looks as if it has been altered.

The island's surface is flat and smooth, covered with a short, dense layer of lush green grass. There are no tall trees, only a few clumps of spiritual herbs scattered among them. The island's edge is bordered by a ring of white rock revetment, with naturally formed spiritual patterns flowing across the rock's surface.

The entire island is like a man-made work of art, with every part perfectly placed.

Beneath the surface of the sea surrounding the island, undercurrents surged. Li Yuan probed the seawater with his divine sense and discovered an extremely complex array system operating beneath the island. The array's spiritual energy circulation converged from all directions to the center of the island, continuously injecting spiritual energy into the deeper areas.

The supply array that maintains the operation of the secret realm.

At the center of the island was an open space about ten zhang in diameter, with a circular stone platform in the center. The surface of the stone platform was covered with thick spiritual runes, the light of which was extremely faint and had not yet been activated.

The entrance to the secret realm. Several days remain before it opens.

More than ten Golden Core cultivators had already gathered on the island. Some were from the sea, and some from the land. They were scattered throughout the island, some resting with their eyes closed, and others conversing in hushed tones.

Li Yuan found an open space on the east side of the island, sat down, took out talisman paper and spirit ink, and began making talismans every day.

The brush tip touched the talisman paper, and the spiritual ink precisely seeped along the spiritual energy channels. The passive bonuses of the three permanent attributes—skillful brushstrokes, enhanced spiritual ink, and stable ink—operated simultaneously, and the effect of precise ink control made the convergence of each ink line extremely accurate. A second-tier fireball talisman was quickly completed.

The daily talisman-making practice continued, and the permanentization process progressed to the thirtieth day.

The ink lines on the last talisman were finished, and the panel popped up.

[Conditions for permanent Ink Spirit Control (Green) have been met]

[Ink Spirit Precision Control (Green) has become a permanent entry]

A green light merged into his consciousness. The Ink Spirit Brush in the fifth equipment slot shattered and dissipated.

A scene flashed into my mind.

In the empty stone chamber, an ancient cultivator with white hair and beard sat cross-legged on a futon. There were no talismans, no spiritual ink, and no tools in front of him.

Gu Xiu raised his right hand and gently traced a line in the air with his index finger.

Wherever the fingertip passed, an extremely fine spiritual rune appeared out of thin air. The lines of the spiritual rune were smooth and rounded, without the slightest hesitation or deviation, as if the finger itself knew where to go, without needing eye guidance or conscious control.

The ancient cultivator continuously drew more than a dozen spirit runes, his fingertips never stopping. Each spirit rune was extremely precise, with the spacing, angle, and curvature between them perfectly matched.

It's not precision achieved through deliberate control. It's subconscious precision, as natural as breathing.

The image fades, but the feelings remain.

Li Yuan looked down at his empty right hand. Controlling the spiritual ink during talisman making no longer required focused effort; precision had become second nature.

Li Yuan put away the talisman and spirit ink, then stood up and stretched his limbs.

As the light swept across the group of cultivators on the island, it noticed a familiar aura.

On the west side of the island, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a dark blue robe was talking with several other cultivators. The robe was embroidered with the Tianyue Sect's emblem, and his aura was deep and restrained, indicating he was in the late Golden Core stage.

Xuanpu Zhenren. Elder of Tianyue Sect.

When they met in Liangzhou last time, Xuanpu tentatively invited him to join the Tianyue Sect, but Li Yuan declined because he was a rogue cultivator.

Xuanpu also noticed Li Yuan.

After the conversation ended, Hyun Pu walked over here.

"Fellow Daoist Li." Xuanpu cupped his hands in greeting, a smile on his face. "I didn't expect to meet you here."

"The True Man of Mysterious Simplicity".

The two sat down side by side on the rocks by the island.

Xuanpu didn't waste time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"I heard that Fellow Daoist Li recently took on several Tier 3 missions from the Tianyue Sect and completed them quickly and well."

Li Yuan nodded without saying anything more.

"The items in the Tianyue Sect's contribution point catalog are useful to Fellow Daoist Li, which means Fellow Daoist Li has a need for them. The Tianyue Sect is also short of people." Xuanpu looked at Li Yuan, "Fellow Daoist Li did not agree to the last suggestion, so this time I will try a different approach."

"He will still be an honored guest of my Tianyue Sect. However, he/she does not need to be stationed in the sect, participate in sect affairs, or take on combat missions. He/she only needs to do two things: set up formations and refine pills. Tianyue Sect needs formation masters and alchemists, and Fellow Daoist Li can do both. The conditions are that simple."

"The status of a worshipper is a step further than that of a partner, and the corresponding resource support is also greater."

Li Yuan thought about it.

The last time I refused because the conditions weren't suitable and the matters involved were too complicated. This time, all I need to do is set up formations and refine pills, which happens to be what I'm already doing—essentially exchanging my job for compensation. The Tianyue Sect's influence in Liangzhou is growing deeper and deeper; maintaining a closer relationship is more advantageous than keeping our distance.

"Can."

Xuanpu's expression relaxed considerably, and he said, "There's one more thing. Tianyue Sect plans to build two or three more markets in Liangzhou to expand its influence there. Your Wulin Market and Qinghe Market are doing well, and Tianyue Sect hopes to reach a deeper cooperation with your markets. The newly built markets will need material support in the initial stage. Could Fellow Daoist Li allocate some resources?"

"What will the reward be?"

"High-level item".

"Does Fellow Daoist Li have any spells he needs? The Tianyue Sect's library has quite a few third-tier spells; you have the right to choose one."

"A third-tier fire spell." Li Yuan didn't hesitate. Fire was one of the first attributes he encountered, and its permanent affixes, such as the Flaming Sun Technique, offered the widest coverage. Fire spells had diverse uses, whether assisting in controlling the alchemical fire during alchemy or serving as offensive tools in actual combat.

Xuanpu nodded and took out a brocade box from his storage bag.

The brocade box was opened, and inside was a jade slip.

He handed over the jade slip from the brocade box.

"Blazing Sun Flame Technique, a third-tier, low-grade, slightly above-average fire-type spell. It can be used for both offense and support, and is one of the commonly used combat spells within the Tianyue Sect."

Li Yuan accepted the jade slip.

The moment the fingertips touched it, a blue light appeared.

[Equipable item detected: Blazing Sun Flame Technique Manual (Complete)]

[Equipment Attribute Preview: Fire Technique Essence (Blue)]

[Effect: Increases the learning speed of fire spells by 50%; reduces the spiritual energy consumption of casting fire spells by 20%]

[Preview of Permanentization Conditions: Master this Tier 3 Fire Spell]

Blue entry. Increases the learning speed and reduces the cost of fire spells; the effect is practical.

The fifth equipment slot just became available, so it's perfect for loading.

Li Yuan equipped the book. The jade slip disappeared, the complete contents of the spell had been transmitted into his divine sense, and the book entered his equipment slot.

"Regarding the material support, coordinate with Ji Wenyuan when we get back," Li Yuan said to Xuan Pu, subtly omitting the whereabouts of the jade slip.

"Okay," Xuanpu readily agreed.

In the final two days before the secret realm opened, several more Golden Core cultivators appeared on the island. There were quite a few terrestrial Golden Core cultivators, including those from the Tianyue Sect.

Disciples from the three sects of Baijing are present, as well as many other rogue cultivators.

The following evening, someone suggested holding a trade fair.

There are no market rules on Yaoguang Island; transactions between Golden Core cultivators take place directly on the lawn. Everyone spreads out cloths on the ground and displays the items they have.

Li Yuan turned around.

The cultivators on the island mainly carried magical artifacts, elixirs, and spiritual materials. Li Yuan sensed each item within a three-foot radius but found none with inscriptions.

However, one of the stalls belonging to a wandering cultivator from the sea had several high-quality spiritual materials for array cores.

Li Yuan squatted down and took a look.

Three spiritual materials: two Fire Yang Stones and one Gathering Yuan Jade. Their quality ranges from upper-tier second-class to lower-tier third-class, making them suitable as the core of an alchemy formation.

Their own market town still lacked a proper alchemy formation, but the system they had previously set up for Meng Yangzi had already proven its feasibility. These few spiritual materials were perfect for building a similar alchemy formation in their own market town.

Li Yuan exchanged some spiritual materials and pills with the other party, and put the three array core materials into his personal space.

The trade fair lasted until late at night before it ended.

The spiritual patterns on the stone platform in the center of the island were even brighter than during the day, indicating that the opening time of the secret realm was drawing ever closer.