Cultivation: I can solidify equipment attributes

Li Yuan returned to his residence, went to the table, and spread out the talisman paper.

He took out the instructions for making the warning talisman he had bought and compared them with his experience from the talisman crafting manual.

The spiritual pattern structure of the warning talisman is slightly more complex than that of the talisman for warding off evil.

At its core is a perception-type spiritual pattern loop—after spiritual power is injected, the warning talisman is activated, forming a sensing area that lasts for a period of time. When the fluctuations of external spiritual energy exceed a certain threshold, the area is disturbed, and the talisman will emit a faint spiritual light as a warning.

The difficulty lies in the precision of sensing the spirit runes. Every arc of the spirit rune loop must be uniform and of consistent thickness. Even a slight deviation will lead to uneven sensing sensitivity—either too sensitive, triggering the sensation with a gust of wind, or too insensitive, failing to register during combat outside.

Li Yuan picked up his brush, dipped it in cinnabar, and applied it to the first talisman paper.

Although it was more difficult than making talismans to ward off evil, Li Yuan had much more experience in making talismans than before, and he successfully made a warning talisman on the seventh one.

A panel pops up:

[Equipable item detected: Warning Charm (Complete)]

[Entry Preview: Danger Perception (Gray) - Slightly amplifies the perception of danger, enabling earlier alertness when danger approaches]

[Preview of conditions for permanentization: Spend a total of three hours in a dangerous environment (0/3) / Avoid a dangerous attack in a battle (0/1), completing either one will grant the desired result]

[Current equipment slot is full (3/3). Replace current equipment?]

Li Yuan's finger paused for a moment at the edge of the talisman.

Sure enough, the talisman I made could be detected by the panel, could be equipped, and had affixes.

Grayed-out warnings have a limited effect—they only slightly amplify the perception of danger. However, during perimeter patrols and operations deep into the mountains, even an extra half-breath of warning time can be the difference between survival and death.

There are two options for permanentization; you only need to complete either one: remain in a dangerous environment for three hours, or evade a dangerous attack in advance during combat.

The first condition is not too demanding. Outer patrols are often in dangerous environments, so accumulating three hours is only a matter of time.

The second condition is more direct, but it depends on the specific circumstances in actual combat.

Don't rush to equip it. Keep your equipment inventory full and equip it only when you need it.

Li Yuan put away the warning talisman and then picked up the talisman paper to make a second one.

As Li Yuan finished writing another warning sign, his fingertips went slightly numb.

My fingers are perfectly normal, but the way I hold the pen has changed.

Before each stroke, I would first think through the direction of the spirit pattern and the amount of spirit power output in my mind, and only then would I take action.

There's a thin layer between thinking and doing.

Now that this layer is gone, it seems to have become instinctive, just like using chopsticks to pick up things; you don't need to think about how to use chopsticks.

Moreover, the control of spiritual energy has also improved, and the loss of spiritual energy in the short distance from the fingertip to the pen tip is less.

[First-Tier Rune Crafting: Beginner (3/100)]

[Warning symbol: Not yet a beginner (18/100)]

[Progress of Crafting Enlightenment (White) Permanentization: 19/50]

I've learned the basics of talisman making.

Li Yuan sorted the finished products and discarded talismans and tidied up the table.

After resting for a while, Li Yuan left his residence and walked along East Street toward the stall area.

When Li Yuan reached the stall that sold warning talismans and instructions on how to make them, he stopped again.

The warning signs were still on the stall.

Li Yuan reached out and placed his fingers on the top warning sign.

A prompt appeared on the panel.

[Equipable item detected: Warning Charm (Complete)]

[Item Affix Level: Gray]

[Note: Items not belonging to the user cannot be equipped, and detailed information cannot be viewed.]

Li Yuan paused for a moment.

There was no reaction when I touched it before, but now there is.

There was only one change: Li Yuan made several warning signs himself.

Before sex, touching someone else's genitals elicits no reaction, but after sex, touching someone else's genitals elicits a reaction.

Li Yuan pondered for a few seconds and made a guess in his mind.

Li Yuan withdrew his hand from the warning sign, did not buy it, and turned to continue walking forward.

On the way, Li Yuan touched the cleaning talismans and warding-off talismans on the roadside stalls, and they all reacted.

Touching the Changqing rice and Baiyu rice, most of the system panels reacted, but a few did not.

If Changqing rice and Baiyu rice can trigger the system panel, then all similar spirit grains in a stall will trigger it; otherwise, none of them will trigger it.

I asked the independent cultivators, and some said they planted it themselves, while others said they bought it. Whether it can be triggered or not doesn't depend on whether it was planted or bought; there's no particular pattern.

"Is it because I crafted and equipped items myself, thus deepening my connection with them and making the system panel easier to trigger?"

Li Yuan walked along, making guesses as he went.

Is it possible that triggering the system panel previously required some threshold or condition that I was unaware of? Even for the same type of item, each individual item seems to be different, but after I learned how to craft or equip it, it seems that I can meet the threshold or condition.

But Li Yuan has no evidence right now and can only guess.

As I turned into West Street toward my post, a figure in a patrol uniform walked toward me.

Zhao Hu.

When Zhao Hu saw Li Yuan, he jogged over and cupped his hands, saying, "Vice Captain, Captain Wang wants you to go to the base."

Li Yuan nodded and quickened his pace toward the camp.

The door to the main room was open, and Li Yuan knocked on it.

"Come in."

When Li Yuan entered, Wang De's tone was brief.

"The formation master has arrived."

"The Wang family invited him; he's currently with them. They need you to go up the mountain in a couple of days to show them the way."

"lead the way?"

"The array formation traces you discovered last time in the north of the valley and on your return journey need to be examined in person by the array master. You and He Shou have personally seen the locations of those traces, so go up and point the way to him."

Wang De picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"There's highly unlikely to be any danger. The Wang family will send people with them, and the array masters themselves are quite skilled. Once you get there, just point out the location; you don't need to worry about anything else."

Li Yuan responded.

"I don't know the exact time, but I will let you know in advance."

Wang De waved his hand.

Li Yuan left the main house and walked along West Street toward his residence.

When we reached the intersection of East Street and North Alley, we saw several independent monks squatting by the wall chatting. Their voices were not loud, but they could be heard clearly at the quiet alley entrance.

"...Lijiafang Market is expanding again; a large new area of ​​land has been allocated to the east."

"Expansion? How many times has this happened?" A rogue cultivator nearby scoffed.

"They have the confidence to do this. Look around Lijiafang Market, there are almost no monsters there. But here, it's always getting into trouble."

"That's true. A friend of mine went there last month and said it was indeed peaceful there. The area around the market was clean and tidy, and you could hardly find even a low-grade first-order demon beast."

"That's strange. We're also near the Yuanheng Mountains, so why don't they have any monsters there?"

"Who knows? Maybe the Li family has some kind of method to ward off beasts."

Li Yuan slowed his pace, recalling what Chen Qi had said earlier: two markets vying for a mineral vein. One market had hired a group of rogue beast tamers to drive away monsters around the other market, forcing them all to move towards their side. The other market was thrown into chaos; the rogue cultivators fled, and the mineral vein was lost.

Li Yuan entered the residence, bolted the door, sat down on the bed, and began to organize the information he already knew:

Zhao Wu was scouting the defenses of the market, carrying a jade pendant with a blue inscription.

The Raven Claw Gang's thieves carried a jade pendant that concealed their aura.

In the market, someone was preparing a medicine to astringe breath.

The guard team encountered different types of monsters in the same location for three consecutive days while patrolling the north.

The migration path carved out by different kinds of monsters on the hillside.

Half a pill in the stomach of a demon beast.

The Lijiafang market has expanded, and the surrounding area is now clean and tidy.

The number of monsters in Qinghe Market is increasing, and independent cultivators and shops are constantly leaving the area.

Each of these things has its own interpretation if viewed separately. But when viewed together, the meaning changes.

This is all information I already know. The Wang family certainly knows more than I do. I don't need to worry about the safety of the market, nor is it my place to worry about it.

But you should be careful about your own safety, lest the Wang family sell you out one day.

Li Yuan sat down cross-legged and began his cultivation.

Dusk fell outside the window, and only the even breathing could be heard inside the wooden house.