Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes

On the second day of the trade fair, Yunyang Marketplace was even livelier than the day before.

Li Yuan left his guest room early in the morning and headed down the main thoroughfare of the trading area. He had sold all his pills yesterday, so he didn’t need to man a stall today. This freed him up to focus on hunting for treasures.

As he reached the center of the trading area, he noticed a large crowd gathered around the Primordial Yang Sect’s stall.

Yesterday, the stall had been displaying Realm-Breaking Pills and Middle Tier Magical Artifacts, but today they had been replaced with a new batch of items. Several jade boxes sealed by Restrictions were placed in the most prominent position. An Inner Sect Disciple stood beside them, showing them off one by one to the assembled Cultivators.

One of the jade boxes was opened, revealing a short sword that was a deep, dark blue. The Spirit Patterns on its blade were extremely intricate.

"A Tier Two High Grade Water-Chill Sword. Starting price is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones."

Li Yuan glanced at it briefly before looking away. The Primordial Yang Sect’s tactic of releasing high-value items in batches was nothing new. The goal was to keep Cultivators at the trade fair, maintaining the event’s popularity and encouraging spending.

He didn’t linger at the Sect’s stall, instead turning toward an area on the north side of the trading area covered with canvas awnings.

That was the small-scale auction house for this trade fair.

It was called an auction, but it wasn’t very large. It was just a square clearing cordoned off by copper pillars engraved with Array Patterns. A stone platform stood in the center, surrounded by several rows of wooden benches.

Most of the Cultivators participating in the bidding were at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with a few at the peak of Qi Refining squeezed in the back rows to watch the excitement.

Li Yuan found a seat near the edge and sat down.

The first few items were all conventional goods: an incomplete Tier Two Array Map, a Metal Element Magical Artifact of decent quality. Li Yuan didn’t bid, quietly watching as the items were sold off one by one.

When the seventh item was brought to the stone platform, his gaze sharpened slightly.

A palm-sized jade box was opened. It was lined with golden velvet, and in the center rested an Inner Core the size of a pigeon’s egg. The Inner Core was a vibrant green, its surface covered in fine, flowing patterns of Spiritual Light. A gentle, sustained Spiritual Wave slowly emanated from it.

"A Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Beast Inner Core, in perfect condition, with no loss of Spiritual Power." The Primordial Yang Sect disciple hosting the auction held the jade box up for all to see. "Starting price is six hundred Spirit Stones."

The venue fell silent for a moment.

The typical market price for a Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Beast Inner Core was between eight hundred and one thousand Spirit Stones. However, its uses were rather niche. Most Cultivators who acquired one could only resell it to Pill Masters or Artifact Refiners; there were few ways to use it directly. The Foundation Establishment Cultivators present were already short on Spirit Stones, so not many were willing to pay a high price for such an item.

"Six hundred and fifty," a Cultivator in the corner said, raising his hand slightly.

"Seven hundred," Li Yuan said calmly. ’This Inner Core might come in handy someday.’

The other Cultivator glanced back at him, hesitated for a moment, then didn’t continue bidding.

"Seven hundred Spirit Stones. Sold."

Li Yuan walked up, handed the Spirit Stones to the disciple hosting the auction, and took the jade box.

The moment his fingertips touched the surface of the Inner Core, the panel popped up.

[Equippable Item Detected: Tier Two Spirit Beast Inner Core (Complete)]

[Entry Preview: Spirit Beast Essence (Green)]

[Effect: Increases Spiritual Power affinity; increases Spiritual Power recovery speed by 20%.]

[Permanence Condition Preview: Consume three Tier Two cultivation pills.]

A green entry. ’Increases Spiritual Power recovery speed by twenty percent.’

’This effect provides a substantial boost to stamina for both daily cultivation and long Alchemy sessions. When combined with the Spirit Vein’s nourishment, the Spirit Beast Essence, and various other cultivation-accelerating entries, my Spiritual Power recovery efficiency will reach a new level.’

’The condition for permanence is also extremely simple. Consume three Tier Two cultivation pills. I have plenty of Gathering Essence Pills in my storage bag.’

’This Inner Core’s entry is truly a pleasant surprise.’

Li Yuan slipped the Inner Core into his sleeve, left the auction house, and went straight back to his guest room.

He shut the door and windows tightly and applied a sound insulation charm.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled up his equipment slots.

Li Yuan thought for a moment and chose to unequip the Vein Hiding and Breath Concealing entry.

Li Yuan held the vibrant green Spirit Beast Inner Core in his palm.

"Equip."

[Equipped: Tier Two Spirit Beast Inner Core (Complete)]

[Spirit Beast Essence (Green) is now active.]

The moment the entry activated, a gentle stream of Spiritual Power seeped out from the Inner Core, spreading from his palm through his meridians toward his Dantian. The Spiritual Power that had been circulating steadily within his Dantian wavered slightly, then its flow accelerated, as if a river channel had been widened.

Without pausing, Li Yuan retrieved three Tier Two Gathering Essence Pills from his storage bag and consumed them one after another.

As the first pill entered his stomach, its medicinal power exploded, transforming into a surge of pure Spiritual Power that flooded his Dantian.

The second pill followed immediately.

The instant he swallowed the third, a notification popped up on the panel.

[Permanence condition for Spirit Beast Essence (Green) has been met.]

[Consume three Tier Two cultivation pills (Complete)]

[Spirit Beast Essence (Green) has become a permanent entry.]

In his equipment slots, the spectral image of the Inner Core vanished, freeing up the space.

The medicinal power of the three Gathering Essence Pills surged within him. Li Yuan closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, guiding the Spiritual Power to circulate along the pathways of his main Cultivation Technique. The Dantian devoured and absorbed the medicinal power bit by bit, converting it into reserves of pure Spiritual Power.

Half an hour later, the medicinal power was completely digested.

Li Yuan opened his eyes, wiggled his fingers, and sensed the flow of Spiritual Power within his body.

After making the Spirit Beast Essence permanent, his Spiritual Power recovery speed had noticeably improved. Before, he would need a quarter-hour of rest and meditation after two hours of intensive Alchemy. Now, he could reduce that rest time by at least thirty percent.

Li Yuan tidied up the guest room and went out to continue browsing the trade fair.

As evening approached, the crowd in the trading area began to thin. Many stall owners had already packed up and were heading in small groups toward the inns and taverns within the marketplace.

Just as Li Yuan was about to leave the trading area, a figure quickly walked up to him from the side.

"Senior, please wait a moment."

Li Yuan turned to look.

The man appeared to be about forty years old, with a thin face and high cheekbones, dressed in a faded gray Daoist robe. His Cultivation was at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, and his Spiritual Power fluctuations were stable, but his aura carried a weariness and weakness born of long-term hardship.

"I am Sun Tong, from the Sun family of Yunzhou." The man cupped his hands in a salute. His gaze lingered on Li Yuan for a moment before he lowered his voice. "Might I ask if Senior is Pavilion Master Li of Mist Forest Marketplace?"

Li Yuan didn’t deny it.

"What is it?"

Sun Tong glanced around. Seeing no one else nearby, he took half a step closer.

"I have a piece of information regarding a 320-year-old Jade Marrow Mushroom."

A flicker of interest appeared in Li Yuan’s eyes.

A Jade Marrow Mushroom over three hundred years old was the core ingredient required for the Upper Element Pill formula. Such an item was almost impossible to find on the open market. Even after searching every stall at the trade fair, he had found no leads.

"Speak."

Sun Tong took a deep breath and lowered his voice even further.

"I am a member of the Sun family from Yunzhou. The Sun family’s original residence was in southwest Yunzhou, but it was breached by the Dark Abyss Association three months ago. Our evacuation was too hasty, and we didn’t have time to clear out one of the clan’s secret chambers. Many things were sealed in that chamber, including a 320-year-old Jade Marrow Mushroom."

"The chamber is sealed with the Sun family’s unique Restriction Lock. Outsiders can’t get in, and even the Demon Cultivators are unlikely to find it."

"I can provide the secret chamber’s exact location and the method to open the Restriction."

Li Yuan looked at him.

"Your conditions?"

"Two." Sun Tong held up two fingers. "First, five hundred Spirit Stones. Second, residency in Mist Forest Marketplace. Arrange a place for me to live."

’Five hundred Spirit Stones plus a residence in exchange for the location of a 320-year-old Jade Marrow Mushroom.’

’The math on this is easy.’

"Where is the secret chamber located?"

"In Broken Valley, southwest of Yunzhou. It’s about eighty li from the edge of the Dark Abyss Association’s current territory." Sun Tong took a bamboo slip carved with a map from his sleeve and handed it over. "The location, route, and Restriction structure are all on here."

"There might be Demon Cultivators stationed there, but the probability of the secret chamber having been discovered is very low."

Li Yuan nodded, took the bamboo slip, and scanned it with his Divine Sense. The route was marked in detail, and the features of the secret chamber’s entrance and the Restriction’s structure were clearly drawn.

Li Yuan put the bamboo slip into his storage bag, then took out five hundred Spirit Stones and handed them to Sun Tong. "As for the residency, I’ll arrange it after I return to Mist Forest Marketplace."

Sun Tong accepted the Spirit Stones, his tense shoulders visibly relaxing. He gave a deep bow.

"Thank you, Pavilion Master Li."

Li Yuan nodded and turned to leave.

The next morning, Li Yuan left Yunyang Marketplace and traveled along the trade route back to Mist Forest Marketplace.

As soon as he entered his stone house, he sealed the door and windows and activated the Array.

He took the rough jade slip recording the Mystic Iron Bone Forging Skill from his storage bag and went over the Cultivation Technique’s complete circulation path in his mind once more.

He had already studied it preliminarily last night in the guest room. The core concept of the Cultivation Technique was clear. After being drawn from the Dantian, the Spiritual Power didn’t follow the peripheral meridians in the muscle layer, nor did it flow across the surface of the skin. Instead, it permeated outward along the few thickest marrow channels in the center of the bones.

From marrow to bone, from bone to periosteum. It was a tempering process that worked from the inside out, layer by layer.

This path was completely separate from that of the Nameless Body Refining Technique and the Iron Wall Body Refining Skill. The three techniques each used their own channels; even their Spiritual Power operating frequencies were in different ranges.

Li Yuan closed his eyes and guided his Spiritual Power to sink into his Dantian.

A wisp of Spiritual Power was drawn out. Instead of following the usual meridians, it delved down into the center of his right femur. The marrow channel was extremely narrow, and the Spiritual Power encountered significant resistance as it squeezed through, like forcing its way through a pipe filled with a viscous liquid.

The effects of his medicine-tempered physique now became apparent.

When the Spiritual Power came into contact with his bone marrow, the rejection reaction that should have occurred was greatly suppressed. The physical foundation built up from long-term consumption of Body Refining pills acted like a lubricant, making the Spiritual Power’s penetration much smoother. Combined with the profound Body Refining foundation laid by his mastery of the Nameless Body Refining Technique and proficiency in the Iron Wall Body Refining Skill, his bones could withstand the scouring of Spiritual Power far better than an ordinary person’s.

The Spiritual Power seeped deeper into the bone, bit by bit.

When the Spiritual Power completed its fifth complete cycle within his right femur, the resistance in the marrow channel suddenly dropped. The Spiritual Power no longer had to force its way forward; instead, it flowed smoothly along the newly cleared path.

The panel appeared at the edge of his vision.

[Mystic Iron Bone Forging Skill: Entry (0/200)]

Li Yuan opened his eyes and moved his right leg. A warm sensation emanated from deep within the bone, the residual heat left by the permeating Spiritual Power.

’A third Tier Two Body Refining Technique, learned.’

’Now I just need to keep practicing to raise its proficiency. Then the permanence condition for ’Condensed Bone-Frame’ will be met.’

He ceased his cultivation, rose to his feet, and left the stone house. He found the steward and told him to arrange a residence for Sun Tong.

The sound of hammering, DING DING DONG DONG, came from the southern district of the marketplace. Ji Huaiyuan’s Artifact Refining shop was already open for business. Li Yuan didn’t head over, going to the administration office first instead.

When Chen Yi saw him enter, he casually pushed a jade slip toward him.

"The Ji family has been making quite a stir these past two days while you were away."

Li Yuan picked up the jade slip and scanned it.

News of the Ji family settling in the southern district had already spread throughout the marketplace. After the eighty-plus clan members had settled in, Ji Mingyuan quickly took over the daily management of the southern district, handling everything from street order to business registration with great efficiency.

What was even more eye-catching was that less than a day after Ji Huaiyuan’s Artifact Refining shop opened, several groups of Cultivators had already come calling.

Among them were people from the Wang family.

"Wang Ting’an sent a steward over, saying he wanted to discuss a partnership with the Ji family regarding ore materials," Chen Yi said, leaning back in his chair. "It’s not clear what they discussed specifically, but the Wang family’s intentions are obvious. They want to use the ore business as a pretext to pull the Ji family onto their side."

Li Yuan put the jade slip down.

’The Wang family wants to win over the Ji family, undoubtedly because they’ve taken a fancy to Ji Huaiyuan’s Artifact Refining skills and the Ji family’s remaining network in Yunzhou. The ore partnership is just an opening; their real goal is to gain another Foundation Establishment Cultivator on their side within the marketplace.’

"Don’t worry about it," Li Yuan said, then turned and left the administration office.