Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes

Chapter 250: Chapter 242: Demonic Qi Screening

In the morning, just as he finished his cultivation, the Protector Token on Li Yuan’s person lit up.

The Spiritual Waves were rapid—the frequency for an urgent communication.

Li Yuan channeled Spiritual Power into it, and Chen Yi’s voice emanated from the Token.

"An emergency summons from the Primordial Yang Sect. All Foundation Establishment Cultivators operating within the Sect’s sphere of influence are to gather at Yunyang Marketplace within three days."

His tone was far more serious than usual.

Li Yuan put the Token away and continued his cultivation.

「Three days later, inside a courtyard in Yunyang Marketplace.」

The courtyard was large enough to hold dozens of people. Illumination Spirit Stones were embedded in the walls, bathing the entire space in bright light.

When Li Yuan arrived, more than ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already seated in the courtyard. There were familiar faces, but also many new ones. Li Ze’an was sitting in a corner and nodded at Li Yuan. The Zhao-surnamed female cultivator stood leaning against a wall, her expression as cold as ever.

A few more people trickled in, bringing the final count of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to over twenty.

A man stood on a stone platform at the front of the courtyard.

He had a middle-aged face and wore a grayish-white robe, his aura deep and restrained. His cultivation at the Peak of Foundation Establishment was impossible to conceal, and the very air in the courtyard felt a few degrees heavier.

An elder of the Primordial Yang Sect.

Li Yuan had never seen this elder before, but with Chen Yi standing respectfully to the side of the platform, it was clear the man held a high position within the Sect.

The elder swept his gaze over those present, dispensing with any pleasantries.

"Everyone is here."

He produced a wooden box from his sleeve and opened the lid. Inside, dozens of palm-sized tokens were neatly arranged. They were made of a dark silver material, their surfaces carved with dense Spirit Patterns.

"Each of you will take one."

Chen Yi brought the wooden box down, and the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present took a token one by one.

When Li Yuan took his Token, his fingers brushed its surface. A faint Spiritual Wave emanated from the Spirit Patterns, seeping into his body through his palm. It swept across the layer of spiritual power around his body before dissipating.

’It’s some kind of detection method.’

The elder’s voice came from the front.

"The method for using these Tokens is simple. Channel Spiritual Power into them, and the Spirit Patterns on the Token will resonate with the spiritual power on the surface of your body. If there is any residual Demonic Qi in your body, the resonant frequency will shift, and the Token will change color and emit a warning sound."

He paused for a moment.

"Now, everyone, activate your Tokens at once."

A series of faint hums filled the courtyard as Spiritual Power was channeled.

Over twenty Tokens simultaneously lit up with a faint silver glow. The Spiritual Waves from the Spirit Patterns spread out, resonating with the layer of spiritual power on each cultivator’s body.

Li Yuan channeled his Spiritual Power into the Token.

A silver luster flowed across the Token’s surface. The resonance between the Spirit Patterns and the spiritual power on his body was stable and smooth.

There was no change in color, no warning sound.

At this moment, the effect of his Demon Essence Incarnation trait activated.

The Demonic Qi had been completely absorbed, leaving no trace, and all signs of his demonic technique cultivation were thoroughly concealed.

His aura concealment was also effective against Demonic Qi. When the Token’s Spirit Patterns swept over the layer of spiritual power on his body, all they detected was pure, orthodox Spiritual Power, without the slightest fluctuation of Demonic Qi.

Li Yuan placed the Token on his lap, his expression calm.

Most of the Tokens in the courtyard maintained a stable silver glow, showing no abnormalities.

But the color of one Token had changed.

A trace of dark gray had mixed into its faint silver glow. The Spirit Patterns on its surface flickered a few times, and it emitted an extremely soft BUZZ.

Everyone’s gaze simultaneously snapped in that direction.

A male cultivator in his thirties had a drastic change in expression, the Token in his hand trembling slightly.

The elder’s gaze fell upon him.

"Explain."

The man did not panic. He took a deep breath and cupped his hands in a salute.

"Three months ago, while exploring the depths of the Withered River Shoals, I accidentally entered the ruins of a Demon Cultivator’s abode. There was residual Demonic Qi within the ruins, and I spent the better part of a day inside before finding an exit. I was tainted with a trace amount of Demonic Qi after I came out and haven’t been able to completely cleanse it since."

He took two items from his storage pouch and placed them before him.

One was a damaged jade slip with faint, dark purple Spirit Patterns remaining on its surface. The other was a fist-sized black stone with corrosive marks on its face, a clear sign of erosion by Demonic Qi.

"These are items I brought back from the ruins, which can prove I was indeed inside a Demon Cultivator’s ruin."

The elder stepped down from the stone platform, picked up the jade slip and the black stone, and probed them with his Divine Sense.

A moment later, the elder set the items down.

"The residual characteristics of the ruin match the traces of Demonic Qi on him."

He looked at the man.

"You are cleared for now, but you will be placed on an observation list. If the Demonic Qi has not dissipated on its own within three months, come to the Sect for a more thorough examination."

The man nodded in a hurry.

After the screening concluded, the elder returned to the stone platform and addressed everyone.

"The screening was just the first step. Now, let’s get to the real matter at hand."

The courtyard fell silent.

"Some of you here already know a little about the Dark Abyss Association." The elder’s tone grew heavy. "But the Sect has recently uncovered new intelligence."

"It has been all but confirmed that a greater Demon Cultivator power is backing the Dark Abyss Association."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"The Sect suspects it’s the same Demon Sect that is currently clashing with the Qi Shui Sect in the neighboring region."

A ripple of low murmurs went through the courtyard.

Li Yuan remained silent, committing this information to memory.

The elder raised a hand, and the murmuring stopped.

"The Sect has also largely figured out their purpose for backing the Dark Abyss Association."

"They are looking for something. The treasury left behind by the previous Demon Sect."

’The previous Demon Sect.’

The elder continued.

"The previous Demon Sect was annihilated over a hundred years ago. Its headquarters was breached by a joint force of righteous sects, and its remaining disciples scattered and fled. However, the Demon Sect’s core treasury was never found. The sects that participated in the encirclement back then scoured the Demon Sect’s former grounds but never discovered the entrance to the treasury."

Just then, a short-bearded cultivator suddenly spoke up.

"Is the legacy of the previous Demon Sect really worth all this trouble?"

The elder shook his head, his tone becoming even more grave.

"It’s not necessarily limited to demonic items."

"Before the Demon Sect was destroyed, a Nascent Soul Level Sect was suddenly annihilated for unknown reasons. It’s highly probable that a portion of that Nascent Soul Sect’s legacy was also absorbed into the Demon Sect’s treasury."

The legacy of a Nascent Soul Level Sect.

The discussions in the courtyard grew even louder. For the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present, even a tiny fraction of a Nascent Soul Level Sect’s legacy represented a world-changing opportunity.

The elder raised his hand again.

"The Sect will handle this matter in a unified manner. Do not act on your own."

"Next, let’s talk about the Tokens."

He pointed to the dark silver Tokens in their hands.

"You will keep these Tokens. You can use them in your daily affairs to test any suspicious individuals you encounter. But there is one thing you must note."

His tone grew more severe.

"If you discover a suspicious individual, report it to the Sect immediately through your Protector Token. Do not act on your own authority."

When the elder finished speaking, he scanned the faces of those present.

"Have you all understood?"

Everyone answered in the affirmative.

The meeting concluded, and the Foundation Establishment Cultivators began to leave the courtyard.

After leaving the courtyard, Li Yuan didn’t immediately return to Mist Forest Marketplace. He first made a trip to a Cultivation Technique shop in Yunyang Marketplace.

His target this time was a Body Refining Technique.

He had already perfected the Iron Wall Body Refining Skill and the Iron Bull Skill. He had reached the upper limit of both Body Refining Techniques, but there was still room for his body to be strengthened. The Evil Qi Body Tempering effect from his Evil Essence Unification was continuously active, and the transformation of his physical body from the Demon Beast Flesh of his Flame Marrow Physique was also a long-term accumulation. His physical foundation was far more robust than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

But he lacked a new Body Refining Technique to build upon these accumulations.

There weren’t many Body Refining Techniques in the shop. After browsing for a bit, he chose one called the Golden Iron Body Refining Skill.

The Golden Iron Body Refining Skill focused on tempering the bones and skin. Cultivating it would greatly increase bone hardness and skin toughness, complementing the enhancement of muscle density from the Iron Wall Body Refining Skill.

Two hundred Spirit Stones. Purchased.

After returning to Mist Forest Marketplace, Li Yuan sat cross-legged in his stone house, took out the jade slip for the Golden Iron Body Refining Skill, and infused his Divine Sense into it to study the technique.

The cultivation method was similar to the Iron Wall Body Refining Skill’s, both involving flushing the body with Spiritual Power and Qi Blood, but their focus was different. The Iron Wall Body Refining Skill focused on the repeated tempering of muscle fibers, while the Golden Iron Body Refining Skill centered on infusing and permeating the micropores of the bones and the layers of the skin.

Li Yuan followed the technique’s guidance, directing his Spiritual Power and Qi Blood into his bones.

He grasped the basics extremely quickly.

The moment his Spiritual Power seeped into the micropores of his bones, it encountered almost no resistance.

His bones had long been permeated by the Evil Qi Body Tempering effect of his Evil Essence Unification. The channels within the micropores had been cleared out long ago, so when the Spiritual Power entered, it was like water flowing into a pre-dug canal—completely unobstructed.

It was the same situation with his skin. The Body Tempering from the Evil Qi was indiscriminate, permeating and strengthening his muscles, bones, skin, and organs alike. All the Golden Iron Body Refining Skill needed to do was integrate these existing enhancements into its framework, rather than transforming his body from scratch.

It was exactly the same as with the Soul Condensation Skill.

’My foundation is too solid. The technique is just organizing what I’ve already accumulated.’

From Initiate to Adept, one day. From Adept to Master, three days.

[Technique: Golden Iron Body Refining Skill — Master (0/800)]

His cultivation speed far exceeded his expectations.

The effect of his Bone Marrow Tempering trait was also at work, increasing the effectiveness of medicines on Body Refining Techniques by thirty percent. Li Yuan took a Nourishing Essence Pill daily to aid his cultivation, and the pill’s effects were amplified by nearly thirty percent, further accelerating his progress in the Golden Iron Body Refining Skill.

In addition, with the synchronous circulation of Spiritual Power and Qi Blood from his Spirit-Blood Dual Cultivation, the increased Qi Blood capacity and recovery from Vigorous Qi Blood, and the boost to his physical defense from Golden Armor Body Protection—with all these traits stacked together, his cultivation efficiency for the Golden Iron Body Refining Skill was absurdly high.

Li Yuan settled into a steady cultivation rhythm and continued to advance.

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