Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes

Chapter 255: Chapter 247: Disturbance in the Depths

The Protector Token lit up early one morning.

Li Yuan opened his eyes, emerging from his cultivation. He infused the token with Spiritual Power to receive the message.

Chen Yi’s voice sounded urgent.

"There’s trouble in the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest. Several Sect disciples and Loose Cultivators active deep within have reported an anomalous Spiritual Wave in the forest’s deepest reaches, accompanied by dense, residual Demonic Qi. The wave is located in the western part of the deepest region, at least two thousand zhang from the Mist Forest Marketplace—an area hardly anyone ever visits."

"The Sect’s initial assessment is that this is related to the Dark Abyss Association. The Demon Cultivators may be engaged in some large-scale activity deep within the forest, possibly excavating or unsealing some ruins."

"The Sect is gathering forces for an in-depth investigation and is calling on Foundation Establishment Cultivators to join the mission. As the Pavilion Master stationed in the Ghost Mist Forest region, you are the most familiar with the terrain deep inside. The Sect wants you to participate in this operation."

Chen Yi paused.

"There will be a reward of Contribution Points upon completing the mission. Any resources discovered along the way will also be distributed based on contribution."

Li Yuan put the token away.

’The Dark Abyss Association is active in the deepest part of the Ghost Mist Forest, which matches the intelligence the elder had passed on. A former Demon Sect’s treasury, the legacy of a Nascent Soul-Level Sect... if it’s really hidden in the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest, then it would make perfect sense for the Dark Abyss Association to be digging here.’

’Moreover, of the three people in my marketplace with Demonic Qi, one was asking about the Evil Ore area. The Evil Ore is in the south of the Ghost Mist Forest’s depths, while the ruins are to the west. They’re in different directions, but not too far apart.’

’Even if I don’t go, the marketplace might become a target for Demon Cultivators.’

Li Yuan took out a Guiding Talisman from his storage bag.

’He had drawn this one a few days ago using a newly purchased crafting method; its quality was quite good.’

Using the Guiding Talisman was simple. Once activated with Spiritual Power, the Talisman would sense the most opportune direction for its user to travel.

If the target was extremely close, the Spirit Patterns would spin rapidly, making it difficult to discern a specific direction.

Li Yuan infused Spiritual Power into it.

The Spirit Patterns on the Guiding Talisman’s surface lit up with a faint golden glow. The sensing core at the center of its ring-like structure rotated slightly, finally pointing in one direction.

West-southwest.

’The direction of the Ghost Mist Forest’s deepest region.’

’It roughly matched the location of the anomalous wave Chen Yi mentioned.’

After a few breaths, the Guiding Talisman’s glow faded. The Spirit Patterns dissipated, and the paper talisman turned to ash.

The Guiding Talisman was only a reference, but it was enough for Li Yuan to make his decision.

「Two days later」, the team assembled at the Mist Forest Marketplace.

Chen Yi brought seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Including himself and Li Yuan, the team totaled nine people. There were a few familiar faces among them: Li Ze’an was there, as was the female cultivator with the surname Zhao. The others were official disciples of the Primordial Yang Sect, all at the Early-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Before they departed, Chen Yi briefly outlined the mission plan.

"Our objective is to determine the source of the anomalous wave and confirm whether it is a stronghold of the Dark Abyss Association or the entrance to the ruins. If we encounter Demon Cultivators, we will assess the situation before deciding whether to engage. Retreat if we are outnumbered or outmatched. Do not force a confrontation."

"We will follow the main path south through the Ghost Mist Forest. Once we reach the deep forest, we’ll turn southwest. Li Dao You is the most familiar with the terrain, so he will lead the way."

Li Yuan nodded.

The team set out.

The nine Foundation Establishment Cultivators advanced deep into the Ghost Mist Forest along its main path. The deeper they went, the thicker the fog grew, and the higher the concentration of Evil Qi became. Most of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators had to circulate their Spiritual Power to resist the encroaching Evil Qi. Only Li Yuan, having unified with Evil Essence, remained unaffected; in fact, he was actively absorbing the surrounding Evil Qi.

After traveling for about half a day, the terrain began to change.

The withered trees became taller and more dense, their trunks as thick as water buckets, their intertwined branches blocking out the sky overhead. The ground changed from gravel to black soil, soft and spongy underfoot, and exuding a rotten stench.

The dense fog’s color shifted from grayish-white to dark purple, and visibility dropped to less than five zhang.

Li Yuan walked at the head of the group. His sharp Spiritual Sense passively covered a fifty-zhang radius, the perception from his Evil Vein reached into the ground below, and his Divine Sense probed a hundred zhang ahead.

They ventured deeper for about another four hours.

Li Yuan stopped in his tracks.

The concentration of Evil Qi ahead suddenly dropped.

’The Evil Qi in the depths of the Ghost Mist Forest should grow more concentrated the deeper you go, but it’s become thinner in the area ahead. It’s as if something there is absorbing or dispelling it in massive amounts.’

At the same time, a peculiar Spiritual Wave emanated from ahead.

’It wasn’t Spiritual Qi, nor was it Evil Qi.’

’It was a hybrid wave, a mixture of Spiritual Power and Demonic Qi. Its frequency was unstable, as if a large-scale Array was malfunctioning.’

"There’s something up ahead," Li Yuan said in a low voice.

The team slowed its pace, suppressing their auras as they advanced.

After another three hundred zhang, the dense fog ahead abruptly parted.

A clearing appeared before them.

The clearing was about a hundred zhang square. The surrounding withered trees had been cut down at the root, and the stumps bore the marks of being cut by Spiritual Power. The ground had been turned over, the black earth mixed with rubble and ore slag.

In the center of the clearing was an enormous pit, and Li Yuan sensed Demonic Qi within it.

The pit was about ten zhang in diameter with even edges, clearly not a natural formation. The pit walls bore obvious signs of excavation, with neat, uniform tool marks.

A section of a grayish-white stone structure was exposed at the bottom of the pit.

It was a building.

A corner of an underground structure had been unearthed. Its grayish-white stone walls were densely carved with Spirit Patterns. The style of the Spirit Patterns was archaic and profound, clearly different from the Spirit Pattern systems used by modern cultivators.

There was a half-open stone door in the wall, with traces of dark purple Demonic Qi lingering on its surface.

’The entrance to the ruins.’

Chen Yi walked to the edge of the pit and sent his Divine Sense probing downward.

"There are residual fluctuations from an Array and Restrictions behind the stone door."

He frowned.

"Some of them have already been triggered or destroyed. Someone went in before us."

He crouched down and touched the residual traces of Demonic Qi on the stone wall.

"Demonic Qi. The concentration isn’t low. It’s been here for about ten to fifteen days."

’The Dark Abyss Association already went inside.’

Chen Yi stood up and looked at the others in the team.

"The Arrays and Restrictions on the periphery of the ruins have been mostly destroyed. We don’t know if the remaining parts are dangerous."

He pondered for a moment.

"First, we’ll examine the remaining Arrays on the periphery. We’ll enter only after confirming it’s safe."

The nine Foundation Establishment Cultivators spread out around the pit, each probing the condition of the peripheral Arrays and Restrictions.

Li Yuan stood beside the stone door, his Divine Sense probing through the doorway.

Behind the stone door was a stone passageway that sloped downward. It was about two zhang wide and a zhang and a half high. The walls were covered in Spirit Patterns, most of which had faded and gone inert; only a few places still emanated a faint glow.

A dense Demonic Qi lingered in the passageway, matching the traces on the stone door.

Footprints dotted the ground. Not just from one person, but at least three or four, all heading deeper into the passageway.

His Demon Essence Incarnation’s passive senses detected fluctuations of Demonic Qi in the passageway. The concentration was dozens of times greater than the residue found on the three individuals back at the marketplace.

’The Dark Abyss Association definitely went in, and in no small number.’

Chen Yi came over and glanced inside the passageway.

"Prepare to enter."

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