Cultivation: I Can Solidify Equipment Attributes

Chapter 291: Chapter 281: Core Formation Guidance Jade Slip

The work at the outpost wasn’t even finished when a new exploration of the deeper levels began.

The last sweep had cleared away a batch of residual Restrictions embedded in the corridors and side walls. With more navigable space on the outskirts of the Core Formation District, it was only natural that the Primordial Yang Sect would press on.

This was especially true after the two volumes of Core Formation notes had been submitted. The records inside stated that the Core Formation Platform required an Array for activation, a detail that quickly drew everyone’s attention further into the core area.

This time, Li Yuan was still on the list.

When he re-entered the deep levels, there were even more guards on the perimeter than a few days ago. New, temporary Array Patterns had been added to both sides of the vein-protecting corridor that led to the Core Formation District. This was clearly to prevent the frequent foot traffic from disrupting the old structure they had just stabilized.

Li Yuan made his way deeper. Once he reached the area they had explored on the last few trips, he habitually scanned the surrounding flow of Spiritual Power.

Several new stabilizing patterns laid beneath the ground had taken hold, and the old, fluctuating residual waves near the outer ring had been suppressed considerably. But deeper in, the ring of Restrictions around the core of the Core Formation Platform still blocked the way, yet to be breached.

Today’s first task wasn’t to tackle the main gate. Instead, they would be clearing several small stone chambers near the core’s periphery that had not been completely swept before.

The stone chambers were scattered and small. Some were half-buried in the rock walls, while others clung to the edge of the outer ring. They seemed to have been used by the old Sect’s Cultivators for storing everyday objects or records. Due to previous time and manpower constraints, most had only been given a cursory sweep to confirm there was no obvious danger before being set aside. Now, it was finally time for a thorough cleaning.

Once the stone chambers were cleared, the exploration of the core officially pushed forward.

The real obstacle was the complete ring of Restrictions surrounding the Core Formation Platform.

The group had already determined that the core of the Core Formation Platform was not just an open space, but was encased in a remarkably complete, ancient Restriction.

The Restriction itself hadn’t completely decayed. In fact, it had retained a considerable portion of its original structure.

The problem was, this Restriction clearly wasn’t designed to be casually dismantled.

A Primordial Yang Sect Array Cultivator in charge of inspections went forward for a look, then retreated and spoke quickly.

"The Restriction has specialized access nodes. We’ll probably need a Token."

Another person nearby asked, "Can we just force it open without a Token?"

The Array Cultivator shook his head.

"We could force it, but we can’t risk damaging the Restriction’s main body. It’s connected to the Core Formation Platform itself. If we’re too heavy-handed, we might break through the outer layer, but we could destroy the structure inside as well."

At these words, the expressions of the people nearby turned grim.

If this were just an ordinary treasury Restriction, breaking it would be fine.

But this protected the Core Formation Platform, and the notes on Core Formation had already made it clear that the platform required an Array for activation. If they damaged its main body, the platform would be useless even if they managed to get inside.

Thus, the Primordial Yang Sect could only resort to the most laborious yet safest method:

Dismantling it piece by piece, following the Restriction’s inherent structure.

Li Yuan was also called over.

As he stood before the Restriction, he focused both his Array Mechanism Link-Sense and the insight gained from his elementary Tier Two Array Dao upon it. As expected, this Restriction was no single-layered shell; it was three distinct structures, all interlocked.

’No wonder the others were hesitant to act recklessly.’

It wasn’t that this thing couldn’t be brute-forced; it was that it had to be dismantled section by section, stripped away layer by layer. The slightest deviation wouldn’t mean failure to open it, but failure that destroyed everything inside along with it.

The number of layers and their nested relationships in this Restriction were more complex than anything he had encountered before. The value of his Array Mechanism Link-Sense was obvious here. Li Yuan could see more than just which pattern lit up; he could perceive which layers were interlocked with others. For example, a spot on the outermost layer that seemed to be an ordinary spirit-repelling pattern actually concealed a recognition circuit beneath it. If one were to simply sever that surface-level section, the inner recognition structure would immediately shift sideways.

During the process of breaking the Array, his Array Mechanism Link-Sense also became permanent.

「By the third day」 After a section of the outer and middle layers of the Restriction was finally peeled away, some records and guiding patterns on the periphery of the Core Formation Platform were revealed. They weren’t complete stone inscriptions, but rather looked like old records and structural diagrams left at the edge of the Core Formation District from long ago.

One section was written with absolute clarity.

There were two paths to Core Formation.

The Orthodox Path of the Core Formation Vein, and the Unorthodox Path of the Life Nourishing Vein.

When the crowd saw this passage, even the few Cultivators who were supposed to be guarding the perimeter gathered around.

The description of the so-called Orthodox Path of the Core Formation Vein was, as expected, quite conventional. A Cultivator would use their own Cultivation Technique, Spiritual Power, and Divine Soul in concert with the Core Formation Platform’s auxiliary Array. By borrowing the Spiritual Qi of the main vein, they would compress the core into shape. It was the path of solid Cultivation and a complete orthodox heritage.

The Unorthodox Path of the Life Nourishing Vein, however, was markedly different.

Li Yuan read on with the others, his brow furrowing deeper the more he read.

The focus of this path was not on how properly one formed a Golden Core, but on nourishing life. Many of the materials and techniques mentioned were not for strengthening the Golden Core’s foundation, but for dragging out one’s lifespan, extending one’s breath, and preserving one’s life. Certain passages even explicitly stated that if a Cultivator lacked lifespan and had an insufficient foundation, yet still insisted on attempting Core Formation, they could walk the unorthodox path of life-nourishing. It involved using Qi Blood, medicinal power, and external objects to forcibly keep themselves clinging to life.

Flipping further through the old records, he even found concepts for pill formulas that shared the same origin as the Lifespan Extension Pill.

The names weren’t identical.

But several of the primary ingredients, refinement methods, and intended effects were clearly from the same lineage as the Lifespan Extension Pills Li Yuan had encountered before. The method of kneading together Qi Blood, lifespan, and unorthodox supplementary medicines to forcibly drag out a person’s life could not be described as merely similar—they shared the same origin.

Li Yuan wasn’t the only one who made this discovery.

Nearly everyone present had read that far.

A nearby Array Cultivator froze for a moment, then cursed under his breath.

"No wonder."

Another person also realized what this meant.

"So the Demon Sect’s Lifespan Extension Pills... they didn’t just invent them out of thin air. They’re an offshoot that came from this place?"

No one replied immediately, but the records before them made the situation perfectly clear.

The Lifespan Extension Pills the Demon Sect was using to win over cultivators with dwindling lifespans were not some heaven-sent miracle, nor were they the unique invention of a particular Demon Sect. Their roots very likely lay in the Unorthodox Path of the Life Nourishing Vein, practiced by the Sect that had once inhabited these ruins.

In other words, the reason the Dark Abyss Association and the Demon Sect behind it were so fixated on this place was not just for the Spirit Vein and the Core Formation Platform. They most likely had designs on this unorthodox path of lifespan extension as well.

Li Yuan stood in the crowd, silent, and continued to read the old records.

For the next two days, the dismantling of the core Restriction continued, but not without intermittent breaks.

After returning to the market city, Chen Yi handed Li Yuan a jade slip, saying little.

"Found this in one of the stone chambers. It’s more suitable for you."

Li Yuan accepted it, and a panel popped up.

[Detected Equippable Item: Core Formation Guidance Jade Slip (Complete)]

[Equipment Affix Preview: Core Formation Guidance (Blue)]

[Effect: Spiritual Power condensation efficiency increased by 50%, reduces risk of Core Formation failure.]

[Permanence Condition Preview: Attempt to form a Golden Core once.]

[Current Equipment Slots Full (5/5). Replace currently equipped item?]

After reading it, Li Yuan didn’t make the swap on the spot, instead storing the jade slip in his storage bag.

’It wasn’t time for him to use this just yet.’

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