Feng Jingyu's explanation, while eloquent, ultimately felt somewhat hollow and unconvincing.
It was only upon entering the Grand Void Illusionary Realm that Han Yi truly understood how he would ascend to the Cave Heaven.
Years ago, during the inaugural Cave Heaven Trial, he had heard rumors that cultivators who entered the Cave Heaven gained immortality. Moreover, all one hundred disciples who had participated in that first trial had returned safely to the Sect, suggesting that the Cave Heaven Trial posed no real danger.
In truth, this proved accurate.
The Grand Void Illusionary Realm was situated within Jade Capital Lake, which served as a direct gateway to the True Dawn Grand Void Cave Heaven. This essentially made Jade Capital Lake the Cave Heaven's entrance.
As a sacred site within the Jade Capital Mountain Holy Land, Jade Capital Lake held special significance. Its surroundings were undoubtedly guarded by numerous high-ranking cultivators. While no one had openly intervened when they landed, countless eyes had certainly observed their arrival.
The sole requirement for entering the Grand Void Illusionary Realm was possession of a True Ascension Mark.
In essence, when the Profound Pill Sect purchased trial slots from Jade Capital Mountain, they were acquiring these True Ascension Marks.
Upon entering the Grand Void Illusionary Realm, the True Ascension Mark would generate a Grand Void Body identical to its host—identical Spirit Root, Mana, and even the same Skills.
The host could then transfer their Divine Soul into the Grand Void Body and pass through the realm's radiant gateway to formally enter the Cave Heaven.
Death within the Cave Heaven would only result in the destruction of the Grand Void Body; the Divine Soul would remain intact, returning to the Grand Void Illusionary Realm to coalesce a new Grand Void Body.
In other words, as long as the True Ascension Mark remained active, the Grand Void Body could be endlessly regenerated, granting the host virtual immortality during the Cave Heaven Trial.
Once the mark's duration expired, it would vanish, causing the Grand Void Body to disintegrate. The host's original body would then be expelled from the Grand Void Illusionary Realm, returning to the shores of Jade Capital Lake.
This, then, was the truth behind the apparent immortality in the Cave Heaven Trial.
Understanding this, Han Yi's mind stirred, and his perspective suddenly shifted. He now saw his original body, the Chengying Sword strapped to its waist, standing motionless before him. Across from it stood his lifeless Grand Void Body, its eyes wide and vacant, as if time and space had frozen around it.
Han Yi suddenly felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
With a thought, he returned to his original body, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes. Then, he shifted back into his Grand Void Body. After ensuring everything was secure, he hesitated before stepping through the luminous gate. A thought struck him, and he tried to summon the Proficiency Panel.
In the next instant, the faint crimson panel flashed into existence, and a flicker of surprise appeared on the Grand Void Body's face.
"The Proficiency Panel can actually manifest here!"
This realization implied two crucial points. First, his 'golden finger' was superior to the Grand Void Illusionary Realm, allowing it to override the realm's rules instead of being suppressed by them. Second, the Proficiency Panel was bound to his Divine Soul, not his physical body.
With these deductions firmly in mind, Han Yi's eyes gleamed. Without further hesitation, he turned and stepped through the luminous gate.
The world twisted once more, and when his vision cleared...
Wham!
A dark shape hurtled toward him, slamming directly into his face. A faint crack echoed, followed by a searing pain.
His nose was broken.
A chill ran down Han Yi's spine as he leaped backward. Before he could identify the dark figure that had shattered his nose, he sensed another terrifying pressure building behind him.
His mana surged, and a Wind Wall Technique materialized instantly behind him.
Boom!
The Wind Wall shattered instantly, dissolving into a raging tempest. But this brief respite allowed Han Yi to gather his magic. A Fire Shield Technique fully formed, blocking the path of his backward retreat.
The dark figure—the same one that had broken his nose and pulverized his Wind Wall—collided head-on with the Flame Shield.
The shield shattered, scattering fiery sparks. The figure was repelled seven or eight meters, crashing into a stone hut and demolishing it. Within a single breath, it staggered back to its feet, roaring like a savage beast.
The stench of raw flesh assaulted Han Yi's nostrils from dozens of meters away, the fetid aura washing over him like a physical blow.
Seizing the opportunity, Han Yi quickly surveyed his surroundings. He now understood: this place had become a slaughterhouse.
Turning back, Han Yi finally identified the dark figure that had shattered his nose: a towering, three-meter-tall member of the Demon Race, its entire body pitch-black.
Although Han Yi had prepared himself for the possibility of encountering demons, demons, winged beings, and shadow creatures upon entering the Cave Heaven World, his heart still skipped a beat when he immediately ran into demons. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
Wasn't there supposed to be guidance upon entering the Cave Heaven World, naturally leading one to the correct path?
But there was no time for such distractions. His gaze locked onto the demon before him. "The Black Demon Race?"
Han Yi recognized this type of demon from the books in the Scripture Pavilion.
Unlike the True Dawn Grand Void Heaven, the Jade Balance Realm had also been a melting pot of a hundred races in ancient times, including humans, divines, demons, spirits, and more.
While humans cultivated Mana and demons refined Demonic Power, the Demon Race focused on forging their Demonic Bodies. In fact, the earliest Body Refiners among humans had learned their methods by imitating the demons.
And now...
Countless pitch-black demons clashed fiercely with cultivators who flickered in and out of existence—or, more accurately, countless cultivators were besieging a demon settlement.
Han Yi turned his head and looked ahead.
Clang!
A golden blade of energy flashed past, instantly decapitating the Black Demon warrior who had been hurled back by a Fire Shield Technique. The three-meter-tall giant crashed to the ground.
A young cultivator, golden blade in hand, darted forward with lightning speed, plunging deeper into the fray.
Bang!
In the next instant, the young cultivator collided head-on with a Black Demon warrior over four meters tall.
A fierce gust of wind swept past. Han Yi saw a flash of black light as the blade-wielding cultivator was swatted away with a single slap. The golden blade aura that had just ignited in his hand was extinguished instantly.
Han Yi recoiled in horror, stumbling backward several steps.
The four-meter giant roared skyward. But then, a blue light streaked through the air, and its head soared into the sky.
The blue light was a sword—a Spirit Sword, leaping and dancing with a vibrant azure glow. Even from a distance, Han Yi could sense the blade's surging excitement and battle lust.
This is a Spirit Sword.
Han Yi followed the sword's trajectory to see a cold-faced cultivator gliding through the air on another Spirit Sword. With a casual wave, he summoned the demon-slaying blade back to his side.
"A Sword Immortal!"
Han Yi's heart trembled.
The Sword Immortal, standing atop his Spirit Sword, cast a single glance downward. His gaze, sharp as a blade, momentarily illuminated the void before he withdrew it. His Spirit Sword then sliced through the air, vanishing swiftly into the distance.
"I actually encountered a Sword Immortal," Han Yi murmured to himself.
"But weren't we told it's best not to bring Magic Artifacts? This Sword Immortal is carrying two Spirit Swords."
"Does that mean these two Spirit Swords aren't important? Or does this Sword Immortal believe himself so powerful that he's confident he won't die in the Cave Heaven?"
Han Yi vaguely sensed that neither explanation felt quite right.
Around him, cultivators were either being slaughtered or slaughtering members of the Black Demon Race. Those who had triumphed over the demons, their faces flushed with excitement, were already racing deeper into the Cave Heaven.
Han Yi looked up and saw a towering pillar of light piercing the sky, rising steadily in the direction the Sword Immortal had taken. The light remained unwavering.
"A pillar of light? Could that be the Grand Void Token?"
"What else could incite such fervor among these cultivators?"
Han Yi remembered Feng Jingyu's words about the Grand Void Tokens, which could be exchanged for spiritual treasures, including those that could improve one's Root Bone. From that moment on, he had resolved to give this expedition his all.
Although Han Yi had enhanced his innate talent with the Blood Bone Spirit Flower, he was still only comparable to an average Inner Sect Disciple like Luo Yunzhou. Under normal circumstances, reaching the Peak Qi Refining Stage wouldn't be difficult, and even advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage was highly probable. However, after barely managing to break through to Foundation Establishment, his Root Bone would limit his progress, making further advancement exceedingly difficult.
Along the way, he encountered another member of the Black Demon Race—a towering figure over three meters tall, just like the previous one.
A thought flickered through Han Yi's mind. He summoned a Flame Shield, which the demon smashed with a single punch, shattering the barrier and sending the creature staggering back three meters.
"The results are consistent across both tests," Han Yi observed. "It seems a three-meter-tall Black Demon possesses an offensive power comparable to that of a seasoned Ninth-Layer cultivator."
"Time to test its defensive capabilities."
Han Yi raised two fingers to form a sword gesture, then paused slightly. Out of habit, he had almost forgotten that his dagger and Chengying Sword remained in the Grand Void Illusionary Realm. Only his Grand Void Body had entered the Cave Heaven.
Without these two Magic Artifacts, his offensive power was severely diminished, leaving only the Spirit Void Finger as his primary attack.
Fortunately, the Spirit Void Finger had reached its pinnacle of mastery. According to his calculations, its power now rivaled a full-force strike from a Peak Qi Refining cultivator.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. With his fingers still aligned, he flicked them forward smoothly. Two beams of Spirit Light shot out, striking the retreating Black Demon.