Zuo Lie smiled subtly, his jade-like face shimmering in the breeze. "Junior Brother Han, you flatter me."
"Let's go together," he suggested. "Since we're traveling together, we only need to buy one map, saving us some Spirit Stones."
They moved at a leisurely pace. Along the way, Han Yi skillfully steered the conversation to glean more information.
Compared to the Profound Pill Sect, which had journeyed across half of Great Qian from Shu Prefecture, the White Jade Tower was a native sect of Qian Prefecture. Their understanding of the True Dawn Grand Void Heaven was both deeper and more comprehensive.
From Zuo Lie, Han Yi learned the general structure of the Demon Race within this Small Thousand World.
The Demon Race comprised twelve major branches: the Imperial Demon Race, Blood Demon Race, Fire Demon Race, Black Demon Race, Evil Demon Race, Giant Demon Race, Yin Demon Race, Water Demon Race, Land Demon Race, Gold Demon Race, Wind Demon Race, and Rock Demon Race.
The Imperial Demon Race held supreme command over all other branches, considered the true lineage of the Demon Race. The Black Demon Race ranked fourth among the twelve branches.
Within the Black Demon Race itself, there were eight tribes: Jing, Yu, Yi, Di, Ye, Deng, Cang, and Qi.
The Cang Tribe ranked seventh, also known as the Cang Seven Division.
In truth, most other disciples of the Profound Pill Sect possessed extensive knowledge of the Cave Heaven World. Han Yi was an exception; having only learned of its existence a month prior, his understanding remained relatively limited.
After the top 100 spots on the Earth Ranking were finalized, the other disciples sought detailed information from their senior brothers who had participated in the first Cave Heaven World expedition.
The additional slots allocated by the Supreme Elders also had their own channels for gathering intelligence.
Only Han Yi, sponsored by Yuan Shun, received limited information. Yuan Shun, who favored a laissez-faire approach over intensive guidance, believed Han Yi would naturally understand everything once he entered the Cave Heaven World.
During the Immortal Boat journey, Han Yi's inquiries to Feng Jingyu were met with brief, one-sentence answers. Later, Feng Jingyu, worried he might inadvertently reveal the Profound Pill Sect's secrets, clamped his mouth shut, refusing to divulge everything he knew.
When Han Yi approached Fu Xuanxu, the latter assumed that given Han Yi's low cultivation realm, even with his exceptional combat prowess, he couldn't possibly match the fighting capabilities of a seasoned Ninth Layer expert. Consequently, Fu Xuanxu shared minimal information.
Most importantly, it was generally understood that upon entering the Cave Heaven World, the shamans of the native tribes would provide guidance, answering any lingering questions.
This confluence of factors left Han Yi feeling completely disoriented when he finally stepped into the Cave Heaven World.
Only now, through Zuo Lie of the White Jade Tower, did Han Yi finally learn more about the situation.
"The Grand Void Light Pillar has descended upon the Ancestral Temple of the Cang Seven Division. The Grand Void Token is about to manifest, and cultivators from all nearby Demon Race territories are rushing here."
"If we're too late, we might not even get a glimpse of the Grand Void Token."
"Oh, I almost forgot—this is your first time here, isn't it? You do know what the Grand Void Token is, right?"
Han Yi nodded quickly. Of course he knew about the Grand Void Token.
Zuo Lie breathed a sigh of relief. If this fellow Daoist hadn't even heard of the Grand Void Token, he would have suspected Han Yi's true intentions.
A moment later, Zuo Lie led Han Yi toward the heart of the primitive village. Strangely, the villagers showed no surprise or fear at their presence, as if seeing Descended Cultivators like them was an everyday occurrence.
Noticing Han Yi's bewilderment, Zuo Lie explained, "They're used to seeing Descended Cultivators like us. They've seen plenty of us, so they're not easily startled."
"We're here. Let's go."
Zuo Lie guided Han Yi toward an entrance marked with a wooden plaque. Two twisted, unreadable characters were etched onto it.
"This is a Shaman Token," Zuo Lie explained. "The two characters on it spell 'Crimson Radiance,' which is also the name of this Human Race tribe—the Crimson Radiance Tribe."
"The place where this token hangs is the Shaman's residence. In every primitive tribe, the Shaman's name is the same as the tribe's name. The Shaman here is named Crimson Radiance."
"If you get lost, need directions, or want to exchange treasures for a Grand Void Token, you can trade here with the Shaman."
Curious, Han Yi followed Zuo Lie as he lifted the curtain and stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, with a weathered old man seated in the center.
As soon as they entered, Zuo Lie confidently stated, "I need a map to the Cang Seven Division of the Black Demon Race."
The aged Shaman looked up, his blurry eyes suddenly gleaming with alertness. "Twelve Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."
Zuo Lie frowned. "I thought maps like this weren't so expensive?"
The Shaman chuckled dryly, his voice raspy. "The Grand Void Light Pillar fell near the Cang Seven Division. All the Descenders are flocking there, naturally driving up prices. Please understand, Fellow Daoist."
Zuo Lie's frown eased. Without another word, he flipped his hands over and produced six Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch, placing them on the table. He then looked at Han Yi, who understood the unspoken request but shook his head apologetically, having brought no Storage Pouch and carrying not a single Spirit Stone.
Zuo Lie's brow furrowed slightly. He retrieved six Mid-Grade Spirit Stones from his pouch, bringing the total to twelve.
The Shaman smiled slyly as he collected the Spirit Stones with a gleam in his eye before handing over a piece of animal hide. "By the way," he called out to Zuo Lie and Han Yi as they left the hut, "if you obtain any Grand Void Token Fragments, come trade with me. My spirit treasures will absolutely amaze you."
Outside the Shaman's hut, Zuo Lie shook his head. "That Shaman is growing greedier by the day. He's even raising his prices now."
"Fellow Daoist Han," Zuo Lie turned to him, "how is it that you don't have a single Spirit Stone on you?"
Han Yi seized the opportunity to ask his own question. "Fellow Daoist Zuo, I was just about to ask you about that. According to the rules of Cave Heaven, shouldn't the possessions of a Grand Void Body that perishes here remain in the Cave Heaven World? Why do you dare bring a Storage Pouch, fearing neither loss nor death?"
Zuo Lie stared fixedly at Han Yi, his expression unreadable.
"Fellow Daoist Han, you're unaware, but the True Ascension Mark can be imprinted not only on our bodies but also on our Storage Pouches and even our Magic Artifacts."
"My Storage Pouch bears the True Ascension Mark. Even if I perish, it will return to the Grand Void Illusionary Realm with me, rather than being left behind in the Cave Heaven World."
!
"No wonder Fellow Daoist Han has no Spirit Stones. Now I understand."
"Never mind. Consider these six Spirit Stones my contribution to your journey, Fellow Daoist Han."
Han Yi's eyes widened in sudden realization.
He had never imagined that the True Ascension Mark could be applied to external objects beyond cultivators. It seemed those who used Magic Artifacts likely imprinted an additional True Ascension Mark on their Storage Pouches. As for the Sword Immortal who was obliterated by the Black Demon Race, he likely imprinted a True Ascension Mark on each of his Spirit Swords.
How extravagant.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Profound Pill Sect each possessed only one True Ascension Mark. Lacking surplus marks to allocate to their Storage Pouches, they naturally discouraged disciples from bringing Magic Artifacts into the Cave Heaven World.
Ultimately, the reason boiled down to one word: poverty.
Fu Xuanxu and the others hadn't explicitly mentioned this because they knew that disciples participating in the Cave Heaven Trial would inevitably discover this poorly kept secret upon entering the Cave Heaven World.
Han Yi fell silent, and in his silence, new doubts arose. The Profound Pill Sect, after all, specialized in pill refinement and should have been financially secure. Why hadn't they considered purchasing additional True Ascension Marks for their disciples participating in the Cave Heaven Trial? With Storage Pouches and a full complement of Magic Artifacts, their combat power would have at least doubled.
Had the Profound Pill Sect run out of money? Or was there some other hidden reason?
Observing the sect's development over the past decade, Han Yi vaguely sensed that both possibilities held some truth.
Before leaving the primitive tribe, Zuo Lie suddenly turned serious. "Fellow Daoist Han," he said, "though we travel together, once we reach the Black Demon Clan's Cang Tribe, it will be every man for himself. Show no mercy."
"This is the rule of Descenders in the True Dawn Grand Void Heaven. You must understand this."
Han Yi nodded, indicating his understanding.
He now understood that in the Cave Heaven World, Descenders, also known as Outlanders, referred to cultivators like themselves who had entered from the Jade Balance Realm. These cultivators shared an unspoken agreement: they would not turn on each other when facing foreign races. Only after eliminating these threats would they compete for the Grand Void Tokens, each relying on their own abilities.
His first experience with this understanding came during his initial descent, when he witnessed four Legendary Qi Refining cultivators joining forces to breach the Ancestral Temple of the Cang Seven Division. Their coordinated attack demonstrated this tacit agreement.
However, Han Yi remained deeply puzzled by this arrangement. With Zuo Lie leading the way, he felt it inappropriate to voice his questions.
"By the way, Junior Brother Han," Zuo Lie inquired, "I'm at the Peak Qi Refinement stage. What's your cultivation level? It would be good to know how to coordinate if we encounter the Demon Race along the way."
During their descent, Zuo Lie had been too close to Han Yi to directly probe his cultivation with spells. Such attempts might be inaccurate, and more importantly, they would be considered rude and intrusive.
"I recently reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement," Han Yi explained.
"Good. Fellow Daoist Han managed to enter the Cave Heaven World. Even at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, his strength would be formidable. With our cooperation..." Zuo Lie suddenly stopped, turning to Han Yi with a puzzled expression. "Wait a minute, didn't Junior Brother Han just say he's at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement?"
Zuo Lie halted abruptly, turning to Han Yi with a confused look. Had he misheard earlier?
"Fellow Daoist Zuo, I am indeed only at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement. You heard correctly," Han Yi replied calmly, cupping his fists in a respectful salute. He made no mention of the strength of his skills, confident that even at the Peak Qi Refining Stage, he would fear no one. With a Magic Artifact, he dared to challenge even Legendary Qi Refining cultivators.
Zuo Lie frowned, scrutinizing Han Yi intently. After a moment, his brow relaxed in sudden understanding. "I see now. Fellow Daoist Han must be the descendant of a Golden Core cultivator from the Profound Pill Sect. That's how you secured this opportunity to enter the Cave Heaven World."
Han Yi: "???"
Not only Feng Jingyu but now Zuo Lie harbored the same misconception. Han Yi began to wonder if his own perspective was fundamentally different from everyone else's.