Chapter 122: Divine Soul Binding

The space before Han Yi's eyes shifted once more. This time, he remained vigilant, but none of the unexpected incidents from his first descent occurred. He found himself once again within the Crimson Radiance Tribe.

Just as Han Yi materialized, another cultivator suddenly appeared seven meters to his side. Having learned from his previous experience, Han Yi recognized this sudden appearance as typical of cultivators from the Jade Balance Realm descending from the Grand Void Illusionary Realm.

The newly arrived cultivator cast Han Yi a cold, indifferent glance, radiating intense Fiend Qi, and strode directly toward the stone hut at the center of the Crimson Radiance Tribe, where the Shaman resided.

Han Yi saw no point in forcing an interaction and made no move to greet him.

This time, instead of immediately seeking out the Shaman, Han Yi decided to wander through the Crimson Radiance Tribe.

The tribe was sizable, occupying a small mountain valley. Stone huts were scattered across the valley floor in an irregular pattern, their rough shapes blending into the landscape.

As Han Yi walked through the settlement, he observed hundreds of members of the Primitive Tribe. They wore crude animal hides, and both adults and children were adorned with countless mysterious and eerie talismans. Mostly gray-white in color, these symbols were etched onto their arms, chests, faces, and necks in varied shapes, giving them an ancient and primitive appearance.

Han Yi paused at the edge of what appeared to be a training ground, observing the thirty-odd adult primitives engaged in their drills.

Their training methods were equally primitive: lifting massive boulders, swinging stone pillars, and wielding crude stone clubs.

However, these stone weapons were no ordinary rocks. Their material appeared extraordinary, though their color resembled that of common stone.

Han Yi recalled the towering six-meter-tall Black Demon Race Patriarch he had seen outside the Cang Tribe's Ancestral Temple, who wielded a stone axe. This memory rekindled his interest in such stone weaponry.

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you intrigued by their training methods?"

A familiar voice called out from twenty meters away. Zuo Lie of the White Jade Tower strode toward him.

Han Yi nodded. These weapons undoubtedly held potential, and acquiring one would significantly enhance his combat prowess.

Yet he had encountered numerous Descenders within the Cang Tribe, all wielding weapons from the Cultivation World rather than local artifacts. Clearly, there was something he didn't understand.

"The True Dawn Grand Void Heaven is a Small Thousand World with incomplete laws," Zuo Lie explained. "It remains in a state similar to the ancient era of the Jade Balance Realm."

"The Human Race here is organized into tribes, worshipping primitive Shaman Gods," Zuo Lie explained. "Have you noticed the strange talismans on their bodies? Those talismans modify their flesh, imbuing them with the power of the Shaman Gods."

"This is the main reason these primitive tribes have managed to survive in this savage world overrun by foreign races."

Just then, a tribesman standing in the training ground, barely over 1.7 meters tall, let out a thunderous roar. Several of the gray-white talismans on his body lit up as he unleashed a punch that shattered a massive boulder over three meters high. Fragments of rock exploded outward in all directions. With a casual flick of his hand, Han Yi summoned a dense swirl of wind before him, forming an incomplete wind wall.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The stone shards slammed into the wind wall like bullets. Several pierced through, scattering at his feet.

Han Yi's heart skipped a beat.

The power of that punch was only slightly weaker than that of the three-meter-tall Black Demons. In terms of raw strength, it rivaled that of someone newly entering the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.

So powerful.

Han Yi's eyes lit up.

Standing beside him, Zuo Lie understood Han Yi's thoughts perfectly. Every Descender who entered the Cave Heaven World had likely entertained the same idea: to learn the shamanic arts that enhanced physical strength. However, they had all ultimately realized it was impossible.

"Fellow Daoist Han, don't overthink it," Zuo Lie said. "This Shamanic Art is only effective within the True Dawn Grand Void Heaven. In the Jade Balance Realm, it's utterly useless—mere scribbles on a wall."

"Moreover, learning this art can lead to assimilation. Returning to the Jade Balance Realm, your original cultivation might even regress, making it a terrible bargain. You must never attempt it." Han Yi withdrew his gaze, thinking, If it were truly beneficial, it would have spread throughout the Jade Balance Realm long ago.

He turned back to Zuo Lie. "Fellow Daoist Zuo, I saw you nearly swallow a Grand Void Token Fragment in the Cang Tribe. Can these tokens actually be ingested?"

Han Yi's True Ascension Mark glowed crimson, signaling his determination to uncover the secret behind this.

Zuo Lie's face turned ashen at Han Yi's question, momentarily giving him the chilling appearance of a jade-faced Yama.

"That damned Fu You! Once I reach Legendary rank and acquire that Magic Artifact, I'll make him pay dearly!"

Zuo Lie took a deep breath to calm his anger. Instead of answering Han Yi's question directly, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Han, are you truly only at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement?"

Han Yi nodded earnestly. He was indeed genuinely at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, but he understood the true nature of Zuo Lie's inquiry.

"That's right, I am indeed at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement. However, my spells are somewhat unique, allowing me to unleash power beyond the limits of my current cultivation realm."

Zuo Lie nodded in understanding, realizing this was the only possible explanation. Only then did he answer Han Yi's question:

"It seems you truly know little about the Cave Heaven World."

"The Grand Void Token is a manifestation of the rules of the True Dawn Grand Void Heaven, and its very existence follows certain principles."

"When a member of a Foreign Race in a specific region breaks through to a cultivation realm they shouldn't have reached, the Grand Void's Gaze will manifest in that territory. A Descender will then be summoned to eliminate the aberrant individual, causing the Grand Void's Gaze to dissipate and the Grand Void Token within to shatter."

"After shattering, the Grand Void Token Fragments can be consumed. Once ingested, they bind the token to one's True Ascension Mark. When you condense your Grand Void Body and your Divine Soul descends, it enhances a cultivator's..."

Zuo Lie paused, his face filled with regret. "...Comprehension."

"Comprehension? I thought it was supposed to enhance a cultivator's Root Bone," Han Yi said, puzzled.

"That's right. What it enhances is Comprehension."

"The Grand Void Token is a manifestation of the rules of the True Dawn Grand Void Heaven. When consumed directly, it merges with the Divine Soul, thereby enhancing the soul's inherent Comprehension."

"As for your question about Root Bone, Fellow Daoist Han, simply consuming the Grand Void Token won't enhance it. However, you can exchange the token with the Shaman of a Primitive Tribe for spiritual objects that can indeed improve your Root Bone."

"The problem is, you don't even have a Storage Pouch. Even if you managed to acquire such a spiritual object, you wouldn't be able to take it out of here. Without a way to transport it to your true body, you wouldn't be able to consume it. If you were to consume it directly within this Cave Heaven World, it would only enhance the Root Bone of your Grand Void Body. Once you leave this realm or perish, the next replicated Grand Void Body will revert to its original Root Bone."

Han Yi suddenly understood. In simple terms, the Grand Void Token Fragment was bound to his Divine Soul, allowing his Grand Void Body to absorb it. However, spiritual objects that enhance Root Bone only take effect when consumed by the physical body. Therefore, he needed to transport the object to the outside world for his true body to consume.

If the Grand Void Body consumes something, the effects are limited to that body. If it dies within the Cave Heaven World, the replicated main body that returns to the Grand Void Illusionary Realm will retain its original Root Bone, completely unaffected by any spiritual objects consumed by the Grand Void Body.

In essence, Han Yi lacked a True Ascension Mark.

"Fellow Daoist Zuo, do you happen to have a True Ascension Mark for sale?" Han Yi asked, his eyes burning with intensity as he stared intently at Zuo Lie.

Zuo Lie shook his head. "No, True Ascension Marks are incredibly precious. Only Great Sects can afford to purchase them. I obtained my two marks from the Tower as rewards for meritorious service."

"By the way, if anyone in the Cave Heaven World possesses True Ascension Marks, it would undoubtedly be the Shamans. They refer to them as Primordial Qi."

"However, True Ascension Marks from the Cave Heaven World are even more expensive, comparable to Grand Void Token Fragments. Fellow Daoist, if you intend to acquire one from the Shamans, you'll likely face an uphill battle."