Han Yi shook his head. "It was a complete loss. All my Magic Artifacts were destroyed inside."
Feng Jingyu nodded, continuing his rambling. "That's right. Even a seasoned Ninth Layer cultivator like me couldn't snatch a single Grand Void Token Fragment. What chance did you have, Junior Brother Han? Don't be discouraged. In the next Cave Heaven Trial, you might reach my cultivation realm—or even surpass it. Then, who knows, you might have a chance to obtain a fragment."
"By the way, I didn't participate in the Jade Capital Grand Void Token competition this time. Instead, I spent two whole months with the Fire Demon Tribe. I know my limits; there's no way I could have gotten my hands on the Jade Capital Grand Void Token. Why waste my time on a futile effort?"
"Speaking of which, Junior Brother Han, how many times did you die? I died over thirty times in the Cave Heaven World—it was a truly brutal experience!"
As Feng Jingyu spoke of death, the killing intent radiating from him surged uncontrollably.
"After descending, I learned about the Cave Heaven World from the Tribal Shaman. Coincidentally, a Grand Void Light Pillar had appeared near a Fire Demon Clan settlement. When I rushed there with some fellow Daoists, a Fire Demon instantly burned me to a crisp. Stubbornly, I descended again, only to be killed seven more times before finally managing to slay it."
"Anyway, that Grand Void Token was snatched away long ago, leaving not a single trace."
"A Fire Demon two and a half meters tall could crush me with one hand, heh."
Han Yi, who had been listening quietly, suddenly frowned. He gave Feng Jingyu a long, searching look before turning to observe the other cultivators on the Immortal Ship.
"Senior Brother Feng," Han Yi said gravely, "something's not right with you. Have you noticed?"
The thought hadn't occurred to him before, but Feng Jingyu's recent rambling had suddenly sparked a realization.
Repeated, intense battles would undoubtedly accelerate the refinement of combat skills and forge a formidable killing aura in a short time.
But there was a fatal flaw in this logic.
The more one fought, the more one died, the more desensitized one became to the gravity of death. In short, the more one died, the less one feared dying.
This had its advantages: in life-or-death struggles, such fearlessness could unlock greater combat prowess and explosive power.
But it also carried a deadly drawback: it drastically eroded a cultivator's reverence for death.
Han Yi suddenly recalled a conversation from over two months ago, before boarding the Immortal Boat. Feng Jingyu had mentioned that a staggering sixty percent of the first cohort of Inner Sect Disciples in the Cave Heaven World had perished within twelve years.
The ratio was shockingly high.
Now, it seemed the root of the problem lay here.
Han Yi suddenly understood, and he felt a surge of relief. In the Cave Heaven World, aside from the three times he had taken his own life, he had only been killed once—by Xie Jingshan of the Spirit Battle Sect during the competition for Grand Void Token Fragments after his second descent.
The first death had left him shaken, but the subsequent suicides were premeditated and lacked that lingering dread.
Han Yi surmised that if the lingering dread of death persisted through multiple deaths, one would gradually become desensitized to it. In the Cave Heaven World, where resurrection was limitless, this desensitization posed no issue. However, in the outside world, it would be a catastrophic flaw.
In fact, he suspected that dying too often could damage one's Dao Heart.
Han Yi shifted his gaze from Feng Jingyu to the three Golden Core cultivators standing at the stern of the Immortal Boat. If even he had noticed this pattern, there was no way these Golden Core cultivators could be unaware.
The reason was obvious: while the Cave Heaven Trial was a form of forced growth, it also served to rapidly cultivate stronger disciples and more Foundation Establishment cultivators in a short period.
Whether this was right or wrong was beyond his authority to judge. Beside him, Feng Jingyu frowned deeply, lost in thought.
Han Yi sighed softly and shared his deductions with Feng Jingyu. Feng Jingyu's expression turned thoughtful, but he showed no sign of regret.
"No wonder so many Senior Brothers from the previous Cave Heaven Trial perished."
"Still, such an opportunity comes once in a millennium. This minor side effect is negligible compared to the Immortal Opportunity it offers."
Han Yi stared intently at Feng Jingyu, surprised by his complete disregard for such a fatal flaw.
After a moment's reflection, he understood.
I have the golden finger of Proficiency. By steadily developing my skills, I can grow stronger—that's my greatest Immortal Opportunity.
But others lacked such advantages. Like his previous incarnation before transmigrating, like Zheng Hai, still struggling at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining on the Outer Peak, or Guan Di, who had finally advanced to the Seventh Layer, they found it difficult to obtain even the slightest sliver of Immortal Opportunity, let alone a major one.
The Cave Heaven Trial, a high-level Immortal Opportunity for which the Profound Pill Sect bore immense costs, drove every Inner Sect Disciple to fight tooth and nail for a spot in the top hundred.
Even Supreme Elders of the Golden Core Stage personally intervened. After the first trial, they proposed adding an extra spot for each Golden Core Supreme Elder, outside the hundred official slots.
This clearly demonstrated how precious the Cave Heaven Trial slots were.
Han Yi chuckled wryly to himself. I live in a gilded cage, where wine and meat flow freely. Those starving and freezing outside would never care about such minor side effects.
The path of immortality was a constant struggle, a ruthless competition that demanded unwavering commitment. One couldn't afford to hold back, least of all against oneself. Han Yi's understanding of this principle deepened.
He cupped his hands in a polite gesture toward Feng Jingyu, leaving the latter thoroughly bewildered. Feng Jingyu soon stopped his musings, found a secluded spot, and began to digest his gains from the trial.
To Han Yi's surprise, another cultivator approached: He Fengdi, a veteran of two Cave Heaven Trials. Han Yi now regretted not consulting He Fengdi about the trial's specifics before boarding the Immortal Boat. Fortunately, encountering Zuo Lie of the White Jade Tower within the Cave Heaven had been a serendipitous stroke of luck.
"Junior Brother Han, were you able to secure any significant gains this time?" He Fengdi inquired.
Han Yi shook his head. He couldn't reveal the truth about the bizarre Stone Insect, and aside from that, he had gained nothing but lost his most prized Magic Artifact.
"Perhaps the time was too short," He Fengdi mused. "With more time, I'm sure you would have obtained a Grand Void Token Fragment and greatly enhanced your Comprehension."
He Fengdi didn't doubt Han Yi's words.
Although he had met Han Yi among the Black Demon Race and witnessed him personally slay a four-meter-tall Black Demon equivalent to a Peak Qi Refining Stage cultivator, the Black Demon Cang Tribe at the time boasted over a dozen Legendary figures. No matter how strong Han Yi was, he couldn't possibly rival such powerhouses, so it was understandable that he failed to secure the Grand Void Token Fragment.
"Junior Brother Han's strength truly astonishes this Senior Brother," He Fengdi said, his tone tinged with complexity. "When you killed that four-meter Demon Race member in the Cang Tribe, I knew you'd be a formidable opponent even for me."
"Once we return to the Sect, Junior Brother Han, we should find time to spar and exchange pointers more often."