Iazhar Port — it not only held the title of "Pearl of the Heilin Coast," but the sheer variety of species on display dazzled Leilin.
Not only that, lining both sides of the streets were a massive number of shops, offering everything from the most common leather armor and protective gear, to high-grade sealing scrolls, and even ritual supplies — there was nothing you couldn't find here.
And according to Leilin's understanding, the inhabitants of the Inferno World were mostly non-human species that relied entirely on their physical bodies and racial talents to fight. They didn't even need to cultivate — their strength would automatically increase with age, right up until some kind of upper limit.
The two most widely circulated power systems were rituals and beast souls.
So-called "rituals" meant offering sacrifices to some supreme being in exchange for that entity's blessing. The result was typically an increase in strength, or the acquisition of some bizarre ability.
This path of rituals looked to Leilin more like a transaction. The natives offered items that the supreme being desired, and the supreme being in return bolstered their power. The practice struck Leilin as remarkably similar to the gods of the World of Gods, though with certain differences — and since he hadn't studied it in depth, he couldn't pinpoint exactly where those differences lay.
Perhaps it lay in the matter of daily devotion. The supreme beings didn't require creatures to pray devoutly every day or observe regular worship. Even a creature that had never performed a single ritual for a supreme being could, the moment it presented a sacrifice that moved one, receive that entity's empowerment. This was a clear distinction from the gods.
"It seems that in the ancient era, certain things from the World of Gods did leak out after all. And the rule-holders of the Inferno World made some modifications to them…"
Leilin stroked his chin.
In this multiverse, the Wizard World and the World of Gods were like the two ends of a funnel, each occupying the largest space and the most important positions.
Within these two worlds, the highest confirmed intelligence pointed only to the existence of eighth-level beings. Thus, according to the deductions of numerous ancient powers, only when one side completely annihilated the other — and in doing so obtained its understanding of rules, power pathways, and truth — could one advance to the ninth level of eternity.
This was also the fuse that had ignited the Ancient War of Ending.
For those Wizard existences that had already ascended to the eighth level, more worlds and more resources could no longer stir their interest. Only guidance and understanding of the ninth-level path — even a sliver of hope — could drive them to fight, to go to war!
Of course, since the overall strength of the two worlds was roughly matched, the eventual outcome was mutual devastation. The Wizard World regressed several major steps, while the World of Gods even locked itself away entirely.
And in the course of that war, it wasn't just the two great worlds that were affected — many smaller worlds were swept up as well. Certain unique power pathways and advancement systems leaked out, and through the crucible of actual combat, became more refined and more adaptable.
The so-called path of rituals, in Leilin's view, was a variant of the divine faith pathway of the World of Gods. It had stripped away the bond between the two parties, transforming it into an equal exchange — but in doing so it became freer and more convenient, and better suited to the conditions of the Inferno World.
After all, not every world's rules were conducive to the spread of faith.
As for the second mainstream path — the Way of Beast Souls — Leilin had also heard some explanations from Gegeduor.
Because the Inferno World was a world of aberrant species, with an enormous number of fierce beasts and high-energy creatures, certain intelligent races had developed the technique of hunting these beasts, extracting their souls, sealing them within one's own body, and then summoning them forth in the heat of battle.
Chapter 371. The Beast Soul System
Due to the varying strength of the beast souls sealed within, different tiers were created.
Furthermore, once this beast soul art advanced to higher levels, the corresponding beast soul master could obtain additional beast soul slots, allowing them to seal in even more beast souls.
According to ancient legends, there was even a beast soul master who reached an unprecedented state, sealing his entire body with all manner of beast souls — every single one of them at least at the Morning Star level. With a single strike, he could destroy an entire continent!
The spiritual energy of the sealed beast souls could also assist the beast soul master's cultivation, allowing them to rapidly advance to higher realms.
"Sacrifices and beast souls — these are the two main power systems of the Inferno World?" Leilin murmured, his gaze constantly scanning for relevant shops.
These two power systems could only be described as the most mainstream paths among the intelligent races of the Inferno World. Given the sheer vastness of the entire world, it was perfectly normal for certain minor branch races to have developed entirely different systems.
He wouldn't even be particularly surprised if Wizard traditions existed here as well.
"This must be the one!"
After such a long period of information gathering — not to mention that after several advancements, his cognitive abilities already rivaled those of a light-brain, and with the Chip helping him cheat — Leilin had already learned most of the common scripts and languages of the Inferno World. At the very least, everyday communication was no longer an issue.
He soon spotted a shop that looked like an enormous seashell prying itself open, and walked in.
Around this shop, he could sense faint traces of powerful energy. Judging from its location and the attitudes of other passersby, this store likely had something that would catch his eye.
"Welcome! Descendant of the Supreme Serpent of Ten Thousand! Respected Lord White Devil!"
The moment he entered the shop, a voice echoed directly inside his mind, startling him slightly.
He was currently using the White Phosphorus Serpent's bloodline to disguise himself, but for someone to see through that disguise at a single glance was exceedingly rare.