Gavin had to halt his comprehension of the Ice-Scale Snake's ability when his clone entered the valley, carrying the books and the knowledge crystal from the Dark Panther Tribe.
His first priority was absorbing the Shaman's Inheritance from the knowledge crystal. As the information flowed into his mind, he fell into deep thought.
Advancing from Great Shaman to Bronze-Rank Shaman was a complex process, requiring multiple steps—each increasing the chance of success.
The Five Steps to Bronze-Rank Shaman:
1. Forging the Body with Magic Energy:
The goal wasn't just reaching the physical limit of the Great Shaman realm, but doing so significantly increased the probability of a successful breakthrough.
2. Condensing Magic Energy into Liquid Form:
The mysterious space within the shaman had to be filled with pure magic energy, gradually converting it into a liquid state.
3. Mastering the Innate Element:
A shaman had to deepen their connection with their innate element—to the point where they could metaphorically stand at the foot of a 10,000-foot mountain and take their first step.
4. Constructing a Spiritual Anchor in the Sea of Consciousness:
This step was crucial. The Sea of Consciousness was divided into layers.
- Before reaching the Bronze Rank, shamans remained in the surface layer, where thoughts were uncontrolled and external forces could easily influence the mind.
- A spiritual anchor allowed a shaman to enter the outer layer, giving them control over their thoughts, strengthening their spiritual power, and forming a protective spiritual field around them.
5. Fusing Life Source with Magic Energy:
The most challenging step—the fusion of a shaman's life source with magic energy—was what ultimately broke the mortal limit, elevating them to Bronze Rank.
- Lifespan increased from 150 years to 200 years (with potential for further growth).
- The offspring of Bronze-Rank creatures had a much higher chance of advancing to Bronze Rank.
Because every shaman's spiritual anchor was unique, preparation had to begin in the Great Shaman realm. There was no time to design or construct an anchor midway through the breakthrough—only those who had laid the groundwork in advance could succeed.
Gavin closed his eyes, deep in thought. As he analyzed the steps, he realized something—several of them matched the process he had undergone when advancing to First-Rank Psychic in his previous life.
The second, third, and fourth steps of the Shaman's advancement were strikingly similar to the steps required for him to reach the first rank as a psychic.
In his past life, he had lived in a civilization spanning multiple star systems, where Psychic Cultivation was one of the primary cultivation systems of the universe—a system so ancient that its exact origins were impossible to trace. The human civilization in that universe had existed for over 200,000 years, refining the psychic system into something streamlined and efficient, designed to be accessible to the majority of people while still offering numerous paths to strength.
By contrast, Shaman cultivation in this world was rigid and resource-intensive. He could already see the challenges—among the shamans in the tribe, only Via had a real chance of advancing to Bronze-Rank Shaman, and even then, the resource cost and time investment were staggering.
In his past life, meditation techniques naturally included the concept of an anchor, often in the form of specific objects that helped psychics stabilize their mental strength. Here, however, a shaman's spiritual anchor could be anything—but only if they knew how to construct it properly.
Currently, shamans in this world rely on a single spell rune in their Sea of Consciousness, which is insufficient to serve as the foundation for an anchor. But what if multiple spell runes could be combined to form a structured, stable base?
If successful, this method could revolutionize Shaman advancement, allowing future shamans to follow a pre-established path rather than struggling to forge their own.
For the tribe, the advantages of this method cover the disadvantages.
Easier Advancement: Future shamans could use a tried-and-tested method rather than figuring it out individually.
Group Resonance: If multiple shamans of the same element used the same structured method, they could combine their power, launching synchronized spells with a resonance effect capable of defeating higher-realm opponents.
Predictability: Since all shamans of a given element would follow identical methods, enemies could exploit weaknesses more easily in one-on-one battles.
But that didn't matter.
Gavin had no intention of designing this system for individual combat. Its true strength lay in group battles and large-scale warfare. This method was meant for those with average talent, allowing them to advance reliably and contribute to the tribe's strength.
The truly gifted individuals would still carve their unique paths, pioneering advanced techniques beyond the standard framework.
To make this vision a reality, Gavin needed to gather multiple spells for each of the ten elements.
Currently, within the tribe, shamans practiced Wood, Spirit, Fire, Water, and Earth elements. His immediate priority was to acquire spells of these elements—the foundation upon which he would build a new era of shamanic cultivation.
In the future, he would also need to study and comprehend the innate spells of magical beasts, comparing them to human spells to determine if they could be engraved into the Sea of Consciousness of the tribe members.
With that thought complete, Gavin shifted his attention to the Knight and Warrior inheritances he had acquired from the humans. Using his spirit field, he searched for the book—not with his clone, but in the Elder's House.