While Ye Yu was in the midst of absorbing the Evil Emperor's Spirit Ring—
Xu Tianchen, accompanied by several royal attendants, approached cautiously, hearts filled with both apprehension and expectation.
They had come to see whether it truly was a god who had struck down the Evil Emperor.
But by this time, Ye Yu was already surrounded by the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul, whose countless sub-body had risen to encircle him.
They had witnessed how the Evil Emperor had been subdued, and now saw Ye Yu at the critical moment of absorbing its Spirit Ring.
Thus, before the towering sub-body of the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree—crystal-clear like giant blue crystals, each crown of leaves spreading like a starlit firmament—Xu Tianchen and the royal attendants dared not take a single step closer.
They feared they might be mistaken for intruders and instantly struck down by the thousand-handed blue crystal giant that loomed like a god.
And though they could see Ye Yu absorbing a Spirit Ring, the rings circling his body told an even stranger story.
His first Spirit Ring shone with platinum radiance. From the second all the way to the eighth, each one was a scarlet red.
This was clearly not a configuration any ordinary Spirit Master could possibly possess.
The Spirit Master absorbing the Evil Emperor's ring was either a god incarnate—or one who had already set foot upon the path to godhood.
The very thought made Xu Tianchen tremble with excitement.
If that was truly the case, then he could, on behalf of the Sun Moon Kingdom, forge an alliance with this great Spirit Master who had already set foot on the path to God.
As long as this transcendent Spirit Master aided their Sun Moon Emperor in unifying the continent, they would in turn spread his faith across the land, helping him ascend to godhood.
For now, the continent was still known as the Vast Continent, and the Sun Moon Emperor was not even an empire.
Yet the dream of continental unification had already been carved into the hearts of every prince and king of the Sun Moon royal line.
It was like the Qin Emperor of Ye Yu's past life, who had united the Six Kingdoms.
Though the First Emperor possessed extraordinary ability and cunning, without generations of Qin rulers laying the groundwork and strengthening their nation, there would never have been the chance to unify the realm.
The Sun Moon Emperor was the same.
Soon, Ye Yu finished absorbing the Evil Emperor's Spirit Ring.
After testing its abilities, he named the two Spirit Abilities granted to his Spirit Eyes' eighth Spirit Ring Thorny Halo and Light of Time and Space.
Much like Huo Yuhao, Ye Yu's Spirit Eyes produced two abilities with the eighth ring.
Thorny Halo created a shimmering aura: within its range, half of all damage inflicted upon him would be converted into spiritual damage and reflected back at the attacker.
Light of Time and Space unleashed a beam of annihilating radiance, erasing everything in its path.
Afterward, Ye Yu fused with the External Spirit Bone – Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor's Eyes.
The Spirit Bone granted two abilities: Light of Destruction and Spiritual Paralysis Beam.
Light of Destruction enhanced the Spirit Eyes themselves, tripling the power and potency of all his Spirit Abilities.
Spiritual Paralysis Beam released a psychic ray to assault his enemies—once struck, the victim's body would fall into paralysis, as though mind and flesh had been forcibly separated.
Once the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor's Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone were absorbed, Ye Yu activated the External Spirit Bone – Demon Willow Fluff, devouring the creature's flesh to refine it back into his body, increasing his Spirit Power, vitality, and spiritual strength while further enhancing the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul.
But while the Demon Willow Fluff was consuming the Evil Emperor's remains, Ye Yu sensed Xu Tianchen and the royal attendants lurking nearby.
After all, before the battle he had already unfurled his Blue Silver Domain, and now they were standing inside it.
"You. Who are you?"
Finishing his feast upon the Evil Emperor's flesh, Ye Yu transformed into a streak of lightning and alighted upon the shoulder of the Thousand-Armed Blue Silver Buddha.
From there, he released a crushing wave of Spirit Power, gazing down at Xu Tianchen and his companions as he asked calmly.
The overwhelming presence of the Thousand-Armed Blue Silver Buddha, coupled with Ye Yu's terrifying aura, left Xu Tianchen no choice but to drop to one knee and cry out:
"Xu Tianchen, Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Emperor, pays respects to Your Excellency!"
"The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor of the Evildemon Forest has long been a malignant scourge upon the Vast Continent, rampaging unchecked for countless years!"
"Having witnessed Your Excellency's might with my own eyes, I dared approach only to pay homage."
"May I ask, Exalted One—are you a god incarnate, or a Spirit Master who has stepped onto the path of godhood?"
"I am willing to offer worship to Your Excellency on behalf of the Sun Moon Emperor!"
Ye Yu's eyes narrowed slightly at his words.
So this was the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Emperor—and he sought to devote himself to him?
Ye Yu indeed possessed the Blue Silver Domain, with millions of intelligent Blue Silver Grass subjects capable of offering faith.
Across the continent, countless sub-body of the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree had already spread, many intelligent enough to provide faith power as well.
Through the Blue Silver Decree, these trees nurtured surrounding Blue Silver Grass into sapience, gradually expanding his base of believers.
In short—Ye Yu had no shortage of faith power.
But to condense a God Position required faith.
And the stronger the God Position one sought, the more faith power it would demand.
Such power, Ye Yu could never have too much of.
In the original story, Poseidon had relied on the sea itself—its countless sea spirit beasts and sea Spirit Masters—to accumulate millennia of faith power before finally attaining divinity.
Even if Ye Yu's base of Blue Silver subjects already outstripped Poseidon's, as a transmigrator, the God Position he aimed for would surpass the Sea God's throne by far.
And the sooner he could condense it, the better.
Thus, Xu Tianchen's offer stirred his heart.
Since he was already on the Sun Moon Continent—a land whose soul tool technology surpassed Douluo Continent's, with a population likely exceeding a hundred million—it was the perfect place to lay groundwork and gather faith.
So when Xu Tianchen asked, Ye Yu replied from the shoulder of the Thousand-Armed Blue Silver Buddha, his tone indifferent:
"I am not yet a god. I am merely a Spirit Master who has stepped onto the path to godhood."
"You wish to offer me worship on behalf of your Sun Moon Emperor."
"Tell me—what is it you require of me in return?"
"I know well there is no such thing as a free meal in this world."
Realizing that Ye Yu seemed willing to consider cooperation, Xu Tianchen grew all the more elated. He immediately declared:
"In reply to Your Excellency!"
"Our Sun Moon Emperor seeks to unify the continent."
"With Your Excellency's aid, our victory is assured!"
"And once we achieve unification, we will see to it that the entire continent believes in and worships Your Excellency!"