Mission Reward: Life Soul Core, Ultimate Life Attribute? Blue Silver Domain, Refining the Bright Light Feather!

A shiver from the depths of its soul swept over its entire body in an instant!

On Xu Zhao, it sensed an aura even more terrifying and domineering than Lan Yiyi's!

It was a power of supreme authority... one that seemed capable of devouring everything and nurturing everything!

Especially when Xu Zhao released a faint trace of the Sun Moon Blue Silver King's aura.

The Blue Silver King felt as though its very soul were about to freeze.

That was more than just the pressure of a king.

It was more like... the divine gaze of a being who stood above all kings!

"This... this is..."

The Blue Silver King's voice faltered, filled with terror and confusion:

"Why... why do you possess such a terrifying aura of our kind?!"

"And... this aura... actually contains the scorching heat of the sun and the bitter cold of the moon..."

"How is that possible?!

That goes against the laws of plant growth!"

Xu Zhao looked at the horrified Blue Silver King but offered little explanation.

He simply raised his right hand.

In his palm, his Sun Moon Blue Silver King Martial Soul appeared, quietly floating there. It radiated a blue-gold glow, and its leaves bore sun-and-moon patterns.

Buzz—!

As the Martial Soul appeared,

an invisible wave spread out in an instant.

Every Blue Silver Grass nearby, including the eighty-five-thousand-year-old Blue Silver King, felt an unprecedented pressure at that moment!

This wasn't suppression through bloodline.

It was absolute domination through a higher level of life!

If the Blue Silver Emperor was the ruler of the Blue Silver Grass,

then Xu Zhao's Sun Moon Blue Silver King was the—god of the Blue Silver Grass!

"Submit, or be destroyed."

Xu Zhao's voice was as calm as water, yet it crashed through the Blue Silver King's mind like thunder:

"Offer up your life and cultivation, and become my Soul Ring."

"It will be the greatest honor of your life."

"My patience is limited. I'll give you three breaths to decide."

Xu Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, the Sun Moon Blue Silver King Martial Soul behind him radiating a terrifying pressure that made all things submit.

It was more than the disdainful gaze of a superior. It was the absolute confidence of one who held the power of life and death.

Xu Zhao looked at the trembling Blue Silver King, his tone calm, yet his offer left no room for doubt:

"If you offer yourself willingly, I can use a secret art to preserve your soul intact within the Soul Ring and Spirit Bone."

"You should understand that with your eighty-five-thousand-year cultivation, even if you reach the hundred-thousand-year level, your chances of surviving the two-hundred-thousand-year tribulation are slim.

"But if you follow me, when I ascend to godhood and become a deity, you can use my divine power to reshape your body, become a God Official, and ascend with me to the Divine Realm, enjoying eternal life."

At this, a cold glint flashed through Xu Zhao's eyes, and his tone abruptly changed:

"On the other hand, if you remain stubborn, I don't mind destroying your intelligence right now and forcibly extracting your Soul Ring."

"Though the resulting Soul Ring would be somewhat weaker, and your soul couldn't be preserved, time is the most precious thing to me."

"I don't have time to waste here with you."

Xu Zhao's words struck the Blue Silver King's heart like a heavy hammer, again and again.

One path led to death and the complete annihilation of its existence;

the other was a gamble on the future, a chance to become an immortal God Official.

For an intelligent Soul Beast that had lived for over eighty thousand years, this wasn't a difficult choice.

Especially after sensing the boundless aura on Xu Zhao, as if it had come from the dawn of creation,

and the "Sun Moon" divinity that even surpassed the Blue Silver Emperor's, the Blue Silver King's last shred of hesitation vanished.

It had lived for eighty-five thousand years and seen countless extraordinary humans, but never had anyone given it such a powerful intuition: "This one is destined to become a god."

"Great... being..."

The Blue Silver King's aged voice sounded again. This time, it held no fear, only resolve and submission:

"This old one... is willing to take that gamble!"

"To become a stepping stone on your path to godhood is this old one's honor."

As its words fell,

the entire Blue Silver Forest seemed to feel its king's resolve.

Countless Blue Silver Grass plants began growing wildly, their leaves swaying with a rustling sound.

It was as if they were seeing their king off, or perhaps taking part in some ancient and sacred ritual.

Buzz—!

A brilliant azure light erupted from the Blue Silver King's massive body.

The light wasn't dazzling. Instead, it was gentle and warm, brimming with the vitality of life. In an instant, it enveloped Xu Zhao.

Then the Blue Silver King's ten-meter-tall body began to wither and fade at a visible rate.

It turned into countless blue-gold specks of light, surging into Xu Zhao like countless rivers flowing into the sea.

A sacrifice!

This was the most overbearing, and most tragic, ritual in the Soul Beast Realm.

It burned one's life force and soul, ignoring the Soul Master's level restrictions to achieve complete fusion!

"Urgh..."

Xu Zhao grunted. An immense, pure energy surged through every part of his body in an instant.

But he didn't panic. He sat cross-legged and circulated the Great Sun Prince Mansion's unique cultivation method, greedily devouring the power that had been delivered to him.

Behind him, the Sun Moon Blue Silver King's phantom grew increasingly solid.

The Soul Rings around him began to tremble violently.

A deep-black ring was slowly taking shape.

Its black was so dense that it faintly revealed an eerie shade of crimson.

Eighty-five thousand years!

Though it hadn't reached a hundred thousand years, the sacrifice had raised the quality of this Soul Ring

to rival that of an ordinary ninety-thousand-year Soul Ring!

A moment later, the sacrifice was complete.

Xu Zhao slowly opened his eyes.

A deep-black Soul Ring was now set around the Sun Moon Blue Silver King behind him.

"The Sun Moon Blue Silver King Martial Soul's first ring is eighty-five thousand years old. Not bad."

"Too bad it's still only a 'king.'"

"Even after the sacrifice, the Sun Moon Blue Silver King didn't evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor. I'll have to see whether the upcoming mission rewards it with an evolution."

[Congratulations, host. You have completed the mission: Obtain the first Soul Ring for the "Sun Moon Blue Silver King."]

[Mission reward: Soul Ring Age Increase Card (10,000 years) x1, choose one Spirit Bone part x1.]

Xu Zhao made his choice without hesitation.

"I choose an External Soul Bone!"

[Please choose the type of External Soul Bone!]

Xu Zhao considered it briefly. "Wings!"

He didn't particularly need other External Soul Bones,

like palm bones or anything like that.

Increasing his speed would be a good choice.

[Based on the host's needs, the External Soul Bone "Sun Moon Wings" has been selected. Powered by the force of the sun and moon, its speed has no upper limit!]

"Congratulations, Brother Zhao!"

Lan Yiyi, who had been waiting nearby, hurried over with delight, her eyes full of admiration.

Xu Zhao gave a slight nod and put an arm around Lan Yiyi's waist.

His gaze turned toward Spirit City.