"Three years… this should be enough."
Though Ye Yu's compressed soul power had not yet reached the required threshold, he was eager to condense his Soul Core as soon as possible.
To do that, he would have to rely on external aids.
He returned once more to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
All around him, rare medicinal herbs thrived in abundance, their aura thick and vibrant. In particular, the lush grove of Blue Silver Grass, dense like a carpet of emerald shrubs, stood out vividly.
Among them, one plant was especially eye-catching—a Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin.
Its entire body shimmered like blue crystal, translucent and gleaming. Golden veins crisscrossed its surface, and it was nearly as thick as a sapling trunk.
Ye Yu took a deep breath and muttered to himself.
Ever since he had consumed the Black Jade Divine Bamboo Shoot, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, and Infernal Delicate Apricot, and undergone tempering via the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, three years had already passed.
Over these three years—
He had tempered his body with lightning, pushed his cultivation relentlessly, and continuously compressed his soul power.
The medicinal energy from those three immortal herbs had now been fully absorbed.
It was time to consume the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, and Daffodil Jade Flesh Bone, to further elevate his cultivation—
And compress his soul power again to prepare for forming a Soul Core.
Ye Yu first approached the nearest herb: Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew
The plant was entirely emerald green. Only three petal-like white leaves bloomed at the top, cradling several sparkling droplets of dew—clear as morning mist.
With great care, Ye Yu used a jade blade to harvest it.
Sitting cross-legged nearby, he held the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew above his mouth and tilted it slightly—
Letting the few crystalline droplets slide into his mouth.
The moment the dew—essence of the Dew of Longing—left the petals, the plant withered instantly, turning to ash.
As the essence entered his body, Ye Yu closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and began circulating the Inner Core Method.
His consciousness entered a pseudo-Heaven-Man Unity state, resonating with the surrounding environment.
He soon felt the medicinal power of the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew rising from his abdomen—
But instead of spreading through his body, it all surged into his eyes and brain.
A warm sensation flooded his eyes.
And with his spiritual power enhanced, his perception in the pseudo-Heaven-Man Unity state changed drastically.
Where before he could only vaguely sense the surroundings—
Now, even with eyes closed, everything became startlingly clear, as though perceived through another sense.
As time passed—
Ye Yu became aware of a new "limb" within himself.
It had no shape or substance, yet extended outward from his mind, stretching toward the herbs and immortal plants nearby—
Connecting to each one.
He realized that this was his spiritual power, now heightened and beginning to take form.
Unintentionally, he had linked his spiritual sense with the plants surrounding him—
And, to his astonishment, he began sensing their faint, simple thoughts:
"Grow..."
"Absorb..."
"Comfort..."
Curious, Ye Yu extended his spiritual power further—
Until it reached the grove of Blue Silver Grass he had cultivated over the past three years.
Thanks to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's nurturing and constant cultivation via the Inner Core Method, these Blue Silver Grass had grown exceptionally well—
Now as tall as mature rice stalks, with even denser foliage.
Their spiritual age was likely already ten to several dozen years.
When Ye Yu connected to them—
He was immediately flooded by their vibrant, animated consciousness:
"It's the Great Emperor! The Great Emperor is watching us!"
"We greet the Great Emperor! We are your loyal children—You gave us growth, awareness, and new life. We offer you our eternal devotion!"
"Praise to the Great Emperor!"
Ye Yu was stunned.
Compared to the rudimentary, nearly mindless thoughts of the wild Blue Silver Grass he had sensed in Nuoding City years ago—
These ones had grown far more intelligent.
Though still weak in spiritual power, their awareness was on par with three- or four-year-old children.
But logically, this shouldn't be possible.
Plant-type soul beasts generally lag far behind beast-type soul beasts in spiritual development.
Under normal circumstances, even for beast-type soul beasts, such cognitive capacity required at least ten thousand years of cultivation, unless they had powerful bloodlines.
Could this be because of the Inner Core Method?
Ye Yu's heart surged with excitement.
He hadn't expected such a miraculous side effect.
Across the continent, Blue Silver Grass numbered in the billions.
If he could gradually elevate their consciousness, to the point where they could generate faith, then—
Could he not gather faith energy at will, condense a God Position, and ascend?
Of course, that was just an ideal scenario.
These Blue Silver Grass had benefited from a very specific environment—
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
To replicate this growth elsewhere, Ye Yu knew he'd need to keep searching for a method.
Still, the discovery that the Inner Core Method could enhance spiritual development in Blue Silver Grass—
And potentially turn them into sources of faith—
Was enough to confirm that this would be a direction worth pursuing.
Out of curiosity, Ye Yu sent a thought:
"You call me 'Great Emperor'... then what do you call this Blue Silver Emperor?"
The spiritual thoughts of the grasslings rippled with excitement:
"The Empress! The Empress!"
"She was once the Great Queen—"
"But the Great Emperor is even mightier than the Queen! And you're male!"
"So now the Queen is the Empress!"
"...The Empress?"
Ye Yu couldn't help but laugh wryly.
But when he glanced at Ah Yin, he extended his spiritual power toward her—
And instantly felt her consciousness stir.
"Who are you?"
"How did you know where I was?"
"Did Hao-ge tell you?"
"Was it Hao-ge who asked you to bring me here?"
Ah Yin's voice was filled with urgency and emotion.
Having been hidden in a cavern behind a waterfall, she couldn't fathom how Ye Yu could have found her unless Tang Hao had told him.
And with how nourishing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was—
She naturally assumed Tang Hao had sent Ye Yu to help her regain strength and reach 100,000 years, so that she could reform her human body and reunite their family.
"Where is Hao-ge now?"
Ah Yin continued to ask, her thoughts growing more frantic.
Ye Yu responded through his spiritual connection, his tone calm:
"It wasn't Tang Hao who told me."
"I found you on my own, and brought you here myself."
"As for Tang Hao... he still doesn't know who took you."