The aura surrounding Wang Nan slowly calmed, and the majesty emanating from his body gradually receded back into him. The changes in Heaven and Earth subsided, and the Heaven and Earth Origin Power returned to its original state, once again vibrant between Heaven and Earth.
The power of life gold within his body continuously repaired the damage he had sustained during the recent impact. Even the life aura within the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest became several times richer because of it.
The Evil Breaking Dragon coiled around him, seemingly completely integrated with Wang Nan. It, too, had undergone ineffable changes.
Within Wang Nan's body, the three great Soul Cores located at his glabella, chest, and lower abdomen operated slowly. Their auras had completely merged into one. While each rotated independently, they also influenced the other Soul Cores simultaneously.
The spirit power flowing within him was now incomparable to before. While circulating inside his body along the meridians under the guidance of the Soul Cores, it appeared ordinary. However, once released outside his body, even a single wisp contained enough power to induce changes throughout Heaven and Earth.
When he opened his eyes, the world appeared clearer than ever. Invisible "threads" that ordinary people could not perceive spread throughout Heaven and Earth.
"Congratulations."
The Silver Dragon King's voice came from afar. Her usually cold tone unexpectedly carried a hint of warmth.
"Thank you."
Wang Nan stood up and walked toward the Silver Dragon King. As he moved, not even a single wisp of air stirred, and the fallen leaves beneath his feet remained undisturbed, as if no one had passed by.
"It was merely a transaction."
"Can you feel where the God Realm is now?" Wang Nan asked. When the matter of the transaction was mentioned, he recalled his original promise to help the Silver Dragon King open a path to the God Realm. That promise had led to the cooperation of her and the Spirit Beast Clan, and now its fulfillment was not far away.
However, the God Realm was extraordinary. Even with Wang Nan's current cultivation, he could vaguely sense countless other Worlds beyond this Heaven and Earth, yet none bore the aura of the God Realm. Its decision to sever ties with other Worlds had indeed been extremely effective.
The Silver Dragon King took two slow steps forward without answering directly.
"The Golden Dragon King and I are both halves of the Dragon God. I can roughly sense its location."
"Heaven and Earth operate ceaselessly, and the God Realm's position relative to us is constantly shifting. I cannot pinpoint its exact location, but I can know when it is closest to this plane and when it is farthest away."
"And when the God Realm is closest, that is when we will act." She looked up at Wang Nan. "If you do not wish to become an enemy of the God Realm, it is not too late to withdraw."
"Why do you say that?" Wang Nan asked.
"The reason I made that transaction back then was because I intended for you to obtain my power. After acquiring it, you would inevitably be rejected by the current God Realm. At that time, your only choice would have been to resist it together with me."
"But now, your power does not originate from me. Although you have not yet obtained a true God Position, the changes in Heaven and Earth caused by your breakthrough are enough to explain everything. At the end of the Dao you are walking, a new God will inevitably be born, and even Heaven and Earth are celebrating that possibility."
"The power you possess can be accepted by the current God Realm. You do not need to take such a great risk to obtain the rights of a God and enjoy eternal life."
Wang Nan gently shook his head.
"I have always considered myself a trustworthy person. Since I have already given you my word, I naturally will not go back on it."
"What's more…"
The latter half of his thought remained unspoken.
What's more, the current God Realm might not even wish to see the birth of a new God.
"Very well." The Silver Dragon King nodded. "Then I will say nothing more. Furthermore…" A glimmer flashed in her eyes. "The final step toward becoming a God, the last thing I can help you with, has already been given to you."
A hint of inquiry appeared in Wang Nan's gaze.
"The God Realm exists through the beliefs, or rather, the Power of Faith, of the Mortal Realm. Under its dominion, the faith of countless worlds gathers and transforms into Heaven and Earth Origin Power to sustain it. Establishing a God Position is likewise inseparable from belief."
"The thing that carries the souls of my Dragon Clan has long since become a part of your power. Awaken those slumbering souls and let them soar once more. They will naturally provide you with Power of Faith."
"The stronger the individual, the more powerful the faith they can generate. With the vitality of my Dragon Clan, those sleeping souls alone are worth the faith of hundreds of millions of lives."
"Of course, creating a God Position is a long process. Even with the assistance of my Dragon Clan, it will take a great deal of time to accumulate enough faith to transform your current power into a true God Position. To shorten this process, you will need to find a way to obtain additional Power of Faith yourself."
Wang Nan now understood that when he unleashed his ninth Spirit Ability, what was returned to him by those Dragon Souls was precisely Power of Faith. This kind of power, aside from a few special Spirits, could only be wielded by Gods.
"The Dragon Tomb is the resting place of the Dragon Clan. You gathered its power to condense my ninth spirit ring, and I am already deeply grateful for that. As for the remaining part…"
Wang Nan raised his head slightly. The scenes he had witnessed at the moment of his breakthrough resurfaced in his mind. Some were familiar, others completely foreign.
"This world has never lacked people who yearn for order."
This was a world of extraordinary power, where inequality existed from birth. The strength casually displayed by a Spirit Master was enough to alter the fate of mortals, and even Spirit Masters themselves had to fear those with greater cultivation.
In such a world, chaos only bred anxiety and fear, while order was what most people naturally longed for.
"That is good, then." The Silver Dragon King nodded. "Now that you have broken through the limit, your lifespan has already surpassed that of ordinary beings. There is no need to rush the matter of becoming a God."
As Wang Nan listened to her words, new thoughts surfaced in his mind.
Human order could indeed be used to condense a God Position through human faith. Yet he knew that the cycles of the sun and moon were also a form of order. Who, then, provided faith for such power?
Before the Dragon God created the Dragon God Realm to rule the Mortal Realm, what supported its God Position?
Was becoming a God and condensing a God Position truly possible only through the long accumulation of Power of Faith, or was there another Path beyond that?