C1069 The Request of the Empress

The Dissolving Fortress was encircled by another secular bird's nest, which immediately drew the attention of all present upon its arrival in Ionodios.

Following the Songbird's crisp and melodious call, the nest gracefully departed from the Dissolving Fortress. In a dazzling flash, it materialized where Yu Yuan and his companions stood.

Bai He, a recent member of the Skyreach Consortium, along with Xi Quan, fixed their gaze intently on the nest before them.

It seemed inevitable that these two, along with the Songbird Queen, would clash over the legacy of the secular bird, each connected to the Way of Heaven in their own right.

Bai He's mastery of the death force was intimately linked to the secular bird, while Xi Quan's practice of the Withered Sword resonated with a similar power of demise. Yet, the Songbird Queen's mysterious power remained concealed, despite her discovery of a secular bird's nest.

Moreover, her successful merge with the Way of Heaven allowed her to ascend once more to the Unbound Realm.

With a whoosh, the Songbird Queen, adorned with a phoenix coronet, unveiled her exquisite form within the hovering secular bird's nest. Her unparalleled beauty, however, remained hidden behind a beaded curtain, leaving onlookers yearning for a glimpse of her face.

Curious eyes naturally gravitated towards her, drawn to the first female Empress of Aetherius, a woman adorned with numerous illustrious accolades.

As the first female sovereign to breach the Unbound Realm, she was once regarded as a formidable weapon by the five paramount forces, celebrated for her numerous victories in the Star River beyond.

Her presence prompted figures like the archdemon Green Willow, Zhongli Dapan, Zhou You, President Lyi, and even Noeyr of the Voidweavers to gauge her realm and strength with their remnant souls and vitality.

The deeper they sensed, the more they perceived the Songbird Queen as an enigmatic well of unfathomable depth, exuding an aura of strangeness, power, and profundity.

Green Willow, his eyes marked by slender vertical pupils, flashed with intrigue. He glanced at Bai He and Xi Quan, who practiced the Withered Sword, and a peculiar notion took hold—that the Songbird Queen's true power might very well eclipse that of the other two.

Shaking his head, Green Willow found the thought both amusing and unbelievable, hardly daring to trust his own intuition.

"Remarkable."

Zhongli Dapan flashed a grin and gave the Songbird Queen a friendly nod.

The Queen, who had previously maintained harmonious relations with the five supreme forces, emerged from the nest. She gave Yu Yuan a slight nod and spoke with commanding authority, "Mr. Hong, we meet again."

The rest, President Lyi included, received no such deference.

"Do you believe you can restore this shattered secular bird nest?"

President Lyi was forthright, explaining, "The Boulderdawn and we at the Skyreach Consortium have invited you to Ionodios precisely because we hope to harness your power to return this nest to its original state."

"Hong..." murmured the Songbird Queen softly.

Yu Yuan offered a slight smile, suggesting, "In the future, you can just call me by my current name. Though I've been reborn, I prefer the identity of this lifetime."

"Understood."

The Songbird Queen nodded thoughtfully before carefully stating, "President Lyi, I would ask that the others be excused for now. Aside from you and me, let's keep only Yu Yuan here."

President Lyi's brow creased ever so slightly.

The others showed clear displeasure at her request.

Bai He and Xi Quan, in particular, seemed on the verge of outrage.

"I was once in the Unbound state, but due to Chen Liangquan's covert sabotage, my Sacred Heart suffered a minor fracture. Subsequently, Zu Ann and Senior Green Willow, along with the Star-Spawned Terrors and Otherkin, forced my abdication and my fall from the Unbound state back to a Solar Spirit."

She paused, and a hush fell over the crowd.

"The Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn were responsible for my loss of both throne and realm, a fact well known to you all. Upon my return to the Extraterrestrial Star River, I chanced upon the secular bird's nest and, against all odds, successfully merged with the Way of Heaven, reclaiming my Unbound state. And now, you extend this invitation to me..."

Her sneer was unmistakable, as was the barely concealed fury in her tone.

President Lyi, visibly uncomfortable, admitted, "The Skyreach Consortium played a minimal role in the schemes of Afnetalos; it was primarily the work of the Boulderdawn."

"Let's have the others leave first," the Songbird Queen reiterated.

After a brief contemplation, President Lyi nodded in agreement. He turned to Zhongli Dapan, Green Willow, Bai He, Xi Quan, and Noeyr the Voidweaver, offering an apologetic smile, "We shall continue this discussion at a later time."

Aside from Yu Yuan, everyone else who was seen by him vanished without a word.

Suddenly, only President Lyi and Yu Yuan remained.

"I can mend this secular bird's nest and even allow it to enter the Everlands," the Songbird Queen began to negotiate. "But you must understand that once I repair the secular bird's nest, it will merge with my Way of Heaven and become my personal possession."

"Moreover, with two Undying Bird nests in my possession, my strength will grow even further. I'm confident that after merging the two nests, I'll be able to determine whether the third Undying Bird nest has been destroyed or still exists. There's also a chance I could sense whether the Undying Bird itself is still alive," the Songbird Queen declared.

President Lyi's interest was piqued. "Are you certain you can locate the third nest?"

"There's a high probability. However, should the third secular bird's nest be found, it must remain mine," the Songbird Queen stated unequivocally. "I'm aware that Boulderdawn is searching for the third nest as well. I expect you to discuss this matter with them."

"If all the nests are yours, what can you offer us in return?" President Lyi inquired.

"I will ensure that one of the nests falls into the Everlands for your unrestricted access," the Songbird Queen mused. "I also vow not to interfere with your conflict against the five supreme powers. At the very least, when the true battle unfolds, I will stay neutral and not support either side."

"You think they'll leave you alone when one of your merged nests is in the Everlands for our use?" President Lyi chuckled.

"That's their concern," the Songbird Queen replied coolly.

"Just a moment."

Before Yu Yuan and her, President Lyi suddenly closed his eyes. A myriad of remnant soul threads seemed to silently spread out and then coalesce once more.

"It's settled."

President Lyi opened his eyes and gave a slight nod.

"I require his assistance."

The Songbird Queen turned to gaze at Yu Yuan, her eyes fixating on the region of his chest. "The Altar of Rebirth within him possesses the power to refine vitality essence and unleash life-giving miracles. I will utilize the secular bird's regenerative power to repair this nest."

"The power of regeneration, once catalyzed by the strange power of his altar, will successfully restore this nest."

She gave a slight bow in Yu Yuan's direction and earnestly requested, "Could you please lend me a hand?"

Yu Yuan was taken aback.

He hadn't anticipated that the second secular bird's nest within the pit would need his strength to be fully repaired and operational.

"It's wonderful that you've made it to Ionodios," President Lyi said with a beaming smile. "We're all on the same team, after all. Using the Altar of Rebirth to condense such an immense amount of vitality is beneficial for you as well."

"We'll need a considerable amount of flesh and blood from high-level experts and dire beasts for the transformation. We'll need your assistance with that," the Songbird Queen added.

President Lyi nodded in agreement. "Naturally."

"Then please, procure that flesh and blood as quickly as possible so I can begin," the Songbird Queen said, already moving the merged bird nest toward the pit below. "Yu Yuan, I need you to come down and enter the nest I've merged with."

With a simple "Oh," Yu Yuan descended.

Upon entering, he sensed that the nests of the secular birds were not lifeless, but rather akin to some sort of peculiar living entity.

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