C1070 Chen Qinghuang

In a secluded corner of the Plover Realm, Xi Quan, who was devoted to mastering the Withered Sword, and a white crane, long pursued by the Demon Palace, exchanged looks of mutual contempt. Their eyes shimmered with myriad tiny sword glints and swirling Demonic Power.

The valley they occupied was a place of quiet desolation, where vegetation withered and insects perished in silence beneath the earth.

The Green Willow Demon let out a soft snort. Rivulets of water encircled the valley, a subtle barrier to prevent the spread of death and desolation, safeguarding the rest of the Plover Realm from the consequences.

"What are you two up to?" Lvliu asked, his gaze on the white crane, his face an open book of scorn.

"Let me remind you both of something," he continued. "The core powers of the Secular Bird from a hundred thousand years ago were threefold: destruction, death, and regeneration. Mastery of any one could elevate you to the status of a Demon God or Primordial Spirit. However..."

Lvliu paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in.

Both the white crane and Xi Quan showed rapt attention, setting aside their rivalry in light of Lvliu's significance.

Lvliu, like the white crane, hailed from the Boundless Land and the Demon Palace, but he was far more ancient. A Ninth Level Demon for ages, he had once commanded the entire Demon Army in the Outer Star River. Rumor had it that if not for a lack of high seats, he might have ascended to Demon God.

His knowledge of the secrets of the Outland Star River far surpassed that of both the white crane and Xi Quan.

"Destruction comes first, followed by death, and then the possibility of rebirth," Lvliu explained. "Within the Sword Sect, Du Yuan, ranked third, is known as the Disillusionment Sword, while the seventh-ranked Van Heqing is called the Shattering Sword. The essence of the Sword Dao True Spell they each comprehend is the same: it is destruction."

"The force of destruction is the most powerful, capable of breaking through anything."

"Life succumbs to death after destruction. The power you both pursue is that of death. The essence of the energy you emanate is the desolate force that follows destruction. Should it overflow and spread, it will touch all living beings."

Beyond that lies the power of rebirth. Among the three forces, the Secular Bird's regenerative power may not be the most lethal, but it is certainly the most enigmatic and the most difficult to grasp.

Lvliu paused, allowing Bai He and Xi Quan a moment to ponder the concept.

"The Luan Bird Queen must be delving into the Secular Bird's regenerative force! She's leveraging this power to ascend once more into the Unrestrained Stage. As a result, she has received grand invitations from the Divine Soul Sect and the Babel Chamber of Commerce, who hope she can use her regenerative abilities to restore a second, severely damaged nest."

"And there's more..."

"Her fusion with the Secular Bird's nest brought the Destruction Fortress, entangled with the marauders. I believe she's still unraveling the profound secrets of the Secular Bird's core power of destruction. Should she succeed in mastering both the regenerative and destructive essences, the futures of both of you, including Du Yuan with his Disillusionment Sword and Van Heqing with his Shattering Sword, may well be in jeopardy."

Lvliu revealed the profound intricacies of the situation.

Bai He and Xi Quan, the great demons and sword cultivators who had contemplated the powers of death and desolation, fell into a deep, contemplative silence.

"What's the matter, don't you fancy the empress?" Zhongli quipped with a mischievous grin.

Lvliu had planted a seed in the minds of Bai He and Xi Quan, hinting that they would be wise to set aside their pride and join forces against the Luan Bird Queen.

Zhongli found this notion peculiar.

"The true origins of the Luan Bird Queen are unknown; she is not of the Chen family lineage," Lvliu stated coolly. "Our support enabled Chen Liangquan's uprising and subsequent takeover. Even the Chen family elders acknowledge her as an outsider. Both Zu Ann and I have looked into it, yet her origins remain a mystery."

"Furthermore, it was Zu Ann and I who collaborated with Chen Liangquan to dethrone her, causing her fall from grace."

"Bai He and Xi Quan are now officially part of the Babel Chamber of Commerce, aligning them with my camp. Naturally, I'd rather not see her integrate the three great powers bequeathed by the Secular Bird and ultimately achieve the Primordial Spirit."

Zhongli was visibly shaken by Lvliu's words.

Destruction, death, rebirth—the three forces left by the Secular Bird—if the Luan Bird Queen were to fully comprehend them and harness their power to challenge the highest echelons of divinity, her might would be unparalleled across the vast expanses of the Boundless Land.

The Luan Bird Queen's combat prowess was likely unparalleled in the Boundless Land.

"It's no surprise she was so bold even in the presence of President Lyi," Zhongli acknowledged with a slight nod.

...

Within the nest of the Undying Bird.

Yu Yuan was intently observing the nest that had successfully merged with the Luan Bird Queen. He was constructing branches as thick as dragons from the damaged outer ring of the bird's nest.

A radiant divine light seemed to flow gently within the branches, emitting a unique and wondrous aura that left Yu Yuan in awe.

He was certain his intuition was correct; the nest crafted by the Undying Bird was not an inanimate object but a living entity, akin to an extraordinary creature in another form.

As he watched closely, he noticed the nest, now merged with the Luan Bird Queen, was undergoing subtle transformations.

From a bird's nest, it was gradually taking on the shape of a bird...

A bird with vibrant green feathers, slowly unfurling its wings in a display of otherworldly beauty.

"Luan!"

Shock painted Yu Yuan's face as he realized that the nest before him increasingly resembled the Luan Bird he had encountered three hundred years prior, distinguished by a scar on its brow.

Back then, the Luan Bird had a mere Fourth Level bloodline and was quite vulnerable, yet it was fiercely protective of its master.

Later, upon his arrival in Luan Bird City, he learned through various means that the Luan Bird's physical form had perished, leaving only its demon soul behind.

The Luan Bird's demon soul had fused with Luan Bird City, becoming the spirit of the Ascension Array and the central pivot of the formation, aiding the Luan Bird Queen in operating the grand array.

However, with Chen Liangquan's successful coup, both the Divine Bird and the Luan Bird Queen vanished.

"Your Majesty, this Luan Bird?" Yu Yuan couldn't contain his curiosity.

The Luan Bird Queen, adorned with a phoenix coronet, paused briefly before smiling and responding, "My name is Chen Qinghuang."

Chen Qinghuang, the Luan Bird Queen?

Yu Yuan was taken aback, pondering for a moment, unsure of the proper way to address her.

"Just call me Qinghuang."

"Qinghuang? Very well," Yu Yuan replied with a slight nod. "What is the connection between this Luan Bird's demon soul and the nest of the Secular Bird?"

"The nest of the Secular Bird has been transformed into a superior form for the Luan Bird," the Luan Bird Queen said with a cryptic smile. "Yu Yuan, both the Luan Bird and I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Our paths were destined to cross. Had I known you were in Luan Bird City, I might have left the Luan Bird Empire much earlier."

Yu Yuan, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Truth be told, upon my return to Luan Bird City, I had already intended to step down. Before my arrival, I discovered the nest of the Secular Bird and unlocked the extraordinary powers it concealed. My return was to step away and ascend to the heavens once more, using the realm of the Yang God. Since my departure took place here, it is only fitting that I leave from this place as well."

A mischievous smile played across the Luan Bird Queen's exquisite features.

Yu Yuan was taken aback. "So you had already planned to renounce your throne and depart? The schemes of the Divine Soul Sect and the Babel Chamber of Commerce, the collaboration between Zu Ann and Lvliu, along with Chen Liangquan's pressure, all fell perfectly into your plans?"

"Yes, I should be grateful to them. Without their actions, I would have struggled to justify my departure to the three upper sects," the Luan Bird Queen acknowledged with a nod.

As Yu Yuan was about to delve deeper with his questions, she interjected, "We'll discuss this later!"

Yu Yuan fell silent.

Shortly thereafter, President Lyi of the Babel Chamber of Commerce reappeared, cradling an enormous silver platter.

Upon his arrival, the platter began to expand incrementally.

Displayed within the platter were slabs of robust flesh and blood, alongside numerous jars and vessels containing either the potent blood of other races or the fresh hearts of vicious beasts.

Yu Yuan's inner Life Altar responded instantly, recognizing that the blood and flesh originated almost entirely from Ninth Level warriors of other races, or equivalent creatures and vicious beasts.

None were of a level lower than the Eighth.

"For the time being, this is what we have," President Lyi announced, looking at Yu Yuan. "The rest is on its way. Rest assured, our chamber is fully committed to investing in the restoration of the Secular Bird's nest."

The silver disc, ever-expanding, settled above Yu Yuan's head, creating a microcosm within. Yu Yuan was able to perpetually harvest chunks of flesh and fresh blood, refining them at the Life Altar. Through transformation, he distilled a force imbued with the essence of life, which he then offered to nourish the Luan Bird Queen.

​