C1071 Three in One
In the midst of a vast pit, surrounded by layers of misty light, lay the remnants of a colossal bird's nest. At the heart of this nest, a Songbird twirled gracefully, its entire body shimmering with a jewel-like radiance. With delicate movements, it would sometimes nudge the nest's branches with its beak or gently peck at the splintered twigs. Remarkably, each twig it touched with its beak seemed to mend and regenerate as if by magic.
The hastily assembled and poorly arranged tree trunks, once manipulated by the Songbird's claws, found the previously stagnant psionic power within them flowing freely. Under the enigmatic methods of the God of Ghosts, the Songbird, belonging to Sun Jun, was in the process of restoring the massive nest.
Yet, the Songbird itself radiated a destructive aura, the breath of ruin. This Divine Bird, seemingly capable of obliterating all life, paradoxically employed its claws and beak to mend the nest, its actions exuding an air of the uncanny and bizarre.
Atop the head of the Songbird sat Chen Qinghuang, adorned with a phoenix coronet. She was akin to a goddess wielding the strange power of rebirth, her presence suggesting she could awaken those in slumber to rise anew from the earth.
Flanking the Songbird's claws were two manifestations of Qinghuang, each accompanied by a Lunar Spirit and a Solar Spirit, respectively.
Yu Yuan sat serenely atop the Songbird's outstretched wings, legs crossed in meditation. Above him floated the crimson Altar of Rebirth, resembling a blood-red diamond, slowly revolving as it purified the flesh and blood of dire beasts and archdemons cast into it.
The vitality surged forth from the Altar of Rebirth like an awakening volcano, a tumultuous cascade of vital energy that was both awe-inspiring and formidable.
In that moment, any ninth-level archdemon or Otherkin of comparable might who happened to be nearby would resonate with the blood and be terrified by the tumult within the Altar of Rebirth.
Suddenly, a dark red stream of vitality burst forth from the Altar, cascading down upon Yu Yuan like a waterfall. With the guidance of his mystique, he redirected the flow, infusing it with a strand of his own vitality, before sending it towards Chen Qinghuang, perched upon the Songbird's head.
Whoosh!
The stream of vitality, brimming with the essence of life, was welcomed by the real body of the Songbird Queen. It flowed into the beak of the Songbird, which then gently pecked at a fractured branch.
The branch hissed, reminiscent of a severed dragon regenerating through some mystical force.
Yu Yuan, sitting motionless, watched with rapt attention as the once withered branch transformed, bulging with strength and pulsing with astonishing energy, like the sinews of a giant beast.
He marveled with a click of his tongue, utterly astounded.
The three Songbird Queens, in their Lunar Spirit forms, exuded an aura of deathly stillness, bearing a resemblance to the Death Crane and Xi Quan.
Yet another Songbird Queen, representing the Solar Spirit, contrasted starkly with the Solar Spirits he was familiar with.
Typically, human cultivators create their Solar Spirits from heaven souls and pure spiritual energy crystals, infused with a blend of rare treasures from the world.
But the Solar Spirit of the Songbird Queen, as perceived by Yu Yuan, was a potent concentration of raw, muscular energy, a crystallization of her heaven soul.
It felt less human and more akin to an archdemon!
What baffled him most was the Solar Spirit Body of the Songbird Queen, which was saturated with the breath of ruin!
Her real body, perched atop the Songbird, radiated a mysterious regenerative glow. Each time it harnessed his life's essence, it would mend the shattered branches of the second secular bird's nest, breathing new life into it.
The Lunar Spirit was associated with death, the Solar Spirit with the form of an archdemon, replete with the scent of destruction, while the real body and dominant soul were in a state of rebirth.
As per Chen Qinghuang and President Lyi's instructions, Yu Yuan continuously extracted the flesh and blood of dire beasts and archdemons into the Altar of Rebirth, mulling over his thoughts in silence.
"The three nests of the secular birds each harbor elements of death, destruction, and rebirth to varying degrees."
Noticing his confusion, Chen Qinghuang, from her position atop the Songbird, spoke through her real body.
"I first grasped the power of regeneration," she revealed.
She glanced down at the Songbird beneath her and continued, "But the predominant force within the first secular bird's nest is that of destruction. This is precisely why the Wingkind regard them as the progeny of the secular bird."
"I've gleaned the power of rebirth from within the Nest of Perdition, merging it with the essence of destruction. This has led to a qualitative metamorphosis of the Solar Spirit. It's undergone a transformation that I can't quite fathom, one that's unlike the Solar Spirits of most humans."
As she spoke, Yu Yuan channeled a force brimming with vitality from the Altar of Rebirth. At her behest, it surged toward her Solar Spirit Body.
The influx of vital energy seemed to purify her Solar Spirit Body.
Next, Yu Yuan observed her Solar Spirit Body channel the power of destruction into the Songbird's talons, lightly tapping a nearby branch.
Snap!
The branch broke off.
"The Skyreach Consortium and those attempting to restore the Deathwing Lair have only created a haphazard mess," her Solar Spirit Body explained with a smile. "Branches not originally from the Deathwing Lair were cobbled together by them, which actually obstructed the enigmatic nature of the undying lair."
Yu Yuan nodded, grasping her point.
"If the secular bird truly lives, it would be in the third Rebirth Nest. The nests of death, destruction, and rebirth are not static; they are in a state of flux. For instance, the Nest of Perdition I first merged with—if it contains more regenerative power than destructive power, it becomes a Rebirth Nest."
"And that Rebirth Nest's regenerative power would then diminish, with the power of destruction correspondingly intensifying."
"If all three nests are intact and undamaged, the three types of power can convert and pass between them. Thus, the three nests of the secular bird hold unfathomable secrets."
Chen Qinghuang was unbothered about sharing these eternal mysteries with Yu Yuan, secrets that others could never fully grasp.
Yu Yuan listened intently, quickly coming to an understanding.
Destruction, death, and rebirth—the three nests of the secular bird, if whole, can undergo endless transformations.
Any one of the nests could become a Rebirth Nest, enabling the secular bird to experience rebirth from the ashes.
"If I can merge with and refine each of the secular bird's three nests, truly unraveling and thoroughly comprehending the profound truths of the powers of destruction, death, and rebirth she left behind, I won't need anyone's permission or assistance. There's no need to vacate a Supreme God seat for me; I can reach the ultimate pinnacle on my own."
The three Songbird Queens shouted in unison.
Yu Yuan was taken aback.
"It's quite straightforward. I relied on the secular bird to seize the immense fortune she scattered across the Star River after her demise. By harnessing the essence of the three powers she left behind, and using her three nests, I could naturally ascend to the Supreme God. Such a state would allow me to transcend the cosmic order of the Everlands, free from any constraints."
Chen Qinghuang's real body captured another surge of life-creating energy and tossed it to the Songbird at her feet.
She smiled gently, "The Altar of Rebirth within you, once fully evolved, will become the second heart of the Abyssal Leviathan. If you manage to slay the Abyssal Leviathan and use your internal Altar of Rebirth to engulf and rejuvenate it, you too can transcend the rules of the Everlands and challenge the seat of the Supreme God!"
"Each being that originated from a cosmic giant beast possesses such wondrous power."
The Songbird Queen imparted this secret to Yu Yuan in an enlightening tone.
...
In a distant and unfamiliar starry sea.
A meteorite as vast as a continent, complete with mountains, seas, and lakes, drifted slowly.
The area was enveloped in silence, devoid of stars, sun, moon, or any trace of living beings.
Numerous islands dotted the deep sea, many of which were frequented by ghouls. Among them were Shura, members of the Shadowkin, dire beasts, and archdemons, all under the command of the Ghoul King.
The human-form Abyssal Leviathan reclined on a chair on one such island, peering into the dark Star River with narrowed eyes.
"Ghoul King, how long until we enter the Annihilation Nebula?" he suddenly inquired.
"If we're quick, half a month. If slow, three months."
"Don't rush, yet don't dawdle. Aim to reach the edge of the Annihilation Nebula in one and a half months."
"Understood."
...
