C1071 Three in One

In a vast expanse, a massive pit lay surrounded by layers of hazy light, filled with the remnants of shattered bird nests. At the heart of this nest, a Luan Bird danced with elegance, its body shimmering with a radiant, jewel-like light as it twirled with grace.

With delicate movements, it used its beak and luminous claws to occasionally adjust the nest's branches or tenderly peck at the splintered twigs. Each broken twig, once touched by its beak, seemed to regenerate as if life's pathways were being reconnected.

The hastily assembled and imprecisely arranged branches were subtly manipulated by the Luan Bird's claws, unlocking the peculiar energies within and allowing them to flow freely. Sun Jun's Luan Bird, through mysterious and unfathomable means, was in the midst of restoring the grand nest.

Yet, the Luan Bird itself radiated a power of destruction. This Divine Bird, capable of annihilation, paradoxically employed its claws and beak in the nurturing act of nest repair, an endeavor both uncanny and extraordinary.

The Luan Bird, continuously exuding an aura of devastation, bore atop its head Chen Qinghuang, adorned with a phoenix coronet. She embodied the goddess of resurrection, her presence imbued with a life-giving energy that could awaken the dormant and summon them back to the world of the living.

Flanking the Luan Bird's claws were two manifestations of Chen Qinghuang, each representing the Yin God and Yang God. Perched upon the Luan Bird's outstretched wings, Yu Yuan sat cross-legged as the crimson Life Altar, resembling a blood-red gem, hovered three meters above him. It revolved slowly, purifying the flesh and blood of vicious beasts and demons cast into its depths.

The Life Altar unleashed a torrent of vital energy as potent as an erupting volcano. The blood energy surged like a tidal wave, its force awe-inspiring and overwhelming.

In that moment, any Ninth Level demon or peer non-human warrior who might have been in proximity would have felt a resonance, their very essence shaken by the activity within the Life Altar.

Abruptly, a dark red surge of blood energy burst forth from the Life Altar, cascading towards Yu Yuan like a waterfall. He deftly redirected the flow with a secret technique, infusing it with a thread of his own vital essence before guiding it toward Chen Qinghuang, who presided over the Luan Bird's crown.

Whoosh!

The life-infused blood energy was welcomed by the true form of the Luan Bird Queen, flowing into the beak of the Luan Bird. With a gentle peck, it mended a fractured branch.

The branch hissed as if it were a severed dragon, miraculously regenerating before one's eyes.

Yu Yuan, sitting motionless, watched with rapt attention as the once withered branch transformed, bulging with strength and pulsating with astonishing energy, like the sinews of a colossal beast.

He marveled, utterly captivated by the sight.

The Yin Gods of the three Luan Bird Queens, in their soul spirit forms, exuded an aura of death, reminiscent of the Death Crane and Xi Quan.

Another Luan Bird Queen represented the Yang God, distinctly different from the Yang Gods he was accustomed to.

Typically, human cultivators crafted their Yang Gods from their souls and pure spiritual energy, incorporating a blend of rare treasures.

Yet, the Yang God of the Luan Bird Queen, as perceived by Yu Yuan, was an intense concentration of robust, fleshly power, akin to the crystallization of her soul.

It felt less human and more demonic!

What baffled him most was the destructive power that filled the Yang God physique of the Luan Bird Queen!

Her true form, perched atop the Luan Bird, radiated with the mysterious essence of rebirth. Each time it harnessed his life's energy, it would heal the ruptured branches of the second Secular Bird's nest, breathing new life into it.

The Yin God ruled over death, the Yang God bore the essence of a mighty demon, brimming with destruction, while the true form and the main soul were in a state of rebirth.

Yu Yuan, heeding the requests of Chen Qinghuang and President Lyi, continuously extracted the flesh and blood of vicious beasts and great demons into the Life Altar for refinement, all the while deep in thought.

"The nests of the three Secular Birds each harbor forces of death, destruction, and regeneration to varying degrees."

Chen Qinghuang, from her position at the Luan Bird's head, seemed to notice his confusion and spoke through her true form.

"The first power I grasped was, in fact, the power of regeneration."

She gazed down at the Luan Bird beneath her, "But the dominant force within the first Secular Bird's nest is that of destruction. It is for this reason that the Winged Race regards them as the progeny of the Secular Bird."

"I've gleaned the power of rebirth from within the Destruction Nest, which led to the fusion of the nest and a qualitative metamorphosis of the Yang God. It's a transformation that I can't quite fathom, distinct from the Yang Gods of most humans."

While she spoke, Yu Yuan channeled a potent force brimming with Qi and blood from the Life Altar, directed by her will, towards her Yang God form.

This energy infused her Yang God form, purifying it as if washing it anew.

Yu Yuan then observed her Yang God form channeling the power of destruction into the Luan Bird's claws, which lightly tapped a nearby branch.

Crack!

The branch snapped off.

"The Babel Chamber of Commerce and those attempting to restore the Death Nest have only created a haphazard mess."

Her Yang God form explained with a smile, "Branches that didn't originally belong to the Death Nest were haphazardly collected and assembled by them, which ironically obstructed the enigmatic nature of the nest."

Yu Yuan nodded, grasping her point.

"If the Secular Bird is indeed alive, it would be in the third Regeneration Nest. The Nests of Death, Destruction, and Regeneration aren't static; they're in a state of constant flux. For instance, the Destruction Nest I initially merged with—if its regenerative power exceeds its destructive force—becomes a Regeneration Nest."

"And as the regenerative power within that nest diminishes, the destructive force correspondingly intensifies."

"If all three nests are intact and undamaged, the three forces can interconvert and circulate amongst them. Thus, the three nests of the Secular Bird harbor mysteries beyond imagination."

"…"

Chen Qinghuang had no qualms about sharing these eternal secrets with Yu Yuan, secrets that others could never fully grasp.

Yu Yuan listened intently and soon came to an understanding.

Destruction, Death, and Rebirth—the three nests of the Secular Bird, when whole, are capable of endless transformation.

Any one of the nests could become a Regeneration Nest, enabling the Secular Bird to undergo a phoenix-like rebirth.

"If I can merge with and fully decipher the three nests of the Secular Bird, I can unravel the profound truths of destruction, death, and rebirth she left behind. I won't need anyone's permission or assistance, nor will I have to vacate a supreme divine position, to reach the pinnacle."

The three Luan Bird Queens exclaimed in unison.

Yu Yuan was profoundly moved.

"It's quite straightforward. Relying on the Secular Bird, I've seized the vast fortune scattered across the cosmos following her demise. With the profound truths of the three powers she left behind, and her three great nests, I can naturally ascend to the highest echelon. Such a state would allow me to transcend the vast cosmic laws, free from any constraint."

Chen Qinghuang's true form captured a strand of life's creative force and cast it towards the Luan Bird at her feet.

With a gentle laugh, she said, "The Life Altar within you will evolve into the second heart of the Chaos Roc at its pinnacle. Should you manage to slay the Chaos Roc and use your Life Altar to absorb and restore it, you too will break free from the constraints of cosmic laws and ascend to the ultimate echelon!"

"Each being that emerged from the primordial Starry Behemoth possesses such wondrous power."

The Luan Bird Queen imparted this secret to Yu Yuan with an enlightening tone.

...

In a remote and alien starfield.

A meteorite as vast as a landmass, complete with mountains, seas, and lakes, drifted slowly through space.

The area was eerily quiet, devoid of stars, sun, moon, or any trace of living creatures.

Numerous islands dotted the deep sea, many of which were haunted by Yin Corpses. Among them were Asuras, members of the Dark Elfkind, vicious beasts, and great demons, all under the command of the Yin Corpse King.

The Chaos Roc, now in human form, lounged on a chair on one of the islands, half-closed eyes fixed on the empty expanse of the dark starry river.

"Yin Corpse King, how long until we reach the Oblivion Starfield?"

He suddenly inquired.

"If we're quick, half a month. If slower, three months."

"Let's not rush nor drag our feet. Aim to arrive at the fringe of the Oblivion Starfield in one and a half months."

"Understood."

...