C701 Our King!

Yu Yuan gazed upon the transformation unfolding within Luan Bird City, his eyes fixed on the Ascending Divine Bird as it contracted and its vibrant essence waned.

The Divine Bird, serving as the Artifact Soul of the Ascension Array, had once used its immense energy to forge a corporeal form as tangible as any living creature. This was akin to a master of the Yang God Stage employing the purest spiritual energy to craft a Yang God body made entirely of pure energy.

Yet, with Chen Liangquan's proclamation, the formidable energy that had given shape to the Divine Bird's form surged back into the city, leaving behind only its spectral Artifact Soul adrift in the heavens. The force it could muster now was a mere shadow of its former self, diminished by more than tenfold.

No longer did the Green Willow Demon deem it worthy of attention.

As Yu Yuan witnessed this new development, his emotions were a maelstrom of thoughts. He hadn't anticipated that the Divine Soul Sect, once vanished into the Outland Star River, would make its return to this realm in such times.

Had he arrived a bit later, after advancing to the Yang God Stage or the Unrestrained Stage, once he had reclaimed the helm of the Medicine God Sect, he might have been a key player in the ensuing tumult.

Instead, he stood as merely a spectator, relegated to watching from a distance.

In his current state of cultivation and status, even wielding the Evil Cauldron, he was of little consequence to the likes of Lvliu, Zu Ann, and Tan Junshan.

The frustration of being a passive onlooker, unable to exert a decisive influence, gnawed at him.

Whoosh! The azure light curtain he had sustained began to undergo a subtle transformation. Resembling an immense inverted bowl, it had once shrouded Luan Bird City in its entirety. Now, at the behest of Chen Liangquan's declaration, the once luminous azure barrier grew increasingly diaphanous, as if it might be punctured with the slightest touch.

"The Ascension Array of the Divine Luan is on the verge of collapse!"

"Chen Liangquan has forsaken the Chen family and the Boundless Land!"

The city's remaining practitioners watched in horror as the azure light curtain morphed, their screams echoing with dread.

They all understood that Luan Bird City's salvation from being overrun and swallowed by the Dark Ember Dust Fog lay in the protective isolation of that azure light curtain.

The azure light screen signified the Ascension Array of the Divine Luan!

Yet, should that screen fade, the protective array safeguarding Luan Bird City would cease to be, leaving the city utterly defenseless. The Devaputras, Greater Demons, and Earth Demons lurking outside could then march straight in unopposed.

The Dark Ember Dust, too, could surge back in, swallowing a city whole without any resistance.

Would anyone survive such an onslaught?

"Liangquan, was it you who urged me to relinquish the throne? Are you the one who aspires to be the new sovereign of the empire?"

The Luan Bird Queen's voice pierced the air, emanating from the still-hovering Divine Bird above.

All eyes turned to see another figure of the Luan Bird Queen standing at the Artifact Soul of the Divine Bird, clad in Luan Bird-embroidered attire, sans the gleaming silver crown.

Yet her visage remained obscured by a light veil of mist, her true face concealed.

"Your Majesty, my ascension to king is a harbinger," declared Chen Liangquan from beneath the earth, his tone neither subservient nor haughty. "Never before have mixed-bloods stepped forward, let alone ascended to the throne. My coronation will herald a new era for the Boundless Land."

"Mixed-bloods?"

"Chen Liangquan, a contemptible mixed-breed?"

"How could the Chen family tolerate his existence?"

Chen Liangquan's revelation sent shockwaves through Luan Bird City. No one had anticipated that he, once favored by the three upper sects, was not of pure human lineage but born of an intermingling with an alien race.

From within the Dark Ember Dust, the first to emerge was a mixed-blood with deep blue eyes, unmistakably human.

Following suit, others appeared, some with petrified skin, others with golden wings sprouting from their backs.

These were the so-called mixed-blood remnants spoken of in hushed tones.

For centuries, they had skulked in the dark recesses of the Boundless Land, akin to rats, never daring to step into the light.

For their lineage traced back to an alien from beyond the stars!

To the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and the Demon Palace, to the sect elders and disciples, these mixed-bloods were the latent threats within their world, destined to be hunted the moment they revealed themselves.

Many mixed-blood individuals like them had been silently slain, victims of misplaced vengeance. Native cultivators, formidable demons, and others who had lost kin to alien races related by blood sought retribution, targeting the innocent. Those who perished may have never ventured beyond the Boundless Land, never glimpsed the origins of their lineage. Their deaths were tragically unjust.

In that moment, provoked by the curses and slurs hurled at them, the mixed-bloods emerged one after another from the shrouding Darkness Dust Mist, standing boldly before all.

They were united under a singular figure in this realm—Chen Liangquan.

Unbeknownst to many, Chen Liangquan of the Chen family from the Luan Bird Empire had traversed the Boundless Land's mountains and lakes, rallying them to his cause.

With his capabilities and demeanor, Chen Liangquan had won over the mixed-blood outsiders. He pledged a future where they could live openly and freely across the Boundless Land—a promise that earned their loyalty and service.

Suddenly, the enigmatic Chen Liangquan emerged in the north of Luan Bird City, at the very site where Chen Langzhi had once guided Yu Yuan underground. As he materialized, a brilliant radiance enveloped him, his form shimmering like a vast, pristine diamond.

Blinding light burst forth from his hands, neck, and every inch of exposed skin, so intense that onlookers could barely keep their eyes open.

"We are the human descendants of the Bright Clan!" the crowd exclaimed in shock.

"Our king!" The mixed-bloods, witnessing Chen Liangquan's arrival and the display of their shared heritage, called out with reverence.

Their gazes towards Chen Liangquan were laden with admiration and respect.

As the blinding light receded, Chen Liangquan resumed his natural appearance, smiling softly. In an instant, he stood beside Zu Ann and offered a respectful bow to the Luan Bird Queen, adorned with her silver crown. "Your Majesty, please permit me to continue leading the Chen family and the rejuvenated Luan Bird Empire. Rest assured, under my guidance, both the family and the empire shall flourish."

"When did you grow so powerful?" the Luan Bird Queen inquired, astounded.

Chen Liangquan, ostensibly at the Yin God Stage, emanated an energy so profound that neither Zu Ann nor the Luan Bird Queen could believe he was merely an ordinary practitioner of that level.

Chen Liangquan, bearing the Bright Clan's alien bloodline within him, unleashed a power tide of such terror that it sent tremors through the very air.

The Luan Bird Queen herself, upon sensing the swell of this power tide, couldn't help but feel a deep, secret alarm.

She was not alone in her trepidation; even Soul Wandering Stage experts like Weixian in Luan Bird City, despite being miles away, felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation at the mere sight of Chen Liangquan.

Such a sensation was reserved for encounters with truly transcendent alien powerhouses.

Nearby, Yu Yuan, master of the Evil Cauldron, deeply sensed Chen Liangquan's presence through the Life Altar within his own microcosm of Qi and blood. Chen Liangquan's radiantly glowing form concealed a force as explosive and tumultuous as a volcanic eruption, its intensity rivaling that of the Green Willow Demon—a Ninth Level Great Demon!

"It all makes sense now. That's how he effortlessly seized the Yin God of the Silvermoon Queen on the mid-lake island in the Absence Relic. Why did he go to such lengths to abduct Lee Yupan? If he's the leader of the Boundless Land hybrids, then... could the Silvermoon Queen herself be a hybrid too?"

"Could he be a crossbreed of the Moon Demon and the Lee family? Only such a union would compel the Moon Demon Clan to invest everything in propelling the Lee family to the pinnacle!"

"Lee Yupan!"

Standing at a distance, Yu Yuan's mind was awash with revelations.

Chen Liangquan's emergence and his declarations had illuminated the murky corners of Yu Yuan's suspicions.

The memory of Chen Liangquan flaying an Eighth Level Great Demon beneath Luan Bird City was still fresh in Yu Yuan's mind, a feat that had once seemed inconceivable.

Now, perceiving the earth-shattering aura within Chen Liangquan, Yu Yuan realized that slaying an Eighth Level Great Demon was well within his capabilities.

It was no surprise, then, that Chen Liangquan had taken the lead in the expansion of the grand Luan Bird City.

In the same vein, his boldness in confronting the Luan Bird Queen was a testament to his formidable strength, scarcely less than hers, fueled by a confidence that emboldened him to such audacious acts.

Chen Liangquan's ability to command the allegiance of the Boundless Land's mixed-blood races, standing shoulder to shoulder with powers like Zu Ann, spoke volumes of his formidable prowess.

"When His Majesty is away from the Boundless Land, I quietly gather my strength," Chen Liangquan said with a gracious smile, his manners impeccable. "I am well aware of His Majesty's valor and commanding presence. Please have faith in me. The Chen family and the future Luan Bird Empire are in my care—I won't let you down."

"Times have changed. I urge you to reconsider your actions," Zu Ann cautioned sternly.

Eyes from all over Luan Bird City and beyond the Dark Ember Mist converged on the two revealed Luan Bird Queens, all tinged with nervous anticipation, awaiting the empress's verdict.

The wait was brief. The empress, who had single-handedly forged the Luan Bird Empire and reigned over the Profound Sky Continent, gave a slight nod. "I shall wander afar for a time. Upon my return, I expect the Luan Bird Empire and the Chen family to be as formidable as you've promised."

"We are deeply grateful, Your Majesty!" Chen Liangquan exclaimed.

At her pronouncement, the cultivators from the various sects within Luan Bird City paled, their faces a mask of despair.

​