C703 A Witness to the New Era!
The Songbird Queen gracefully departed.
With the Phoenix Skybreak Array gone, the city gates stood open, as if in anticipation of the new emperor's ascension.
Chen Liangquan swept his sleeve.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared at the northern gate of Afnetalos.
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted from beneath the streets of Afnetalos. Soon after, silhouettes began to converge at the northern gate.
"Members of the Chen family!"
Mortals left to guard the city stood atop rooftops, gazing northward, murmuring softly.
Not all had followed the Songbird Queen up her rainbow staircase.
Those born and bred in the Songbird Empire, undaunted by the Ashen Shadowmist or the Soul-Igniting Mist, along with some from the prominent families, remained in the city.
They kept a vigilant watch over the city's dramatic transformation.
They had been instructed by their family heads to now pledge allegiance to Chen Liangquan and to heed the will of the new emperor.
Suddenly, a tidal wave of cheers, like the roar of the sea, erupted from the city that the queen had left behind.
Chen family leaders and other influential figures spontaneously made their way to the north, to pledge their loyalty to Chen Liangquan.
To the south, Chen Langzhi stood dumbfounded, staring northward.
He watched as Chen family members, young and old, bowed reverently and devoutly before Chen Liangquan.
Chen Langzhi felt bewildered.
He had never understood how Chen Liangquan had won over the majority of their kin.
Even the most obstinate elders, who had once defied the Songbird Queen herself, were now among the crowd, trembling as they bowed deeply to Chen Liangquan.
This spectacle made Chen Langzhi feel like an outsider within the Chen family and the city of Afnetalos.
"Zhizhi, your ignorance stems from your unwavering loyalty to His Majesty," a venerable woman with youthful features suddenly materialized from the stones at Chen Langzhi's feet. She smiled and whispered, "His Majesty, despite your brilliance and your role in forging the Songbird Empire, bringing our Chen family to such heights, you are, in truth, not of our Chen bloodline."
"What?" Chen Liangquan exclaimed in astonishment.
The Songbird Queen bore the Chen surname, claiming lineage from the family since her emergence. She rose to power on the back of the Skyborn Empire, elevating the Songbird Empire to the pinnacle of power in Aetherius.
She, too, was the First Female Emperor of All Ages.
How could the pride of the Chen family not belong to the Chen family?
"She is the adopted daughter of the old patriarch," explained the eldest matriarch of the Chen family, revealing the truth succinctly. "Zhizhi, the Chen family has always had otherkin bloodlines. It's just that for some, it never manifested throughout their lives, while for others, their otherkin heritage was quietly erased."
Chen Langzhi was completely stunned. "Is that really true?"
The old woman nodded slowly. "That's why Liangquan gained the old man's approval. He's the one who has had the deepest interactions with those from beyond our world. He understands that a new era has dawned. The longstanding dominion of the three great upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep over the Everlands has been shattered. The Chen family and the Songbird Empire must now make a choice."
"You've seen the choice we've made."
The old woman looked up at the sky from which the Songbird Queen had departed. "She wasn't wrong. Both the Chen family and the Songbird Empire will remember and be grateful to her. But it is Liangquan who is the future of both the Chen family and the empire. He is our hope for the days to come!"
She earnestly implored Chen Langzhi to pledge his true allegiance to the new emperor, having once been loyal to the Songbird Queen.
Chen Langzhi was lost, overwhelmed by the astonishing revelation, and took a while to regain his composure.
"From this day forward, all hybrids with human bloodlines in the Everlands may live in Afnetalos and within the Songbird Empire!" Chen Liangquan declared, standing before the northern gate of the city, addressing the hybrids who had heeded his call.
In a voice filled with solemnity, he proclaimed, "I, Chen Liangquan, as the new emperor of the Songbird Empire, hereby announce to this world that the Songbird Empire will pioneer an unprecedented era, welcoming any hybrids with human bloodlines!"
"Those arriving from the extraterrestrial Star River, as long as they possess human lineage and abide by the laws of the Songbird Empire, shall have the freedom to roam within our empire's borders."
His voice resonated with the weight of his lofty aspirations.
From the moment he discovered his otherkin heritage and embraced his identity, no longer considering his bloodline a source of shame, Chen Liangquan resolved to transform the world.
He had rehearsed this moment in his mind countless times.
Driven by his ambition and unwavering belief, he traversed the vast rivers and grand landscapes of the Everlands, seeking out hidden hybrids to share his vision and earn their trust and recognition.
It was the teachings of the powerful hybrids, showing him innovative ways to cultivate, that granted him such strength!
After his words echoed, a second wave of thunderous roars burst forth from the hybrids.
Many hybrids of bizarre forms boldly advanced toward Afnetalos.
Among them, a few exuded such formidable auras that the radiant energy surrounding them seemed capable of warping space and shattering the heavens.
Even the archdemon Green Willow and Zu Ann were taken aback by the sight of these individuals.
They had not anticipated that within the hybrids of the Everlands, there would be those with such immense power.
It became clear that there were others like Chen Liangquan, unassuming in appearance, yet possessing exceptional combat prowess.
"Welcome!"
Chen Liangquan, in his new role as emperor, stood at the city gates to receive them, his eyes sparkling with astonishment and his face beaming with smiles.
The strongest among them had instructed him in harnessing the bloodlines of the Otherkin and integrating the cultivation arts of humanity to enhance his own strength and progress.
He regarded these individuals as his mentors.
"Well done!"
"Good lad!"
"It's incredible that you actually succeeded! You've truly honored your promise!"
"You've lived up to the expectations of all the hybrids in the Everlands! Their choice has been vindicated!"
The ancient hybrid with a formidable presence offered words of comfort, stroking his beard with a smile, generously bestowing praise.
They had not foreseen that the once frail boy from the Chen family would indeed usher in a new era for their kind!
With Chen Liangquan welcoming the hybrids into Afnetalos, the age-old rules of the Everlands were now shattered!
...
The Ashen Shadowmist retreated slowly toward the Scarlet Dunes.
The myriad Sky Fiends, Otherkin, archdemons, and Terra Fiends summoned by Zu Ann seemed to sense their mission was accomplished.
"A new era dawns with Afnetalos at its forefront!"
Zu Ann stowed the Mirror of Fates, observing the hybrids no longer shrinking back or skulking in shadows, but striding confidently toward Afnetalos. He spoke from the heart.
Yu Yuan stood frozen, utterly bewildered.
In his two lifetimes, he never imagined he would live to see such a spectacle in this one! The five greatest supreme sects, leading the charge, harbored hostility towards all life forms not native to the Everlands!
Sky Fiends, extraterrestrial races, cosmic giant beasts—any being not born of the Everlands was deemed an enemy!
Even those born within the Everlands with extraterrestrial bloodlines were shunned and treated as outcasts!
In his past life as Hong Qi, he was aware that individuals with extraterrestrial heritage lived in the shadows, shunned by the sects.
Forget about the three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and the Shadow's Keep—even the seven lower sects, including the Ruby Hand, would not accept them.
The empires of Aetherius also marginalized these "people," secretly hunting them for sport and using them as trial targets.
Three hundred years ago, Hong Qi saw this as normal and wasn't surprised.
But now, with Chen Liangquan stepping forward, shattering old conventions, and establishing a new rule set, Yu Yuan had a revelation—perhaps Chen Liangquan wasn't wrong after all.
Why should those with Otherkin blood be singled out, exterminated, and used as scapegoats for others' frustrations?
These people, who had never left the Everlands their entire lives, who toiled earnestly without committing heinous acts, why were they born to be seen as enemies by all sects and empires?
Chen Liangquan, himself of Otherkin descent, had the audacity to pioneer such a monumental change, and Yu Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for him.
"Not many perished in the other cities within the Songbird Empire," Zu Ann suddenly interjected. "The spread of the Ashen Shadowmist merely compelled the Songbird Queen's true form to return from the extraterrestrial realm. My goal is to have her relinquish the imperial throne. The new era requires the mightiest empire of this world to set an example."
"And the Soul-Igniting Mist?" inquired Yu Yuan.
"Few lives were lost. It didn't spread widely, did it?" Zu Ann replied casually. "If we truly wanted to annihilate all the mortals in the Songbird Empire and the cultivators in Afnetalos, do you think Chen Liangquan and I, working together, couldn't achieve it?"
Yu Yuan found himself at a loss for words. "This..."
Given Zu Ann's advanced Unbound realm cultivation and Chen Liangquan's demonstrated power, their combined influence over Afnetalos and the Chen family was formidable. Together, they could unleash the Soul-Igniting Mist across the city and the entire Songbird Empire in the most devastating manner, leading to widespread, untimely deaths.
They manipulated Yu Yuan to spread the tale of the Soul-Igniting Mist, inciting terror throughout the city. This led to the demise of several cultivators, including the likes of Ditdite. Their ultimate aim was to compel the Songbird Queen to show herself, paving the way for Chen Liangquan to systematically ascend the imperial throne and overhaul the Songbird Empire's governance.
Zu Ann and Chen Liangquan, with their carefully laid plans, had indeed accomplished what they set out to do.
"It was never my intention for you to be outed and become one of our pawns," Zu Ann said, his hands open in a gesture of innocence. "It was you who chose to leave Afnetalos. Without my protection, you wouldn't have lasted a day beyond the city walls. By now, the Terra Fiend would have consumed your soul, and the archdemon would have torn you to pieces."
He paused briefly.
Zu Ann continued, "The incident at Cloud Lake, where the counterfeit Soul-Igniting Mist was used to attack your accusers and sow confusion—that was Chen Liangquan's scheme, not mine. Don't lay that at my feet."
He deftly sidestepped any responsibility.
