C703 To Witness the New Era!
The Luan Bird Queen gracefully departed.
With the formidable "ascension array" no longer present, the city's gates stood ajar, as if in anticipation of a new emperor's ascension.
Chen Liangquan swept his sleeve.
In a flash of light and shadow, he found himself at the northern city gate of Luan Bird City.
Boom!
A thunderous, ear-splitting roar emanated from beneath the inner city. Soon after, silhouettes began to converge at the northern gate.
"Members of the Chen family!"
The mortals left to guard the city stood atop rooftops, gazing northward, murmuring softly.
Not all had followed the Luan Bird Queen on her celestial staircase.
Those born and bred in the Luan Bird Empire, unafraid of the Dark Ember Mist or the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, along with some from the major families, remained within the city walls.
They kept a vigilant eye on the city's seismic shifts.
They had also been instructed by their family heads to henceforth pledge allegiance to Chen Liangquan, aligning with the will of the new emperor.
Suddenly, a tidal wave of cheers, like the roaring of the sea, erupted from the city the queen had vacated.
Leaders from the Chen family and other prominent clans had spontaneously gathered in the north, pledging their loyalty to Chen Liangquan.
To the south, Chen Langzhi stood transfixed, his gaze locked on the north.
He watched as Chen family members, both young and old, approached Chen Liangquan with reverence and devotion, offering their salutations.
Chen Langzhi felt bewildered.
He had never understood how Chen Liangquan had won over the hearts of so many clan members.
Even the most headstrong elders, who had once defied the Luan Bird Queen herself, were now present, shakily bowing before Chen Liangquan.
This sight made Chen Langzhi feel like an outsider in both Luan Bird City and the Chen family.
"Ah Zhi, you are unaware because of your loyalty to the Emperor," a venerable woman with youthful features emerged suddenly from the stones at Chen Langzhi's feet, smiling gently as she whispered, "The Emperor, despite his brilliance and having forged the Luan Bird Empire, elevating our Chen family to such heights, is in truth not one of our Chen kin."
"What?" Chen Liangquan exclaimed in astonishment.
The Luan Bird Queen, a Chen by surname, had always claimed her place as a true scion of the Chen family from the moment she appeared, her rise intertwined with the ascent of the Luan Bird Empire, establishing it as the mightiest empire on the Profound Sky Continent.
She, too, was the first female emperor in all of history.
How could the Chen family's pride not belong to their own lineage?
"She's the adopted daughter of the old patriarch," the eldest matriarch of the Chen family said, revealing the truth succinctly. "Azhizhi, the fact is, the Chen family has always carried the blood of outsiders. Some never show it their entire lives, while the lineage of others has been quietly erased."
Chen Langzhi was completely taken aback. "Is that really true?"
The old woman nodded slowly. "That's precisely why that young man, Liangquan, gained the old man's approval. He has the deepest connections with those from beyond our realm. He understands that a new era is upon us. The dominance of the three upper sects, the Demon Palace, and the Devil Palace over the vast expanse of the Boundless Land has been shattered. Both the Chen family and the Luan Bird Empire must now make a decision."
"You've seen the choice we've made."
The old woman looked up, her gaze lingering on the sky from which the Luan Bird Queen had departed. "She wasn't wrong. Both the Chen family and the Luan Bird Empire will remember her with gratitude. But it's Liangquan, that young man, who is the future of our family and empire. He's the one we'll rely on going forward!"
She earnestly implored Chen Langzhi to pledge his true allegiance to the new emperor, shifting his loyalty from the Luan Bird Queen.
Chen Langzhi was lost in confusion, overwhelmed by her astonishing revelations, and it took him a while to regain his composure.
"Henceforth, all hybrids with human lineage in the Boundless Land are welcome to live in Luan Bird City and the Luan Bird Empire!" Chen Liangquan proclaimed, standing before the northern city gates, addressing the gathered hybrids like himself.
With a voice resonating with solemnity and dignity, he declared, "I, Chen Liangquan, as the new emperor of the Luan Bird Empire, hereby announce to this world: Our empire will pioneer an unprecedented era, embracing all hybrids with human lineage!"
"Those arriving from the Outland Star River, if they carry human blood and abide by the laws of the Luan Bird Empire, shall have the freedom to roam within our empire's borders."
His words echoed with the weight of his grand vision.
From the moment Chen Liangquan discovered his heritage from another race and embraced his identity without shame, he was determined to revolutionize the world!
He had mentally rehearsed this moment time and again.
Driven by his ambition and unwavering belief, he traversed the renowned rivers and vast expanses of the Boundless Land, seeking out the hidden mixed-bloods. He shared his vision, earning their trust and acceptance.
It was the teachings of the formidable mixed-bloods, showing him innovative ways to cultivate, that granted him such strength!
His words were followed by a thunderous echo, a second wave of affirmation from the mixed-bloods.
A host of mixed-bloods with peculiar appearances boldly advanced towards Luan Bird City.
Among them were individuals with extraordinary auras, their bodies radiating dazzling energies capable of warping space and shattering realms.
Even the Green Willow Demon and Zu Ann watched these few with a mix of surprise and admiration.
They had not anticipated that any mixed-blood in the Boundless Land could attain such formidable power.
Indeed, there were others like Chen Liangquan, unremarkable at first glance, yet possessing exceptional combat prowess.
"Welcome!"
As the new emperor, Chen Liangquan stood at the city gates, his eyes sparkling with excitement and his face beaming with joy.
The most powerful among them had instructed him in harnessing the bloodlines of other races and integrating the cultivation techniques of humans to enhance his own strength and mastery.
He regarded these few as his mentors.
"Well done!"
"Bravo, young man!"
"It's unbelievable that you actually succeeded! You've truly honored your promise!"
"You've lived up to the expectations of all the mixed-bloods in the Boundless Land! Their faith in you was justified!"
The venerable mixed-blood with an awe-inspiring presence offered words of comfort, stroking his beard with a smile, generously lavishing praise.
They had never imagined that the once frail boy from the Chen family would indeed usher in a new era for mixed-bloods like themselves!
By welcoming the mixed-bloods into Luan Bird City, Chen Liangquan had shattered the ancient rules of the Boundless Land!
...
The "Dark Dust Mist" slowly receded towards the Crimson Desert.
Summoned by Zu Ann, the myriad Heavenly Demons, otherworldly races, Great Demons, and Earth Demons seemed to sense that their moment of triumph had arrived.
"A new era dawns with Luan Bird City as its stage!"
Zu Ann stowed the Skywatch Mirror, observing the mixed-blood individuals who no longer shrank back in fear or hid away. With confident strides, they approached Luan Bird City as he spoke with heartfelt conviction.
Yu Yuan stood, stunned.
In his two lifetimes, he never imagined he would witness such a moment!
The five supreme sects, leading the charge, regarded all life forms not of the Boundless Land as foes!
Heavenly Demons, formidable clans from the outer realms, Starry Behemoths—any being not born of the Boundless Land was deemed an enemy!
Even those born within the Boundless Land, carrying the blood of outsiders, faced exclusion!
As Hong Qi, he had been aware of these individuals with extraterrestrial lineage, living in the shadows, unwelcome by the sects.
Forget the three great upper sects, the Demon Palace and Devil Palace; even the seven lower sects like the Red Devil Sect would not take them in.
The empires of the Profound Sky Continent shunned these "people" too, secretly hunting them for sport and using them as trial subjects.
Three centuries prior, Hong Qi had accepted this as normal, unremarkable.
But now, with Chen Liangquan stepping forward to shatter the old decrees and forge new rules, Yu Yuan reconsidered, finding Chen Liangquan's approach perhaps not so misguided.
Why should those of alien lineage be singled out, exterminated, used as scapegoats?
These individuals had never left the Boundless Land, living diligently without committing heinous acts. Why, then, were they born into enmity from every sect and empire?
Chen Liangquan, of mixed heritage, had the audacity to pioneer such a groundbreaking feat, earning Yu Yuan's respect.
"Within the Luan Bird Empire, the other cities have not suffered many casualties."
Zu Ann interjected, "The spread of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog was merely to compel the true return of the Luan Bird Queen from beyond. My goal is to have her relinquish the imperial throne. The new era calls for the mightiest empire of this realm to set the example."
"Those Soul Igniting Nether Fogs?" Yu Yuan inquired.
"Not many perished, and it didn't spread widely, did it?" Zu Ann said with ease. "If we truly intended to exterminate all mortals and cultivators in Luan Bird City and the Luan Bird Empire, don't you think Chen Liangquan and I, working together, could make it happen?"
Yu Yuan found himself at a loss for words. "This..."
Given Zu Ann's advanced cultivation in the Unrestrained Stage and Chen Liangquan's demonstrated power, along with their control over Luan Bird City and the Chen family, they could unleash the Soul Igniting Nether Fog in its most ferocious form, dooming everyone in the city and the empire.
Yu Yuan had been used to reveal the origins of the Soul Igniting Nether Fog, inciting panic within the city and leading to the deaths of some cultivators, like Taoist Qiyu. This was all part of a scheme to force the Luan Bird Queen to appear and to methodically pave the way for Chen Liangquan's rise to the throne, ultimately transforming the governance of the Luan Bird Empire.
Zu Ann and Chen Liangquan had been strategic and calculating, and their plan had come to fruition.
"I never wanted you to be outed and join our ranks," Zu Ann said, hands open, as he deflected blame. "It was your choice to leave Luan Bird City. Without my protection, you wouldn't have lasted long out there, your soul prey to the demon king and your body torn and devoured by the greater demon."
He paused briefly.
Zu Ann added, "The fake Soul Igniting Nether Fog attack at Cloud Lake, which caused such a misunderstanding, was Chen Liangquan's handiwork, not mine. Don't pin that on me."
He absolved himself of all responsibility.
