Chapter 23: A Divine Bird? A Golden Crow?

Fusion is not without its risks.

When merging traits like "Infinite Strength" or "Thick Skin," the physical body undergoes rapid transformation. When he previously merged "Devour Flesh," Yu Qiye felt as if his stomach were being hammered, churned by a tumultuous sea of agonizing pain.

Now, as he merged the golden trait—"Ancient Lion's Roar"—an incredibly archaic and mysterious force surged into his sea of consciousness, shattering it entirely.

Destroyed, then rebuilt. Broken, then reborn. That was the natural order of things, he supposed.

However, to Yu Qiye’s astonishment, the moment his consciousness fractured, a sound of immense majesty echoed from the deepest recesses of his body.

"Screee..."

Accompanying the cry, countless golden flames erupted within his shattered sea of consciousness. These flames wove and traced patterns, and before his stunned eyes, they coalesced into a magnificent, divine golden bird.

"What is this?"

Before Yu Qiye could react, the golden bird shifted its gaze toward the golden lion. Its eyes, filled with supreme indifference, were saturated with disdain and regal contempt. The golden flames throughout the entire sea of consciousness surged like a tidal wave toward the golden lion.

"Roar... roar... roar..."

Amidst a series of mournful cries, the golden lion disintegrated into a mass of golden liquid, resembling blood. Only then did the divine bird at the center of his consciousness open its beak.

Boom.

A terrifying suction force erupted, dragging the countless flames and the golden blood—the remnants of the lion—into its maw.

"Could this truly be a Golden Crow?"

Yu Qiye was dumbfounded. The golden bird had three legs and commanded golden flames. This was none other than the legendary Golden Crow!

The Golden Crow—the most formidable of all divine birds, the original royal lineage of the demon race. Yet, throughout history, there had only ever been twelve. And now, within his mind—or perhaps even deeper, within his very bloodline—a Golden Crow had emerged.

"Could this be the manifestation of my bloodline?" Yu Qiye speculated. He recalled recently acquiring a new blue-tier trait called "Divine Bird Bloodline," which stated that a sliver of his ancient lineage had awakened.

It seemed that this ancient bloodline was indeed that of the Golden Crow.

At that moment, a flood of information rushed into his mind.

[Ding! The fusion of Ancient Lion (Gold) has triggered an anomaly.]
[Ding! Your trait "Divine Bird Bloodline" (Blue) has absorbed "Ancient Lion" (Gold) and is upgrading to a new trait: "Golden Crow Bloodline" (Red).]
[Ding! Your trait "Crow's Cry to the World" (Red) has absorbed "Ancient Lion" (Gold) and is upgrading to a new trait: "Cry of the Rising Sun" (Gold).]

The rapid succession of notifications made Yu Qiye’s pupils constrict. Both of his traits had upgraded simultaneously.

[Golden Crow Atavism (Red) — The ancient bloodline has finally awakened. You may activate your bloodline to transform into the legendary Golden Crow, looking down upon the world. However, the duration of this activation is limited.]

[Cry of the Rising Sun (Gold) — A single cry, and the morning sun ascends; this is the most terrifying cry between heaven and earth! (Can only be fully unleashed while in Golden Crow form.)]

Staring blankly at the two traits, Yu Qiye was dazed. He had not expected his bloodline to be fully activated, granting him the ability to transform into a Golden Crow.

"Golden Crow"—that sounded far more prestigious than being a mere crow demon. After all, the Golden Crow was a legendary divine bird. Even though such creatures were no longer present in this world, the appearance of any Golden Crow would be enough to shake the foundations of the world.

"If I truly walked the world in the form of a Golden Crow, I imagine the Heavenly Court, the Buddhist sects, and others would all be stirred into a frenzy," Yu Qiye thought, a complex expression crossing his face.

It was undeniably a terrifying ability, but unfortunately, he could not use it—at least, not under the watchful eyes of others. After all, the Golden Crow was not just a myth; it was the original imperial family of the demon race. If he were to reveal himself as a "Golden Crow," the high and mighty Heavenly Court would be the first to lose their composure. To use a phrase from his previous life, he would be viewed as a remnant of the former dynasty's royal family.

"However, it seems the crow clan and the Golden Crow clan are deeply connected," he mused. "Perhaps the entire crow clan is descended from a single Golden Crow."

He recalled the ancient legends of this world: how there were once ten suns, and a great hero shot them down. The fall of each sun was the death of a Golden Crow. Where did those fallen Crows go? No one knew. Yu Qiye speculated that perhaps one of them had bled out onto the world, giving rise to an entire race.

As for why no other crow had ever reached atavism to become a legendary Golden Crow? He chuckled. There were those in the heavens watching. If other demon races produced an Demon King, the heavens might send a few ordinary celestial soldiers to suppress them. But if a Golden Crow were to soar through the skies, it might be met with an army of a hundred thousand celestial troops.

Furthermore, he suspected that some great power had long since interfered with the crow clan. In such a vast world, there did not seem to be a single crow demon of any note.

Shaking his head helplessly, Yu Qiye exhaled a breath of stagnant air. He spread his wings and flew straight toward the East Sea.

Boom!

His high-speed flight tore through the clouds. After flying for an unknown amount of time, he descended upon an unnamed island in the East Sea.

"This will do."

Yu Qiye intended to test his new traits. He wanted to transform into the Golden Crow and see what kind of power the legendary divine bird possessed.

"Screee..."

With a cry, he shifted into his original form and began attempting to awaken the bloodline deep within.

Boom!

A sudden roar resonated through his body. Strands of golden energy began to seep out from his flesh and the gaps between his feathers, wrapping around his frame. Visibly, his entire body turned gold—a brilliant, dazzling, and noble gold, radiating an indescribable magnificence.

The physical change was only the beginning. The temperature of the surrounding air climbed rapidly. In mere moments, the entire island felt like a furnace. Trees and even rocks began to ignite with mysterious flames. Suddenly, the entire island had transformed into a land of fire.

Amidst the raging inferno, a magnificent golden bird emerged. It was Yu Qiye.

[Ding! You have activated the Golden Crow bloodline within you. Traits are changing.]
[Ding! Sunfire (Red) — You can command the most scorching, explosive, and divine flames in heaven and earth.]
[Ding! Rainbow Transformation (Red) — As a divine bird, you possess terrifying speed, capable of transforming into a streak of light and traveling twelve thousand miles in a single blink.]
[Ding! Cry of the Rising Sun (Gold) — As a divine bird from the dawn of creation, your cry is enough to guide the rising sun...]