Chapter 24: Shaking the World

If the previous Yu Qiye, in his form as a crow spirit, was grotesque and terrifying, then the current Yu Qiye could be described as noble to the extreme.

He stood on three legs. A golden luster swirled within his eyes. His entire body burned with scorching golden flames.

Boom!

As he spread his wings, Yu Qiye, like a magnificent expanse of raging fire, tore through the sky.

However, at that very moment, a sudden, thunderous roar erupted from the depths of the ocean: "Who dares to bring a rain of fire upon my territory?"

Looking toward the sound, one could see a humanoid figure with massive pincers and a shell-clad body striding over the waves. It was a crab spirit. It seemed this stretch of sea around the island was his domain. Yu Qiye’s transformation into a Golden Crow had caused the air temperature to soar, and the suspected rain of fire had clearly disturbed him.

Yet, at that instant, the crab spirit’s pupils suddenly constricted. High above in the sky was a giant golden bird, its entire body ablaze. It appeared proud and disdainful.

"Three legs? A fire bird? Wait, could this be..."

An incredulous voice echoed in the air. But before he could finish, a golden streak of light flashed from afar and struck. With a soft *squelch*, a large hole appeared in the crab spirit’s chest.

A single strike, like a shooting star piercing the sky—lethal. Even more terrifying was that the crab spirit’s entire body was ignited by golden flames and began to melt.

"The speed is truly fearsome, and the lethality has surged as well," Yu Qiye mused, wings outstretched in the sky as he savored the wonders of his new form. It was truly worthy of being a royal lineage of the demon race. Compared to his previous body, it was like the difference between earth and heaven.

Unfortunately, the duration of his Golden Crow transformation was limited. Based on the bloodline power currently accumulated within him, he could sustain the form for at most three minutes.

"Sigh."

With a silent sigh in his heart, Yu Qiye decided to test the golden trait he had just acquired: "Cry of the Rising Sun." He slowly opened his beak, and an inexplicable, ancient power began to circulate within him.

"Skree..."

A high-pitched, piercing cry resounded throughout heaven and earth.

In the next moment, the entire world seemed to shudder.

Boom!

A visible ripple of golden sound expanded in layers, sweeping across the entire firmament. Clouds shattered, and the ocean trembled. But that was not the most terrifying part. The true horror was that the great sun in the sky, as if sensing something, began to sway slightly, spitting out golden flames like meteors that plummeted toward Yu Qiye’s location.

"Oh no."

Yu Qiye’s expression shifted. He immediately shed his Golden Crow form and dove into the sea without looking back.

...

At the same time, in the Heavenly Court:

"Something is wrong, something is wrong! The Great Sun is swaying and spitting fire!" the Clairvoyant ran in a panic to the Lingxiao Palace.

"What? The Great Sun is swaying?"
"You must be mistaken; how could the Great Sun sway?"
"Even if it did, it shouldn't have much of an impact."

The immortals in the Lingxiao Palace discussed it among themselves, but no one took it seriously. However, just then, the All-Hearing Ear rushed in and added, "I also heard a cry that echoed throughout the world."

Hearing this, the immortals exchanged glances. A cry? The Great Sun?

"Could it be..."

An old man with white hair and a youthful complexion stepped forward, his expression changing rapidly. It was Taibai Jinxing.

"What is it?" a majestic voice boomed from the heavens.

"The swaying of the sun might be a resonance. If my suspicions are correct, and the cry caused this resonance, it is highly likely that *that* clan has emerged," Taibai Jinxing explained.

"That clan?"

Most of the immortals were puzzled. The current Heavenly Court was largely composed of those who had ascended after the Investiture of the Gods. They had not experienced the Great Tribulation of the Lich and had no concept of that era.

"It must be the Golden Crow," a figure holding a pagoda said solemnly.

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the immortals changed drastically. It was not just them; even the figure seated high above the heavens had a slight change in countenance—a look of confusion, but more so, of shock.

...

At the same time, the stars in the sky seemed to sense the event and flickered restlessly. In particular, the Taiyin star shone with brilliant light. The sun and moon were as one, inseparable. With the sun trembling, the moon naturally responded.

"Who is it? Who is pulling at the sun!"

A graceful figure in a white dress, hidden in the depths of the clouds, emerged from the moon and spoke softly. She was mysterious and hazy, exuding an indescribable nobility. It seemed as if the entire world should bow at her feet. If any great power were present, they would surely be shocked, for this was none other than the Taiyin Star Lord, who had been in seclusion for countless years. She could also be called the 'Moon Goddess,' 'Lady Moon,' or 'Moonlight Matron.'

...

In a mysterious place resembling a bird's nest, an old Zen master suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the East Sea.

"The Cry of the Rising Sun, the power of the Golden Crow..."

The old master’s face changed, filled with disbelief. How could this be? How could a Golden Crow emerge? And it was a Golden Crow he had never seen before. Could it really be that someone’s bloodline had undergone atavism, allowing them to transform into a Golden Crow? Thinking this, the old master stepped out... like a flying rainbow...

...

Not long after Yu Qiye had departed, a figure appeared abruptly on the deserted island where he had lingered. It was the old Zen master. He looked at the burning island with a complex expression, his fingers moving rapidly as he calculated. To his astonishment, even he could not discern anything. The secrets of heaven were obscured, as if shrouded in chaos.

"An anomaly, then," the Zen master sighed and stopped speaking. He waved a large sleeve, gathering all the flames burning on the island into his cuff.

...

Returning to the Sky Crow Cave, it was already late at night. Yu Qiye felt a bit nervous. He had not expected that the "Cry of the Rising Sun" would truly be able to pull at the sun and trigger heavenly fire. However, upon reflection, it made sense. Legend had it that the Golden Crow clan were innate gods birthed by the sun. It was also said that they could transform into the sun and gallop across the firmament. Either way, it proved that the Golden Crow clan had an inseparable connection to the sun hanging in the sky.

"I don't think I exposed anything, right?" Yu Qiye felt fortunate that his time as a Golden Crow was limited and that he could revert to his original form. If he hadn't been able to change back, he would be in trouble. The power of the Golden Crow was terrifying, but every time he used it, the risk of exposure increased. Now that he was back as a Blood Crow, he believed it would be hard for anyone to link him to the Golden Crow. After all, their auras were entirely different.

"I should try to avoid transforming into the Golden Crow in the future," Yu Qiye decided.

However, at this moment, a bold and crazy idea sprouted in his mind. In this world, most identify others by their "aura" and "power." It was just like an ID card in his previous life! Since his aura and power changed drastically when he became a Golden Crow, couldn't he use the "Golden Crow" as his second identity? He would leave the dangerous and taboo matters to the Golden Crow, while he, as the Blood Crow, would strive to be a "law-abiding" demon king!