The Great Bird Transformation

Lin Mo had sunk to the deepest part of the lakebed, his entire body enveloped in a soft green glow that wrapped him into a tiny cocoon of light.

At the bottom of the lake, where he could not have seen his own hand before his face, that green glow became the only source of light.

Seen from afar, it resembled a tiny firefly floating quietly in the boundless darkness, giving off a faint, gentle light.

Suddenly, within that boundless darkness, an enormous purple dragon eye opened without a sound.

The dragon eye seemed carved entirely from the finest amethyst, crystal clear and translucent. Its vertical pupil contracted to a needle, cold and indifferent, bearing an inborn majesty that looked down upon all living beings.

At that moment, the dragon eye was quietly watching the "little firefly" that had landed before her.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Not a sound stirred at the bottom of the lake. It was so quiet that time itself seemed to have stopped flowing.

The "little firefly" swayed gently with the water, blue-gold light overlapping with the green glow, twinkling brightly.

The purple dragon eye suddenly trembled slightly.

It was as though a barely perceptible sliver of soft light had cracked open deep within ice that had slumbered for countless ages.

After the Dragon God's defeat, the Asura God had cleaved him in two with a single sword strike. One half had become the Golden Dragon King, imprisoned in God's Forbidden Land in the God Realm; the other half had become the Silver Dragon King, who had fled to the lower realm and fallen into slumber at the bottom of the Lake of Life.

The owner of this purple dragon eye was none other than the Silver Dragon King!

She was also the lord Di Tian had spoken of, who slept because of her grievous injuries.

Her divine soul, Divine Core, and origin had all suffered severe damage. Though they could heal on their own, recovery was exceedingly slow. She had already slept for who knew how long, and the number of times she had awakened could be counted on one hand.

This time, it was the auspicious aura emanating from Lin Mo that had awakened her.

The auspicious aura around Lin Mo had fused strangely with the Lake of Life's life force, actually increasing her recovery speed by more than twofold all at once.

Unfortunately, Lin Mo was still far too weak.

The little auspicious aura he possessed was sucked completely dry by her in just a few breaths.

"Since you are both an auspicious beast and a bearer of my bloodline, I shall bestow an opportunity upon you." A cool, clear female voice abruptly rang out at the bottom of the lake.

The next moment, a tiny flame wrapped in silver radiance appeared out of thin air before Lin Mo's forehead. It was no larger than a bean, yet the aura it held was incomparably ancient and profound.

The flame trembled gently, then slipped into Lin Mo's forehead and vanished.

A trace of amusement flashed through the Silver Dragon King's eye.

"Off you go, little one."

As the voice faded, the enormous purple dragon eye slowly closed, and silence returned to the lakebed.

More than half a day passed in a flash.

The setting sun's lingering glow had already dyed the entire Great Star Dou Forest golden, yet there was still no movement on the lake. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion had gone from languid to somewhat restless.

It began pacing incessantly along the shore, occasionally reaching out a paw to rake at the water a couple of times.

Why hasn't Little Bird come out yet...

At last, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion could no longer contain itself. "Di Tian, Sister Bi Ji, I'm going down to look!"

Di Tian was just about to stop it when suddenly-

Splash-!

A sudden change swept across the lake's mirror-still surface. The water abruptly began to spin, forming a massive whirlpool in the blink of an eye.

The whirlpool spun faster and faster. Silver, blue-green, and dark-gold light burst from the lakebed and shot into the sky, circling, intertwining, and winding around one another in midair before finally merging into one.

"Kree-!"

An ethereal, far-reaching cry rang out between heaven and earth.

The sound pierced the clouds and reached straight into the soul, ringing long and clear like resonant jade, washing away all the turbid air in the world.

The next moment, a Mystic Bird emerged with the cry!

It broke out of the three-colored radiance, spreading its wings and blocking half the setting sun.

Its dark blue-green wings resembled the deepest night sky, their blackness shimmering with a multicolored sheen. Flecks of golden light flowed along its wingtips and tail feathers, like scattered fragments of gold.

Blue-gold auspicious aura swirled around it like smoke and rosy clouds, making it look all the more gentle and serene.

"Kree-!"

Another clear cry rang out.

In an instant, heaven and earth answered!

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged madly toward the Lake of Life from every direction as though summoned, condensing into rivers of spiritual light visible to the naked eye in midair.

The plants along the lakeshore sprouted and blossomed of their own accord at a visible speed. Withered trees greeted spring anew, and a hundred flowers vied in splendor.

The lake shimmered, rippling with myriad golden scales.

Even the fish leaped out of the water, competing to pay homage.

Regardless of strength or distance, every Soul Beast abruptly raised its head, staring blankly at the dark blue-green figure in the sky.

An instinctive reverence and respect welled up from the depths of their hearts.

Thud!

Thud! Thud!

One after another, they bowed, burying their heads deeply, their bodies trembling-not in fear, but in devotion!

Even a Ferocious Beast like Di Tian, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, involuntarily stepped forward, his golden vertical pupils filled with shock and fervor.

Beside him, Bi Ji placed her right hand on her left shoulder and bowed deeply.

This was the Mystic Bird!

Heavenly Mandate's Auspicious Omen: Mystic Bird!

This was the favor of the Heavenly Dao!!

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion had long since become entranced, its ruby-red beast eyes reflecting the Mystic Bird wheeling on beating wings beneath a sky full of radiant clouds.

Only after a long while did it murmur softly:

"Little Bird... pretty... mine!"

After circling two or three times, the Mystic Bird settled on a blue stone beside the lake.

Even now, though its size still could not compare to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's, its body was a full meter and a half long, and its fully spread wings spanned nearly four meters.

Light flowed over its feathers, lending it an indescribable nobility.

Only then did Lin Mo fully regain consciousness.

He had absolutely no idea what had just happened. He only felt warm all over, his body absurdly light, as though he could fly with the slightest push.

Lin Mo slowly opened his eyes and looked down-

"W-what the heck?"

He snapped fully awake, letting out a shrill, explosive screech on the spot:

"Where are my hands?! Where are my legs?!"

"How did I turn into a bird, aaah?!!"

What he saw resting on the blue stone was not his legs and feet, but a pair of pitch-black talons glowing with auspicious light, along with a pair of large wings folded at his sides.

Lin Mo went completely numb.

Wait, what?

He had only taken a nap. How had even his species changed by the time he woke up?!

Somewhat frightened, Lin Mo tried to take a step forward, but the moment he lifted one talon, his body began swaying from side to side like a drunk who had had far too much.

"W-w-wait-!"

To keep his balance, he instinctively raised his arms.

Instead, with a whoosh, the wings folded at his sides spread out, one forward and one backward.

His pose was as follows:

(P.S. Pfft~ Sorry...)

(P.S. Even I, Ake, couldn't keep a straight face, hahaha!!)