Taking advantage of the migratory birds' feeding break, Yang Lin hurried back to Xihong Zoo.
Upon arriving at the Aviary, he was immediately astonished by the massive bird's nest, spanning several square meters, situated atop the structure.
The signal tower, originally disguised as a large tree, had now become the home for a pair of golden eagles.
"No wonder the signal has been weak lately, so you two lovebirds decided to build your marital home here."
With a wry smile, Yang Lin began to climb the signal tower.
Twenty meters high, he wouldn't have dared to attempt such a climb before.
But now, in less than a minute, he was at the very top.
As he poked his head over, the golden eagle couple peered at him with their large heads. The female, in particular, regarded him with intense suspicion.
If it were anyone else, the female eagle would have already been less than welcoming.
Naturally, Yang Lin's gaze only lingered on the pair for a moment before shifting to the round eggs nestled beneath the mother eagle.
His eyes immediately lit up.
Xihong Zoo's avian population was already scarce, and the Aviary had always been a weak point.
Aside from the golden eagles and macaws, there were no other truly impressive bird species.
Seeing these six golden eagle eggs, Yang Lin instantly envisioned the future prosperity of the Aviary.
Of course, this all depended on the successful hatching of these six eaglets.
With this thought, Yang Lin quickly accessed the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" talent he had previously acquired and chose to bestow it upon one of the golden eagle eggs.
"This avian is male, unable to be endowed with this talent."
Upon hearing the system prompt, Yang Lin was undeterred and moved on to another egg.
After several failed attempts, only one golden eagle egg remained.
"No way, you're that good at producing sons? If you were human, you'd need to prepare five apartments."
As he spoke, Yang Lin's heart grew anxious.
What if this last egg also contained a female golden eagle? That would be problematic.
The moment he attempted to bestow the talent upon this final egg, a different prompt sounded.
"Ding! Talent bestowal successful. The 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix' talent has been officially activated."
In the second after the system notification, subtle, magical changes began to appear on the surface of the golden eagle egg.
The originally pale white shell instantly took on a faint golden hue, lending it an air of nobility.
Just as Yang Lin was about to use his "Insight" ability to examine the egg's talent panel, a commotion erupted from the barren land nearby.
Tens of thousands of migratory birds, as if summoned by some unseen force, took flight simultaneously.
To the astonishment of countless onlookers, these birds began to flock into Xihong Zoo in dense formations.
Instantly, the sky above Xihong Zoo was as if enveloped by a shroud of colorful clouds.
The park's visitors looked up in amazement.
Before they could comprehend what was happening, the tens of thousands of migratory birds had all converged above the Aviary.
Yang Lin, naturally, witnessed this spectacle. If he hadn't been gripping the handrail of the signal tower tightly, he might have been so startled that he would have fallen.
"What's going on? Such a massive commotion, could it be that 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix' from earlier?"
His gaze couldn't help but drift to the faint golden golden eagle egg.
To his surprise, the normally agitated golden eagle couple had become remarkably calm.
Even as they were surrounded by the migratory birds.
Furthermore, in their eyes, Yang Lin saw not just calmness, but also a hint of joy.
This left Yang Lin rather perplexed.
Just as he was about to assess the situation further, the tens of thousands of migratory birds began to circle the towering signal tower.
They ascended and descended, as if performing some sort of dance, their calls rising and falling in pitch, akin to an ancient ritual.
It was as if they were bestowing blessings or offering prayers.
This social behavior, far beyond Yang Lin's comprehension, lasted for over a minute.
During this minute, Yang Lin worried that the well-fed birds might unleash a deluge upon him.
Fortunately, his fears did not materialize.
After the aerial ballet of the tens of thousands of migratory birds, faint, shimmering specks of light, visible only to him, flew from their bodies.
These specks of light all converged upon the faint golden golden eagle egg.
Instantly, the already golden shell acquired entirely new colors.
It resembled an artfully painted artifact.
Witnessing this transformation, the golden eagle couple's eyes filled with gratitude.
Simultaneously, Yang Lin's mind received a unique system prompt.
"Ding! The golden eagle chick has received the blessing of ten thousand birds and successfully undergone a metamorphosis. Please check for details."
"Furthermore, due to the blessing of ten thousand birds, the environment in this area has changed, with a slight increase in the bird reproduction and survival rates."
Upon hearing these two consecutive system prompts, a complex expression spread across Yang Lin's face.
He had encountered such a mysterious phenomenon so quickly again.
"Indeed, the saying 'all things have spirit' couldn't be more accurate."
As this thought formed, the flock of migratory birds, having completed their blessing, once again headed south.
Watching their receding silhouettes, Yang Lin realized that perhaps by next spring, they would return here.
By then, the little golden eagle should be able to soar freely.
With this in mind, he quickly cast "Insight" upon the golden eagle egg that had received the ten thousand birds' blessing.
The next second, a talent panel with a golden border appeared before Yang Lin.
As his gaze fell upon the name at the very top, his face registered disbelief.
[Peng]
That's right, not a golden eagle, nor a phoenix, but a Peng.
Without a doubt, this unborn golden eagle chick, after being blessed by a legendary talent and the wishes of countless birds, had undergone a mutation.
It had transformed from an ordinary golden eagle into an entirely new species.
In the legends of Dragon Country and indeed the entire world, the Peng is an immensely large bird.
Especially in Dragon Country's lore, the Peng is known as the King of Ten Thousand Birds, on par with the phoenix.
Zhuangzi recorded, "The Peng's back, none know how many thousand li it is. When it rouses itself to fly, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky. It stirs the seas for three thousand li, and rises ninety thousand li on the swirling winds, clearing the clouds and bearing the blue sky, then it journeys south."
Although Yang Lin knew that this particular Peng would not be a mythical beast on the scale of legends, he could imagine that in the future, this Peng would far surpass its parents, becoming a true ruler of the skies.