Nine-Colored Deer and the Star Dou Great Forest

Star Dou Great Forest, Lake of Life.

This place was like an emerald embedded within the vast Star Dou Great Forest.

The lake water possessed an unbelievable jade-green hue. Dense natural energy and life force had almost condensed into substance here, turning into a faint mist that lingered above the lake's surface.

Ancient trees towered along the shore, their luxuriant branches and leaves obscuring most of the sky. Only strands of golden sunlight stubbornly pierced through gaps in the foliage, scattering mottled patches of light and shadow.

This was the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest. Even hundred-thousand-year soul beasts could only serve as gatekeepers here.

And now, upon a smooth dark-green boulder by the lakeshore in this holy land of the soul beast world, a creature lay quietly with its eyes closed, surrounded by a gentle, sacred glow.

It was the Nine-Colored Deer Lin Wan had placed in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Its body was now considerably sturdier than when it had first arrived on Douluo Continent, and its fur had become smoother and more lustrous.

Nine colors flowed endlessly across its body, nourished by the aura of life as though they were living things.

Specks of starlight also lingered around the tips of the small, exquisite antlers atop its head.

The Nine-Colored Deer was cultivating.

As a divine beast born bearing the auspicious blessings of heaven and earth, affinity with and control over energy were innate instincts for it.

When Lin Wan had placed the Nine-Colored Deer in the Star Dou Great Forest, a wondrous connection had naturally formed around it.

Its pure, peaceful auspicious aura quietly spread outward and instantly connected with, then merged into, the fortune of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Nine-Colored Deer remained utterly calm about this, even finding it familiar.

Throughout its long life, wherever it went, all things tended toward tranquility. Ferocious beasts calmed their violent natures, withered plants regained vitality, and creatures on the verge of death received a trace of protection.

A forest's fortune taking the initiative to connect with it was simply a normal part of its existence.

To the Nine-Colored Deer, this was merely an insignificant matter.

Though this forest was somewhat large, it was still only a forest to the Nine-Colored Deer.

After arriving in this forest of towering giant trees, it had begun exploring it.

From the forest, the Nine-Colored Deer sensed the weight of the earth, the fragrance of vegetation permeating the air, and the pulses of countless living beings, some strong and some weak.

This primitive, vibrant atmosphere made it feel very comfortable.

However, its exploration, which had barely begun, was soon forced to end.

An enormous pitch-black figure suddenly tore through the sky and descended before it without warning.

It was a massive black dragon. Its scales glimmered with a metallic chill, while its golden vertical pupils resembled two burning suns, containing endless majesty and power. Its terrifying pressure froze even the surrounding air.

The Nine-Colored Deer was peaceful by nature and disliked conflict, so when faced with this being whose level of power far surpassed its own, it did not resist.

It was not afraid of any danger, since it was still under the system's protection period.

Thus, it allowed the black dragon, who called himself Di Tian, to carefully pick it up with his enormous dragon claw.

When it was set down again, it found itself beside the emerald Lake of Life.

"Auspicious Beast, an Auspicious Beast beloved by heaven and earth! You are the hope of the soul beast race. You are far too weak now. Danger lurks everywhere beyond this forest. Until you have grown strong, you must remain here and accept protection."

Di Tian's voice, like muffled thunder, resounded directly within the Nine-Colored Deer's mind. It heard an indescribable excitement and solemnity in his words.

A hint of confusion flashed through its clear, glass-like eyes.

Auspicious Beast? The hope of the soul beasts?

It was a divine beast born to embody auspiciousness, but calling it an Auspicious Beast on Douluo Continent seemed acceptable as well.

It wanted to explain, but Di Tian's unquestionable attitude and abyss-deep power made the Nine-Colored Deer wisely choose silence.

In this world, it was still far too weak.

Thus, the Nine-Colored Deer was forced to remain at the Lake of Life, and its exploration of the Star Dou Great Forest came to an abrupt end just as it had begun.

Before long, Di Tian sent a powerful guard to the Nine-Colored Deer's side.

A two-hundred-and-eighty-thousand-year soul beast: the Three-Headed Red Demon Mastiff, Red King.

All three of Red King's heads stared intently at the Nine-Colored Deer as he guarded it nearby without leaving its side.

Clearly, the Nine-Colored Deer was extraordinarily important to them.

Before leaving, Di Tian had urged the Nine-Colored Deer in an irrefutable tone, "Cultivate diligently and strengthen yourself. Until you possess sufficient power to protect yourself, I will not allow Red King to take you out of the Lake of Life region."

Watching Di Tian treat it like a young cub that required strict supervision, the Nine-Colored Deer felt helpless but understood.

Compared with beings like Di Tian and Red King, its current level of power in this world truly was like that of a newborn infant.

It helplessly accepted its circumstances and made the Lake of Life its current refuge and cultivation ground.

The Lake of Life's environment was a supreme treasure land for any living being, and even more so for an auspicious beast like the Nine-Colored Deer.

Dense life force and natural energy flowed endlessly into its body, nurturing its origin and accelerating its growth.

What surprised it even more was that Di Tian seemed to place particular importance on its identity as an Auspicious Beast.

Aside from sending Red King to protect it, the beast king of the Star Dou Great Forest personally brought the Nine-Colored Deer an incomparably pure energy source containing an icy aura every so often.

This energy was exceptionally pure and powerful, carrying the biting chill of ice and snow as well as the tenacity of life.

Di Tian did not explain its origin to the Nine-Colored Deer, but it could sense that the energy seemed to have been refined and was highly suitable for absorption.

Each time it absorbed this icy energy, it was as though an ice lamp had been lit within its body. It not only accelerated the accumulation of soul power, but also wondrously stimulated the transformation and elevation of the nine-colored auspicious light within it.

Nourished by the Lake of Life and aided by the ice-element energy Di Tian fed it, the Nine-Colored Deer's cultivation advanced at an astonishing pace.

Its soul beast cultivation rapidly increased, its body became more solid and resilient, and its nine-colored divine light grew increasingly dazzling. A rudimentary domain filled with an auspicious aura even began to form faintly around it.

The Nine-Colored Deer felt that it was not far from breaking through to the next major realm of soul beasts.

That day, as usual, the Nine-Colored Deer lay atop the dark-green boulder, immersed in deep cultivation.

It guided the essence of the Lake of Life and the accumulated icy power within its body, letting them flow slowly through its meridians and cleanse every inch of flesh, blood, and bone.

The surroundings were silent. Only Red King lay in the distance, his three heads taking turns keeping watch as he let out faint snores.

Suddenly!

An exceedingly weak spiritual thought, like a drifting thread, cautiously pierced through the Lake of Life's dense energy barrier and slipped into the Nine-Colored Deer's mind.