Soul Beast Saintess

Star Dou Great Forest, by the lake.

Lin Wan'er slowly woke after comprehending the Soraka Martial Soul's method of cultivating Soul Power. The God Ascension Staircase relied on healing others to gain pure power of faith, which would then nourish herself in return.

This meant she might have to seriously consider how to gather pure power of faith, break through the baseline power level of a fantasy world as soon as possible, and become a Star Spirit of Runeterra.

As Lin Wan'er fully awakened, a tiny Star Gem suddenly separated from within the Star Guardian Staff in her hand.

As though guided by some mysterious force, the Star Gem radiated a gentle glow from its dazzling body.

Beneath that light, the projection of a giant tree from Ionia appeared beside the lake. Its thick trunk resembled an ancient dragon, stretching beyond sight.

Dense young buds grew upon every willow branch, while a rich, fragrant aura of nature continuously swept through every inch of the earth veins it occupied.

"Is this the Emperor Willow?"

Lin Wan'er gazed regretfully at the shattered Star Gem on the ground, then raised her head to look at the ancient tree a hundred times larger than herself, unable to suppress her amazement.

According to the game's lore, ancient Ionia possessed a sacred grove known as Omikayalan, meaning "Heart of the World."

It contained Ionia's most sacred object: the Emperor Willow.

It was Ionia's Spirit of Nature. Under its influence, magic intertwined throughout the land, forests flourished and spread, and leaves blossomed in dazzling splendor.

Now, the Emperor Willow's phantom gradually became corporeal, bringing countless surprises to the entire Star Dou Great Forest.

Most notably, it continuously brought vitality and Soul Power to the forest, bringing prosperity to both the spiritual and material realms of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Ferocious Beasts had never expected that, while they spent a little extra time preparing dinner to celebrate the birth of the Star Dou Great Forest's second "Auspicious Beast," Lin Wan'er would create such a huge commotion all by herself.

A faint yet warm life force, like Mother Nature herself, caressed their skin and touched the depths of their souls.

Bi Ji said, "How did she cause such a disturbance again in so little time? In the long run, it may bring tangible benefits to the Star Dou Great Forest, but if those people in the God Realm get jealous and send down divine punishment, that would be troublesome."

Di Tian's expression remained unchanged, but he sped up noticeably as he rushed back. "You're right. If those people from the God Realm really find an excuse to send down divine punishment, our co-ruler's injuries will worsen again. We need to find a way to conceal her aura."

Before long, the group arrived at the lakeside at increased speed.

Di Tian, Bi Ji, Zi Ji, Ten Thousand Demons King, Scarlet King, and Bear King.

Six peak Ferocious Beasts, capable of making even the continent's top sects tremble, had gathered together and watched Lin Wan'er floating in midair, surrounded by tender leaves falling from the Emperor Willow.

At this moment, Lin Wan'er's eyes were shut tight. A faint green light descended from above her head, slowly condensing into a phantom behind her.

Before their very eyes, a woman appeared behind Lin Wan'er. Her features resembled Bi Ji's, but her temperament was gentler and filled with divinity.

An unknown ballad began to play, echoing through the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest with an especially fairy-tale-like quality.

The melody was crisp and ethereal, while changes had already begun in the cave beneath the lake.

The cave was deep and dark, nearly devoid of light. Only a hot spring altered by Bi Ji, containing Healing Power, continuously washed over Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena's true body.

But at this moment, a hazy phantom of consciousness cut off that artificial current.

The phantom seemed to possess an exceptionally strong attraction to the healing spring water. Water from both upstream and downstream continuously gathered toward her, directly preventing Gu Yuena's true body from receiving any further healing from the current.

Though the enormous Silver Dragon King lay curled up without any outward movement, Gu Yuena's divine soul had long since reached the same level as the phantom of consciousness.

She could tell that this illusory consciousness was actually Lin Wan'er's soul.

Perhaps because her body needed to endure the Emperor Willow's blessing at high intensity, Lin Wan'er's soul had temporarily left her body and accidentally arrived in the cave filled with restrictions, where even those hypocritical gods of the God Realm could not find Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena.

Yet compared to Lin Wan'er herself, Gu Yuena was more concerned with the unknown ballad, as well as the Emperor Willow that had appeared out of nowhere, its vitality even more vigorous than the God of Life's Tree of Life.

As she carefully observed the changes in the Star Dou Great Forest, the Silver Dragon King found this deeply unexpected.

Although she had descended from the God Realm to the lower realm many years ago and rarely asked Di Tian about developments among humans or in the God Realm, she was not some fool who knew nothing.

Everything about Lin Wan'er, someone extraordinarily special even within the God Realm, proved that she might not be a native inhabitant of this world, but a creature from beyond it.

Thus, Gu Yuena had actually known from the very beginning that Lin Wan'er's power was not something the soul beast race could control.

A newborn creation of the World Consciousness level could only be invested in and supported, not controlled.

Because they would adjust themselves to the optimal state according to the environment and rules of wherever they were born. They would also choose their camp based on the people they met—benefiting others and themselves, or benefiting only themselves at others' expense.

"I hope you aren't the latter."

Gu Yuena considered it. At present, the power Lin Wan'er possessed and displayed leaned toward nature, life, and souls.

Judging solely from the nature of her power, Lin Wan'er did not seem like someone capable of every evil, betrayal, or heartless ingratitude.

So, gritting her teeth, Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena—who had always been unwilling to participate in power struggles—shared with Lin Wan'er the authority symbolizing leadership over the soul beasts, placing her status only below Di Tian's.

After sharing part of her authority, Gu Yuena learned the other's true name.

"So your name is Lin Wan'er. It is quite a nice name."

Gu Yuena took one last look at the soul still floating in midair and absorbing the Healing Power within the spring water. With a deep sigh, her divine soul returned to her true body, and she transmitted her voice to the soul beasts aboveground.

"I issue this decree as co-ruler! From this day forward, Lin Wan'er shall be the Soul Beast Saintess. Her status shall be below only Di Tian's, and above the Auspicious Beast's!"

Having spoken, the Silver Dragon King used divine power to send Lin Wan'er's consciousness back into her body aboveground.

Lin Wan'er was still a child and was unsuited to having her soul exposed outside for too long. Especially in this place filled with restrictions, a moment of carelessness could easily cause her soul to become tainted by a seal, leaving her forever unable to ascend the divine ranks.

Thus, her soul, tinged with Gu Yuena's aura, returned to the body blessed by the Emperor Willow, the Spirit of Nature.

The potential of a Star Spirit, the Emperor Willow's blessing, and the authority of the soul beast race.

The trinity of these powers completely transformed Lin Wan'er, making her, in a sense, truly something no longer human.

Perhaps that sounded difficult to understand. Put simply, Lin Wan'er had gradually evolved from a mortal body into an innate supreme treasure, an existence similar to the Pangu Axe.

This woman was terrifying indeed; her future was promising (wife)?