The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

The turbid floodwaters surged and roared, carrying broken logs and rubble.

Qi Ji gently bit the thick hemp rope with his teeth, the rope loosely draped over his snow-white fur.

The rope was tied to four thick wooden posts tied side by side. Each post held three or four pale-faced townspeople tightly. The weight of the dozen or so people was all on this rope, but it seemed to bring Qi Ji no burden at all.

Qi Ji's four hooves landed steadily on the water's surface, each step creating only a shallow ripple, as if the water beneath his feet was not a torrent capable of swallowing everything, but rather solid, flat ground.

He ran with ease and composure, without even the slightest disruption to his pace.

The opposite bank was already crowded with people, all of them residents of Qinghe Town who had been dragged across the flood by Qi Ji time and time again. They were soaked to the bone and their lips were purple from the cold, but not a single person sat down to rest. Everyone craned their necks, staring intently at the white figure in the flood.

Some people clenched their fists so tightly that their nails dug deep into their palms.

Some people clasped their hands together and prayed, their lips trembling.

Several children, held in the arms of adults, stared wide-eyed at the magical white deer in their field of vision.

"Phew~~ This is the last trip."

Qi Ji walked unhurriedly to the shore, and with a gentle flick of his head, the rope in his mouth fell to the ground.

When the foremost wooden pillar finally touched the mud on the bank, a suppressed cry erupted from the shore.

The townspeople rushed forward and hurriedly pulled the person off the wooden post.

Some people collapsed to the ground because their legs gave way, some hugged their loved ones and cried loudly, and some turned their heads to look at the white figure standing in the flood.

Qi Ji shook his head, wiping away the few drops of water that were stuck to the corner of his mouth.

He stood in the surging floodwaters, his snow-white fur mostly soaked by the mud and water, yet he remained as upright as a pine tree.

The shore gradually quieted down.

All the crying, shouting, and panting disappeared.

Hundreds of people watched silently as the white deer floated in the floodwaters.

They watched him stand on the water, watched his immense strength, and watched him single-handedly pull the last group of people in Qinghe Town back from the clutches of death.

This is no longer an ordinary beast.

This is a spirit beast.

It's a fairy deer!

They are gods sent down from heaven to save them!

Shi Yan touched his cheek with his sleeve and walked shakily to the front of the crowd.

The old man's face was covered with wrinkles, and his cloudy eyes were filled with tears. He looked at Qi Ji in the flood, at Bai Lu, who had saved his grandson, saved him, and saved the entire Qinghe Town.

Shi Yan straightened his tattered clothes, and then slowly and solemnly bent his knees.

"thump."

His knees slammed into the muddy ground with a dull thud.

"Thank you so much, Fairy Deer, for saving my life!"

Shi Yan's voice rang out from the shore, tinged with sobs, yet incredibly clear.

Immediately afterwards, a second sound rang out.

"Thank you so much, Fairy Deer, for saving my life!"

Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth...

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The sounds of people kneeling rose and fell in unison. Hundreds of townspeople, regardless of age, gender, or whether they were rich or poor before, all knelt deeply before the white deer in the flood.

"Thank you so much, Fairy Deer, for saving my life!"

The deafening shouts echoed through the valley, drowning out the roar of the flood.

Just then, a familiar system voice rang in Qi Ji's mind.

Congratulations on obtaining Legendary Spirit Points! Legendary Spirit Points +2

[Current Legendary Spirit Points: 5/5]

[Evolution requirements have been met; evolution is possible at any time]

Qi Ji's eyes suddenly lit up.

The legendary spirit points required for the first evolution have finally been met.

Overwhelmed with joy, Qi Ji raised his head and let out a clear, melodious deer cry towards the kneeling crowd on the shore.

"Yo-hoo—"

The deer's clear cry pierced through the clouds and echoed throughout the entire valley.

Then Qi Ji turned around, lightly touched the water with his four hooves, and sped towards the depths of the flood. His white figure flashed through the turbid floodwaters, like a light piercing through the darkness.

The crowd on the shore remained kneeling on the ground, watching the receding figure, their eyes filled with awe, gratitude, and an indescribable piety.

Only after Qi Ji's figure completely disappeared at the end of the flood did Shi Yan slowly stand up.

He wiped away his tears and said in a hoarse voice, "Qinghe Town... is gone."

The crowd remained silent, their eyes dimming as they gazed at their homes, completely submerged by the flood.

"We can't stay here."

A middle-aged man spoke up: "The floodwaters haven't receded yet. It's too dangerous here. We need to head east. The terrain there is higher, and there should be many places that haven't been flooded."

"Yes, go east."

"As long as the person is still alive, everything is fine. Let's go now."

"Everyone looked out for each other, with the elderly and children walking in the middle."

The townspeople discussed it animatedly and quickly reached a consensus.

At that moment, a woman holding a child suddenly spoke, her voice choked with emotion: "The fairy deer saved us all... We can't just leave like this."

Everyone fell silent.

The woman wiped away her tears and continued, "Once we've settled down, let's build a temple for the fairy deer, erect a memorial tablet, and worship it for generations to come, so that future generations will know that it was the fairy deer that saved the people of Qinghe Town."

"good!"

Shi Yan was the first to nod, his voice resolute: "Not only should we build a temple, but we should also erect a monument to record everything that happened today, so that future generations will remember that our lives were given to us by the immortal deer."

"Yes, build a temple! Erect a monument!"

"I'll donate money then."

"I'll do the work."

"I'm a carpenter; I can make the memorial tablets and idols!"

Everyone responded excitedly, their eyes shining again.

The flood destroyed their homes, but it could not destroy their hope, nor could it diminish the deep gratitude in their hearts.

... ... ...

Qi Ji was unaware of everything that was happening on the shore.

He waded through the waves, speeding through the floodwaters, and soon arrived at a high ground that had not been submerged.

This is the highest hill in the vicinity, with a steep terrain, so floodwaters can only reach the foot of the hill.

Qi Ji found a secluded cave and went inside.

He took a deep breath and silently said in his mind, "System, I want to initiate evolution."

[Evolution confirmed, consuming 5 Legendary Spirit Points]

[Evolution Begins]

A soft, golden-green light suddenly appeared from Qi Ji's body, enveloping his entire form.

Warm energy flowed through his limbs and bones, as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring.

Qi Ji could clearly feel the changes happening in his body.

The antlers on its head began to grow. Originally, the antlers only had two branches, but now they had an additional branch, making them even longer and more upright.

Countless complex and mysterious golden-green patterns gradually emerged on the surface of the antlers, shimmering with a faint light like natural totems.

His body had also grown slightly, his muscles had become firmer and more powerful, and his fur had become whiter and smoother, with a pearly luster.

Its tail had also grown longer and fluffy, like a snow-white whisk.

The light lasted for a full three minutes before slowly fading away.

Qi Ji shook his neck, feeling the surging power within his body.

My physical strength has increased by at least 100%!

His senses also became more acute. Qi Ji could clearly hear the sound of the flood flowing several kilometers away, smell the various odors mixed in the air, and even vaguely perceive the emotions of the creatures around him.

In addition to this, he had an instinctive feeling that he had a vague perception of a new ability, but he didn't know what it was yet.

Just then, the system's voice sounded again.

The first stage of evolution has been completed.

Current evolution progress: 10%

The remaining evolution requires entering a dormant state to complete, which is estimated to take 72 hours.

If the evolution is interrupted midway, the body will retain 10% of its current abilities, and the remaining 90% will need to be absorbed slowly in the future.

Qi Ji frowned.

Are we to sleep for another three days?

Qi Ji instinctively wanted to find a safe place to sleep for three days to complete this evolution, but reason told him that now was definitely not the time to sleep.

Because now is the best time to obtain the legendary Spirit Points.

Qi Ji didn't know how the flood came about, but it was definitely not just Qinghe Town that was affected; other human towns must have also been impacted by the flood.

If he goes to the rescue now, he will definitely gain a lot of legendary spirit points.

If we delay for three days until the evolution is complete before trying to save people, those who were supposed to drown will have already died, and it will be too late.

Qi Ji stood in the cave, lost in thought.

On one hand, the evolution was completed 100% successfully, resulting in a significant increase in strength.

On one hand, evolution is temporarily suspended to acquire a large number of legendary spirit points, but evolution can still be slowed down afterward, although it will take a little longer.

"This choice isn't that difficult to make."

Qi Ji walked out of the cave, stood on the top of the hill, and looked into the distance.

The area had been flooded, but Qi Ji remembered it as a major trade route connecting Qinghe Town to the outside world.

Qi Ji took a deep breath and suddenly exerted force with his hind legs.

"Bang!"

A tremendous force erupted from his hind limbs, and his body immediately leaped out like an arrow.

This leap sent him more than 30 meters flying!

Qi Ji landed steadily on the water, his four hooves lightly touching the waves, and then he exerted his strength again, galloping away into the distance.

A white figure darted swiftly through the murky floodwaters, leaving a trail of faint ripples...