The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

Seven days have passed since the day when the people of Yunqi Town rushed to offer food to the villagers.

Qi Ji trudged through the snow, step by step, across the vast, flat wilderness.

The world was a vast expanse of pure white. Although the blizzard had stopped for days, the sky remained a hazy gray, with fine snowflakes drifting incessantly, melting instantly upon landing on the snow-white deer fur.

This flat land was exceptionally desolate. Along the way, Qi Ji did not encounter a single person, not even a wild rabbit or a sparrow. It was a completely deserted place.

Of course, whether there were people or not made no difference to him; it was just that after walking for several days in a vast expanse of white, Qi Ji couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness.

As he walked, Qi Ji's thoughts drifted back to Yunqi Town seven days ago.

That night, the crowd thronged, and plates of steaming food were handed to him. The awe and eagerness in the eyes of the people were very real.

Qi Ji knew perfectly well that this courtesy was entirely due to the word "auspicious beast".

People respect the name of the auspicious omen bestowed by heaven, not the deer itself.

Qi Ji still remembers when he was surrounded and hunted by many people after his evolution and awakening, and those martial arts people kept calling him "the auspicious beast, the white deer".

At the time, Qi Ji didn't think much of it, but now, looking back, he can't help but wonder.

"Auspicious beast? When did I acquire such a title? Aren't I always called a white deer, or a celestial deer? How did I get the title of auspicious beast?"

After much thought, Qi Ji could only conclude that it was because his story of constantly rescuing people during the flood had spread and become increasingly legendary, eventually earning him the reputation of being an auspicious beast.

Qi Ji is still unaware that the king of his country, Bilin, has already issued an imperial edict, officially designating him as an auspicious beast.

But it doesn't matter whether you know it or not.

Qi Ji stomped his hoof and broke through a thin layer of ice, thinking to himself that at least he had chosen the right path of "being kind to others".

Otherwise, why would the people of Yunqi Town be so excited?

He not only got a free meal but also gained legendary luck points for no reason; by any measure, he was in the best position.

"Yes, we should continue down the path of being kind to others," Qi Ji thought to himself.

Returning to his senses, Qi Ji glanced around at the boundless white snow and couldn't help but mutter a complaint to himself.

"But I really did pick a completely desolate, flat wasteland. I walked for several days without seeing anyone. I should have changed direction. Oh well, luckily there are still a lot of hardy plants buried under the snow, so I won't starve."

Thinking this, Qi Ji walked several hundred steps forward.

Suddenly, the sensation of the snow beneath his hooves changed.

"Um?"

Qi Ji lowered his head and used his forehooves to clear away the snow, revealing a human hand that was frozen blue-purple.

"!"

Qi Ji was taken aback, then dug deeper until the entire corpse was revealed.

His face was ashen, and his limbs were stiff; he looked as if he had been dead for four or five days.

Qi Ji followed the unusual pattern in the surrounding snow and searched around. Before long, he found seven corpses, each one emaciated and dressed in tattered clothes.

"They must be refugees fleeing from somewhere."

Qi Ji stood in the snow and remained silent for a moment.

He had been in this world for quite some time and had seen quite a few towns, most of which were still bustling and prosperous. As a result, Qi Ji almost forgot one thing: the society in this world was ultimately an "ancient" world, and the lives of ordinary people had always been vulnerable to storms.

It is not uncommon for a famine or a war to force people to leave their homes and die of cold and hunger in the wilderness.

There happened to be three old elm trees not far away.

Qi Ji walked over, his mind slightly stirred, and the power of [All Trees Pay Homage] spread out along the root system.

Thick tree roots burst forth from the soil, like steady hands, lifting up the corpses one by one and slowly dragging them under the churning mud, then covering them with snow again, leaving not a trace.

After finishing these tasks, Qi Ji shook off the snowflakes from his body and prepared to continue his journey.

But after taking only a few steps, the sound of disordered footsteps came from ahead, accompanied by faint panting and coughing.

"Is anyone there?"

Qi Ji looked up and saw about fifty people trudging through the snow.

Among the crowd were ordinary people dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, as well as those wearing slightly neater cotton-padded clothes. There were men, women, young and old, all of them with pale faces and tired and numb expressions in their eyes. They were clearly a group of refugees fleeing from disaster.

The group of people quickly spotted the white deer in the snow.

At first, they were shocked, but then many people showed fear and subconsciously shrank back.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed in surprise. Looking at Qi Ji's unusually large size and the lustrous antlers on its head, the person knelt down abruptly, their voice trembling: "It's an auspicious beast! It's the legendary auspicious beast, the white deer! We've encountered the auspicious beast, the white deer!"

These words were like a drop of water falling into boiling oil.

Scattered sounds of kneeling and bowing rang out. Several people who recognized him kowtowed repeatedly, muttering things like "May Heaven have mercy" and "May this journey be successful."

But some people sat weakly in the snow, sighing, "What good is a mythical beast... We're starving right now, how can this white deer conjure up food?"

"..................."

Qi Ji heard it clearly, and his hoof paused slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.

This person is quite honest.

He really can't conjure up food.

The area was so desolate that he couldn't even find a wild mouse. Otherwise, considering his need to "be kind to others" and the sincerity of these people's worship, he might have helped them hunt some prey to fill their stomachs.

But now all of that is just wishful thinking.

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Qi Ji turned to the side, intending to bypass the crowd and continue on his way.

But the man who had first recognized him changed his expression upon seeing Qi Ji heading northwest and hurriedly shouted, "Immortal Deer, wait! You can't go that way!"

Qi Ji paused, turned his head, and glanced at him.

The man quickly continued, "Some time ago, a lot of martial arts practitioners came to the mountains. They acted like bandits, occupying villages and towns, enslaving the people. Many who tried to resist them were killed. And I heard... I heard that some of them were the ones who tried to capture you, Immortal Deer, some time ago."

"The people who tried to arrest me before?"

Qi Ji's doe-like eyes flickered upon hearing this.

He wasn't too worried. Of the group that surrounded and captured him in the mountains, the one who gave him the most trouble was the muscular giant named Yan Lie. Qi Ji felt that the others were alright. Although there were some experts, none of them posed a threat to Qi Ji. At most, there were just too many of them, and Qi Ji wouldn't have enough stamina for a war of attrition.

Moreover, he has now undergone a physical enhancement, making him stronger and more physically capable than before.

However, the person's words of advice were genuinely well-intentioned.

"Yo"

Qi Ji gave a low hum to the man as a thank you for the reminder, then turned back and continued on his way.

It was at this moment.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from ahead, galloping through the snow, growing ever closer.

Following the sound, everyone looked and saw more than twenty figures on horseback galloping towards them from the far end of the snowfield.

A suppressed gasp rippled through the group of refugees. Their faces turned deathly pale; the slight joy they had felt upon seeing the auspicious beast vanished, replaced only by utter terror...