Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The nine-colored deer blinked. It didn't ask why; it could never refuse the gentle request of an injured person. It raised its head slightly, and the starlight on its antlers suddenly shone brightly.

Nine colors intertwined and flowed, transforming into a soft and pure nine-colored radiance, enveloping Gu Yuena like the warm spring sun.

At that moment, Gu Yuena felt it.

That power wasn't a simple treatment, not like applying ointment to a wound and letting it heal on its own. That power was a revival; it was awakening the long-dormant cells within her, urging them to start working again, telling her body: You can become even stronger.

Gu Yuena's pupils contracted slightly.

She could feel the life force of the Nine-Colored Deer slowly seeping into the wounds left by the Northern Gods within her body. Those wounds were deep enough to seep into the bone, and for tens of thousands of years they had been like an indelible poisonous thorn embedded in her meridians, causing her to feel a dull pain every time she circulated her energy.

Now, the edges of that wound, enveloped by the life force of the Nine-Colored Deer, have actually loosened slightly.

Although it was only on the edge, this tiny, insignificant loosening was enough to move Gu Yuena.

She slept for tens of thousands of years and used countless rare and precious materials, but she couldn't loosen the edges of this wound even slightly.

The little deer in front of her, who had just surpassed 100,000 years old, accomplished with just an ordinary healing power what she hadn't been able to do in tens of thousands of years.

Gu Yuena remained silent for a long time. The Nine-Colored Deer was also silent, its power still flowing continuously into Gu Yuena's body, but a trace of fatigue had appeared in its clear eyes.

The injuries within Gu Yuena's body, layered upon each other like sedimentary rock, were simply too immense. Given that the Nine-Colored Deer had only recently broken through 100,000 years of cultivation, the time it could harness this power was already limited.

"Stop."

Gu Yuena finally spoke.

The nine-colored deer withdrew its nine-colored radiance, took a light breath, and the nine-colored halo around its body dimmed slightly.

Gu Yuena looked down at her outstretched palm. There, a tiny wound was slowly melting away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It wasn't a fatal wound left by the Asura God, but a new wound inadvertently caused by the aftershock of a casual sword strike during the war of the gods.

The Nine-Colored Deer's power was entirely applied to this wound.

A tiny, almost imperceptible wound plunged Gu Yuena into a silence she hadn't felt in tens of thousands of years. This wound hadn't healed for thousands of years.

It is not the most deadly, but it is the most stubborn.

The remnants of the Asura God's power clung to her, preventing any self-healing abilities from taking effect.

Jade Swan Brigitte tried, the Demon King tried, and even Emperor Tian used a secret technique bestowed by the Dragon God. No one could budge it in the slightest.

And now, it is melting away little by little.

Although it was moving very slowly, as slowly as prying open a block of ancient ice with a needle, it was indeed getting smaller.

Gu Yuena raised her eyes and looked at the nine-colored deer breathing softly in front of her, at its fur that shimmered with nine colors and was as smooth as jade, and at its clear eyes that were free of any impurities.

“Your power,” Gu Yuena said, her voice carrying an emotion no one could understand, “is very special.”

The Nine-Colored Deer gently shook its head, and its ethereal and gentle voice rang out: "My current strength is insufficient to heal your injuries. I can only repair some superficial damage."

Gu Yuena did not refute. She knew, of course, that the Nine-Colored Deer was telling the truth.

The fatal wounds on her body were still there, and the scarlet killing law was wrapped around her meridians like chains. With the Nine-Colored Deer's cultivation level of just over 100,000 years, it was impossible for it to shake the Nine-Colored Deer.

But even these "superficial damages" were enough to surprise Gu Yuena.

She had spent tens of thousands of years in the Lake of Life, yet only managed to heal one or two tenths of her injuries. But this little deer before her, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, had restored her to a state where she would have needed to slumber for another thousand years to recover.

The Nine-Colored Deer looked at Gu Yuena, its clear eyes showing no fear or desire for credit, only an extremely pure and compassionate heart of a healer.

It thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Your injuries are too severe. My cultivation is not enough to repair so much damage at once. But I can heal you every now and then. Each time I will repair a part of it, and over time, you will be fully recovered."

Gu Yuena looked at it.

Those purple eyes reflected the nine-colored deer's clear, glass-like eyes, the starlight swirling on its antlers, and the nine-colored halo around its body that had not yet completely dissipated.

To be honest, she hadn't paid much attention to this auspicious beast before.

When Di Tian brought the auspicious beast back, he mentioned it to her, saying that he found it on the outskirts of the forest. It was naturally auspicious and of great significance to the soul beast race.

She simply nodded and said "I understand," before continuing her seclusion to recover from her injuries.

In her view, how auspicious could a mythical beast that hadn't even reached 100,000 years old be?

She lacked nothing in the Star Dou Great Forest, so having one more or one less auspicious beast made little difference to her.

But she doesn't think that way anymore.

It could heal the wounds on her body that even the remnants of the gods could pry open; the value of this auspicious beast was far greater than she had originally thought.

Much bigger.

Gu Yuena looked into the Nine-Colored Deer's clear, unblemished eyes and remained silent for a long while.

Then she sighed.

"That's enough."

Her voice remained calm, as if she were talking about something completely ordinary.

But only she knew how many turbulent thoughts were weighing on those four words.

The mystery of the disappearance of the Dragon Realm remains unsolved, and the whereabouts of the Dragon God's legacy are still unknown, all of which troubles her. But now she finally sees an opportunity that can double her recovery speed.

She couldn't possibly let this opportunity slip by.

Gu Yuena said nothing more and turned to walk towards the Lake of Life.

Barefoot on the lake, each step created a faint ripple.

Her long, silvery-white hair swayed gently behind her, the moonlight falling on it as if draping her in a gossamer-thin silver veil.

The Nine-Colored Deer stood on the shore, watching the pure white figure slowly sink into the depths of the lake. Only when the last strand of silver hair disappeared into the dark water did it withdraw its gaze, gently shake its head, and walk back to the dark green boulder to lie down.

The lake surface returned to calm.

The bottom of the lake is not peaceful.

As soon as Gu Yuena returned to her own waters located in the deepest part of the Lake of Life, a crack appeared in the calm on her face.

It wasn't anger, but a pent-up urgency that had been suppressed for too long finally finding a legitimate outlet.

Chapter 500 The Far North

Gu Yuena raised her hand, her slender fingers gently clenching in the air.

An invisible spiritual force spread out from the bottom of the lake like ripples, centered on the Lake of Life, and spread wildly throughout the entire Star Dou Great Forest.

That power was silent and invisible, yet it carried the Silver Dragon King's unique and unquestionable will.

Soon, several figures swept in from all parts of the forest and knelt in a row on one knee in front of her at the bottom of the lake.

The first to arrive was the Red King. It was already patrolling the lake, and upon hearing the summons, it was the first to jump down.

Then came Di Tian. He had just returned from the entrance to the Dragon Realm, barely had time to sit down, when he sensed Gu Yuena's spiritual summons. Without a word, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King transformed into a streak of black light and sank to the bottom of the lake.

Then came Zi Ji, Bi Ji, Xiong Jun, and finally the King of Ten Thousand Demons.

All the top-ranking ferocious beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest were present.

Di Tian knelt on one knee at the front and looked up at Gu Yuena.

A barely perceptible hint of unease flickered in those golden, vertical pupils. Why was the master in such a hurry to summon all the ferocious beasts? Had his injuries worsened again? Or was there some movement from the realm of gods?

“My lord,” Di Tian spoke first, his voice deep and resonant like thunder rolling through a valley, “you have summoned us here for some important matter.”

Gu Yuena's long, silvery-white hair swayed gently behind her as if it were alive.

Her gaze swept over the row of ferocious beasts kneeling before her. Her purple eyes held no superfluous emotions, only an extremely calm and unquestionable certainty.

“From this day forward,” Gu Yuena began, her voice not loud, but each word clear and distinct in the ears of every ferocious beast, “to search for all rare and precious materials that can enhance the cultivation of soul beasts.”

Upon hearing this, Di Tian's heart trembled.

He was personally taught by the Dragon God and had followed Gu Yuena for tens of thousands of years, so he knew her style of doing things all too well.

The Lord has never been one to seek quick success or instant benefits. She has been healing in the Lake of Life for tens of thousands of years, possessing boundless patience, and would never alter her established plans because of temporary gains or losses.

But now, she actually wants to mobilize all the ferocious beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest to plunder rare and precious materials.

This behavior is too hasty, it's so unlike her.

The Crimson King's middle head asked cautiously, "My lord, after these rare and precious treasures are retrieved, will they be sent directly to your cultivation place?"

Gu Yuena glanced at it and said indifferently, "Give them all to the auspicious beast."

The lakebed fell into a brief, deathly silence.

The Red King's three heads froze simultaneously. Purple Princess raised her head, a flicker of disbelief flashing in her alluring eyes.

Bi Ji's gentle, watery eyes widened slightly. Xiong Jun's rugged face was filled with existential doubt. The Demon King, coiled around the roots of an ancient tree, also had eyes that rarely showed emotion, now filled with confusion.

Di Tian was the first to react: "My lord, you mean... all the rare and precious materials will belong to the auspicious beast?"

"Mmm," Gu Yuena responded, her tone as flat as if she were simply saying that the weather was nice today.

"My lord!" The Demon King was somewhat surprised.

"The auspicious beast has only just surpassed 100,000 years of age, and its foundation is not yet stable. Feeding it too many rare and precious herbs at this time would be counterproductive! I am in charge of all the plants in the Star Dou Great Forest and know their medicinal properties better than anyone else."

“That’s why we have to choose the best.” Gu Yuena interrupted him, her voice still calm.

"King of Ten Thousand Demons, no one here can match your knowledge of rare and precious materials. You will be in charge of this matter. Which ones are suitable for the auspicious beast to consume, which ones need to be prepared, and which ones need to be used only after its cultivation has advanced further—all of these decisions will be made by you."

The Demon King opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was silenced by a look from Di Tian.

Di Tian raised his head, his golden vertical pupils reflecting Gu Yuena's expressionless face. He was silent for a moment, then spoke: "My lord, if I may be so bold as to ask, why do you suddenly place such importance on the cultivation level of the auspicious beast?"

Gu Yuena glanced at Di Tian, ​​then her gaze swept over the row of ferocious beasts kneeling before her. She knew what Di Tian was thinking, and she also knew that these beasts were all having their own doubts.

After all, her previous attitude towards the auspicious beast was clearly to let it roam freely, so why is she suddenly going to use all the resources of the Star Dou Great Forest to cultivate it?

"The power of the auspicious beast can accelerate my recovery from my injuries."

Gu Yuena's voice remained calm, but every word seemed to strike the heart of every ferocious beast present with a hammer.

The lakebed fell silent once more.

……

The far north.

Snow White and Florian have been in the endless ice plains for quite some time now.