Chapter 97

With the resurrection of the Withered Glory Spirit Deer, the environment in the secret realm also began to change.

The horizon broke at dawn, and the morning light dispelled the darkness of the night. The earth revived under the glow of the morning.

The dried-up rivers once again flowed with clear water, the withered trees and plants sprouted new buds, and the faded flowers bloomed once more.

The wild grass and shrubs in the open fields grew vigorously, soon reaching half the height of a person. They swayed with the breeze, spreading out like waves in layers, stretching into the distance.

Signs of extraordinary creatures also began to appear.

Flying in the sky, running on the ground, growing alongside the plants… their traces were everywhere.

This was the true, familiar appearance of the “Fenghe Basin.”

“It’s the miracle of the Withered Glory Spirit Deer…” Han Ruoyun stared at the giant, deer-shaped extraordinary creature before her, taking a long while to regain her voice.

“The secret realm hasn’t undergone an anomaly; this was always another side of the ‘Fenghe Basin,'” Mu Huiyue said.

She too gazed at the towering figure of the giant deer and softly added, “The Guardian God of the West Continent, the Withered Glory Spirit Deer, holds dominion over both ‘Decay’ and ‘Glory,’ two completely opposite forces. The ‘Fenghe Basin’ it governs should have always been like this.”

The snow-white giant deer slowly moved its limbs, stretching like it had just woken up, startling countless birds that had been perched on its antler-forest.

It seemed to have heard the whispered words of the human girl, letting out a deep, soft laugh that made the earth tremble faintly.

Then, it bent its four long legs and lay down, its massive head lowering, suddenly leaning toward the girl.

“That’s right, this is called the ‘Withered Wasteland,’ a mirrored secret realm of the ‘Fenghe Basin.'”

The giant deer’s eyes were a vibrant green, like new buds, glowing brilliantly as though they were crafted from crystal, each eye nearly half the length of a person.

Suddenly being faced with such a giant eye, Mu Huiyue almost had a heart attack. It took her a while to regain her heartbeat. She waved her hand, pulling the shadow that had wrapped around her back into the shadows on the ground.

The Withered Glory Spirit Deer’s voice rang directly in her mind. It wasn’t human language, but Mu Huiyue understood the meaning, a special skill inherent in mythic race extraordinary creatures—telepathy.

The other Beast Tamers were so startled by the movements of the Withered Glory Spirit Deer that they didn’t dare to breathe. The snow-white giant deer let out another soft laugh, slightly lifting its head to look at the human Beast Tamers.

“Ah, it’s the little ones who passed the trial this year… Though you started a bit late, it won’t affect your journey.”

“Go into my secret realm and find the contract partners you seek.”

Its voice echoed in everyone’s minds, and then the giant deer seemed to sense something, lifting its head to look into the distance.

“Seems like the worried big fellows have come in as well…”

After the “Fenghe Basin” reestablished contact, the first to lead the team into the secret realm were the B-rank investigators stationed at the Harvest Festival site.

The S-rank secret realm where the Guardian God had been sleeping suddenly disappeared, and the Beast Tamer Association and the Affairs Bureau were in a panic for a while. Rescue information was sent to headquarters, but unexpectedly, the connection point for the “Fenghe Basin” reappeared and seemed to have completely returned to normal.

The stationed B-rank investigator immediately organized a team for secret realm investigation. Upon entering the “Fenghe Basin,” he saw the Withered Glory Spirit Deer lying in the verdant field, and his anxious heart finally settled.

The Beast Tamers who had entered the trial earlier were all unharmed. The investigator spoke with them to understand the situation, then allowed them to enter the secret realm to search for their contract beasts.

He approached the Withered Glory Spirit Deer and slightly bowed, saying, “Lord Fengxi, what exactly happened here?”

Only Mu Huiyue, a trial participant, remained by the side of the snow-white giant deer. It was the Withered Glory Spirit Deer who had asked for her to stay. Upon hearing the investigator’s colleague’s question, Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but glance at the giant deer.

It seemed she had unintentionally learned something about the Guardian of the West Continent…

The Withered Glory Spirit Deer appeared to quite like the name derived from human culture, as its short deer tail wagged joyfully behind it.

“What are the external observations?” its voice echoed in everyone’s minds, asking, “Did my Fenghe Basin disappear?”

“Yes,” the investigator in charge of the Harvest Festival nodded, his expression somewhat anxious.

God knows how thrilling it was to suddenly learn that one of the most important S-rank secret realms in the West Continent, along with its Guardian, had disappeared while leisurely watching a match in the office.

He never wanted to go through that experience again.

“Indeed, there were some unexpected… well, not exactly unexpected. After all, it’s been a long time since you’ve seen it,” the voice of the Withered Glory Spirit Deer echoed in their minds, sounding somewhat wistful as it gently shook its head.

“My antlers, now they are in full bloom, aren’t they?”

The investigator exchanged a glance with Mu Huiyue, and the two looked toward the Withered Glory Spirit Deer’s antlers, which were as lush as a forest on either side of its head. They nodded, not fully understanding.

“But when I was first born between heaven and earth, my antlers were both withered and flourishing.”

“One side thrived, while the other withered, a cycle of life and death. That is why I am called the Withered Glory Spirit Deer.”

The giant deer’s voice slowly echoed in their minds.

“My domain is the same. In addition to the Fenghe River Basin that nurtures life and brings vitality, there is also the Withered Wilderness, where all things perish and the daylight fades—where the little ones just went through.”

“However, after I made an oath with Yaoguang a thousand years ago, I have never shown the Withered Wilderness within the Great Yan Realm, and I seldom used the source of withering. That is why the antlers on both sides have grown so lush now.”

Mu Huiyue unexpectedly heard the name of a historical figure—the ancient clan leader of the Shennong family, Yaohime, who had an inseparable connection with the Withered Glory Spirit Deer. She was also the founder of the ancient civilization of Xizhou.

“Because you’ve been continuously blessing the harvest, protecting the land of Xizhou,” the investigator said respectfully.

“Haha… I didn’t think much of it back then,” the white giant deer chuckled.

The giant deer gently swayed its antler branches in the breeze, making a soothing rustling sound.

“Yaoguang said that my antlers were flourishing on one side and withering on the other, making me look like a deer with half a bald head. It was very unappealing.”

“I asked her what should be done, and she said to just keep using the harvest blessing. Eventually, the withered antlers would sprout new shoots, just like the barren land that has been revitalized.”

It seemed like it was recalling a very amusing scene, as the Withered Glory Spirit Deer once again let out a light laugh that made the earth tremble.

It then gently shook its head.

“What I want to say is this ‘accident.'”

“Every time I wake up during the Harvest Festival, the energy accumulated in my antlers awakens the ‘Fenghe River Basin,’ bringing many newly born little ones.”

“However, this time, what I woke up to was the ‘Withered Wilderness.'”

The Withered Glory Spirit Deer seemed confused by this. Its crystal-clear, emerald green eyes turned toward Mu Huiyue.

“Just now, this little one told me about my form in the Withered Wilderness.”

“I had completely turned into a withered skeleton… With the amount of withering energy I have accumulated, this situation should have been nearly impossible.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Huiyue was slightly moved and asked, “How much withering energy would you need to accumulate to reach the state of withered bones?”

The Withered Glory Spirit Deer pondered for a long time before its voice finally echoed in everyone’s minds.

“If I hadn’t agreed to Yaoguang’s vow and had been using the source of withering energy continuously since a thousand years ago, I should have turned into withered bones by now, awakening an immortality-related skill.”

Indeed, it was the “impossible possibility”!

Mu Huiyue was suddenly startled, unable to resist connecting this unexpected event to the Angry Rock Xuanwu. Apart from the fluctuations in the investigator’s wristband, another key point that couldn’t be ignored was right here.

The other possible outcome for the Angry Rock Xuanwu: if Su Luo hadn’t killed the newly evolved realm master twenty years ago, it would have grown into the form of the Emperor Race, Ultimate Form.

The situation with the Withered Glory Spirit Deer was similar. If, a thousand years ago, it hadn’t made a vow with the Shennong clan and instead had used the source of withering energy for a long time, it would have turned into the withered skeleton of the giant deer in the “Withered Wilderness.”

Was this a coincidence… or was it a result of deliberate guidance?

“I’m relieved that nothing happened to you, Lord Fengxi,” the investigator said, seeming to exhale a small breath. “Regarding this year’s Harvest Blessing…”

“Don’t worry, I will fulfill my promise,” the Withered Glory Spirit Deer’s voice hesitated slightly, as if it was thinking about how to express itself.

“It’s nothing, just come and have your current director from the Bureau meet me after the Harvest Festival ends.”

“Now, go ahead and gather those little ones who found their contracted beasts. I will release the accumulated energy from my antlers once more.”

The snow-white giant deer gently swayed its head, and the forest atop its antlers rustled with a soothing sound.

The newly born Night Demon Scarecrow had a similar habit, and Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but smile when she saw it.

The investigator took his leave, and the Withered Glory Spirit Deer slightly lowered its gaze, looking at the human girl beside it.

“You’ve contracted the little one born in the ‘Withered Wilderness,’ right?”

The giant deer’s low murmur echoed in her mind. Mu Huiyue nodded and summoned the Night Demon Scarecrow from her Beastmaster Space.

As expected, it liked to sway its body in the breeze and made friendly rustling sounds toward the snow-white giant deer.

The Withered Glory Spirit Deer’s gaze softened. This was the first extraordinary life born from its “Withered Wilderness” in a thousand years.

Humans didn’t like the source of withering. They feared decay and death, avoiding extraordinary beings that brought these things.

But the Night Demon Scarecrow had found a Beastmaster who wholeheartedly accepted it and sought to fulfill its wishes.

It was a brilliant emotion, carefully offered and placed atop seven layers of protective crystals, even touching the memories of the Withered Glory Spirit Deer that belonged to the blessing of prosperity. This allowed it to awaken in the “Withered Wilderness.”

Its gaze rested on the black-haired girl, as if seeing the figure from a thousand years ago—the one who gave it the name “Fengxi.”

Yaoguang also had these clear and determined black eyes.

The Withered Glory Spirit Deer felt a long-lost sense of peace. It liked humans who had such black eyes.

That’s why it chose to stay here with the “Harvest Blessing” instead of the “Source of Withering.”

As long as there were Beastmasters with such eyes in the legacy of Da Yan, it would never turn into the immortal skeleton of withering.