It had to be said.
This Miss Nine-Colored Deer was likely the most beautiful woman Lucas Reeve—and not just Lucas Reeve, but Lin Qingyan and Closure as well—had ever seen.
Her rainbow-feathered clothes were like carved floating clouds, her wide-sleeved crane cloak billowed with a celestial air.
Like a celestial being descended to the mortal world, she stunned everyone, and they couldn't help but sigh in their hearts.
"Hm?"
The Nine-Colored Deer paused, a strange light flashing in her white and blue eyes.
She glanced past Lin Qingyan and Closure, but her gaze didn't linger on either of them for a moment.
Finally, her eyes rested on Lucas Reeve and Nian.
"It's you?"
The Nine-Colored Deer seemed to recognize Nian, speaking softly. Her voice was like a mountain spring, clear and pleasant, her tone calm and detached, as if she had seen through everything in the world.
"It's been a long time, Miss Nine-Colored Deer."
Nian waved energetically at the Nine-Colored Deer.
At once.
The gazes of Lin Qingyan and Closure swished over to Nian.
"Miss Nian, you know her?"
Closure asked in a low voice, her eyes darting towards the Nine-Colored Deer from time to time. The main reason was that this Miss Nine-Colored Deer was simply too beautiful. Her otherworldly aura was attractive even to women.
"I've met her once. Miss Nine-Colored Deer is a good friend of my younger sister, Dusk."
Hiss...
Closure took a deep breath and said quietly.
"So, Miss Nine-Colored Deer is also a Divine Fragment?"
"Nope."
"Miss Nine-Colored Deer is a complete god, not a Divine Fragment."
Nian's casual words caused a huge storm in Closure's heart.
Are you kidding me?
Is this game even playable anymore?
I just went out to procure some materials, and how did I end up surrounded by so many gods!!
Nian, Surtr, the Doctor, the second brother Nian mentioned... and now this Miss Nine-Colored Deer.
So it turns out I was the only ordinary mortal here all along.
Oh~
But Miss Lin Qingyan is here too.
Never mind then.
At least I have Miss Lin Qingyan to keep me company, so I won't seem so pathetic.
However.
While shocked, Closure was also excited.
Hee hee hee~
To think my trip out would be so eventful.
Kal'tsit~
I'll have plenty of things to show off to you when I get back~
Closure had even already imagined the scene of her showing off to Kal'tsit when she returned.
[Kal'tsit, I'm not sure how much of this land you've experienced, but I can be sure that the land is so vast that even you can hardly know all of it. This trip to Yan has been very rewarding for me. What I've seen and heard are all secrets of the world. V50, and I'll tell you a secret.]
Lin Qingyan's expression could now be described as speechless.
What is going on?
What is going on?
Is there a god convention today?
Divine Fragments. Lin Qingyan hadn't encountered one in her twenty-plus years of life, only hearing about them from her master's teachings. She never expected that on this one mission, she would make up for everything she had missed in the past twenty-odd years.
As a Dali Temple official, Lin Qingyan felt a bit of pressure.
After a simple greeting to Nian, the Nine-Colored Deer's gaze fell on Surtr, but not for long. It finally settled on Lucas Reeve. This time, her gaze lingered longer than it had on Nian, as if she wanted to uncover Lucas Reeve's secrets.
"Tsk..."
Closure sighed and thought to herself.
"The Doctor is such a heartbreaker. Is this the talent of a player? Does every woman, even a god, have to stare at him for a few extra seconds? This is too absurd."
Suddenly.
Closure thought of a serious and ridiculous question.
Could that woman Kal'tsit also like the Doctor?
Hiss...
Interesting.
A glint of excitement flashed in Closure's eyes.
Seeing the Nine-Colored Deer staring at him, Lucas Reeve felt a little awkward.
"Uh... Miss Nine-Colored Deer, do I look strange?"
Lucas Reeve touched his face.
The Doctor's avatar wasn't as handsome as his real body, but it wasn't far off. It was still in the handsome category.
"My apologies..."
The Nine-Colored Deer shook her head gently, probably realizing she had been rude.
"It's just that I once encountered a soul fragment almost identical to yours while traveling in Yan. However, by the time I arrived, that soul fragment was already extremely weak. I'm sorry... my medical skills are average, and I was unable to save that soul fragment, so it dissipated..."
"I didn't expect to meet another one that is almost identical here. I was a bit surprised, so I stared for a bit longer."
Soul fragment?
Lucas Reeve was stunned for a moment, then it dawned on him.
It was probably one of the 'bits' he had cut off from himself.
The soul fragments he had scattered varied in size. It was normal for some of the smaller ones to dissipate on their own over time, or to be killed by some powerful expert they encountered.
"No need to apologize, Miss Nine-Colored Deer. The one you met was likely just a soul fragment I split off. If it's gone, it's gone. I can just eat a bit more, rest up, and grow it back."
Lucas Reeve shook his head, telling the Nine-Colored Deer not to worry.
"Is that so..."
The Nine-Colored Deer was visibly relieved.
She had traveled throughout Yan for these years, and it seemed that healing the injured was like her mission or obsession. Whether they were human, soul, beast, or demon, as long as they were injured, they were the Nine-Colored Deer's patients. Even if they didn't understand or spoke harshly to her, she didn't mind.
It was because of this mission.
That the Nine-Colored Deer would feel extremely guilty whenever she failed to save an injured person's life, feeling that her medical skills were lacking and that she had failed the common people.
Lucas Reeve's words had actually helped to untie a part of the knot in the Nine-Colored Deer's heart.
"In that case, I am relieved. Farewell, everyone. We shall meet again if fate allows."
The Nine-Colored Deer gave a polite nod to the group and prepared to leave.
Suddenly.
A jolt went through everyone's hearts.
From the outskirts of the village, Qichang of various shapes once again poured out. Among them were even ten-meter-tall bronze statues and masked monsters burning with flames. The aura these Qichang emitted was countless times stronger than what Lucas Reeve and the others had encountered before.
"Tsk... stupid second brother... what on earth is that idiot trying to do?"
Nian's brow furrowed in annoyance.
The Nine-Colored Deer, who was about to leave, also stopped in her tracks.
Just as Lin Qingyan was about to say something.
Suddenly.
Cries of alarm erupted from the crowd of villagers.
"There are monsters!! The monsters are back!!"
"It must be that woman who brought them!! She must be angry because we chased her away!! So she brought these monsters to take revenge on us!! We're doomed!!!"
Cries of alarm rose continuously from the crowd.
The Nine-Colored Deer didn't argue, but stood beside the others without a word.
Just as Nian had said.
Now that Yan was established and the True Dragon reigned, even gods had to submit to the True Dragon's authority. As a Sui fragment, Nian naturally had to abide by Yan's agreement and not use her powers within Yan's borders. The same went for the Nine-Colored Deer. Therefore, she basically only used her own medical skills, not her rules or divine power.
Of course.
Except for certain gods who didn't play by the rules.
A shadow of gloom flashed in Lin Qingyan's eyes.
She shouted sternly.
"These monsters have nothing to do with Miss Nine-Colored Deer."
"But... but...."
These villagers were naturally unaware of the Nine-Colored Deer's true identity. They were more afraid of Lin Qingyan's status as a Dali Temple official.
"But... my lady... it can't be such a coincidence."
"As soon as these monsters arrived, this woman appeared. Now that we've driven this woman away, these monsters are back again. It's obviously revenge!!"
"Hmph!"
Lin Qingyan snorted coldly, and the aura from her body instantly swelled, causing the women to step back in fear.
"Let me ask you, what is Miss Nine-Colored Deer's motive? If she wanted to kill you, why would she need to treat you? Wouldn't it be easier to just send these monsters to kill you? If she wanted your money, has Miss Nine-Colored Deer asked you for money? Has she taken a single coin from you? Or, were her herbal medicines useless?"
"But... but...."
The voices of the women grew quieter, and even many of the able-bodied men who were preparing to fight fell silent.
"Enough nonsense. Resisting these monsters is the right thing to do."
"Yes... my lady..."
So...
Everyone's eyes turned to Lucas Reeve.
Nian couldn't fight, so she smiled and retreated to the back. The Nine-Colored Deer couldn't fight either. She gave Lucas Reeve a slight nod, a hint of a smile on her face.
"I'll be counting on you."
"Sigh..."
Lucas Reeve sighed.
Surtr habitually wanted to grab Lucas Reeve's hand to let him use her body.
These days, Surtr had become not only a Laevatain launcher but also a Lucas Reeve launcher.
"Let's make this quick."
"Mmm..."
Surtr thrust her greatsword into the ground.
Instantly.
The ground beneath Surtr's feet cracked open, and scorching magma boiled up from the earth.
Nian's eyes lit up.
This was the first time she had seen Laevatain. Closure's eyes widened even more, thinking that a certain famous Victorian physicist's coffin was probably rattling again.
The Nine-Colored Deer also had a look of surprise on her face.
A fusion of two souls?
And two completely different divine souls at that.
Even the Nine-Colored Deer had never seen this method of fighting before.
Lin Qingyan limped over and gently caught the soulless body of the 'Doctor', laying it gently on the ground to prevent it from suddenly falling.
Suddenly.
A large hand of black flame reached out from the magma and grabbed the greatsword in front of Surtr. With a burst of magma, a huge, headless, half-bodied monster emerged from the magma. The pressure of two gods intertwined, causing the entire forest to tremble.
"Mon... monster!!"
The villagers were so stunned they couldn't speak. They all fell to their knees, trembling. They had lived ordinary lives for so many years, where had they ever seen such a spectacle? It was a wonder they didn't faint from fright.
Lin Qingyan said sternly, "This is a type of magic, not a monster..."
Lin Qingyan's words were more reliable.
As soon as she finished speaking.
The tone of the previously terrified villagers completely changed. They went from calling it a monster to a Celestial Master, all kneeling on the ground and begging for the Celestial Master's blessing.
This left Closure speechless.
Something not officially recognized by Yan is called a monster, but something officially recognized is called a Celestial Master...
These Qichang were not particularly strong.
Against Lucas Reeve, who was in his Ancient God of Flame form, they were exceptionally weak.
He swung his sword casually.
The scorching heatwave not only turned the surrounding trees to charcoal but also caused the Qichang to completely break down and fall to the ground. Only the largest bronze Qichang and the humanoid Qichang burning with soul fire barely managed to withstand it.
However.
In Lucas Reeve's eyes, this resistance was futile.
He swung his sword fiercely.
The flames tore through space. The several-meter-tall Qichang had no way to resist and could only be cut in two by Lucas Reeve's sword. The humanoid Qichang next to it fared no better, also failing to withstand Lucas Reeve's attack.
Both of them turned into many bronze and porcelain objects and fell onto the charred lawn, their bodies already covered in cracks.
"They're just creations, after all, not very strong..."
Lucas Reeve ended his Ancient God of Flame state, and his consciousness returned to the 'Doctor's' body.
Looking at Lin Qingyan beside him, Lucas Reeve smiled faintly. "Miss Lin Qingyan is still the most reliable. You were the only one who remembered to gently support this body when it lost its soul."
"Hmph!"
Lin Qingyan snorted coldly, a faint blush appearing on her fair face.
"Flippant! Smooth-talker!"
Tsk, tsk, tsk...
Closure clicked her tongue.
The Doctor was truly a player, to have conquered the cold Dali Temple official so quickly.
Surtr, on the other hand, snorted coldly, glared at Lin Qingyan, and turned her head away.
"Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you, my lady, for eliminating the demons for us!!"
The villagers hurriedly ran over and, without a word, knelt down before Lucas Reeve.
+10000
Tsk, tsk...
That was ten thousand Prayer Power just like that. But on second thought, it wasn't surprising. After all, this village had at least several hundred, if not a thousand, people. Providing ten thousand was normal.
"I was just helping out..."
Lucas Reeve said casually.
"However, you all need to apologize to Miss Nine-Colored Deer. These monsters really had nothing to do with her. She was purely passing by and kindly offered treatment."
At Lucas Reeve's reminder, the kneeling villagers looked at each other, especially the few women who had been the most vocal in their accusations earlier. They wished they could bury their faces in the dirt.
"We're very sorry... Miss Nine-Colored Deer..."
The villagers apologized one after another.
Although the Nine-Colored Deer remained expressionless, as if she didn't care, she was actually silently relieved, and her expression brightened considerably. She gave Lucas Reeve a slightly grateful look.
+8000
Lucas Reeve was surprised. He glanced at the Nine-Colored Deer.
Golden Prayer Power?
!!!!
So gods could also provide Prayer Power. Ordinary mortals' was pure white, while a god's was golden. And even with the same emotion, the purity was much higher, about forty times more... Based on experience, an ordinary person could provide 200 at most, no more. But the Nine-Colored Deer provided eight thousand, meaning a god's Prayer Power was worth much more than a mortal's.
In other words.
The maximum an ordinary person could provide at once was 4000 or 5000, while a god could possibly provide 160,000 or 200,000... Terrifying.
"However, these monsters need to be dealt with at the root... If they aren't, these Qichang will keep coming, and I can't stay here forever."
"Then what should we do, Immortal Master..."
The villagers became anxious.
Suddenly.
Lucas Reeve smiled faintly.
"Where is your village chief? I don't think I've seen your village chief. A high-ranking official from the Dali Temple has arrived, isn't your village chief coming to welcome her? Or does your village not have a village chief?"
As soon as these words were spoken.
Instantly.
The villagers looked at each other.
Suddenly.
A strong man said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master and my lady, our village chief caught a cold a few days ago and is bedridden. We haven't seen him for a long time either."
"Oh... Miss Nine-Colored Deer is a doctor. Why didn't you let Miss Nine-Colored Deer treat him?"
"This...."