The Legacy of the Silver Deer

The deer raised her hoof, and in the center of her powerful limb lay a pure, snow-white egg, dappled with tiny silver flecks. Wuye stared at it, his mind caught between fascination and bewilderment. Deers were supposed to give birth whole, so why was her child encased in an egg? But he decided to hold his tongue. This was a Dao Soul Beast, and her ways were beyond his understanding. Bowing slightly in respect, he reached out and took the egg, cradling it carefully in his hands.

The deer studied him, her gaze shifting to a thoughtful look before her expression firmed. She raised her head, and suddenly, four drops of her origin blood, a swirling gold-clouded essence, emerged from her forehead. One of the drops floated toward Wuye's wolf, hovering before it until the wolf opened its mouth and accepted the precious blood. Another drop drifted toward Wuye, and the remaining two drops solidified into hardened crystals, which she slipped carefully into Wuye's robes for later use.

The instant the blood touched him, he felt a surge of power invade his body, an overwhelming energy that sent pain pulsing through his bones. His qi went wild, shifting and reforming. His skin prickled as scales began to grow over his arms, their surfaces embedded with shimmering silvery fur. Antlers sprouted from his forehead, their small, branching tips barely pushing through the skin. The pain was excruciating, but Wuye bit down hard, enduring each agonizing change. Finally, after a few long moments, the transformation ceased.

The deer looked at him with a flicker of confusion in her eyes. "You... you have no ancestry?"

He looked at her, still breathing heavily. "What do you mean by 'ancestry'?"

"When a being absorbs origin blood, it should awaken and strengthen their own ancestral roots. But in your case," she observed, tilting her head, "you seem to have gained some of my features instead."

Wuye pondered her words, realizing there was a fundamental difference between the ways of beasts and humans. She had used a method for beasts, whose forms naturally adapted to the bloodlines they consumed. For humans, however, the way of the Dao followed a different path. Rather than becoming more beastlike, a cultivator's journey sought an internal awakening, a deepening of the soul, not the body.

"It's likely due to my race," he replied aloud, offering a shrug. "Don't think about it too much."

The deer gave a faint, knowing nod, though her gaze drifted westward, her expression darkening. "He is coming soon," she murmured, her tone laced with grim determination. "Allow me to fulfill my last promise to you."

Suddenly, Wuye, the wolf, and the egg rose into the air, a soft, warm energy surrounding them. The silver deer had infused her power into a protective barrier around them, propelling them high above the treetops. They soared northward at tremendous speed, the landscape below a blur of green and shadow. After several moments, the energy holding them aloft began to settle, and Wuye felt himself drifting slowly back to the ground, deposited into a wide-open clearing on the forest's edge.

Wuye turned to his wolf, who now looked noticeably different. The creature's fur had lightened, taking on a silvery sheen, and an increased sharpness in its eyes suggested a newfound intelligence. The wolf gazed at him with a warmth that Wuye could almost call reverence, as if sensing the presence of the silver deer within him.

Mounting the wolf, Wuye pulled out the egg and looked at it. The traces of awe that had briefly filled his eyes faded, returning him to his typical steely, emotionless stare. He secured the egg carefully and adjusted his position on the wolf's back, his gaze fixed northward. I need to find the next city, he thought, pulling out a worn map and scrutinizing it. To his dismay, the map offered no help—this region was barren of any landmarks between his current location and the distant ancient inheritance.

With a sigh, he gave the wolf a light tap, and they started moving northward through the grasslands. As they traveled, he considered the days ahead. They'd need to find places to camp, both for rest and to assess the strange egg entrusted to him. He also needed time to understand whatever the jade slip held. But for now, their goal was simple: keep heading north.

In the distance, the ground began to tremble, faintly at first but steadily growing in intensity. From the direction of the forest, a massive rumble shook the trees, followed by roars that reverberated in waves through the clearing. Wuye cast a glance over his shoulder, feeling a mix of awe and relief. He no longer felt fear or concern about the forest's inhabitants or their struggles for dominance. Whatever turmoil lay behind him was no longer his burden.

With a final look, he faced forward, the egg nestled safely in his robes as he rode the wolf onward.