Lu Jiuge?
Yu Zhibo gazed at the old woman with white hair and wrinkled skin, finding it difficult to associate her image with such a pleasant name.
But everyone gets old, so he showed no surprise, merely nodding slightly.
This old doe was not of high cultivation, not even reaching the Law level. Compared to the S-class sect disciples he encountered upon entering this realm, she was incredibly weak.
In the following time, Lu Jiuge took out a table and various spiritual fruits and wines from her spatial ring to entertain Yu Zhibo. Yu Zhibo wanted to understand the information about this small island, and she did not refuse, soon engaging in conversation with Lu Jiuge.
"This island is called Green Rock Island, named for its abundance of green vegetation and rocky peaks. There are three major sects on the island: the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect, the Azure Cloud Sect, and the Cloud Phoenix Sect. The founders of these sects were survivors from other shattered middle-thousand worlds, and under the care of Lord Turtle Ancestor, they have settled on the island for over twenty thousand years."
Lu Jiuge took a sip of the spiritual wine and spoke eloquently. Though her voice lacked the crispness of a young girl, it carried the vicissitudes of age, captivating Yu Zhibo.
She continued, "Besides human sects, there are also demon tribes. The most famous among them are White Tiger Peak and Evil Wolf Valley, as well as the Heavenly Fox clan. However, the Heavenly Fox clan declined thirty years ago after offending Evil Wolf Valley. Currently, only a few dozen Heavenly Foxes are barely surviving, and it is feared they will be completely exterminated soon, as Evil Wolf Valley is known for its ferocity and vindictiveness."
"The Heavenly Fox clan?" Yu Zhibo's heart stirred, and he asked, "From what you've said, Evil Wolf Valley acts quite brazenly and overbearingly. Does Senior Old Turtle not intervene?"
Lu Jiuge's cloudy eyes flashed with a hint of sorrow. "What can they do even if they are brazen? Lord Turtle Ancestor once said that survival of the fittest is the law of nature. Green Rock Island is too small. If every tribe had no natural enemies, this island would have been overrun with life long ago."
"And my Spirit Deer tribe, at its peak, numbered one hundred and three thousand deer, with many demon cultivators reaching the Nascent Soul stage. But ultimately, we declined."
"Now, apart from those married off, there are less than a hundred of us barely surviving. This is also a result of other forces showing mercy, because if our deer tribe were to become extinct, they would lose a delicacy on their table."
"Therefore..." Lu Jiuge looked at him earnestly, "Would Senior be willing to become a patron of my Spirit Deer tribe? If Senior agrees, my entire Spirit Deer tribe will be at Senior's command!"
After hearing Lu Jiuge's words, Yu Zhibo couldn't help but tut. This island was not as peaceful and serene as he had imagined.
He felt a pang of sympathy for the Spirit Deer tribe.
But sympathy aside, as Senior Old Turtle had said, it was survival of the fittest. As someone from Earth who had watched nature documentaries, he knew the dangers of species overpopulation.
Old Turtle viewed the entire island world from the perspective of the Heavenly Dao. He likely didn't have much personal sentiment towards the Spirit Deer tribe. It was cruel, but it was for the balance of species.
If his guess was correct, the current temporary respite for the Spirit Deer tribe was likely a result of Old Turtle subtly hinting to other forces. If the Spirit Deer tribe were to reproduce again, they might face the next wave of culling.
He casually picked up a spiritual fruit and put it in his mouth. It burst with sweet juice, far more delicious than the artificially cultivated spiritual fruits on Earth.
After eating the fruit, he gently tapped the table with his slender fingers, gathering his thoughts before speaking, "Fellow Daoist Lu, I am merely a visitor here and will not be staying long. I fear your wish may not be fulfilled."
"Why doesn't Senior consider it carefully?" Lu Jiuge said sadly. "My Spirit Deer tribe are not ordinary spirit beasts. We possess a trace of the ancient divine beast, the Seven-Colored Immortal Deer bloodline. If we can continue to reproduce for a long time, we may yet restore our ancestral bloodline, and then we can become a great aid to Senior."
"Seven-Colored Immortal Deer?"
Yu Zhibo's face showed a look of interest, and then he subtly glanced at the cute little spirit deer with seven white spots on its chest, his gaze deepening.
The Seven-Colored Immortal Deer was a particularly rare auspicious beast in the upper realm. They were gorgeously adorned, and their innate divine ability was the Seven-Colored Immortal Light, which was incredibly powerful. Moreover, the immortal light could promote the evolution of spiritual herbs and increase the purity of immortal qi.
However, similarly, such immortal beasts were treasures all over. Besides their delicious meat, their blood, antlers, and velvet were all rare materials for refining various elixirs, making them extremely valuable.
Therefore, once a Seven-Colored Immortal Deer appeared in the upper realm, it would either be captured by a powerful sect to be a mountain-guarding spirit beast, or be tamed as a mount, or be served on a dining table and used as an alchemy ingredient. Their fate could not be described as anything but tragic.
In his perception, the spirit deer named Xiao Qi, although possessing a peculiar energy fluctuation within her body, it was not significant. He estimated she had only awakened a faint trace of the Seven-Colored Immortal Deer bloodline.
Seeing Yu Zhibo's gaze fixed on the spirit deer Xiao Qi, Lu Jiuge's eyes narrowed, and her expression became even more sorrowful. Then, as if having made a decision, she said, "I believe Senior has seen Xiao Qi's potential. This child is the most talented among our remaining kin and has already been targeted by Evil Wolf Valley. Please take her in, Senior. Whether as a mount or a concubine, Senior may dispose of her as you wish... as long as she can grow and escape the fate of premature death."
Upon hearing the word "concubine," Yu Zhibo's face darkened. However, when his gaze met Xiao Qi's large, watery eyes, he couldn't help but waver slightly.
This little deer had a certain affinity with him, and it would be good to take it as a spirit pet, but as a concubine... that was out of the question.
Shaking his head, he sighed, "Seeing as you all have it tough, I will take this Xiao Qi. However, I might take her away from this realm. Are you able to accept this?"
Lu Jiuge was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately bowed, "Thank you, Senior. Although this realm is rich in immortal qi, and for top-tier cultivators it is a celestial realm, for low-level tribes like my Spirit Deer tribe, it is no different from a cage. For Senior to take Xiao Qi away, this is her fortune."
Saying this, she then shouted at the little spirit deer named Xiao Qi, "Xiao Qi, quickly acknowledge your master!"
As soon as these words fell, the dazed little deer trembled, and its front hooves immediately bent as it knelt towards Yu Zhibo, saying in a childish voice, "Master, Xiao Qi is kneeling before you!"
This little deer was very naive and didn't understand what following Yu Zhibo represented, thinking it was just fun.
Yu Zhibo smiled, recalling that although the scenery in his Pure Land space was pleasant, the variety of creatures seemed a bit scarce.
The Spirit Deer tribe, although appearing to be ordinary spirit beasts, might bring considerable benefits to the spiritual qi and immortal qi within the space if they could eventually produce Seven-Colored Immortal Deer.
Moreover, the Spirit Deer tribe had gentle temperaments and high颜值 (appearance). It seemed not impossible to keep them.
So, after a moment of contemplation, he changed his mind and said, "With Senior Old Turtle watching, it's not convenient for me to take all of you, but I can still take a few more..."
He was interrupted halfway by a voice, ancient and resonant:
"If little friend likes them, feel free to take them!"
It was Old Turtle's voice.
Lu Jiuge also heard it and her body trembled, her eyes shaking with excitement.
She hadn't expected Yu Zhibo to be so highly regarded by Old Turtle!
Thus, her body, which was about to rise, knelt down deeply once more:
"Please take us in, Master."