Deep in the vast forest, in front of the ancient courtyard.
A sika deer was left behind by its owner and waited alone for tens of thousands of years.
At this moment, in anger, he blew out the stars in the sky.
The remaining bits of starlight reflected its figure on the ground.
The pair of antlers, which are more than one foot high, are still growing in size, becoming more and more like a towering tree, with countless forked and intertwined branches, all stretched out, as if they are about to spread to the horizon.
The dense "tree shadows" continued to lengthen on the ground, expanding together with the deep momentum until they enveloped the entire secret realm.
The demon kings, who were hundreds of miles away, felt the darkness suddenly coming and the terrifying momentum oppressing them. They were all frightened to death and wailed in their hearts.
What kind of monster is hidden in this secret realm?
At this moment, facing the pressure, a small arrow bamboo pole was blown violently by the strong wind. The bamboo pole leaned back slightly and bent into an arc, but it did not break and remained firmly in place.
Seeing the sika deer's posture, Zhu An finally realized that it could no longer accept the reality.
Bamboo leaves were flying all over the body, forming a sigh in the wind.
"If you and I take action, the collapse of this secret realm will accelerate."
He could see that this deer was in a special situation. It did not rely on its own abilities to survive for tens of thousands of years, and its real realm could barely reach the imperial realm.
In a real battle, it's hard to say who will win, but it doesn't make any sense.
In the darkness, the sika deer was silent for a moment and said coldly:
"Then please come back. There were many Taoist friends who came to Wanlin Palace for the banquet, but I have never seen you."
Zhu An naturally did not leave, but lifted up a few clusters of branches and leaves.
Although it was dim, he could still "see" ahead, including the mossy stone steps and the ancient trees surrounding the yard.
"Do you want to see what it was like back then? What your master looked like back then."
Hearing this, the sika deer's expression changed slightly, a little surprised, a little disbelieving, but still showing a hint of hope.
Can scenes from tens of thousands of years ago be seen?
"You'd better not lie to me, otherwise -"
Zhu An smiled and waved a bamboo branch gently, as if reaching out and pointing to the surrounding trees.
"These ancient trees have no wisdom, but they have memory."
"The annual rings in the trunk, the lines on the bark, the curling and changing of the roots...all the traces on them are reflections of time and shadows of time."
"Although your master has been away for tens of thousands of years, this place has been silent for tens of thousands of years. There is no change. Repeated scenes can be easily separated."
"If you remove these ten thousand years, you can relive the scene back then."
After listening to these words, the Sika Deer was no longer angry, but he was no longer calm either.
All its terrifying aura subdued, it cautiously stepped forward and looked at the mysterious bamboo with complicated eyes.
Melancholy, nostalgia, loneliness, but also a trace of longing and a trace of excitement.
All the emotions finally turned into just one word——
"please."
Zhu An turned his perception to the surrounding trees, "I also want to see what happened back then."
In the darkness, a shimmer appeared on the surface of the bamboo leaves, reflecting a slanting bamboo shadow and the shadows of thousands of trees.
The light and shadow are constantly changing, as if the years are going back, and a slightly blurry afterimage emerges in the air——
In front of Wanlin Palace, there is a meeting between wind and cloud.
Countless people walked down from the clouds, their clothes were dressed in neon and the wind was like their horses, and they behaved with a carefree manner.
There are also tigers, drums, harps, and luanans returning to the carriage, flying in the mighty wind.
The cranes and ape spirits, all with grace and grace, stepped on the smooth stone steps and walked into the courtyard gate.
Each visitor casually punched out an aura invitation, manifesting exquisite lines in the air, which were the same as the runes Zhu An received.
The master of Wanlin Palace, Cang Shengzun, has a vague figure and is at the top of the throne. He is hosting a grand banquet for guests on this day.
Sitting on top of the rows are all practitioners with advanced realms. They talk and laugh with witty remarks. There are colorful rays of light all over their bodies. They are graceful and graceful, like gods.
However, Cang Shengzun's words instantly silenced the guests present.
"I want to go to Mount Buzhou. Which fellow Taoist is willing to go with me?"
Everyone was silent, looking at each other, and no one said anything.
After waiting for a long time, Cang Shengzun sighed in disappointment.
"When the nest is overturned, how can any eggs be left intact?"
…
The scene changed again, and a small sika deer, only three feet tall, jumped up and down, following a man in green clothes and long hair.
"Master, I heard that in the outside world, there are two extremely huge stars in the sky. They are the sun in the morning and the moon in the evening. They are brighter than all the stars here put together. Can I go out and take a look?"
Sika Deer grew up in the secret realm of Wanlin. He was lonely without companions and had never seen the colorful world outside.
But it knows that the master is also lonely, with no companions around him.
So it always follows its owner and never leaves alone.
"Okay." The man in green smiled and touched its little head, "But I'll go out first, and when I come back, I'll take you outside to have a look."
"No need to wait, I will go out with the master." The little sika deer felt a little uneasy, so he took the initiative to suggest this.
And it doesn't want to be alone. This huge Wanlin Palace is lively when there is an owner, but it is too deserted when it is alone.
"Be obedient." The man in green waved his hand, and the palace door opened automatically. "We are both gone, who is coming to see the house?"
"That's right." The little sika deer nodded, "When will the master come back?"
"It's quick. I'm just going out to do some errands."
The man in green clothes stood at the door, looking at the vast forest outside the courtyard. At this moment, his figure looked a little lonely, losing the generous spirit he had at the previous banquet.
He gave instructions carefully:
"Remember, before I come back, you will stay at home and try not to show your face."
The little sika deer promised seriously: "Don't worry, I will take good care of your home."
The man in green lowered his head when he heard this and stared deeply at the little guy who was rubbing his trouser leg.
"No, it doesn't matter if you look after the house. What you have to do is to protect yourself and avoid any accidents."
"Master, is there danger outside? Why don't you go out yet." The uneasy feeling came to his heart again, and the little sika deer frowned, a little worried.
The man in green clothes had arrived outside the door, floated up, looked up to the sky and laughed:
"To the people outside, I am the danger."
Thousands of miles of clouds are surging, and the sky is filled with stars.
A green meteor rose from the depths of the boundless forest, swept towards the sky, and disappeared at the end of the world here.
The little sika deer was still standing at the door, looking up at the direction where the meteor was leaving, and made no move for a long time...
This is the last feast here, the last bustle and bustle.
The light and shadow change, and the scenes from year to year are almost superimposed.
The door opens, the door closes.
The sika deer stood at the door and looked out. The sika deer sadly turned around and returned to the house.
In the infinite repetition, the little deer gradually grew up and grew old.
In the end, the scene shattered and the deserted reality returned.
The wooden door is still so old, and the stone steps are still covered with moss.
Wanlin Secret Realm is still shrouded in darkness.
The old and aging sika deer, with his eyes filled with tears, lowered his head gently and said to the arrow bamboo in front:
"Thanks."
