Chapter 208 - 207: Feast on the Mountaintop

"What’s so difficult about that, Sister Liangyu? You’re the Beast God. Right now, they’re all desperate to get closer to you."

Xiong Jiaojiao thought nothing of it. Having finished her drink, she stood up. "Sister Liangyu, let’s go!"

Even though she had only been drinking plain tea, Xiong Jiaojiao’s face was flushed red, as if she had been drinking wine.

"Alright."

Chu Liangyu’s eyes curved into a smile as she compliantly followed behind her.

After leaving the courtyard, just as Xiong Jiaojiao had said, there was a small, winding path paved with all sorts of fresh flowers.

In addition, even the few trees in the tribe were decorated with flowers.

From the surrounding houses down to the smallest stones, everything imaginable had been decorated.

The decorative flowers were mostly vibrant, but they weren’t tacky. Instead, they were quite beautiful, exuding a festive air.

The moment she stepped out of the courtyard, her half-beast form manifested.

Xiong Jiaojiao, however, kept some distance from her, standing just off the flower-paved path and following leisurely by her side.

"Chief! Our Chief is so cool, I love her!"

"AHHHH, our Chief is the most handsome and beautiful Beast God I’ve ever seen!"

"The Chief is amazing! I will follow you forever!"

The voices on both sides of the path shook the heavens. At the same time, a continuous stream of golden threads, formed from the Power of Faith, flowed into Chu Liangyu’s body like conduits of energy.

Chu Liangyu had already gathered a massive amount of the Power of Faith before, and her actions over the past few days had yielded even more. Every day, the Power of Faith converged upon her.

Now, she had reached an overflowing state. Seeing nowhere else to go, this excess Power of Faith spontaneously adhered to the clothing of Chu Liangyu’s beast form.

These garments were originally formed from energy, and now, they were unexpectedly imbued with the Power of Faith.

Most of the patterns changed from blue to an interwoven composition of gold and blue.

On the blue-based collar, golden auspicious cloud patterns gradually emerged, surrounded by a few irregular lines that, surprisingly, were a perfect match.

Ordinary Beastmen could not see this Power of Faith, but they could see it once it materialized on her clothing.

"Look! The Chief’s clothes have changed! They’re so beautiful now!"

"Whoa, is this part of the banquet’s program? It’s a bit unexpected, but I love it!"

...

The sounds of discussion were constant. As Chu Liangyu listened, her spirits couldn’t help but soar.

Lou Sang was also awakened by the clamor. The moment he pushed open his door, he was dazzled by the golden light that filled the sky above the tribe.

"Damn, that’s a lot!"

But never mind Lou Sang’s astonishment. On Void Island, the old Beast God and Elder Yu were just as shocked.

Under normal circumstances, a Guardian would periodically travel to the Sumeru Space to observe the operational status of the Little Worlds.

It was during one such observation that Elder Yu discovered a change in the miniature projection of the Beast World.

The Divine Seal on it, which was exclusive to the Guardian, had changed from an auspicious cloud pattern to a sun pattern.

However, the sun pattern was decorated with auspicious cloud patterns around it.

’If the sun pattern is that girl’s Divine Seal, then these decorative auspicious clouds around it must be related to the old fellow who created her.’

After all, his Divine Seal was an auspicious cloud pattern.

"This girl... she’s really something,"

Elder Yu praised her sincerely, then added, "There are probably very few Guardians who could convince so many people to believe in them."

"You flatter me, you flatter me," the old man said with a wide, gratified smile.

The image in the Water Mirror before them continued to play. By this point, Chu Liangyu had already walked onto the high platform.

She manifested her Three-legged Golden Crow form and flew through the air along a pre-arranged route. Behind her, three Phoenixes followed, scattering petals in their wake.

Ahead, wherever the Three-legged Golden Crow flew, specks of golden light rained down, just as they had that other day.

For the Beastmen whose injuries had already healed, this light was extremely effective at enhancing their strength.

What made this possible was Creation Power. It was golden, just like the Power of Faith, but its effects were vastly different.

Each person only received a few specks of light, not enough to cause their bloodlines to revert to an ancestral state, but enough to purge some impurities from them.

This would make it easier for them to advance in the future.

"By the way, did the girl tell you when she’s coming over?"

Elder Yu’s eyes were fixed on the Water Mirror, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.

"She hasn’t told me, but it should be soon. Just wait a little longer."

’He also wanted Chu Liangyu to set out sooner to earn Origin Pearls, but that wasn’t his only concern. If she wasn’t ready, waiting a little longer was fine.’

But clearly, Elder Yu was more anxious. "Well, hurry her along! I can’t wait over here."

"I know, I know. I’ll let you know as soon as she’s about to leave."

He waved his hand, and the Water Mirror dissolved into droplets that fell into the sand, the image vanishing along with it.

This was, in a way, a dismissal. Elder Yu naturally understood his meaning.

"Alright then. Make sure you remind that girl. Don’t let her forget."

----

Chu Liangyu flew just two circuits before concluding the opening ceremony of the banquet. Worried she would find it too troublesome, Xiong Jiaojiao had arranged it this way specifically for her.

Countless banquet tables were set up within the tribe and even on its outskirts. It would be no exaggeration to say they stretched for miles.

The air was boisterous and filled with a festive atmosphere.

For the ensuing feast, Xiong Jiaojiao had arranged a separate, private area for Chu Liangyu.

Of her ten Beast Husbands, eight had not yet recovered from their beast forms.

Taking this into consideration, the banquet for Chu Liangyu and her companions was held atop the highest peak in the tribe.

Hu Qiumu and Xiang Qiancheng sat with Chu Liangyu at her table, while the others each had their own separate, custom-arranged tables.

From this detail alone, Chu Liangyu could see how much thought Xiong Jiaojiao had put into this banquet.

"Female Master, I made all of these myself. Please, have a taste."

Chu Liangyu was well aware of Xiang Qiancheng’s culinary skills, so she didn’t hold back, tasting every single dish.

Hu Qiumu, on the other hand, produced several wine jars from who-knows-where and placed them all in front of Chu Liangyu.

"Red Heart Fruit Wine, Bamboo Leaf Wine, Wine, Peach Wine, and..."

There were ten wine jars in total, each containing wine brewed from different ingredients.

The banquet had been prepared in just two days, so Hu Qiumu’s wines certainly couldn’t have been made in such a short time.

"I started brewing these wines ever since I arrived here. It’s been quite some time now, so I imagine the flavor should be quite good. Would you like to try them, Female Master?"

These were all flavors of wine that Chu Liangyu enjoyed. Being able to drink so many different kinds at once put her in an exceptionally good mood.

Thus, she agreed without hesitation. "Alright."

Xiang Qiancheng glanced sideways at Hu Qiumu and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected Hu Qiumu to have planned a way to please Chu Liangyu so far in advance.

Sensing his gaze, Hu Qiumu smiled and nodded. It was a bit perfunctory, but not improper.