Pregnant Cultivator, Doted by Big Boss

A beating?

Just from Madam Forrest’s description, Celeste Grant could imagine what a miserable state they must have been in. It was true that Cultivators were durable. Even with their Cultivation restricted, an ordinary person would stand no chance against them. But that only applied to *ordinary* people. The villagers here were born with Divine Power. A beating from them would absolutely result in broken limbs.

However, when Madam Forrest mentioned the word "Cultivator," Celeste Grant’s eyes lit up.

’A Cultivator?’

A surge of excitement stirred within her, and she couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, "Then how did they leave here?"

Over the past half-month, she had scouted the paths leading out of the area. The mysterious power here suppressed her abilities; she could neither use her Cultivation nor fly, making an escape by air impossible. That left walking, but... her large, pregnant belly made that quite inconvenient. Therefore, she wouldn’t risk leaving until she had a clearer grasp of the situation.

"Leave?" Madam Forrest said. "They didn’t leave. They’re already dead."

Celeste Grant arched an eyebrow.

’Dead.’

Madam Forrest nodded slightly. "That’s right! They went to Sardath, trying to get out that way, but ended up killing each other. When my father was out hunting, he found their bones at the edge of the mountains. He only recognized they belonged to those two men because he saw their sword."

’Inhaling the black fog there makes people kill each other? So the fog must have a hallucinogenic effect. It seems I was right not to rush out. I’m a Cultivator, after all. Even when faced with strange, unknown powers, you have to show respect, even if you don’t understand them. Otherwise, you could die without even knowing how it happened.’

’In a world where anything is possible, it’s never wrong to be vigilant. For now, at least, I’m not in any danger. The villagers here are simple and kind, and they’ve been very good to me.’

And so,

Celeste Grant settled down in the village.

Of course, she kept trying to contact Javier Sinclair with the Ancient Mirror, but so far, to no avail.

In the meantime, she heard the story that had long been passed down through the village. According to the villagers, it all started three hundred years ago.

Back then, they didn’t live in this exact spot, but in another location nearby. The village was home to over two hundred people, comprising more than a hundred families. They had lived there for generations, working from sunrise to sunset, completely isolated from the outside world.

Until one day, the village was struck by a tide of Demonic Beasts from deep within the mountains, and many people died. Just then, a figure descended from the sky, landing before the villagers. With just a gentle wave of his hand, all the ferocious Demonic Beasts were reduced to ash.

To the villagers, it was as if a God had descended to save them.

After saving them, the God flew away. The village elders led the survivors, now numbering less than a hundred, to their current home in Kheris. The dead were gone, but the living had to go on. Then, about half a year later, a villager who was out and about found that same God, deep in an unwakeable slumber, and brought him back to the village.

At first, they thought the God was sick.

But they soon discovered that no treatment could rouse him.

Eventually, they came to believe the God might simply be asleep.

The villagers enshrined him in their ancestral hall, paying their respects every day. Three months later, the God finally awoke. He never spoke a word, but as he left, he flicked a single drop of his blood into the air. A blood-red rain fell from the sky. Any villager touched by the rain was thereafter able to resist Demonic Beasts and possessed immense strength. Moreover, their descendants inherited this power as well.

They later discovered something even more incredible: the God had blessed the area with his Divine Power. Even if they died, as long as their bodies were brought back here, they would return to life. But the God had already departed, leaving behind only his legend, passed down from generation to generation.

The villagers here hold the God who descended from the sky in the highest reverence. Even a child who dares to show disrespect toward the God will be given a beating. Afterward, the entire family must go to the ancestral hall to accept their punishment and repent, begging the God for forgiveness. They also hold worship ceremonies during festivals and holidays.

Celeste Grant listened, captivated.

’But after hearing their story, I suspect he wasn’t a God, but a Cultivator from the Immortal Domain. To be able to leave such a mysterious and bizarre power here, and to casually set up an Array that even I can’t detect... this person must be a supreme expert of the Immortal Domain.’

’Perhaps that master was just passing through when he saved the villagers. Then, moved by their kindness, he decided to leave behind his power to protect them.’

Their story piqued Celeste Grant’s interest in the village’s ancestral hall.

In all her time here, she had explored every corner of the village except for the ancestral hall. It was considered a sacred place, opened only on important days of the year. Anyone who dared to enter without permission would be punished.

「That evening.」

While they were having dinner,

Madam Forrest spoke up. "Tomorrow is our village’s ritual ceremony. You’re not from the village, but since you’re here, you should join us. You can pray for the God to bless you and your child and keep you safe."

Celeste Grant let out a sound of surprise.

"A ritual ceremony?"

Before Madam Forrest could speak, a young woman sitting beside her said, "That’s right! Miss Grant, our village is holding a ritual ceremony tomorrow. Every family will slaughter chickens and sheep to offer as a sacrifice to the God."

Celeste Grant scratched her head, thinking to herself, ’Is it possible that even with a ceremony, your God won’t even know about it or receive the offerings? For all you know, he’s off on a rampage somewhere right now.’

At this thought, she asked, "The God you worship—what’s his name? Does he have a title?"

Madam Forrest shook her head and smiled. "Our ancestors didn’t know which deity the God was, nor did they know his title. So we never gave him one, and we wouldn’t dare presume to, for fear of getting it wrong. But we have a statue of him. You’ll see tomorrow. It’s going to be very lively. In the evening, everyone in the village will get together for a big meal."

"Really? Then I’ll have to see it for myself."

"You should pray to him. The God we worship is very responsive."

Celeste Grant smiled faintly.

’I don’t know if he’s responsive or not, but this is their faith. I may not get it, but I can respect it. Whether the one who saved them was a Cultivator or a God, to the people living here, he was their God.’

The next morning, the village was already bustling with activity.

Celeste Grant also rose early.

When she opened her door and stepped outside, she froze.

All throughout the village, flowers of every kind had been set out. Colorful blossoms adorned the doorway of every single home.