Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
Although the little mermaid claimed to be 203 years old, it was obviously still in its larval stage. Shu Xun never expected that Ye Qian would forcefully tease the little mermaid. On the bamboo raft, the little mermaid rolled twice to regain its balance, its expression somewhat blank. It was evident that this was its first encounter with being teased, unsure of how to react.
Shu Xun looked at Ye Qian with a half-smile. “So, what kind is suitable then?”
Ye Qian remained silent for a moment, deadpanning as he earnestly replied, “Human race, awakened giant wolf bloodline, twenty-seven years old, one meter ninety-eight, 88 kg…”
Expressions of speechlessness swept through the live broadcast room.
“Is Ye Qian introducing himself?”
“Discussing how to subtly praise oneself with a poker face, achieving the ultimate goal.”
“This whole section from God Ye can be summarized in one word: me!”
“Finally teased the little mermaid a bit, feeling more balanced in my heart, hahaha! No matter how strong your psychic abilities are, you are defeated by Ye.”
“Notice that everything Ye Qian said perfectly avoided the little mermaid. I bet Ye Qian spent a long time thinking about it!”
“The little mermaid seems to have a story. Over two hundred years old and never received a gift. It cried so sadly just now, and even its tears turned blue.”
“Now that it’s mentioned, the little mermaid seems so pitiful. Help! Have I been hypnotized again? This mermaid is truly powerful!”
On the bamboo raft, the little mermaid, after listening for a while, finally realized it had gained a new rival. It crawled towards Shu Xun, but as it moved, it discovered it couldn’t go any further. Simultaneously, it felt the tip of its tail being pressed down. Turning around, it saw Ye Qian’s foot placed on it, completely preventing any further movement. The little mermaid stood there, looking sulky, and suddenly its eyes flickered. It then gently closed its eyes and started humming a song.
In an instant, an ethereal and beautiful melody resonated, spreading slowly from the bamboo raft’s center. Although the little mermaid’s voice wasn’t loud, it possessed an unusually strong penetrating power, as if it roamed the heavens and earth, unbroken for three days. The lyrics were in the little mermaid’s own language, incomprehensible to the audience. However, they could distinctly feel the intense emotions, as if witnessing a captivating love story. The melody shifted from deep to high, from light to lively, and occasionally to melancholy, reflecting the tangled and contradictory feelings of love. Such a clear expression of emotion and infectious mood was hard to imagine coming from such a small creature.
Accompanied by the ethereal and serene singing, the surroundings seemed to respond with the sounds of birds and beasts, flowers blossoming, and the jungle emitting numerous shimmering green orbs. From a distance, it looked like fireflies slowly rising in the daylight, the green orbs frolicking among the trees as if they were the spirits of the lively mountains and forests, carefree and unrestrained, carrying three parts wildness and seven parts pureness.
On the bamboo raft and in the live broadcast room, everyone was immersed in astonishment. Besides the impact of the singing, there was a marvelous transformation of the surroundings. The vast and calm water surface made the bamboo raft appear as if it were floating on a round mirror with a clear and verdant base. The lush jungle surrounding it seemed like exquisitely carved patterns on the frame of the round mirror, delicately guarding this fragile and crystalline expanse.
Blue sky welcomed flying birds that circled and formed a ring in mid-air. On the towering trees of the jungle, those creatures that had faced difficulties due to the torrential rain gathered on the branches, listening attentively to the gentle calls seemingly originating from the world’s source.
Some shimmering green orbs approached the bamboo raft. Shu Xun, standing on the raft, opened his palm, and surprisingly, the green orbs, like curious children, floated into Shu Xun’s hand. They even jumped a little, then circled his fingers and began spinning. While the green orbs curiously explored Shu Xun, he, too, observed this peculiar substance. The orbs were not solid entities; instead, they resembled spiritual entities. What surprised Shu Xun was that these scattered green stars in the sky possessed life. He could easily sense the life essence within the orbs, but peculiarly, they weren’t complete living beings—at least not tangible organisms. Could it be a unique form of spiritual life native to this planet?
“Look underwater.” Just as everyone was being awestruck by this otherworldly scene, Ye Qian’s icy voice suddenly echoed, prompting everyone to instinctively lower their heads. To their surprise, at the bottom of the river, the bizarre lush grassland was swaying left and right in rhythm with the singing, and the sense of rhythm was incredibly precise, making it look like they were thoroughly enjoying the melody.
A tremor ran through everyone’s hearts. Were these really just plants? This planet, beautiful yet facing a dead end, held too many unknowns and wonders. It always managed to astonish them in those seemingly casual moments, constantly enticing their curiosity.
Soon, there was another movement underwater. Small green lights appeared again, illuminating the green grass at the riverbed. Compared to the orbs above the water, the underwater green orbs were much smaller and showed no sign of ascending; they only lingered on the tips of the water plants. They resembled morning dew glistening on grass leaves, hanging low on stems, as if about to fall but never actually doing so. In this circular area underwater, a soft green glow instantly lit up, complementing the light above the water’s surface.
The melody of the little mermaid’s song continued, accompanied by its melodious tune. The entire apocalyptic world seemed to come alive, with every plant and creature flourishing along with the song, radiating vitality, hope, and tranquility. At this moment, who could believe that this was a world on the brink, a timeline destined for destruction?
The song echoed through the mountains and forests for a long time before gradually fading away. Birds in the sky lingered affectionately, and creatures in the jungle paused, captivated by the melody. The saying “lingering sound around the beam for three days” probably described the situation well. The little mermaid finished singing, and quietly tugged at its tail, only to be surprised to find that it had failed. Looking up, it met the emotionless gaze of Ye Qian.
The song had failed to affect Ye Qian. The little mermaid crossed its arms, annoyed. “Are you bullying me because I don’t have legs? Believe it or not, I’ll slap you to death with my tail when I grow up!”
Ye Qian, with an indifferent expression, replied, “I’m not bullying you for not having legs; I am bullying you.”
The little mermaid was stunned for a moment, then puffed and huffed, breathing heavily. “I have never seen someone bullying others so unapologetically! Mister! Please show some etiquette, exhibit your elegance, and demonstrate your dignity.”
Ye Qian’s tone remained unchanged, still wearing a deadpan face. “Dignity when stepping on a tail? Hm~”
Ling Yang sighed, feeling that its intelligence might not be sufficient for this situation.
With an amused look, Shu Xun watched Ye Qian teasing the little mermaid, and the two, one large and one small, staring at each other. One was panting like a bull, the other with an ice-cold expression. Shu Xun blinked, a hint of teasing in his eyes as he spoke lightly, “I think you two are quite suitable for each other.”
Upon hearing Shu Xun’s words, the large and small figures turned their heads towards him. Then, with a synchronized reaction, they turned their gazes back, and Ye Qian quickly withdrew his foot, as if he had stepped on something dirty. The little mermaid also looked disgusted, placing its tail in the water at the edge of the raft to clean it.
Shu Xun: “…”. Was the reaction really necessary?
Seeing the atmosphere about to become awkward, Meng Muyu cleared his throat and pointed to the gradually dimming faint green orbs in the sky. “What are these things?”
Ling Yang swayed his tail, responding indifferently, “I don’t know.”
Meng Muyu wore an expression of ‘You’re lying to me again’: “How can you not know?”
“Isn’t it strange that I don’t know? It’s strange for a fish to be asked about things on land, right?”
Meng Muyu fell into silence instantly, as if what he said made sense. In the end, he could only turn his gaze towards Shu Xun.
Shu Xun nodded, indicating that Ling Yang’s statement was likely true. Ling Yang had come with a purpose, stepping into the former land range, and it seemed that he could not indeed walk on land. Looking at the almost-disappeared green orbs, he also glanced at Big Bliss and Small Bliss.
Meng Muyu instantly understood Shu Xun’s thoughts. “Are you saying that these green orbs might be companion spirit entities, similar to the state of Big Bliss and Small Bliss, just with a lower level? But isn’t the quantity too large?”
Shu Xun pondered for a moment. “Not many. If there was a race that once stood at the pinnacle of the mainland’s creatures, then the numbers of that race would naturally not be small. These green orbs are likely the companion spirit entities of another advanced life form on this planet. As long as the spiritual entities exist, the main bodies cannot be dead, so the number of survivors far exceeds imagination.” Besides this, what intrigued Shu Xun even more was the inexplicable sense of familiarity in everything before him. The same race with high mental abilities, the ability for spiritual entities to exist separately from the physical form—was it a coincidence or inevitability? Could it be a crucial link connecting “Winter’s End” and “Deep Blue Sea”?
Listening to Shu Xun and Meng Muyu’s conversation, a subtle light flashed in the eyes of the little mermaid, but it vanished in an instant. “So, you are really outsiders?”
Shu Xun openly admitted, “Yes, we come from beyond the stars. You should have guessed the reason, and to some extent, our goals are the same, with no conflicts.”
Ling Yang lowered his head slightly, seemingly pondering Shu Xun’s words. After a moment, he raised his head again. “I can travel with you and provide you with the clues I know.”
Shu Xun was not surprised. “Conditions?”
The little mermaid flicked his tail, appearing nonchalant. “Of course, you become my partner!”
Ye Qian coldly chuckled, and Ling Yang immediately stiffened, hugging his own tail. “Alright, alright, I want to know what happened to my world. If possible, please help me.”
