He reached into his storage pouch. There were only two message talismans left inside.
But to get Shen Qing here, Pei Xuanjing still gritted his teeth and used one of them.
"Junior Sister, I know you're still blaming us, but at this life - and - death moment, just think of it as helping a stranger. Please help us," Pei Xuanjing said, his tone laced with humility.
But Shen Qing remained unmoved. She even felt like laughing.
Back then on Worry - Free Peak, when she was framed by Lin Yibai and seriously injured by Nan Zhijin, she had also pleaded desperately like this.
But what did she get in return?
How could Pei Xuanjing think that she would be touched by their meager kindness?
Hatred welled up slowly. Shen Qing suddenly thought of something, curled her lips into a smile, looking playful.
Seeing Shen Qing move, Pei Xuanjing thought she had come to her senses. But then he saw a sword suddenly appear in Shen Qing's hand.
The sword was surrounded by frost, making one feel a chill just by looking at it.
Pei Xuanjing looked at Shen Qing in confusion, still believing in his heart that Shen Qing would come.
But the next second, Shen Qing's action shattered that glimmer of hope in Pei Xuanjing.
Shen Qing raised the sword and swung it forcefully. The water around her gathered into an ice dragon, which galloped towards him.
Pei Xuanjing was shocked. He immediately recognized that this ice dragon was exactly the same as the one that had attacked He Yu just now.
It was Shen Qing who had done this to He Yu!
Seeing the ice dragon charging towards him menacingly, Pei Xuanjing waved his uninjured hand a few times, only to find that he couldn't escape with He Yu in his arms.
To protect He Yu, Pei Xuanjing turned around, shielding He Yu in his embrace and leaving his back to the ice dragon.
But the ice dragon didn't ram directly into Pei Xuanjing. Instead, it exploded not far from him. The impact and ice shards scratched his back, leaving wounds that looked like a checkerboard.
At the same time, Pei Xuanjing's internal organs felt as if they were frozen by frost. He almost couldn't hold back a mouthful of blood, but finally gritted his teeth and swallowed it.
This feeling of being crushed in strength made Pei Xuanjing feel humiliated for a moment.
And Shen Qing's action seemed to be telling him clearly.
Shen Qing... had done it on purpose!
Realizing this fact, Pei Xuanjing's pupils dilated in shock. At first, he felt a bit angry.
Shen Qing had deliberately attacked them. He Yu was injured while trying to save him. So what was Shen Qing's purpose for showing up now?
Was she here to laugh at them, to deliberately hurt them, or even... to kill them?
But why?
The Shen Qing in his memory wasn't such a vengeful person...
Seeing Pei Xuanjing's face turn deathly pale, Shen Qing knew that he had understood her intention and laughed happily.
"Li Xian, let's go. Ignore them."
Originally, Shen Qing had the mindset of "saving a life is better than building a seven - story pagoda". But if Pei Xuanjing, He Yu and the others were ungrateful people, then there was no need to help them. Saving them would only be asking for trouble for herself.
After thinking for a while, Shen Qing still used a message talisman to send a message to Pei Xuanjing.
"Junior Brother Pei, stop pretending. With such minor injuries, you'll recover after taking some pills. You have hands and feet, so stop bothering others all the time."
It was a joke. She was now at the Nascent Soul stage, while Pei Xuanjing was at most at the late stage of the Golden Core realm.
How dare he call her Junior Sister? What a nerve.
Although He Yu was injured, he wasn't unconscious. He had seen clearly what Shen Qing had done and knew that his injury was also thanks to her.
But at the moment, he was too weak to care. He could only use his last bit of strength to pinch Pei Xuanjing, signaling him to get back on the boat first.
Pei Xuanjing masked the shock and hurt in his eyes and gritted his teeth as he carried He Yu towards the sea surface.
Seeing this, Shen Qing and Li Xian returned to the head of the giant octopus.
The giant octopus was at the end of its strength. It had been holding on all this time with the belief of avenging its friend. After seeing Chen Xi, that last bit of energy slowly dissipated, and its spirit began to fade.
Chen Xi was extremely anxious. He had witnessed too many lives passing away and didn't want his few remaining friends to die in front of him.
When the Saintess died, as a sword spirit, he had felt heart - wrenching pain for the first time. When Li Yuan died, he had felt deep despair and helplessness.
If it weren't for the fact that he had been following Li Xian all these years, secretly watching the little life grow up, he might have gone crazy under these emotional changes.
"Giant octopus, don't you want to pick your teeth with me anymore? I won't resist. Please don't fall asleep!"
The giant octopus's body slowly sank towards the seabed, and its voice was weak: "You brat, you're really vengeful. Have I ever really picked my teeth with you..."
"Chen Xi, don't be sad for me."
"Actually, I'm very happy. My friends are waiting for me in another world. They'll play with me, spend time with me, and they'll call my name... My name is..."
The giant octopus's eyes slowly closed, and its tentacles floated limply in the water. Its voice gradually faded away.
Chen Xi burst into tears and shouted loudly: "Damn it! Giant octopus, we've just met. How could you die!"
"You're so unfair. You know I'm extremely curious. And at the last moment, you don't even tell me your name. Do you want me to miss you for the rest of my life!"
When Shen Qing and Li Xian rushed over, they saw the giant octopus's eyes slowly closing.
In the last moment, there was a hint of slyness and a smile in the giant octopus's eyes.
It had experienced many partings in its life. Before it died, it saw Chen Xi. At least, it didn't die alone with hatred, but left peacefully under the watch of its friend.
Chen Xi cried bitterly. Even the Chen Xi Sword on Li Xian's back was trembling.
Seeing Li Xian, Chen Xi felt even more aggrieved.
"Li Xian, I've lost another friend. All my companions in the Merman Palace are dead, the Saintess is dead, Li Yuan is dead. You're the only one left for me. Please don't die!!"
He threw himself at Li Xian without any grace and cried loudly on his body.
As if sensing the fall of the big companion that had always protected them, the remaining red - silk pearl fish swam from all directions and lined up in circles, surrounding the giant octopus.
They swam and danced regularly. Their bright red, faintly glowing fish tails were like silk dresses, as if they were performing a final prayer dance for the giant octopus.
Li Xian suddenly felt something and quickly grabbed Shen Qing's hand.
Shen Qing, who had only heard the sound of water in her ears before, suddenly heard the voices of the red - silk pearl fish. These voices were filled with sadness, pain, and helplessness.
Shen Qing was surprised and let go of Li Xian's hand. The voices disappeared again.
"What's this...?"
There was also a hint of sadness in Li Xian's tone: "This is the language of fish. They're expressing their mourning in their own way."
Shen Qing held Li Xian's hand again and listened carefully to the tiny creatures emitting warmth in this cold sea.