"Shen Qing, come here quickly!"
The White Dragon hid among the coral reefs and waved at Shen Qing.
The Flame Dragon had regained his true form. Now there was no need for Shen Qing and the others to step in. The Flame Dragon alone was more than enough to deal with the dragon - horned fish and the sea beasts.
Shen Qing quickly beckoned Li Xian and Yu Xuzi to hide beside the White Dragon.
Shen Qing couldn't help but sigh to the White Dragon, "Senior Flame Dragon's true form is truly imposing. Just by standing there, I can tell that our Dragon Clan was truly a powerful force in the past."
The Azure Dragon pouted unhappily, "Little Shen Qing, it's just that you haven't seen my true form yet. My true form is much more imposing than the Flame Dragon's."
Shen Qing knew that the Azure Dragon and the Flame Dragon often mocked each other, so she said to the Azure Dragon, "If that's the case, I'm really looking forward to seeing Senior Azure Dragon's true form."
Hearing Shen Qing's flattering words, the Azure Dragon nodded in satisfaction.
The Flame Dragon's roar just now had cleared the eyes of the three giant beasts a bit.
They knew they couldn't defeat the Flame Dragon, so they all retreated. The Flame Dragon didn't intend to kill them all. He could tell at a glance that someone had deliberately tampered with these sea beasts.
Since they were being controlled, there was no need to commit the sin of killing. So the Flame Dragon let the three sea beasts go.
But the dragon - horned fish were still going crazy, biting at the Flame Dragon.
Fortunately, the scales on the Flame Dragon's body were hard enough. No matter how hard the dragon - horned fish bit, they couldn't hurt the Flame Dragon at all.
But the Flame Dragon had a hot temper. He was already extremely annoyed by these dragon - horned fish. Now that he had regained his power, he didn't have to hold back anymore.
So he opened his mouth, his four claws gripping the ground tightly. The temperature suddenly rose. After gathering his strength, he spat out blazing flames from his mouth.
Even in the water, Shen Qing and the others could feel the power of the flames.
The water couldn't extinguish the flames created by the Flame Dragon. The dragon - horned fish near the Flame Dragon instantly turned into charcoal.
The three sea beasts felt the surging heat wave behind them and ran even faster. Shen Qing erected several ice walls in front of everyone to prevent them from being swallowed by the flames.
Shen Qing watched as the Flame Dragon easily dealt with the dense dragon - horned fish around them with just one move. Admiration immediately showed in her eyes.
"Senior Flame Dragon's flames are not afraid of seawater. I, as a junior, can't even hope to catch up."
Hearing Shen Qing's praise, the Azure Dragon rarely didn't refute.
After all, if it weren't for the Flame Dragon, it would have taken them a lot of time just to deal with these dragon - horned fish. By the time the surrounding formations were activated, it was still uncertain whether they, without their powers, could escape.
Moreover, the Flame Dragon was their brother. Seeing him so powerful, the Azure Dragon was truly proud of him from the bottom of his heart.
Don't be fooled by how much they disliked each other on a daily basis. In their hearts, they were always close family.
Behind the Flame Dragon was the tottering Mermaid Palace. The Mermaid Saintess had limited soul power, and the magical power stored in her staff was also running low. She could only barely maintain the palace from collapsing.
Seeing the Flame Dragon appear and Li Xian and the others safe and sound, the Saintess felt relieved. She hid the reluctance deep in her eyes and stared fixedly at Li Xian's direction through the Flame Dragon and the dragon - horned fish.
Back then, she was used by the clan leader as a breeding vessel and got pregnant with Li Yuan. This was not her wish.
She once hated Li Yuan, hating that his birth was a disgrace to her.
But after all, Li Yuan was her blood - related relative. No matter how much she resented, she couldn't resist the maternal instinct. So she also had feelings for Li Xian.
The Mermaid Clan no longer existed. Li Xian was the only one left in the clan. It was a pity... the woman he loved was from the Dragon Clan. She was afraid that the children they might have...
Thinking about it, the Saintess let out a relieved smile.
At this point, why was she still thinking about all these things?
She lowered her eyes and saw that her hand had become ethereal. Only a layer of light around the outline indicated that she still existed. When this layer of light faded, she would also leave.
She decided to offer her soul as a sacrifice and be with the Mermaid Palace for all eternity. From then on, she would merge with the Mermaid Palace.
"Boom!!"
In the distance, the sound of the formation being activated came.
The explosion caused the water to flow violently. Shen Qing grabbed the ground tightly with her claws to prevent herself from being swept away by the current.
Yu Xuzi quickly said to everyone, "The time is up. We should go. With the Saintess here, the Heavenly Pillar won't be in danger. We have to leave here quickly!"
Shen Qing nodded. She carried the White Dragon and the other two on her back and quickly swam away along the direction of the ocean current.
Yu Xuzi followed closely behind, and the Flame Dragon stayed behind to clean up for them.
Li Xian looked back at the Saintess when he was leaving. There were complex emotions in his eyes, as if he was reluctant to part and also a bit confused.
He originally thought that when they met this time, the Saintess would be cold to him, a child who shouldn't have been born. But the outcome was unexpected.
The Saintess was not cold to him.
Seeing Li Xian looking back at her every few steps, his eyes fixed on her, the Saintess helplessly shook her head.
Although they were far apart, the Saintess still slightly parted her red lips, and her voice clearly reached Li Xian's ears, "Go quickly."
Li Xian hesitated for a moment but still said that sentence, "Grandma, thank you for not resenting us..."
The Saintess naturally knew what Li Xian was referring to, but she understood that Li Yuan was innocent, and Li Xian even more so.
They shouldn't bear her resentment. The person she should resent was already dead.
Those hatreds should also disappear like the floating and fragile bubbles.
The Saintess didn't say anything more to Li Xian. She just watched them leave with a smile.
The Flame Dragon lowered his head. The Saintess's face was reflected in his red pupils. Finally, he took a deep look at the Saintess and then straightened his body and quickly left.
The formations were activated one after another. They detonated everything around them that could be detonated. Sand flew and stones rolled, and the mud surged. The seabed instantly became muddy.
The Saintess's figure gradually disappeared into the muddy water and slowly faded away.
The Mermaid Palace was slowly buried by the surrounding mud and gravel. It no longer had its former glory. Only the towering Heavenly Pillar was still shining.
When the Mermaid Palace was completely covered, the Heavenly Pillar also slowly lost its luster and was buried under the seabed along with the Mermaid Palace.
The Saintess closed her eyes and let her soul power slowly dissipate.
She recalled the happy times she had spent in the Mermaid Palace in the past.
At that time, the clan leader hadn't gone crazy and used the clan members. The little mermaids hadn't mutated either. The palace was like a paradise. Fish swam through it, and the sea beasts were their friends and guards.
They were protected by the Sea God, far away from the Human Clan and the Demon Clan. They just focused on cultivation. The clan members were simple and kind, and he... was also the wonderful and passionate young man in her heart.
She wished so much that time could turn back and she could return to those years.
But unfortunately... everything could never go back.
The seabed was shaking because of the formations. Mud and boulders surged up and then poured down.
The magnificent and gorgeous Mermaid Palace, along with years of grudges and laughter, was buried under the thick mud layer.