The Sandpiper and the Clam

An'an looked at Qin Yi's smiling face and always felt as though there were some magnet upon it, drawing her gaze in. Her heart beat a little fast. Not daring to look any longer, she quickly turned her head to watch the distant sunset.

Even the sunset's gentle light felt strangely like Qin Yi's smile.

People thought An'an had seen very few others, having met only males of her own clan who were likewise accustomed to hiding inside their shells... but that was not true. An'an had met many people.

She had concealed herself behind Zhu Er while managing the Clam Clan's trade for quite some time, and was accustomed to seeing all the races of the sea. She had even left the forbidden grounds to negotiate with human cultivators in order to rescue clansmen captured by humans.

But someone like Qin Yi, she truly had never encountered before.

Speaking of grand bearing, he might not compare to the heroes of the sea. At times, he was rather childish.

Speaking of immortal poise and transcendent bones, he might not compare to human cultivators. At times, he seemed a little mundane.

Speaking of calm calculations and planning the overall situation, he did not seem especially outstanding either. At most, he had the cleverness to deal rationally with circumstances; sometimes, he was even rather reckless.

Yet that sunny openness, that feeling brimming with optimism and human warmth, was strikingly different from both the Demon Race, which revered strength, and the detached, indifferent immortals. He was like a mortal? Yet stronger than mortals.

He, too, was transcendent... yet could not transcend completely. It was as though he wished to leave, but a rope tied around his feet kept dragging him back. Thus, he was half within immortal mountains and half amid the mortal