?
Sea demons of every size, race, and kind lined up from the entrance of the stone cave all the way into the depths of the gorge, reaching farther than Shen Le could see even at the limit of his vision.
Crabs, lobsters, seahorses, sea turtles, jellyfish, sea snakes, all kinds of fish, all kinds of clams...
From the size of houses to the size of fingers, from brilliantly multicolored to those that looked no different from rocks, they packed together in dense, crowded ranks.
Some were clearly natural enemies and predators, yet at this moment, there was no fighting. They simply bowed to Shen Le in perfect unison:
"Mr. Shen, we of the sea clans shall never forget your great kindness!"
"Please accept our bow!"
The sea demons whose intelligence had awakened, whose transverse bones had been refined away, and who could already speak all shouted loudly. Those that could not yet speak, or whose intelligence was only half-awakened, could only follow their seniors and perform all manner of respectful gestures:
Giant fish lowered their heads, sea turtles knocked their shells, octopuses curled up, jellyfish drew in their tentacles, and clam demons opened their sturdy shells, spitting out the spirit pearls they had carefully nurtured...
Regardless of their form, sea demons great and small did everything they could to offer the most exalted rites they knew.
Looking down from the entrance of the stone cave, one could see a strange and magnificent scene of worship unfolding throughout the entire undersea gorge.
Shen Le took a deep breath, steadied himself, and dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment. After waiting a moment, until he felt that the sea demons had sufficiently expressed their sincerity, he raised a hand in a gesture for them to rise.
"Please rise, everyone. Repairing the rifts