At the edge of the rainforest, the light gradually grew brighter. Layer upon layer of canopy began to thin, and more and more sunlight spilled through the gaps, casting vast patches of golden light across the ground. The air carried a faint salty tang—the scent left behind by the sea breeze after it passed through the woods—fresh and bracing. Shen Xiu and Liu Qingyan quickened their pace, passing through the last row of towering palm trees. Before them, the view suddenly opened up.
Azure seawater stretched out before them, boundless as far as the eye could see, merging with the sky at the distant horizon until it was impossible to tell where sea ended and sky began. Waves gently lapped against the white beach, making a low, rhythmic sound like an ancient lullaby. The sand was fine and white, gleaming softly beneath the sun, warm and comfortable beneath their feet. Several white seabirds paced along the shore, occasionally lowering their heads to peck at something before spreading their wings and taking flight. They circled once above the sea, then returned to where they had been.
Liu Qingyan stood at the edge of the beach, staring blankly at the magnificent sight before her without speaking for a long while. She had seen many landscapes, but this was the first time she had seen a sea so clean, so pure. Sunlight scattered across the waves, shattering with their rise and fall into countless golden scales. Every one of them glittered, danced, and spoke of some unspoken beauty.
"It's so beautiful." Liu Qingyan finally spoke, her voice soft, as though afraid of disturbing the tranquility.
Shen Xiu stood beside her, gazing out at the sea and nodding. His spiritual sense drifted through the water, feeling the pulse of this stretch of ocean. The