Liya's Song

The moment Sea Princess Eve thought of this, she connected her consciousness to Liya's spiritual power.

Liya tilted her head slightly, as if listening to something. But aside from the words "soul spirit," which the young man had seemingly blurted out in excitement earlier, she could hear nothing else.

Refusing to believe it, Liya was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast and was confident she could certainly survive the heavenly tribulations of two hundred thousand, even three hundred thousand years. She could not help increasing the output of her spiritual power.

Seeing Liya's expression, Huo Yuhao recalled something she had once mentioned in the God Realm—she had been unable to grant him the second ability of his eighth soul skill: her mind-reading ability.

Huo Yuhao naturally would not harm Liya, but there were things she was not suited to know yet, especially when Liya's mother and sister had clearly also connected to her spiritual network. Huo Yuhao reduced his spiritual fluctuations to their lowest point, completely emptied his mind, and allowed Liya's spiritual tendrils to reach his heart.

Huo Yuhao was confident that as long as he was unwilling, no one could hear what he was thinking.

Yet Liya's spiritual tendrils were like a stone falling into a tranquil lake, sending ripples across the calm lake of his heart.

"!" Huo Yuhao was certain he had not produced the slightest mental fluctuation. Then what was this disturbance?

Hearing the sound of water, Liya's eyes immediately lit up. She listened even more intently, and gradually, she heard a voice—a very familiar voice.

Eve and Lijing heard it as well, and their expressions turned strange.

The voice was lovely, like a prayer; the melody was long and plaintive, as though weeping and speaking its sorrow.

No! It was telling a story—a tale of love that began with salvation of the spirit, took root in companionship, yet could never again be spoken amid endless time. In the end, all that remained was to burn everything away and resolutely place hope in a faint miracle.

Looking at the young man's standing figure, tears rolled down Liya's cheeks, falling into the seawater and transforming into golden pearls.

Seeing Liya cry, Huo Yuhao's heart trembled. The Eye of Destiny on his forehead opened of its own accord, and a speck of golden light slowly drifted out. There was only one tiny speck, almost impossible to see, but it was there. Before everyone's eyes, it flew unwaveringly toward Liya and merged into her brow.

Then Liya's entire body began to glow faintly, as if every scale had undergone a transformation.

"This is... Mermaid's Blessing?! But why is it golden?" Lijing nervously clutched her mother's arm as she watched the strange changes occurring to her younger sister.

Eve's face was equally grave. She had never seen such a scene before. Turning her gaze toward Snow Emperor, who had been watching from the sidelines, she demanded, "You brought him here. What exactly is going on?!"

Snow Emperor had also witnessed these strange changes. She took the initiative to ask Eve, "Sea Princess, what exactly did you hear?"

Sea Princess was instantly at a loss for words. Was she supposed to say that she had heard her daughter singing a love song to someone, pining for a love she could not have?

At that moment, Liya moved. She shot toward the shore so quickly that even Eve failed to react in time.

Then she planted both hands on the ice, leaped into the air like a fish, and her golden tail traced a graceful arc through the sky.

Huo Yuhao only felt his chest sink. His right foot instinctively stepped back, and he caught her firmly. The next instant, two slender arms wrapped around his neck, and his lips were pressed by something soft and warm, carrying the chill of the Ice Sea.

Er Bai immediately raised a hand to cover his own eyes, and also covered Little White's eyes beside him. Yet two clusters of ghostfire still spurted from the gaps between his bear claws, making the cover completely ineffective.

Watching this scene, Snow Emperor could not help biting her lower lip. She had not forgotten the sense of closeness she had felt from the young man. Even now, her rationality still rejected that feeling of intimacy; but neither had she forgotten Little White's words—"Dad" and "Grandpa"...

Seeing this, Ice Empress could not help being startled by the little Sea Princess's boldness. She wondered whether she should be a little more proactive with Snow Emperor as well. Then she saw Snow Emperor biting her lower lip as she watched the two at the front, her face bearing a restraint and loneliness she herself had not noticed.

"..."

The scene fell silent. Even the merfolk Eve had brought slowly submerged a little farther, leaving only the tops of their heads and their eyes above the surface, their gazes brimming with gossip.

After a long while, Liya released the arms wrapped around Huo Yuhao. The tear tracks on her cheeks had yet to dry, but her watery blue eyes were full of smiles.

"Yuhao, this time, I won't wait anymore." As she spoke, she placed another kiss beside Huo Yuhao's lips.

After his initial shock, Huo Yuhao grew calm as well. He truly had made Liya and the others wait for a long time. He drew her closer against himself, and seven-colored soul rings flashed around his waist. A life-force transfer magic array appeared once again, golden-green light surging across Huo Yuhao's body before gradually pouring into Liya's.

He raised a hand and gently wiped away the tear tracks on Liya's face. "Don't cry anymore." The golden tears shed by Sea Princesses were condensed from the source of their spiritual power, while white tears damaged their lifespan. Though that was what he had come to exchange for, he only wanted Eve's reserves. He did not want Liya to be sad.

"Mhm, I won't cry again." Liya nodded firmly, though her eyes continued to sparkle as she looked at Huo Yuhao, unwilling to look away for even a second.

"Oh, right. Liya, did you regain your memories?" Huo Yuhao asked softly.

Liya shook her head. When that speck of golden Mermaid's Blessing had merged into her sea of spirit, it had brought her only the despairing emotion of unrequited love. Everything else was contained within the Mermaid's Song she herself had sung.

"No. She only gave me your name. As for everything else, she left it in the Mermaid's Song. She told me I couldn't wait. There was only one chance—once it slipped away, it would never come again. I am her, and she is me. I can understand her." Liya spoke resolutely.

Snow Emperor, who had watched the entire exchange from the side, lowered her head slightly. There was only one chance; once it slipped away, there would be no more. Had she let her own chance slip away? Her right hand clenched unconsciously. The storage soul tool ring in her palm reminded her at every moment that she seemed to have missed something.

But how could her pride be swayed by such intangible feelings?

"It seems you don't need us to deliver any message. In that case, Little White, Ice Empress, let's go back first." As for that method of allowing soul beasts to continue living in another way, she did not want to hear it for now. Snow Emperor spoke coldly.

When Snow Emperor wanted to leave, how could ordinary people or soul beasts possibly stop her? Yet there was indeed one such being present.

Er Bai directly grabbed the hem of Snow Emperor's pure white clothing. His sharp claw tips pinched it as carefully as if they were gripping a level-nine soul-guided cannon shell, yet without allowing any refusal.

Little White, meanwhile, was like a foolish son caught between parents going through a divorce, unwilling to choose either side and having no idea what to do.