The Undersea Adventures of the Little Jellyfish (JELLYFISH)
"Normally, spiritual energy training starts with the most familiar things…" Qingbo tapped her chin thoughtfully. "For most younglings, that’s water—after all, we’re all children of the sea."
Tang You asked, "Are there any exceptions?"
"Of course." Qingbo pointed at herself, slightly embarrassed. "When I was little, the first thing I sensed was seaweed cake. My mother always said I turned green from eating too much of it."
"Wow… If I could do it over, I’d definitely sense pearls first."
Shen Jixiao was still immersed in the sensation of his spiritual energy.
It was a strange feeling—his power wasn’t circulating within his body but was instead projected outward, trading self-protection for an expansive awareness of his surroundings.
He still struggled to control it. Unlike other mermaids or the little jellyfish, he couldn’t freely regulate the amount he released, and it took him time to gather his spiritual energy before projecting it. But Qingbo and Tang You reassured him not to rush—it was only his first day.
So Shen Jixiao steadied himself and tried using his spiritual energy to touch the luminous pearl on the altar.
The ancestral hall might have looked simple, but it was imbued with countless magical circuits he couldn’t comprehend.
The altar holding the pearl was made of an incredibly rare magical material. The pearl acted like a switch—when Shen Jixiao’s spiritual energy touched it, silver magic began to flow from the pearl and spiral outward like ink dispersing in water, rapidly spreading throughout the hall.
The vast magic eventually converged at the center, and the luminous pearl emitted a soft green glow. In that instant, Shen Jixiao felt as though his entire being had been laid bare.
But only for a moment.
The light quickly dimmed.
When Qingbo had demonstrated earlier, the pearl had glowed steadily.
"It seems your bloodline isn’t from our settlement," Qingbo swam over to comfort him. "But don’t worry—your bloodline is pure. Perhaps you could try closer to the royal city."
Half-blood mermaid Shen Jixiao: "……"
No mermaid's bloodline was less pure than his.
He suspected Qingbo was just trying to console him.
Setting aside the bloodline issue, he was more concerned about another matter: "I have a fragment of spiritual fluctuation. I want to find any clues about its owner."
"That’s a bit tricky," Qingbo mused. "To see if that spiritual fluctuation is related to any recorded here, you’d need to mimic it and use it to touch the pearl."
But Shen Jixiao had only just learned to project his spiritual energy—how could he possibly mimic another’s? He felt disheartened.
"I can do it!" The little jellyfish volunteered. "I can mimic that fluctuation. I memorized it thinking it might come in handy later—didn’t expect it to be useful so soon."
Shen Jixiao trembled slightly.
He had never asked the jellyfish to memorize the fluctuation for him, yet it had already prepared to help.
The jellyfish even let Shen Jixiao feel the mimicked fluctuation to ensure it was accurate before placing it against the luminous pearl.
The same magical circuits activated again, and thanks to the jellyfish’s strong spiritual energy, the analysis process was much faster.
The pearl flickered but showed no reaction.
It seemed there were no clues to be found.
Tang You, however, froze while staring at the central pearl—the obvious focal point of the array—lost in thought.
"Wait, we might be able to analyze this spiritual fluctuation further," Qingbo said as she touched the fluctuation. Her fingers moved deftly, and the intangible, uncontainable spiritual energy was trapped within a tangible substance. "There are ways to deduce information about its owner."
"But fully analyzing spiritual energy takes time—about two days," Qingbo said as she cradled the soft substance. "Why don’t you two rest for now and join us tomorrow morning for the newborn celebration?"
The little jellyfish immediately brightened, swimming circles above the mermaid’s head. "A party! Yay!"
……
The mermaid’s banquet was a true feast, with specially prepared delicacies available at all times. The jellyfish couldn’t eat any of it, but Shen Jixiao sampled a few and found them surprisingly to his liking.
He had never seen so many mermaids before, most of whom belonged to the Stival settlement—easily distinguishable by their similar spiritual fluctuations.
Every mermaid radiated joy.
Having only just learned to use his spiritual energy, Shen Jixiao was like a toddler taking its first steps, curious about everything. Without intruding on others, he began experimenting.
He realized almost all living beings emitted spiritual energy, differing only in strength and control. With enough practice, one could indeed establish a gentle spiritual link like the jellyfish, enabling silent communication.
Now he finally understood what Grandma Clam had said—the jellyfish’s spiritual energy was strikingly similar to the one he was searching for, especially the latter half of the fluctuation.
The jellyfish seemed to notice his probing. At the moment, it was busy helping transport small pastries for the banquet. Sensing Shen Jixiao’s exploration, it extended a tentacle and released a strand of spiritual energy.
Unlike their usual one-sided links, this time Shen Jixiao actively tried to connect until the ends of their spiritual energies touched.
His fingers curled slightly and the scales at the base of his tail flaring as he let out a quiet sigh. But with mermaids bustling around in celebration, he had to suppress his reactions.
The extended spiritual energy felt even more sensitive than his fingertips. Tangled with the jellyfish’s, Shen Jixiao nearly froze from the unfamiliar sensation.
The jellyfish, however, was far more composed, accustomed to forming spiritual links. It guided Shen Jixiao’s energy, soothing the erratic strands until only one gentle, harmless thread remained, slowly drawing it closer before relaxing completely.
Normally, the jellyfish’s dense spiritual energy—though never hostile—would have been nearly impenetrable to others. But now, it was deliberately teaching Shen Jixiao, completely unguarded. So Shen Jixiao easily reached its spiritual core.
Instantly, Shen Jixiao realized how rare this trust was. As a novice wielding spiritual energy like a child brandishing a weapon, touching another’s core was akin to holding their lifeline—he could inflict severe damage or even seize control if he wished. But why would he?
He felt the jellyfish’s emotions—calm, steady, faintly joyful—and they soothed him in turn. All his restless energy dissipated, leaving only a single strand gently exploring the jellyfish’s mind.
Like petting its head.
"That tickles!" Clearly, the jellyfish wasn’t fond of this gesture and sent a displeased protest. It huffed, nudging back with its own energy until their spiritual strands tangled playfully.
"Every guest must offer a blessing to the newborns. Thank you all."
Qingbo’s voice interrupted Shen Jixiao’s eager experimentation. Somehow, he had followed the other guests to the front.
He looked up.
It was his first time seeing mermaid hatchlings—so newly hatched their scales hadn’t yet gained color, their tails still translucent and fragile, bones and veins faintly visible. Their webbed fingers couldn’t fully spread, and their bright, clear eyes gazed at the passing guests.
They would grow up bathed in love.
"Your turn," the mermaids behind him whispered nervously. "Oh no, you’re before me—I still haven’t thought of what to say."
Neither had Shen Jixiao as he had absentmindedly drifted here.
Steeling himself, he swam forward, meeting the wide-eyed stares of seven or eight tiny mermaids.
Having spent his life surrounded by malice, attacks, and slander, he had no experience with such moments and didn’t know how to summon the right emotions to deliver a mature, graceful blessing.
"May you…"
He suddenly felt the jellyfish’s gaze. Their spiritual energies were still intertwined, and he heard its soft encouragement: "You can do it—don’t be nervous." Shen Jixiao’s mind settled into unprecedented calm as he looked at the tiny mermaids and thought of the tiny jellyfish.
"May you always be safe and happy."
"Tch, such a generic blessing," the jellyfish teased.
The round little jellyfish was still miffed about having its head poked by his spiritual energy and huffed in mock indignance—though it wasn’t truly upset.
It straightened its tentacles, transforming into a pristine, glittering pink gummy candy, and addressed Shen Jixiao—this mermaid who had left the sea young and never experiencing mermaids traditions—with soft yet firm sincerity:
"Shen Jixiao, may you always be safe and happy."
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