The Undersea Adventures of the Little Jellyfish (JELLYFISH)
The merman patted it once, then again.
Soft, cool, and so small—he almost felt like too much touching might make the little jellyfish melt in his palm. Shen Jixiao couldn’t help but stroke it a few more times, as if the pain from his injuries had vanished.
Then, suddenly, he remembered something important. With a flick of his tail, he sat upright and began searching.
The last remnants of his power conjured a small light spell.
Anxiety was written all over his face. The little jellyfish drifted slightly away in the current, watching as the merman inspected his own scales.
Before leaving the merman settlement, Qingbo had given Shen Jixiao the analysis results of his mental energy. It was a spectral chart—something that required someone more knowledgeable about mental energy to interpret. The principle was somewhat similar to divination, but far less mystical.
It was more like a true cross-section of a soul, with all its information laid bare. Those who understood could read the past and future within that cross-section.
The spectral chart wasn’t easy to carry, so Shen Jixiao had asked the little jellyfish to inscribe it onto his scales—yes, a merman’s scales could also record memories, though they weren’t as suitable as pearls.
As favored children of the sea, merman scales were an excellent magical material—just too thin, too small, and too difficult to preserve. No one collected them to craft magical items. Shen Jixiao had only thought of it on a whim. Since the little jellyfish could record memories, why not just inscribe them onto his own body?
He had a selfish reason, too.
Memories were unreliable, but an inscription could be revisited anytime—like secretly carrying a piece of someone’s soul with him. It gave him a hidden kind of joy.
One day, he would master his own mental energy. Until then, he wanted to learn how to interpret that veiled shadow himself while seeking others’ help.
He wanted to uncover it with his own hands.
But the violent impact had cost him many scales. Shen Jixiao was terrified that the inscribed scale might have been scraped off. For a moment, panic gripped him—he should never have inscribed it on a scale. Scales would eventually shed. He should have found a more permanent place.
So, when he saw the scale was still there, he finally relaxed, his relief palpable.
The little jellyfish looked up, watching as the merman gently stroked his own scale and sighed softly.
Shen Jixiao truly inherited the romantic idealism of mermaids in its purest form. He had thought that mermaids raised on land wouldn't carry such traits—could it be that this lovestruck nature was hardwired into their very bloodline?
But this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, it proved that the mermaid hadn’t suffered severe trauma on land and still held onto hope for life.
He gently stroked the mermaid’s back.
The cave echoed with the damp sound of dripping water, enveloped in near-total darkness. The floating illumination spell above the water’s surface soon flickered out—they couldn’t afford to waste their energy.
"The mind is like soil, and the core of consciousness is a seed. Everyone has this seed, but not everyone’s will sprout," the elders of the mermaids had once taught Shen Jixiao. "We are fortunate to be mermaids—ninety-nine percent of our seeds sprout and growing into different branches."
"Remember, this seed is powerful, yet fragile. Never push yourself to the brink. If the soil dries up completely and even the seed is uprooted as fuel, the entire mental capacity will be ruined. Sometimes, if luck is against you, the mind may never recover."
"Your physical condition is due to temporarily being unable to bear the immense mental strain. Likewise, if one day your mental energy vanishes entirely, your body will also fail to endure."
"You must always reserve a portion of your strength. This isn’t cowardice—it’s for the sake of a longer future."
Shen Jixiao covered his eyes.
His mental energy was recovering quickly, but he knew this wasn’t true recovery—it was merely the existing energy refilling his consciousness.
The seal that the mermaids had placed on him acted like a scale. Originally, it was meant to gradually release his power as he grew strong enough to bear it. Now, by sheer coincidence, he had nearly exhausted himself, and the sealed energy became a reserve, rushing in like a flood.
Because of his condition, the scale had tipped drastically, and the seal was barely holding together.
"Mermaid, are you alright?" The little jellyfish could clearly see his suffering.
Though his own mental energy was also depleted, Tang You had long been accustomed to such situations. He remained calm—time was on his side, and his strength would recover slowly. Even if it were completely drained or shattered, he wouldn’t mind.
"I’m fine."
Shen Jixiao steadied himself.
"My energy is recovering faster. You rest first—I’ll handle the illumination spell."
The tiny spell could only light up a small area, leaving the ceiling invisible. A mermaid and a jellyfish couldn’t stray too far from water, yet the rocks here had cut off the waterways, making escape difficult.
For now, they couldn’t even determine their exact location.
"Could there really be such a massive sea turtle in the world…?" Shen Jixiao murmured as he recalled how they had ended up here. "Where is it now?"
Surely… it wasn’t right beneath them.
"I’ve never seen a sea turtle that big either. Honestly, it didn’t seem aggressive—just so enormous that even its slightest movement could toss tiny creatures like us between life and death."
"It might have left already, or it could still be beneath us," the little jellyfish said optimistically before using his faint mental energy to probe their surroundings. "I don’t sense any other presence for now. Its shell is too thick—I might not be able to detect it clearly."
"Well, since we’re here anyway…"
"Let’s take a nap and wait for the Sea Turtle God to move again!"
Shen Jixiao: "…"
The little jellyfish had officially given up.
No, he needed to find a way out.
Drip, drip.
The sound of water droplets.
The vast cave seemed to hold only these sounds.
Shen Jixiao listened for a while before suddenly submerging himself completely in the water and then standing back up.
He raised his dripping hand and indeed felt a faint, cool breeze.
"There's wind," he murmured, his eyes lighting up. "That means there's an exit."
Shen Jixiao focused intently, confirming the direction the wind was coming from.
"I don’t think we’re in the deep sea—at most, we’re in a shallow area full of reefs. Little jellyfish, let me see your map." Shen Jixiao scanned the map for a moment. "It should be here. We’re probably in an unknown cave."
Though there was no light to be seen, the presence of wind was enough. Now, all that remained was figuring out how to climb out of this water-filled hollow.
The little jellyfish, small and nimble, could use telekinesis to propel itself out. But Shen Jixiao, with his two-meter-long tail, could only hop awkwardly on the rocks. He wouldn’t suffocate, but it was undignified. If possible, he’d rather avoid such a spectacle.
Shen Jixiao cast an illumination spell in one direction. As the glowing orb rolled forward, it briefly revealed the rocks along the path, the shimmering reflections indicating water.
The little jellyfish mimicked him, casting its own illumination spell.
Soon, they found a narrow, trickling stream not far away. Though it might not lead directly to an exit, it could at least provide them with more water to move through.
The problem now was how to reach it.
First, he gently lifted the little jellyfish using telekinesis to carry it along with a small amount of water to the nearby stream. As for himself, he clung to the rock wall and hopped awkwardly while using telekinesis to inch his way toward the narrow current.
What appeared to be a shallow stream turned out to be surprisingly deep—he submerged entirely without touching the bottom.
They swam in the direction of the wind.
...
"Ah!"
The little jellyfish startled at the sudden movement ahead, catching a glimpse of a large gray fish flipping into the water. It turned to the merman, silently questioning.
"I saw it too," Shen Jixiao said.
If this place was indeed where Shen Jixiao had deduced, it meant they were dangerously close to a siren settlement—sirens loved living near shallow reefs, where they could easily lure humans.
This made Tang You nervous, fearing a siren might suddenly leap out of the darkness and attack the merman.
They swam along the stream for a while longer. The crevices beneath them remained bottomless, but the passage grew narrower. Shen Jixiao’s tail occasionally bumped against the surrounding rocks, the impact visibly painful.
And then, the path ended.
Tang You despaired upon discovering that the stream led to a dead end—blocked by solid rock. There was wind, but only because tiny gaps remained in the stone, about a meter or two above them. The opening was too narrow, barely wide enough for a hand to pass through, yet it exhaled a steady stream of air.
Shen Jixiao also felt a pang of frustration and sank down in defeat.
Tang You thought he had given up and was about to turn back when the merman’s muffled voice rose from below: "There’s a small passage here."
So the little jellyfish dove down, finding Shen Jixiao, and together they squeezed through the narrow underwater tunnel. In the dim blue depths, they stayed close and relied on their illumination spells to light the way.
Despite both being able to breathe underwater, they instinctively held their breath while passing through the cramped tunnel, the pressure weighing on them.
Finally, the underwater tunnel came to an end.
They surfaced.
A more spacious area, yet unfortunately, still devoid of daylight. But when they listened closely, they could hear the sound of waves crashing against the rock walls outside.
They were very close.
A light spell flickered to life.
"Wow…"
The little jellyfish suddenly gasped in awe before pressing a tiny tentacle against the merman. "Shen Jixiao, look up quickly."
The merman followed his gaze.
On the vast, dark rock walls above, an ethereal expanse of "starry sky" had appeared out of nowhere.
Countless glowing creatures dangled down, resembling something between viscous mucus and dewy spider silk. Drops of luminescent liquid were strung along incredibly fine threads, countless strands hanging from the ceiling.
"It's like a dream," the little jellyfish murmured in wonder. He rarely saw the landscapes of the land or the shore, and never imagined that such beautiful things could grow on rocks.
Wherever their light spell touched, the blue glow of the "starry sky" brightened in response.
These glowing blue threads grew here, likely not for the purpose of showcasing their beauty but for some other, unknown use. Yet, by chance, they had witnessed it.
In this hidden place, known to no one else, only they could see this tiny miracle unfolding. Call it self-indulgence or overthinking—encounters like this were inherently beautiful.
Perhaps this was fate, deeply moving in its own way.
Just as they were admiring the "starry sky" on the cliff walls, a sudden, heavy splash echoed from the darkness not far away.
The little jellyfish snapped out of his reverie. Without his omnidirectional spiritual perception, he was practically blind, and fear gripped him tighter. With a soft whimper, he clung to the merman.
"Ah…" A faint, melodious voice drifted through the water.
"It's a siren…" The little jellyfish immediately wrapped seven or eight tiny tentacles around the merman's fingers. "Merman, you—you have to stay awake!"
The tiny jellyfish steeled himself and declared, "If you get charmed… I'll… I'll… bite your fingers!"
The siren's song rose again.
Though the merman's voice also carried magic, it lacked the sinister, mind-twisting power of the siren's.
This song stirred the heart, making one feel as if they were treading on clouds, while also dredging up the deepest, most unbearable desires. It pushed one forward, even toward an abyss they knew was there. Any hint of desire in the heart would be amplified infinitely by the song, dragging one into hell.
Caught off guard, the little jellyfish heard it and, aside from sheer terror, had no other reaction. Seeing the merman frozen in place upon hearing the song, panic set in.
He smacked his own gelatinous head with two tentacles in turn, sending ripples through his transparent candy-like body, then tugged at the merman's hair with his spiritual energy.
"Wake up!"
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