Ye Yun took Xiao Meng on a tour of the underwater ancient city.
Everywhere were signs of decay, confirming that no one had lived there in recent years.
Finally, they arrived outside a grand palace, the most magnificent of them all.
From its layout and structure, it was clearly once the most noble of residences.
Upon entering the magnificent hall within the palace, they found an ancient statue.
Before the statue lay a dilapidated formation, its patterns faintly visible, but the main structure destroyed.
As they entered, Xiao Meng reacted most strongly, staring blankly at the massive, ancient statue.
"Do you have any memories of this place?" Ye Yun asked.
She nodded in response. "A little..."
Hearing her answer, Ye Yun was completely certain that she had a connection to this place. He then focused on the large, ancient statue, still recognizable as that of a beautiful woman. Despite the passage of countless years, the stone statue showed no signs of damage or weathering.
In fact, Ye Yun noticed something he found hard to believe. "It always feels like this statue..." He looked from the statue to Xiao Meng standing before him.
Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Meng's small body suddenly trembled, her face contorting in pain.
"Xiao Meng, are you alright?"
But Xiao Meng didn't answer. Seemingly in great pain, she clutched her head with both hands and crouched down.
"Xiao Meng?" Ye Yun rushed over but detected nothing unusual about her. She wasn't being attacked, nor was she suffering from a soul power assault. How could this happen?
At that moment, Xiao Meng cried out in agony.
Unknown to Ye Yun, within Xiao Meng's mind, a flood of strange yet familiar images began to appear, an overwhelming amount of information pouring into her consciousness. The pain was caused by the sheer magnitude of the data, her body struggling to cope, making her head feel as though it would shatter.
Several minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Ye Yun, sensing no external anomalies, could do nothing but watch silently.
"I..." Gradually, Xiao Meng began to speak. Ye Yun immediately leaned in, asking with concern, "What's wrong?"
"I… I think I remember…" Xiao Meng looked up, not at Ye Yun, but at the female statue behind him. Following her gaze, Ye Yun looked at the statue as well.
Right… he had wanted to say this earlier. The female statue bore a certain resemblance to Xiao Meng. However, upon closer inspection, there were subtle differences, confirming they were not the same person. If that were the case, then the conclusion was somewhat obvious. Either they were like Xing Wu and Xing Lian, twin sisters… or…
"Mother…" Xiao Meng stared at the statue blankly. Her previously vacant eyes slowly began to regain their luster.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yun was enlightened. No wonder they looked so similar; they were mother and daughter? No, if they were mother and daughter, wouldn't the age difference be quite significant? From the appearance of this place, it looked like it had weathered for at least several thousand, perhaps even over ten thousand years. If Xiao Meng was from here, wouldn't she also be thousands of years old?
Just then, something unexpected happened. The seemingly ordinary statue, as Xiao Meng gazed at it, began to emit a faint blue radiance from its surface. The light filled Xiao Meng's vision, her gaze fixed forward, and then… her body went limp, and she fainted on the spot.
"Xiao Meng!" Ye Yun was startled and quickly moved to catch her collapsing form. "Are you alright?" he asked, frowning, shaking Xiao Meng in his arms, trying to wake her.
At that moment, a clear, cold voice spoke. "No need to disturb her. She's merely asleep."
The sudden appearance of this voice made Ye Yun instinctively spin around. "Who's there?!" For someone to appear silently behind him was truly terrifying. Turning, he saw something that astonished him even more. It wasn't someone approaching, but the woman who should have been a statue had come to life, standing there as a real person.
"Who are you?!" Ye Yun examined her, his eyes wide with astonishment. The woman wore a blue gauze dress, her long hair loosely falling behind her, and her ice-blue eyes shone like sapphires. At first glance, she truly resembled an adult version of Xiao Meng. "This is incredible, has a statue come to life?"
Facing his inquiry, the blue-robed woman looked at him and calmly stated, "My true name has long since vanished. Only my title remains, as I was worshipped by the world as the Sea Goddess."
This title struck Ye Yun with considerable force. His gaze sharpened, and he asked with disbelief, "You mean… you are a deity?"
"You could say that." The Sea Goddess nodded unapologetically. Her aura exuded an ineffable nobility, not a created impression but something inherently etched into her very being. As he admired the Sea Goddess, she, in turn, was scrutinizing him. After a brief moment of intense observation, a ripple appeared in her otherwise placid eyes. "You are…" She seemed to have a sudden realization.
Ye Yun bowed and introduced himself. "I am Ye Yun. I have long heard of your esteemed reputation." If this was indeed the Sea God that Xu Ning and the others on Moon Island worshipped, then calling her "esteemed elder" was certainly appropriate and fitting.
However, the Sea Goddess continued to gaze at him. After a long pause, she nodded slightly. "So that is how it is. Everything is proceeding as planned." She then looked at Xiao Meng beside him and asked him, "What is your relationship with her?"
This person before him was likely Xiao Meng's mother. Ye Yun did not hide anything and explained to her. "For now, we are friends. However, later, I intend to take her as my disciple!" He expected that she might doubt his abilities, considering she was a goddess and he was merely a mortal, or perhaps an immortal? But after hearing his words, she showed a look of surprise. "Take her as your disciple? Are you sure?" Her tone suggested that what Ye Yun had just said was something incredibly unbelievable.