The water sphere in Shen Xi's hand spun again, and dozens of slender water arrows shot towards Lu Fan.

Lu Fan was somewhat puzzled, but he still intercepted the attack precisely with a water arrow.

Each collision creates tiny ripples.

There was no violent burst of energy, only the gentle sound of water flowing softly against each other.

Lu Fan could tell from this simple exchange that his opponent hadn't used his full strength at all.

Shen Xi's attacks were all extremely weak, as if she was testing and verifying something.

Lu Fan's counterattack was equally weak, and even after unleashing several other abilities of different attributes, he still failed to inflict any effective damage on Shen Xi.

After several silent exchanges, Shen Xi couldn't help but look down at the Tide Stone Turtle, her eyes revealing something new.

She had assumed that Lu Fan, as one of the Star Lords, would kill her, the Deep Sea Guardian, the moment they met.

Therefore, her initial plan was simply to help her sea monster companion, the Tide Stone Turtle, find a way to escape before her life ended.

However, Shen Xi did not expect that even though Lu Fan had many abilities that could restrain her, he did not intend to kill her and the sea beast directly at this moment.

Since that's the case, Shen Xi also stopped attacking and her energy gradually calmed down.

Those pale purple eyes gazed intently at Lu Fan, and she said calmly:

"Your abilities are very mixed, with some even having conflicting attributes, yet they have achieved a delicate balance within you."

Shen Xi's eyes seemed to see through appearances as she continued to speak:

"But each superpower carries a completely different aura, as if... it was forcibly stuffed into the body."

Shen Xi hesitated for a moment: "The process must have been extremely painful..."

Lu Fan paused for a moment, a look of shock flashing in his eyes, and his body trembled.

"You can tell?" His voice was a little hoarse, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

This was the first time in a long time that Lu Fan had heard someone understand the deep pain hidden in his soul from his many supernatural abilities.

Shocked, Lu Fan's energy briefly went out of control and erupted, a wisp of red flame suddenly bursting from his fingertips, but he immediately suppressed it.

He feared that this scorching power would harm Shenxi, who was as clear as water, even though she was now the Star Lord's enemy and an opponent on this path of light.

Shen Xi nodded gently.

As if understanding her intentions, the tidal stone turtle beneath her slowly moved, lifting her to the same height as Lu Fan.

“The Deep Sea Watchers are not all fanatical believers.”

Shen Xi spoke slowly, as if explaining, or perhaps pouring out her long-buried feelings:

"Some people are forced into it, while others... simply have nowhere else to go."

Her gaze fell on Lu Fan, her pale purple eyes revealing a weariness and loneliness similar to his:

"Your powers are marked by pain, and my protection is bound by shackles. We are actually very similar."

Just like her.

Her power originates from the deep sea, yet she always keeps her distance from the fervent idea of ​​"purifying the land."

Because of his uniqueness and incompatibility with the world, he chose to exile himself to this eternal blue.

She stayed here primarily because the deep sea was the only place where she could contain her own power and the only place where she could conceal her past.

Lu Fan's gaze was deep, and he looked intently at Shen Xi, as if he could see through her cold exterior to the equally lonely soul beneath.

From a young age, due to his extraordinary regenerative abilities, he was treated as a perfect vessel, constantly being forcibly injected with various supernatural powers.

The acquisition of every new ability is accompanied by the coldness and pain of the laboratory.

It took him several years to struggle back from the brink of a mental breakdown and regain control of this body full of supernatural abilities.

“I’ve seen a lot of darkness,” Lu Fan said slowly, taking the initiative to speak.

“I have also created a lot of darkness with my own hands. Sometimes, having too many choices makes it hard to know which path is the right one.”

These words struck the softest spot in Shen Xi's heart.

Isn't she the same?

Drifting aimlessly in the darkness of this deep sea, I can neither find my way nor see the other side.

This is also why the whale king, the guardian of the deep sea, invited her to his place on the seabed and she did not refuse.

Meeting Lu Fan today felt like meeting someone who truly understood her for the first time in the world.

Unfortunately, they found themselves on opposing sides.

The two looked at each other and remained silent for a long time.

"Why don't you attack?" Shen Xi's voice was soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

“Because you don’t seem to want to kill me.” Lu Fan answered directly, his gaze honest: “Your attack had no murderous intent.”

"Never."

Lu Fan even used the ocean current to his advantage, like a fish swimming, to close the distance between the two of them.

As he drew closer, Lu Fan once again looked intently and without reservation into Shen Xi's deep eyes.

The moment their eyes met, the surrounding path of light, the dark depths of the sea, the boundaries of opposing factions... all seemed to blur and recede into the distance.

The two seemed to have lost track of time.

The concept of time loses its meaning at this moment.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Chen Xi suddenly spoke, her voice clear: "What's your name?"

“Lu Fan,” he replied, then asked in return, “And you? Shen Xi, the tenth seat of the Deep Sea, that doesn’t sound like a name.”

"Zhang Qingqian." A clear voice came, with a hint of unfamiliarity in her tone, as if the name had been sealed away for too long and even she herself felt a little unfamiliar with it.

"Zhang Qingqian." Lu Fan repeated, as if he had truly memorized these three words, along with the woman in front of him, and imprinted them deep in his memory.

As time passed, the surrounding light path suddenly trembled slightly, and the flowing power of rules within it began to compress the space, clearly indicating that the battle within the light path was also time-limited.

Zhang Qingqian's gaze swept across the path of light, finally settling on Lu Fan.

She looked at Lu Fan with a complex and unreadable expression.

If they weren't enemies, they might actually have become close friends.

But they had to decide who would win, but then she seemed to understand something, and her expression softened.

"perhaps......"

Zhang Qingqian raised her head, her gaze meeting Lu Fan's for the first time so directly and clearly, and she thought to herself:

"To end it at this moment is both fate's arrangement and a choice."

"Lu Fan." Zhang Qingqian called out his name, her tone pleading, "You won this duel, I hope you can spare my sea beast."

She dispersed all the energy fluctuations around her, and the tidal stone turtle beneath her feet sensed Zhang Qingqian's thoughts and immediately began to move, not wanting to escape alone.

But the light sphere in Zhang Qingqian's hand flickered, instantly putting the Tide Stone Turtle into a deep sleep, causing it to fall directly onto the seabed of the light path, as if it had turned into a piece of scorched seabed rock.

"Let's do it, Lu Fan."

Zhang Qingqian's voice was very soft.