Li Yuan floated in silence, observing the deep-sea creatures moving around him.
After four thousand years without interacting with other life, every small movement of a transparent shrimp, every flash of bioluminescent light from an octopus, felt like a magnificent symphony.
But Li Yuan became aware of something worrying.
His presence was starting to affect them.
Even though he had controlled his passive effects within a hundred-meter radius, these creatures were so sensitive to the slightest change in their environment. They had evolved over millions of years to detect subtle changes in water pressure, chemical composition, and even electromagnetic fields.
And Li Yuan, despite having wrapped most of his resonance, still radiated a spiritual presence that was unfamiliar to this ecosystem.
The small shrimp began to move in a strange pattern.
Instead of following their natural feeding or migration patterns, they started moving in slow but persistent circles around the area where Li Yuan floated.
They sensed something, but didn't know what.
Li Yuan observed carefully. The shrimp didn't look distressed or panicked. Instead, they seemed... curious. As if they were trying to understand an unfamiliar but non-threatening presence.
The transparent fish began to gather.
One by one, the small fish that were usually solitary started to approach. They moved cautiously, but there was something in their behavior that showed attraction rather than avoidance.
The effect of my Water Understanding.
Li Yuan realized that even though he had wrapped most of his passive effects, his Water Understanding in the Wenjing realm still radiated a subtle resonance. In an environment where water was the primary medium for all life, this resonance with the water consciousness might feel natural and comforting to the aquatic creatures.
It was as if they felt someone who 'spoke the same language' as the element they lived in.
The largest deep-sea octopus began to approach with tentative movements. This intelligent creature was clearly more capable of assessing a complex situation than the simpler organisms.
Li Yuan could see genuine intelligence in its dark eyes. The octopus was trying to understand the nature of this unfamiliar presence.
Should I try to communicate?
Li Yuan considered the possibility. With his Water Understanding in the Wenjing realm, he could communicate with water consciousness. But could he extend that communication to include creatures that lived in the water?
Just try gently.
Li Yuan focused on the water that immediately surrounded the octopus. Through his Water Understanding, he sent a very simple message through subtle changes in water movement.
Peace. No threat. Curiosity.
The octopus stopped moving for a moment, its tentacles floating with complete stillness. Then, slowly, the bioluminescence patterns on its skin began to change.
It responded.
Not verbal communication, of course, but there was an acknowledgment. A recognition that another intelligence was trying to communicate.
Cautious interest.
That was the message Li Yuan received through a combination of bioluminescent patterns, tentacle movements, and subtle chemical signals released in the water.
Incredible.
Li Yuan felt a profound wonder. Although they were very different forms of consciousness, there was a possibility for some level of understanding between a spiritual awareness and a biological intelligence.
Slowly, carefully, Li Yuan sent another message.
Friend. Temporary visitor. Will not harm.
The octopus considered this for a long moment. Then, with a deliberate movement, it sent a more complex response.
Questions. What are you? Where from? Why here?
The message came not through words, of course, but through a complex combination of sensory inputs that Li Yuan could interpret through his enhanced connection to the water element.
Difficult to explain, Li Yuan responded. From very deep. Going to surface. Learning.
Learning what?
How life exists. How to be among others again.
There was a long pause. Then, something unexpected.
Come. See.
The octopus began to move in a purposeful direction, clearly inviting Li Yuan to follow.
It wants to show me something.
Li Yuan considered this. He had planned to continue his ascent to the surface, but the opportunity to interact with a deep-sea ecosystem like this was very rare and potentially educational.
Why not?
Li Yuan signaled his agreement with a gentle water movement and began to follow the octopus through the darkness.
Other creatures—shrimp, transparent fish, even some organisms Li Yuan hadn't identified—began to join this convoy. It was as if the word had spread that there was a peaceful visitor, and they were curious to see what the wise octopus would show.
We're moving toward something.
Through the total darkness, guided only by the bioluminescent signals of his companions, Li Yuan felt a growing anticipation. After four thousand years in isolation, he was going to experience community again—even in a completely unexpected form.
Life is always full of surprises.
This journey through the deep sea, guided by the wisdom of creatures that had adapted to thrive in an extreme environment, felt like a perfect metaphor for spiritual cultivation itself.
Sometimes, the best teachers come in completely unexpected forms.