C H A P T E R 5 1

                                    

                                          
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Chapter 51: The Sea Serpent's Trial, Part 1
"...Gege."
"....."
"Gege, I'm sorry."
"No, don't talk to me," Liu Xiao said as he continued to walk forward to god-knows-where's place as soon as they passed through the white, sparkling hole deep in the ocean.
Wu Qingge followed him from behind with a guilty look on his face. "But you pointed at your lips, so I thought—"
"Goddammit!" Liu Xiao turned his gaze at Wu Qingge from behind; his cheeks were flushed red from the embarrassment earlier, and his lips were slightly quivering. "I mean air! I mean to give me some air! Not to chew my mouth!!!"
Wu Qingge chuckled softly, his gaze tender yet playful, as he listened to Liu Xiao's apology. "I couldn't resist," he admitted with a sheepish grin, his eyes lingering on Liu Xiao's lips for a moment longer before he relented. "I promise not to do it again if you don't want me to."
Liu Xiao's response was a mixture of amusement and exasperation, his brows arching in mock annoyance before he relented with a resigned huff. Surrendering to Wu Qingge's irresistible charm, he looked away, proceeding to walk forward into the midst of the ocean.
As they stepped into the sparkling white portal, the environment around them remained unchanged, yet they found themselves walking as if on solid ground, unaffected by the ocean's depths. The once-dark abyss seemed to brighten, revealing the moon above and the white sand and seagrass below.
Liu Xiao's vision had adapted to the darkness, allowing him to see clearly underwater. He marveled at the variety of coral reefs, each adorned with vibrant colors that seemed to glow in the underwater world. Schools of fish darted around them, some swimming in playful circles as if inviting them to join.
Despite his desire to infuse his sword with spiritual qi for underwater flight, Liu Xiao hesitated, mindful of his weakened spiritual core. Sensing his sulky demeanor, Wu Qingge watched him intently from behind, noting his longing gaze at the sword.
With a subtle gesture, Wu Qingge summoned a black lotus flower that transformed into the same black and red sword he had wielded earlier. Lightly tapping his fingertips on the blade, he infused it with his own demonic energy, causing the scarlet-red jewel near the hilt to radiate a vibrant glow. In an instant, the entire length of the sword shimmered with Wu Qingge's power as it floated gracefully underwater.
"Gege."
"Hmm?" Liu Xiao looked back at him with his eyes raised, but his face still remained a faint, sulky expression.
Wu Qingge smiled gently, sat on the sword leisurely, and tapped his thighs twice. "Come, sit here. Let's ride."
Let's ride what?! It sounded perverted! But maybe it's only my thoughts? Liu Xiao's face soured and he frowned, while his cheeks were slightly flushed with light red from his thoughts, and he shook his head. "Just give me a space. I don't need to sit on your lap!"
Wu Qingge glanced down at the sword and looked up at him again, then replied with a smile, "But there's barely any space. Gege doesn't need to feel ashamed; this Shidi doesn't mind you sitting on my lap."
Liu Xiao looked at him with disbelief. "What?! But it'll look weird if someone sees it!"
Wu Qingge remained silent, instead tapping his thigh twice more with a smile playing on his lips. Despite Liu Xiao's apparent disagreement, Wu Qingge's smile only widened, causing his eyes to crinkle into crescents and revealing his perfectly aligned teeth in a charming grin. "Gege wants to try sword-flying underwater, right?"