Then, a powerful surge of water struck. Deep Blue looked back to see the *Cladoselache* darting away from another giant marine floater.
That behemoth was a *Cameroceras*, a cephalopod resembling an eleven-meter-long giant chicken wrap. Its tentacles erupted from its head, marking it as the largest predator in the ocean at that time. However, it had no interest in a life-or-death struggle with a shark. Instead, it swiftly snatched a three-meter-long prehistoric scorpion—a giant *Pterygotus*—from the seabed. It entangled the sea scorpion with its tentacles, then violently pierced the shell with its beak to suck out the internal organs.
"Is that big enough for you?" Deep Blue gasped. "Huge and fierce. Because their numbers are increasing, the trilobites have evolved so many defensive spines, right here and here." As she spoke, she patted her chest and her tail.
"With such a massive size, they likely won't survive for many years."
"Don't be a jinx. I'm still looking forward to seeing them evolve."
Besides the sea spiders, they also spotted prehistoric scorpions along the shore. These three-meter-long creatures had just molted and were crawling clumsily and slowly into the shallow waters, gathering in large numbers to take the opportunity to mate and reproduce.
Deep Blue grew interested and used her finger to poke one of them, sending it into a frantic, twisting squirm. She couldn't stop laughing, only to hear the Lord of Ether say from the side, "Childish."
"I'm over three billion years old! How am I childish?"
"Mindset has nothing to do with age. You are more childish than most children of the Sea Folk."
"I am not. Fine, I won't poke them anymore."
Despite her words, once they reached a freshwater lake, Deep Blue couldn't resist poking the arthropods in the terrestrial strata. These arthropods had grown short little legs and had finally managed to crawl onto the shore to bask in the sun, only to be repeatedly disturbed by their god. Their lives were truly miserable.
"Do you see how childish you are?" The Lord of Ether gave her another look of disdain.
"Oh? Then I won't poke them; I'll poke you." At that, Deep Blue stood up and poked him in the waist. He reflexively pulled his arm back, which made her laugh even harder. "Are you that ticklish?"
"Don't come near me."
The more he resisted, the happier she became, chasing him all over the place. "I'm going to! Here I come!"
After circling a giant rock several times, the Lord of Ether suddenly stopped. He grabbed both her wrists with one hand and began to counterattack by tickling her waist. She was far more ticklish than he was; she hugged her arms tight, and the entire world seemed filled with her laughter.
He had originally intended only to give her a small warning, but he hadn't expected such a strong reaction. This was the first time he had seen her laugh like this—she really was like a child. Consequently, he couldn't help but keep tickling her until she couldn't even stand straight. Her body leaned far back, nearly falling to the ground. He hurried to catch her, and in the process, he accidentally pulled her into his embrace.
He heard her heart beating as fast as a drum.
Deep Blue, however, didn't notice her own heartbeat. She only knew that her head was buzzing, her ability to think had plummeted, and her legs felt a bit weak.
During this period, Earth's sea levels were generally dropping, and ice and snow covered most of the land south of the equator. Thus, in the cold air of the Ordovician period, where life had just begun to flourish, the world was so silent that it felt as if only the two of them and their heartbeats existed.
She broke away from him again by instinct and shot him a quick glance. Then, even as she lowered her head, he saw the blue sky reflected in her eyes.
Just then, a pair of Sea Folk, a man and a woman, happened to pop their heads out of the water. Unable to adapt to living in the air, the man shouted to Deep Blue from a distance, "You two over there, how did you get onto the shore? we can't stay in the air for more than a moment." After speaking, he dove back into the water, only surfacing again after a few seconds.
They were descendants of the Sea Folk from an area far from Deep Blue's usual haunts, so they didn't recognize that the woman before them was actually their Lord.
"Perhaps our races are slightly different. If you need anything, we can get it for you," Deep Blue offered.
"Could you pick some ground ears for us? We've already picked all the ones on this side."
At this time, the land was desolate and almost devoid of life, but symbiotic organisms of fungi and algae—primitive plants—had already silently made their way onto land. The "ground ears" the Sea Folk couple mentioned were one such type.
"Alright."
Deep Blue took the crude shovel they handed her and patted the Lord of Ether on the shoulder, asking him to help. But he remained as haughty as ever. "I do not do such things by hand. I can use Aetheric power."
"Then I'll do it myself. You wait for me over there."
And he really did just wait there.
While Deep Blue was busy, the Sea Folk woman pointed at the Lord of Ether and whispered to her, "Is that gentleman your husband?"
"Husband? What does that mean?"
"It means your marriage partner."
"Marriage partner?" For the first time, Deep Blue felt she was too shallow to be their god. "And what does marriage mean?"
"Is there no marriage ceremony in your tribe? Marriage refers to two or more people—men and women—agreeing to be together forever, to live together, and to raise offspring together. The man is called the husband, and the woman is called the wife."
"So there is such a concept. This is the first I've heard of it."
"Haha, it seems every sea region is different. Marriage is a ritual that only emerged in the last hundred years; the older generation of our kin can't quite understand it. They still prefer communal living and think we young people are isolating ourselves." The Sea Folk woman pulled the man beside her closer. "This is my husband. We have been married for twelve years."
"Congratulations," Deep Blue said with a smile.
"The man with you is so handsome, and you are so beautiful. Even if you don't have a formal marriage, your relationship must be something like a marriage, right?"
"Yes. In his and my 'tribe,' there are only the two of us, so we can only have this kind of relationship."
"Since you don't have those constraints, you should be careful that other girls don't steal him away. Someone like him would be far too popular in our tribe."
Deep Blue noticed that whenever this woman praised the Lord of Ether, her "husband" would always give her a disgruntled side-eye. It seemed that marriage produced a sense of possessiveness.
After gathering enough ground ears for the couple, Deep Blue watched them leave and secretly added the ability to manifest a terrestrial form to the Sea Folk's traits. Then, she returned to the Lord of Ether's side and said excitedly, "Let me share something very interesting with you. The Sea Folk have created a new kind of relationship called 'marriage.' The man is called a husband, and the woman is..."
"I heard them," the Lord of Ether said flatly. "They are not the first tribe to have marriage. The marriage model of the earliest tribe has been ongoing for over six hundred years."
"Then does that mean we are considered married too?"
"What are you thinking? Of course not." The Lord of Ether didn't seem to want to discuss the topic. He turned and walked along the lakeshore toward a nearby karst cave.
The land here was formed of limestone, so there were many caves and karst pools nearby. Deep Blue stepped barefoot onto the damp stone ground, following him. "Why doesn't it count?"
"The Sea Folk use marriage to bind each other 'forever' to raise offspring; it is a strategy for low-dimensional beings to protect their young. But even so, their 'forever' lasts a thousand years at most—it passes in the blink of an eye. Our lifespans have no limit. How could we possibly fulfill a vow to stay together 'forever'?"
"Your lifespan is limitless, but mine has an end. If the oceans dry up and the Earth is destroyed, my life will end too."
"That is still a long time."
At this point, Deep Blue followed the Lord of Ether into the cave. She looked at his back and had a sudden inspiration. "How about this: we'll consider ourselves married for now, and if you plan to leave Earth, we won't be married anymore. How does that sound?"
Her voice was more beautiful than the wind on a moonlit night, echoing through the cave in layers.
The Lord of Ether turned back, looking at her with slight surprise. The faint light from outside the cave fell upon him, and the breeze created ripples in his hair and his toga. Because of the sunlight, his eyes were much lighter in color than usual.
"Though marriage is a concept invented by low-dimensional beings, it is still a form of commitment and a vow. How can you treat such a serious matter with such a flippant attitude?"
"I was just thinking of your interests."
Deep Blue stood against the light, the sun weaving a golden halo around her long hair. Her eyes were deeper than usual. But she kept smiling, possessing a mysterious, soft, and enchanting allure.
He knew she was heart-stoppingly beautiful and possessed the power to manipulate the entire ocean, yet her head was also filled with seawater. She had endless curiosity about nature, but before life and desire, she was a blank slate. She had no idea that such things were low-level and eroded one's divinity... No, to be precise, she probably didn't even know what one was supposed to do in a marriage.
"No," the Lord of Ether said mercilessly. "I have no interest."
Though his words were decisive, Deep Blue could sense that he wasn't truly uninterested. Moreover, she knew that he actually liked her quite a bit. As for why he refused, it was likely for the same reason she had avoided him holding her hand. She crossed her arms and thought for a moment, then said, "Look, you've accompanied me for over three billion years. In essence, we've been married for over three billion years. Whether you agree or not, the fact exists."
The Lord of Ether wanted to explain further, but in the end, he said nothing. He simply dropped a "Suit yourself" and returned to his incorporeal state.
That night, Deep Blue sat on a reef, looking up at the stars in the sky that mortals could never reach. Listening to the surging sounds of the dark night waves, she suddenly had a new realization. "God of Time and Space, are you there?"
"I am," the Lord of Ether answered through her consciousness.
"Actually, I feel that true wisdom shouldn't be about looking down on nature from a high position. Whether it's the Sea Folk, sharks, *Cameroceras*, trilobites, or cyanobacteria... all life indeed has its strengths and weaknesses. We cannot make all species equal, but we shouldn't view them as our servants either. In the endless river of cosmic time, they are all different races drifting just like us."
"That is your view. You have been immersed in the mortal world for too long and have forgotten who you are."
"Don't always be so cold and aloof." Deep Blue swayed her glowing blue tail, the tips shimmering like jewels in the starlight. "How lonely a god is. But if one considers themselves a part of this world, would they stop feeling lonely?"
"I do not feel lonely."
"That's because you have me chattering away with you. If I weren't here, you would be lonely."
"You think too highly of yourself."
"It's called having self-awareness!"
Deep Blue tilted her head back and sang softly over the vast, empty ocean. Her voice wasn't loud; it was as if it had been caressed by the first spring tide, slowly opening the locked hearts of listeners and shaking out the treasures within their souls. It quickly attracted a large number of her Sea Folk subjects.
"Look, it's our Goddess, Deep Blue."
"Her singing is too beautiful. I could die right here tonight, ugh..."
"Lord of the Endless Oceans, please bless me and my lover to grow old together in health..."
As the people discussed her, more and more Sea Folk swam to the surface. With Deep Blue as the center, a "Sea Folk circle" gradually expanded. Together with her, they used their ethereal voices to sing to the moon.
Finally, Deep Blue stopped singing and listened to her "children" sing instead. She simply looked up at the stars, as if she could see the Lord of Ether in the high dimensions of the universe through the low-dimensional atmosphere of Earth. "Maybe you won't be lonely if you lose me, but if I lose you, I will be very lonely. Thank you for always staying with me. In my heart, you are already my husband."
Deep Blue's emotions were so abundant; she always said such moving things, appearing very devoted. But the Lord of Ether knew that the reason she was so relaxed was that the things she loved most were always her ocean and the billions of children she had created. To her, he was not a necessity. If he was willing to accompany her, she would be very happy. If he left, she would be sad for a while, but she would eventually return to her original state of overflowing maternal love.
Worse still, the Lord of the Endless Oceans had completely different ways of thinking when she was in her physical and incorporeal forms. When she was in high-dimensional space, she was calm and benevolent, distributing her affection equally to all things. Once she became a physical entity, she was easily influenced by biological desires. In other words, her special affection for him only arose when she became a woman.
But he was different. Perhaps because he governed time and space, his thoughts were always clear and almost unaffected by dimensions. His choice to protect her over three billion years ago had nothing to do with what dimension he was in or whether he was physical or incorporeal.
Regarding such a fickle woman, he did not want to make any agreements with her.
Over the next eight million years, the Lord of Ether remained indifferent to Deep Blue. He spent the vast majority of his time in high-dimensional space, never taking the initiative to communicate with her. Like the silent flow of time, he existed at every moment yet had no sense of presence. Even if she initiated communication, he would only answer her questions before falling back into silence.
Deep Blue continued to act as if she had a split personality. In her incorporeal state, she was more godlike than any god; in her physical state, she was a young girl running wild all over the world.
She spent more and more time in her physical form and often called for him to manifest physically to play with her. Every time, he would emerge only after much coaxing, enduring her innocent yet cruel flirtations.
During these millions of years, the climate grew colder. At the same time, primitive corals appeared in large numbers alongside invertebrates, forming small coral reefs, while the once-flourishing stromatolites began to decline.
On a similar night, in the same spot, billions of stars were cast into the sea. Deep Blue swam back and forth in the shallow water, studying the corals that were growing more lush by the day. She said to the Lord of Ether, "Come down and take a look. There are so many corals."
"It's just a few more corals. If you're interested, go find your kin. You don't need to call me for everything."
"But I want to call you." She poked her head out of the water and leaned against a reef, looking relaxed and content.
"Just because you call me doesn't mean I'm obligated to come every time."
"We are in a marriage relationship; of course you have to come."
"Why are you making that marriage joke again?"
"It's not a joke. I like you."
After that, she received no response from his consciousness. Just as she was feeling curious, she suddenly saw a figure appear on the reef. She had just turned around when she was pinned against the large rock behind her by the physical manifestation of the Lord of Ether.
"Afraid, are you?" the Lord of Ether said tonelessly. "The kind of relationship you want won't allow you to maintain this holy state forever. You would be shamed by me, accept my possession, and need to do the things with me that only low-dimensional beings do."
"I... I know." Deep Blue's snow-white eyelashes were long, trembling slightly with her emotions. "I've studied the Sea Folk for so long; of course I know what marriage entails."
The Lord of Ether's Adam's apple moved slightly. He whispered, "This kind of 'liking'—can you accept it?"
"I can..."
"Don't answer so quickly. Think clearly before you speak. I am not like you. Once I decide to do something, I never regret it or turn back. If you want to enter this kind of relationship with me, it truly means being together forever. I will not let you go again."
He spoke calmly, but Deep Blue's eyes widened, and she felt a violent surge of emotion. For she truly hadn't thought as much as he had. She simply wanted to cling to him now and become more and more intimate, which was why she confessed to him every day, thinking she could conquer him bit by bit.
But now it seemed she was inviting him into something irrevocable...
"Actually, I'm quite curious about one thing..." She scratched her head. "I've seen that whether it's in the Sea Folk tribes or in the rest of the animal kingdom, male creatures seem to like casting a wide net. They don't really like maintaining one-on-one relationships. Especially the leaders; they have so many children with many different females. Why haven't you thought that way?"
The Lord of Ether looked at the night sky and sighed, seemingly very dissatisfied with her question.
"First, the biological body is merely my vessel; it cannot control my thoughts. Second, even if one is born male, one does not necessarily follow the majority of phenomena. Look at yourself—you chose to be female, yet aren't you just as fickle as male creatures?"
"I am not!!" Deep Blue blushed. "I've only ever liked you. I've never liked anyone else!"
The Lord of Ether gave a soft laugh, but the smile quickly faded. "But one moment you like me, and the next you don't. One moment you miss me, and the next you're off playing by yourself. Now you say you like me, yet you don't even know if you want to be with me forever; you only want to take advantage of me right now."
"I don't! I just didn't expect you to be so serious..."
"That is why I told you to think clearly before speaking. Don't go around confessing blindly all day long."
"Fine, I'll think about it more. Then you have to wait for me."
"Mm."
The Lord of Ether knew that Deep Blue only truly cared about the ocean. Regarding the matter between them, she might take a very, very long time to consider. But his patience had always been good. Thirty-three billion years had already passed; waiting another thirty-three billion would be no difficult task.
***
