136: Chapter 136 Undersea Weight Training

Chapter 136: Underwater Weighted Training

Tap, tap, tap——

The speedboat dragged a long wake across the sea surface, shuttling through the waters around Yongan Island.

The weather was clear, and the sunlight was just right.

It's just that the sea breeze was a bit strong, making the trench coat flap loudly.

Li Chengjun stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing sunglasses, standing steadily at the bow of the wind-splitting speedboat, gazing far out into the azure sea.

Coming to this ghost place, it has been almost half a year.

He still wasn't used to the life here, the overly brilliant sunlight, the overly calm wind and waves.

And...

He turned his head slightly, glancing with the corner of his eye at the few uneasy-looking men standing behind him.

He chanted silently in his heart:

"Stupid and incompetent subordinates."

Last night, two of his subordinates were attacked and killed while on a mission.

He didn't care about the life and death of the two.

He was only worried that being exposed in the police's field of vision would affect his own plans.

Li Chengjun looked at the boundless sea, pondering silently.

Wanting to find some clues left by the enemy in such an environment was ultimately a slim hope.

Moreover, there was only a few available manpower in the stronghold, making it feel even more helpless.

Speaking of which, executing tasks like searching for enemy traces and gathering intelligence wasn't as useful as having a few more ordinary people.

A plump middle-aged man behind him looked at Li Chengjun's back, his expression revealing a hint of dread.

Seeming to have considered for a long time, he finally mustered the courage to speak:

"Lord Special Envoy, the Zhenxiang Society probably has already discovered our hunting behavior and finally couldn't help but make a move. Should we now ask the headquarters for reinforcements?"

Hearing this, Li Chengjun turned his head, the corners of his mouth slightly hooked, gazing at him intently:

"Do you really think so?"

The body of the fat middle-aged man suddenly stiffened.

He only felt an invisible aura pressing over, making his breathing difficult for a moment.

As the former person in charge of the stronghold, Tang Dayuan had deep seniority in the Noah Organization and wasn't bad in ability, which was why he was qualified for such an important position.

Yet now, in front of this suddenly parachuted young man, he didn't even dare to breathe heavily.

Even though Li Chengjun looked Yingjun, and spoke with a hint of a smile, he was a complete pervert.

Furthermore, it was heard that he had a very strong backing at the headquarters, something a small stronghold leader could not afford to provoke.

Just when Tang Dayuan felt immense pressure, fortunately, another person spoke up to help ease the situation:

"I don't think it looks like it. If the Zhenxiang Society made a move, they shouldn't have done something redundant like leaving the merman at the crime scene."

After that person chimed in, it instantly seemed like opening a chatterbox.

The other silent people on the boat also successively expressed their opinions.

"Yeah, there are many suspicious points about this matter."

"Perhaps it was accidentally discovered by a tourist or islander with abilities, and the Wang brothers wanted to silence them, only to hit a hard nail?"

"The probability of this situation is very small. Wang Zongwu's strength is not weaker than ours. He performed very well in Nanyang before, which is why he was transferred here by the headquarters."

"It's hard to say, after all, the two of them just arrived at Yongan Island not long ago, executing their first hunting mission..."

Just as everyone was discussing, someone suddenly said:

"Is it possible that the Special Investigation Team made a move..."

Once this question was tossed out, the atmosphere on the scene instantly became slightly congealed.

Li Chengjun suddenly gave a light chuckle and said calmly:

"You don't need to let your imaginations run wild. I can clearly tell you that the Special Investigation Team is currently plagued with troubles and has more headaches, with no spare capacity to care about such a barren land."

Hearing this, everyone instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, they were just a small stronghold, weak in numbers and isolated overseas.

If they were really targeted by official forces like the Special Investigation Team and couldn't get timely assistance from the organization, they would only be forced to become deserters.

Next, what Li Chengjun said made them completely put their minds at ease.

"The pursuer team I applied to the headquarters to dispatch should arrive in the next two days. By then, with sufficient manpower, we can officially launch the plan."

After revealing a bit of news to his subordinates, Li Chengjun gazed at a cape appearing ahead and murmured softly to himself:

"No matter who you are, I hope to still see you make a move then, that would be stimulating enough!"

The speedboat circled around the waters surrounding Yongan Island and gained nothing, then turned back with the sound of the motor.

Evening time, the sky was dim and yellow.

The training camp base building under the setting sun looked twisted and mysterious in its shadow.

On the seventh-floor conference room, both sides of a long conference table were filled with figures.

The room had no lights on, and the dim light made the atmosphere somewhat gloomy.

Dark heads, whispering murmurs.

It seemed that the people attending the meeting were more accustomed to the environment in the dark.

They were the high-ranking cadres of the Truth and Meditation Fellowship, numbering around thirty, most of whom appeared to be quite elderly.

And the wrinkled old man sitting in the primary seat was the current vice president and acting president, Zheng Hongxin.

His gaze was deep and bright, slowly sweeping across the venue.

The many attendees below were true companions who had rushed over from all parts of Yongan Island.

Not only including multiple instructors from the training camp base, but even the Yongan Island maritime police district commander, the deputy director of the civil affairs department, and the Clan Chief surnamed Chen were impressively among them.

Instructor Chen Jiandong sat silently beside him, acting as the meeting's recorder.

"President, fellow companions."

The maritime police commander sitting in a lower position spoke loudly:

"I have retrieved data from the archives and carefully compared it. Since the poachers were first discovered in December of the year before last, our maritime police district has taken strict monitoring measures to crack down on unregistered illegal vessels, achieving good results."

"Then, in December of last year and this year during the same period, multiple cases of missing fishermen and vessels frequently occurred. If analyzed based on this situation, obviously most of those cases were done by poachers, only their actions became more covert."

Saying this, he raised a compiled document in his hand and handed it to Zheng Hongxin.

"Seen this way, the matter of purebloods being captured by humans has actually happened many times long ago."

A high-ranking member hearing this couldn't help but frown: "It's just that this time they encountered some mysterious enemy and were accidentally exposed."

These words instantly stirred up a low murmur of discussion.

Everyone's expressions varied; some frowned with deep thoughts, others were equally confused and deeply sympathetic.

Suddenly, a high-ranking member with an exceptionally fiery temper slammed the table and angrily said:

"Damn it, those poachers are getting more and more flagrant, directly bullying their way onto our heads!"

You must know that Yongan Island was the base camp of the Zhenxiang Society, entwined and rooted for nearly two hundred years.

Even if successive official organizations cracked down on them many times, they couldn't eliminate their influence.

Now they were actually being ridden on the head by a group of outsiders.

"Old Chen, calm your anger first. If we weren't in a special situation right now, how could we possibly allow those outsiders to act so presumptuously."

"Yeah, the main reason is that after turning into purebloods, they rarely return to the land to contact us, and no one knows what specifically happened..."

Many high-ranking members spoke up one after another to comfort a few words, taking the opportunity to excuse their own work negligence.

Among them, quite a few people offered suggestions on what measures to take for a counterattack.

For example, they could organize a large-scale population investigation, not believing they couldn't flush out those rats hiding in the gutters.

The conference room was filled with noisy discussions.

Instructor Chen Jiandong's expression did not change, he just silently recorded every high-ranking cadre's speech.

Zheng Hongxin's thick eyebrows slanted upward, and suddenly his knuckles heavily tapped the desktop.

After everyone held their breath and concentrated, signaling quietness, he spoke in a deep voice:

"Everyone, the once-in-two-hundred-years great tide has arrived. We are currently at our weakest moment, and it is not advisable to act rashly, so as not to expose the truth."

"And the most important Sea Sacrifice Ceremony will be held in five days. This time, success is the only option; no mistakes can be allowed."

"Otherwise, the consequences are hard to estimate. I'm afraid that like two hundred years ago, a major plague breaking out across the entire island again is possible..."

His voice paused, and then his gaze solemnly cast toward the deputy director of the civil affairs department and Clan Chief Chen.

"Now we need more fresh blood to welcome this ceremony, how are your preparations going?"

Hearing this, the two successively explained their work situations.

After listening, Zheng Hongxin nodded slightly, his gaze suddenly turning a bit fierce:

"As long as we endure these five days and catch our breath, we will immediately search the entire island and hunt down those poachers to make an example of them!"

Following that, he issued two defensive measures targeting potential dangers.

First, find a reason to temporarily close the navigation routes between Yongan Island and the outside world.

Second, except for those on official business, all combat personnel must return to the base to fully maintain the safety of this ceremony.

Since the president made the decision, the high-ranking cadres no longer continued to argue about this matter.

After the atmosphere eased slightly.

Everyone began to guess what kind of sacred being the fellow who helped them solve the poachers this time really was.

Some even suspected the Special Investigation Team, but it was immediately rejected by others.

Because for decades, the two sides had actually formed a tacit understanding long ago.

As long as the influence of the Truth and Meditation Fellowship was limited to Yongan Island and local order and peace were guaranteed.

Then they wouldn't complicate matters or create extra troubles.

Maintaining a harmonious situation of minding their own business with each other.

Dinner time.

Inside the bustling cafeteria.

Fang Cheng and Pan Wendi held two stainless steel dinner plates, squeezed out of the crowd, and found an empty seat to sit down.

The dinner plates were piled full, still all vegetable dishes.

Pan Wendi appeared to have a poor appetite, eating bite by bite listlessly.

Fang Cheng picked up his chopsticks, puffed his cheeks, and began to shovel vegetables into his mouth and chew vigorously.

That appearance was like he had been starving for days and was eating an extremely sumptuous seafood feast.

Making Pan Wendi stare blankly, unable to resist also picking a small chopstick of food from Fang Cheng's plate.

Then putting it into his own mouth to taste carefully, pondering what difference the flavor actually had.

Fang Cheng ignored him, and after swallowing a mouthful of braised eggplant, stared intently at the prompt information appearing before his eyes.

[You tasted a unique special meal, Gourmet experience +1]

Then he picked up a bowl of seaweed soup, gulped down two large mouthfuls.

A new prompt information appeared before his eyes again.

[You drank a delicious soup that calms the mind and aids sleep, Gourmet experience +1]

Looking at the continuously appearing experience growth information, a smile that outsiders couldn't fathom appeared at the corner of Fang Cheng's mouth.

Speaking of which, on the first night arriving at Yongan Island and dining at the training camp base.

Fang Cheng had noticed that the food here seemed to be more nourishing for the stomach.

Simply eating a meal of vegetables could actually add 1 experience point.

Today's dinner seemed especially spiked with extra ingredients, with experience points soaring upwards.

Only half of a meal was eaten, and it increased by 4 experience points.

You must know that "Gourmet" was upgraded to expert level, daily ordinary diet could no longer meet his needs for upgrading skills.

Only some relatively unique and rare foods could successfully pass the panel appraisal to obtain experience points.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng looked at the words "calms the mind and aids sleep" in the prompt message.

Suddenly understanding why Pan Wendi and the others slept so deeply and sweetly these past two nights.

Even curing some members' chronic insomnia.

But it's a pity...

This mind-calming and sleep-aiding soup seemed to have completely no effect on himself.

The reason for this situation might be that the "Poison Resistance" effect of the Gourmet skill was playing a role.

Fang Cheng shook his head, continuing to taste a mouthful of soup with a unique umami flavor.

Anyway, as long as the skill experience points increased, it proved that it was a good thing for him.

Wolfing down a portion of food.

Amidst Pan Wendi's surprised gaze, Fang Cheng got up again to get food at the window.

Repeating this, by the third time.

The cafeteria aunt already remembered him and stubbornly refused to give him any more.

Fang Cheng glanced at the Gourmet skill which had increased by a total of 12 experience points, and resentfully put away the panel and dinner plate.

While sitting and waiting for Pan Wendi to finish eating, his gaze swept across the surrounding people dining and he secretly observed.

Still didn't find the figure of the old trainee living on the third floor.

Moreover, a certain training camp staff member from another floor didn't seem to have reappeared either.

After returning that night, Fang Cheng followed the footprints and scent left on the floor to trace and find the room where those monsters first appeared.

And the people currently living in the room just happened to have disappeared.

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly, having some guesses in his heart.

Sure enough.

Sleeping this night, he didn't hear that kind of strange footsteps from the same floor anymore.

The next day, morning.

The east highlands of the training camp base.

The tour group members formed a circle, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the grassy slope at the top of the mountain.

Conducting an outdoor Meditation practice close to nature and feeling a pure soul.

Closing their eyes, the sea breeze blowing gently.

Like gentle whispers, blowing one exceptionally fresh and comfortable, able to take away all inner restlessness.

"Did you feel it?"

"Energy comes from the earth and the ocean, the wind and vegetation are also breathing, nature instinctively knows how to maintain harmony, all things are operating in an orderly manner, we should learn something from it..."

The instructor's gentle words also drifted into their ears with the wind.

Regardless of whether they truly entered the Meditation state, everyone's face exuded a rare peace and serenity.

After a long time.

Suddenly, a burst of applause sounded.

Instructor Chen sitting among the crowd clapped and spoke, waking everyone up:

"Alright, today's class ends here. Everyone's performance has improved compared to last time. Now you can return to the dormitories or engage in free activities."

Hearing this, group members successively stood up, chatting and laughing relaxed, exchanging the insights and takeaways they just gained.

Fang Cheng also patted the grass leaves and dust stuck to his buttocks, stood up and looked at the familiar surrounding environment.

The location chosen for this outdoor Meditation class happened to be the cape visited that night.

Ever since discovering anomalies in the training camp base, the role played by Fang Cheng was an ordinary office worker.

Usually behaving properly and strictly not revealing any special abilities.

Morning classes and evening classes belonged to self-study classes, and he basically wouldn't actively participate.

But this kind of Meditation teaching class belonging to a collective activity nature still needed to be attended.

Besides learning Meditation knowledge, being too maverick would instead make one more conspicuous.

Watching some group members run to the top of the cape, enjoying the scenery and taking photos to commemorate.

Fang Cheng chose to return to the dormitory building first with Pan Wendi and others.

Half an hour later.

The entire cape returned to silence, leaving only the rustling sound of the wind blowing across the grass and the occasional calls of seagulls.

A figure, however, reappeared here at this time.

It was Fang Cheng who had gone and returned.

He stood at the top of the cliff, gazing at the sparkling azure sea, his thoughts flying.

During class just now, thinking about the physical training plan affected after traveling here.

Fang Cheng suddenly had a whim.

Now that he possessed the talent of "Water Breathing", why not try using the special underwater environment to conduct weighted training?