Chapter 232: The Secret Sect is Terrifyingly Powerful

The sea surface was without wind or waves; the frigate was like a sharp arrow, cutting through the calm sea.

After receiving permission, the two came to the deck and stood by the warship's railing; one looked up, gazing into the distance, while the other looked down, watching the lake-blue deep sea and the pure white foam stirred up as the warship passed.

The sea breeze was humid.

Chen Shu had slept for over ten hours, and after waking up, his excitement had finally subsided slightly.

At this moment, he recalled the scene from yesterday on the support aircraft where he had acted spoiled toward Qingqing in front of Colonel Song, Zuo You, and the others, and he felt so awkward he nearly clawed a hole through the deck.

It was clear that they were already very far from the continent; not only was the continent invisible, but the sun was already overhead, no longer affected by the Ninth Stage war. The ship was surrounded by emptiness on all sides, with nothing to see but the sky and the sea; the sky was blue, and the sea was also blue, making it impossible to tell where they met when gazing into the distance.

Chen Shu enjoyed this kind of sunshine and also enjoyed this vast scene.

"So beautiful."

"Mm." Ning Qing's voice was very soft, her tone indifferent, "In another half a day, you will feel bored."

"It won't be that fast!"

"Then how long do you say it will take?"

"Emmm... at least two days."

"You overestimate your level of devotion."

"I am very devoted; look at me, I am always consistent toward you."

"..."

Ning Qing pursed her lips, too lazy to pay him any mind.

Chen Shu stretched his body out wide, then left the spot and began to walk around.

It was his first time on a warship, and he was very curious.

This was a large ocean-going frigate; the outer hull was almost entirely cast from Special Spiritual Alloy, giving it strong inherent defensive capabilities, and the entire body was covered in modular, multi-layered Defense Rune arrays.

Its primary role was to defend the fleet's core warships against threats from the sky and beneath the sea, so the ship cannons mounted on it were slightly smaller in caliber compared to coastal combat frigates, mainly firing physical shells; the most commonly used shells were the Penetrating High-Explosive Shell and the Sword Light Shell. However, it was also equipped with two Spirit Power Secondary Cannons and two Golden Light Launchers, mainly used for striking approaching Cultivators, small surface targets, and short-range interception operations.

These were the main and secondary weapons.

Besides this, it was also equipped with two 16-cell short-range anti-aircraft missile launch platforms, one 6-cell anti-ship missile launch platform, two 8-cell Hunter Missile launch platforms targeting High-level Practitioners, and one 6-cell Underwater Missile Launch Tube.

The missiles in this world were smaller in size.

The most conspicuous features were the massive Spiritual Shield Generators distributed across the deck and the bridge, as well as the majestic Hunting Fighter fixed at the stern of the ship.

Chen Shu inspected his surroundings.

What he was actually most interested in were the Spirit Power Secondary Cannons, partly because Brother Cat always mentioned them, and partly because the Spirit Power Secondary Cannons were very similar to the Tracer Technique.

He could understand this thing.

However, the complexity of the Spirit Power Secondary Cannons used by modern major powers had already far exceeded the scope of ordinary Spells; their structure was extremely complex, and even the structure of the spirit power shells they fired was adjustable. Operators in the bridge could make a choice: if used for attack, the structure of the fired spirit power shell would be exceptionally stable and difficult to intercept; if used for defense, the fired spirit power shell would not only become fragile in structure but would even possess the ability to detect incoming high-spirit, high-speed targets, exploding when brushing past the opponent's attack.

This technology was very interesting.

Furthermore, he was most interested in the shield generators.

This was the biggest difference between the warships of this world and those of his previous life.

Due to the existence of Spiritual Energy Shields, Defense Arrays, and some special materials, the power of spear and shield was relatively balanced in the military system of this world; it was rare for a situation to occur where one or a few anti-ship missiles could take out a warship, and many naval battles between small countries ended up becoming close-quarters combat.

Therefore, there were still major powers in this world whose fleets were centered around "Main Battle Ships" rather than aircraft carriers.

In fact, this frigate could be seen as a giant High-level Practitioner, driven by spirit power, defended by spirit power, and attacking with spirit power; even the missiles and torpedoes were essentially modern applications of spirit power and Spell Rune principles, almost equivalent to Spells.

With this frigate's offensive and defensive capabilities, it certainly had no problem defeating a Seven-Tier Cultivator alone, but it likely could not defeat most Eight-Tier Practitioners.

A combat-capable Eight-Tier Practitioner should be able to defeat a Main Battle Ship of the world's average standard, referring here mainly to destroyers and cruisers; perhaps it would take a very strong Eight-Tier Practitioner to defeat a Main Battle Ship, well, one of the world's average standard.

The Main Battle Ships and aircraft carriers of superpowers were all designed to match Ninth Stage Cultivators; the Spiritual Energy Shield alone could withstand the normal attacks of a Ninth Stage Cultivator.

Chen Shu had already witnessed how strong a Ninth Stage Cultivator was.

"Ah..."

After wandering around for a long time, Chen Shu walked back to the starting point, rotating his neck, and said to Qingqing beside him: "I'm starting to feel a bit bored..."

"Look at the scenery." Ning Qing lifted her chin, "Didn't you say it would take two days before you got bored?"

"You're a bit annoying."

"..." Ning Qing pursed her lips, her tone softening, "Then tell me about your experiences these past few days."

"Haven't I been telling you all along?"

"Tell me about these few days."

"Emmm... alright!"

Chen Shu thought for a moment, then grabbed the railing again, turned his head to look at his side, and pulled Qingqing's hand up, placing it on the railing.

The movements had to be synchronized.

Then he began to tell her about what happened after arriving at the camp and getting separated from the main force.

He focused on what happened after the separation, focusing on a few of the group members.

Ning Qing listened quietly.

Half an hour passed in a flash.

Chen Shu said to Qingqing beside him: "Do you know what his method for cracking the Genius Disease is?"

"I don't know."

"Aren't you from the Secret Sect?"

"The Secret Sect seniors hid this method."

"Aren't you the Saintess?"

"You cannot apply the relationships and systems of ordinary sects to the Secret Sect."

"Explain in more detail."

"There are only a dozen or so Secret Sect Practitioners in the whole world; there is no superior-subordinate relationship, and many Secret Sect Practitioners will never meet another Secret Sect Practitioner in their entire lives, yet we can each know of the other's existence."

"So magical?" Chen Shu blinked his eyes, "Then do you have a Sect Master?"

"No, and there is no need for one."

"Then what is the use of you, a Saintess?"

"No particular use, it just indicates that my talent is better than theirs, and I have the possibility of surpassing the Ninth Stage." Ning Qing's tone remained calm, "However, in the more than one thousand years since the Secret Sect was born, there has been one Saint Son, but in the history of the Secret Sect, no god has ever been born."

"Why?"

"Failed."

"Emmm... who was that Saint Son?"

"No name was left behind." Ning Qing glanced at him, saving herself a question, "Don't be surprised, this is very normal. If I also fail, no name will be left behind either."

"What a bizarre sect..."

Chen Shu faintly saw two huge figures under the sea in the distance; their bodies were massive and slender. He seemed to have seen them in the Beast World; they were a type of whale-like exotic beast called a dragon whale.

He did not pay them any mind and continued to ask: "Then can you guess his outcome? Success or failure."

"He was a person extremely important to the world."

"Oh..."

Chen Shu dragged out a long tail note, his gaze locked on the dark shadows under the sea ahead, and continued to ask: "Then do you know about the Heavenly Human Mirror?"

"I know."

"I heard it can see the past and future?"

"Its function is approximately equal to a Ninth Stage Heavenly Human System cultivator, and approximately equal to a weakened version of a Ninth-tier Secret Sect Practitioner." Ning Qing looked at him again, very clear about what he wanted to ask, "That person snatched the Heavenly Human Mirror because he wanted to find something, something that only a Ninth Stage Heavenly Human or a High-Tier Secret Sect Practitioner can find. I cannot see the existence of this thing, I cannot see it at all, but this in itself is a kind of explanation for it."

"As expected."

Chen Shu had long since guessed this.

The reason Cao Ci was expelled from the Ming Sect was because he sought to become a god but failed. He is now one of the most powerful cultivators in the world. If there is still something that could make him so desperate to obtain it, then there is only one thing—

Godhood!

The shattered origin of the Reed God...

Keep this guess in mind.

At this moment, the frigate had already caught up to the two dragon whales and was passing them on their left. Chen Shu could see the eye on their left side; compared to their massive bodies, this eye looked like a small sesame seed. They also seemed to be looking at this frigate and the two people at the bow.

Seeing this, Chen Shu immediately raised both hands, waved at them, and shouted:

"Jump!

"Jump!"

An ethereal and long whale song.

The two dragon whales slowly sank, then suddenly accelerated and leaped out of the water with a splash; their massive, streamlined bodies were extremely graceful.

As ocean behemoths comparable to a Six-Stage Martial Artist, they naturally had no parasites on them and were very smooth, with deep black backs and snow-white bellies, but looking closely, one could see tiny scars on their bodies, though it was unknown how they were caused.

"Boom!"

The huge bodies crashed into the sea, splashing water higher than the warship.

At this moment, all worries disappeared.

Truly a beautiful moment.

Chen Shu revealed a smile.

There was no need to use a Mobile Phone to record it; having seen it like this was already quite good. Perhaps many years later, when coming to the seaside, he would still be able to recall this scene.

The frigate had already sailed into the open sea.

Chen Shu began to feel visual fatigue toward the scenery on the sea; the initial sense of openness no longer existed, and instead, he began to find it monotonous and boring.

Life on the ship was not as wonderful as he had imagined. It was fine when it was calm, but if they encountered wind and waves, even though this frigate had many Rune Formations engraved to maintain stability in wind and waves, it would still inevitably sway. As a cultivator, although Chen Shu would not vomit, he was still very unaccustomed to it.

Cannot fish, cannot go swimming in the sea, and most of the time cannot go on deck...

However, it was not as uncomfortable as he had imagined.

Although this was a military unit, the Yiguo Navy upheld the principle that "resting well is also combat effectiveness," so the living area was quite humanized. Except for the unavoidably small and crowded accommodation environment, other aspects were quite good, and there was even air conditioning.

The daily food was also very good, with plenty of fish and meat, as well as fruit. If one had a craving, there was also a vending machine on the ship that sold snacks and drinks.

In addition, there was a small Martial Artist training room on the ship with very professional equipment, and a computer room where one could connect to the local area network to play games.

These sailors were not always at their combat stations. In fact, except for special times, during normal times, especially during continuous long-distance voyages, usually only one-third of the sailors were working, while the others were on rotation or attending formal classes. They worked in three shifts. It was boring at sea, so some of these people took up calligraphy, some liked to play instruments and sing, some studied chess, and some were extremely skilled at games. In short, everyone had their own way of playing.

It was very different from what Chen Shu had thought before.

The fifty-third hour of the voyage.

Chen Shu sat at the desk in his room, holding a small world map and a pencil, trying hard to identify the ship's current position.

A dashed line was drawn in the ocean, which was the route for their trip.

Almost most of the area was ocean, with only a fairly large island a few dozen kilometers ahead called Nanzhou Island. In ancient times, it was considered to be Nanzhou, and many documents had recorded it, but in fact, it was not a continent, just an island. According to documents, its environment was quite good in ancient times, but later, for some reason, it became barren. Now, it had been reduced to a target range for the Zhan Lue Wu Qi of various major powers.

Chen Shu glanced to the side.

Qingqing was sitting on his bed, still holding that copy of "Plane Origin and Spiritual Quality" and reading it attentively.

"We will pass an island today."

"Mm."

Ning Qing read her book quietly without even raising her head.

"Aren't you interested?"

"Not interested."

"You are not cooperative at all."

"I'm not bored."

"I'm bored! I'm bored to death!"

"So? What is there on this island?"

"There is nothing."

"..."

"Shall we go up to the deck and take a look? I haven't seen land for over two days."

Ning Qing ignored him, still looking down at her book.

It wasn't until over an hour later that she raised her head and said to Chen Shu:

"Waves are coming."

"What?"

"Waves are coming."

"How do you know?"

"I guessed."

"Sigh, how annoying..."

Chen Shu sat down beside her, leaning back against the wall behind him: "It's so annoying when waves come, rocking and swaying, like being drunk... How many more days until we arrive? I miss land so much."

"Go ask them."

"Can't you just guess?"

"I want to eat pickled pepper razor clams."

"Keep wanting, it's not against the law to want."

"And cold-dressed lemon fish."

"Keep wanting, want a bit more, it's not against the law."

"..."

"Why are you looking at me with that expression?" Chen Shu spread his hands, "This ship doesn't have these dishes. If you were a bit more well-behaved, kept me company and talked more, and answered honestly whenever I asked you something, maybe I could go beg them, borrow the kitchen, and see what ingredients they have. Razor clams probably aren't there, but there is fish. I could cook you a private meal. Anyway, of the materials you brought me, I've only used..."

Speaking to this point, his voice paused.

Chen Shu froze for a few seconds, came back to his senses, and looked at Ning Qing in silence.

Ning Qing closed the book in her hands, turned her head, and looked at him indifferently: "Did you think I came to find you just to accompany you on the boat ride back from Duqin? To let you have someone to mess with and amuse yourself when you're both excited and bored on the ship?"

"So..."

"The *Island Survival Guide* I gave you, did you read it seriously?"

"Will this ship capsize?"

"The wind and waves have arrived."

Just the second after her voice fell—

A piercing alarm sounded on the ship, and almost everyone put down what they were doing and rushed to their combat stations.

Someone came to inform them to stay in their room, saying it was safe here, and after finishing, they rushed off to their combat stations in a hurry.

Chen Shu felt intense fluctuations of Spirit Power. The Spiritual Energy Shield on the ship had already been activated, and the standby Defense Array and anti-wave mechanisms were also engaged. The ship's alarms rang incessantly, and the sonic booms of Hunter Aircraft could be heard in the distance.

The sea area that had been calm just a moment ago suddenly seemed to whip up wind and waves, and the entire ship swayed violently, like a fallen leaf drifting in the wind.

Loud noises began to come from outside; there was constant cannon fire and explosions, deafening, and the intense fluctuations of Spirit Power were suffocating. But what suffocated him even more was that he was stuck in this narrow cabin, unable to know anything, a feeling that made him suffer greatly.

"What happened?"

"An attack."

"What attack? Why?"

"I guess..." Ning Qing's voice was almost inaudible amidst the noisy background, yet still unhurried, "They are hunting that Nine-Tier Cultivator not too far away, and other High-Tier members of the Mengyue Sect are attacking this Frigate to help him break the siege, forcing them to divert power back to rescue him."

"..."

Chen Shu maintained his balance amidst the violent shaking, his expression dazed, while Ning Qing sat quietly beside him, her demeanor still indifferent, her face extremely beautiful.