Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

The deck began to sink. Though the bow was still tilted up, the ship’s center of gravity was already dropping, and the water level on both sides of the hull was visibly rising.

The captain finally cried out, his voice hoarse and filled with unrestrained panic:

”The ship is sinking… Everyone, get to high ground! Quickly—!!”

The moment he spoke, it was like pouring gasoline on the already chaotic fire.

The crewmen and Manor Soldiers, terrified of falling into the water, all scrambled madly for higher ground, desperately grabbing onto anything bolted down.

In a moment of inattention, Zhou An found his thigh seized in a death grip by a Manor Soldier who refused to let go no matter what.

Meanwhile, several more hands scrambled to grab onto Chen Cheng.

’This is bad...’

Wu Ziyu’s face was ashen, and the urge to scream rose in her throat again.

But in the very next instant, the large hand on the small of her back tightened its grip.

Before Wu Ziyu could react, Chen Cheng had swept her up into his arms.

The moment her feet left the deck, the only sound in her ears was the sharp snap of Chen Cheng’s robes cutting through the wind.

The ship tilted beneath her. Debris, splashing water, and tumbling crewmen on the deck—everything was falling.

But she was rising.

Chen Cheng planted his foot on the edge of the ship’s rail, using it to launch himself several meters into the air.

He glanced down.

Wooden crates that had been sent flying now floated on the water’s surface, half-submerged, with shattered planks scattered between them.

Chen Cheng’s Heart Spirit raced, and in an instant, he had already plotted a path.

He fell toward the water’s surface, still holding Wu Ziyu.

His toes tapped on a plank. It plunged downward, but he used the force of the step to vault upward and forward once more.

The movement was too fast for the naked eye to follow, like he was stepping on coursing thunder.

In his arms, Wu Ziyu felt the wind slice past her ears like a blade. Everything around her, except for Chen Cheng, was stretched into blurred lines that streaked past the corners of her eyes.

’Fast!’

’So fast!’

Wu Ziyu had seen many Martial Arts experts who specialized in Qinggong, but not a single one was faster than Chen Cheng!

As her thoughts reeled, Chen Cheng had already completed his second leap.

The moment his toes landed, a large wooden crate burst apart. Splinters flew everywhere as a pillar of water erupted from the surface.

And this time, he had clearly generated more force.

A rumbling thunder seemed to emanate from beneath Chen Cheng’s feet. His forward momentum was even more ferocious, and the gale-force wind whipped past so fiercely that Wu Ziyu couldn’t open her eyes.

For the next three breaths, Wu Ziyu was completely unable to see what was happening.

All she knew was that the thunder under Chen Cheng’s feet grew louder and more urgent, as if he were about to carry her up to the gates of heaven by stepping on thunder itself.

Her heart hammered wildly in tandem, feeling as if it would burst from her chest.

A soft sound reached Wu Ziyu’s ears.

The rushing wind died down, the thunder faded away, and all that was left was the sound of her own heartbeat, pounding heavily in her chest.

She slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was still Chen Cheng’s face, his jawline as sharp as if carved by a knife, yet his skin as fair and smooth as a baby’s.

For a moment, she was so captivated by the sight that she was lost in a daze.

Only when Chen Cheng set her down and her feet were planted firmly on the ground did she snap out of it as if waking from a dream. Her face flushed red, and she hastily averted her gaze from his.

As she looked away, she suddenly realized that she was now standing on another large ship.

It was Zhou Yonglu’s flagship—bigger, more stable, and seemingly sturdier.

”You… you just carried me…”

Wu Ziyu’s eyes went wide. She looked at Chen Cheng, then back at the listing ship hundreds of meters away, her voice trembling noticeably:

”You flew over here while carrying me!?”

Chen Cheng gave a noncommittal response, merely looking back at the chaotic scene, his eyes searching the crowd as best he could for a sign of Zhou Ping.

Meanwhile, the people on this ship were utterly stunned by Chen Cheng’s Body Technique.

But at this moment, they had far more pressing matters to attend to.

Zhou Yonglu was on the bow, directing the crew, his voice low and urgent.

The few experts he had hired were quickly changing into insulated, tight-fitting leather gear and grabbing their preferred weapons, their expressions tense as they prepared for battle.

The Manor Soldiers set up their crossbows, aiming the bolts at their designated sections of the water. Their gazes were fixed, not daring to relax for an instant.

The flagship turned and slowly approached the chaos ahead.

However, the commotion in that patch of water gradually subsided.

The waves still churned, but there were no more loud crashes.

A few Manor Soldiers holding crossbows scanned back and forth across the water’s surface. They waited for a long while but saw nothing.

”It dove under!”

someone shouted from the wheelhouse.

”That son of a bitch!”

Zhou Yonglu cursed angrily:

”It’s the same every time! Before it eats anyone, it has to sink a few boats, then it just grabs a couple of people and leaves... I threw cattle and sheep in the water earlier—let ’em rot, even—and it wouldn’t touch ’em... Goddamn thing’s a real bastard!”

Cursing aside, Zhou Yonglu didn’t stop giving orders:

”Keep moving the ship closer! Lower the rope ladders and rescue them! Don’t leave a single brother behind, especially Zhou An... We have to find him and get him out!”

”Yes, sir!”

The captain and crew all acknowledged the order and moved to carry out his instructions.

The process was surprisingly smooth.

As the flagship drew near, Zhou An and the others who had fallen into the water were rescued one by one.

The surface of the water gradually calmed.

The waves subsided and the foam dissipated, leaving only dark gray ripples lapping against the hull.

The wind died down as well, carrying a damp, cold, and fishy stench.

The flagship came to a temporary halt, and the other undamaged large ship also drew closer.

However, the Manor Soldiers on board did not lower their crossbows. All eyes remained fixed on the water, terrified that the monster capable of sinking a large ship would suddenly strike with a Reversal Spear.

The ship grew quiet. There was only the sound of water lapping against the hull, over and over.