The sea breeze blew gently, carrying a strong, damp, and salty smell.

  "Ah-choo." Chen Yue rubbed his nose and looked beyond the broad expanse of the sea towards the front.

  After several days of sailing, they were almost at their destination. Looking into the distance, Chen Yue could already make out the embryonic form of Crescent Island, shrouded in mist and looming indistinctly.

  For most of the people on the luxury cruise ship, this trip was definitely an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. They had not only witnessed the noble apostles and the wonderful battles but also met the absolute heavyweight figure in the Heavenly Leaf Empire—the deacon of the Apostle Association. Even if they were asked to turn back immediately at this moment, the value of the trip would far exceed the cost of the tickets.

  As for the captain with small eyes, he was almost driven mad with joy. His ship had the good fortune to receive such an important figure. If his subordinates hadn't treated the situation properly, he might have become the first captain in the history of the empire to die from extreme excitement.

  That day, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Vinia fully demonstrated the power of a high-rank apostle. Before she even made her formal appearance, just with a single sentence, she defused the tense situation between Chen Yue and West.

  No one dared to go against her wishes.

  Throughout the Heavenly Leaf Empire, there were only a few people who could rival her, but on this ship, there was none.

  Although somewhat reluctant, on the surface, West still put away his Fire Lion as a sign of respect for Vinia.

  How could he know that if they really fought it out, Chen Yue might indeed be killed, but there was a greater possibility that he would be seriously injured, while West himself was basically doomed to die. This was because he didn't know Chen Yue's other identity—as an apostle.

  Completely unaware that he had just narrowly escaped death, West still had a murderous look in his eyes when he occasionally glanced at Chen Yue.

  After learning about what had happened, Vinia summoned the Water Spirit. With a wave of her hand, a drizzle immediately began to fall on Kina's head. The water droplets seeped into Kina's skin, and his injuries immediately began to heal at a visible speed. Before long, he was out of danger. As for the two fighters, Vinia didn't even bother to look at them.

  This miraculous skill made Par worship her to no end. Compared with Vinia's healing effect, what he had done before was like a poor imitation.

  Kina's recovery greatly eased the explosive and tense atmosphere between Chen Yue and West. After all, it had only been a verbal dispute, and Chen Yue hadn't really intended to kill anyone. Moreover, they were all members of the Apostle Association. Even just for Vinia's sake, Chen Yue would know his limits. However, judging from West's pride, he definitely wouldn't let this matter go easily. It was just that he was currently held back by Vinia's face. But then again, Chen Yue had nothing to fear.

  With a light snort, Chen Yue firmly believed that only the mediocre wouldn't arouse envy. His performance that day had been tolerant enough and was completely justifiable. This could be seen from Vinia's actions.

  Bias, blatant bias.

  It was almost an open show of support for Chen Yue. Vinia strictly ordered West not to seek revenge on Chen Yue. And poor Kina, as soon as he recovered, was asked to apologize to Chen Yue in person. All these actions made Chen Yue breathe a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he also had some doubts in his heart.

  After all, West was also a second-order apostle. Even if his talent wasn't as good as Chen Yue's, this bias was too obvious. One could tell just by looking at West's flushed and then pale face and his expression of being angry but not daring to speak out.

  Later, when only the two of them were left, Vinia explained a few things, and Chen Yue's doubts were suddenly cleared up.

  Before boarding the ship, Vinia had said that the Crescent Island Training Base was under the name of a deacon in the Apostle Association who had a feud with her. Coincidentally, this West was precisely the most favored disciple of that deacon.

  The big shots might maintain a facade of harmony while harboring grudges in their hearts. However, their existence was like nuclear weapons on Earth, with their deterrent effect being greater than their actual use. They wouldn't easily take action. Usually, the competition was seen among their respective disciples. Previously, among Vinia's disciples, the most outstanding one was only Wolf. Although he was outstanding among first-order apostles, compared to West, a second-order apostle, he immediately paled in comparison. As a result, Vinia's faction had suffered a lot in the disputes and had been almost overwhelmed, making Vinia grind her teeth with hatred towards West. However, due to her status, it was naturally impossible for her to personally teach him a lesson.

  Having finally caught such an opportunity, even if there was no wind, she would stir up waves. Not to mention that the reason was on her side this time, so Vinia naturally wouldn't let it pass.

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  Chen Yue's performance also pleasantly surprised Vinia. She had already been quite happy along the way, but unexpectedly, not long after boarding the ship, Chen Yue had greatly humiliated West and the others, which made her feel extremely proud. Perhaps at this moment, in her heart, Chen Yue's status had already surpassed Wolf's.

  Being able to tell him these words, Chen Yue also knew in his heart that Vinia had completely regarded him as one of her own.

  Where there are people, there is the jianghu (a metaphor for the complex world of human relations). Chen Yue wasn't so naive as to think that he could cultivate in peace without being affected by worldly affairs. So, he didn't have much resistance to joining Vinia's faction. Moreover, Vinia was quite a nice person. Without her devoted guidance, he might still be standing outside the hall of apostles, unable to find a way in. While he could steadily improve himself, it was also a pleasure to earn some face for her. Why not do it?

  While Chen Yue was pondering over gains and losses, time passed. The thick fog covering the sea quickly dissipated under the scorching sun. Many ships could be clearly seen coming in and out of Crescent Island. After all, it was one of the most popular shipping routes in the Heavenly Leaf Empire, and its daily throughput was quite large. However, most of them were small and medium-sized ships, and large cruise ships were rare.

  The luxury cruise ship that Chen Yue was on stood out like a crane among chickens as soon as it appeared, attracting the attention of most of the ships. With his sharp eyesight, Chen Yue could even see that many people were standing on the decks, pointing at this ship. Even their facial expressions were clearly visible.

  This was precisely the change brought about by the "Health Preservation Formula". Although at first, Chen Yue was quite unaccustomed to it.

  The "Health Preservation Formula" was truly mysterious and unfathomable. And every time a new level was completed, there would be an essential breakthrough. As Chen Yue had been continuously practicing these past few days, he had become much more proficient in the first nine postures, and the changes to his physique were gradually becoming evident.

  It wasn't just a significant improvement in strength and speed. As his proficiency continued to increase, his eyesight also improved. He could clearly see the tiniest details within a kilometer. And slowly, not only his eyesight but then even his hearing began to change. Although the current degree of change in his hearing wasn't as great as that in his eyesight, Chen Yue believed that as he continued to master and become familiar with the first nine postures, all his five senses would become sharper until he completed a transformation.

  Like a cocoon turning into a butterfly, with each new level, there would be a transformation, an essential transformation.

  Chen Yue couldn't help but wonder if he would still be considered human in the end... Looking at his increasingly crystal-clear hands, he smiled wryly.

  Suddenly, a small boat rushed towards them from a distance at high speed. Along the way, it didn't avoid other ships but instead made other ships hurriedly make way for it, which immediately caught Chen Yue's attention.

  Its speed was getting faster and faster. Finally, a large ship in front didn't have time to get out of the way, but the small boat didn't show any intention of slowing down or turning. It still rushed straight ahead.

  The scene was like a knight charging towards a castle. The difference in size between the two was so great that it was particularly eye-catching.

  Many people showed expressions of can't bear (unwillingness to see something bad happen). Watching the small boat rush towards the large cruise ship like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, the next moment, it seemed that there would be a disaster of the boat being smashed and people dying.

  However, an astonishing scene appeared.

  When it was still dozens of meters away from the large cruise ship, under everyone's gaze, the small boat actually flew up. It flew so high that it passed right over the entire large cruise ship and then landed steadily on the sea surface, sending waves several meters high.

  Immediately, loud exclamations rang out around. Everyone was shocked by this incredible scene.

  However, a look of understanding flashed in Chen Yue's eyes.

  When the small boat took off, he had already seen the ring of light beneath it.

  A familiar spirit, that explained it.

  This thing that looked like a small boat was actually a creature, a familiar spirit from the Spirit Realm.

  Then, its destination was self-evident.

  Before he knew it, Vinia had walked up to Chen Yue.

  "This is the familiar spirit of Kles Nor."

  There was a look of envy in her eyes. Apparently, the number of such familiar spirits was extremely rare, and even she didn't have one. Although its strength might not be very strong, it was quite impressive when used to welcome guests.

  Kles Nor was the deacon who had a feud with her and the owner of the Crescent Island Training Base.

  Before long, the familiar spirit rushed to the bottom of the luxury cruise ship. There was no one on it, but Chen Yue and the others knew that it had come to pick them up.

  At the moment when the familiar spirit stopped, a deep and steady male voice rang in everyone's minds.

  "Welcome, Vinia. Oh, and that little friend named Chen Yue. Hehe, I'll be waiting for you at the training base."

  The words were calm, full of the host's unshakable confidence and composure.

  "It's actually a familiar spirit with mental fluctuations." Chen Yue had an amused look on his face. This kind of familiar spirit was indeed rare.

  On the other side, West and the others had also gradually appeared at the bow of the ship.

  "Let's go. Just jump down directly."

  Chen Yue noticed that West and the others didn't move but instead looked over here with a mocking look. Of course, their target was Chen Yue. As for Vinia, they wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous even if they had ten times the courage.

  At this time, the familiar spirit was more than twenty meters above the luxury cruise ship. Looking down from such a height, it was just a tiny black dot. Just looking down from this height was enough to make people dizzy. Judging from Vinia's words, they were actually supposed to jump down.

  West and the others must have known this very well. They didn't get off the ship first, naturally wanting to see Chen Yue make a fool of himself. When they first experienced this, they had all screamed in fright. Some even fainted on the spot.

  However, what puzzled them was that Vinia clearly knew this but didn't say a word of warning. Instead, she had a calm and indifferent smile on her face, which was really puzzling.

  Hehe, they thought they could make me look bad like this?

  A look of sarcasm flashed in Chen Yue's eyes as he took a steady step towards the void outside the deck.