CH 121

The opportunity that Liu Po had mentioned arrived the following day. On this morning, there was no sunlight, and people could only judge the time by looking at their clocks. The world was shrouded in darkness, and there was no significant brightness due to sunrise. At most, it begrudgingly allowed people to barely make out the contours of the world.

However, along with the faint light came the unsettling ripples on the water’s surface. After a night of heavy rain, the wind had finally picked up!

Those who had spent time surviving on Cang Zhan Star knew that the most terrifying aspect of the rainy season wasn’t the heavy rain itself, but the storms. Storms on Cang Zhan Star were far more destructive and deadly than the rain.

Especially for the fleets anchored on the water’s surface, encountering a storm was a test of life and death. Considering the current year’s rainfall, the storm might be even more terrifying than previous years.

On this morning, everyone woke up very early, or rather, many had trouble sleeping last night. In the vast water world, they couldn’t see the direction to move forward, so they could only stand still and leave their fate to the elements, ensuring they wouldn’t lose their course.

As the clock’s hands pointed to six o’clock, countless people were already standing by the windows, gazing at the endless water and sky. It seemed like a dense curtain of pearls had hung between the sky and the earth, uninterrupted since last night. The purple-red lightning, which had cracked the firmament throughout the night, showed no signs of gentleness.

The gradually rising waves on the water’s surface drew everyone’s attention. Not only the Shui Jing Gong fleet but all the fleets sounded alarms, demanding that everyone be ready to withstand the storm at any moment.

In the Shui Jing Gong fleet, all the crew members from the smaller boats had retreated to the main ship last night. Most of the smaller boats had been stored in the main ship’s hold or were tethered nearby for emergency use.

As for the main ship, thanks to the contributions of Xie Feng and many other talented individuals, it no longer required people to brave the storm on the deck. Most operations and control could be carried out in the control room. There were personnel stationed there, ready to respond to any unforeseen circumstances.

The B Zone fleet was also well-prepared. Their equipment was quite good, with most boats obtained through exchanges with simulators. Their technological level remained at the forefront of Cang Zhan Star. But, they didn’t have access to extraterrestrial technology, or they wouldn’t need to worry about the storm.

Due to recent communication and familiarity, the two fleets weren’t far apart, with some even overlapping into each other’s areas for the convenience of boarding. Short-distance communication had been established between the two bases, allowing them to communicate with each other.

Considering that the ships couldn’t be too close once the storm hit, the fleets had started gradually spacing themselves out. There was a newfound understanding between them. After all, hitting a reef was bad luck, but colliding with a teammate’s ship would be unacceptable.

The waves on the water grew larger, and the ships’ swaying became more pronounced. Amidst the deafening thunder and lightning, the sound of the wind steadily increased in volume, as if it were sounding the horn of an attack.

Finally, the strong wind descended from the sky like an irritable monarch, determined to churn the surface of the water into chaos.

In the control room of the main ship, Shu Shuishui gazed at the outside world through tempered glass. He realized that her fear of thunder and lightning last night had come too early, as today’s storm had rewritten his understanding of wind. He had the illusion that the fierce wind would bring down the lightning from the sky.

“Shui Shui! Do you have any seals or formations we can use? This doesn’t look good!” Nan Ge glanced at the situation and felt it was worse than expected.

Shu Shuishui had actually prepared some seals for the storm, but protective formations required a stable location with at least nine designated spirit stone points. The more spirit stone points, the better the effect of the formation. Floating on the sea made this impossible. Not only protective formations, but almost all formations required a stable environment. “We have limited materials, only twenty-three wind-avoidance seals and ten thousand-jin seals. However, the use of the thousand-jin seal needs to carefully measure the weight, and the effects of both seals only last for three hours and have limited coverage.”

Nan Ge and the others had been focusing on improving their knowledge of spiritual cultivation since their return from the continent, so they understood that creating seals was a rigorous process. It required not only materials but also talent and a stable spiritual power. Therefore, they knew that these thirty-three seals were likely created by Shu Shuishui with great effort and were not easily obtained.

After understanding the range of the seals’ effectiveness, Nan Ge determined the current wind direction when the storm had just begun. He quickly issued orders to adjust the fleet formation, taking into account that the storm could suddenly change direction, which was common during the rainy season on Cang Zhan Star and often caught people off guard.

He also contacted Liu Po from Zone B, informing him that they would send over some seals and people who could use them.

The two fleets took the lead, ready to react if the storm suddenly shifted direction, a common occurrence during the rainy season on Cang Zhan Star.

Upon receiving the notification, Liu Po promptly adjusted the fleet’s formation, with the larger ships on the outer perimeter and the smaller ones on the inner. They maintained a safe distance from each other, with stability on the southern side while leaving the northern side to be managed by the Shui Jing Gong.

Shu Shuishui, after observing for a moment, understood that Nan Ge intended to use wind-avoidance seals to create a windbreak to shield the ships behind. The thousand-jin seals on the ships would serve as spirit stone points to enhance the effectiveness of the wind-avoidance seals.

However, this required precise control of the wind direction, and currently, the wind outside the ship was constantly changing. They could only hope that the ships’ movement speed could keep up with the storm’s changes.

All commands had been issued, and Nan Fang, Xie Feng, Yu Jin, Nan Ge, Shu Shuishui, and Gu Langu were on the ships designated as seal points, ready to act if anything went wrong.

Everyone waited anxiously, hoping the storm would be a bit gentler.

In just a few minutes, the water’s surface churned with giant waves, and the powerful winds caused each ship to sway. Everyone on board tried everything they could to stabilize their boats.

Half an hour later, the storm stabilized at a certain intensity, and the waves on the water gradually became more regular. Everyone successfully weathered the first wave of the storm without using the seals.

While the storm’s wind direction often changed chaotically, as long as the fleets adjusted their positions to face the wind, the risk of capsizing remained within manageable limits.

Of course, this was only true for the Shui Jing Gong and Zone B. Other fleets with lower-quality ships or improper handling had already deviated from their course or sunk. The storm during the Apocalypse proved challenging for many to handle.

The fierce storm continued unabated for two hours, showing no signs of weakening or even intensifying. Nan Ge’s judgment had been correct, especially when water tornadoes began forming in the distance. The grandeur and terror of this phenomenon left many in panic.

The waterspouts spiraled upward from the water’s surface, connecting with the clouds above. They resembled serpentine dragons soaring into the sky, creating a spectacular yet hair-raising sight.

Amidst the raging storm, Shu Shuishui could still hear uncontrollable cries coming from all directions. It seemed that even those who had lived on Cang Zhan Star for many years had never witnessed such a spectacle.

As the waterspouts rose into the air, they also lifted creatures from the water that couldn’t escape in time, victims of the gravitational force. Additionally, numerous whirlpools appeared on the water’s surface, seemingly corresponding to the waterspouts but spinning in the opposite direction.

The situation was terrifying, leaving the fleets in a dilemma. No one could determine the direction of the waterspouts and whirlpools.

The whirlpools were somewhat stable in their positions, but several waterspouts were moving, and their direction was right toward the Shui Jing Gong and Zone B.

Those who received the orders held the seals tightly in their hands, barely daring to breathe, listening attentively to the sounds through their headphones, fearing they might miss a second.

The waterspouts came with a powerful gust of wind. Looking up, one could not see the top of the waterspouts, and the sky was shrouded in darkness. The constant flickering of lightning overhead diminished the power of the terrifying purple-red thunderbolts in comparison to the waterspouts so close at hand.

Upon Nan Ge’s command, the ships facing the waterspouts were covered with wind-avoidance seals. The central boat, marked by the thousand-jin seal, stood firm against the wind and rain, unaffected by the fierce elements.

The waterspout that directly confronted them initially struggled, but moments later, it dispersed and disappeared. The other waterspouts were deflected by the wind-avoidance seals and changed direction.

The fleet’s formation continuously adjusted, ensuring that the ships with seals remained at the front, forming a windbreak. If the wind suddenly reversed, the Zone B fleet at the rear would take on the task of resisting the storm and waterspouts.

Although the other fleets didn’t have seals, due to their smaller size, they managed to avoid the waterspouts and whirlpools as best as they could. However, not everyone was fortunate, and some ships collided directly with the waterspouts, vanishing within the swirling water curtains.

After more than two hours of darkness, the world finally returned to quietude. Following the passage of the storm, many people remained on the decks. They celebrated with tears of joy, now that they had survived such an apocalyptic scene.

Regardless of whether they were familiar with each other, at this moment, no one minded tightly embracing each other and expressing their joy with loud cheers.

The fierce wind had departed, taking its madness to sweep over another place. The thick, overcast sky seemed to have had most of its clouds blown away. A pale gray sky allowed sunlight to filter through at last. The sky still bore a light drizzle, but this gentle rain felt especially lovely.

It was like a soothing balm after the storm, falling gently upon the ship’s hulls.

Nearly every ship had suffered some degree of damage, ranging from severe damage rendering them inoperable to minor damages requiring only some parts replacement.

Besides repairing the ships, another crucial task was search and rescue.

Two ships on the sides of the Shui Jing Gong and Zone B had been struck by debris flung by the waterspouts, causing them to sink. A few individuals were unable to be rescued in time and went missing.

Similar situations occurred in other fleets as well. Each group took charge in a different direction, rapidly expanding their search efforts to find survivors.

Though the storm had ended, it wasn’t until four o’clock in the afternoon that the fleets set sail once more, heading northward into the vast expanse. Some of the missing individuals would never be found. After widening their search to the fullest extent, they had to reluctantly give up.

Following this summer’s first storm, they finally came to terms with the fact that the Era of the Apocalypse had truly arrived, with its world-shattering might and mercilessness.

After the initial elation and celebration, a heavier burden weighed on each person’s heart. They fully realized that the Great Migration was a struggle for survival. Even in the face of the apocalypse, they had to fight for a way to survive in this eternal darkness.

The fleet sailed steadily on the water’s surface, but in the main ship’s conference room of the Shui Jing Gong, several individuals had gathered. Some were calculating, some were planning deals, and others remained calm and composed.

These individuals were among the leaders of the remaining fleets, and their purpose here was quite direct: to inquire about the miraculous ability to withstand the storm that had just occurred.

When the Shui Jing Gong and Zone B collided with the waterspouts, nearly everyone thought it was the end. However, what took everyone by surprise was that the waterspout they collided with was shattered. The remaining waterspouts were also diverted by some external force. This was certainly not a coincidence.

“As the initiators of the Great Migration, shouldn’t the Shui Jing Gong share what they have to resist the storm? Even if it requires offering valuable items, we wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses,” spoke a representative from a fleet that had lost several ships during the storm.

“I’m here for business, and the price can be negotiated,” said Fei Luo, accustomed to trade. Dong Shijun, who was beside him, had also boldly come aboard.

“I’ve come to apply for membership in the Shui Jing Gong. I wonder if it can be approved,” stated Liu Po.

Upon hearing Liu Po’s words, the others couldn’t help but look surprised. Zone B had a substantial fleet, and Liu Po wasn’t joking, was he?

Nan Ge extended his hand and shook hands with Liu Po. In their eyes, there was a mutual understanding. It was clear that they both knew the implications of Liu Po’s request. “Welcome. I understand your request, and we won’t mistreat the people from Zone B.”

Liu Po smiled. “I trust you, that’s why I came to join.”

Nan Ge then turned his gaze towards Fei Luo. “As for the items for resisting the storm, we won’t be selling them for now. The trade may not proceed. The Shui Jing Gong initiated this, but we are not its sole protectors. We can help to the best of our abilities, but if it’s beyond our capabilities, please forgive us. If you’re not satisfied, you can leave at any time. Nowadays, the land is plagued by water everywhere, and there are numerous water routes. There’s no need to travel together if you don’t get along.”