Endless Ocean: Escape Starting from a Canoe

Chapter 261: The 10th ranked S-class skill!
The elderly man, dressed in a Tang suit, possessed an extraordinary air. The moment he stepped into the banquet hall, the noisy atmosphere fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into an even more enthusiastic chorus of greetings.

He was one of the chairmen of the "Nine Provinces Platform" of Yu the Great.

Zhou Huaijin.

He is known as Old Zhou.

The moment Shi Ming saw him amidst the crowd, his eyes began to twitch wildly.

This is a person of great fortune in this era! Only such a person can control the powerful artifact, the "Golden Toad of Destiny."

Compared to Trinden of the Lighthouse and Abraham of the Twelve Stars, the biggest difference between Zhou Huaijin, the voyager of Yu the Great, and Zhou Huaijin is that he himself is also a powerful S-class Awakened. Just between you and me, this secret is known only to three people, and now there's one more.

[S-Rank Skill: Blending with the World]

[It blends with the light, mingles with the dust, and seems to exist in its stillness.]

[Ranked 10th among S-class awakening skills, this skill locks onto an awakened individual of the same level and adjusts its base stats and awakening skills to be completely similar to the awakened individual's for 30 minutes. Alternatively, it locks onto an awakened individual of the same level and adjusts their base stats and awakening skills to be completely similar to its own (except for the "Blend with the World" skill), for 30 minutes.]

The skill "Harmony with the World" can be copied up to an S-rank, with a maximum value of 200 points.

The greater the difference in numerical values, the heavier the physical burden on the user. However, in most cases, this Voyager's "Harmony with the World" is used as a detection skill, since there haven't been any difficulties requiring his personal intervention yet.

His purpose in coming here is very simple, and you may have already guessed it...

Shi Ming was startled.

This time, they're coming for me!

He wanted to use "Blending in with the World" to secretly copy his own skills in order to find out which sea monsters he had killed and what kind of combat power he had possessed! If the target's upper limit was S-rank, then Arm of Power, Eye of the World, and Infinite Brain would definitely not be included in the copying, but even so, the five S-rank skills he possessed were enough to shock people!
Shi Ming quickly analyzed the pros and cons.

Consider whether you should avoid the situation for now to prevent your hand from being revealed.

[Rest assured! The Eye of the Mortal World possesses the power to see secrets. It is always the Eye of the Mortal World that sees others' secrets; no one else will ever see the secrets of the Eye of the Mortal World.]

This is the standard observed by those with a worldly perspective.

That's good.

But don't just give him a blank sheet of paper; that would be like protesting too much, revealing even more secrets.

The "Worldly Eye" is merely a skill; the text you see is simply an outward manifestation of your subconscious mind. To question the ability of the "Worldly Eye" is to question yourself.

I don't have that kind of carefree personality.

Shi Ming silently complained.

【…】

……

Surrounded by the crowd, Old Zhou walked toward the center of the banquet hall.

He was accompanied by two henchmen, both of whom appeared to be quite capable, at least A-level Awakeners. They cautiously observed everything around them, their duty being to nip any potential accidents in the bud. However, they had no idea of ​​the true strength of the person they were protecting.

If a crisis were to truly occur, it would not be them protecting Elder Zhou, but Elder Zhou protecting them.

Old Zhou's gaze swept around.

"Where are the Rong soldiers?"

“Here I am, Mr. Zhou.”

"I've downed half a bottle of liquor," Rong Bing mumbled, his voice dazed.

Old Zhou was too lazy to pay any more attention to this completely unreliable guy who had nothing to do with the mission. His gaze wandered casually around the hall before he took the microphone handed to him by his assistant.

Everything fell silent.

The voice of this person who initiated Yu the Great was gentle and refined, yet powerful.

Friends, compatriots.

"The battle between humans and marine animals has always been a battle for survival!"
"Thirty years ago, we lost our land, and civilization nearly collapsed on the seas. The survivors, fewer than one in ten, toiled on the vast blue seas during that era of wandering, braving wind and rain. Their thirty years of struggle, fueled by unwavering faith, are like a guiding star, ultimately leading us to end the long night. Today we gather here..."

"We must thank every warrior of Yu the Great and our friends and allies."

"Kunwu, Beidouxing, Rongbing, Shiming, Zhao Liluo... and all the potential supporters, the unsung heroes. It is because of their efforts and help that one S-class sea monster after another has fallen. I believe that the tug-of-war will eventually end with humanity's victory, and the bumpy and tortuous road will eventually become a smooth one."

"The sky and the sea will belong to all mankind, just as they did thirty years ago."

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted.

"Belongs to humanity! Belongs to humanity!"

"The sky belongs to humankind!"

"The ocean belongs to humankind!"

The atmosphere in the banquet hall rose again, and in the instant when Shi Ming and Old Zhou's eyes met, a barely perceptible glint appeared in the eyes of the person who set sail.

He nodded at Shi Ming with a friendly look from afar, and then left the banquet hall under the escort of his assistant and guards.

The participants were even more excited.

The newspaper reporter was mentally drafting a new script.

……

After the banquet, there was a separate handover of the spoils.

As agreed, Shi Ming received the Root of Sea Rising Cherry, 50 kilograms of flesh and blood of the Moonlight Ripple Beast, and the Great Yu Treasure Vault Terminal with 11000 points.

As a terminal holder with A+ level privileges, he can not only select items on the terminal and exchange them, but also have them delivered by Dayu's staff. He can even go to Dayu's Treasure Vault in person to select the treasures he needs. Of course, Dayu's Treasure Vault is no ordinary place. The strict monitoring is the least of its worries. At the same time, it also has the function of personalized experiences for each person. Everyone who enters will see something completely different.

Similarly, Shi Ming also gave half of the Purification Essence and the Bodhi Fruit to Yu the Great.

The agreed-upon reward for Shi Ming did not include the Bodhi Fruit, only half of the Purification Marrow. However, since the Bodhi Fruit was an extra gain, he should keep it as well, and it was only right that he keep half.

Thus, this S-level commission has been successfully completed.

Today is busy with many things, and my appointment with Dr. Chongwen is tomorrow. As for redeeming treasures with points, I need to take my time and choose carefully; there's no rush...

……

……

……

Jiuzhoutai.

The light in Old Zhou's eyes faded.

The first time he used "blending in with the world" brought him a burden.

"This is no simple matter..."

"Just as rumored, all four skills are extraordinary. It seems that at least four S-class sea beasts have died at his hands, and with the Moonlight Ripple Beast, that makes five."

Thanks to the counter-surveillance capabilities of the Eye of the Mortal World, Old Zhou's "Harmony with the World" skill copied four skills that distorted some of the information.

Xuanwu's "placing him in a deadly situation" has been completely concealed.

The Twilight Whale's skill "Ragnarok" has been altered to its original, unevolved form, while "The Third Law" from the Formless Pure Ice has been changed to Ice Blade.
As for the basic physical data, it was reduced by 40%. Even so, the mental strength reached the upper limit of 200. It was precisely because of this huge difference in mental strength that Zhou Lao's body was burdened for the first time.

This mental strength is truly unchangeable.

After resting for a moment, Old Zhou stroked the "Destiny-Fixing Toad" in his hand again.

"Perhaps, he really is a person with great fortune."

"It could bring Yu the Great an opportunity comparable to the Great Stone Tablet."

(End of this chapter)