Start the liver experience with push-ups

The morning air was crisp.

A thin mist still lingered, occasionally stirred by a gentle breeze.

A beam of warm, white sunlight pierced through the softly swaying leaves, scattering onto the fluffy, yielding soil.

In the dappled light, the sculpted lines of muscle, like those of an artistic masterpiece, were revealed, along with a fit physique rising and falling with each breath.

“Haa–”

Fang Cheng straightened his arms, took a leap, and effortlessly stood up.

He glanced at the skill experience points that appeared before him, then twisted his neck and swung his limbs.

He finished his brief morning workout.

Due to time and location constraints, today's training volume was only about a third of his usual routine, barely enough to break a sweat.

However, Fang Cheng didn't intend to maintain this reduced level.

Being in such an unfamiliar and unknown place, maintaining ample physical strength at all times was actually a good habit.

As for exercise, moderation was key; the focus should still be on meditation and learning.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng couldn't help but recall the strange events of the previous night.

The footprints he had found at the door after waking up this morning were equally bizarre.

Judging by the imprints, they resembled the fins worn by divers.

From the scent emanating from the water stains, Fang Cheng could also discern a very peculiar fishy odor.

It was like seawater that had soaked rotten fish and shrimp.

Could it be that someone had suddenly felt like going diving and fishing last night, only to return to the base in the middle of the night?

Fang Cheng shook his head, dismissing this somewhat bizarre thought from his mind.

At least he could now confirm one thing: the sights and sounds he had experienced last night were not hallucinations caused by his excessively high mental attributes.

A mountain breeze rustled through the trees, causing the leaves to sway and transmitting the sound of voices from afar.

It seemed someone was approaching from that direction.

Fang Cheng's gaze swept past the concealing treetops, towards the white building faintly visible on the hillside.

He then left the secluded grove, pretending to have just finished his morning run, and jogged back onto the paved road.

After returning to the dormitory, Fang Cheng quickly took a shower and then went to the dining hall for breakfast.

Afterward, he stood in the lobby downstairs, waiting for the day's tour activities to begin.

After 8 o'clock, many of the group members arrived late.

It seemed that everyone had slept very soundly last night, so much so that they all stayed in bed late this morning.

Some members even excitedly claimed that their chronic insomnia had been cured here.

It wasn't until nearly 8:30 that all the group members had gathered, and then they boarded a bus to Yong'an Town at the foot of the mountain.

Looking through the bus window towards the road ahead, the sky was clear and blue, seemingly connected to the sea.

This was quite different from the slightly mysterious and gloomy scene when they arrived here yesterday evening.

Under the sunlight, the fishing town exuded an atmosphere of warmth and vitality.

The roadsides were lined with green trees and blooming flowers, blending naturally with the surrounding old houses and radiating a pastoral, leisurely charm.

It had not only a hospital, post office, cinema, primary and secondary schools, and department stores, but also a maritime police sub-district set up by the gendarmerie to crack down on smuggling and illegal immigration, as well as a security police post with a dozen or so officers.

The only inconvenience was that no communication base stations had been built, and mobile phones could not receive a signal at all.

The only way to contact the outside world was through landline telephones and letters.

During the sightseeing tour, Fang Cheng also noticed that there were actually quite a few out-of-town tourists coming here.

In front of some scenic spots, he could always see backpackers and other tour groups.

According to the tour guide, Yong'an Island's annual "Sea Festival" was about to be held, and there would be grand parades to thank the gods and folk celebrations.

Therefore, this period was the local peak tourist season, and many B\u0026Bs and hotels were fully booked.

Fortunately, the tour group had its own training camp base, so there was no need to worry about accommodation.

Pan Wendi even ran into an acquaintance from Dongdu, apparently a customer from the gym, and they greeted each other and chatted for a few words.

In fact, apart from the original natural scenery and experiencing the local people's way of life, there were not many cultural attractions worth visiting on the island.

The only ones that were somewhat presentable were a temple with folk beliefs and an island history museum.

The temple was the main venue for local sacrificial activities, and the deity enshrined was called "Sea Queen Niangniang."

It is said that more than two hundred years ago, Yong'an Island suffered an epidemic, and many people were infected with strange diseases, resulting in widespread death.

Someone among the villagers happened to dream of the Sea Queen Niangniang's decree, so he gathered craftsmen to sculpt a statue of the deity, set up an altar to pray and repent, and deliver the souls of the dead at sea and on land. He also paraded the statue through the streets to pacify the spirits. Afterward, the epidemic indeed stopped.

Since then, the island's residents have raised funds to build this temple dedicated to "Sea Queen Niangniang," and hold a grand Sea Festival every year to thank the divine grace, perform ghost sacrifices, and hope to protect the peace of the island.

Now it was already January 16th, which was the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, only six days away from the date of the festival.

Therefore, there were many villagers and tourists who came here to burn incense and pray for peace, making it extremely lively.

Light smoke curled inside the temple, with large tower incense sticks hanging and burning continuously. In the center of the main hall was enshrined a three-meter-high main deity.

Looking at her face, she was a kind and benevolent woman, with wide, flowing skirts sculpted into the shape of waves, as if her true form was hidden within the waves.

Many people in the tour group bought incense sticks and followed suit to worship.

Then, after leaving the Sea Queen Niangniang Temple, they came to the Yong'an Island History Museum.

There were far fewer people here, basically just Fang Cheng and the other tour members acting as spectators.

The tour guide pointed to the many cultural relics and historical sites preserved in the display cases, introducing the relevant history and geographical features of Yong'an Island.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, this sea area experienced very active volcanic activity. Gradually, lava accumulated deep within the seabed crust. Through long years of continuous cooling and solidification, it eventually emerged from the sea, forming the Yong'an Island we see today.

Because it was isolated overseas and transportation to the mainland was inconvenient, it had always been sparsely populated.

Historical records even mentioned a volcanic eruption that destroyed the only fishing village settlement.

Therefore, for a long time, it was uninhabited or became a hideout for pirates and bandits.

It was not until the last two hundred years or so, with the development of science and technology, that it was truly developed and gradually gathered popularity.

In addition, due to the influence of volcanoes and warm ocean currents, the island's climate was more pleasant and its resources were richer than those at the same latitude. It was able to rely on fishing and tourism to form the nearly 20,000-strong, initial-scale town we see today.

After seeing the entire memorial hall, it was almost noon.

The tour group booked a local-style open-air food stall near the fishing port, and finally had a good taste of a seafood feast.

Afterward, the group did not continue to go to the beach to admire the pristine sands that were rare to see in Dongdu, or go to the legendary "volcanic hot springs" to bathe.

Because there was an even more important activity scheduled for the afternoon, which was the meditation practice class that the members had been looking forward to for a long time.

After this sightseeing activity, the mood of the group seemed to have improved a lot, and there was more laughter after returning to the training camp by car.

Fang Cheng and Pan Wendi returned to the dormitory together, made some preparations, and then went to the Meditation Hall located in the east side building.

Everyone bathed their bodies according to the Truth Society's requirements, changed into the unified white meditation clothes, and gathered here.

The group stood together according to their closeness to each other, talking and whispering.

Perhaps because it was the first meditation class, they were inevitably somewhat excited.

Fang Cheng also silently observed the environment of the hall and prepared himself amidst Pan Wendi's chatter.