Chapter 687 - 20: The End
The reason why extreme sports include the word "extreme" is not only because they challenge the physical and psychological limits of humans, but also symbolize humanity’s unyielding spirit and the belief in moving towards farther goals.
Among various extreme sports, diving is one of the most dangerous activities.
The infamous Egypt Dahab Blue Hole has claimed over 200 divers, including the 40m world record-holder in free diving, earning the nickname "The Diver’s Tomb."
The Jacob’s Well in Texas, United States, has resulted in at least 8 fatalities.
During deep diving, divers face nitrogen narcosis at the critical depth of 40m. At this point, nitrogen dissolves into the blood, causing blurred consciousness and severe cases may even result in coma, making it impossible for divers to correctly judge their oxygen reserves, leading to depletion and death.
Other intricate underwater caves, like Jacob’s Well, appear superficially to be only 10m deep, yet its tunnels lead to an underwater cave system 40m deep. Diving to 15m, divers can be sucked in by water pressure into the depths of the cave and subsequently lose direction.
The Mexico Demon Realm Cave is renowned for its ladder-less vertical entrance, dark and labyrinthine passages, and divers call it the "Divine Hall of Destruction."
The darkness of the ocean floor, pressure, chaotic spatial awareness, gradually depleting oxygen, and the ever-increasing pressure feels like the Demon’s whisper, its danger creates a unique allure, attracting divers worldwide.
As a thrill-seeker frequently active in various extreme sports, Chen Zhou certainly wouldn’t miss these "diving sanctuaries."
The "high-end players" in the circle have all heard of his name—
After all, it’s rare for someone to return alive from the "Diver’s Tomb," "Jacob’s Well," "Divine Hall of Destruction," and "Shamei Island Cave," let alone "Chen," one of the very few who successfully escape after diving below 40m.
All professionals and amateur enthusiasts involved in deep diving marvel at "Chen’s" physical fitness, and what leaves them even more puzzled is "Chen’s" sense of direction and memory.
If the underwater 56m "archway" passage of the Dahab Blue Hole is the entrance to frequent nitrogen narcosis, testing divers’ willpower against death—
Then Jacob’s Well and Mexico Demon Realm Cave test one’s sense of direction and memory.
When humans stay in deep water too long, distinguishing up from down, left from right, southeast from northwest becomes impossible.
Deep underwater, the vertical cave walls and stalactite groups can cause any seasoned diver’s memory to become jumbled, while the constantly consuming oxygen imposes heavier psychological pressure.
The light is extremely dim in underwater caves, and it’s pitch black inside the Mexico Demon Realm Cave, where cave openings are everywhere. Even divers who have brushed past death numerous times dare not go too deep.
But Chen Zhou can—
His red blood cells can hold more oxygen, enabling his body to adjust to "low-power mode," meaning he can linger underwater longer than most.
The world record for holding one’s breath is 24 minutes and 03 seconds, but the prerequisite is to inhale a large amount of pure oxygen before holding, with the body still.
Yet Chen Zhou can hold his breath for 20 minutes in a fully active state without inhaling pure oxygen.
In addition, his extraordinary physical ability allows him to carry heavier oxygen tanks, providing room for more errors.
After entering the water, his night vision can function like a headlamp, helping him see the cave’s structure clearly.
As for why he never gets lost, it’s because he can memorize every corner, cave entrance, and fork he passes by.
His mechanical engineering studies have long honed his exceptional spatial thinking ability, returning to the modern age, his physical condition changed, his ability to rapidly construct models has significantly improved.
While swimming past forks, he can map out all cave structures in his mind, with an error of no more than 20cm.
...
The Japanese Ninja’s intentions are very clear, advancing towards the river several times, even during evasions, never forgetting to adjust direction.
Chen Zhou is no fool, he had long seen through this cunning fellow’s intention to dive into the river, but he didn’t deliberately intercept because he’s confident in his aquatic skills.
What happened next was exactly as he expected, the Japanese’s aquatic skills were indeed good, but still had quite a gap compared to a professional free diver, let alone competing with an anomaly like him.
Raging currents couldn’t move his body, and muddy sediment couldn’t obstruct his sight;
In the river water, Chen Zhou could even capture the stinky smell on the Japanese Ninja’s body—
Underwater is his domain.
...
Grabbing Yokomae Sohaku’s neck, Chen Zhou kicked from the riverbed, leaping out of the water like he was lifting a chick, slamming the cunning Japanese Ninja onto the ground.
The whole body face down, was slammed into the mud with brute force, in a spark of lightning Yokomae Sohaku only had time to reach out to support himself.
Accompanied by two crisp sounds, along with Yokomae Sohaku’s horrific screams, his arms, which were barely preserved with Hand Armor Hooks, were completely broken.
Chen Zhou showed no mercy, worried the Japanese Ninja would escape, dislocated the joints in his ankles, then went to aid the perilous Paul.
...
Chen Zhou was very clear-minded when making the battle plan.
Paul is tall and strong, able to easily handle Japanese Ninjas or 45 caliber in close combat.
But his towering height of 2.3m also makes him cumbersome, although compared to ordinary people, Paul’s athletic ability is considered normal, yet the Japanese Ninjas and 45 caliber are not ordinary people.