Chapter 820 - 367: Underwater World (Part 3)

Chapter 820: Chapter 367: Underwater World (Part 3)

"I almost thought I brought a diving expert disguised as a novice down with me; his neutral buoyancy... is better than some of my old friends."

She turned to Lin Yu’an, raised an eyebrow: "Seriously, Lin, have you secretly trained somewhere behind my back? Or is this yet another one of your miraculous talents?"

Lin Yu’an shrugged and smiled: "Perhaps... I was a fish in a past life?"

"Oh, come on." Riven laughed at his answer.

She took two bottles of chilled energy drink from the cooler and tossed one to Lin Yu’an. "Alright, no more jokes."

Her expression became a bit more serious, as if summarizing a lesson post-class, "All in all, your performance this morning was perfect. Full marks. You’ve mastered all the techniques."

"So, congratulations, Captain," she raised the bottle in her hand towards him, "you’ve successfully unlocked this afternoon’s shipwreck exploration mission."

"Thank you very much, Coach Riven." Lin Yu’an raised his bottle and clinked it lightly with hers.

"However," Riven changed the subject, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "before we explore history, want to play a little game first to warm up?"

She didn’t directly say what the content was but turned and walked into the cabin, quickly bringing out a completely different set of gear.

Two sets of low-volume masks with incredibly small mirrors and futuristic designs, and two pairs of sleek and elegant carbon fiber fins shimmering like obsidian.

"Freediving?" Lin Yu’an’s eyes also gleamed.

"Yeah!" Riven smiled triumphantly, handing one set of gear to him.

"This water is only 5 meters deep, and for freediving, it’s like strolling in a backyard pool. Lugging tanks around like a clumsy robot is such a waste of this paradise."

"Dare to try exploring like a dolphin, relying on just one breath?"

"Why not?" Lin Yu’an took the gear eagerly.

"Great!" Riven switched back to instructor mode, but this time her teaching style noticeably became more artistic and intuitive.

"Freediving, the most important thing is not the technique, but the state—relaxation." She sat cross-legged on the swimming platform and began guiding Lin Yu’an in breathing preparation.

"Close your eyes," her voice became gentle and rhythmic, "breathe deeply and slowly with your abdomen, not your chest."

"Inhale for four seconds, feel the air filling your body... then take eight seconds to slowly exhale, releasing all the impure air..."

"Imagine yourself as a piece of seaweed, gently swaying with the flow..."

Following her guidance, Lin Yu’an quickly entered a semi-meditative state.

He could feel his heart rate significantly decrease, and every muscle in his body completely relax.

"One last time, make every effort to fill every corner of your lungs, from abdomen to chest to collarbone..."

"Then, bite the breathing tube, lean forward, submerge your face in the water, relax... until you feel the first diaphragm twitch, that’s your body reminding you, ’Hey buddy, I need oxygen.’ Feel it, but don’t immediately resist it."

After a few minutes of breathing preparation and breath-holding practice, Lin Yu’an could easily hold his breath at the surface for over two minutes.

"Your cardiovascular system is even stronger than I imagined," Riven praised, "Alright, now for the last technique—the duck dive."

She put on the mask and fins, floating on the surface like an otter. "Watch closely, the key is... don’t use brute force."

With her body bending into a 90-degree angle at the surface, her upper body plunged vertically into the water.

Her two long legs elegantly straightened and rose towards the sky, using the gravity of her legs to silently and effortlessly push her entire body straight into the depths without a splash.

"Your turn." A few seconds later, she surfaced not far away, speaking to Lin Yu’an.

Lin Yu’an took a deep breath and began to mimic her actions. He precisely captured the timing. Bend, lift legs, push down! He too, like an arrow shot from a bow, plunged vertically into the blue-green world!

"Perfect!" Riven gave him a thumbs up from the water surface.

She took another deep breath and followed him down.

This time, the underwater world was completely different. Without the sound of air bubbles from tanks, the entire world was silent, with only the faint sound of water flowing past their ears.

They were no longer like clumsy astronauts but transformed into two true marine creatures, lightweight, nimble, becoming part of their surroundings.

Riven was like a mermaid, demonstrating beside him; her long carbon fiber fins with each stroke were filled with powerful propulsion and unparalleled beauty.

Thanks to his strong bodily coordination, Lin Yu’an quickly mastered the efficient and energy-saving kicking method that involved driving the ankles with the thighs.

The two began a real game of chase under the 5-meter world.

Together, they weaved through small coral heads, chased around huge sea fans, and even stood upside down on the sandy seabed, watching the shimmering light network above.

When they surfaced again, Lin Yu’an’s face was filled with awe.

"This feels entirely different from scuba diving," he marveled, "If scuba diving is touring the ocean, then freediving is more like becoming part of the ocean!"

"Welcome to the real blue world, Captain." Riven smiled triumphantly.

She swam back to the boat, took two yellow underwater metal detectors from Mike who had been waiting there.

"Alright," she handed one to Lin Yu’an, "Teaching’s over—treasure hunt game starts now! The rules are simple: whoever finds something first, wins."

"The winner gets to choose who leads the afternoon shipwreck exploration!"

This was obviously a playful bet with no real stakes, more a delight for adventurers.

Like children, the two took their detectors and began their underwater hunt.

Time and again they performed duck dives from the surface, gliding over the white sandy bottom with a near-hovering posture.

Then they returned to the surface to adjust their breathing, and continued with the next exploration. The process was faster-paced than scuba diving, more demanding on physical fitness, and more visually appealing.

——

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