The Sound of the Tide Approaches

3:45 AM, Iron Clothes Village.

The deep blue sky hung low, as if soaked in the ink of the deep sea.

The boundary between sea and sky blurred in the deepest silence before dawn, leaving only the faint phosphorescence and the deep blue of the churning waves tearing through the darkness in the distance.

The tide receded slowly like a satiated beast, exposing a vast expanse of tidal flats outside Iron Clothes Village.

Chen Yuan stood barefoot on the cold, slippery flats.

Though winter had just begun, the seaside was already quite chilly. With every step, the rough sand and sharp shell fragments dug into his soles, and the biting cold shot up from his feet, making him shiver slightly.

The air was filled with a heavy, salty, and fishy smell, mixed with the slightly astringent scent of decaying seaweed and the crispness of the sea breeze.

He took off his cleanly washed coarse hemp tunic, revealing his bare upper body.

The boy's muscle lines were already taking shape, his skin taut and healthy-looking in the faint morning light.

But there was still an invisible barrier separating him from the "tough skin" realm, where his body would be impervious to blades and the elements.

The morning chill swept over him, and his skin quickly erupted in a fine layer of goosebumps. This was a sign that his Qi and Blood had not yet fully locked in his body heat and reached his skin.

He slowly began the opening stance of the Black Water Body Tempering Art, his movements heavy and deliberate, trying to sense the stagnant Qi and Blood within him.

With every breath, cold white mist escaped his lips. The Qi and Blood in his chest were like a stagnant pool, only able to maintain basic warmth, unable to break through the solid bottleneck.

It had been a month since he awakened his past life memories.

A month ago, he was still the "genius" struggling fruitlessly at the Martial Arts School.

Until that failed breakthrough attempt, a high fever had left him unconscious. When he woke up, his mind was suddenly filled with fragmented, bizarre memories.

That was the "Chen Yuan" of another world. His parents had died young, and his grandfather, who raised him, also passed away soon after. Although he had achieved some success through his own efforts later on, there was always an emptiness in his heart.

Now, the awakened Chen Yuan not only retained all the memories and emotions from both lives but also possessed a complete family. Though ordinary, it was filled with warmth.

This made him cherish his current family even more and recognize his predicament more clearly.

The Chen Yuan before his awakening was indeed a rare "martial arts prodigy" in Iron Clothes Village.

He was strong and robust, with a solid foundation in his muscles, bones, skin, and membranes. He was considered above average at the Blackwater Martial Arts School in the county town.

At fifteen, his family pooled all their resources, even borrowing a considerable sum from his uncle, to pay for his tuition to learn the Black Water Body Tempering Art, hoping he would achieve something and bring honor to the family.

He had indeed lived up to their expectations. In over half a year, thanks to his good physical foundation and ample meat supply, he had cultivated his Qi and Blood to the Great Accomplishment stage, something that might take ordinary disciples two to three years.

He was considered one of the best among his peers. When the news reached the village, the Chen family became the envy of the fishing village, and his parents walked with a spring in their step.

But that thin barrier after Great Accomplishment seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

To reach the peak of the Qi and Blood Realm, one needed to perfect the basic cultivation technique, generate Force from Qi and Blood, and control it at will before one could begin Skin Grinding.

This step had stumped countless martial artists.

His comprehension was decent for an ordinary person, but when it came to the profound mysteries of generating "Force" in martial arts, he was found wanting.

He practiced the Force-generating method in the Black Water Body Tempering Art, "Gathering Qi and Blood like the incoming tide, unleashing it with a surge of will," over and over again. His Qi and Blood surged, but it was like a pile of loose sand, unable to condense into that trace of spiritual "Force."

The instructors at the Martial Arts School had offered guidance several times, saying, "Force is not strength; it is the condensation of Qi and the eruption of intent." But he couldn't grasp it, remaining lost.

A whole year without any progress!

Anxiety, unwillingness, and shame for his family's earnest expectations tormented him day and night.

The subtle mocking glances from his fellow disciples and the gradual catching up of his peers were even harder for him to accept.

To seek a breakthrough or to fit in, he constantly demanded money from his family to curry favor with senior disciples who might have connections and to buy expensive medicinal bath packets rumored to aid comprehension.

The already struggling fishing family was plunged into further hardship.

His parents toiled day and night, and his younger sister, Xiao Li, secretly gave him the meager coins she earned collecting shells and crabs by the sea.

At home, he maintained the facade of a "genius" to encourage his family to support him longer. But he knew that if he couldn't break through soon, his family wouldn't be able to sustain his expenses at the Martial Arts School year after year.

Until a month ago, perhaps due to excessive training and impatience, or perhaps due to exhaustion, he forcefully attempted to break through a bottleneck. His Qi and Blood became chaotic, and he fell into a high fever, losing consciousness.

When he awoke, he was two lives merged into one.

For the past month, he had been adapting to the changes brought about by the merging of memories, observing silently, and refraining from rash actions in his cultivation.

He persisted in tempering his Qi and Blood daily. Although there was no progress, he became more proficient in controlling it.

More importantly, at the moment of awakening, a simple, ancient stone tablet appeared deep within his Sea of Consciousness: the Tidal Stele.

The stele seemed neither stone nor jade, with naturally formed profound patterns that resembled the ebb and flow of tides, cycling endlessly.

Several lines of information were displayed on the stele:

Realm: Qi and Blood Realm, Great Accomplishment (79/100)

Cultivation Technique: Black Water Body Tempering Art (Proficient)

Tide Luck Points: 63/100

Through the information conveyed by the stele, Chen Yuan understood its miraculous use: by persisting in daily cultivation and breathing exercises, he could accumulate Tide Luck. If he or his family did something beneficial to improve their status and reputation, he could gain more Tide Luck Points.

Once he reached a hundred points, he could use them. Each use would correspond to a rising tide and an ebbing tide, alternating in cycles.

During the rising tide, a large amount of life essence would surge forth to aid breakthroughs. During the ebbing tide, he could pick up treasures or even information about future heavenly secrets. However, like a fisherman gathering goods from the sea, there was no certainty of what he would obtain.

This gave him a glimmer of hope.

For the past month, besides accumulating a small amount of Tidal Fortune through his daily cultivation, he had also diligently observed his surroundings, seeking opportunities to rapidly increase his Tidal Fortune.

The turning point came yesterday.

His father, Chen Dahai, returned with his fishing boat, having had a bountiful harvest. When the catch was sorted according to custom, their family received two plump Silver Knife Fish.

His mother, Lin Sanniang, happily prepared to nourish her son.

However, Chen Yuan noticed that the fishing boat belonging to his seventh granduncle's family had been damaged by a reef some time ago and was currently undergoing repairs. They had always been poor, and in recent days, they had been on the verge of starvation, with the old and young in the family gaunt and emaciated.

A thought struck him, and he proactively persuaded his mother to give one of the Silver Knife Fish to his seventh granduncle's family.

This act moved his seventh granduncle's entire family to tears of gratitude. They repeatedly praised, "Brother Yuan is righteous; he will surely achieve great things in the future."

At that very moment, the Tidal Stele in his Sea of Consciousness stirred slightly. The slowly increasing Tide Luck Points on it suddenly jumped from 95/100 to 100/100!

"Just as I thought!" Chen Yuan mused inwardly.

These hundred Tide Luck Points were enough to trigger one "Rising Tide"!

Now, standing on the tidal flats after the ebb, Chen Yuan's mind sank into his body, visualizing the Tidal Stele.

Realm: Qi and Blood Realm Great Accomplishment (79/100)
Cultivation Technique: Black Water Body Tempering Art (Proficient)
Tide Luck Points: 100/100 (Can trigger "Rising Tide")

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"It's time." Chen Yuan's gaze sharpened. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he touched the "Rising Tide" option with his will.

"Buzz."

There was no earth-shattering phenomenon, but the air within three feet of him seemed to tremble slightly.

A pure, gentle, and profound life essence surged forth from the void. It wasn't a forceful infusion but flowed into his limbs and bones like a spring tide, nourishing his meridians and Qi and Blood.

The quality of this essence was extremely high, far surpassing the ordinary blood and Qi from the meat provided by the Martial Arts School. His body absorbed it rapidly, and his stagnant Qi and Blood began to stir, accelerating their circulation spontaneously.

Even more wondrous was that accompanying this essence was a profound and mystical "artistic conception"!

He felt as if he were no longer a youth standing on the cold tidal flats, but his soul had departed his body and merged with the boundless ocean.

He "saw" the moon rise and set, the gravitational pull, and how the vast, boundless seawater gathered strength from gentle ripples, how it surged from hidden currents to rising waves, and finally transformed into overwhelming, unstoppable tsunamis!

This was not a accumulation of brute force but a "momentum" imbued with the rhythm of heaven and earth, a perfect rendition of "undulation," "condensation," and "propulsion." This artistic conception faintly echoed the incantations within the Black Water Body Tempering Art!

Under the shroud of this "artistic conception," his perception of his own Qi and Blood was amplified to the extreme.

In the past, his Qi and Blood felt like a vague, restless energy. He could drive it, but precise control was difficult, let alone refining the nimble "Force" from it.

Now, illuminated by this artistic conception, the obscure passages in the Black Water Body Tempering Art incantations suddenly became incredibly clear!

So, "Gathering the Tide" was not about physically gathering but using one's will to mimic the receding tide, collecting scattered Qi and Blood and storing it in the Dantian's sea of Qi.

"Surging Waves" was not a brute force impact but a manifestation of will, like the natural ebb and flow of the tide, unleashing the accumulated power in an instant. The focal point of that explosive condensation was where the "Force" resided!

Inspired, he subconsciously began to imitate the rhythm of the tide within the artistic conception, attempting to drive the surging Qi and Blood caused by the external essence.

With a slight movement of his will, he visualized the tide receding, guiding his Qi and Blood to converge, no longer dispersed in his limbs but slowly gathering towards his Dantian.

Initially, his Qi and Blood were disobedient, still churning out of habit. But under the dual assistance of the external pure essence and the mystical artistic conception, they gradually began to obey Chen Yuan's will, like being constrained by an invisible dam, slowly drawing in.

One failed attempt at gathering, two clumsy moments of storing power... He was completely immersed, forgetting the cold, forgetting time.

His body rose and fell slightly, his breathing rhythm becoming long and resonant.

The essence transferred by the Tidal Stele was slowly consumed, steadily increasing the total volume of his Qi and Blood. (83/100)... (85/100)... (88/100)...

His body vibrated slightly, his Qi and Blood becoming more abundant and active. But for Chen Yuan, the increase in numbers was secondary. His entire focus was immersed in capturing and condensing that trace of "Force."

Finally, at a certain moment, when nearly half of the external life essence had been consumed, he felt the Qi and Blood in his arm's meridians no longer scattered but, after intense condensation, possessed a distinctly different texture – more concentrated, more agile, and containing a penetrating power!

This trace of power was subtle yet undeniably real, like an undercurrent in the tide, hiding immense energy.

Now!

With another thought, he visualized the great tide surging, crashing against the rocks.

The Qi and Blood gathered in his arm instantly obeyed, like an army receiving orders, erupting from the Dantian's sea of Qi and surging along the meridians to his fist.

This time, it was no longer a mere filling of scattered Qi and Blood. That new, unique "Force" was successfully guided and converged at the tip of his fist.

On the surface of his fist, a faint black light flashed and disappeared. The air around the fist seemed to distort slightly, emitting an extremely subtle hum.

This was not the simple redness brought by abundant Qi and Blood, but a highly condensed, restrained power that hinted at sharpness.

Force, nascent Qi and Blood Force!

He had succeeded!

Chen Yuan slowly retracted his fist, exhaling a long breath. His breath condensed into a foot-long white ribbon in the crisp morning air, lingering for a long time.

This is a manifestation of abundant Qi and Blood, and the control of subtle energies.

A strong sense of fatigue washed over him like a tide, a result of the dual exhaustion of his mind and Qi and Blood.

But his eyes sparkled with unprecedented clarity and joy.

The new trace of Force within his body, though weak, had taken root like a seed, circulating slowly on its own, nourishing the skin and membranes around his fist, bringing a tingling sensation – a sign that Skin Grinding was about to begin.

This "Rising Tide", exchanged for a hundred Tide Luck Points, brought not only the accumulation of Qi and Blood, but more importantly, the crucial "artistic conception," allowing him to comprehend the secret of "Qi and Blood Generating Strength" in one go, truly stepping through the gateway to the Skin Grinding Realm.

What had been impossible for over a year of hard work, he achieved in a single day with the power of the Tidal Stele.

The information on the Tidal Stele had also been updated:

Realm: Peak Qi and Blood Realm (97/100)

Cultivation Art: Black Water Body Tempering Art (Perfected) Qi and Blood Generating Strength, Force can be condensed to a single point!

Tide Luck Points: 5/100 (Cultivation Breakthrough +5)

He was filled with great anticipation for the treasures he could pick up next time he filled his Tide Luck Points and triggered the "Ebbing Tide."

Just then, a rustling sound came from a crevice in the nearby reef.

Several palm-sized, transparent little creatures resembling monkeys but with sparkling shrimp tails poked their heads out.

They had nearly transparent bodies, through which the pale blue bodily fluid flowing inside could be vaguely seen. Their eyes, like two grains of mung beans, darted around, full of curiosity and caution. These were the "Sea Monkeys," common low-level spirits in the nearshore waters.

They were sensitive to blood energy and had clearly been attracted by the aura Chen Yuan was emitting.

He glanced at the small spirits hopping among the rocks and ignored them.

These harmless little creatures were also a part of life by the sea.

"Brother Yuan..."

A familiar shout, tinged with urgency and excitement, approached from a distance.

It was his cousin, Chen He, running over with a fish oil lamp, his feet sinking slightly with each step, his face flushed red. "Brother! Why are you out practicing so early again!"

"Hurry back, Grandpa and the others' boat is back! The waterline is very low, they must have caught a big haul!"

Chen Yuan suppressed the turmoil in his heart, a smile befitting his age appearing on his face as he calmly replied, "Got it, I'm heading back."

He felt the nascent yet ceaseless Qi and Blood Force within his body, his heart filled with a sense of solid ground.

This strength would be his starting point for establishing himself in this world.

"And there's more!" Chen He came a few steps closer, lowering his voice excitedly, as if afraid the sea breeze would overhear.

"I heard... I heard they caught a 'Golden Thread Sea Bream'! The kind with golden threads next to its gills, it was still wriggling! Old Zhang, the captain, said its gall is a great tonic for martial artists!"

Golden Thread Sea Bream?

Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

The martial arts instructors had mentioned it during lessons as well. This fish was rare, living among deep-water reefs. Its gall contained a special vital essence, an excellent tonic for stabilizing nascent Force and tempering the physique, highly beneficial for newly breakthrough martial artists, and quite valuable.

Often, it was only occasionally sold in the large pharmacies in the city.

This Golden Thread Sea Bream had come at the perfect time!

He took a deep breath of the crisp, hopeful air and patted Chen He's shoulder. "Let's go, home!"

The two brothers, one after the other, walked towards the fishing village, stepping into the gradually brightening dawn.