Cold River Reflecting Moon

The next day, as dawn was barely breaking, morning mist lay over Listening Tide Courtyard like a veil, not yet scattered by the rising sun.

Chen Yuan had already been standing motionless in the courtyard for quite some time.

His qi and blood were steady throughout his body, but his thoughts rose and fell like waves as he savored the astonishing gains from last night's "Ebbing Tide."

Thanks to the mental strength he had accumulated over two lifetimes, he had obtained the heavenly secret concerning life and death, the unfathomable "Mist Manipulation" ability, and the "Scarab Fish Secret Pouch" that contained a universe within.

He forcibly suppressed his surging emotions and focused all his attention on the guidance from his master that was about to begin.

He hid the Secret Pouch close to his body and buried all related information deep in his heart, revealing not the slightest trace.

At the stroke of Chen Shi, a steady figure appeared outside the courtyard gate right on time.

Martial Hall Master Zhao Canghai was still dressed in a simple dark-blue martial robe. He carried no fierce aura, yet naturally possessed the grandmasterly bearing of an abyssal pool and a towering mountain. When his eyes opened and closed, occasional flashes of brilliance passed through them, as though he could see through everything.

"Master."

Chen Yuan immediately gathered all stray thoughts and bowed respectfully.

Zhao Canghai gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over Chen Yuan like something tangible, as if it could pierce through his skin and clearly "see" the circulation of his qi, blood, and strength within, as well as the toughness of his skin.

"Your aura is more settled than it was the day before. Your qi and blood are lively yet restrained, and your skin is tight and resilient, with a faint radiance showing through. The medicinal power of the Crimson Blood Pill has dissolved nicely. Your Skin Grinding - Minor Accomplishment has been thoroughly stabilized, and your foundation is solid."

He walked into the courtyard and cut straight to the point. "The Cold River Spirit Blade Saber Canon complements the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method, like a boat and a river."

"The Mysterious Vortex tempers the foundation of your body. It is the 'vessel' that carries everything, the ceaselessly surging river."

"And Cold River teaches you how to control this 'vessel,' how to use a weapon to gather the river's power into a 'lone sharp boat-blade' capable of cleaving through ten thousand acres of raging waves. It is the method of 'application.'"

"One is internal and the other external; one is the body and the other its use. Only by advancing them together, without conflict, and letting them complement each other can you proceed steadily and go far."

"When you first practiced Cold River Reflecting Moon yesterday, where did you feel the greatest impediment?" Zhao Canghai asked.

Chen Yuan's expression turned solemn, and he answered frankly, "Master, this disciple is dull. When I tried to figure it out myself yesterday, I felt that the method of circulating strength required by the saber art was extremely strange and peculiar. It was completely different from the surging qi and blood and spiraling grinding force of the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method—one might even say it ran directly counter to them."

"It demanded the utmost refinement, compression, and a kind of... precise control, as if it were forcing a galloping, roaring river into submission and refining it into a strand of ice that nothing could withstand."

"My qi and blood instinctively resisted such extreme restraint. Their circulation was unbearably sluggish, and there was even a faint tearing pain in my meridians."

"When I struck with the blade, I could only imitate its clumsy outward form. I was nowhere near grasping even one ten-thousandth of its essence, much less comprehending the artistic conception you mentioned. It felt like I possessed only the shell and could not find the door in."

Upon hearing this, not only was there no disappointment in Zhao Canghai's eyes, but a trace of imperceptible appreciation flashed through them.

"To clearly sense the 'resistance' and 'sluggishness,' and accurately describe their fundamental difference from the Mysterious Vortex's force, shows that you were not merely copying the movements. You were truly using your body and mind to experience and contemplate them. That is already rare."

"The unique circulation method of the Cold River Spirit Blade is inherently contrary to the normal state of surging qi and blood. It pursues the ultimate in condensation and instantaneous eruption, like forcibly compressing ten thousand acres of waves and refining them into a single drop of 'true water' weighing a thousand jun, whose sharpness nothing can match. Its difficulty is naturally immense."

"When first practicing it, discomfort in the qi and blood and stinging meridians are all necessary stages. Yet that is precisely where its key lies—and where its strength lies."

He paused, then continued his deeper explanation. "You must understand that the mighty qi and blood and resilient skin forged by the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method form the sturdy foundation supporting the extremely condensed force of the Cold River saber art you will wield in the future."

"Without a strong body and abundant qi and blood, you would have no ability whatsoever to withstand the terrifying backlash brought by such extreme compression."

"Conversely, practicing Cold River is also tempering your supreme control over your own strength through a thousand and ten thousand repetitions."

"This control will greatly benefit your further Skin Grinding, the tempering of your sinews and membranes, and even your future Sinew Changing and Bone Forging. It will let you command every fraction of your strength as easily as moving your own arm and fingers."

"Having you figure it out on your own yesterday was so that you could personally experience this 'gap' and 'difficulty.' Only by knowing how hard it was would you cherish the true method, and only then could you understand the points to come more deeply."

"Today, I will explain in detail the true force-related apertures and essence of this move, Cold River Reflecting Moon."

With that, Zhao Canghai did not draw a blade. Instead, he slowly raised his right hand and held his fingers together like a blade. In a posture unlike the opening stance of Cold River Reflecting Moon, he casually made a light slash forward.

The movement looked slow and plain, even somewhat absent-minded.

Yet the instant he made that move, Chen Yuan's entire body suddenly stiffened.

An intangible yet bone-chilling, terrifying intent that seemed capable of freezing the soul and solidifying thought instantly enveloped the entire Listening Tide Courtyard like a tangible tide of cold.

It was not a true drop in temperature, but a sensation of icy, silent extinction that pierced straight into the depths of the mind and froze all vitality and vigor.

Chen Yuan felt the scene before him suddenly twist and change. It was no longer a small practice courtyard on an early summer morning, but the bottom of a frigid river trapped in ten thousand years of deathly silence.

Above him flowed cold, dimly lit river water. A lonely, icy crescent moon was reflected on its surface, radiating a grim, chilling glow. Between heaven and earth, there was only silence and cold.

That dreadful chill ignored the defense of his formidable Skin Grinding - Minor Accomplishment body. It pierced directly through his skin and invaded his marrow, even attempting to freeze solid his boiling qi and blood, circulating strength, and lively thoughts all at once.

The qi and blood rushing through his body instantly became sluggish and heavy, as though trapped in ten-thousand-year-old black ice. Even breathing became extremely difficult, and his thoughts seemed ready to freeze and halt.

He had no doubt that if his master's intent had been directed at him, he would not even have been able to raise a thought of resistance before being completely frozen and disintegrated from spirit to flesh.

This... was the might of an artistic conception? It completely surpassed the scope of strength and speed!

"This is the fundamental artistic conception of Cold River Reflecting Moon."

Zhao Canghai spoke indifferently and withdrew his finger.

The suffocating, despairing chill instantly receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace, as if everything that had just happened were merely a breathtaking illusion.

The sunlight grew warm again, and the morning mist remained soft.

Chen Yuan gasped heavily, cold sweat instantly soaking his forehead and back. His heart was shaken beyond measure. In that moment just now, he had truly experienced what it meant to be "insignificant" and to face a "gulf between heaven and earth"!

"Intent comes before force, and spirit commands form. Before the force arrives, the artistic conception arrives first."

"If you cannot first visualize its intent and comprehend its spirit, then even if you circulate the force ten thousand times, you will obtain only its dry bones and never its soul."

Zhao Canghai's voice pulled him back from his shock. "Now, gather your mind and feel it carefully."

Next, Zhao Canghai began an extremely detailed analysis and explanation of Cold River Reflecting Moon.

He started with several subtle meridians involved in the move that had never been opened before, explaining in detail how to use a unique mental method to guide the abundant qi and blood cultivated through the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method, and how to compress, refine, and transform it.

He explained the subtle coordination and exertion points of the arm, wrist, waist and abdomen, and even the muscles, sinews, and bones beneath the feet at the instant of striking, as well as how to condense the strength of the entire body into a single line.

Finally, and most importantly, he explained how to perfectly fuse the artistic conception held in visualization with the qi, blood, and force, giving it the true quality of icy cold that pierced to the bone and froze vitality.

His explanations were profound yet easy to understand, with every word a gem that pointed straight to the essence.

Many of the crucial impediments that had left Chen Yuan racking his brains the day before, and even those he had failed to notice, were pointed out one by one and given solutions. Suddenly, everything became clear to him, like clouds parting to reveal the sun.

After finishing his explanation, Zhao Canghai had Chen Yuan take up the Cold Ripple Blade again and experience it through practice.

Chen Yuan closed his eyes and focused his mind, breathing deeply as he did his utmost to cast aside every stray thought.

First, he visualized with all his might, recreating in his mind the artistic-conception painting his master had just displayed: "all sounds stilled, a lone moon over a cold river."

He worked to immerse his consciousness in that lofty, cold, silent, and keen artistic conception, using his mind to imitate and align with that "coldness" capable of freezing all things.

Only then did he slowly raise the blade, using his intent to guide his qi and blood. Following the unique secret method taught by his master, he tried to guide the tide-like abundance of qi and blood within him along the newly opened, still fragile network of subtle meridians.

Something wondrous happened. Perhaps it was due to the extraordinary comprehension granted by the Tidal Stele and the mental strength he had gained over two lifetimes. Perhaps he was simply born with an exceptionally high affinity for cultivation methods based on artistic conception.

The circulation of force that had been unbearably obscure and riddled with conflict yesterday became clear and controllable today after his master had illuminated every key point, though it remained difficult.

Under the powerful guidance of the Cold Silence artistic conception and the restraint of his highly concentrated will, that mighty, restless qi and blood began trying to flow obediently along the designated route, compressing and condensing.

He struck with the blade. His speed was still not fast, but the trajectory had become far more fluid and rounded.

As the blade edge cut through the air, it actually produced a clear, piercing whistle that was cold and sharp.

Several fresh leaves drifting down in the courtyard were caught by the aftershock of the blade wind. In an instant, they were covered with a visible layer of crystalline frost, then quietly shattered into countless icy grains.

The chill pierced to the bone! It was still far from the terrifying degree of his master's ability to freeze qi, blood, and thoughts and transform heaven and earth directly, but it was no longer an illusory artistic conception. It had gained a tangible, ice-cold effect capable of injuring an enemy.

Zhao Canghai stood to one side with his hands behind his back. A flash of brilliance passed through his eyes, followed by a trace of unconcealed astonishment.

He had already felt that Chen Yuan's comprehension was good, but he had never imagined that the man would possess such astonishing talent in saber arts!

With only one detailed round of instruction, his Cold River Reflecting Moon had already begun to take on its spirit.

Though his circulation of force was still immature and unskilled, he had already accurately found the right path. This far surpassed the months of hard work required by ordinary disciples.

This child... was practically born to practice the saber!

"Good!" Zhao Canghai praised him aloud, a trace of genuine delight in his voice.

"Your artistic conception has crossed the threshold, and your circulation of force has grasped the method. Hold on to this feeling. Unite intent and force, connect spirit and saber, and keep practicing!"

Chen Yuan was immensely exhilarated, but he did not dare feel the slightest pride or slacken. He knew full well that this was only the beginning, and that he was still far from truly mastering it.

He settled his mind and calmed his breath again, casting aside every stray thought as he devoted himself entirely to this wondrous saber-art training.

Again and again, he practiced. Every stroke sought to be more precise, more fluid, and colder than the one before, as he constantly adjusted the minute angles of his force output and deepened his comprehension of the Cold Silence artistic conception.

The Cold Ripple Blade rang repeatedly in his hands, its radiance flowing like a cold moon suspended in the sky. The temperature in the courtyard seemed to fall several degrees beneath the wisps of chill continually spreading from it.

Zhao Canghai said no more. He merely watched in silence, his gaze deep, while faint ripples stirred in his heart.

Such high comprehension and such a steadfast temperament were exceedingly rare in his life. In saber arts especially, Chen Yuan seemed to possess an extraordinary affinity for the path by nature.

Given time, he would surely cultivate the Cold River Spirit Blade Saber Canon to an extremely high realm. He might even... surpass his master.