Tide-Tempered Body, New Flying Swallow

At the end of the Tiger Hour, the sky was still a murky ink-blue, and Iron Clothes Village lay shrouded in the deepest silence before dawn. Only the distant tide continued to moan.

The door to the west wing of the Chen Family courtyard opened softly, and Chen Yuan's figure silently merged into the frigid morning mist.

He wore only a thin short shirt and went barefoot, step by step toward the icy beach.

The tidal flats after the ebbing tide were cold and slick, strewn with gravel. Chen Yuan stood upon them, facing the biting sea wind that cut at his face, and slowly assumed the opening stance of the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method.

Every breath was long and deep, sending out white vapor. His mind was utterly focused as he guided the qi and blood within his body along an enigmatic spiraling path.

Force flowed beneath his skin like countless tiny grindstones repeatedly polishing it, numb, itchy, and painful enough to bore straight into his heart.

Veins stood faintly on Chen Yuan's temples, yet his gaze remained calm as he guarded the clarity of his Spirit Terrace with all his might.

The profound mystery he had comprehended from the Tidal Stele—"vortex undercurrents, gathered into a single point"—had made his control over force increasingly precise. He blended the vast and primordial Tide Intent into his cultivation, attempting to make his own force resonate with the rhythm of heaven and earth.

Gradually, his breathing seemed to achieve a wondrous synchronization with the distant roar of the tide. With every inhalation, it was as though he drew cold sea mist and thin spiritual energy from heaven and earth into his body; with every exhalation, he expelled the turbid heat produced by cultivation.

The qi and blood beneath his skin surged like water gradually reaching a boil.

Under the dim dawn light, his bronze skin faintly gleamed with the restrained luster of polished metal, yet possessed a toughness greater than metal.

Only when the eastern horizon turned pale like a fish belly and scattered rooster crows and dog barks began to sound in the village did Chen Yuan slowly finish his practice.

Steam rose from his entire body, condensing into white mist in the cold air before being swiftly scattered by the sea wind.

He let out a long breath of turbid air. A sharp gleam was hidden in his eyes as he felt the solid reassurance of his skin membrane tightening another fraction.

Realm: Skin Grinding Realm · Initial Completion (15/100)

He walked home through the steadily brightening morning light. As he passed the village dock, he could see the brand-new Wave Rider Shuttle—now moored beside the village's small pier.

The streamlined hull gave off a dark sheen beneath the strengthening daylight. The pale-blue Runes below the waterline were faintly visible even from a distance, drawing repeated glances from several villagers who had risen early, their eyes full of envy.

Before he even entered the courtyard, he heard lively voices inside and caught the enticing scent of rice porridge drifting from the kitchen.

The moment he entered, Chen Dahai was circling the stone mill in the middle of the courtyard, his face caught between delight and reluctance. Seeing Chen Yuan, he immediately said, "Brother Yuan, you're back from training? Come quickly, we're discussing something important! Naming the new boat is no small matter—it concerns both our shipping luck and our face. How about Sea Dragon? Or Wave Breaker? Those sound mighty impressive."

Lin Sanniang came out of the kitchen with an apron tied around her waist and a spatula still in hand. Hearing this, she laughed. "Don't listen to your father. He tossed and turned all night, muttering boat names. Things like Sea Pacifier and Sky Pillar even came out. I think he's so happy that he's muddled."

Like a happy little butterfly, Xiao Li skipped out from the house, threw her arms around Chen Yuan's leg, and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Brother, Brother, call it Big Fish! Then it can catch lots and lots of big fish—so many we can't finish eating them!"

Grandmother Zhang Shi sat on the threshold, smiling with narrowed eyes. Second Uncle Chen Dajiang and Second Aunt were also watching the commotion cheerfully from the side. Second Uncle cut in, "If you ask me, Prosperous Fortune is the most practical name!"

Chen Yuan looked at the smiling faces of his family, warmth surging through his heart.

He went to the water jar, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and rinsed his face and arms. The icy water stimulated the skin he had just tempered, bringing a burst of clarity.

His gaze swept over everyone before finally settling on his grandfather, Chen Tie Mao, who sat silently smiling on a little stool beneath the eaves, puffing on his dry tobacco.

"Grandfather," Chen Yuan said steadily, "what do you think?"

Chen Tie Mao slowly took a drag of tobacco and exhaled a grayish-white cloud of smoke.

The smoke curled apart in the morning light. His gaze passed over everyone and settled in the direction of the dock, as though it could pierce through the courtyard wall and see that new boat.

And as though he had returned to long ago, seeing the old Sea Swallow that had accompanied the Chen Family for most of its life and now belonged to someone else.

The courtyard fell quiet as everyone waited for the old man to speak.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice. "Sea Swallow... was a fine boat. It followed me for most of my life, then followed Dahai for all these years."

"Through wind and waves, it endured who knew how much hardship and suffering. It never threw down its burden, never met with any great mishap. It was a great contributor to our Chen Family."

He paused and tapped the bowl of his pipe. "Now it's old, and we've got a new boat."

"If it had remained idle at our village dock, watching the new boat sail out to sea while it rotted away day by day... it wouldn't have sat well with me."

"Now it's good. It has a new owner. I've seen that father and son—they're honest folk. They won't mistreat the boat. The name Sea Swallow can stay with it, and it can still fly over the sea..."

There was a trace of barely perceptible wistfulness and relief in the old man's words, as though he had finally set down a heavy burden.

He looked back at Chen Yuan, his eyes turning bright and full of expectation. "This new boat is faster and steadier. It's made from good timber, and it has those Runes to help it. It can fly higher and farther. It's a new beginning, so it should have a new name..."

"I think we should call it Flying Swallow." Chen Tie Mao made the final decision with a single hammer blow. "Yuan boy, what do you think?"

"Flying Swallow..." Chen Yuan murmured it twice, finding it smoother on the tongue each time.

He nodded firmly, his eyes bright. "Good! Grandfather is right! We'll call it Flying Swallow. May it skim the waves like a spirit swallow, swift and steady, and bring our family good fortune and bountiful harvests!"

"Flying Swallow—good, that's a good one! It's loud and auspicious!" Chen Dahai slapped his thigh and burst into laughter. "Father really has vision. It's far better than any of the names I came up with."

"Flying Swallow sounds so nice! Xiao Li likes it!" The little girl clapped and cheered as well. Though she might not have fully understood its meaning, she could feel her family's joy.

"Fine, it's settled then." Lin Sanniang's face bloomed with a smile as she turned toward the kitchen. "We're having noodles today—long and smooth—to wish our Flying Swallow fair winds and full holds of fish and shrimp."

The family meeting ended amid the aroma of a steaming breakfast. With the boat's name decided, every face shone with hope and drive for the future, as though the name Flying Swallow itself carried a soaring vigor.

Breakfast was thick multigrain porridge, served with salted fish and crisp, tender pickled vegetables that Lin Sanniang had just made.

Chen Yuan ate quickly. Cultivation had consumed a great deal of his strength, and he needed to replenish it as soon as possible. After breakfast, the family members each went about their tasks.

Chen Dahai impatiently headed to the dock, saying he wanted to inspect Flying Swallow's sails, ropes, and cabin once more, even though he had already checked them several times yesterday.

Chen Tie Mao took out his old toolbox and began sharpening and maintaining his tools, humming an off-key old fisherman's song.

Second Uncle took his cousin to town at Chen Tie Mao's request to choose an auspicious day to put out to sea. The women cleared the dishes and swept the courtyard, while Xiao Li followed beside her mother, chattering away.

Chen Yuan did not immediately begin another round of cultivation. He moved a small stool beneath the eaves in the courtyard, closed his eyes, and concentrated, carefully reliving the subtle sensation he had caught during his morning training—the faint resonance with the tides of heaven and earth—as he consolidated his gains.