He precisely applied the brakes with his right foot, while his left hand counter-steered the car in the direction it was sliding.
The differential lock engages with a click.
The mud chutes of the off-road tires cut through the ice, making a crisp popping sound.
The car swung its nose and steadily returned to its straight trajectory.
The terrain ahead suddenly opened up.
The U-shaped valley has come to an end.
The Pilan Creek slows down here, flowing into a large area of shallow water.
The scent of pine resin completely dissipated, replaced by a sea breeze carrying a salty, fishy smell.
The line of sight penetrates the windshield.
The greyish-black surface of the North Pacific Ocean stretches across the horizon.
The raging waves crashed against the rugged coastline, sending up white, jagged waves several meters high.
There are no beaches here.
There were only endless black reefs and sharp, jagged rocks.
Su Wei slammed on the brakes.
The car shook slightly before coming to a smooth stop.
Shift into Park and press the ignition off button; the engine will stop.
He pulled out the car keys and grabbed the backpack from the passenger seat.
He pushed open the door and got out of the car.
A high-speed sea breeze, carrying ice shards and at minus twenty degrees Celsius, lashed at my face.
Heat is quickly carried away from the body surface.
Su Wei immediately pulled up his hood and put it over his head.
He pressed each of the windproof snaps on his chin firmly in place.
He closed the car door.
The snow boots stepped onto the gravel beach, crushing several sharp, black schist rocks.
Looking into the distance, the coastline stretches abruptly to the left.
A dark red, extinct volcano, riddled with erosion, lies silently amidst the wind and snow.
A large section of the mountain collapsed on the side closest to the deep water area.
This formed a gently sloping black pebble beach.
These are the blind spots marked on satellite maps.
Su Wei strode forward against the fierce wind.
The soles of the boots rubbed against the gravel, making a screeching sound.
He stopped in front of a huge black rock that reached his waist.
[ Substrate Analysis LV1 ] Active skill unlocked.
A pale blue, fan-shaped beam of light, visible only to Su Wei, shot out from his eyes.
The light wave was in a semi-fan shape, covering a range of thirty meters in front of it.
The once desolate, rocky beach was instantly transformed into streams of pulsating data under the system's view.
My gaze was fixed on the massive black rock beneath my feet.
[Target for testing: Natural basaltic volcanic rock]
[Physical condition: Deeply weathered by natural weathering, with a solidified and stable internal three-dimensional structure, posing no risk of collapse or pulverization.]
[Porosity detected: 65% or higher.]
[Water pH value: 6.8-7.2 (neutral, will not cause water hardening).]
[Surface carbonate residue: less than 1%. No risk of hard water.]
[Probability of microbial attachment: 99%]
[Core ingredients: Rich in free iron, polar magnesium, and solid silicon trace elements.]
[System determination: Top-tier biological filter media; its pores provide ample attachment sites for nitrifying bacteria.]
You've found the right one.
This desolate beach, analyzed by the system's skills, revealed its true value.
The lifeblood of miniature aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems lies in the underlying physical and biological filtration processes.
The ceramic rings and bio-balls sold on the market all bear traces of industrial firing and chemical glue residue.
Once buried at the bottom of the tank, it will destroy the original feel of the aquascape.
Moreover, it could become a source of toxins.
These natural volcanic rocks, eroded by seawater over thousands of years, can be broken up to serve as a filter base or stacked up to form the main stones for underwater landscaping.
A fist-sized piece of highly porous volcanic rock, with its internal honeycomb structure unfolding to reveal a surface area even larger than a basketball court.
This is the perfect stronghold for capturing ammonia nitrogen toxins and cultivating heterotrophic bacteria and nitrifying bacteria.
Su Wei unzipped his backpack and pulled out a heavy iron hammer.
He aimed at a prominent acute angle on the surface of the black stone and suddenly exerted force with his arm.
The sharp hammerhead slammed down.
Clang
The fine iron struck the solid rock, sparks flying everywhere.
A rock fragment the size of a watermelon broke off and rolled to his feet.
The fracture surface is rough and prickly, covered with visible honeycomb-like pores.
Su Wei squatted down, picked up the piece of gravel with his bare hands, and tossed it around.
It is enormous in size, yet surprisingly lightweight.
This is the physical structure left behind when the internal gas expands and solidifies during a magma eruption.
Pure natural sponge stone.
He took a military sampling bag and stuffed the stones into it.
He picked up the hammer and continued walking along the edge of the rocky beach.
My gaze swept over the craters and hollows near the shore, eroded by the waves.
Large amounts of black particles were piled up there.
The blue light wave swept across again, providing feedback.
[Target Type: Volcanic Coarse Sand/Black Crystal Sand]
Average particle diameter: 2-4 mm
[Physical properties: Excellent drainage and air permeability; contains highly active free mineral nutrients.]
[System determination: Suitable as substrate material to prevent root rot and provide slow-release nutrients.]
Su Wei picked up a piece of black crystal sand and crushed it forcefully.
The cross-section still shows a sharp cutting surface.
This hardness prevents it from turning into silt under underwater pressure.
He put down the hammer and pulled out a serrated entrenching tool.
The shovel blade cuts into the cold sand.
He exerted force with his arm and dug more than a dozen times.
The heavy black crystalline sand was poured into another sampling bag.
The bag was only half full, but it already weighed over ten pounds.
He continued his search downwards along the rock face.
In a puddle, he fished out several light gray pumice stones, smoothed and rounded by the sea.
Several weathered rock blocks with natural erosion grooves are scattered nearby.
These stones with water channel grooves are the finest skeletal stones for constructing miniature river waterfalls.
He put those into the bag as well.
Half an hour passed quickly.
The icy sea wind kept whipping against his winter coat.
Despite the intense labor, a thin layer of sweat still appeared on Su Wei's forehead.