Underwater, Li Yang's vision was crystal clear, but that wasn't what shocked him.
It was because he had just discovered that he didn't need to hold his breath, nor did he feel any lack of oxygen.
'I... I can actually breathe underwater?' Li Yang was in shock.
Most people would hold their breath when they dove into the sea, surfacing only when they couldn't take it anymore. But Li Yang felt he wasn't breathing through his nose. It was as if his body had opened new respiratory passages and was breathing on its own.
Right then, Li Yang felt no discomfort in the water at all. It was just like being on shore.
'Incredible. The body tempering not only drastically improved my physical fitness, but it also lets me breathe underwater. Is my body evolving?'
If news of someone being able to breathe underwater got out, it would undoubtedly shake the world.
Some studies suggest that human potential is limitless, but it's constrained by a series of genetic locks. For example, the ability to breathe underwater like a fish is considered one of humanity's latent instincts, but it remains inaccessible due to these limitations.
After a moment of shock, a look of elation suddenly appeared in Li Yang's eyes.
Regardless of whether this ability came from the Cultivation Technique or something else, countless ideas immediately began to race through Li Yang's mind.
'I can breathe underwater... Does that mean I can walk on the seabed?'
Everyone knew the ocean held unimaginable treasures. Stories of lucky fishermen striking it rich overnight were not uncommon.
And since he could breathe underwater, couldn't he search for treasure directly on the seabed?
'If I find enough treasure on the seabed, catch a giant grouper or a large yellow croaker, won't the money just come rolling in?'
Li Yang's mind was filled with possibilities.
'If I earn enough money, can I get the Anticancer Agent?'
The Anticancer Agent was incredibly valuable, but everyone knew that with enough money, anything was obtainable!
For a moment, Li Yang was brimming with anticipation!
He had been practicing the Cultivation Technique, but until now, he still hadn't known how to help his father.
But now, the ability to breathe underwater had suddenly opened up a whole new world of possibilities for him!
'Let's see if there are any treasures around here.'
And so, Li Yang began his search underwater. There was almost nothing in the shallows, so he kept moving farther from the coastline.
By the time he was three hundred meters from the coast, the water was already five meters deep.
The underwater scenery here had completely changed. There was no fine sand, only dense patches of seagrass and coral formations.
Among the seagrass and coral, all sorts of shellfish and mollusks moved slowly.
A few small jellyfish drifted by. Most of the life consisted of small fish, shrimp, and crabs.
Sunlight filtered down, refracting through the water to create an extraordinary scene. The overall effect was quite beautiful.
It was the first time Li Yang had ever truly witnessed such a sight, and he marveled at the beauty of the world beneath the waves.
But he wasn't here to admire the view.
He searched the area carefully, but the surrounding marine life was all common. There were no groupers or large yellow croakers to be found.
Li Yang began to calm down. The initial shock and excitement of being able to breathe underwater had made him think he could get rich instantly by finding all sorts of treasures on the seabed.
In reality, those fish were valuable precisely because they were rare. If they were that common, everyone would be diving into the sea to catch them.
Li Yang knew that even if he could move freely underwater, his chances of striking it rich weren't very high.
After spending two hours searching the entire surrounding area, Li Yang had found nothing of value.
'I was getting ahead of myself.'
Checking the time, Li Yang knew he had to leave for now.
He couldn't stay underwater indefinitely.
However, as he left the water, he was clutching a large mud crab in his hand!
This large mud crab looked even bigger than the "crab king" he had caught before. At a rough estimate, it weighed at least three pounds!
When he'd spotted it on the seabed, he'd immediately snatched it up.
The large mud crab was fast in the water and had hidden itself in the rocks. But Li Yang was no ordinary person now. He simply yanked the crab right out of its rocky crevice!
"Wow, what a huge mud crab!"
"Who is that young guy? He caught a huge one before, and now he's got another."
Seeing the large mud crab in Li Yang's hands, some people couldn't help but stare.
"Li Yang!"
Just then, a cheerful, childish voice called out. A little girl ran over—it was Tingting. Next to her was her older sister, Zhang Qingqing.
Both sisters were staring at the large mud crab in Li Yang's hands. Tingting was a mixture of scared, curious, and excited.
As for the older sister, Zhang Qingqing, her eyes held a trace of envy.
Being older, she had a better understanding of money and knew that a crab that big would certainly fetch a high price.
Her family wasn't well-off, so when she had free time, she would come to the beach, hoping to find things she could sell.
Li Yang smiled at Zhang Qingqing and Tingting before quickly selling the large mud crab.
Weighing in at 3.1 catties, he sold it for eight hundred yuan!
In total, he had earned twenty-four hundred yuan at the beach today.
"What is it, Qingqing?" Li Yang asked, seeing her hesitate.
Zhang Qingqing was a bit introverted. She said quietly, "Li Yang, you gave us a crab before. My mom wanted to thank you."
Li Yang smiled. "It's nothing."
He checked his phone and saw three missed calls from Li Xue and one from his mother.
'Looks like I can't stay underwater for too long in one go. Also, I need to think about waterproofing my phone.'
He couldn't get any signal underwater. If he kept missing calls, especially after his recent fainting spell, his parents and his sister, Li Xue, would be worried sick.
He quickly called Li Xue and his parents to let them know he was okay.
...
For the next few days, Li Yang stuck to his routine. Besides his cultivation, he would come to the beach and search the seabed for treasure, but he found nothing.
「Three more days passed in the blink of an eye.」
'The second stage of body tempering is easily twice as difficult as the first! It looks like this stage will take at least two weeks.'
Feeling the fatigue in his body, Li Yang stopped cultivating.
He could clearly sense the progress of his training.
'Body tempering has four stages. The first took a week. The second will take over two weeks. By that logic, will the third take over a month, and the fourth over two months?'
'All told, completing all four of these major stages would take him three months.'