Chapter 412 — Soul and Spirit as the Guide

"The young certainly know how to enjoy themselves." Before the hall, the Blind Elder, basking in the sun, said to the Deaf Elder, "Look at those two youngsters, squandering their youth so freely, brimming with passion, so full of boyish vigor — and how diligently they go about their dual cultivation. Deaf Elder, have you never thought of finding yourself a companion?"

The Deaf Elder made no answer. He pointed at the hole in his ear, making plain that he could not hear a word of it.

"Playing deaf and dumb!"

The Blind Elder gave a cold laugh, levered himself up on his cane, and hopped over to Emperor Yanfeng's side. "Father-in-law, your daughter is in there cultivating with my Shen'er... Eh? Why are you spitting blood? And now you're cursing me! An emperor, and cursing — is there no law left in the land? You dare raise your hand to me? Think I'm afraid of you, do you..."

Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu tried it again and again. When at last they had had their fill of play, it dawned on them that if they went on this way, they might never in this life perfect the cultivation method of the Six Harmonies Primordial Spirit.

Only then did the two of them settle down and begin to puzzle out the art of cultivating the Six Harmonies Primordial Spirit.

"I think we should start from the resonance of soul and spirit, the harmony of the primordial spirit!"

Ling Yuxiu said this with perfect seriousness. "If two dual cultivators can bring their primordial spirits into harmony and their souls and spirits into resonance, then they can borrow each other's strength and send their primordial spirits out of their bodies."

Shen Mu nodded, musing. "But you're speaking of the case where the primordial spirit has already been formed. What if it hasn't? Before the primordial spirit can resonate, the crux of the matter is the merging of the spirit embryo with the soul and spirit."

Ling Yuxiu said, excitement rising, "Then we begin with the resonance of soul and spirit! With soul and spirit in resonance, we use them to draw the spirit embryo along, and the spirit embryo joins with soul and spirit to become the primordial spirit!"

Shen Mu's eyes lit up. "Then this method must be cultivated by two people together! I use my soul and spirit to draw your spirit embryo, you use yours to draw mine; in the instant our souls mingle, we send them from our bodies at the same moment, our souls trade places, and the primordial spirit forms of itself!"

The two looked at each other, both of them thrilled beyond measure.

Thus the concept of this method was spoken aloud. Shen Mu's soul and spirit would draw Ling Yuxiu's spirit embryo, and Ling Yuxiu's soul and spirit would draw Shen Mu's; then came the step of the utmost importance — their souls and spirit embryos would fly free of their bodies, and with the resonance of spirit and soul they would seize the moment to swap souls, each merging with its own spirit embryo.

At the same time, the resonance of the primordial spirit would keep the primordial spirit from splitting apart into spirit embryo and soul.

In this way, the primordial spirit could be formed in the Six Harmonies realm!

Ling Yuxiu suddenly looked troubled. "If that's so, the only problem left is how to turn this concept into an actual method — how to draw each other's soul and spirit embryo."

Shen Mu pondered, pacing two circuits of the room. "This method requires summoning the primordial spirit, the soul and spirit, and the spirit embryo all at once. The crucial thing is that neither may hold any guard against the other. They must be the closest of kin, so intimate that not a shred of selfishness remains between them, before they can hand over their spirit and their soul without the least reservation."

Ling Yuxiu nodded, and a certain sweetness rose in her heart.

Did not Shen Mu's words show that he counted her his closest kin, that he trusted her without reserve?

"Never mind who can cultivate it for now — let's work the method out first!"

Shen Mu roused his spirits and refined a few more sticks of soul-drawing incense for later use. The two of them each used their soul and spirit to draw the other's spirit embryo, sensing the way their own vital essence moved, and wrote it all down.

After several trials they were both rather worn out and had to stop and rest. They had played too many times before, and their vigor was running thin.

In six days, Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu had sketched out the broad outline of the method. Once the general principles were in hand, all that remained was detailed refinement upon that foundation.

The Butcher had still not returned from his hunt for Xing'an, and this worried Shen Mu, Granny Zhu, and the rest. Xing'an was, after all, far too strong; if he solved his tonic problem and his body returned to normal, the Butcher might well prove no match for him. And Xing'an's medical skill was formidable — otherwise he could never have swapped out his organs at will — so solving the tonic problem should not be especially difficult for him.

Si Yunxiang, Yan Jingjing, and Xue Hu'er came sailing from Shuzhou City in a fast ship, bringing the medicinal ingredients Shen Mu needed, along with a great cauldron and steaming baskets.

Shen Mu set the Butcher's hunt aside for the moment and threw himself into work: measuring out ingredients, propping up the cauldron, brewing medicinal broths, and steaming or stewing one wounded body after another — a grueling, unending labor.

Granny Zhu said in alarm, "Shen'er, the ones with shallow cultivation can't be steamed or boiled — they'll cook!"

"I know."

Once everything was arranged, Shen Mu set the deer demons to watch the heat, then made another trip to the True Dragon's Lair. Taking out five legs, he said to the Lame Elder, "Grandpa Lame, which two of these legs are yours?"

The Lame Elder studied them and picked out two. "These two. Shen'er, why do you keep so many legs here?"

Shen Mu smiled. "Spares. If Grandpa Lame loses his legs again, there are three more to sew back on."

"Peh, peh! Children's talk carries no weight — great fortune, great prosperity!"

The Lame Elder spat twice, and Shen Mu at once bustled about, heating a cauldron of medicinal broth and readying the Carefree Sword, salve, and dragon's saliva to reattach the old man's legs.

He was, after all, on familiar ground — he had once pieced together bodies for both the Lame Elder and the Butcher — so sewing these two legs back on gave him no trouble at all; it was easy work.

"Shen'er's handiwork grows better and better!" the Lame Elder praised.

The Deaf Elder, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "That's because you've been hacked apart too many times, and gave him the practice."

The Lame Elder was furious. As Shen Mu lifted him and lowered him into the medicinal broth, the old man was still spitting at the Deaf Elder — both curses and spittle. "Peh, peh! An old man's words carry no weight — great fortune, great prosperity!"

While the two bickered, Shen Mu carried a jade dragon bowl to the Blind Elder. "Grandpa Blind, which of these holy eyes are yours?"

In the bowl lay more than a dozen eyeballs, every one of them a holy eye that Xing'an had collected. Unless they were set stirring, there was no telling which two concealed the Ninth Heaven within; to outward view they were indistinguishable.

The Blind Elder reached into the bowl, felt about, and picked out two eyes. Frowning, he said, "My eyes were gouged out very long ago, and the wounds have healed over completely. Is there still any hope of putting them back?"

Shen Mu tossed the remaining eyes, bowl and all, into the True Dragon's Lair, then examined the Blind Elder's eye sockets with great care, studying them intently.

The Blind Elder's face was calm. He smiled. "It's no matter if they cannot be put back. I have grown used to being as I am."