Chapter 120 — The Trial at the Ancestral Court

" The young Patriarch said, "The qi of the Nine Dragons gathers here, forming this lake.

These fish absorb the dragon qi, and so they are called nine-dragon crucian carp.

This kind of fish has a body of hard bones and little flesh; it can only be stewed into soup, but the stewed soup is especially delicious. " Shen Mu said thoughtfully, "Does the Patriarch mean for me to be a nine-dragon crucian carp with a body of hard bones? " The young Patriarch glared at him. "Are you overthinking?

What is wrong with being human, that you would rather be a fish?

Do you want to be stewed? I simply had a craving and brought you here to drink fish soup. " Shen Mu was deeply ashamed; it seemed the old man had indeed only had a craving and wanted nothing but to drink fish soup.

The two sat there, slowly drinking the soup, savoring it greatly.

Shen Mu picked up a fish bone and drew on the ground, sketching the cultivation chart for the Six Harmonies Realm of the Profound Body Three Dantian Art.

"Patriarch, I saw this cultivation chart in Qingyang Hall, but the earlier part was missing. May I ask whether you have seen the preceding part of this chart? " The young Patriarch looked at it closely, then said in surprise, "What do you want with the cultivation chart of this technique? Do you recognize it?

" Shen Mu nodded. "This is the cultivation chart for the Six Harmonies Realm of the Profound Body Three Dantian Art.

" The young Patriarch's expression turned strange.

"Even I did not know this was the Profound Body Three Dantian Art. Who told you?

" "The village head.

" The young Patriarch was taken aback, then sighed with deep emotion. "That old fellow is still one better than me, after all. I could not recognize the technique or know its name, but he recognizes it--quite remarkable. So this technique is called the Profound Body Three Dantian Art. That old fellow truly is widely learned. This cultivation chart I came upon at an ancient relic; besides this one, there were several fragmentary charts. I saw that the art in the chart was wondrous in a thousand ways, full of profound subtlety and out of the ordinary, so I memorized it and had it engraved in Qingyang Hall. The techniques in Qingyang Hall are all fragments, and this chart is the finest of them. " He paused, then said, "You cultivate this technique?

" Shen Mu nodded.

"I have cultivated the Profound Body Three Dantian Art since childhood.

" The young Patriarch hesitated. "By rights, you should cultivate our Sect's Great Unification technique, but that old fellow in your village let you cultivate this Profound Body Three Dantian Art--there must be a reason. He is learned and broad-minded; if he did not pass on his own method to you, then the Profound Body Three Dantian Art must stand above even his. Good methods always have points of connection. You might as well cultivate both side by side; perhaps it will benefit your practice. " Shen Mu acknowledged, and said, "I have not found the earlier part of the Profound Body Three Dantian Art.

Without the method for the Five Luminary Realm, I cannot continue cultivating. "