"Primordial Spirit?"
Qin Mu was somewhat puzzled. Just now, his Six Harmonies Realm Great Unity cultivation technique had been perfected, and he had fallen into a state of enlightenment. Unknowingly, Ling Yuxiu's soul and spirit embryo had also flown out along with his. Was this the Primordial Spirit?
"Soul, soul. One is spirit, two is soul. Spirit is the spirit embryo, soul is the soul. When the spirit embryo is cultivated, the soul is formed."
Ling Yushu's cultivation level was much higher than theirs. Since the death of the former Crown Prince Ling Yuxia, the Emperor had placed great importance on him, newly appointing him as Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Guardian, specifically to teach and guide him in cultivation and handling state affairs.
Ling Yushu had also gained much these days, his cultivation advancing rapidly compared to his time at the Imperial Academy. Now at the peak of the Seven Stars Realm, he could easily guide Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu in some basic knowledge.
"The Primordial Spirit is when the soul attaches itself to the spirit embryo, becoming a deity within the human body. The qi transforms into the essence of the soul, thus becoming the Primordial Spirit."
Ling Yushu said: "In the Six Harmonies Realm, besides giving birth to spirit weapons, there is also the Primordial Spirit. However, the Primordial Spirit only matures when transitioning from the Six Harmonies Realm to the Celestial Being Realm, allowing one to roam the extremes of heaven and earth. You have just entered the Six Harmonies Realm, how could you possibly project your Primordial Spirit so quickly to roam heaven and earth?"
Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu were bewildered, not understanding what had happened themselves. They had somehow, in a confused state, projected their Primordial Spirits to roam heaven and earth.
"The Six Harmonies is heaven and earth, east, west, north, and south, as well as body and intent united, intent and qi united, qi and soul united, soul and spirit united, spirit and heaven and earth united, heaven and earth and body united. Only when this is achieved is it true Six Harmonies."
Ling Yushu pondered: "After achieving Six Harmonies, when soul and essence are thoroughly integrated, and Primordial Spirit and physical body become one, can the Primordial Spirit be projected. Otherwise, even if projected, it cannot return to the physical body. How is it that you two managed to achieve this..."
He was completely baffled.
Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu looked at each other, shuddering. From Ling Yushu's words, if they hadn't achieved the Six Harmonies of body, intent, qi, soul, spirit, and heaven and earth, it was very likely their Primordial Spirits couldn't find their way back after projection!
"Just now we were playing wildly. Fortunately, brother arrived in time to call us back, otherwise it's really possible the Primordial Spirit couldn't find its way back to the body." Ling Yuxiu felt a wave of lingering fear.
"Roaming heaven and earth is minor. If one reaches the Celestial Being Realm, one can roam the Great Void and witness the grandeur of the universe, though there is still the Seven Stars Realm in between."
Ling Yushu dismissed the puzzling matter and said: "The Imperial Academy teaches much about the Six Harmonies Realm. You should attend more lectures. Shan Youxin has already completed the water wheel and is heading to the Manufacturing Bureau in Fangzhou to improve the forging techniques there. He wants to invite Qin..."
He was about to say "beast" when he suddenly changed his words: "...the Grand Master to accompany him."
Qin Mu hesitated: "This river embankment..."
A dozen or so Imperial Academy scholars arrived at the riverbank, including Shen Wanyun and others. Ling Yushu said: "Leave the river embankment to them. This time, Minister Shan plans to improve the Manufacturing Bureau's techniques and manufacture some river-guarding beasts, and he insists on having you come."
They rushed to the Manufacturing Bureau in Fangzhou, where Shan Youxin and other Ministry of Works officials had also just arrived outside the bureau. Fangzhou was mountainous with many mines, and the Manufacturing Bureau was responsible for extracting Mystic Gold and Mystic Iron. Qin Mu met up with Shan Youxin, who quickly bowed in greeting: "Refining treasures and weapons all require Mystic Gold and Mystic Iron. His Majesty has long wanted to expand the Manufacturing Bureau in Fangzhou, but at that time the Great Thunderclap Monastery's influence was strong, and His Majesty hesitated. Now that the Great Thunderclap Monastery has suffered a great loss, we must seize this opportunity to expand the Manufacturing Bureau. Therefore, we cannot do without the Master coming to improve the furnace and forging and casting techniques..."
Qin Mu nodded: "Easy enough."
Ling Yuxiu hurried forward to Shan Youxin: "Minister, I have cultivated to the Six Harmonies Realm and refined a spirit weapon. I would like to ask the Minister to help improve it." With that, she took out her Nine Dragons Weapon.
Shan Youxin took her Nine Dragons Weapon and laughed: "With the Grand Master by the Princess's side, why would you need me?"
Ling Yuxiu was puzzled, not knowing who he meant by the Grand Master.
Si Yunxiang also hurried to take out her Thousand Threads: "And my Thousand Threads spirit weapon, I also ask Hall Master Shan for help."
Shan Youxin took her Thousand Threads spirit weapon as well, examined both spirit weapons, his expression changing slightly. Gently activating them, the forms of both spirit weapons transformed dramatically. The Nine Dragons Weapon instantly expanded, transforming into nine flying dragons with scales and whiskers that looked incredibly real. The Thousand Threads expanded and contracted progressively, sometimes spreading out and sometimes gathering, truly unpredictable.
"Colleagues, come and see!"
Shan Youxin quickly called over many Ministry of Works officials, and the Vice Minister also stepped forward. Everyone observed the two spirit weapons, praising them endlessly. The Vice Minister said: "Truly a masterwork surpassing nature, the forging technique is divine beyond belief!"
After the Ministry of Works personnel had studied them, Shan Youxin took back the two spirit weapons and returned them to Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang: "Saintess, Princess, these two spirit weapons are the Master's work, aren't they?"
Ling Yuxiu nodded: "It was the cowherd who helped us refine them at sea."
Shan Youxin showed a look of admiration: "The Master's forging skill already surpasses all of us at the Ministry of Works. Our Ministry of Works might surpass the Master in certain techniques, but overall, we are not as good as the Master."
Ling Yuxiu was stunned: "You can't refine anything better?"
"Nothing that surpasses the Master."
Shan Youxin said: "We just observed and learned much from the Princess and Saintess's spirit weapons. Your spirit weapons are already perfect, and the Ministry of Works cannot improve them."
Si Yunxiang was suspicious: "Is Hall Master Shan perhaps because he is the Master, and you don't want to offend him?"
Shan Youxin said solemnly: "Master Qin's forging technique is divinely close to the Dao. In terms of skill alone, no one in this world can surpass him. His forging methods are exquisitely refined, many of which I have never seen or even heard of! Incense Master Fan Yunxiao's swift ship, the alchemy furnace was designed and built by the Master, and I was there at the time, marveling at it! His skill can truly be called number one under heaven!"
The two girls stared wide-eyed, speechless.
Qin Mu hurried to be modest: "Minister, you flatter me, you flatter me. I have only learned blacksmithing, I dare not claim to be number one under heaven!"
Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang blinked, looking at the cowherd from the Great Ruins, thinking: "He has always been boastful, but now he actually knows humility, truly rare..."
"At most, second under heaven."
Qin Mu humbly said: "I am not as good as Grandpa Mute from our village. Grandpa Mute is the best blacksmith in the ten-mile neighborhood. When we go to market, if the kitchen knives I forge are placed next to his, his will surely sell first."
Shan Youxin sighed: "To have such divine blades, I would also want to buy them for study and collection. I never thought they were hidden in a small village market. I really want to buy them all. Master, this time improving the Manufacturing Bureau is the perfect opportunity to teach us. Please!"
They surrounded Qin Mu like stars around the moon as they entered the Manufacturing Bureau, with Ling Yushu, Ling Yuxiu, Si Yunxiang, and the Minister of Works following behind. The four looked at each other in astonishment.
The Minister of Works sighed: "The Celestial Holy Sect Master, the first Imperial Academy Scholar, the world-renowned Divine Physician Qin, and now also the world's second in forging and refining treasures. This Imperial Academy Scholar is truly unexpected. What other skills does he have that others don't know about?"
Ling Yuxiu suddenly remembered: "He paints very well. He once painted a picture for me and stamped it with a rune seal, saying that without the seal, the me in the painting would come alive and walk out of the painting and run away."
Si Yunxiang also remembered: "This time escaping from Long Jiaonan was also thanks to his painting. He painted a storm at sea and a ship breaking through wind and waves, and then an identical storm appeared at sea, and a ship appeared to take us away!"
Ling Yushu looked at the Minister of Works: "Does the Pavilion of the Painting Sage have this ability?"
The Minister of Works shook his head: "The talented ones at the Pavilion of the Painting Sage can only paint what looks real, some have spirit, some have technique, but none can paint something that comes alive. The Celestial Holy Sect Master is truly..."
He shook his head: "Too unexpected. How can one person have such profound achievements in so many skills simultaneously? And still be so humble? This kind of character is amazing."
"Is the cowherd humble?" Ling Yuxiu didn't quite understand, the cowherd was clearly very arrogant, always acting like he was second under heaven.
Si Yunxiang was also quite unconvinced, their Holy Sect Master had never been associated with humility. When she wanted to challenge him, he would always act like "you can't beat me, you need more training."
"He is already very humble."
The Minister of Works sighed with emotion: "If I had even a tenth or a fifth of his skill, I would boast about being number one under heaven, yet he never promotes himself or shows off, only telling the truth when others ask, not saying he is first under heaven, but second. I have never seen such a humble person!"
Ling Yushu was also stunned, this Celestial Holy Sect Master was unexpectedly outstanding: "Such an outstanding youth, sister seems to..."
He was now somewhat worried whether his sister was worthy of such an outstanding Celestial Holy Sect Master, then quickly shook his head: "What am I thinking? That kid better not think about getting close to my sister!"
They entered the Manufacturing Bureau and saw Qin Mu and others measuring the structure of the great furnace, with Ministry of Works officials taking out various calculation tools, some testing, some calculating, bustling about and ignoring them.
After a long time, everyone gathered around Qin Mu, watching him use qi to draw diagrams in the air, sketching the new great furnace structure, the mechanical structure for forging and casting, and several three-dimensional humanoid mechanical structure diagrams. Others hurried to record them, then brought the needed materials.
The Manufacturing Bureau was bustling with activity, with deafening forging sounds. Qin Mu while forging explained his forging techniques to those beside him, with the Ministry of Works officials nodding continuously.
After a long time, Qin Mu and others manufactured the first forging machine, which was a humanoid eight-armed mechanical man, with a large alchemy furnace in its chest that could feed medicinal stones to power the mechanical man.
The upper half of this mechanical man was made of melted composite Mystic Gold and Mystic Copper, constantly flowing across its surface. When the composite alloy flowed to its hands, it could transform into a large hammer, steel drill, pliers, and other tools, with incredible strength capable of exerting hundreds of thousands of jin of pressure.
The person controlling it beside the alchemy furnace only felt slightly warm, but it was still bearable. Controlling it from here, one could operate the mechanical device to forge and shape the alloy.
The runes and mechanisms used in this mechanical man were very complex. Ling Yushu saw that Shan Youxin and others had actually recorded several thick stacks of books, piled together more than half a person's height, and couldn't help but feel shocked.
He stepped forward to look through them and was filled with admiration. The books mostly contained runes transformed from divine abilities. Qin Mu had applied the common divine abilities and techniques to forging, the term "applying what one learns" being perfectly demonstrated!
"This Sect Master deserves the title of 'Saint', not like that evil Li Tianxing!"
Ling Yushu was filled with emotion. Seeing Qin Mu resting nearby, he immediately walked over and smiled: "Master, if I were to join the Celestial Holy Sect, what position could the Master give me?"
Qin Mu looked up with surprise: "Weren't you worried that if you joined the Celestial Holy Sect, the Emperor would be wary of you?"
Ling Yushu was somewhat excited: "He has his national teacher, and I also need my national teacher! In the future, if I ascend to the throne, you will be my national teacher of Qin!"
Qin Mu stood up and shook his head: "Yan Kang is not my homeland. I am from the Great Ruins, does Your Highness remember? I am one of the god-abandoned people. I cannot possibly be your national teacher. Do you have the courage to defy the gods' commands and let the people of the Great Ruins become your subjects as well?"
Ling Yushu was stunned.
"You are not as good as your father, he dares."
Qin Mu patted his shoulder and walked towards Shan Youxin and others: "He dared to defy the world's opposition and reform the laws. When he first saw me, he no longer saw me as one of the god-abandoned. You can only maintain the status quo, you still think to this day that I am a god-abandoned from the Great Ruins. Your Highness, if you have the ambition of the Emperor, I will be your national teacher. But do you have it?"
Ling Yushu recalled Emperor Yanfeng's words and actions, cold sweat appearing on his forehead. He knew he couldn't do it.
It wasn't that Ling Yuxiu was unworthy of such a man, but that he was unworthy of having a national teacher like Qin Mu.