Chapter 293: Primordial Spirit
"I was measuring the river's hydrology just now, so I'm a bit muddy. Please forgive me, master of this vessel."
Qin Mu studied the young man on the boat, sensing that he was no ordinary mortal. He couldn't help but marvel inwardly—men could indeed be handsome. "May I ask where you come from, senior brother?"
"The Celestial Realm."
Xu Shenghua examined Qin Mu in return. The youth appeared quite simple and honest, his gaze pure, seemingly without any impurities, yet he also carried a wild and unrestrained aura. "And you, senior brother, where do you come from?"
Qin Mu thought for a moment. He had never heard of the Celestial Realm; it was probably another hidden sacred ground. "I come from the Village of the Crippled."
Xu Shenghua had never heard of the Village of the Crippled either. He made a mental note of it, thinking to himself, *Could it be some other hidden sacred ground?*
"I just saw you wave your hand and release dozens of strands of primordial energy. It was quite peculiar—it seemed you used sword techniques to form the strands, which is very different from the usual method of refining qi into threads. I couldn't help but be captivated."
Xu Shenghua opened a tea packet to brew tea. The four girls boiled the water and waited a moment until it had cooled slightly before adding the tea leaves.
Xu Shenghua covered the teapot. "Your swordsmanship is extraordinary. Just now, those dozens of strands of primordial energy fell into the water and stood perfectly upright on the riverbed. Each strand landed on a single grain of sand, without pressing it down even a fraction or floating up at all. The river current is so swift, yet it didn't move your strands even a bit. Such control is truly admirable. Your skill in mathematics must be very high—have you studied Daoist swordsmanship?"
Qin Mu was surprised. "You have good eyes, senior brother. I have indeed studied the Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword. Controlling strands of primordial energy is very difficult; they have no weight. Making them stand vertically requires mathematical calculation. I used geomagnetic primordial energy calculations to achieve that stillness."
Xu Shenghua let the tea steep, then lifted the pot to pour a cup for Qin Mu. "Controlling so many strands of primordial energy simultaneously without applying any force is also a great art, requiring meticulous precision. To be so refined, your swordsmanship must be very advanced. If you applied this skill of controlling primordial energy to sword control, your swordsmanship would be terrifying. I imagine only the Daoist sect's Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword would require such delicate sword control. Moreover, your strands of primordial energy are unique—using sword qi as threads, the strands themselves are a form of swordsmanship."
"The strand technique was created by the National Teacher of Yan Kingdom, called the Winding Sword Style."
Qin Mu was surprised again and praised, "You are quite an interesting person. This is the first time I've met someone like you who can see through my strands of primordial energy at a glance. Many who have fallen to my hands never realized this. You are extraordinary. The Celestial Realm must be extraordinary as well."
Xu Shenghua smiled. "I was just lucky to notice. The Village of the Crippled, which produced a disciple like you, is truly extraordinary. Come, try some of my Celestial Azure Tea from the Celestial Realm."
Qin Mu sniffed the tea's fragrance and took a sip. At first, it was a bit bitter, but soon a sweetness welled up from deep within his taste buds, lingering and stimulating saliva.
The tea leaves brewed from the Celestial Azure Tea were also beautiful—each one like a tiny sparrow's tongue, suspended in the center of the water, some floating up, others sinking down.
Qin Mu praised, "Excellent tea. Could you spare me some?"
Xu Shenghua hesitated. "I didn't bring much Celestial Azure with me on this trip..."
Qin Mu laughed. "Then I'll treat you to some wine another day!"
Xu Shenghua's eyes lit up. He took out his tea packet and divided half of it for Qin Mu, smiling. "It's a deal! After I finish my business, where should I find you?"
Qin Mu accepted the tea packet. "In the capital. I serve as a Court Gentleman for Consultation there. When you arrive, come to the Grand Academy to find me."
"Good. Once I'm done, I'll go to the Yan capital to find you for that drink."
The two toasted each other with tea instead of wine. Their teacups clinked with a *ding*, and though Qin Mu and Xu Shenghua remained calm, their sleeves suddenly billowed, and a whistling wind blew from behind them into the distance.
Suddenly, the river surface rumbled. Water exploded repeatedly, forming two straight lines of surging waves that blasted upstream and downstream. The explosions rang out dozens of times before the river calmed again.
The four girls on the boat were startled. They had been talking so pleasantly—how had they suddenly clashed?
Qin Mu showed a hint of surprise and gave Xu Shenghua a deep look. Xu Shenghua was also somewhat surprised and raised his teacup to his lips.
After finishing the tea, Xu Shenghua took a seven-stringed zither from Qing Ying and began to play slowly. The melody was unhurried, with a lofty and distant artistic conception, as if a deity beyond the nine heavens was using the zither's notes to write his heart, or perhaps an invitation, asking a guest to visit the heavens.
Qin Mu listened for a moment and praised, "Truly lofty and transcendent, rising above the mundane. But I am still in the mundane world and cannot leap out."
Ling Yuxiu called out from the riverbank, "Cowherd, come over here!"
"I know!"
Qin Mu shouted back, then stood up and said apologetically, "I have many worldly affairs, so I won't disturb you further. I still need to manage the waterworks."
Xu Shenghua stood to see him off. "Worldly trivialities will only disturb your heart. It would be better to come to the Celestial Realm for peace."
Qin Mu leaped off the boat, laughing. "You are too carefree. I can't live such a leisurely life; I prefer to keep busy. Remember to find me in the capital—I owe you a drink!"
Xu Shenghua nodded. The painted boat drifted down the river, heading downstream.
On the boat, Qing Ying approached the tea table to clear the cups, but Xu Shenghua said, "Don't touch them yet."
Qing Ying was puzzled and quickly stopped.
On the tea table were two cups—one Qin Mu had used, the other Xu Shenghua. Qin Mu's cup still had half a cup of water, while Xu Shenghua's was empty.
Xu Shenghua said to Yu Liu, "Activate the jade bottle and protect the tea table. Don't let it damage our boat."
Yu Liu quickly channeled her primordial energy. The jade bottle she held flew up and inverted itself, mouth downward.
A curtain of light surged from the jade bottle, shielding the tea table.
Xu Shenghua blew on the tea table. Suddenly, both cups burst with a *crack*. Xu Shenghua's cup shattered into countless pieces, which shot out with a *duo duo* sound, shattering the tea table into powder.
As for Qin Mu's cup, the half cup of tea suddenly turned into a beam of light, splitting the cup cleanly in half from the center without breaking it!
"A master."
Xu Shenghua had Yu Liu put away the jade bottle. He examined the fragments of the two cups, his expression grave. "This youth is about the same age as me, yet his cultivation is slightly stronger than mine. Truly formidable. These cultivators of the Central Plains are not to be underestimated!"
When he and Qin Mu clinked cups, they had taken the opportunity to exchange a blow. Their primordial energies collided, and their techniques were hidden within that single clash. Xu Shenghua's primordial energy was suppressed by Qin Mu's by a hair. The force from Qin Mu's side was extremely strong and fierce, which is why his cup shattered into pieces.
However, Xu Shenghua was superior in technique, concentrating his power into a single line, which is why Qin Mu's cup was sliced cleanly in half.
Both of their methods were very refined. They had sealed the power of each other's techniques within their respective cups, temporarily storing the intent and force of the opponent's technique. That's why the cups remained intact when placed there, but any external touch would trigger the stored intent and force!
"He must be the Daoist sect's Dao Child."
Xu Shenghua looked toward the river and praised, "The Daoist sect is indeed extraordinary. This generation's Dao Child will achieve no small things in the future! Now that we've met the Dao Child, let's go to Little Jade Capital, and finally seek out the new Human Sovereign. The Witch Venerable said this new Human Sovereign is the Demon Lord of the Heavenly Demon Sect, so it's time to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect."
On the river, Qin Mu ran over to help Ling Yuxiu. She was driving stakes into the riverbank and asked, "Who was that person on the boat just now? Did he have ill intentions? I saw your techniques even blasted the river surface."
Qin Mu smiled. "We were just testing each other. I'm very happy today, extremely happy!"
Ling Yuxiu flicked a stake, listening to its vibration, and asked puzzledly, "What's there to be happy about?"
"I always thought I was the only Overlord Body in this world."
Qin Mu's heart surged. He clenched his fists and looked at the painted boat drifting downstream. "Until today, I met another Overlord Body! If the Village Chief knew about this, he would be ecstatic! There's a second Overlord Body in this world—he would surely be happy for me!"
Ling Yuxiu was a bit confused. *What Overlord Body?*
Qin Mu paced excitedly. "I just tested his cultivation. He's only slightly weaker than me, just a hair! Sister, do you know? At the same cultivation level, even the National Teacher's cultivation is far inferior to mine, yet he's only a hair behind! If that's not an Overlord Body, what is?"
Ling Yuxiu drove another stake into the dam, laughing and crying at the same time. "The National Teacher is a sage born once every five hundred years. How could his cultivation be weaker than yours at the same level? Come help me—I can't manage alone. They've gone to build the waterwheel."
Qin Mu quickly went to assist, but his excitement still hadn't faded. "A second Overlord Body! Though his cultivation is a bit weaker than mine, his techniques and methods are a bit stronger... Truly worthy of an Overlord Body!"
Ling Yuxiu saw that he was distracted and felt a bit annoyed, but she was also happy for him. Meeting a kindred spirit would naturally bring joy.
After a moment, Qin Mu's mind settled. Unconsciously, his primordial energy became unobstructed, flowing through his Embryo, Five Luminaries, and Six Harmonies. The speed of its circulation grew faster and faster, smoother and more comfortable.
Ling Yuxiu suddenly stopped, sensing something unusual in the surroundings.
At that moment, the sound of water became incredibly clear, the birds' calls seemed crisp and pleasant, and the scents of flowers and grass in the air—all her senses became extraordinarily sharp.
She was puzzled and looked at Qin Mu. His gaze was clear, meeting hers. Drawn by his eyes, she suddenly seemed to enter a wondrous state, feeling her Embryo and soul stir restlessly.
The two stood on the riverbank, their hands clasped together, smiling at each other, yet their bodies remained motionless.
Their souls and Embryos flew out of their bodies, seeming to become vast and immense, roaming through the void, traveling thousands of miles in an instant.
Ling Yuxiu saw herself holding hands with Qin Mu as they roamed. In a flash, they flew thousands of miles away, seeing the thousands of temples and monasteries on Mount Sumeru. Then, in an instant, they entered the North Pole, watching snow lotuses on the icy plains. Another moment, they were in the South Sea, stepping on white clouds, gazing at the blue sea and sky. Then they went to the Great Ruins, seeing countless sacred figures standing amidst the vast mountains and rivers.
Just then, they heard someone calling their names. An invisible pull suddenly drew them back from thousands of miles away.
*Shua!*
Their souls returned to their bodies. They were still standing on the riverbank, smiling at each other. Ling Yuxiu's face flushed slightly, and she quickly let go of Qin Mu's hand. Beside them, Crown Prince Ling Yushu was watching them with a serious expression.
Qin Mu savored the sensation he had just experienced. "Your Highness, I just comprehended a unified cultivation method for the Six Harmonies realm and suddenly entered a wondrous state. My Embryo and soul merged, flew out of my body, and roamed the vast world. Do you know what this is?"
Ling Yushu's body shook violently. "So fast? You've cultivated a Primordial Spirit!"
— From yesterday until now, Zhai Zhu has only slept two hours. I really can't hold on anymore. There's only one chapter today. Zhai Zhu is going to catch up on sleep. After the salon ends, I'll make up for the owed chapters.