Within the crowded confines of the blacksmith's forge, a collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. Qin Mu's Overlord Body vital energy, it turned out, possessed an elemental attribute! And not just any attribute, but one of fire, clearly the vital energy of a Vermilion Bird!
Deaf Man was about to erupt in a cheer, but Village Chief held up a hand. "Deafie," he said, his voice steady, "hold your horses. Mu'er, observe the water now. Clear your mind, and focus your thoughts."
Qin Mu, following the instruction, turned his gaze to a basin of water. Within his Spirit Embryo divine treasure, his surging vital energy transformed, becoming like babbling, flowing water, tempering his Spirit Embryo. The small blacksmith's forge, now packed with villagers who had rushed over upon hearing the news – Grandpa Horse, Lame Man, Butcher, Apothecary, Blind Man – all squeezed in, watching Qin Mu in rapt attention, the air thick with anticipation.
Village Chief's voice echoed, "Remember the spear technique Blind Man taught you? Imagine that spear in your hand, and thrust forward!"
Qin Mu raised his hand, and thrust forward as if grasping a spear. As the imaginary spear tip pointed forward, he shook out one large circle after another. The instant he executed the empty thrust, his vital energy, now transformed into snow-white water vapor, surged forth. It actually coalesced into the shape of a long spear in his hand, accompanied by the sound of babbling water. The water vapor, like a water dragon, followed the movements of his hand, shaking out one large circle after another!
"Success, it's a success..."
Grandpa Horse, overcome with emotion, wept tears of joy. "Finally, success. All our hard work over these years wasn't in vain... Mu'er, you've grown up..."
He couldn't help but turn his head slightly, using his single arm to wipe away his tears.
Lame Man's face was alight with an honest smile. He murmured, "Our Mu'er can finally survive in the Great Ruins... Damn it, Old Horse, don't cry, you're almost making me cry too! Old Lady Si went to Inlaid Dragon City to buy things, she's not here. If she were, she'd be crying the hardest!"
"Cry about what?"
Apothecary, his eyes red-rimmed, laughed heartily. "We should be laughing! From now on, even if we grow old and pass away, Mu'er can survive on his own. This is a great blessing, we should all laugh loudly!"
"Indeed, indeed!"
Deaf Man guffawed. "Apothecary, I may not always agree with you, but that sentence of yours, I wholeheartedly concur!"
Earth-shaking laughter erupted within the small blacksmith's forge, echoing through the heavens. Qin Mu, watching these excited old men around him, felt waves of warmth surge through his heart.
These old men, each bearing some disability, or perhaps a flaw, one by one looking like fierce gods and evil spirits, were his family, the people closest to him!
Suddenly, from outside the door, Granny Si's voice drifted in, laced with laughter. "What in the world are you old fogies squeezing in here laughing like ghosts about?"
Qin Mu was both surprised and overjoyed. Granny Si had finally returned from Inlaid Dragon City!
Soon, Lame Man spilled the beans about this great joyous event. Granny Si, too, couldn't help but be surprised and delighted, her eyes turning a little red. She laughed, "Good news, good news. Mu'er has finally grown up... This is truly good news..."
She thought of the hardships she had endured over the past eleven years and couldn't help but shed tears. The little old lady sat down, wiping away her tears. "If we pass away in the future, Mu'er can still survive... Don't touch me, it's just a bit of sand in my eyes, caught by the wind..."
Village Chief quietly exhaled a sigh of relief. The dark cloud that had weighed on his heart finally dissipated with the elemental attribute of Qin Mu's Overlord Body vital energy. Qin Mu's ability to utilize his vital energy, to make it manifest its power, also confirmed his identity as an "Overlord Body." The crisis facing the village had been averted.
However, even with his vast divine powers, he couldn't help but be puzzled. How had Qin Mu's Overlord Body vital energy suddenly gained an attribute?
Even stranger were these two attributes: water and fire!
One must understand that as a Spirit Body, one possesses a single attribute, never two.
Qin Mu was clearly of ordinary aptitude, yet he somehow possessed two attributes, and even more baffling, the mutually exclusive attributes of water and fire. This was truly bizarre.
"Do ordinary people awaken two Spirit Bodies after awakening their Spirit Embryo?"
He couldn't help but feel a little bewildered. "What exactly did Dumb Man teach him that allowed his vital energy to possess the attributes of water and fire? Can other ordinary people do this too?"
He knew that in recent days, the villagers, in their efforts to help Qin Mu's Overlord Body vital energy manifest its power, had exhausted all means. Apothecary had used medicinal supplements. Lame Man, Butcher, and Grandpa Horse had engaged in intense training. Blind Man had not hesitated to impart his Divine Eye. Deaf Man had sought to guide Qin Mu into the Dao through painting, to paint out divine powers. But what means Dumb Man had used, he simply didn't know.
Unexpectedly, it was Dumb Man who had ultimately stimulated the power of the Overlord Body vital energy.
He only knew that Dumb Man had instructed Qin Mu to observe fire and water. How observing fire and water could have imbued Qin Mu's vital energy with the attributes of water and fire – the mystery behind this eluded him.
Dumb Man was the village blacksmith, never one to show off his skills. Among the villagers, Blind Man was the most flamboyant, Butcher the most ostentatious, the cold and icy Grandpa Horse the most enthusiastic, the overly enthusiastic Lame Man the most insidious, Apothecary the most steady, Deaf Man the most unassuming, the hunchbacked Granny Si the most unpredictable, and Dumb Man the most unremarkable.
Regarding Dumb Man, Village Chief knew almost nothing, only that his tongue had been severed by someone, and that he was skilled in refining tools, typically earning a living by forging kitchen knives, plows, hoes, and other tools for nearby villages.
Judging by the fact that he had guided Qin Mu and enabled his vital energy to manifest its power, Dumb Man's cultivation and attainments were, he feared, second only to his own among the villagers.
"Mu'er, can you practice qi into silk now?" Granny Si asked, her eyes full of anticipation.
Qin Mu attempted to bundle his vital energy into a fine thread. The next moment, his vital energy left his body, thick as an arm, emitting flames.
This large, thick "vital energy silk" wrapped around a pig-slaying knife. With a single chop, a log as thick as a water bucket was instantly cleaved open, its power astonishing!
The crowd of villagers stared at this arm-thick vital energy silk, each rendered speechless.
While the power of Qin Mu's vital energy silk was certainly strong, the practice of qi into silk was about refining vital energy into a fine thread, making it more flexible and versatile. This allowed one to control treasured swords, using qi to control the sword, and display many moves that couldn't ordinarily be executed.
And Qin Mu's vital energy "silk" couldn't be called silk; calling it a vital energy arm was more accurate.
Such a thick vital energy silk also consumed an enormous amount of energy.
Lame Man scratched his head. "I think a vital energy arm isn't bad either. It's like having an extra arm, and you can fight fiercely with it."
The crowd burst into laughter and tears. Granny Si shook her head. "Vital energy silk is more sensitive. A vital energy arm is too bulky. Its toughness, strength, and sensitivity are nowhere near that of vital energy silk. Mu'er, you need to practice until your vital energy becomes silk as soon as possible."
Qin Mu nodded.
He could only manifest the fire attribute in his vital energy when observing fire, similar to Vermilion Bird vital energy. But as long as he wasn't observing fire, his vital energy remained ordinary vital energy.
And practicing qi into silk while simultaneously observing fire was still quite difficult for him.
Village Chief and the others also noticed the peculiarity, their brows furrowing. Qin Mu could only display the fire attribute when observing fire, and the water attribute when observing water. This was extremely disadvantageous in battle!
In a battle, would the enemy give you the opportunity to observe fire or water?
They had initially thought Qin Mu's Overlord Body vital energy, possessing both water and fire attributes, was incredibly powerful. Now, they felt somewhat uncertain.
"Ah ah!"
Dumb Man gesticulated with his hands, his laughter honest and pure.
Deaf Man understood and laughed. "Dumb Man is right. Mu'er has just figured out the knack. Practice makes perfect; he will definitely master it with continued cultivation!"
Vital energy with both water and fire attributes was equivalent to simultaneously awakening both the Black Tortoise Spirit Body and the Vermilion Bird Spirit Body. When Qin Mu observed fire, it was Vermilion Bird vital energy. When he observed water, it was Black Tortoise vital energy.
Within the village, Qin Mu controlled the arm-thick vital energy silk to practice the pig-slaying knife technique. The pig-slaying knife flew up and down, occasionally coming perilously close to slicing him in half. Each time he encountered danger, Blind Man, standing nearby, would use his bamboo staff to deflect the pig-slaying knife, preventing him from actually cutting himself to death.
Practicing qi into silk and controlling the sword with qi required step-by-step cultivation. Controlling a treasured sword with vital energy silk, and using the sword to slay the enemy, was also extremely dangerous. Only through diligent cultivation could one control it at will.
Butcher's pig-slaying knife technique belonged to the War Technique school. Although Butcher had incorporated some advantages of the Divine Powers school and could control the knife at will, the War Technique school's movements were fundamentally different from those of the Divine Powers school. Using the pig-slaying knife technique to train with qi control of the sword was extremely dangerous.
Butcher's moves were truly too wild, too dangerous. When he got carried away, it was not an exaggeration to say he might even cut himself down.
And the Thunder Sound Eight Styles that Grandpa Horse had imparted to Qin Mu were purely from the War Technique school and could not be used for qi control of the sword.
Granny Si had imparted to him the Heavenly Demon Creation Skill, which belonged to magic. Lame Man's leg technique, Blind Man's staff technique, Deaf Man's painting skills, Apothecary's medicine refining technique, and Dumb Man's blacksmithing skills, obviously could not be used to train with qi control of the sword either.
Therefore, to cultivate qi control of the sword, Qin Mu could only train with the dangerous movements of the pig-slaying knife technique.
At the village entrance, Village Chief was lazily basking in the sun. Apothecary stood beside him, turning his head to look at Qin Mu, who was diligently practicing qi control of the sword. Suddenly, he said, "Blind Man imparted the Divine Eye to Mu'er, Butcher also imparted his knife technique to him, as did Lame Man his leg technique, and Deaf Man his painting skills... What about you, Village Chief?"
Village Chief turned his head and looked at him.
Apothecary's tone was somewhat aggressive. "Each of us has our strengths, but our attainments in qi control of the sword are not deep. Your insight is stronger than any of ours, your abilities are higher than any of ours. Why don't you impart it? In this world, when it comes to sword techniques, who can compare to you?"
Village Chief's expression was somber. He lowered his head, looking at his non-existent hands and feet, and said in a low voice, "I want to impart it, but Mu'er cannot bear it. Even when my hands and feet were complete, I could not bear it, otherwise I wouldn't need to hide in the Great Ruins... Do you know how my hands and feet were broken?"
Apothecary shook his head.
"It was a sword injury."
Village Chief raised his head, his eyes empty. "My hands and feet were severed by a sword. To impart my skill is to bear my responsibility. I cannot bear it. The current him is even less able to bear it."
