Chapter 2: Cultivating the Soul and Nurturing the Spirit

He opened his mouth to ask: "Manager Wu has not yet mentioned what brings you here?" He did not beat around the bush, but asked directly, which is more in line with his current status and age

The thoughts of young people are not very complicated; the former partner quickly sensed the spirit and nourished it according to the records of the cultivation method

Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of wild ginseng and He Shou Wu. After all, in any era, these highly nourishing herbs are always in short supply. Even if they are available, they have long been dug up by the villagers.

Fortunately, at that time, I became obsessed, and part of my soul power dispersed into my limbs and bones, merging into vital energy, replenishing the physical body, and sustaining the life of this fleshly form

Shen Lian said: "Well, that's fine. You can come in and rest for a while if you want."

Shen Lian fell silent for a moment and said, "How about this, I will return with you early tomorrow morning"

After some time had passed, Shen Lian had just taken that extremely bitter tonic and thought to himself that from now on he would only perform some simple Five Animal Exercises and would no longer drink this bitter medicine

Although he is unaware of the strength of his spirit, he instead bears a heavy burden on his physical body

Only after Shen Lian woke up, he was not immediately on the verge of death

Wu Guan Shi has followed the Shen family for many years and holds a certain status among the servants. Generally speaking, it is not necessary for him to handle trivial errands. He remarked, "The Third Young Master has lost quite a bit of weight after not being seen for two years"

Shen Lian's maternal uncle has two sons, both older than him. Since Shen Lian took the surname of the Shen family, he is ranked third in the Shen family.

It is also clear that the immediate priority is to restore the physical body and replenish the depleted vital energy

Wu Guan Shi said: "No need, I happen to be going down the mountain to inspect the fields of our Shen family."

In the end, it was the small doctor from Earth who took over the nest.

Later, although he integrated most of the other party's memories and became a completely new 'Shen Lian', the next challenge was to deal with this frail and weakened body

I did not expect to hear a knock on the door from outside, as I was still thinking that villagers had just brought food and clothing yesterday, and logically, they should not come today

However, it is not as if it would fall over at the slightest breeze

He is indeed a doctor, and he certainly knows how weak the body is

He focuses solely on nurturing his soul, yet neglects the corresponding physical training. The extraction of spirit and soul draws upon vital energy and blood essence to strengthen the power of the soul

He does not understand cultivation, nor does he know that the spirit can wander, which can engulf all his vital energy. He is already physically weak, and most of the vitality generated from his daily qi and blood is consumed when the soul energy circulates within him.

Shen Lian thought to himself: Today is not an important day, so what is he here for? Shen Lian is no longer the same Shen Lian from before; having experienced modern society and being an adult, he is much more perceptive about the ways of the world than he was previously, understanding the principle that one does not visit the Three Treasures Hall without a reason.

Mr. Wu indeed does not have a deep impression of the third young master. It was only half a year ago that such an incident occurred, leaving the Shen family's third generation with only one young lady. The eldest master has fallen ill, and whether he can have children is uncertain. The second master was injured while practicing martial arts many years ago and has also lost the ability to have children. Given the current situation, it is possible that one day this third young master, who is not very close to the family, will take charge.

The middle-aged man said, "Third Young Master, you have finally opened the door."

Fortunately, this place is a remote mountainous area, and the vegetation is not significantly different from that of the original Earth, allowing him to find some herbs that can replenish his health

He only said this one sentence, and then he said nothing more

Wu Guan Shi felt a sudden jolt in his heart; this young master, though reclusive in nature, was by no means a fool. However, if he were too clever, it might actually hinder his chances of seizing this opportunity. He appeared somewhat uncouth, yet he was acutely aware of the situation.

Shen Lian was neither overly enthusiastic nor indifferent; he simply asked in a casual manner, "What brings you here, Manager Wu?"

In that moment, he was unable to catch his breath, his physical body became the essence, and his spirit became the soul. There exists an intricate connection between the soul and the essence, which instantly led him to become possessed by madness. Within his true spirit, various illusions intertwined, causing immediate confusion.

He has integrated the memories of his predecessor and absorbed most of their spirit, resulting in a powerful mind, an exceptional memory, and an ability to remember everything at a glance

Upon careful recollection, I remembered who this person is; it turns out to be a servant of the Shen family

It was merely the former practitioner who became obsessed with that technique. The new Shen Lian, lacking sufficient knowledge and preparation for further cultivation, does not intend to continue delving deeper into his practice

Therefore, at the behest of the master, please ask him to descend the mountain and return home. Manager Wu is also being very cautious, fearing that he might say something inappropriate

The journey from the Shen family to here is a distance of one hundred miles, which is neither long nor short; unless absolutely necessary, even the servants would not come.

After several months of careful nurturing, Shen Lian, whose originally emaciated body was nothing but skin and bones, has gained some flesh, although it still falls short compared to that of a normal person

In the depths of the heart's spiritual sea, there lies a profound silence, as if before the creation of the universe, in the void where loneliness is unexpressed. There is neither crystal nor light, neither scripture nor dimension. A pure expanse of darkness, drifting and elusive, submerged in a myriad of complexities, from which a primordial deity is born out of the void, holding a jade scepter, seated in the emptiness, silent and wordless. The chaotic thoughts that arise in Shen Lian's mind gradually fade away, returning to the void

After Wu Guan left, Shen Lian returned to the quiet room, where the windows were tightly sealed with paper, allowing not a hint of light to enter. He lit a stick of soul-soothing incense made from herbs collected in the mountains, and in the dark room, a single flame flickered like a star in the night, cold and solitary. A faint scent of smoke permeated the air as Shen Lian sat cross-legged in meditation

To understand that practicing martial arts recklessly and taking medicine indiscriminately are both paths to self-destruction, unless your luck is extraordinarily good. Even if Zhang Wuji could master the Nine Yang Divine Skill, it is not only due to his good fortune, but also because he had renowned masters like Xie Xun and Zhang Sanfeng to teach him, laying a solid foundation.

His spirit grew stronger, yet his body became increasingly frail. Normally, a young person is in a period of growth, full of vitality; however, in his case, his vitality was waning, and his body was becoming more and more sickly. It was also due to his exceptional innate constitution that, after several years of practice, he had not encountered any major issues.

One only needs to have a slight understanding of the current situation of the Shen family to realize that this means the vast fortune of the Shen family has likely lost its two most legitimate heirs

Mr. Wu said: "It has been a long time since the master and the old master have seen you. They are concerned about your solitary and austere life in the mountains and wish for you to return home for a while."

However, on the path of cultivation, one mistake leads to another, and the final outcome is unlikely to be favorable. Finally, on one day, when his spiritual power was full, almost breaking through the Baihui acupoint at the top of his head to reach the realm of 'out-of-body experience', his spirit floated, as if it were about to drift away with the wind, breaking free from the shackles of the physical body

It is uncertain whether this technique has any omissions, as it only includes the method for nurturing the soul, but lacks the section on body refinement

When the spirit is about to leave the body, it requires a substantial amount of vital energy for replenishment. How could his body provide such an abundance of vital energy? The previous individual did not understand this principle and forcibly broke through, exhausting the potential of the physical body, bringing it close to collapse

Upon opening the door, I found a middle-aged man. Although his clothing was made of good material, his attire suggested that he resembled a servant or a laborer.

Shen Lian managed to traverse once with great difficulty, but he does not wish to rely on luck; if he accidentally dies, he cannot traverse again.

Manager Wu said: "It seems that the Third Young Master is not looking well. I will arrange for a more comfortable carriage to come over, and I will pick you up tomorrow morning"

Shen Lian fell silent for a moment, and finally said: "Has something significant happened recently?"

Finally, it was said: "A few days ago, the eldest young master and the second young master left"

He thought to himself that this face seemed familiar from somewhere