Master fell silent.
Then he asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"
Mr. Li said, "No.
This Earthbreaking is no small matter. I can't risk your life on it.
I know a few craftsmen who can do the job. Once the corpses in this Earth Vein have been brought up, I'll head into the mountains to see what's happening there. If the earth's lungs are damaged too, we'll need a second Earthbreaking.
Whether it's the first or the second, both involve the Ominous Fiend in the Earth Vein. You'd best stay out of it.
Disturbing the earth above an Earth Vein is a serious matter, not much different from provoking a god.
If I need your help, it'll be after the Earthbreaking."
As they spoke, Master and Mr. Li watched Xu Feng stitch another corpse. He covered its eyes and stopped up its ears. After a dab of Incense Ash, he guided its qi away.
It rose all the way to the heavens.
Master loosened his limbs beside them, then suddenly said, "Just now, the boy asked me how this craft could reach Flawless Perfection.
That was the first time I'd heard the phrase.
Perfect and without a flaw? I couldn't answer him."
Mr. Li said, "A divine being's body is naturally without flaw. Next time he asks, point beneath our feet and tell him: perfection lies in the Dao, and freedom from flaws lies in the body.
In the palace of Lunar Form Refinement, one may attain Flawless Perfection."
With that, Mr. Li turned and walked away, leaning on his cane.
Master drank some tea from his waterskin and committed those words to memory. Then he turned back to stitch corpses, but no matter how he stitched, it was different from his disciple's work.
He couldn't enter that