I'm Just Making Up The Exercises, My Disciple, Have You Really Mastered Them?

Chapter 4: Xu Yan's Self-Imagination

Before dawn, Xu Yan had already assumed a stable stance and began practicing.

"My master said that the focus is on enlightenment and intention, not on form. I need to sense and mobilize my qi and blood, and temper my Skin Refining membrane..."

"The ancient prodigies completed Skin Refining in just five days. I still haven't sensed my qi and blood. The gap is too big. My master said not to be impatient, as impatience makes it harder to sense the qi and blood..."

Xu Yan calmed his mind, concentrated on himself, and carefully sensed his own qi and blood.

A streak of white appeared on the horizon.

The sun was about to rise, and Xu Yan, immersed in sensing his qi and blood, suddenly felt a warm flow emerging between his chest and abdomen. It was delicate and warm, seemingly flowing with his breath.

"Qi and blood!"

"I've sensed my qi and blood!"

At that moment, Xu Yan was extremely excited.

"Calm down, stay calm. I need to be calm and composed. I can't let my mind wander..."

"How do I mobilize my qi and blood to temper the Skin Refining membrane? My master didn't specify. Should I go ask my master?"

"No! My master said that it's about enlightenment and intention. I must grasp this moment's sensation. If I slack off, it will be difficult to sense the qi and blood again..."

"Moreover, if I have to ask my master for detailed instructions on how to mobilize my qi and blood, wouldn't that disappoint my master? It would make him think that I lack comprehension."

With these thoughts, Xu Yan immediately dismissed the idea of seeking guidance from Li Xuan.

He continued to assume the stance, repeatedly attempting to mobilize his qi and blood, while recalling the explanations Li Xuan had given him about mobilizing qi and blood.

His entire focus was on himself, immersed in the process of mobilizing his qi and blood. Unconsciously, his breathing changed along with the mobilization of his qi and blood. Gradually, a strand of qi and blood permeated his whole body, his skin slightly reddened, as if a warm flow was tempering his membrane.

"Shouldn't this be considered entering the Skin Refining stage?"

Xu Yan was exhilarated. He had finally sensed his qi and blood and successfully mobilized it to temper the Skin Refining membrane.

...

Li Xuan yawned, got up, washed up, and went out to prepare breakfast.

He was the only one left in the village, self-sufficient living had become a habit.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Xu Yan practicing the stance. The corner of his mouth twitched. This disciple was indeed diligent, but unfortunately, no matter how diligent he was, it wouldn't make a difference.

The cultivation method was something he made up. It would be a miracle if anyone could succeed in cultivation.

"When he can't hold on any longer and comes to ask me, I'll just make up some nonsense to fool him."

Li Xuan shook his head and turned away.

Xu Yan saw his master and felt excited. He was about to tell his master that he had sensed his qi and blood.

He had already entered the Skin Refining stage!

However, when he saw his master shaking his head, his heart skipped a beat.

"Is my master dissatisfied with me?"

"Yes, with my master's level of cultivation, how could he not see that I have already sensed my qi and blood and entered the Skin Refining stage?"

"It must be because my master thinks I'm restless, arrogant, and unable to remain calm..."

After imagining all this, Xu Yan immediately dismissed the idea of telling Li Xuan that he had already sensed his qi and blood and entered the Skin Refining stage.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind and continued to mobilize his qi and blood to temper the Skin Refining membrane.

"My master is unfathomable. He can see through my true and false at a glance. I shouldn't be arrogant or complacent. I can't lose my composure... My progress in cultivation, my master can see it at a glance. There's no need for me to speak up."

Xu Yan realized that his master could see his progress, so there was no need for him to deliberately inform his master.

Li Xuan caught a chicken in the chicken coop and prepared to continue stewing the Nine Leaf Yuan Zhi. It was a rare elixir. After drinking the chicken soup stewed with Nine Leaf Yuan Zhi yesterday, he felt that his body had become stronger.

He took out a knife, ready to kill the chicken.

Suddenly, he paused. "Wait a minute, I have a disciple. There's no reason for me, as the master, to serve my disciple. It should be the other way around, right?"

"Anyway, I've already deceived him once. He's my disciple now, so it's reasonable for him to serve me as his master, right?"

With this thought in mind, Li Xuan walked towards Xu Yan, holding a chicken in one hand and a knife in the other.

"Disciple, come, kill the chicken and stew it with some Nine Leaf Yuanzhi. Let's go cook," Li Xuan said.

Xu Yan received the chicken and knife from Li Xuan, feeling a bit confused.

"What's wrong? Can't cook?" Li Xuan frowned as he saw Xu Yan in a daze.

"That's right, Xu Yan is a rich kid. How could he possibly know how to cook?" Li Xuan thought.

Although that was the case, since he had taken Xu Yan as his disciple, he should make good use of him.

"Disciple, everything from eating and sleeping to practicing is cultivation. Although you haven't even started, and becoming a master is still far away, it's beneficial for you to familiarize yourself in advance," Li Xuan said seriously.

"Master, I will go now!" Xu Yan replied respectfully.

"Master's level is too high. It seems like mundane matters, but it's actually the mark of a master, the mark of a recluse!" Xu Yan thought, increasingly feeling that his master was profound and unfathomable.

Xu Yan went to cook.

Li Xuan was worried, so he watched Xu Yan for a while and found that although Xu Yan was a bit unfamiliar with killing chickens and cooking, with his guidance, the food he made should be edible.

So Li Xuan moved a chair and placed it under the big tree in front of the house. He lay on the chair, waiting for the meal.

"With a disciple to serve, this kind of life is really good."

"With Xu Yan's brain, he won't be able to figure it out in a short time, but I should prepare an exit route..."

After the meal, Xu Yan continued to cultivate.

"The speed of tempering the Skin Refining membrane has increased, and the Qi and blood have increased by at least fifty percent..."

"At this rate, although it's impossible to complete the Skin Refining in five days, it should be no problem to complete it within a month."

Xu Yan sensed the increased speed of tempering the Skin Refining membrane and felt excited.

"Why did the speed of Skin Refining suddenly increase? Could it be..."

He thought of the chicken soup stewed with Nine Leaf Yuanzhi.

Nine Leaf Yuanzhi was a rare treasure medicine, and it was the only one in the Xu family's collection. If he wasn't the only child of the Xu family, deeply loved by his parents, he wouldn't have been able to obtain the Nine Leaf Yuanzhi as a gift for his master.

"Master!" Xu Yan was deeply moved at this moment.

"Master knows that Nine Leaf Yuanzhi can help me cultivate, so he took it out and let me stew the chicken!"

"I must not let down my master's efforts. I must practice diligently and strive to enter the door as soon as possible!"

In Xu Yan's imagination, his respect for his master at this moment was as strong as the sun and moon, and he was deeply moved.

He mobilized his Qi and blood, constantly tempering his membrane.

With continuous tempering, Xu Yan felt that his body was becoming stronger, his Qi and blood were becoming more vigorous, and his membrane was becoming tougher. It seemed that he had already entered the realm of Skin Refining.

"I feel that my strength has increased by more than double. This is just the beginning of Skin Refining. How strong will I be when I reach the peak of Skin Refining?"

"I must enter the Martial Dao within a year!"

Xu Yan's gaze was firm.

"The effect of this Nine Leaf Yuanzhi is too good. Why do I feel that my strength has increased?"

"Should I enjoy it alone? Forget it, it was Xu Yan's gift in the first place. Let's stew it together. I shouldn't be too selfish!"

Li Xuan felt the changes in his body and, at one point, had the idea of monopolizing the Nine Leaf Yuanzhi.

But in the end, he wasn't ruthless enough and dismissed the idea of monopolizing it.

(End of this chapter)