Jade Dynasty: I am the master of the Burning Sword, my swordsmanship is unparalleled.

Chapter 7 Two and a half years

It was already noon when I got back to the courtyard. After washing up, it was lunchtime.

During lunch, perhaps because she had been "taught a lesson" by Zhang Xiaofan earlier, before Tian Buyi could even ask, Tian Ling'er took the initiative to exaggerate and criticize Zhang Xiaofan.

Especially the last part, where Zhang Xiaofan refused her help as his senior sister, was repeated word for word by Tian Ling'er.

After she finished speaking, Tian Ling'er stood to the side and egged them on.

"Father, Xiao Fan has disrespected his senior sister. You must punish him severely!"

"Ling'er, stop fooling around!"

Upon hearing this, Su Ru quickly gave Tian Ling'er a light scolding, but her gaze towards Zhang Xiaofan held a hint of satisfaction.

Those who cultivate the Tao value their character most. Zhang Xiaofan's actions may seem stubborn, or even a bit like he doesn't appreciate kindness, but what those who cultivate the Tao need most is precisely to uphold their original intentions.

"Master, I am foolish and have failed to complete my homework. Please punish me!"

Zhang Xiaofan didn't explain himself, but instead stood up and apologized to Tian Buyi. Song Daren, who was standing to the side, quickly pleaded with Tian Buyi on his behalf.

"Master, it's understandable that Junior Brother is young and can't finish his homework. I believe he will work even harder in the future!"

"Yes, Master, Junior Brother is still young. It's already quite good that he was able to cut most of it off!"

“That’s right, Master. When I first joined the sect, I was even less capable than my junior brother.”

Seeing this, the other disciples also stood up and joined in pleading for mercy.

Sitting at the head of the table, Tian Buyi remained silent, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. Only after his disciples had finished speaking did he let out a cold snort.

"What are you all standing there for? Don't you want to eat?"

"Yes, Master!"

Song Daren, Du Bishu, and other disciples all beamed with joy.

"Considering your sincere attitude, I will not punish you. Remember, the sea of ​​knowledge is boundless, and diligence is the boat. In the future, you must not slack off in the slightest."

Tian Buyi then looked at Zhang Xiaofan and said a few words in a pretentious manner. Su Ru, who was standing to the side, secretly chuckled. After all these years, he still had the same bad temper.

"Yes, disciple, remember this!"

Zhang Xiaofan calmly bowed to Tian Buyi before sitting down.

Seeing that Tian Buyi wasn't angry, Tian Ling'er didn't seem disappointed. She just glared at Zhang Xiaofan as if to say: If you dare to disrespect your senior sister again, I'll tell Father on you.

"Xiao Fan, I taught you the Daoist arts yesterday. You practiced all night. Have you made any progress?"

Tian Buyi, who was originally planning to start the meal, remembered that he had already passed on the Daoist teachings to Zhang Xiaofan, so he casually asked a question.

In fact, Tian Buyi was just asking casually and hadn't thought about anything else. He always taught his disciples this way. Although he cared about his reputation, he didn't like to teach and would only ask occasionally when he remembered.

"Master, after practicing last night, I was able to open all the orifices in my body and barely draw in the Qi. However, I am dull-witted and still find it difficult to circulate the Qi throughout my body."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaofan did not hide anything and told the truth about his situation. However, he did not mention that it was because he was simultaneously cultivating the Great Brahma Prajna.

Upon hearing what Zhang Xiaofan said, everyone from Dazhu Peak at the dinner table was stunned.

On his very first day of cultivation—no, to be precise, on his very first attempt—he was able to draw qi into his body, setting a new record since the founding of the Qingyun Sect.

Although it was indeed strange that he couldn't circulate spiritual energy after drawing it into his body, it still surprised everyone. "Junior Brother, you can draw energy into your body now?"

Song Daren and the others stared at Zhang Xiaofan in astonishment, but Tian Ling'er reacted quickly and hurriedly spoke to Du Bishu and the other senior brothers.

"Hmph! I knew Xiao Fan could definitely draw Qi into his body within seven days, right?"

As she spoke, Tian Ling'er's brows furrowed with a hint of smugness; anyone who didn't know better would think she was the one who broke the record.

Tian Buyi's large, fat hand, which was under the table, trembled slightly. He gently grasped Su Ru's delicate hand, calmed his shock, and then spoke calmly.

"Hmm, not bad. Being able to draw Qi into your body on your first attempt at cultivation must be due to the pure Qi within you. You must not be arrogant or complacent."

In fact, Tian Buyi did think so too.

The Qingyun Mountains are a sacred and blessed land of Taoism, where the pure energy is abundant. Since Zhang Xiaofan's body also contains pure energy, it is normal that he can quickly draw energy into his body.

As for the difficulty in circulating Qi throughout the body after it has been drawn in, it is probably due to poor aptitude.

However, this did not affect Tian Buyi's happiness. Although his aptitude was somewhat lacking, the most important thing in cultivation was actually comprehension, while aptitude was secondary and could be made up for through diligence.

For someone like Zhang Xiaofan, who possesses pure energy within his body, he is naturally close to the Dao and has a deep affinity for it, making it easier for him to break through bottlenecks compared to ordinary people.

Even if his progress is slow, Zhang Xiaofan seems to have a very resilient character. Even if his future achievements are not as great as mine, he will not cause their Great Bamboo Peak to completely decline.

However, Tian Buyi showed no joy on his face. After offering a simple compliment, his expression turned serious.

"Although you have a deep affinity for the Dao, your aptitude is not particularly outstanding. From now on, you must diligently cultivate and not be lazy for even a day. Do you understand?"

"This disciple has remembered!"

Zhang Xiaofan responded in a deep voice, but felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.

The reason he specifically mentioned that he had difficulty circulating his qi was because he was worried that Tian Buyi would keep an eye on his cultivation and discover his secret of cultivating the Great Brahma Prajna and using the Blood-Devouring Bead.

However, it seems to be a pretty good misunderstanding right now.

"Okay, let's eat."

At this moment, Su Ru also spoke up.

After finishing his meal, Tian Buyi walked back to his Shoujing Hall with his signature pigeon-toed gait, but his steps were much lighter than before.

After returning to his courtyard, Zhang Xiaofan began his afternoon practice, cultivating the Taiji Xuanqing Dao.

Every day thereafter, Zhang Xiaofan would get up early to do his homework, practice Taiji Xuanqing Dao in the afternoon after lunch, rest for the first half of the night, use the Bloodthirsty Bead to cultivate at midnight, and practice Dafan Prajna in the deep of night.

Despite his diligent practice, Zhang Xiaofan's progress wasn't particularly fast, but it was still quite good.

On the first day of cultivation, Taiji Xuanqing Dao and Dafan Prajna entered the first level. It took them a year to advance to the second level. After that, it took them another ten months to advance to the third level, and another eight months to reach the fourth level.

It took Zhang Xiaofan a full two years and six months, or two and a half years, to finally reach the realm of controlling objects.

However, compared to others, Zhang Xiaofan's physique is quite strong, and he is already able to barely support the power of the Burning Sword, allowing Zhang Xiaofan to enter the sword control realm of man and sword as one.

The unity of man and sword is a special application of the sword control technique of Tianyong City, which was practiced by Baili Tusu within the soul of Prince Changqin.

(End of this chapter)