That evening, Fan Miwei prepared a lavish dinner for everyone, and news also arrived from Qin Yifei's side.
The results of the paternity test were out.
Qin Xuan was not the grandson of the person from the Imperial Capital.
Upon hearing the news, Qin Xuan's first reaction was disappointment.
After all, this was the first time in many years that he had received news of someone who might be his relative.
To say he had no expectations would be a lie.
But then, he felt relieved.
After all, besides the birthmark on his back, he and that young master of the Qin family had no other similarities.
Moreover, the Qin family was too large and its network too complex. If he were truly that so-called eldest young master, his life might not be as comfortable as it was now.
Regarding this, Qin Xuan's three masters also told him not to worry.
No matter how strong the Qin family was, at most, it was the foremost family in the secular world.
As the personal disciple of three divine-level Supremes, his status was only higher, not lower, than that of any young master of the Qin family.
Therefore, he didn't need to care whether he was a member of the Qin family or not.
Even the rather sentimental Zheng Wanqing, upon learning of Qin Xuan and Qin Ling'er's experiences over the years, directly told them to consider her as their own mother.
After all, a master and disciple were like father and son; their relationship should be like that of family.
Qin Xuan was deeply moved and readily agreed, and Qin Ling'er happily called her "Mom" as well.
After tidying up, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Qin Xuan went to bed early after his cultivation.
Because the next morning, Hu Sanqiang would begin instructing him.
As for Qin Ling'er, she went to chat with Zheng Wanqing.
Late at night, Yuan Mengqi tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
After much hesitation, she still called her family.
Her purpose was to have them secretly investigate Qin Xuan's true identity.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Qin Xuan arrived in the garden early to wait.
Seeing this, Hu Sanqiang leaped directly from the third floor.
"Good disciple, you are indeed diligent!"
"Come, warm up with your second master first!"
As soon as Hu Sanqiang finished speaking, his fist, as large as a sandbag, instantly appeared before Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan's pupils trembled, and he quickly ducked and bent over to dodge.
However, how could Hu Sanqiang let him dodge so easily?
As soon as Qin Xuan lowered his head, a knee strike followed.
To avoid hitting his face, Qin Xuan could only overlap his palms, brace against Hu Sanqiang's knee, and then use the force to leap backward, creating distance between them.
Seeing this, Hu Sanqiang laughed heartily with satisfaction.
Even the leaves on the trees rustled from his laughter.
It was fortunate that there were no neighbors nearby, otherwise, they would have come to investigate.
"Good boy, although you have no martial arts foundation, both your movements and reactions are first-class."
"As expected of the youngest Grandmaster!"
"Alright."
"Adjust your breathing, and from now on, practice the horse stance."
Horse stance?
Qin Xuan was stunned.
Wasn't that the most basic movement in martial arts training?
His physical fitness and power generation techniques far surpassed ordinary people. Would practicing the horse stance still be useful to him?
Seeing Qin Xuan's confused eyes, Hu Sanqiang laughed again.
"You brat, it's clear you only have a superficial understanding of the benefits of the horse stance!"
"Otherwise, why would I say that martial arts in Longguo are almost lost arts?!"
After speaking, Hu Sanqiang spread his legs shoulder-width apart, lowered his upper body, and immediately assumed a stable horse stance.
"Come, attack my lower body fiercely."
"Yes!"
Seeing Hu Sanqiang's posture, Qin Xuan knew that his master intended to show him the benefits of the horse stance.
So he responded decisively and attacked Hu Sanqiang's lower body.
Left front kick, sweeping leg.
Qin Xuan used every move he could.
But after a series of attacks, not only did he fail to move Hu Sanqiang even an inch, but he also received several slaps from him.
"How is it, my good disciple, what are your thoughts on my horse stance?"
Seeing Qin Xuan gradually give up, Hu Sanqiang asked.
Qin Xuan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "My thought on second master's horse stance can be summarized in one word: stable!"
"Your feet seem rooted to the ground, unshakeable no matter what attack is thrown at you."
Hu Sanqiang nodded in satisfaction, "This is the characteristic of the stable horse stance: solid and unyielding."
"Come, now let's switch roles."
Saying that, Hu Sanqiang had Qin Xuan assume a stable horse stance like himself.
Qin Xuan immediately followed suit, but he felt awkward no matter how he stood.
"Tuck your perineum, draw in your abdomen, and sink your qi to your dantian."
"The horse stance is not just about posture; it also requires cultivation with your breath!"
With a loud shout, Hu Sanqiang deliberately paused.
Then he stepped forward.
He unleashed a simple sweeping leg, instantly sweeping Qin Xuan to the ground.
"Heh heh, how was that?"
Looking at Qin Xuan lying on the ground, Hu Sanqiang let out a couple of proud hums.
Qin Xuan, bewildered, got up from the ground.
He could feel that Hu Sanqiang's sweeping leg hadn't used much force.
Yet, he was still swept to the ground by that kick, lacking the solid feeling his second master possessed.
"Second master, what's going on?"
Ignoring the dirt on his body, Qin Xuan immediately began to ask Hu Sanqiang for advice.
Hu Sanqiang's eyes lit up, and his gaze towards Qin Xuan became even more appreciative.
"The horse stance is not something that can be mastered overnight."
"It requires you to naturally lower your center of gravity and root yourself to the ground."
"The stable horse stance I demonstrated to you is one of the most stable ways to assume the stance."
"It's normal for you not to grasp the key points on your first try."
Before he finished speaking, Hu Sanqiang lowered his center of gravity again, assuming a standard stable horse stance.
Qin Xuan imitated Hu Sanqiang's movements.
"When practicing the horse stance, both shoulders and legs should be level and steady!"
"You can place four bowls filled with water on your shoulders without spilling; this is the stable horse stance."
"Its key points, in addition to the external posture, also include gripping the ground with your toes, tucking your perineum, drawing in your abdomen, sinking your qi to your dantian, pressing your tongue to the upper palate, and moving in sync with your breath."
Listening to Hu Sanqiang's explanation, Qin Xuan followed suit, but he couldn't grasp how to synchronize with his breath.
After observing repeatedly, he was astonished to discover that when Hu Sanqiang assumed a stable horse stance, his body was not completely still.
Instead, his entire body would rise and fall with the flow of his breath.
The amplitude of this fluctuation was small, and Qin Xuan hadn't noticed it at first.
But upon closer inspection, it was as if he had received a divine revelation, and he instantly understood the key to it.
With this realization, Qin Xuan adjusted his posture and breath again.
After a series of subtle adjustments, he finally found a peculiar feeling of being rooted to the ground.
"Good boy!"
"You truly are a martial arts prodigy!"
Seeing Qin Xuan's slightly moving body, Hu Sanqiang's eyes shone brightly.
The horse stance, unlike other moves, not only requires perfect posture but also the ability to constantly lower one's center of gravity and maintain the feeling of being rooted to the ground.
There is almost no shortcut to developing this feeling, other than through accumulation over time, turning it into an unconscious action.
But Qin Xuan achieved it with ease.
Even if it was by chance, the fact that he stumbled upon it would still allow him to bypass many detours on his path of martial arts.