In the beginning, when Yin and Yang first merged, the cosmos gave birth to all things, infinite and boundless. The energies of Yin and Yang pierced through the void, coalescing myriad Laws—this is the Ancestral Return of All Things.

※※※※ The night was profoundly deep, and suddenly, stars erupted overhead in multitudes like grains of Ganges sand, shining fiercely and twinkling without restraint. Amidst this moonlit expanse, a youth crouched in a stable horse stance on the hillside, gazing calmly ahead.

Maintaining such a posture was an exhausting endeavor, yet the face of the young man on the slope was one of utter composure, giving the impression that he was not balancing in a martial stance but rather relaxing in a comfortable chair. Suddenly, a faint, subtle "rustle" reached the youth's ears.

This was not the sound of wind disturbing fallen leaves, but the approach of someone, or some creature, treading with exceptionally light steps. The mountain was covered in endless rows of towering trees, some so immense that it would take several men linking arms to encircle their trunks—a truly ancient forest.

However, despite its antiquity, the forest offered little threat from wild beasts during this scorching summer. The youth, still rooted in his horse stance, tilted his head to listen intently.

After a moment, a hint of a bright smile touched his lips. "Yitao, come out now." With the youth's crisp call, another, slightly younger boy immediately sprang out from behind a massive tree.

"Sixth Brother, your hearing is incredible; you spotted me again." Both boys were third-generation disciples from the He Family Estate at the foot of the mountain. The elder one, who practiced diligently even under the moonlight, was He Yiming, ranked sixth among the third generation.

The younger was He Yitao, ranked ninth. Though only eleven or twelve years old, they were already receiving the elite education designed for all young disciples of the Estate.

As sons of the main lineage within the He family, both He Yiming and He Yitao possessed commendable talent. While this talent wasn't enough to place them far above their peers in the third generation, they certainly were not lagging behind.

He Yitao darted out from behind the tree, instantly lowering his center of gravity and exploding forward with lightning speed toward He Yiming. Simultaneously, he crossed his arms over his chest, using the momentum of his charge to unleash a sudden punch forward just as he neared He Yiming.

Despite being only eleven, the force and speed of this rush were not to be underestimated. However, He Yiming, facing him, merely offered a slight smile and casually extended both hands, gently pressing down upon the power-filled fist.

"Ow..." He Yitao cried out miserably, his body spinning uncontrollably halfway through the air, landing heavily on the ground after completing two full rotations. Instantly, dirt sprayed everywhere, and the culprit, He Yitao, shook his wrist, whimpering in pain.

He Yiming shook his head slightly, annoyance growing as a few specks of dirt landed on himself. "Ninth Brother, why use that move again?

This is the set of clothes I planned to change into tomorrow. Now I have to wash them all over again." "Hehe, Sixth Brother, I just wanted to try one more time," He Yitao replied, still shaking his wrist.

Although his strength was considerable and his internal energy had reached a certain level, his physical development couldn't compare to an adult's. The direct collision, while not causing serious injury, brought inevitable, sharp pain.

"Hmph, until you break through to the Fifth Layer of Internal Strength, what is there left to test?" He Yiming grumbled in dissatisfaction. He Yitao blinked his bright eyes, then suddenly asked, "Sixth Brother, have you felt the trigger for a breakthrough yet?" He Yiming's expression instantly darkened, losing all trace of a twelve-year-old boy.

He quickly patted his own head, and He Yitao immediately grabbed his Sixth Brother's hand. "Sixth Brother, I was wrong.

I shouldn't have asked." He Yiming gave a wry smile, shaking his head. "It's fine.

It's not your fault; it's my own issue." Children of the He family began cultivating the family's core internal arts manuals from the age of five. All manuals, regardless of attribute, were divided into ten layers.

For an average person—unless utterly dense or entirely devoid of talent—it was possible to reach the Third Layer within five years. These first three layers of internal energy only served to generally strengthen the body and promote longevity.

Advancement beyond the Third Layer depended entirely on an individual's innate talent, comprehension, and fortuitous encounters. He Yiming began studying Hunyuan Jin, one of the primary Metal-attribute internal cultivation manuals, at age five.

His progress was swift from the start; by age six, just one year later, he had successfully advanced to the Third Layer. At that time, everyone held high hopes for his future.

This rapid ascent not only indicated He Yiming’s superior talent and diligence but also showed he had correctly chosen a manual corresponding to his elemental attribute, leading to such fast progress. Internal manuals came in various attributes, and cultivating one aligned with one's primary attribute naturally led to leaps in progress.

Conversely, choosing the wrong manual could result in achieving nothing at all. He Yiming selecting the correct manual on his first try was an event of extreme good fortune.

Over the following three years, He Yiming surmounted a new hurdle every one or two years, reaching the Fifth Layer of Hunyuan Jin by age nine. But after that, He Yiming encountered the cultivation barrier that everyone eventually faces, and he remained stuck at this critical juncture for a full four years.

During these four years, two elder brothers, one elder sister, and one male cousin in the family had all caught up to him, reaching the Fifth Level. Even his younger sister and the boy standing before him had reached the Fourth Layer.

Yet, he remained stationary, unable to make even a fraction of further progress despite relentless effort. Of course, among the nine siblings of the third generation, only the eldest, the firstborn grandson, had reached the Seventh Layer, while the second and third had attained the Sixth Layer.

The rest hovered around the Fifth or Fourth. However, for someone like He Yiming, who hit the Fifth Layer at nine and showed no sign of advancing for four subsequent years, his situation was unique.

With a faint sigh, He Yiming slowly straightened up. Bathed in moonlight, his young body exuded an ineffable loneliness.

He Yitao stuck out his tongue. His own progress had been steady and methodical; he hadn't experienced the meteoric rise that set his Sixth Brother apart, being hailed as a genius capable of rivaling, or even surpassing, the eldest.

Thus, he could not truly grasp He Yiming's current anguish. Although He Yiming's father and elders had repeatedly counseled him, warning him sternly that if he could not let go of his obsession, he might never breach his current bottleneck in his lifetime.

This was the greatest secret of the core internal arts manuals: after the Third Layer, breaking through to the next level required a certain kind of opportunity. If lucky, one might naturally advance during practice, perhaps without even realizing it.

If unlucky, one might toil day after day for decades without any progress. Naturally, the higher the level of cultivation, the greater the difficulty of the breakthrough.

Just as the first and second generations of the He family, after reaching the Seventh Layer, each spent ten or even decades striving for the slightest further improvement. He Yiming understood this principle, and he knew that possessing Fifth Layer strength at thirteen still made him an outstanding figure among his peers.

Even his Second Brother Yihai and Third Brother Yixuan only reached the Sixth Layer at seventeen, meaning he still had ample time to cultivate. But knowing was one thing; achieving it was another entirely.

Letting go of an obsession was profoundly difficult for a child his age. Seeing his Sixth Brother’s expression growing gloomier, He Yitao’s heart fluttered like a caged bird.

Though two years younger and not a blood relative, he and Sixth Brother had always been close. Whenever He Yiming frowned, He Yitao felt a pang of alarm.

He managed a strained smile. "Sixth Brother, I have something I need to attend to, so I’ll head back now.

You should return soon too." He Yiming nodded listlessly and waved his hand. He Yitao instantly vanished, agile as a monkey, his young voice echoing in He Yiming’s ears.

"Sixth Brother, if you truly feel no sign of advancing, perhaps try switching to a different manual? It might work." He Yiming froze.

The resolve that had been firm as bedrock began to waver slightly. Not everyone practicing internal arts manuals was as fortunate as He Yiming, finding a perfectly suited manual on the first attempt.

Some had to select secondary, tertiary, or even more manuals. This, of course, was linked to individual talent; poor talent yielded poorer results.

Although He Yiming had chosen correctly initially, being trapped at a single hurdle for years meant that changing his cultivation method was certainly an option worth considering. He had understood this logic long ago, but the thought of abandoning the Hunyuan Jin he had practiced for so many years—a manual so perfectly suited that he reached the Third Layer within a year—made him reluctant to let go easily.

Glancing toward the foot of the mountain, just as He Yiming was about to descend, he noticed the mud smudge on the corner of his robe. His brow furrowed momentarily, and after a brief consideration, he turned and ran in the opposite direction.

On the other side of the mountain base was a clear lake, often a place where the third-generation disciples of the He Estate gathered to play. Arriving there, He Yiming, familiar with the spot, stripped off his clothes and began washing them in the stream water.

In moments, the mud was gone from the fabric. Though slightly wrinkled, the clothes were vastly improved from their former state.

Just as he was about to leave, a sudden flash of light shimmered across the lake surface. He Yiming paused, eyes wide, staring at the brilliant light that had erupted from the water.

Unknowingly, his spirit became utterly captivated by it... Ps: New book released, brothers and sisters, please support with clicks, recommendations, and collections.

Thank you...