Though the population of He Family Village was not vast, the clan possessed thousands of acres of prime farmland, supporting hundreds of farming households within the estate. Moreover, they maintained established businesses in the county town, positioning them as one of the foremost affluent families within a hundred-mile radius.

Among the third generation of disciples, each member possessed an entirely separate courtyard, modest in size though it may have been, but representing, undeniably, their own private domain.

He Yiming returned to his own courtyard. Before he even pushed open the door, he saw his Third Brother, He Yixuan, standing there with a cheerful, knowing smile.

He Yixuan was the third son of the He family and He Yiming’s biological elder brother; naturally, their relationship was exceptionally close and harmonious.

“Third Brother, what brings you here?” He Yiming asked, his voice a mixture of surprise and joy. “Didn’t Father instruct you to enter secluded cultivation?”

He Yixuan waved a dismissive hand. “Being shut away constantly is dreadfully stuffy; I came out for a stroll.” He then pushed open He Yiming’s door and stepped inside first.

The room’s furnishings were simple yet practical. He Yixuan calmly placed a transcribed book directly onto the low table.

He Yiming stepped closer to examine it, his expression shifting slightly. “Third Brother, this is the secret manual for the Ripple Art.”

“This is the core internal energy manual I practice,” He Yixuan stated quietly. “I broke through to the sixth layer using this exact technique. I heard you were considering switching your cultivation method, so you might as well give this one a try.”

He Yiming’s heart stirred with emotion. He instantly understood that his Third Brother hadn't come out simply because he was bored; he had come specifically for him.

He Yixuan didn't stand on ceremony with his younger brother. He opened the manual and began offering detailed explanations. Furthermore, tucked into the back of the manual were his own cultivation insights—notes covering everything from the first layer to the sixth. The section detailing the breakthrough past the fifth layer was particularly densely written.

It was only as dusk settled that He Yixuan took his leave, having hastily consumed both lunch and dinner right there in the courtyard.

After He Yixuan departed, Yiming held the manual, his gaze tracing the minute characters. His emotions surged; the bond between true brothers was indeed something incomparable to ordinary relationships.

He took a deep breath, steeling his resolve: he absolutely could not disappoint his father or his Third Brother. This accursed fifth layer, he vowed, he must break through it, no matter the cost.

Entering his secret chamber, He Yiming pulled the door shut, latching it softly from the inside.

He opened the Ripple Art manual and began to pore over it, analyzing every word and phrase.

The Ripple Art was a water-element core internal energy technique, equivalent in rank to his own Primal Energy, the Hunyuan Jin. The difference in effect when cultivating, however, would naturally stem from individual constitutions.

Since he had already decided to switch manuals, he reasoned, rather than haphazardly finding a new technique to stumble through from the beginning, it was far better to practice the one his Third Brother used. After all, his brother had dedicated over a decade of focused effort to this manual—a fact plainly visible in the supplementary notes, which ran several times longer than the main text itself.

Standing on the shoulders of a giant often allowed one to see farther. Given this opportunity, He Yiming certainly had no intention of letting it slip away.

He committed the first layer’s methodology to memory, cross-referencing it with his brother’s notes. While he couldn't claim complete mastery, he at least had a firm grasp of the basics.

The Ripple Art differed from the Hunyuan Jin; one was water-elemental, the other metal-elemental. Though their formal ranks were similar, the internal energy circulation pathways within the body were vastly different.

He Yiming closed his eyes and slowly began circulating his energy according to the Ripple Art's prescribed pathways.

The internal energy he already possessed, controlled by his will, crept along the new meridians at a snail’s pace.

Unknowingly, the moon had risen—a perfect half-disc, its light washing over everything, a brilliant glow streaming through the skylight and into He Yiming’s practice room.

His eyes snapped open, revealing an indescribable, strange look on his face. He slowly spread his hands, stared at them for a moment, then pressed a few spots on his body, his expression radiating disbelief.

In that very instant, he had successfully completed a full circuit of the Ripple Art’s first layer energy pathway.

He was certain: this was his very first time touching the Ripple Art, and his first encounter with a water-element cultivation method.

Even though his practice of the Hunyuan Jin had reached the peak of the fifth layer, the metal-element Hunyuan Jin and the water-element Ripple Art were fundamentally disparate techniques. While there were slight overlaps in internal energy properties, channeling it through entirely new channels was by no means comparable.

Based on his prior estimation, successfully tracing the first layer’s route within three months would already be an astronomical stroke of luck. If he failed to complete the first layer's path after six months, it would indicate his constitution was incompatible with water-element techniques, forcing him to find yet another manual.

However, no matter what He Yiming had anticipated, he never could have imagined successfully completing the entirety of the first layer on his very first attempt.

He lifted his head, gazing at the moonlight through the skylight, the only thought in his mind: Am I dreaming?

After a long hesitation, he reached out a slightly trembling hand and picked up the transcribed copy of the Ripple Art gifted by his brother. The book wasn't particularly thick, yet in his hands now, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

He drew a deep breath, silently praying, If this is a dream, please don't let me wake up too soon.

His eyes swept across the second layer of the Ripple Art manual, committing the diagrams to memory, while meticulously cross-referencing them with the insights recorded in the experience notes.

After a long while, a flicker of comprehension dawned in his mind. He gently set the manual down, settled back into his cross-legged position, and re-entered the state of cultivation.

The internal energy in his Dantian pulsed vigorously, brimming with vitality, imparting immense power to He Yiming’s body.

Under the direction of He Yiming’s will, this energy flowed freely through the mysterious meridians of his body, much like a river. Neither the pathways already mastered nor the new ones being traversed presented the slightest hindrance to his energy's movement.

His internal energy traveled effortlessly through all the pathways of the Ripple Art's second layer, as if walking on level ground.

When He Yiming finally opened his eyes, the expression reflected there was no longer just elation and confusion, but was tinged with a subtle sense of dread and profound disorientation.

As a youth fortunate enough to begin internal energy training at the age of five, he had heard his elders repeat countless times the greatest taboos in cultivation: forcing growth prematurely, and recklessly attempting to leap past established levels.

In their view, cultivating internal energy was akin to filling every niche; only through extraordinary effort could one achieve admirable results.

Yet, He Yiming racked his brain over every word spoken by his elders, and none of them had ever mentioned the possibility of mastering the first two layers of an entirely new internal energy manual in less than half a night.

He inhaled deeply, his gaze fixed on the Ripple Art manual on the table, a torrent of thoughts rushing through his mind.

Could it be...

I am a genius—a true genius at cultivating water-element techniques!

Aside from this explanation, there seemed to be no other possibility. This pace of cultivation could only be described as unbelievable. Even when he first began cultivating the Hunyuan Jin at age five, reaching the third layer within a single year hadn't shaken him nearly as much as this.

He straightened his chest, lifted his chin, his eyes blazing with an unusual light. His heart hammered with excitement, and his gaze toward the Ripple Art was unwavering.

He reopened the Ripple Art manual, studying it with fresh intensity.

Perhaps fueled by this sudden surge of confidence, a faint flush colored He Yiming’s cheeks. His emotions were too turbulent to be completely suppressed. This was hardly an ideal time for deep cultivation, yet he felt spellbound, pouring every ounce of his concentration into the Ripple Art.

The third layer...

The fourth layer...

The fifth layer...

The moonlight outside the skylight remained just as brilliant, but when He Yiming finally opened his eyes again, the fervor in them had been completely replaced by a strange numbness.

He had begun cultivating the Hunyuan Jin at five, successfully breaking through to the fifth layer four years later. Though he had remained stagnant for the subsequent four years, never advancing further, he had nonetheless been the fastest among the nine third-generation disciples in reaching the fifth layer.

But tonight, that record had been utterly shattered.

He had managed to cultivate an entirely unfamiliar technique, the Ripple Art, from the first layer straight through to the fifth in a single night... no, merely half a night.

He Yiming’s mouth twitched slightly. He wanted to shout, but a voice deep within his chest screamed fiercely, as if invisible hands were clamping around his throat, sealing off any sound.

Though only a thirteen-year-old boy, having grown up in this family taught him that what had just occurred could not be explained away by mere talent. Perhaps only the term 'prodigy' could vaguely encompass it.

After staring blankly for a long time, a faint worry began to surface.

Such incredibly rapid progress—surely it must carry some severe hidden consequence? He recalled the warnings from his elders about cultivators whose foundations were unsteady, leading ultimately to internal deviation and madness; a chilling thought ran through him.

Rapid results were certainly desirable, but if this blessing came at the cost of qi deviation, he would gladly forego it.

He circulated his internal energy a few times within his body, confirming that there was no immediate danger of his body exploding.

His gaze settled once more on the Ripple Art manual resting on the table, and a bold thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

Since he could reach the fifth layer so directly, what about the sixth layer...?

Ps: The new book rankings have climbed into the top three, whew... Thank you, brothers, please continue your support; I’m still begging for recommendation votes, only a thousand five hundred away ^_^