The tree, large enough for three men to link arms around, shuddered violently, as if suddenly struck by a gale. The leaves at the crown rustled with a sharp sound, showering down like blossoms scattered by a celestial maiden.

He Yi Ming slowly withdrew his palm from the trunk. Nothing appeared changed on the bark, yet his eyes betrayed an intense, delighted shock. He could feel that his single strike had inflicted massive damage upon the giant tree.

With a slight movement, he extended a single finger and gently touched the exact spot of contact. That area instantly disintegrated into fine powder, which began to slide slowly down like trickling sand. Moments later, a significant, frighteningly dark void appeared where the contact had been.

He Yi Ming gazed upon the masterpiece he had wrought, sighing internally. The sixth level of Inner Strength truly dwarfed the fifth. Although the Ripple Technique (Bōwén Gōng), his primary water-element cultivation method, was far inferior to the metal-element Primal Energy (Hùnyuán Jìn) in raw destructive power, the damage wrought by the sixth-level Ripple Technique still surpassed that of the fifth-level Primal Energy.

This was the advantage of profound Inner Strength; a single level separating one could mean a thousand miles in capability.

Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed in He Yi Ming’s eyes. He snapped his head back, focusing intently on the area just behind his side.

A faint sound of footsteps had drifted from that direction. Before yesterday, he might not have noticed it, but having reached the sixth level, his five senses had ascended to a higher plane, allowing him to hear it with crystal clarity.

The sound emanating from there was extremely faint. Based on his experience since entering the mountains, it suggested small animals like pheasants or foxes. Yet, for some unknown reason, He Yi Ming felt an inexplicable sense of danger, compelling him to remain absolutely vigilant.

Finally, a dark, massive paw reached out, pushing aside the obstructing branches and leaves, revealing a large bear towering over two meters tall.

He Yi Ming froze momentarily. His gaze, swift as lightning, swept over the bear twice, and upon noticing its ears, a grave expression immediately settled upon his face. He cursed inwardly, thinking his luck had truly run out.

He had merely intended to test the full destructive power of his sixth-level cultivation, but he hadn't expected to encounter this behemoth at the fringe of the forest. Furthermore, judging by its appearance, the beast seemed to have been drawn by the sound of the tree's violent shaking.

This was no ordinary bear. While its physique resembled a common brown bear, it possessed the ears of a fox. This was the infamous Fox Bear (Húxióng) of the great mountains. This creature boasted strength comparable to a bear, combined with the cunning and agility of a fox.

When these two traits merged, the resulting power was undeniable; even the overlords deep within the mountains would hesitate to provoke such a creature lightly.

However, Fox Bears generally resided deep in the mountains. For one to wander out to the edge of the woods and then cross paths with He Yi Ming felt like nothing short of abysmal misfortune.

He slightly lowered his stance. He Yi Ming did not turn to flee but instead maintained a calm confrontation with the beast.

He had just broken through to the sixth level of Inner Strength and was brimming with confidence. Though he preferred not to provoke this mountain tyrant, if it pressed the issue, he certainly did not fear a fight.

The Fox Bear seemed to sense that the small human before it was not easy prey. It did not charge immediately but began to circle He Yi Ming slowly.

Watching its awkward, measured movements, He Yi Ming scoffed internally.

The Fox Bear was indeed intelligent. When encountering humans or other beasts, it initially acted like a normal bear, its sluggish movements lulling its opponent into complacency. But if one truly let down their guard, they would learn the true speed of the Fox Bear when it suddenly attacked.

The level of cunning possessed by this animal was enough to cause great harm to a first-time adversary. If He Yi Ming had not personally witnessed his Uncle slay a Fox Bear once, he might never have believed that a creature of this size could possess such extreme nimbleness.

After circling He Yi Ming twice, the Fox Bear appeared perplexed. This small fellow did not look robust, yet for some reason, it projected an intensely dangerous aura.

Perhaps driven by hunger, the Fox Bear finally lost its patience. It advanced with heavy footfalls, raised its thick, cushioned paw, and charged toward He Yi Ming.

Its massive body lunged forward, pushing an immense, mountain-like pressure against He Yi Ming, fully unleashing the power inherent in its ursine nature.

He Yi Ming neither retreated nor dodged, knowing that any slight movement now would cause the Fox Bear to instantly transform into an incredibly agile pursuer. Countless wild beasts and humans had been fooled by this creature's feigned vulnerability, ultimately becoming its meal.

With a cold snort, a powerful surge of Inner Strength erupted from his Dantian, quickly flowing along the meridians of his shoulder and into his palm.

The might of the sixth-level Inner Strength, channeled through the water-element secret manual Ripple Technique, was fully unleashed by He Yi Ming at this moment.

A palm as broad as a cattail fan slammed violently against a hand still clearly underdeveloped.

The Fox Bear’s forward momentum instantly halted. Its body stiffened, losing the weighty, mountain-like pressure of a moment before. Instead, it shot backward as if flying. Its movement was as fast as lightning and as nimble as a fox, retreating twenty meters from He Yi Ming in an instant, concealing itself within the thicket.

He Yi Ming’s lips twitched, and he gasped, struggling to draw a breath through gritted teeth.

He had pushed his Inner Strength to its absolute limit, and the power of the Ripple Technique was also maximized. Yet, the opponent had absorbed the full force purely with strength and countered with a rebound that left He Yi Ming reeling.

However, the Fox Bear certainly hadn't fared well either, or it wouldn't have bolted away with lightning speed, looking like a startled bird.

Waving his hand, He Yi Ming’s thoughts drifted to the habits of the Fox Bear his Uncle had once described.

This brute was not only incredibly cunning but also notoriously known in the mountains for bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Although his first clash had startled it away, He Yi Ming knew the creature hadn't left; it was lurking in ambush, observing his every move.

If he turned and fled now, or showed any hint of cowardice, this Fox Bear would cling to him like maggots to bone, relentlessly giving chase.

Taking a deep breath, the sixth-level Inner Strength flowed into his palm once more. A cool, icy sensation washed over his already slightly swollen hand.

This coolness was surprisingly comforting, and the pain in his palm gradually began to dissipate.

While the sixth-level Ripple Technique could not compare to metal-element cultivation of the same rank in offensive power, it possessed remarkable healing effects. Particularly in this situation, using the Ripple Technique for self-treatment was highly beneficial for the next round of fighting.

Lifting his foot, He Yi Ming advanced steadily, step by step, toward the direction where the Fox Bear had retreated.

Since this brute refused to leave, he would simply fight until it did. Once it understood that he possessed a power greater than its own, the Fox Bear’s innate nature would compel it to give him a wide berth.

Of course, He Yi Ming only intended to scare it off; he had no desire to kill it. At least, not before learning a true Martial Skill manual, he was unwilling to engage in a fight to the death with this mountain tyrant.

Stepping forward, He Yi Ming’s heart hammered like a drum in his chest. His eyes were sharp with caution, and a bead of sweat traced a path down his spine.

He swore internally that upon returning, he would immediately enter the Scripture Pavilion. With his strength at the sixth level of Inner Strength, he now qualified to study Martial Skill manuals. If he had already learned one, he could have unleashed several times his current power, and the single strike just moments ago would have been enough to utterly terrify this Fox Bear.

Suddenly, He Yi Ming stopped dead. His eyelids twitched slightly. This was an instinctive premonition of imminent danger. He Yi Ming himself couldn't explain why his senses had sharpened so keenly, but it was an advantage he treasured.

He peered forward, scanning the dense undergrowth, but could not locate the Fox Bear.

The creature’s frame was enormous; if it were hiding in these low bushes, there should have been some telltale sign. A wave of suspicion washed over He Yi Ming. Had the thing actually retreated?

His ears twitched subtly as he entered a state of profound focus.

Faced with unknown danger and pressure, He Yi Ming’s latent potential erupted, pouring all his concentration into observing his surroundings.

However, at this precise moment, he failed to notice that the circulation route of his Inner Strength had shifted away from the Ripple Technique and had returned to the Primal Energy he had cultivated for eight long years.

Although the Ripple Technique was powerful, he had only practiced it for a single night. Under normal circumstances, He Yi Ming could consciously control the flow, but in this moment, completely immersed in a strange state, he had no capacity for peripheral thought, allowing the Inner Strength to naturally revert to the well-worn path of eight years of arduous training.

What He Yi Ming expected even less was that his Primal Energy, after completing the cycle of the fifth level, did not pause but began running the sixth-level circulation routes with absolute natural ease.

ps: Please continue to vote...

For more novels, visit storyread.net.