Primal Chaos Force (Hunyuan Jin), a primary internal energy cultivation method belonging to the Metal element.

This was the first cultivation technique He Yiming encountered after beginning his study of secret internal arts manuals, and it was the very technique he had diligently practiced for a full eight years until yesterday.

For the last four of those years, He Yiming had countless times envisioned breaking through the fifth layer's limit and advancing to the sixth.

The internal energy circulation pathways for the sixth layer were already carved deeply into his very bones—an obsession that cut to the core, a stubborn insistence akin to refusing to turn back until one reaches the Yellow River, and even then, refusing to yield.

Had it not been for the decisions of his elders and the earnest effort of his Third Brother, he absolutely would not have switched to cultivating other techniques.

However, even though he achieved incredible success with the Ripple Technique (Bōwén Gōng), compared to it, Primal Chaos Force remained the technique fundamentally linked to his flesh and blood, inseparable from him.

When He Yiming’s spirit entered a peculiar realm, the cultivation technique within his body instantly reverted to the years of Primal Chaos Force, and it naturally flowed into the sixth layer. It was as if water found its own level, without the slightest obstruction, suggesting that He Yiming's Primal Chaos Force had always belonged at the sixth layer.

He Yiming, whose eyes were half-closed, suddenly snapped them open. A sharp glint, as if capable of piercing the heavens and earth, flashed within them.

Without hesitation, he leaped up, spun in mid-air, and suddenly thrust out one hand. All his internal energy focused to its absolute peak at that moment, pushing his spirit, vital energy, and resolve to their pinnacle state in an instant.

In the direction of his advance, a ferocious cry suddenly erupted, yet within that cry lay a thread of fear and timidity.

The Fox Bear, standing over two meters tall, opened its massive maw and swung down its fan-like paw.

"Bang..."

Unlike the silent contest moments before, this exchange erupted with a thunderous noise.

The Fox Bear’s enormous body was hurled up by the immense force. After tumbling once in the air, it crashed wretchedly into the thicket of bushes, losing quite a bit of its coarse fur in the process. However, the moment the Fox Bear landed, it immediately sprang back up and fled desperately in the direction opposite to He Yiming.

The speed was so swift that it defied any expectation based on its massive physique.

In a blink, the Fox Bear vanished deep into the mountains, its trace gone.

He Yiming stood rooted to the spot. He slowly withdrew his palm, gazing in disbelief at his arm, which was now swollen entirely around the impact point. Yet, he seemed utterly unaware of any pain, his face a complex mixture of extreme surprise and elation.

Just now, when delivering that unprecedentedly powerful strike, he had felt clearly that what he was using was not the sixth layer of the Ripple Technique, but the Primal Chaos Force he had spent a full eight years cultivating.

When he realized the cultivation method in his body had abruptly changed, He Yiming inwardly felt a knot of dread. Although Primal Chaos Force was the Metal element technique with the most potent offensive power, the chasm between the fifth and sixth layers made him lose confidence in his ability to injure the foe. But in that flash of lightning, the Fox Bear had already been thrown back, and judging by its desperate attempt to flee and its slightly limping gait, it must have been injured, and not lightly.

In an instant, He Yiming understood: the Primal Chaos Force he had used was not the fifth layer; it was a Metal element technique possessing the full might of the sixth layer.

He had, without realizing it, broken through even the fifth layer of Primal Chaos Force.

This was Primal Chaos Force, the technique he had focused on for eight years. The depth of his emotional connection to this method could never compare to the Ripple Technique, which he had only practiced for a single night.

Eight years of arduous practice, four years of longing, had culminated inexplicably at this very moment.

That overwhelming surge of joy and happiness washed over He Yiming like a tide. He truly tasted the feeling of bitterness giving way to sweetness, feeling an urge to weep with sheer delight.

At this moment, even if the Fox Bear hadn't fled, He Yiming had no further interest in pursuing it.

After a long while, He Yiming finally recovered from this ecstatic, self-forgetting state.

He looked toward the swath of devastation leading into the distant bushes. The detestable yet pitiable Fox Bear was long gone, vanished into the wilderness.

He suddenly recalled the miraculous state he entered when delivering that strongest blow, but as he tried to trace it back, he could not grasp its essence at all. It seemed that the state had vanished completely with the passing of the crisis.

He Yiming knew that the reason he was able to ascertain the Fox Bear’s initial hiding spot wasn't due to superior eyesight or experience, but merely a subtle, inexplicable insight gained in that mysterious environment. That insight seemed incredibly useful for combat, but regretfully, he could not grasp even a thread of it and didn't know if he could ever re-enter that state.

Hesitating for a moment, He Yiming glanced at the sky and decided not to linger on the mountain. He quickly descended along the familiar path.

His movements were extremely swift, and as he ran, he allowed the Water element Ripple Technique to flow gently through his arms.

The self-healing effect of the Water element technique was remarkably evident. By the time He Yiming returned to the He Family Village at the foot of the mountain, his hands were completely restored, showing no sign of injury whatsoever.

He Yiming marveled inwardly. If the Water element technique possessed such benefits, how potent must the Wood element technique—lauded as the best in the world for healing—truly be? If he ever got the chance, he definitely had to try it out.

By the time he returned to the manor, the sun was already beginning to dip in the west. He Yiming considered his options and headed directly toward the back courtyard. After rounding a few corners, he arrived at a large compound entirely constructed of redwood.

In the minds of all practitioners within the He Family Village, this compound was sacred ground, for it housed the Clan’s Repository of Scriptures.

This Repository contained not only the various cultivation techniques collected by the He Family but also numerous martial skill manuals. Among the third-generation disciples, anyone who managed to cultivate their internal energy to the sixth layer earned the qualification to enter and select the martial arts manuals they wished to study.

After the unexpected encounter with the Fox Bear on the mountain, He Yiming immediately fixed his attention on the martial skill manuals within the Repository. If he had already mastered a martial skill manual, facing the Fox Bear wouldn't have resulted in merely scaring it off; he would have been stripping its tendons and flaying its hide.

A Fox Bear pelt, its gallbladder, its paws, even its meat and sinews—all were rare treasures. Selling them would fetch a price that could make He Yiming laugh himself awake from sleep.

Softening his steps, He Yiming stepped into the courtyard.

"Yiming, you’ve arrived." A powerful, resonant voice sounded from a side hall within the compound, and then the door opened, and a middle-aged man walked out with the imposing stride of a dragon.

He Yiming quickly bowed respectfully, "First Uncle, this disciple comes to pay his respects."

This man was He Wude's eldest son, He Quanxin, who always resided in seclusion within the Repository. All disciples wishing to enter the Repository had to receive his prior consent.

As for He Yiming's father, He Quanming, and his Third Uncle, He Quanyi, they managed the city shops and the village's daily affairs, respectively. In terms of personal cultivation, He Quanming and He Quanyi had spent decades reaching the peak of the eighth layer of internal energy. But the eldest, He Quanxin, unburdened by external duties, had already reached the ninth layer, just one step shy of the Clan Head He Wude's tenth layer.

The three second-generation brothers shared a deep bond. While there were minor frictions among the third generation, they stemmed only from mutual competition. Consequently, all the younger generation held deep reverence for these three elders.

He Quanxin glanced at his young nephew and sighed inwardly. "Yiming, you've come to select an internal energy manual, haven't you? I have already discussed it with your Second and Third Uncles, and we've chosen three manuals that have a high probability of suiting your cultivation."

He Yiming's lips moved. His heart swelled with gratitude as he bowed deeply. "Thank you, First Uncle."

He Quanxin smiled harmoniously. "You are my nephew; what is there to thank me for? However, I hope you can put aside cultivation matters for a while and rest properly for a few days."

He Yiming froze briefly, then understood his uncle's intention. It seemed the elder believed his inability to break through stemmed from a psychological shadow.

"First Uncle, Third Brother actually gave me the cultivation method for the Ripple Technique yesterday, so this disciple is not here for an internal energy manual today."

He Quanxin asked with surprise, "Then why have you come?"

"This disciple is here for the martial skill manuals," He Yiming stated as calmly as possible, though a trace of inexplicable excitement colored his voice.

He Quanxin blinked, and the look he gave He Yiming gradually shifted, taking on a new aspect.

"Yiming, careful."

As soon as He Quanxin finished speaking, he delivered a plain palm strike straight toward He Yiming’s chest.

The speed of this palm strike was agonizingly slow; even an ordinary person who had never practiced martial arts could easily evade it. Yet, He Yiming stood firm, extended one of his own hands in return, and met the strike squarely.

He Quanxin's hand was far less thick and imposing than the Fox Bear's paw, but in He Yiming’s eyes, this hand was far more terrifying than the bear’s.

As he sent his palm out, the Primal Chaos Force within him circulated to its limit. The full power of the sixth-layer Metal technique was unleashed at that moment. Even during the fight with the Fox Bear on the mountain, his internal energy had not seemed to reach this degree of all-out exertion.

Gently, the two palms met. He Yiming’s sixth-layer internal energy poured out without reservation. Yet, in his sensation, his uncle’s palm felt like a bottomless pit; no matter how powerful his energy, it seemed he could never fill it.

A flash of brilliance crossed He Quanxin’s eyes, and a look of genuine satisfaction finally spread across his face. He suddenly laughed heartily, "Good! Yiming, since it is the middle of the month today, come with me to see Father!"

Ps: It's Christmas today. Although it’s not a Chinese holiday, I still wish all my brothers and sisters a Merry Christmas ^_^ Don’t forget to vote on Christmas Day!