He Yiming followed his eldest uncle to the courtyard housing the Scripture Repository. Although several brothers, led by He Yixuan, had intended to celebrate with him, a single glare from He Quanyi sent them scattering like frightened birds, showing a distinct lack of camaraderie.

Third Uncle usually managed all affairs on the estate, keeping everything within and without running with flawless order. In the eyes of the third-generation disciples, he was an absolute figure of sternness, far more intimidating than their grandfather or eldest uncle. Perhaps only He Yitian, as the eldest grandson, received any special consideration from him.

The Scripture Repository courtyard was the largest on the He Estate. It wasn't just guarded by the eldest uncle; it also housed another special retainer in the estate. This retainer held an extremely high status; none of the third-generation disciples could order him around. However, he had the capital for his pride: his inner strength cultivation had reached the Eighth Layer, in no way inferior to He Quanming or He Quanyi.

After He Quanxin led Yiming into the courtyard, they proceeded directly to the main hall.

The main hall of this courtyard was entirely different from those in other sections; it was the largest library room.

Upon entering, He Quanxin said, "Yiming, sit."

He Yiming glanced around the room, found a chair, and sat, though his gaze immediately began to sweep over the countless shelves of books.

"Yiming, first, I must congratulate you. To break through the Sixth Layer before the age of fifteen—besides your grandfather, only three others have managed this feat." He Quanxin spoke with grave seriousness.

He Yiming instantly retracted his gaze from the dazzling array of shelves and looked at his eldest uncle with surprise.

He Quanxin was clearly satisfied with his reaction and continued, "Although all He family disciples begin practicing inner strength manuals at the age of five, I can state with certainty that while your gap in ability now is not vast, in twenty years, it will grow exponentially. Yitian and you, by the age of fifty, have the potential to reach the highest Tenth Layer realm. As for your other brothers, the peak of their achievement in this lifetime will only reach the Eighth Layer."

He Yiming pondered for a moment, then ventured tentatively, "Eldest Uncle, is this related to Elder Brother and me both breaking through to the Sixth Layer before fifteen?"

"Indeed. While the physique of us cultivators varies, the period before fifteen is the absolute best time to build the foundation. Moreover, among us cultivators, there is a peculiar phenomenon: once one fails to break through to the Sixth Layer before fifteen, no matter how hard they strive afterward, they will find it incredibly difficult to surpass the barrier of the Eighth Layer." He Quanxin sighed softly. "Your second and third brothers, though their effort rivals Yitian's and yours, only reached the Sixth Layer at seventeen or eighteen. Their lifelong achievement will, at best, match that of the Second and Third Uncles; reaching the Tenth Layer is essentially impossible for them."

A shadow fell over He Yiming's heart. No wonder his second and third brothers had looked at him strangely in the main hall earlier; they must have known about this.

He Quanxin waved a hand. "Yiming, I tell you this now, but you must guard your tongue. Do not let Yizhang and the others find out."

He Yiming paused, then immediately nodded. He understood his eldest uncle's meaning: unless they broke through to the Sixth Layer themselves, they wouldn't even be allowed to know this secret.

"Furthermore, even though you have advanced to the Sixth Layer, you must not lower your standards. The obstacles you encounter when advancing to subsequent layers will only grow more formidable. If you relax even slightly, you will surely fade into mediocrity later on." He Quanxin's gaze suddenly sharpened intensely. "Remember this: Yitian is the one you must strive to surpass from now on. You are thirteen this year; strive to break through to the Seventh Layer within the next seven years. If you cannot accomplish this, never dream of stepping foot outside this estate."

He Yiming shivered violently. His eldest uncle was usually exceedingly affable and rarely spoke with such sternness. Yet, he also understood that this stemmed from the immense expectations his uncle held for him.

"Quanxin, don't frighten Yiming." He Wude's voice drifted in from outside the door.

He Quanxin quickly rose and opened the door, ushering the Old Master inside. He Wude's face still held a faint smile that hadn't entirely faded.

He motioned for He Quanxin and Yiming to sit again, then spoke slowly, "Yiming, in truth, you and Yitian are the most outstanding talents among the third generation. However, your luck surpassed his. When selecting your first inner strength manual, you chose the right path, saving a great deal of cultivation time. You reached the Third Layer in one year, and the Fifth Layer by age nine. At that time, your eldest uncle, myself, and the others were immensely delighted, holding high expectations for you, which is why our demands on you were so exacting." He let out a long sigh and continued, "In the following years, you endured too much pressure. Although your inner strength reached the peak of the Fifth Layer, you simply could not overcome that psychological hurdle. You don't blame me for this, do you?"

He Yiming's expression shifted slightly. "Grandfather, your grandson has absolutely no such intention."

He Wude pursed his lips and waved a hand dismissively. "You possess the talent, and you had the good fortune. And for disciples like that, our He family follows precedent and applies the greatest pressure. I went through it, as did your eldest uncle and Yitian. Only those disciples who can break through that pressure ultimately achieve success. Fortunately, though our experiences differed, the four of us eventually passed through—this must be due to ancestral blessing."

He Yiming responded submissively, but in his heart, he sighed inwardly. Perhaps they overcame that hurdle through sheer effort, but for him? That hurdle was cleared in the most inexplicable manner. However, even if given the courage, he wouldn't dare speak the truth now.

He Wude's expression turned solemn. "Yiming, everything has been told to you now; your future accomplishments rest entirely in your own hands. We elders can offer minor pointers at most, but the height you ultimately reach depends on your own effort." He suddenly stood up, turned, and walked toward the door. Without looking back, he said, "If you or Yitian can advance to the Tenth Layer before the age of thirty... ah, forget it. Let fate decide."

With that, He Wude's figure vanished from sight. He Yiming blinked twice, inwardly horrified; he hadn't even clearly seen how his grandfather departed. A Tenth Layer inner strength master was truly extraordinary.

But what exactly did his grandfather mean by those final words before leaving?

He Quanxin watched the Old Master depart and finally let out a breath. "Yiming, everyone's limit for bearing pressure is different. Since the Old Master has spoken, whether you strive harder from now on is for you to control."

He Yiming quickly bowed respectfully. "Yes, Eldest Uncle."

Seeming to notice He Yiming's slight expression of relief, He Quanxin snorted. "Don't celebrate too soon. I will speak to Third Brother and have him supervise your training more closely. You must not squander such innate talent and luck."

He Yiming felt his head swell instantly, but he dared not offer any rebuttal.

He Quanxin pointed to the Scripture Repository in the room. "Yiming, do you know why the family stipulated that one must cultivate to the Sixth Layer of inner strength before being allowed to access martial arts manuals?"

He Yiming considered for a moment. "Eldest Uncle, though my previous breakthroughs allowed me to feel an increase in strength, the Sixth Layer seems fundamentally different from everything before it, especially the magnitude of inner strength advancement—it is incomparable."

He Quanxin nodded in satisfaction. "Correct. You are very astute. All primary inner strength cultivation methods share one characteristic: the Sixth Layer serves as the watershed. Below the Fifth Layer, as long as one cultivates diligently, regardless of natural aptitude, they will certainly reach this point after several decades. But beginning from the Sixth Layer, advancing becomes increasingly difficult. If one cannot break through the state of mind, progression remains impossible. However, once advancement is achieved, the power that can be unleashed grows exponentially. Your father and Third Brother, though only one layer below me in cultivation, could not withstand ten moves between the two of them against me. Of course, the Old Master is at the Tenth Layer; I, at the peak of the Ninth, couldn't survive three moves against him."

He Yiming nodded repeatedly, his heart filled with admiration for the Old Master's abilities.

He Quanxin suddenly shook his head. "Why am I telling you all this?"

He Yiming stood speechless, wanting to laugh but daring not, his expression strangely conflicted.

He Quanxin let out a cold huff, but he wasn't Third Brother; though he forced a stern face, he couldn't truly intimidate He Yiming.

Shaking his head in resignation, He Quanxin continued, "Inner strength cultivation below the Sixth Layer serves merely to strengthen the body. But upon reaching the Sixth Layer, explosive power is greatly enhanced—this is the true qualification to use martial arts manuals."

He Yiming suddenly understood. "I see. Inner strength is the foundation of all cultivation. If one cannot reach the Sixth Layer, it amounts to nothing. Only above the Sixth Layer can one truly unleash the power of martial arts manuals."

He Quanxin's tightly held expression relaxed. "You are very clever; you are entirely correct. For true cultivators, below the Sixth Layer counts for nothing. Practicing martial arts manuals below the Sixth Layer is simply forcing growth prematurely. That is why the Old Master established this rule, to prevent you from becoming distracted by practicing martial arts manuals while below the Sixth Layer."

He Yiming responded with a firm acknowledgment. Not being allowed to practice below the Sixth Layer meant that practice was permitted above the Sixth Layer.

His gaze shifted once more, searching the surrounding bookshelves, his heart beating with accelerated excitement.

He Quanxin, who had been about to offer more earnest instruction, shook his head, realizing that even if he spoke flowery words now, it would surely go in one ear and out the other for the boy.

"Yiming, from this day forward, you may peruse the manuals in here freely. That row over there contains manuals related to the Metal Element. Sigh, I wasn't finished yet... never mind. You little monkey, look after yourself and don't become insatiably greedy."

"Yes, thank you, Eldest Uncle."