Rolling Stone Fist, a secret manual for a Gold-attributed combat skill. This was the first martial arts manual He Yiming found in the Scripture Pavilion. The shelves before him were filled with cultivation methods, auxiliary techniques, and combat skill manuals all related to the Gold element. Even the Primordial Vitality technique, which he had practiced for eight years, was among them. Although the bookcase was vast, the actual number of secret manuals was quite small—only about twenty titles in total across all categories. Of course, for an ordinary person, mastering even half of these in a lifetime would be quite an achievement.

He Yiming flipped through them for a long time. Though he was intensely interested in every manual, his mind kept returning to the words his uncle had spoken before leaving. Do not be insatiably greedy. Having practiced the Inner Strength technique for six months, He Yiming understood the principle that one cannot digest too much at once. After careful comparison, he settled on his first combat skill manual.

Rolling Stone Fist was a unique style of boxing that used Gold-attributed Inner Strength as its conduit, unleashing power akin to a tumbling stone. The initial impact of this technique was not overwhelming, but it possessed a remarkable characteristic: the longer it was executed, the greater its manifested power grew.

Naturally, employing this style placed severe demands on one's Inner Strength reserve and resilience. Most masters at the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength would avoid selecting such a manual, as maintaining the required duration was exceedingly difficult for them.

However, He Yiming's situation was unique. He was not only a master of the Sixth Layer of Gold-attributed Inner Strength but also a master of the Sixth Layer of Water-attributed Inner Strength. The defining feature of Water-attributed Inner Strength was its endless, flowing quality—its tenacity was arguably the greatest among all attributes. Although the Rolling Stone Fist He Yiming would employ was a Gold-attributed style, since his reserves included the Sixth Layer of Water cultivation, he inherently possessed the special capabilities of the Water technique. The synergy between these two elements would undoubtedly unlock the maximum potential of the Rolling Stone Fist. Thus, upon reading the manual’s description, He Yiming immediately claimed this combat skill manual, which felt almost tailor-made for him.

In the very center of the main hall sat a large table covered with numerous specialized sheets of paper. Disciples of the He family who selected a manual in the Scripture Pavilion were forbidden from taking the original texts out; they were only allowed to sketch the diagrams and copy the text right there. The Rippling Wave Art his Third Brother had given him days prior had also been painstakingly transcribed by He Yixuan, stroke by stroke.

Under the dim light of the oil lamp, He Yiming painstakingly copied every single piece of content from the manual, paying meticulous attention to the few diagrams, ensuring his reproductions were flawless. Of course, He Yiming did not transcribe the entirety of the manual. What he recorded was limited only to the sections intended for practitioners at the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength. Since he was a member of the He family with the privilege of accessing this place at any time, there was no rush to copy the higher levels; he could return once he reached the Seventh Layer. Otherwise, if he couldn't control himself and prematurely learned combat moves meant for a higher level, it could prove detrimental.

After finishing the transcription, He Yiming carefully placed the original back on the shelf, then waited for the ink on his copied sheets to slowly dry.

Suddenly, He Yiming’s gaze drifted to an adjacent row of bookshelves. On that shelf was affixed a large character: “Water.” There was no need to ask; this section certainly housed manuals for Water-attributed cultivation. Hesitating for a moment, He Yiming glanced at the time—it was still early, not even midnight yet. A stirring began in his heart. Others believed he had only advanced the Primordial Vitality technique to the Sixth Layer, but they were unaware that he had also brought the Rippling Wave Art to the Sixth Layer. If that were the case, could he perhaps simultaneously cultivate a Water-attributed combat skill manual? Thinking seriously, He Yiming finally concluded that this probably did not qualify as insatiable greed. He moved to the shelf marked with the character for Water and began slowly browsing and searching.

The number of manuals here was visibly much greater than the Gold-attributed collection—there were over thirty volumes, nearly double the quantity of the Gold manuals. A thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly understood: the number of people practicing Water-attributed techniques must far exceed those practicing Gold, leading to this imbalance in the collection size. This observation was not only evident in the Scripture Pavilion's inventory; among the three generations of the He family, he was the only one who practiced a Gold-attributed technique. In comparison, those who chose to study Water-attributed arts and achieved some success were indeed far more numerous than the Gold practitioners.

Because there were more books here, He Yiming’s flipping speed accelerated slightly. An hour later, a combat skill manual rested in his hands. Soft Palm, a secret manual for a Water-attributed combat skill. To He Yiming’s knowledge, Soft Palm was an exceedingly common, mainstream Water-attributed combat skill manual. Although he had never ventured more than ten li from the He Family Village, he had overheard conversations about the outside world from his father, Third Uncle, and Eldest Brother. From these discussions, he knew that cultivators practicing Water arts externally almost universally possessed proficiency in Soft Palm.

Soft Palm was the easiest combat technique to learn among the Water-attributed arts; anyone who reached the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength could begin practicing it. Its low entry threshold was second to none among all combat techniques. Perhaps for this very reason, Soft Palm was reputed to be one of the most popular techniques. However, precisely because this technique was simple and practical, its power increased proportionally as the level of Inner Strength advanced. This technique, lacking excessive ornamentation, was certain to become the most suitable auxiliary skill with persistent effort. Especially for He Yiming, who was firmly set on primarily cultivating Gold-attributed techniques, selecting a Water-attributed auxiliary skill was absolutely the most appropriate choice.

Once his decision was made, He Yiming placed the Soft Palm manual on the large table in the hall and began transcribing it page by page. Before daybreak, he had finished copying all the material for the Fourth through Sixth Layers of Soft Palm. He then organized all the transcribed content one last time, ensuring nothing was missed, before pushing the door open and stepping out.

Outside the door, He Quanxin had remained awake all night, sitting quietly in the courtyard waiting. He had not interfered with He Yiming’s choice. After advancing to the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength, one possessed the right to self-determination; what one chose to cultivate was entirely a matter of personal inclination. Nevertheless, holding great hopes for Yiming, he was naturally concerned.

“Yiming, what combat skill manual did you choose?” “Rolling Stone Fist and Soft Palm,” He Yiming stated without reservation.

Upon hearing that He Yiming had selected two manuals, He Quanxin’s brow furrowed slightly. “Yiming, your primary focus right now should remain on your main Inner Strength cultivation method. While combat skill manuals can greatly enhance your fighting strength, remember that Inner Strength is the foundation of all techniques. While your Inner Strength still holds vast potential for development, it is best to concentrate the majority of your energy there.” He paused, then added, “Your Second Brother Yihai and Third Brother Yixuan both chose to cultivate two combat skill manuals simultaneously, but their potential for growth in Inner Strength is significantly less than yours.”

He Yiming quickly bowed his head in acceptance, adding, “Uncle, your nephew only copied the content for the Sixth Layer of these two combat techniques; I did not become greedy for more.”

He Quanxin’s expression softened somewhat. It seemed Yiming understood the priorities.

After bidding farewell to He Quanxin and leaving the Scripture Pavilion, He Yiming instinctively headed toward the training grounds in the rear courtyard. He had already been late two days; he certainly didn't want to be late for a third consecutive day.

He had only taken a few steps when he encountered his Third Uncle, He Quanyi, and his two children, He Yilong and He Yitao. He Quanyi watched the direction He Yiming was heading and chuckled lightly, “Yiming, are you heading to the rear courtyard for morning drills?” “Yes, Third Uncle,” He Yiming replied respectfully. He Yilong and He Yitao exchanged amused glances, and He Yitao even called out, “Sixth Brother, you’ve already reached the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength; you don’t need to attend the morning drills anymore.”

He Yiming froze, a wry smile touching his lips. He had spent the entire night copying texts in the Scripture Pavilion and had completely forgotten this fact. According to the He family rules, practitioners at the Sixth Layer and above were exempt from morning drills. This was because once Inner Strength reached the Sixth Layer, the physical benefits derived from the drills diminished to near insignificance; far greater gains were achieved through dedicated Inner Strength cultivation.

He Quanyi clapped Yiming on the shoulder. “Yiming, keep working hard on your own. I hope to see you advance to the Seventh Layer soon.” He Yiming nodded instinctively, watching his Third Uncle and the two siblings walk away. He turned back, surveyed his surroundings, and suddenly realized he seemed to have nowhere to go. Since he was five years old, morning drills had been a daily fixture. Now that they were no longer required, where would he go and what would he do during the next three hours?

His current mood was complex, akin to a university student who had just graduated into unemployment—a profound, innate sense of aimlessness washed over him.

He squeezed the copied manuals in his embrace, and He Yiming’s heart began to burn with renewed fervor. Since he didn't have to attend drills, he would start cultivating the combat skill manuals now. He wondered how much benefit these two techniques would bring him, and to what extent they could elevate his combat prowess. He Yiming was confident that once he mastered either of these two techniques, the next time he encountered the Fox Bear, that massive creature’s demise would be assured.

[bookid=1412695,bookname=《》]

For more novels, visit storyread.net.