Having carefully stored the two transcribed books, He Yiming left the secret chamber, thoroughly satisfied with the results of his practice that day—so satisfied, in fact, that it bordered on the unnerving.

Stepping out of the door, the sun was already beginning its descent toward the west. He instinctively patted his stomach, realizing a sudden hunger; a great deal of time must have passed while he practiced those two combat techniques.

Just as he considered slipping into the manor kitchen for a bite to eat, he spotted a familiar figure approaching from beyond the courtyard gate.

He Yiming blinked twice, and a look of sheer delight immediately spread across his face. "Father, you're back?" he called out, his voice slightly drawn out.

The man entering was a middle-aged fellow with a round, smiling face framed by a short, bristly beard that looked like stubborn thorns. Though his nose was prominent, his eyes were not particularly large; despite thick hair growth, his complexion was fair. This was He Quanming, who handled the family’s business dealings in the county town.

At that moment, a joyful light shone in He Quanming’s eyes. Upon receiving the news, he had immediately dropped everything he was working on and rushed home with all possible speed.

Another third-generation disciple in the family had advanced to the Sixth Layer of Internal Strength, and this one was his youngest son, He Yiming, only thirteen years old. As one of the core members of the clan, he fully understood the significance of this achievement and held immense expectations for the boy's future.

"Yiming, come here."

The first thing He Quanming did upon entering the courtyard was extend an open palm. He Yiming subtly shook his head, genuinely perplexed as to why every elder insisted on testing him personally before they would truly believe. It seemed his second and third brothers hadn't been granted such personal verification.

With a resigned sigh, he extended a hand and placed it against his father’s large palm. Simultaneously, both men unleashed their internal energy. Under their careful control, the energy solidified rather than dissipated, and after a mere touch, it was instantly withdrawn.

The smile on He Quanming's face finally blossomed completely. He looked at his son, his eyes brimming with undeniable pride.

A faint sense of unease stirred within He Yiming. He knew his breakthrough hadn't been entirely due to his own strenuous effort. He wondered if such fortunate occurrences would continue to manifest in the future.

"Good, Yiming, you are truly exceptional." After a long pause, He Quanming let his smile fade, becoming serious. "However, you must not become complacent. You must continue to strive, aiming to reach the Seventh Level before you turn twenty, just like your elder brother."

"Yes, Father," He Yiming replied solemnly. "This son will certainly work hard."

He Quanming nodded with satisfaction. "I just came from your eldest brother's place. I heard you selected two combat techniques."

He Yiming nodded slightly, sneaking a quick glance at his father, and seeing no trace of displeasure, he finally relaxed.

But then, He Quanming’s tone shifted abruptly. "Yiming, I know that for young men like you, combat techniques are incredibly alluring. But I hope you will choose to master only one."

"Just one combat technique?" He Yiming asked, surprised.

"Yes. At your age, you have an incredible future ahead of you. This is the perfect time for rapid advancement in Internal Strength. As for combat techniques, those are secondary matters. Once your Internal Strength is profound, you can practice any powerful technique at any time." He Quanming said with a grave expression, "You reached the Sixth Layer of Internal Strength at just thirteen—you must not waste such excellent talent and fortune."

"That's right." A resonant voice cut in from behind He Quanming. He Yiming looked up to see his Third Uncle, He Quanyi, walking in. "Yiming, cultivating a combat technique is not easy. To bring a single technique to proficiency, or even to its peak state, requires an immense expenditure of time and effort—for you, it’s simply not worth the cost." He paused, then added, "To be frank, those who dedicate themselves entirely to mastering a combat technique are usually the ones who lack confidence in improving their Internal Strength, forcing them to put all their eggs in that basket. Your grandfather, your Eldest Uncle, and your eldest brother—they all dedicated the vast majority of their time to cultivating Internal Strength. That is the true path for us cultivators."

He Quanming nodded repeatedly while listening, yet a mixture of envy and regret flickered in the eyes of both brothers.

Suddenly, He Yiming grasped something deeper: his father and third uncle deeply envied the natural gifts of his grandfather and eldest uncle. After all, the Eldest Uncle was the only one among the second generation’s three brothers to break through to the Ninth Layer of Internal Strength.

However, a question surfaced in He Yiming's mind: Does mastering a combat technique to its peak truly require so much time? For himself, it seemed he had brought both the Metal-element Rolling Stone Fist and the Water-element Cotton Palm techniques to the peak of the Sixth Layer in only half a day.

After speaking, He Quanyi suddenly said, "Second Brother, you don't believe me, do you? You still need a demonstration."

"I just find it a little hard to believe," He Quanming replied with a wry smile. He had truly never expected his youngest son to spring such a colossal surprise on him.

He Quanyi turned serious. "Second Brother, regardless, congratulations. Yiming’s future achievements will surely not be limited to this single day; he is the future pillar of our He Family."

He Quanming waved a hand dismissively. "Stop praising him so much, or I fear he'll forget his own surname."

The two brothers burst into hearty laughter in He Yiming's courtyard, their merriment filled with an unrestrained, bold spirit.

He Yiming hesitated for a moment, then abruptly asked, "Father, Third Uncle, just how long does it actually take to reach the peak mastery of a single combat technique manual?"

The brothers exchanged a look, both showing a faint shadow of worry. They simultaneously realized that Yiming's interest in martial arts truly eclipsed his focus on Internal Strength cultivation.

Yet, this wasn't just Yiming's issue; for most youths in this age bracket, this was a common mindset.

With a soft sigh, He Quanming explained, "Yiming, with combat techniques, just like Internal Strength, success heavily depends on how well the cultivator's physique aligns with the cultivation method. Therefore, everyone's results will vary. But to bring a technique to the peak of its current stage—it can take as little as a year, or as long as ten, or even dozens of years, it’s impossible to say for certain."

He Yiming opened his mouth slightly, a frustrated smile playing on his lips. "It takes a whole year to reach the peak?"

He Quanming glared at him sternly. "Yiming, don't aim too high. To bring a combat technique to the peak of its current stage within one year is already a remarkable speed. Your Third Uncle Yixuan cultivated Water-elemental Internal Strength, and his physique was perfectly suited to the Water-elemental Soft Palm technique. That's why he managed to bring the Soft Palm to the Sixth Layer peak within a year. He’s actually the fastest technique cultivator in our manor."

He Quanyi stepped forward suddenly, standing directly in front of He Yiming and looking him straight in the eye. "Second Brother, your Third Uncle reached the Sixth Layer of Internal Strength only after he turned fifteen. His life's potential development is roughly comparable to yours and mine. That is why we allowed him to dedicate all his energy to mastering combat techniques. But you are different; you still have vast room for improvement. Therefore, I hope you will prioritize Internal Strength training, using techniques as a supplement. Do you understand?"

He Yiming straightened his chest immediately and boomed, "Yes, Third Uncle, I understand."

His voice was exceedingly loud, yet in his mind, he was secretly calculating the elders’ reaction if they knew he had achieved the Sixth Layer peak in both the Metal-element Rolling Stone Fist and the Water-element Soft Palm after practicing for only half a day.

Although He Yiming was not timid, at this crucial juncture, he decided to keep silent, having no intention of revealing anything.

His gaze shifted, and He Yiming changed the subject. "Father, since you are back, where is Mother?"

He Quanming smiled faintly. "Someone needs to oversee the shops in the county town. Since I am back, your mother had to stay there. Why, do you miss her?"

He Yiming nodded emphatically. "Yes, I do."

He Quanming stepped forward and gently stroked his head a few times. "Don't worry. In a month or two, your mother and I will come back to stay with you both for a few days. But during this time, you absolutely must work hard; don't let your mother and me down."

He Yiming patted his still somewhat tender chest. "Father, rest assured, I will never bring shame upon you."

He Quanming laughed loudly. "I believe you, little genius."

He Quanyi turned. "Second Brother, you and Second Sister-in-law have been running ragged for the family business, even delaying your own training. Why don't you two return to the manor to rest for a while, and I can manage the shops in the city?"

He Quanming waved his hand. "Third Brother, you and Eldest Brother are simply not cut out for commerce. If I left the shops to you, I'm afraid we'd lose all the principal capital."

He Quanyi’s face flushed slightly, though his slightly darker complexion made it less obvious.

He Quanming clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Third Brother, our roots are still in He Family Manor. As long as you manage the manor well, ensuring your Eldest Brother can cultivate diligently without worldly concerns, our manor in the county will never fall. Moreover, if Eldest Brother successfully breaks through to the Tenth Level, then with both Father and Eldest Brother as Tenth Level experts, our He Family Manor will be second to none in the county. Even the Xu family and the County Magistrate Cheng's household wouldn't dare cast greedy eyes upon us again."

He Quanyi hesitated for a long moment before nodding slowly. "I understand. However, until Eldest Brother advances to the Tenth Level, you, Second Brother, must handle everything outside."

He Quanming stretched out both hands and waved them gently, causing a sharp, thunderclap-like sound to echo in the air.

"Don't worry. I am, after all, an Eighth Layer cultivator; I’m not some soft persimmon to be easily squeezed."

The two brothers exchanged a look and burst into joyous laughter once more, their voices brimming with an indescribable boldness.

He Yiming stared at them blankly. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a rush of warmth surging down from his chest, instantly spreading throughout his body, as if yearning to join their ranks.

He had inexplicably made up his mind: he must raise his own cultivation as quickly as possible to become an aid to his father and the others at the earliest opportunity.

P.S.: At dawn, White Crane will add an extra chapter. Brothers, please support with recommendation votes. Thank you...