He Yi Ming returned to the estate at the quickest pace possible, immediately rushing toward the library courtyard where his uncle resided.

The moment he stepped into the courtyard, his body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and his gaze sharpened considerably.

Instinctively, he felt a profound pressure directed squarely at him, though it vanished without a trace after only a fleeting instant.

This courtyard was one of the most vital areas in the entire estate, far surpassing the modest courtyard where he himself lived. Besides the main hall, there were two side halls; it was from one of these side halls that the recent pressure had emanated.

He Yi Ming shook his head slightly, and the visage of his uncle, He Quan Xin, suddenly surfaced in his mind. He had the distinct sensation that the pressure had been his uncle’s scrutiny. Yet, as soon as his uncle perceived him clearly, the gaze had been withdrawn.

He couldn't quite place the origin of this feeling, but the notion lingered, refusing to be dismissed.

After a moment of hesitation, He Yi Ming chose not to enter the side hall to pay his respects. Instead, he proceeded directly into the main hall, the repository of the He Family Estate’s collected volumes.

For disciples of the third generation, any who achieved the sixth layer of Neijin (Inner Strength) cultivation earned the privilege to browse and select various cultivation methods here. Naturally, everyone understood the folly of trying to master too much at once, which was why this was only He Yi Ming’s second visit.

As He Yi Ming pushed open the door, He Quan Xin, sitting in the side hall, frowned, a trace of suspicion coloring his features. He had detected Yi Ming the moment he entered the courtyard and had glanced at him from a distance. However, the movements Yi Ming subsequently displayed astonished him, particularly the brief look directed toward his own room, which nearly made him wonder if Yi Ming had somehow detected his gaze.

Yet, in the next instant, he dismissed the thought. Yi Ming was merely a sixth-layer Neijin practitioner; how could he possibly notice his attention? This was clearly the result of his own paranoia. Yi Ming had likely stumbled upon the place coincidentally and wished to offer a greeting but, fearing his uncle was in secluded cultivation, dared not interrupt.

Having rationalized this conclusion, He Quan Xin relaxed, refocusing his concentration to delve back into studying his own cultivation manual.

He Yi Ming pushed the door open to find the hall empty, devoid of any figure. All the books were arranged in meticulous order. Though the bookshelves themselves were substantial, the actual volume of literature was somewhat sparse.

He Yi Ming continued without pausing, stopping casually beside one of the shelves. He steadied his mind and casually pulled a book from the rack.

Flipping it open, he gave a slight start.

Toughening the Hide Art, a supplementary secret manual for Wood-element Neijin.

A wry smile touched his lips. How ironic that he should randomly select such a manual.

Among the various elemental techniques, methods were divided into three categories: the primary Neijin cultivation method, combat techniques (Zhan Ji), and various supplementary manuals.

The primary Neijin and combat technique manuals needed no elaborate explanation; one was the foundational method of practice, and the other enhanced combat effectiveness. Both were crucially important to any cultivator.

The third category, supplementary methods, were considered less vital. For instance, this Wood-element supplementary manual, Toughening the Hide Art, caused the cultivator’s skin to tighten, thereby increasing resistance to impact to a certain degree. It also possessed a peculiar secondary function: if mastered to a profound level, it could cause the skin on the face to overlap, allowing for a degree of alteration to one’s appearance.

However, achieving such profound mastery was far from easy; it was mentally draining and laborious. Compared to the effort expended, the returns were utterly disproportionate. Thus, while this manual was not inherently rare, few cultivators bothered with it—certainly none within the He Family Estate.

Just as He Yi Ming was about to return the book, a sudden thought sparked in his mind.

After hearing his Ninth Brother, Yi Tao, speak by the lake, the hazy notion that had been forming in his mind sharpened into clarity.

Following the strange encounter in the lake, he had begun practicing the new Bō Wén Gong (Rippling Force Art). It was during the cultivation of this new method that he had successfully broken through the barrier of the fifth layer. Subsequently, his Metal-element Neijin had risen in tandem, achieving a breakthrough promotion.

Could his smooth advancement have been due to practicing a new cultivation method?

Although He Yi Ming was not entirely certain, this was undoubtedly a possibility worth testing.

This was precisely why he had rushed back to the estate, determined that whichever Neijin manual he obtained, he would practice it. He had simply not expected his first casual selection to be a supplementary technique; perhaps, this too was fate’s design.

After a moment of contemplation, He Yi Ming finally settled his thoughts. He did not return the manual but carried it to the central table and began the painstaking process of copying it.

The content of Toughening the Hide Art was not extensive, so the transcription was not arduous. Furthermore, with his Neijin already at the peak of the sixth layer, brushing against the barrier of the next stage, his eyesight had drastically improved, his wrist rock-steady, allowing his brushstrokes to flow like dragon and serpent script. An hour later, the entire text was finished.

He placed the original book back precisely, picked up the newly copied text, and departed the main hall.

In a large clan or prominent sect, even securing permission to copy a book for removal was no trivial matter. But within the He Family Estate, this was a negligible event. Until He Yi Ming left the courtyard, no one stepped forward to obstruct or question him. Moreover, all He family disciples instinctively understood they should never take original manuals out of the library.

In truth, they were unaware that the books in this repository were all copies; the true originals were kept close to the Elder, which explained the relative leniency of the rules here.

He Yi Ming returned to his own courtyard, secured the door, and bolted the crossbar, signaling that he was entering seclusion and was not to be disturbed.

Back in his room, he opened the freshly copied Toughening the Hide Art manual, silently committing it to memory, dissecting the meaning of every word and phrase.

This was the most critical aspect of a cultivator's study. Before daring to practice any new manual, one must fully comprehend and research its contents. Rushing heedlessly into practice upon acquiring a Neijin manual would certainly lead to disaster.

Slowly, He Yi Ming finished reading the entire work, contemplating the implications behind each sentence in his mind.

He soon discovered that this supplementary Neijin manual was simultaneously easy and difficult.

Because supplementary methods were not designed primarily to boost Neijin intensity like the main cultivation arts, their practice relied heavily on existing Neijin strength. This was similar to combat techniques, both requiring a foundation of Neijin cultivation to manifest their true power.

However, compared to combat techniques, the initial training route for supplementary arts was far simpler. For He Yi Ming, possessing sixth-layer Neijin, the introductory phase of practice presented no difficulty—it was far easier than learning a combat technique.

But as the level of Neijin cultivation increased, the difficulty of mastering the supplementary art grew steeper. To bring this technique to its peak, capable of altering one's appearance, required not only reaching the ninth layer of Neijin but also an immense level of concentrated effort.

Furthermore, channeling Neijin to the face was exceptionally challenging. Unless one possessed a natural aptitude in that specific area, very few people could achieve that level of transformation.

In contrast, combat techniques often proved less challenging in their later stages of advancement.

Understanding all this, He Yi Ming let out a long breath. It was no wonder so few were willing to practice this manual; it was practically a useless burden.

He shook his head slightly but decided to proceed with the cultivation anyway. His objective was not to gain another Neijin mastery but to test whether his recent deduction was correct.

To proceed cautiously, he descended into his secret chamber. Just before commencing practice, a strange sensation washed over him.

A sixth-layer Neijin practitioner cultivating two primary Neijin arts of different attributes, and now embarking on a third supplementary Neijin art. If others knew, they would likely mock him as utterly insane without a second thought.

With a self-deprecating smile, He Yi Ming composed himself and began slowly circulating his Neijin according to the instructions recorded in Toughening the Hide Art.

The entry point of Toughening the Hide Art was not difficult; given a foundation of Neijin, some level of circulation was achievable, though the efficacy remained unknown.

Once He Yi Ming entered the state of cultivation, his Neijin began to course through the pathways detailed in the manual at an almost unimaginable speed.

His Inner Strength flowed through one meridian after another. The skin on his body began to tighten automatically, as if transforming into tough, old leather.

Although the defensive power offered by this tightened skin was not immense, achieving such immediate, fluid results on the very first attempt at a supplementary art—as if he had practiced it countless times—was enough to shock any observer.

Finally, when He Yi Ming felt a faint, stinging pain emanating from within his body, he ceased the technique.

He knew this sensation meant his current Neijin reserves could no longer support the drain required by Toughening the Hide Art; hence the stinging. If he wished to continue cultivating this skill, he would need to achieve another breakthrough.

Opening his eyes, He Yi Ming clapped his hands together, silently assessing the state of the Neijin within him. Gradually, a look of profound strangeness spread across his face.

Ps: Ugh... I just landed at the very tail end of the Weekly Recommendation push. Brothers, please rush over and show your support! If you have votes and don't cast them, they expire!