He Yi Ming’s speed was astonishing, and he wasn’t following a straight path as he moved, but what truly propelled him into danger was an instinct. It was a specific feeling, a strange sixth sense suggesting that rushing out now might actually steer him clear of the worst crisis.

With two rapid movements, he reached a large tree nearby to his flank, his peripheral vision immediately catching a man clad in tight black clothing, his hands occupied with assembling an arrow on a small crossbow. He Yi Ming’s eyes flickered over the setup, and he instantly recognized the origin of those bolts.

They were not quite the standard issue found in the military, being significantly smaller both in size and potential impact. If he wasn't mistaken, these were crossbows privately forged by certain powerful families, and he couldn't fathom how they had ended up in this man's possession.

Slightly lowering his stance, He Yi Ming swept his hand across the ground, snatching up a stone the size of a fist, and casually tossed it toward the target. Although He Yi Ming had never formally studied any projectile weapon techniques, the stone, imbued with his internal energy (nei jin), nevertheless cut the air with a fierce whistle, flying toward the man like a hardened arrow.

The man’s agility was exceptional, his reaction lightning fast. He instantly abandoned the half-loaded crossbow, executed a quick barrel roll, and managed to dodge the projectile.

As soon as the man scrambled back to his feet, he stomped down hard, sending a dense spray of mud mixed with fine gravel hurtling toward the path He Yi Ming was charging along. He Yi Ming inwardly bristled.

He had never expected to encounter such a tactic during a confrontation. He checked his momentum mid-air, but still, some dirt spattered onto his clothes.

Landing firmly on both feet, He Yi Ming finally saw the man’s face clearly. It was a middle-aged man with a sharp-nosed, monkey-cheeked appearance.

His eyes, in particular, carried a slight reddish tint, giving them a vicious, almost bloodthirsty look. He Yi Ming’s heart clenched.

He instantly recognized the man and understood why the ambush had been carried out in silence. “Hu Bin?” He Yi Ming instinctively clenched both fists, his voice tight with tension.

Yet, an inexplicable chill washed over him. Although his internal energy cultivation had reached the Seventh Layer, this man was known for being steeped in bloodshed, and pretending to feel no fear would be self-deception.

Hu Bin regarded He Yi Ming with cold indifference, a sneer curling his lip. “Heh heh, you young masters from the esteemed families are getting bolder.

Sending such a small fry out to die.” He Yi Ming took a deep breath, his mind sharp, and circulated his internal energy, instantly pushing it to the peak of the Sixth Layer of Hun Yuan Jin (Primal Chaos Force). He thrust both fists out levelly, and He Yi Ming spoke loudly, “Hu Bin, we won't know who’s dying until we fight.

You take this…” His face suddenly tightened, and both fists shot out, smashing forward. Hu Bin had lunged before He Yi Ming could finish his sentence.

In previous sparring matches with his brothers back at the Manor, both sides would be fully prepared before engaging openly. Hu Bin’s sudden mid-sentence attack had completely caught him off guard.

Fortunately, He Yi Ming’s reaction speed was far beyond that of an ordinary person. Despite the momentary shock, his hands automatically moved to block.

Hu Bin moved like a slippery fish. With a single leap, he was at He Yi Ming’s side, delivering a seemingly weightless palm strike.

He Yi Ming was certainly not yielding ground. He unleashed the full force of his Metal-element technique, Hun Yuan Jin, combined with the Gun Shi Quan (Rolling Stone Fist), meeting the attack with fierce, wind-whipping blows.

The fists and palms collided instantly. Hu Bin’s expression shifted, and he pushed off forcefully with his feet, retreating like a phantom.

He flipped in the air, using two large trees alternately as stepping stones to barely dissipate the immense impact force from He Yi Ming’s punch. Once the formal engagement began, He Yi Ming’s mind settled.

Although Hu Bin carried a killing aura that instilled fear, his internal energy was truly only at the Fifth Layer. Even using just the Sixth Layer of his internal energy coupled with his combat skills, he could defeat this man easily.

Realizing this, he let out a short shout and pursued the opponent with steps like flying. Hu Bin landed, suddenly yelling out, “Wait a moment.” He Yi Ming halted instantly, standing unmovingly like an immovable Vajra statue, regarding the other man with suspicion.

Hu Bin clasped his hands behind his back, a look of shock on his face. “Sixth Layer internal energy, Sixth Layer technique?

Which family’s heir are you?” He Yi Ming stood tall and proud, declaring, “Tai Cang He Family Manor.” “Good, a fine He Family Manor, to produce such a young expert.” Hu Bin nodded, though his eyes gleamed with deadly intent. He rubbed his hands together.

“My circulation is stable now; we can continue.” He Yi Ming paused, then understood. That initial clash had churned Hu Bin’s vital energy (qi xue).

If he had pressed the attack then, he would have gained a significant advantage. Yet, in the time it took to exchange those few sentences, the man had fully recovered.

A slight flush crossed his face; the lesson learned was profound and would be etched into his memory forever. A flash of anger crossed his eyes, and He Yi Ming crossed his fists, launching a continuous, surging barrage at Hu Bin.

Backed by his Sixth Layer internal energy, every punch he threw generated a distinct gust of wind. More terrifyingly, before the first gust had fully dissipated, the second one followed, creating a natural barrier of swirling wind around him.

He himself moved like a massive, rolling boulder, churning within a defined area. Wherever his fists passed, even the towering trees swayed slightly, let alone the weeds and brush, which were flattened as if crushed by immense stones, leaving deep tracks.

Simultaneously, his momentum, like his punching wind, built wave upon wave. After dozens of strikes, the lingering fear in his heart gradually evaporated.

With every punch thrown, a feeling of clarity and exhilaration took hold, and he began to gain absolute superiority in the fight. He felt a sense of total release, a feeling entirely different from sparring with his brothers back home.

This was actual combat—real fighting… However, He Yi Ming held a measure of respect for his opponent. The internal energy and combat techniques Hu Bin employed were clearly also Metal-elemental, yet what manifested on Hu Bin lacked the sheer strength and sharp aggression typical of Metal techniques.

Instead, it possessed a quality of softness concealing hardness, reminiscent of Water-element techniques. To wield a Metal technique to such a degree spoke of combat experience far surpassing He Yi Ming’s own.

Against a standard Fifth Layer Metal-element cultivator, sustaining He Yi Ming’s relentless, continuous assault would have been difficult. But Hu Bin’s movement was extraordinary.

He darted through the churning fist-winds generated by He Yi Ming’s rolling boulder movements like a fish through water. With his Fifth Layer Metal nei jin, as long as he avoided a direct hit from He Yi Ming’s fist, the surrounding powerful gusts of wind could not harm him.

The only issue was that in dodging the seemingly omnipresent double fists, he had no opportunity to counterattack. A quarter of an hour passed, and Hu Bin grew anxious.

He cursed internally, wondering what kind of freak this was, how his fist winds could keep strengthening after such a long use of Metal techniques, showing no sign of exhaustion. When they first engaged, Hu Bin recognized He Yi Ming’s technique as the Metal-element Gun Shi Quan.

While its power was respectable—one of the stronger techniques among those of the same rank—it possessed a significant flaw: to maintain constant pressure, it consumed a considerable amount of internal energy. He could tell immediately that this young family heir could not be older than fifteen.

Reaching the Sixth Layer of internal energy at that age was already remarkable; even across the entire Tian Luo Kingdom, reaching this stage before fifteen was a rarity. Thus, he had resolved to engage He Yi Ming with maximum effort, planning to wait until the opponent’s internal energy was depleted before launching his counterattack.

But even now, He Yi Ming was growing fiercer with every exchange. The oppressive aura emanating from his fist winds seemed to intensify, suggesting his internal energy could be sustained indefinitely.

Has this brat’s internal energy reached the peak of the Sixth Layer? Otherwise, how could he display such terrifying stamina?

Hu Bin deeply regretted not attempting to flee at the beginning. Now, trapped by the opponent’s fist winds, escaping had become exponentially harder.

Moreover, dodging within He Yi Ming’s turbulent fist winds was itself a perilous strategy, and Hu Bin was beginning to feel the strain. Furthermore, powerful pursuers were behind him.

If he became entangled with this youth much longer, even if he managed to evade injury, the arrival of the pursuers would leave him with no chance of escape. A flicker of indecision crossed his eyes, then he suddenly gritted his teeth.

After evading He Yi Ming’s next gust of wind, he slammed both feet down, rooting himself deep into the earth like a stone piling. Raising both palms high, Hu Bin roared, his hands appearing momentarily enlarged, striking down upon He Yi Ming like Mount Tai descending.

He Yi Ming was overjoyed. Although he held the definitive advantage, the opponent’s rich experience meant he consistently refused a direct confrontation, leaving He Yi Ming with the frustrating sensation of pouring all his strength into cotton batting.

Therefore, when Hu Bin finally planted his feet to strike back, He Yi Ming welcomed it. The fists and palms slammed together violently.

He Yi Ming’s expression suddenly changed drastically. A powerful surge of internal energy rushed back.

The opponent’s twin palms felt like a giant axe splitting stone, completely shattering the accumulated might of his Gun Shi Quan and relentlessly driving a counterattack upward.