Having completed this series of rigorous training, He Yiming finally let out a long sigh of relief, the massive stone that had weighed on his heart for months finally lifted.

Five months prior, he had distinctly felt the sharp, murderous intent emanating from the Second Master Xu, Xu Xiangci.

Against that practitioner whose Internal Force had reached the formidable Eighth Layer, He Yiming hadn't possessed even the slightest confidence of victory. The mere thought of such a master lurking in the shadows, staring him down with predatory intent, sent a chill down He Yiming’s spine, leaving him deeply unsettled.

But now, he felt no fear; rather, a restless energy stirred within him. Should the opportunity arise, he wouldn't mind encountering Xu Xiangci again for a clandestine exchange of blows. And if he could secure victory and teach the man a lesson, that would be all the better.

Slowly calming his mind, He Yiming began to silently contemplate the earth-shattering changes that had occurred over the past year.

He knew the root of it all traced back to that miraculous encounter in the lake that day. Without that bizarre and mysterious opportunity, the He Yiming of today would likely still be that young fellow agonizing over how to break through to the Fifth Layer of Internal Force, never becoming a high-level practitioner who had already reached the Eighth Layer.

Nearly a year of cultivation had allowed He Yiming to gradually adapt to his drastic transformations.

Moreover, he had managed to summarize several exceedingly unusual traits about himself.

Firstly, as long as he settled his mind to cultivate, regardless of the technique he practiced—be it his primary Internal Force manual, a combat skill manual, or even auxiliary cultivation arts—his Internal Force would always increase. While the magnitude of the growth varied, this fact was absolutely certain.

And this, perhaps, was the very reason behind He Yiming’s astonishingly rapid pace of Internal Force cultivation.

Beyond this peculiarity, whenever his Internal Force reached the peak of a certain stage and brushed against the barrier of that level, He Yiming merely needed to select a new cultivation technique, even if it was just an auxiliary Internal Force art, to easily shatter the obstruction before him and ascend to a higher tier.

This ability was utterly heaven-defying to the extreme. Although He Yiming was young and certainly not renowned as a world-shaking child prodigy, he understood implicitly that such matters could never be disclosed to anyone. Not even those closest to him.

Furthermore, ever since the mysterious underwater encounter, no matter what technique He Yiming practiced, he grasped it with exceptional speed, especially the combat skills, which allowed him to reach peak proficiency with relative ease.

What astonished him even more was that his physique seemed to have undergone an inexplicable change; he appeared capable of cultivating techniques of any attribute, with speeds and results that would leave any observer utterly dumbfounded.

Not only that, but He Yiming’s true strength never seemed to attract undue attention. When he displayed power, to outsiders, that was precisely the extent of his capability. This was confirmed by the fact that in the past, even He Wude had failed to notice that he had long since broken through the Sixth Layer.

It was precisely because of these strange phenomena that he had managed to reach the Eighth Layer of Internal Force in less than a year—a level that, within the entire Taicang County, would surely place him among the top five in true strength.

Of course, this was merely his estimation, unconfirmed by actual combat, and thus could not be taken as absolute fact.

Putting everything away, He Yiming returned to his room, only to suddenly hear the sound of a bell chiming outside. He paused briefly, opened the door, and saw his Third Uncle, He Quanyi, standing at the courtyard entrance with a smile.

He quickly stepped forward, ushered He Quanyi into the room, and said respectfully, "Third Uncle, why have you come in person? If you needed anything, simply sending a servant would have sufficed."

He Quanyi laughed heartily, "You have been in strict seclusion these past few months, truly not venturing beyond your door. You haven't even attended the manor banquets at the beginning and middle of every month."

He Yiming’s face flushed slightly. "Third Uncle, your nephew cultivated too diligently and was negligent; I beg your forgiveness."

He Quanyi waved his hand dismissively. "I am more than happy that you can focus on your cultivation." He paused, then added, "However, you are still young; you cannot spend all your time cultivating like this. Frequent interaction with your brothers in the family is also necessary. If your Eldest Uncle hadn't mentioned that you were coming out of seclusion, I wouldn't even have known."

Only then did He Yiming understand why his Third Uncle had visited. He nodded humbly, maintaining an attitude of deference.

Yet, He Quanyi couldn't shake the feeling that he couldn't quite see through his young nephew before him. This feeling greatly surprised him. With his experience, even regarding the most outstanding of the third generation, He Yitian, he felt he had a firm grasp. But why had this young nephew caused such a profound change in just one year?

Shaking his head slightly, He Quanyi suppressed this strange sensation. "Yiming, today is the middle of the month. Come to the main hall for dinner tonight; your grandfather has been complaining several times. If you don't show up soon, I fear he might come and drag you out himself."

He Yiming’s face reddened again as he offered an awkward smile. "Third Uncle, rest assured, I will certainly be there tonight."

He Quanyi smiled with satisfaction and inquired a few times about He Yiming's progress in his cultivation. Naturally, He Yiming offered vague, non-committal answers. Fortunately, Yiming's cultivation base was already at an extremely high level, allowing him to recount the specifics of the Sixth Layer realm without a single error; otherwise, he couldn't have fooled He Quanyi.

This was also because He Quanyi firmly believed it was impossible for Yiming to have broken through to the Sixth Layer within a single year; otherwise, he might have harbored some suspicion.

After seeing He Quanyi off, He Yiming pondered for a long time, took a thorough cleansing, changed into a set of brand-new clothes, checked the time, and headed toward the main hall.

Since it was the middle of the month, all direct descendants of the manor were expected to attend the evening meal. The exception was those disciples dedicated to continuous, focused power enhancement through seclusion. However, in the He Family Manor, rarely did anyone enter seclusion for more than three months at a time. Thus, when He Yiming, absent for five months, appeared in the hall, it immediately caused a small stir.

He Yitao jumped up instantly, pulling Yiming to a seat among the younger generation. His bright eyes sparkled as he asked, "Sixth Brother, you are truly formidable, locking yourself away for five months! You couldn't have broken through to the Seventh Layer, could you?"

He Yiming gave a knowing, cryptic smile. "What do you think?"

He Yitao waved his hand confidently. "Sixth Brother, don't try to scare me; I know the score. If you could advance to the Seventh Layer within three years, that would already be amazing. This nearly half-year seclusion must have been dedicated to diligently practicing some specific combat technique, preparing to show off at the New Year’s Competition, right?"

His words were immediately echoed by several other brothers and sisters, except for He Yizhang, whose expression looked somewhat strained. The rest chimed in with questions, but they all agreed that Yiming must have been focused on mastering a battle technique, rather than seriously cultivating his core force.

He Yiming offered a wry smile, but the mention of the New Year’s Competition did stir a touch of anticipation in his heart.

In the He Family Manor, every New Year, a public martial arts contest was held among the three generations of disciples. Of course, disciples like He Yizhang, who hadn't reached the Sixth Layer, merely performed basic horse stances and fundamental fist forms on stage. But any disciple who had attained the Sixth Layer was required to engage in actual sparring matches.

In the past, the victor was invariably Eldest Brother He Yitian; once his Seventh Layer Internal Force manifested, even Second Brother Yihai and Third Brother Yixuan had to stand aside respectfully.

In essence, this event was merely a way to gauge the progress of the disciples and inspire their drive for self-improvement. Sometimes, even He Quanxin and others would step in for guest appearances. Holding such an activity during the New Year lent an atmosphere of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, which was greatly enjoyed by everyone.

Under the persistent questioning of He Yitao and the others, He Yiming reluctantly went along with their assumptions, admitting that he had indeed been hiding in his room practicing a secret combat manual. As for which technique it was, He Yiming merely smiled and refused to elaborate, stubbornly keeping silent.

After a brief period of lively noise, the hall suddenly quieted down as the elders entered.

He Wude glanced over the assembled grandchildren, nodded with satisfaction, and took the main seat at the elder’s table. He Quanxin, He Quanyi, and He Yitian sat beside him.

Among the younger generation of He family disciples, excluding He Yitian, all felt a degree of awe towards the usually stern Old Master. The previously boisterous hall instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

After dinner, He Wude cleared his throat lightly. "Quanyi, in another month, it will be the New Year. Are the provisions and goods arranged?"

He Quanyi responded respectfully, "Father, rest assured, everything is arranged perfectly."

"Good. Tell Quanming and his wife to return early. They have worked hard outside for a year; it hasn't been easy for them."

"Yes."

He Yixuan, Yiming, and Yilong—the three siblings—immediately broke into smiles. They were the biological children of He Quanming, and hearing that their parents would return soon naturally filled them with different joy than their cousins.

He Wude’s gaze swept over the younger members. "The New Year’s martial contest should also be prepared for soon. This year, Yiming has also advanced to the Sixth Layer. Our He Family Manor’s younger generation is gradually growing stronger."

His voice was full of sentiment and contentment. For him, nothing brought greater happiness than watching the three generations of descendants slowly mature.

He Quanyi responded to each point, making the necessary arrangements.

However, He Yiming felt quite troubled in his heart. He wanted to please the Old Master, but he didn't wish to fully expose his true strength. So, how should he conduct himself a month from now?

Ps: Happy New Year! White Crane actually slept in late, sigh...

I will adjust the morning update time these next few days, striving to post before ten in the morning. If it's a bit late, please forgive this brother!

Within a week, I promise to resume the usual schedule.

Please be patient with me ^_^