The cold wind swept through, causing the leaves to rustle—a sound like whispered secrets, or perhaps soft laughter.

In the rear courtyard of the He Family Village, at that moment, the only sound to break the silence was the movement of the wind.

Within the He Family Village, He Yitian was an undeniable figurehead, especially among the third generation of disciples, where he had long been taken for granted as the most promising leader.

Even at the family banquets, he was the only third-generation disciple permitted a seat at the head table.

This was not solely due to him being the eldest grandson; what truly commanded respect was his exceptional cultivation talent.

He reached the Sixth Layer at fourteen, the Seventh Layer at nineteen, and now, at twenty-two, He Yitian was famous throughout Taicang County, standing head and shoulders above his peers even among the three great aristocratic families of the county.

This was because, apart from him, neither the Xu nor the Cheng families had a single third-generation disciple who had reached the Seventh Layer of Inner Strength.

Although He Yiming had also ascended to the Sixth Layer at thirteen, as long as he failed to advance again before the age of twenty, he would never be seen as equal to He Yitian in everyone's eyes.

Whether He Yiming could achieve this goal before twenty remained ambiguous; no one could guarantee it.

After all, the difficulty of advancing from the Sixth to the Seventh Layer far surpassed previous hurdles; even He Yitian himself couldn't fully explain how he had managed to break through.

Thus, when He Yitian stepped forward and issued a challenge to He Yiming, every spectator in the He Family Village courtyard felt a sense of utter disbelief well up from within.

After a long pause, He Wude suddenly laughed heartily and announced, "Yiming, your elder brother has challenged you. Go on and fight with all you have."

He Yiming looked deeply at the Old Master and his elder brother, bowed his head slightly, and replied, "Yes."

He Yihai stepped away, dejected, exchanging a glance with Yixuan; both were filled with confusion, unsure what their elder brother was plotting.

In previous years, after their own sparring matches, they would team up to challenge their elder brother, only to be defeated without question every time.

Therefore, they were acutely aware of their brother's strength and held him in immense reverence. Though the Sixth Brother had recently emerged forcefully, they dared not believe he could stand against their Eldest Brother. Consequently, they could not comprehend why their brother was stepping up to issue the challenge.

He Quanyi watched his two outstanding nephews, filled with immense pride. The He Family Village had only been established in Taicang County for a few decades, making it the youngest among the three great families. However, the third generation of He disciples was the most promising; he had absolute faith that once these juniors matured, the He Family Village would undoubtedly become the premier aristocratic family in Taicang County.

Retreating a few steps, He Quanyi loudly gave the command, and the most anticipated match among the younger generation finally began.

He Yitian touched his chest with one hand, making a welcoming gesture with the other. Yiming made no courtesies, crossing his fists and striding forward like a rumbling boulder.

After a few exchanges, the onlookers could already discern that He Yitian was worthy of his title as the top master among the third generation; he had subtly gained the upper hand without anyone noticing when it happened.

He Yitian primarily practiced an Earth-elemental technique. Standing in the center of the arena with his feet spread in a wide stance, he resembled a tree, deeply rooted in the ground. No matter how aggressively He Yiming attacked, he remained unmovable as a mountain. His hands moved gently around his body, effortlessly shattering and deflecting Yiming’s continuous barrage of Rolling Stone Fists, allowing none of the attacks to come near him.

This was the power of the Seventh Layer. Faced with absolute strength, even mastery over advanced combat techniques offered no path to victory.

After fighting for a few more moments, He Yiming felt as if his limbs were bound, unable to move freely, a suffocating sensation like having heavy stones tied to his arms and legs.

If his Inner Strength cultivation were truly only at the Sixth Layer, he would have been unable to continue fighting by now. However, his actual Inner Strength was a tier higher than He Yitian's, which allowed him to persist.

He Wude’s eyes subtly brightened; Yiming’s performance greatly exceeded his expectations.

He Yitian, now twenty-two, had studied Earth-elemental techniques for seventeen years, thoroughly mastering the true essence of its defensive, steady advance. Though he appeared not to be actively attacking, every clash between them left a minuscule thread of Inner Strength clinging to Yiming.

Furthermore, He Yitian’s Earth technique acted like a massive sinkhole, drawing Yiming deeper into its embrace, making it difficult to simply stop and retreat even if he wished to.

Yet, under these very conditions, He Yiming stubbornly held his ground. Even though his movements appeared significantly slower, he never yielded. This situation was deeply puzzling; how could he endure for so long?

After a moment of contemplation, a thought suddenly struck He Wude: the handbook on Innate cultivation. Could Yiming have already begun practicing it and achieved some small success?

With this notion, He Wude suddenly shouted, "Yiming, stop hiding your abilities! Show us your true skill!"

He Yiming’s mood at that moment was much like He Yihai’s earlier—utterly frustrated. Hearing the Old Master’s voice, his spirits lifted, and his gaze sharpened immediately.

He did not realize the Old Master intended for him to unleash the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting; instead, he assumed the Old Master had seen through his true cultivation level. Since it was exposed, there was no need for concealment, though this was not a life-or-death struggle, so he still needed to save face for his elder brother.

Therefore, He Yiming let out a soft shout, and the Primordial Chaos Force within him abruptly accelerated, reaching the level of the Seventh Layer. Almost simultaneously, his fist technique shifted, and the peak-Seventh Layer Rolling Stone Fist burst forth in dazzling display.

If his previous Rolling Stone Fist had been like granite stones circling He Yitian, the momentum erupting from He Yiming now reached another terrifying height.

As his fists interwove, a sound like clashing metal could faintly be heard. Each punch released a fierce current of air that felt like sharp blades scraping bone, causing the onlookers' skin to prickle with pain.

The Seventh Layer Metal-elemental Primordial Chaos Force, combined with the Seventh Layer Rolling Stone Fist, complemented each other perfectly, melding like water and oil, instantly maximizing their destructive power to its ultimate state.

He Yitian's expression changed drastically. In his perception, his Sixth Brother’s figure seemed to instantaneously grow taller, making him feel utterly incapable of resistance. Even more bizarrely, his brother’s arms no longer appeared to be flesh and blood but had transformed into two massive cleavers, flashing menacingly before him with a loud whoosh.

His Earth technique was renowned for its formidable defense, yet under the opponent's supremely sharp offensive, it showed signs of being unable to hold.

He Yitian's face grew incredibly grim. He completely retracted his own punch energy to the small space around his body, appearing in that instant like a massive boulder pressed against the ground, unshakable by any force.

But He Yiming’s attacks grew fiercer. His Rolling Stone Fist resembled countless meteorites pouring down from the heavens, smashing relentlessly against the giant rock. Once, twice, then countless times—each impact made the boulder tremble slightly, and the number and frequency of the meteor strikes increased steadily. Gradually, it seemed the boulder would be completely submerged.

After a few more moments of fighting, an unhealthy flush rose on He Yitian's face. He had only one thought: Block, block, and block some more...

He could sense that his Sixth Brother had definitely broken through the Sixth Layer and advanced to the Seventh Layer of Inner Strength. But his promotion couldn't have been long ago, and while Metal-elemental techniques possessed immense power, they were also the most fleeting in terms of endurance. If he could just withstand this chain of attacks, he would ultimately win.

However, no matter how He Yitian encouraged himself, the Sixth Brother's Rolling Stone Fist did not feel like a Metal technique at all; instead, it felt like a Water technique—enduring and relentless, with an attack power that surged higher with each wave, seemingly endless.

Block, block...

He couldn't hold!

He Yitian's feet finally lost their purchase on the ground, taking a small step back.

But with that single backward step, the expressions of He Wude and the others changed.

Though the vast majority couldn't grasp the underlying mystery, these few knew clearly: He Yitian had lost this bout.

"Stop..."

A sharp shout erupted from He Wude’s mouth. He Yiming, fully immersed in the fight, flinched. His fists paused mid-air for a moment before he immediately pulled back and stood still. He Yitian, naturally, also straightened up, but the look in his eyes as he regarded his Sixth Brother was filled with shock.

He Wude glanced at the confused crowd and announced, "Your boxing skills have shown great progress compared to last year. I am greatly pleased. This day's contest ends here. Quanyi, double the rewards for the New Year, let everyone have a good celebration."

A wave of loud cheers immediately burst forth from the servants and attendants. Although the sudden halt called by the Old Master caused them minor dissatisfaction, the thought of the doubled New Year bonus made them instantly overlook that small annoyance.

He Quanyi loudly assented and went off to manage the matter.

He Yitian opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp glare from He Wude instantly silenced him.

He Wude waved his wide sleeve and declared, "You all disperse. You three brothers—Qinxin—and Yitian, Yiming, follow me."

Ps: As always, this is the Three Rivers recommendation push, please give lots of support, thank you! Also, tomorrow is Monday, so White Crane will customarily add an extra chapter. One chapter at midnight, one around ten in the morning, and another around seven or eight in the evening. Clicks, recommendations, and collections—White Crane needs them all ^_^