He Wude strode into the main hall without a word, followed closely by the three brothers of the second generation, and He Yitian and He Yiming.

Silence reigned among them, but He Yiming was decidedly uneasy, muttering inwardly, I already did as you asked, old man, why aren't you satisfied? Do you really need me to unleash the full force of my Eighth Layer Internal Strength right now and knock Big Brother unconscious for you to be content?

While his thoughts were racing, He Wude had already settled into the main seat and inquired, "Yiming, have you broken through the Sixth Layer of Internal Strength and reached the Seventh?"

He Yiming paused slightly, thinking to himself, Didn't you just tell me to show you my true skill? Why ask now? A sudden notion struck him: could the Old Master truly not discern his depth?

Several gazes instantly fixed upon him. He Yiming managed an awkward smile. "Grandfather, your grandson has indeed reached the Seventh Layer of Internal Strength."

He Wude's eyes instantly brightened. He shot up from his seat with a whoosh and strode toward Yiming, extending an open palm.

He Yiming hesitated for a beat, then reached out and pressed his hand against his grandfather's, channeling his Hunyuan Strength, pushing it toward the Seventh Layer.

The moment their internal strengths met, they retracted. A look of profound satisfaction spread across He Wude's face. The last vestiges of doubt in the minds of the others finally vanished.

He Quanxin spoke up clearly, "Father, how did you see that Yiming had broken through?"

Everyone nodded in unison. If the Old Master hadn't perceived it beforehand, why would he have urged Yiming to unleash his full power?

He Wude’s old face flushed slightly. It wasn't that he had foreseen Yiming’s cultivation level; his shout earlier was merely an attempt to gauge just how formidable the combat techniques recorded in that innate manual truly were.

He simply hadn't expected that although Yiming hadn't displayed the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting, he had delivered an even greater surprise.

Seventh Layer Internal Strength—it was the Seventh Layer! A child barely fourteen years old possessing the Seventh Layer of Internal Strength—in a minor aristocratic family like theirs, this was nothing short of a rare phoenix feather or a unicorn horn. A thought, almost too audacious to consider, flashed through his mind: Could Heaven finally be taking pity on me, granting me the chance in this lifetime to return to the esteemed ranks?

He let out a deep sigh, suddenly feeling the intense gazes of his descendants. He coughed lightly, his expression unchanging. "How did I see it? With experience, naturally. You youngsters need to be attentive in all matters, immerse yourselves in understanding, only then can you possess eyes sharp as lightning."

He Quanxin and the others respectfully accepted the lesson, agreeing wholeheartedly with the Old Master’s instruction. Only He Yiming felt utterly dubious. If the Old Master had truly seen through it, why didn't he know his Internal Strength had already reached the Eighth Layer?

However, even with twice the courage, he dared not ask such a thing directly.

He Quanyi suddenly interjected, "Yiming, when did you break through?"

All attention immediately shifted to him. The thought that He Yiming had progressed from just reaching the Sixth Layer to the Seventh in less than a year was utterly staggering. Certainly, before today, none of them had imagined anyone capable of such a feat.

Though He Wude maintained an outward composure, his ears were keenly alert, unwilling to miss a single word. He was intensely curious about his young grandson’s rate of advancement.

He Yiming scratched his scalp lightly. "Third Uncle, the breakthrough wasn't long ago. Not long at all."

He mentally added, Indeed, not long—only a little over half a year. Yet, he subconsciously overlooked the fact that in the subsequent half-year, he had already advanced to the Eighth Layer.

Everyone nodded, trusting He Yiming’s words.

To progress from the Sixth to the Seventh Layer in one year was already remarkable. As for advancing a full level in half a year, that soared far beyond their comprehension, falling into the realm of the impossible.

He Quanming stepped forward and placed a hand gently on his son’s shoulder. His heart swelled with pride, but after calming himself, he asked curiously, "Yiming, how did you overcome the bottleneck at the peak of the Sixth Layer?"

He Yiming thought seriously for a moment, then shrugged, spreading his hands. "I don't know."

Everyone inwardly sighed. Yiming was incredibly fortunate. Breaking through the peak bottleneck varied greatly from person to person; some simply passed it mysteriously, while many others became stuck at a certain stage for life.

He Quanming shook his head slightly, his brow furrowing. "Yiming, the technique you just used, was that Rolling Stone Fist?"

"Yes."

"I observed your Rolling Stone Fist technique has reached the pinnacle of effortless execution. What is the meaning of this?" He Quanming asked, baffled.

He Yiming felt a pang of alarm. This was indeed a flaw. Meeting those questioning gazes, he deliberated for a moment and then stated frankly, "I truly don't know how. I just learned this set of moves and immediately mastered it."

He Quanming's gaze became strange. "You learned it instantly? Did you grasp its essence immediately and reach the peak of that stage?"

"Yes," He Yiming said, steeling himself. Since any explanation seemed implausible, he might as well reveal part of the truth.

The others exchanged glances. If this living example weren't standing before them, no one would ever believe it.

After a long silence, He Wude let out a heavy sigh. "Yiming's constitution must be exceptionally suited to Metal-attribute techniques, both the Internal Strength cultivation and the combat skills. Such talent emerging from the He family—truly, our ancestors are watching over us."

The others immediately recalled Yiming's performance before the age of nine, and their hearts were eased.

Before he reached the bottleneck of the Fifth Layer peak, his cultivation of the Metal-attribute Hunyuan Strength had been smooth sailing, progressing like lightning, even surpassing He Yitian's early achievements.

Although he had been stalled at the Fifth Layer peak for several years, perhaps that time had forged him. Thus, once he broke through, it was the result of accumulated potential finally exploding forth, becoming unstoppable.

He Quanxin nodded slightly. "Good. Seventh Layer Internal Strength, Seventh Layer combat skill pinnacle. Our He family has another practitioner at the Seventh Layer of Internal Strength among the third generation."

He Quanming raised his eyebrows. "Three months ago, Xu Xiangqian, the fourth from the Xu family, broke through the Eighth Level bottleneck and advanced to the Ninth Layer. They have been quite arrogant recently. I wonder what their reaction will be when they hear about Yiming."

He Wude chuckled dryly. "Second brother, do not worry. Xu Xiangqian only broke through to the Ninth Layer after turning forty. Unless he encounters some heaven-defying fortune in this life, he will surely never advance further." He glanced at He Quanxin. "Although your elder brother is not young, he has reached the peak of the Ninth Layer of Internal Strength over the years and might have a chance to reach the Tenth Layer within ten years. Once our family produces another Tenth Layer practitioner, then throughout Taicang County, the Xu and Cheng families will have absolutely no right to challenge us."

The Old Master's voice was filled with joy. The current situation was built by his own efforts since settling here decades ago. In that process, friction with the established local powers, the Xu and Cheng families, was inevitable. Although those conflicts had faded, and the He Estate had firmly established itself in Taicang County, if he could thoroughly suppress those two families in his remaining years, he would certainly not hold back.

Everyone agreed, their gazes reflecting anticipation and genuine happiness.

A loud bell suddenly rang out from the estate. He Wude looked up and pondered for a moment. "For now, let us not spread news of Yiming's breakthrough."

He Quanxin and the others were momentarily surprised but dared not disobey the Old Master’s command, murmuring their assent.

He Wude stood up. "It is getting late; let us go dine."

Led by the Old Master, they proceeded to the main hall.

The rules within the He Estate were strict: the wives of the three He Quanxin brothers were not permitted to dine at the same table, and even after their children turned five, the opportunities for them to see their parents were limited each year.

This was all intended to foster self-discipline in the children, preventing them from excessive contact with their parents so they could advance further on the path of cultivation.

Only after He Wude entered the main hall and took his seat did the others settle into their respective places.

They all waited for the Old Master to pick up his chopsticks first; no matter how hungry they were, no one dared to begin eating before him.

Unexpectedly, the Old Master did not start eating as usual. Instead, his gaze swept over everyone's faces like a sharp torch, and then he called out loudly, "Yiming, come over here."

He Yiming rose from his spot and approached his grandfather. "Grandfather, what are your orders?"

He Wude smiled faintly and nodded toward He Quanyi, who was beside him. He Quanyi immediately understood, instructing a servant to bring a chair and place it at the lower end of the main table.

The expressions on everyone’s faces became incredibly varied.

At the Old Master’s table, there were originally only five seats: the Old Master himself, the three brothers of the second generation, and the eldest son and grandson, He Yitian.

Beyond them, even the other two Sixth Layer Internal Strength cultivators of the third generation, He Yihai and He Yixuan, did not possess the status to be seated there.

But observing the setup now, even a fool could understand the meaning.

He Wude pointed a finger. "Yiming, from this day forward, this will be your position. Sit..."

He Yiming froze for a moment, then instinctively sat down, looking around and taking in the gazes of the assembly.

He saw surprise, shock, happiness, and envy in their eyes, but there was no avoiding a measure of jealousy and disappointment.

Especially his fifth brother, He Yizhang, whose blank confusion was clearly visible.

Turning his attention back, He Yiming felt an indefinable emotion churning within him. But one thing was certain now: the gap between him and He Yizhang would only widen from this point forward, their paths in life destined never to intersect again...

Ps: First update today, requesting likes and recommendations, thank you ^_^