Grinning wryly while scratching the back of his scalp under the gaze of everyone, He Yiming offered an innocent explanation: “It wasn’t my doing; it was Grandpa and Third Uncle who insisted I give it my all.” In his heart, he added a silent coda: Thankfully, I read the situation correctly and didn’t actually push my limits. Otherwise, unleashing the Eighth Stance ultimate move with Eighth Layer Internal Strength, Third Uncle wouldn't have merely been blasted away.

His gaze drifted towards his eldest uncle, and a thought suddenly struck him: if this combat technique allowed for challenging opponents of a higher realm, didn't that mean his true power might actually rival, or even surpass, that of his Eldest Uncle? Had he, without realizing it, become the second strongest master in the manor?

However, this notion was nothing more than a fleeting spark in his mind; he had no interest in vying for that title with his Eldest Uncle. The crowd retracted their gazes, exchanging glances, a mixture of helplessness and amusement coloring their expressions.

He Wude reached out, patting He Quanyi a few times, helping to clear several blocked meridians. After a long pause, He Quanyi coughed painfully a few times, then waved his hand.

“Father, I’m fine now. It’s just some internal vibration; a few days of recuperation will sort me out.” He Wude let out a long sigh, murmuring, “I truly hadn’t imagined this combat technique possessed such immense power.

If fully unleashed, I fear Quanshin, caught off guard, would suffer greatly as well.” He Quanxin nodded deeply, raising no objection. If He Yiming had suddenly struck him with this move, he certainly would have been caught completely flat-footed.

It was just that his own cultivation far surpassed his third brother’s, so he wouldn't end up nearly as disheveled. The higher one ascended in Internal Strength cultivation, the more arduous the advancement became, but conversely, the greater the gap in power at those higher tiers.

He Yiming’s move managed to send the Eighth Layer Internal Strength user He Quanyi flying, but facing He Quanxin, managing to force him back a single step would already be an astonishing feat. If he encountered He Wude, not only would he fail to repel him, but his entire power would likely be reflected back by the overwhelmingly superior Internal Strength.

He Wude looked up at the somewhat flustered Yiming, his eyes filled with pure admiration. This grandson not only possessed an Internal Strength cultivation far exceeding expectations, but his mastery of the combat technique had reached an unbelievable level.

Yet, he also understood that Yiming’s move could manifest such power largely due to that Primordial Combat Technique. Otherwise, relying on the common techniques housed in the manor’s library, achieving such a standard would be out of the question.

In that moment, he found himself deeply envying He Yiming. For within the entire He Manor, Yiming was the only one who had successfully cultivated a Metal Attribute technique; everyone else, including himself, primarily cultivated Internal Strength techniques that were not Metal Attribute.

With a long sigh, He Wude declared, “Yiming, you have done exceptionally well.” He Yiming quickly lowered his head. “Grandpa, your grandson did not intentionally injure Third Uncle.” He Wude let out a wry chuckle.

“I know. I do not blame you for this incident.” Only then did Yiming relax.

He glanced cautiously at He Quanyi, whose brow was slightly furrowed. “Third Uncle, how about I escort you back to rest first?” He Quanyi shot him a sharp look.

“Yiming, your Third Uncle isn't that fragile. It’s just a minor internal injury; it’s nothing.” Seeing the beads of sweat coating his uncle’s face, He Yiming inwardly sweated buckets.

And he calls that ‘nothing’? He Quanming stepped forward, placing a hand gently on He Quanyi’s back, channeling a surge of profound Internal Strength into his body, allowing it to slowly circulate through the meridians.

He Quanyi straightened up, his slightly rapid breathing gradually evening out. He Yiming quietly observed their actions, a moment of clarity washing over him.

His father, He Quanming, primarily cultivated a Wood Attribute technique. According to the Five Elements theory, Wood generates Fire, and among the five elemental techniques, Wood Attribute techniques are the best for healing, even proving slightly more potent than Water Attribute methods.

Thus, as soon as his Third Uncle received his father’s internal energy treatment, the effect was immediate; the internal injury was largely soothed. In contrast, although He Wude and He Quanxin possessed Internal Strength far superior to his father’s, their primary cultivation methods were not Wood Attribute, leaving them only able to watch helplessly from the sidelines.

A moment later, He Quanming withdrew his hand, and a touch of color returned to He Quanyi’s face; he no longer displayed that sickly pallor from before. He stood tall and said sincerely, “Yiming, this move of yours is truly extraordinary.

Third Uncle exerted his full strength, yet still couldn't resist it. Primordial Combat Techniques are indeed this formidable.” He Wude sighed softly.

“Primordial Combat Techniques are techniques studied by the truly powerful; their might is naturally extraordinary. It is a pity that Yiming is the only one here who cultivates the Metal Attribute; otherwise, we could have let others try practicing it.” Hearing this, everyone present became interested, especially He Yitian.

After witnessing the sheer force displayed by his sixth brother, his heart churned with emotion. Upon hearing the Patriarch’s assessment, he actually entertained the notion of abandoning his current primary cultivation method to switch to Metal Attribute.

He Yiming blinked twice. Suddenly, he recalled mixing the Water Attribute Rippling Wave Technique with the Metal Attribute Rolling Stone Fist during today’s sparring match.

Although it was a spontaneous creation, the resulting power seemed quite good. Hesitating for a moment, he inquired, “Grandpa, must one have a Metal Attribute primary cultivation technique to practice the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting?

Couldn't other techniques also be attempted?” The eyes of He Quanxin and the others instantly lit up. Although they all knew this was unlikely, having witnessed the might of this technique, who wouldn't be moved?

Several pairs of eyes turned toward the Patriarch, hoping to receive good news from his lips. He Wude smiled wryly.

“Stop overthinking things. This is a Primordial Combat Technique.

Never mind that practitioners of different primary techniques could never grasp its mysteries; even among practitioners sharing the same primary technique who study this combat style and achieve insight, only one in a hundred succeeds.” Upon hearing this, the group’s enthusiasm immediately waned. They knew the Patriarch would never deceive them on such a matter.

He Wude clapped Yiming on the shoulder. “The difficulty in cultivating Primordial Techniques is incomparable to ordinary methods.

The fact that you reached this level through self-teaching proves you possess extraordinary innate talent.” He Yiming managed an awkward smile; regarding this compliment, he felt intensely ashamed. He Wude seemed to recall something, his smiling expression gradually fading into one of extreme seriousness.

“Yiming, while practicing this set of techniques, did you encounter any insurmountable difficulties?” Under his stern gaze, He Yiming couldn't help but feel uneasy. He thought over the question with intense focus for a long time before firmly shaking his head.

“Grandpa, your grandson did not encounter any difficulties.” He Wude considered this with suspicion for a moment, then asked, “Then, did you have any unusual sensations while cultivating this technique?” This time, He Yiming nodded readily. “Yes, I did.” “What was it?” He Wude pressed eagerly, while even He Quanxin and the others listened with rapt attention, eager to hear Yiming’s firsthand account.

He Yiming straightened his chest and, under everyone’s expectant gaze, declared loudly: “This combat technique was very easy to learn; you just get it the moment you start.” He Wude instinctively pursed his lips. The three brothers He Quanxin gasped sharply, and He Yitian shamefacedly lowered his head.

The expressions of the crowd froze at that moment. They stared at each other, a deep sense of bitterness in their eyes.

The hardship, exhaustion, and difficulty of cultivating combat techniques were certainly no less than those of cultivating Internal Strength. And this was only referring to ordinary combat techniques; for a Primordial Combat Technique, the difficulty would multiply several, perhaps even tenfold.

If it weren't for this, the He Manor would not have the rule prohibiting the practice of combat techniques before the Sixth Layer. Moreover, among the majority of cultivators, unless they had definitively determined they had little future prospect in Internal Strength development, they would not dedicate themselves fully to combat technique training.

Although He Wude and the others had practiced no fewer than five combat techniques each, the time they spent on techniques was not any less than that spent on Internal Strength cultivation. It could be said that anyone who reached their realm had experienced the bitterness of mastering combat techniques.

But He Yiming was different. He had tasted the bitterness of stagnant Internal Strength cultivation, but in mastering combat techniques, he had been utterly smooth sailing, encountering not the slightest obstacle.

Consequently, he could never truly empathize with the personal experiences of these men. And for him, what he said was the truth, a completely genuine sentiment from the depths of his heart.

It was just that this truth delivered a somewhat excessive shock to the others. A moment later, He Wude sighed deeply.

“Yitian, Yiming, you two should leave for now.” The two brothers Yiming acknowledged the instruction and left side-by-side. Watching their retreating figures, He Wude instructed, “Quanxin, from this day forward, stop micromanaging Yiming’s cultivation.

Whether he enters seclusion for a year or leaves the manor to roam, do not interfere. Let him be entirely as he wishes.” He Quanxin hesitated slightly.

“Father, Yiming is only fourteen. If left entirely to his own devices, I fear he might stray down the wrong path.” He Wude curled his lip.

“He won’t. I have faith in Yiming.

He is a genius, a genius beyond our comprehension. For such a genius, all our accumulated experience becomes a restraint.

He should not be bound by any tether, but should soar freely like the goshawk in the blue sky. Only then can he achieve the greatest possible growth, rather than trailing behind us, treading the same path we carved.” The three brothers He Quanxin exchanged glances.

Recalling Yiming’s earlier words, they silently nodded in agreement. He Wude walked a few steps out of the structure, looking up at the sky, murmuring, “There are sixteen years remaining until Yiming turns thirty.

I wonder if, within these sixteen years, Yiming can break through the Tenth Layer and ascend to the Innate Realm…” Behind him, the three brothers looked at each other again, their eyes filled with anticipation as well. Ps: Recommending a book by Xuan Se.

This is written by a beautiful author—a real beauty whom Bai He has seen. Bai He has long admired her ^_^ December 21, 2012, the end of the world.

Solar particle storm, Earth’s poles switch, intense crustal shifts cause volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis… All of humanity faces a massive crisis of extinction. Only the chosen ones can board the Noah’s Ark constructed in advance, and those who board begin a new era in the year 0001.

But for those left behind who survive by various means, the year that awaits them is only 2013. As one of the abandoned, how will Yu Lei survive, and will he ever see the girlfriend who boarded the Ark again… Book Title: 2013 Book ID: 1442549 Author: Xuan Se [bookid=1442549,bookname=《2013》]