Stepping out of the courtyard alongside He Yiming, He Yitian suddenly stopped, speaking with grave sincerity.

He Yiming looked back in surprise, his expression utterly bewildered, and asked, "Big Brother, what are you thanking me for?"

"During the New Year martial contest, it was fortunate you didn't deploy that Innate Battle Skill, or it wouldn't have been a matter of me simply conceding," He Yitian said with a wry smile.

Indeed, after witnessing the true might of the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, He Yitian was utterly convinced and subdued. Moreover, he understood clearly that if he had traded places with Third Uncle, under the execution of that single move, he would absolutely not have been able to retreat unscathed.

He Yiming blinked twice, his eyes remarkably bright and quick. A frank smile spread across his face. "Big Brother, you jest. We are brothers. A sparring match between brothers isn't a fight to the death; of course, I wouldn't use an Innate Battle Skill." He paused, then suddenly inquired, "Big Brother, do you know what an Innate Battle Skill is?"

He Yitian hesitated for a moment. "I once overheard Father inadvertently revealing that Innate Battle Skills belong to Innate Cultivators. Such techniques demand extremely rigorous aptitude from the practitioner; they aren't something an ordinary person can successfully cultivate."

He Yiming's eyes lit up, and he pressed urgently, "What is the difference between an Innate Cultivator and us?"

Shaking his head slightly, He Yitian replied, "Sixth Brother, Father once said that before one reaches adulthood, it is best not to know."

"Why?" He Yiming asked, deeply confused.

"Because before maturity, our minds are restless and hard to settle. Yet, the time before adulthood is when one's mind is purest, and also the optimal moment to break past the limits of the barrier." He Yitian paused, then spoke seriously, "Father once said that certain great clans do not teach any Battle Skills or cultivation methods to their disciples before the age of twenty. They only have them focus single-mindedly on cultivating Inner Strength techniques, striving for the greatest possible Inner Strength attainment. While our manor isn't that extreme, Grandfather also doesn't wish for us to know too much, lest it affects our state of mind."

He Yiming nodded in sudden understanding. He had direct experience with this. His previous stagnation at the peak of the Fifth Layer of Inner Strength was actually related to everyone's expectations—that anticipation was like a towering mountain pressing down on him, binding him tightly, leaving absolutely no chance for breakthrough.

Similarly, if everyone knew that breaking through to the Sixth Layer only after the age of fifteen meant limited future achievement, he could guarantee that not a single member of the third generation would smoothly advance to the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength.

He Yitian stopped walking, a sincere smile on his face. "Yitian, until your heart is completely settled, it is best not to aim too high." He then let out a long sigh. "The distance separating us from Innate Cultivators is truly too vast."

He Yiming’s heart stirred slightly. "Big Brother, I actually understand. Innate Cultivators are those whose Inner Strength surpasses Grandfather’s, correct?"

He Yitian was momentarily stunned, then managed a bitter smile. "That’s right. In truth, once you know such people exist, it becomes easy to deduce." He pursed his lips, seemingly weighing something in his mind, and finally said, "Sixth Brother, Grandfather holds high hopes for both of us, wishing we could eventually advance to the Innate Realm. But your elder brother knows that in this lifetime, it is virtually impossible. The future hope of the He Family Manor now rests entirely on you."

He Yiming quickly waved his hands. "Big Brother, what are you saying? Who can be certain about the future? If you truly had no hope, Grandfather and First Uncle would have given up long ago. You must pull yourself together!"

He Yitian’s eyebrows lifted slightly. He lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, then nodded with a smile. However, deep in his heart, a feeling of deep discouragement persisted.

After the two brothers parted ways, He Yitian returned listlessly to his own courtyard. He first practiced several sets of fist forms in the secret underground chamber, but his heart grew increasingly agitated. He could not recapture the former sense of peace, composure, and immovable stability.

He knew this change stemmed from jealousy. Towards his suddenly rising Sixth Brother, he had inexplicably developed a fierce envy that was hard to put into words.

At this moment, he seemed to grasp why Fifth Brother, Yi Zhang, harbored such hostility toward Sixth Brother.

It was entirely because Sixth Brother had advanced to the Fifth Layer a step ahead of him. Previously, standing outside the situation, he hadn't understood it. But now that it had happened to him, he realized how easily the poison of jealousy could sprout. Furthermore, it was the outstanding achievements of those closest to you that bred envy most readily.

He let out a deep sigh. Although he knew his mindset had become distorted and that this mental state was a deadly poison for him—if he couldn't correct it successfully, he would never expect another breakthrough in his Inner Strength cultivation.

But knowing something was one thing; actually achieving it was another. He paced restlessly in the secret chamber, unable to calm down.

Suddenly, the bell in the secret chamber rang. He started slightly, immediately left the chamber, and went to his room. Opening the door, he saw his father, He Quanxin, already standing outside.

He quickly welcomed his father in. "Father, why have you come?"

He Quanxin's face held a smile, but his gaze upon his son possessed a wisdom that had seen through the ways of the world. Under that scrutiny, He Yitian felt an urge to lower his head, sensing that his inner thoughts were being discovered by his father, his heart filled with apprehension.

He Quanxin suddenly asked, "Yitian, are you unhappy because you feel Yiming has surpassed you?"

"N-no," He Yitian quickly shook his head, though even he didn't believe his own words.

He Quanxin sighed deeply. "Yitian, what do you think the relationship between me and your Second and Third Uncles is like?"

He Yitian contemplated for a moment. "Very good."

"Exactly, it is very good," He Quanxin’s smile had completely vanished. He said slowly, "But when we were young, we also had quarrels; we even treated each other like strangers."

He Yitian was greatly astonished. He opened his mouth to speak, vaguely guessing something but unable to grasp it fully.

He Quanxin nodded heavily at him. "That's right, you guessed correctly. Back then, my cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, far beyond what they could match. As a result, they were jealous and envious of me, leading to a near fracture in our brotherhood."

He Yitian was deeply shocked and asked, "Father, what happened then?"

"Then," He Quanxin continued, "your Second and Third Uncles came to understand. They accepted me as their elder brother again, shouldering the daily affairs of the manor and the businesses in the city, which allowed me to dedicate myself entirely to cultivation. Otherwise, I might not have reached my current level."

He Yitian's face flushed and paled. He understood his father’s purpose, yet some thoughts simply could not change in an instant. He lowered his head again, falling silent.

With his intelligence, he certainly understood the helplessness and bitterness contained within his father's lightly spoken words.

To truly understand—how could such a thing be so easily understood?

Precisely because his current situation mirrored that of his Second and Third Uncles back then, he knew how incredibly difficult the phrase "came to understand" truly was.

He Quanxin’s gaze softened. He spoke gently, "Your Grandfather came to Taicang County alone, building this vast foundation of the He Family Manor with his bare hands. Even now, within the county, the Xu and Cheng families stand by, eyeing us covetously. They are great clans rooted here for hundreds of years, with impossibly deep foundations. If our He Family is to continue surviving here, we must unite as one; we cannot be torn apart by selfish desires."

He Yitian responded respectfully, "Father, I understand."

"No, you don't understand yet," He Quanxin stated sternly. "I only want you to know that when we face great external enemies, if the He Family disciples cannot bind together like a single rope, what awaits us will be the ruin of the family."

He Yitian’s body trembled slightly. He looked up abruptly. "Father…"

He Quanxin waved his hand, continuing, "If the He Family Manor truly collapses, do you think the Xu and Cheng families will really stand by and refrain from kicking a drowning dog?"

He Yitian’s face twitched a few times, his fists clenching tightly.

He Quanxin turned, his voice gentle but carrying a strange power. "Yitian, as the eldest grandson of the He Family Manor, you should know what needs to be done. The words your Grandfather once said to your Second and Third Uncles, I now pass on to you: If the He Family Manor exists, we possess all power and enjoyment, glory and wealth, within easy reach. If the He Family Manor perishes, when the nest is overturned, not a single egg will remain intact."

Watching his father depart gracefully, He Yitian remained silent for a long moment. His emotions had surged and fallen dramatically, as if he had returned to the moment before the martial contest that day.

After witnessing the speed of Sixth Brother's advancement and the might of the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, he had been struck by a heavy sense of powerlessness. Especially as the most prominent figure among the third-generation disciples, the loss of this sense of superiority was a fatal blow to his self-confidence.

But now, another thought surfaced in his mind: If Sixth Brother truly managed to break through to the Innate Realm in the future, what power in Taicang County could possibly challenge the He Family then?

The saying, "It is good to enjoy the shade under a big tree," was not mere idle chatter.

After a long pause, he also let out a long sigh. Although some of his thoughts could not change immediately, he was striving in that direction.

Likewise, he understood that once he truly resolved this inner conflict, it would bring immense benefits to his future cultivation.

Gazing toward the direction where Sixth Brother resided, He Yitian gave a wry smile. This might be the demonic hurdle he absolutely had to clear.

Ps: Sigh...

I actually reached first place in the weekly recommendations. Bai He is truly overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you, thank you.

But looking at the ratio of recommendations to clicks, it's less than 20:1!

Well, a certain great author once said that a click-to-recommend ratio exceeding twenty to one means points are being artificially inflated.

My brothers, do you still have recommendation tickets? Please give a few, so people won't say Bai He is using bots!