He Yiming had no idea that his moves during the New Year’s martial arts contest would bring about such monumental changes in his life. From that day forward, his standing within the family seemed to have inexplicably risen.

He could already faintly sense that in the minds of his grandfather and the elders, he had subtly replaced his elder brother. This realization made He Yiming apprehensive, and the barely perceptible hostility radiating from his elder brother only intensified his unease.

For a fourteen-year-old boy, navigating these shifts in interpersonal dynamics was a headache, and he couldn't find a solution in the slightest. After all, if he discounted the miraculous encounter by the lake, He Yiming was merely an ordinary youth.

And how many truly ordinary youths could manage to sort out such tangled messes? Thus, he made the simplest choice: to once again enter a period of seclusion.

During this confinement, he made his withdrawal absolute. Aside from having the servants deliver his daily meals and clean clothes, he completely sealed himself off in a wholly enclosed space.

While evading the strange atmosphere enveloping the family was certainly one reason, the true, overwhelming catalyst was He Yiming's desire to break through to the Xiantian (Innate) Realm his elder brother had mentioned. Following that discussion, he understood that the Xiantian Realm housed cultivators whose power surpassed even his grandfather’s level.

This was a dazzling new discovery for him, a higher summit to conquer. Once he grasped the existence of this higher state, his heart was stirred—utterly and completely moved.

He had never felt such intense excitement, not even when he was stuck at the Fifth Layer, desperately trying to break through. He felt a vague, intuitive certainty: having received the fortuitous encounter by the lake, if he failed to advance and attempt the Xiantian Realm, he would surely be struck down by heavenly lightning.

※※※※ Day after day passed, feeling like an instant, and nearly half a year slipped by. In the secret chamber, He Yiming sat cross-legged, his palms, the soles of his feet, and the crown of his head all aligned in the classic posture of Five Hearts Facing Heaven.

Within his body, the aura of the Hunyuan Jin surged ceaselessly, flowing along the pathways of the Eighth Layer like spring water. A moment later, he sprang up, extending both palms, lightly and softly executing the Mian Palm combat technique.

His body moved like elastic gluten, imbued with a soft, yielding quality. Yet, beneath this apparent softness lay the immensely powerful, unyielding Metal Element inner strength.

During the New Year’s contest, He Yiming had, by sheer coincidence, blended his Water Element inner strength technique with the Rolling Stone Fist to fight his second brother, achieving unexpectedly potent results. Even though both utilized Sixth Layer techniques, the fact that He Yiming’s Rolling Stone Fist could not be suppressed by He Yihai’s Fire Element technique was baffling.

However, when He Yiming later manifested his Seventh Layer inner strength and revealed the magnificent might of the Heaven-Splitting Thirty-Six Styles, a true Xiantian combat skill, everyone finally understood. Yet, only He Yiming knew the truth: gaining the upper hand against his second brother was not due to his inner strength or the Xiantian combat skill alone, but rather the result of merging two entirely different elemental techniques—Water and Metal.

In the nearly six months spent secluded in the chamber, he had conducted countless experiments and finally discovered that when two techniques of different elements were coordinated, they often produced unforeseen power. What puzzled him, however, was why his grandfather and the others seemed completely ignorant of this, never having mentioned it to him.

After waving his light, soft palm forms for a short while, he moved toward the movable wall panel in the corner, casually striking it once. This strike produced no sound, as if it hadn't made contact at all, and the entire wall showed no sign of vibration.

But when He Yiming withdrew his hand, a clear palm print suddenly appeared on the surface of the wall. The palm print was perfectly distinct; every line and texture was visible, as if the wall were not cast iron but soft clay.

The indentation was not deep, not yet at the level of the Ninth Layer, but it represented the absolute peak of Eighth Layer inner strength. Even He Quanming and He Quanyi might not easily leave such a crisp mark on a wall like this.

Advancing inner strength grew exponentially more difficult, while its destructive power increased significantly. Upon reaching the Eighth Layer, coupled with appropriate combat skills, even hardened steel would struggle to resist; the power was vastly greater than the mere partial indentations left at the Seventh Layer.

Slowly exhaling the stale air from his chest, bright light flashed in He Yiming’s eyes. He knew now that his inner strength had officially reached the peak of the Eighth Layer.

Half a year—still only half a year—and he had once again attained the zenith of this stage. This speed was no longer merely astounding; it was demonic.

If He Yiming hadn't been certain that he hadn't sprouted an extra head or two extra arms, he too would have begun to doubt whether he was still a normal human. The stronger the inner strength training, the harder it became.

According to his father and the others, the time required to progress from the initial stage of the Eighth Layer to its peak was measured in years, with the minimum unit being double digits. In other words, no matter how much of a genius one was, it would take at least a decade to advance the Eighth Layer inner strength from initial to peak.

This held true even for the exceptionally talented like his grandfather and his great-uncle. But at this moment, He Yiming could be absolutely certain he had reached the peak and touched the barrier of the Eighth Layer.

Because no matter what technique he practiced, his inner strength could not gain even the slightest increase. This was his unique sensation of hitting a wall.

Shaking his head slightly, he cast aside the strange feeling. Looking at the incredibly clear palm print before him, He Yiming felt a mix of excitement and surprise.

If the Eighth Layer held this much power, what about the Ninth or Tenth? And if he ascended to the Xiantian Realm, what level of might would he attain?

It was truly something to anticipate. He let out a deep sigh, then frowned suddenly.

Since he had gained the strength to leave indentations on this movable wall, a year and a half had passed. While he didn't test his inner strength or combat skills every day, the wall panel was now unevenly dented, its original appearance lost.

Under normal circumstances, He Yiming could easily order the servants to replace the panel. But now he hesitated.

After all, he had concealed his true power from everyone in the manor, but if he presented this wall panel, wouldn't it expose his formidable strength completely? After pondering for a while, his eyes brightened.

If he simply presented it, people might discern the depths of his power. But what if he utterly destroyed it?

Then who could possibly uncover the secret within? A delighted smile touched his lips.

This was the perfect opportunity to test just how powerful the Heaven-Splitting Thirty-Six Styles Xiantian combat skill was when fueled by peak Eighth Layer inner strength. He stepped back half a pace, concentrated his inner strength to the Eighth Layer peak, and then raised both palms high above his head.

The instant He Yiming’s palms lifted, his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation. If before he had been an immature youth, now boundless authority and pressure erupted from him.

This was not merely a change in his gaze or expression; it seemed even the air around him was deeply affected. The Heaven-Splitting Thirty-Six Minus Three Styles, this unique and potent Metal Element Xiantian combat skill, was changing more than just fighting ability; it was slowly reshaping a person’s inherent temperament and essence.

If He Yiming continued on this trajectory, once he reached a certain level of mastery, a mere glare would be enough to generate an intense enough aura to instantly crush the momentum of ordinary cultivators to freezing point. This was the ultimate effect and function of Xiantian cultivation techniques, though He Yiming was unaware of it now, and though He Wude had some inkling, he did not know the full extent.

His raised palms slammed down heavily. The speed seemed moderate, yet it appeared to pierce through space and time, arriving at the movable wall panel in what felt like the blink of an eye.

With a deafening boom, Yiming’s hands acted like a giant splitting axe, tearing the entire wall panel cleanly in two. From top to bottom, split asunder.

The cast-iron movable wall shattered as if it were mere paper. In He Yiming’s perception, there was no resistance at all, and under the full exertion of his palm wind and surging energy, he felt an urge to continue destroying.

A harsh, grating sound echoed in the secret chamber. The two halves of the wall panel flew backward, slamming into the chamber walls with even more violent impacts.

The reverberation in the small room was deafening. This sound seemed to stimulate him in some way, as a trace of eerie crimson momentarily flickered in He Yiming’s eyes.

His body moved with lightning speed as he lunged forward. Mid-air, both hands were raised high above his head again.

This time, his movements were even quicker; his palms sliced through the air like blades, the sharp sound of penetration growing even louder. Ps: Recommending a book by another author in the female fiction section, The Little Journey to the West by Bai Meng.

It seems to be number one on the female fiction PK chart ^_^ Divine calculation, man’s plan is never as good as heaven’s. After Gu Xiaoxi time-traveled, she found herself reborn into a divination family that had been in seclusion for a hundred years.

Not only was the family wealthy enough that she never had to worry about food or clothing, but each member was also assigned a handsome personal attendant. Heavens, how could such good fortune befall her?

What more could she ask for? Everyone says time-traveling women have infinite glory, but Gu Xiaoxi is filled with endless grumbling and resentment.

Why is it that all the unlucky things always seem to involve her... [bookid=1441805,bookname=《》]