Under He Yiming’s near-frantic, continuous barrage, the poor wall was utterly shredded into fragments. The entire basement began to shake lightly from the impact of that immense force, and countless motes of dust rained down from the surrounding walls, swirling violently within the sealed chamber.

Yet, no matter how dense the dust became, not a single particle dared to approach within a meter of He Yiming; it was as if an invisible barrier shielded him from all external intrusion.

Finally, as the entire wall disintegrated, He Yiming snapped out of that frenzied state.

He retracted his palms and planted his feet wide in a splayed stance, but in that mere instant, he collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. The next moment, he was wracked by violent coughing from inhaling too much dust.

The instant he ceased practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, the aura-wall surrounding him vanished, no longer able to hold back the pervasive dust.

He Yiming wished to leave, but his limbs were weak and paralyzed him to the ground.

Two starkly different sensations washed over him simultaneously.

After that period of cathartic, near-mad venting, he felt an overwhelming sense of exhilarating satisfaction, as if he were floating among the clouds, experiencing sublime enjoyment.

But at the same time, he was struck by a feeling of emptiness, of being left behind, which also made him feel adrift in the void. This sensation was far from pleasant—it was terrifying, like suddenly losing gravity and having one's feet torn from the earth.

He Yiming closed his eyes, quietly contemplating these two distinct feelings. He suddenly realized his comprehension of the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting had ascended to a higher plane.

This was purely instinct, without proof, yet he possessed an unshakeable certainty: if he were to unleash himself like that again, the resulting power would be significantly greater.

After a long pause, he slowly stood up. A trickle of Neijin (Internal Energy) began to surge within him, finally banishing the hollow sensation that followed the complete exhaustion of his reserves.

He glanced at the utterly wrecked secret chamber, unsure what emotion to assign to it.

The Mountain Splitting Thirty-Six Forms at the Eighth Layer of Neijin already displayed such terrifying might—a power incomparable to common combat skills like Rolling Stone Fist or Cotton Palm.

He Yiming even felt that even his eldest uncle, with his Peak Ninth Layer Neijin, could not have achieved such incredible force.

Perhaps, within the entire He Family Estate, only Elder He Wude could possibly reach this level.

A sudden thought struck He Yiming: Could he now stand against the Elder, whose Neijin cultivation had reached the Tenth Layer? If so, his strength would undoubtedly rank among the top three in all of Taicang County.

The dust in the secret chamber still hung thick in the air, and a layer of gray now coated his body. Seeing this state, it seemed unlikely things would return to normal anytime soon.

Suddenly, a noise came from the entrance of the secret chamber. He Yiming started, as he had never encountered such a situation before.

Every secret chamber was the private domain of a third-generation disciple, a place reserved for their cultivation. Not even their parents would dare enter without permission. To summon them, one merely had to pull a specialized bell cord to signal that someone was waiting above.

Therefore, when he heard the commotion at the entrance, his guard immediately rose. His Neijin circulated ceaselessly. Though he hadn't fully recovered, relying on the Mountain Splitting Thirty-Six Forms, he was confident in his ability to defend himself, provided the visitor wasn't a master on the level of his grandfather.

"Yiming, are you alright?"

Third Uncle’s resonant voice drifted in.

He Yiming paused briefly, quickly dispersed his Neijin, and rushed to the door in three steps that covered two paces, opening it. When he clearly saw the people outside, he couldn't help but feel surprised.

Besides Third Uncle, several brothers and some servants stood there, watching him anxiously. But the next moment, their faces were overtaken by incredibly strange expressions.

"Yiming, you... how long has it been since you bathed?" He Quanyi asked, fighting a laugh.

If He Yiming’s face hadn't looked the same, he truly would not have believed this dusty figure was his own genius nephew.

He Yiming looked down at himself and managed an embarrassed smile. "Third Uncle, I was just practicing. What brings you here...?"

"Practicing? What kind of practice creates such a ruckus?" He Quanyi frowned slightly and asked.

After inquiring for a moment, He Yiming understood the reason. When he fully executed the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, the rebounding Neijin in the basement had actually disturbed the ground above. Even the two adjacent underground chambers had subtly trembled.

One of the chambers next to his belonged to his Third Brother, He Yixuan. Startled by the shaking, he immediately sought out Third Uncle. The group came to He Yiming's area but found him absent. When they pulled the summoning bell cord, they discovered it was already broken, which caused their alarm.

Understanding the whole story, He Yiming gained a fresh perspective on the power of this innate cultivation technique and realized the underground chamber was no longer the sanctuary for his dedicated practice.

Under He Yiming’s explanation, Third Uncle and the others grasped the cause. Only He Quanyi suspected that the boy must have been practicing that mysterious innate combat skill to generate such alarming disturbances.

After giving a few cautious reminders, the group dispersed. Although He Yixuan and the others harbored questions, none dared speak freely in front of He Quanyi.

After everyone left, He Yiming summoned servants to thoroughly clean the underground chamber, removing all debris and fragments. They brought in a replacement movable wall, though this time He Yiming had no intention of testing anything on it.

Having managed that, He Yiming walked slowly to the Pavilion of Hidden Scrolls and pushed the door open.

He casually selected a manual from the main hall, and this time, he drew another support-type manual.

Nourishment Art: Water Element Neijin Support Technique.

Seeing the thin book in his hand, He Yiming felt a genuine urge to swap it for something else.

During his last three advancement periods, he had chosen manuals randomly, never expecting that all three consecutive selections would be support-oriented Neijin techniques.

Did he perhaps have a special affinity for support techniques? Otherwise, how could he keep encountering this type one after another?

After a brief consideration, He Yiming placed the manual flatly on the table in the hall and began to copy it. He didn't deliberately seek another manual because he had already resolved to let fate decide everything.

Having received the miraculous opportunity in the lake and no longer needing to worry about advancement, what more could he demand? Perhaps acquiring several support Neijin techniques was also destined by heaven.

After finishing the transcription, he carefully returned the original and carried the copied manuscript toward his courtyard.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw his Eldest Brother, He Yitian, standing there with his hands clasped behind his back.

He Yiming quickly stepped forward to salute, but a knot of unease remained in his heart.

He clearly remembered that since the New Year competition, his Eldest Brother's attitude toward him seemed to have undergone a subtle shift. Of course, this change was extremely faint; had his sensory perception not become extremely keen, he would never have noticed it.

"Eldest Brother, you're here."

"Mmm, Yiming. I heard from Third Uncle that you overexerted yourself while practicing; is everything alright?" He Yitian asked with a smiling face.

He Yiming was slightly stunned. He quietly looked into He Yitian's eyes. Within those dark orbs, the clarity of the past had returned.

The feeling He Yitian exuded now was the same gentle jade-like quality he possessed in the beginning; that sense of kinship, of blood being thicker than water, resurfaced in He Yiming’s heart.

Instantly, He Yiming knew: the old Eldest Brother was back. Moreover, the present He Yitian brought a novel change; he was filled with vigorous vitality, as if his strength had also surged beyond its former level.

Of course, no matter how hard He Yitian tried, he absolutely could not compare to He Yiming.

Although he didn't know what had happened to his Eldest Brother over the last six months, this transformation was enough to make He Yiming ecstatic.

The worry about fraternal conflict seemed to resolve itself at this moment.

Shaking his head in excitement, the two conversed for half a day until He Yitian was satisfied that He Yiming was unharmed before departing with peace of mind.

Afterward, He Yiming excitedly entered his newly refurbished secret chamber and resumed his cultivation process.

Perhaps it was because one’s spirit is lifted when good fortune arrives, but this breakthrough felt like the easiest one yet for He Yiming; everything seemed to happen naturally, requiring not the slightest effort on his part.

One day later, the two main Neijin techniques he cultivated had both successfully advanced past the peak of the Eighth Layer, smoothly reaching the Ninth Layer realm.

Two days after that, his Rolling Stone Fist and Cotton Palm also smoothly reached the peak of this tier, exhibiting much greater power than they did at the Eighth Layer.

But what truly startled He Yiming was when, five days later, he proceeded to practice the Ninth and Tenth Forms of the Mountain Splitting Thirty-Six Forms in the back mountain; only then did he truly grasp the terrifying might of this combat technique.

At that moment, he experienced a sense of invincible exhilaration. Deep within his heart resided an intense self-confidence.

Perhaps, within all of Taicang County, there was no one left who could defeat him.