He Yixuan had just jumped clear of the ring, his feet barely touching the ground, when he felt a light palm settle on his right arm.

A surge of pure, unadulterated internal energy, like flowing water, entered his meridians. Joy mingled instantly with surprise in his heart. This energy was precisely the Ripple Skill he practiced, yet the opponent’s cultivation level clearly far surpassed his own. As soon as the energy entered his body, it immediately began circulating toward his right shoulder.

The damaged meridian, already injured by Xu Yude’s punch, immediately smoothed itself out under the impact of this influx of vital force.

The healing effect of the Water-elemental technique was maximized at that very moment. Silken wisps of coolness spread from the meridians throughout his entire shoulder. That burning, painful injury felt as if it had been iced over, bringing him considerable relief.

He Yixuan took a deep breath, a flush of shame crossing his face.

In the He Family Estate, among those who cultivated the Water-elemental Ripple Skill and possessed such profound attainment, there was only one person: his own mother, Lin Wenyu.

He had never imagined his mother would come in person, and worse, that she had witnessed his moment of defeat. Thinking of this, He Yixuan’s heart darkened. It wasn't the fear of his mother's reprimand that troubled him, but the dread of disappointing his parents and causing them sorrow.

But at that instant, a familiar, slightly immature voice sounded near his ear: “Third Brother, how are you feeling?”

He Yixuan froze, then turned his head, his eyes widening in utter disbelief.

Beside him was not his presumed mother, but his Sixth Brother, He Yiming. However, what truly defied belief was that his Sixth Brother's hand was gently supporting his right arm, and from the point of contact, that supremely pure Water-elemental internal energy was pouring ceaselessly into his body, nourishing his meridians.

He Yixuan’s expression instantly became extremely strange. He had only one thought: Didn't Sixth Brother cultivate the Metal-elemental technique? When did he reach this level in the Water-elemental technique as well?

“Brother He Yixuan, I yield,”

On the stage, Xu Yucai spoke aloud. He had completely retracted his imposing aura, but standing there, he still appeared majestic, rooted like a towering, colossal mountain. That god-like image from moments ago was forever etched into the minds of all observers.

Softly, almost deliberately hushed, whispers began to rise as everyone discussed that final strike.

Although He Yixuan had displayed strength few could attain, before Xu Yucai’s devastating final blow, his prowess now seemed negligible, drawing no further attention.

He Yixuan’s face instantly turned crimson. His fists clenched tight, a trace of hatred glimmering in his eyes. “Brother Xu Yucai is indeed formidable. In one year’s time, Yixuan will return to seek further instruction. I hope Brother Yucai will not withhold his guidance then.”

Xu Yucai burst into laughter. “As long as Brother Yixuan is interested, I will certainly accompany you.”

He Yixuan nodded slightly, pulled Yiming’s hand, and whispered, “Let’s go.”

Yet, he immediately found that his Sixth Brother’s hand was as steady as a mountain, unmoving. He looked up in surprise and caught the sharp glint in his Sixth Brother’s eyes.

“Third Brother, let me try,” He Yiming said in a deep voice.

He Yixuan paused, then instinctively let go of his hand. He Yiming gave a slight nod, his figure flashed, and he was already leaping onto the ring.

Watching his Sixth Brother stand so elegantly on the stage, He Yixuan suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity wash over him.

At that moment, he recalled that it was this very Sixth Brother who, back in the Estate, already held the right to sit at the same table as the Elders and the Eldest Brother. It was this Sixth Brother who had fought his Eldest Brother to a draw during the New Year's skill competition. And it was this Sixth Brother who had killed the fugitive Hu Bin after he fled toward Taicang County.

Perhaps it was due to the closeness of their proximity that all this had been obscured, and only when he stepped forward did people realize this young man had already accomplished so many extraordinary things.

In a daze, He Yixuan finally realized that Yiming was no longer the youth agonizing over how to break through the fifth-layer barrier a year and a half ago. Now, he had grown into a towering tree, capable of shielding the He Family Estate from the sun and rain.

He Yiming made a slight movement, ascending the platform, his action clearly surprising everyone.

Although the crowd had seen him standing with He Yixuan and guessed his identity as a member of the He Family Estate, his youthful countenance caused them to instinctively overlook him.

After all, at his age, no matter how much he cultivated, he could not compare to Xu Yucai and He Yixuan, who were in their twenties and at the peak of their prime.

A ten-year gap between two adults might not mean much, but a ten-year difference between a youth and a young man was a chasm too wide to cross.

Xu Yucai’s brow furrowed slightly. “Who are you, and what are you doing up here?”

He Yiming imitated his Third Brother’s posture, cupping his fists together. “He Yiming, Sixth Son of the He family, requests guidance from your esteemed self.”

“He Yiming?” Xu Yucai’s eyes revealed a flicker of surprise, though he quickly masked it. He laughed heartily. “Young man, if you wish to challenge the stage, you may, but first, get your parents’ consent.”

The crowd could no longer suppress their laughter. Though Xu Yucai’s words were barbed, seeing the physical disparity between the two men standing side-by-side, everyone heartily agreed.

Amidst the general uproar, He Yiming raised a single finger. His face betrayed no sign of embarrassment or anger, but instead held an air of casual amusement.

He gently twirled his finger in front of him, his mouth opening slightly as he spoke slowly: “One move.”

He didn't shout the words, yet his voice, as casual as a conversation between friends, instantly reached every ear on and off the stage.

Although the voice sounded light, it carried clearly through the noisy clamor that resembled a bustling marketplace.

Slowly, the laughter died down. These ordinary people exchanged glances, not fully grasping the meaning, but sensing an undeniable, chilling aura.

Xu Yude and Xu Yucai’s complexions turned grim, for they knew that this display from the underage youth was something they absolutely could not replicate.

At that moment, their hearts tightened, and their gazes sharpened considerably.

“What did you say?” Xu Yucai enunciated each word deliberately.

He Yiming extended his right index finger, pointing lightly at Xu Yucai. His voice was filled with confidence: “I said, one move is all it takes for me to defeat you.”

The area around the stage fell silent. But after only a brief moment, another burst of derisive laughter erupted, this time without any restraint, though tinged with a degree of sympathetic goodwill.

If an adult had made such a claim, they would have been mocked for overestimating themselves. But coming from a youth, it was different.

Xu Yucai laughed in extreme anger. “One move? You claim I am not your match for a single move?”

“That is correct,” He Yiming affirmed. “Do you wish to test it?”

Xu Yucai let out a cold snort, turned, and swept his sleeve, preparing to descend.

No one objected to his decision to leave at this point, as no one besides He Yiming believed him.

Just as he was about to step off, He Yiming’s mocking voice cut through the air again: “So, the people of the Xu Family Fort are all just cowards.”

The laughter below the stage vanished instantly, as if sliced by a blade. Xu Yucai, whose foot was already resting on the edge of the platform, halted. He slowly turned back, his face dark with fury, his voice sounding as if wrenched from between his teeth: “Boy, what did you just say?”

He Yiming stood with his hands clasped behind his back. “Since you dare not fight me, what else are you but a coward?”

A ferocious look slowly crept onto Xu Yucai’s face. His voice carried across the distance: “Fine, boy, you asked for this.”

With that declaration, his imposing aura erupted violently, like a tidal wave surging to the heavens. His already near two-meter frame seemed to expand once more.

That god-like image was enriched again, this time intensifying by a full three measures.

Everyone felt a shared impression: spurred by He Yiming’s verbal goading, Xu Yucai had gone mad, intending to strike the boy down dead on the spot, consequences be damned.

Just as this thought settled in the onlookers' minds, Xu Yucai launched himself forward, crossing several meters in an instant, his fist arcing toward He Yiming.

The crowd's gaze was drawn entirely to that punch. They watched, slack-jawed, already picturing He Yiming’s tragic end.

However, at that precise moment, the smile on He Yiming’s face remained unbroken.

He raised his right hand and slowly clenched it into a fist. As his knuckles tightened, the observers experienced an utterly profound sensation, as if what he held was not merely a fist, but the essence of control over everything.

The surrounding air rushed toward that point as he clenched, as if there were a massive vortex here, even tightly pulling the immense field of energy that Xu Yucai had unleashed into his grasp.

Then, He Yiming threw his punch. His fist traveled along a perfectly straight line, meeting Xu Yucai’s punch in mid-air.

Fist against fist,

Hardness against hardness,

Force against force...

With a deafening boom, like the clash of metal and stone, the sound echoed far and wide.

He Yiming stood planted on the stage, feet spread, his small frame poised like a mountain range, surveying the scene with calm assurance.

But Xu Yucai, who moments ago resembled a demon god, was now flung high over the edge of the ring like a broken kite, trailing a spray of blood.