A figure suddenly flashed across the sky. Xu Yude, standing beside the ring, leaped up, his toes lightly tapping the tops of several heads as if he were a dragonfly skimming water, successfully borrowing momentum to catch up with Xu Yucai, who was flying backward mid-air.

He stretched out his long arm and gently pulled, immediately drawing his brother into an embrace.

Suspended in the air, he twisted his body slightly, casting one last glance at He Yiming on the stage, then swiftly fled toward the distance.

Having witnessed He Yiming’s single punch, he understood the gulf separating them. A profound sense of pressure settled in his heart, coupled with a feeling of utter despondency. Deep down, he sensed that in this lifetime, he would never surpass this young man before him.

Thus, he left without uttering a single pleasantry, holding his severely wounded brother.

Everyone watching the scene unfold on the surrounding streets stared with wide eyes, gazing in astonishment at He Yiming, who wore a faint, cold smile on the stage.

The small figure seemed immeasurably tall in that moment. No one dared to underestimate him again because of his youth; in everyone’s gaze was a shock they could barely believe themselves.

He Yiming surveyed the crowd. His gaze was not as sharp as Xu Yucai’s, but everyone whose eyes met his unconsciously lowered their posture slightly. Before this martial arts master, these common folk openly displayed the fear lurking in their hearts.

He smiled faintly. In truth, the tension He Yiming felt at that moment was far greater than anyone could imagine.

Outside the ring, there were at least a thousand people as far as the eye could see. Even knowing they posed no threat, the concentration of a thousand gazes still held his heart suspended high above the ground.

When he was focused solely on reclaiming his family’s honor against Xu Yucai’s full-force strike, He Yiming could remain perfectly composed. But now that the tension eased, a wave of apprehension washed over him.

Fortunately, during the He family’s New Year competitions, he had experienced similar situations, sparring against his elder brothers under the gaze of hundreds. This experience offered some familiarity; otherwise, he might have fled in shame right then.

After all, before his fortuitous encounter in the lake, he was merely an ordinary youth. Perhaps with repeated exposure, he might one day appear completely self-possessed under the watch of a larger crowd, but he was far from achieving that state now.

Applying slight pressure to his feet, He Yiming descended from the stage and approached his Third Brother.

He Xuan had just snapped out of his initial shock. He looked at his Sixth Brother, his expression incredibly complex. Though a thousand words clamored to be asked, he knew this was not the place for conversation. He spoke softly, “Let’s go.”

The two brothers walked away briskly. Wherever they went, people swiftly made way, instantly clearing a path straight out of the street.

Only after they had gone did the clamor erupt unrestrainedly.

The battle between the He and Cheng families at the street corner became a widely circulated tale in the city. He Yiming, moreover, became famous overnight, establishing himself as the most renowned master among the younger generation of the three great families of Taicang County; his prominence even outshone He Yitian’s brief notoriety.

※※※※

Leaving those few streets, He Xuan’s pace quickened. Though his arm was injured, it had largely healed with his Sixth Brother’s assistance.

In a secluded corner, he stopped abruptly and looked at his Sixth Brother. He Xuan asked in a deep voice, “Yiming, has your inner strength cultivation reached the peak of the seventh layer?”

The spectators below might not have known, but He Xuan understood clearly that in that final exchange, He Yiming had employed no martial technique, relying purely on internal energy to unleash such tremendous power.

Pure internal energy, without the aid of any technique, reaching such a level could only mean one thing: his inner strength had attained the peak of the seventh layer.

Because only at the peak of the seventh layer could one blast away an opponent utilizing the peak of the sixth layer inner strength combined with sixth-layer peak martial techniques.

However, as far as he knew, Sixth Brother had only just crossed the threshold of the seventh layer at the beginning of the year. How could he possibly have reached the peak of this stage in only half a year?

He Yiming chuckled, meeting his Third Brother’s questioning gaze, and slowly nodded.

He Xuan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the surging tide of emotion in his chest. He slapped Yiming hard on the shoulder. “Good, good job, Sixth Brother.” Saying that, he took Yiming’s hand and hurried away.

He Yiming asked in surprise, “Third Brother, what are you doing?”

“Nonsense, of course, we are going to let Father and the others know,” He Xuan replied testily. “If Father and the others learn your inner strength has reached the peak of the seventh layer, they will be overjoyed.”

He Yiming muttered softly, “If they knew I’ve reached the ninth layer, they wouldn’t be overjoyed; they’d be terrified.”

“What did you say?” He Xuan frowned and turned back to ask. His Sixth Brother’s voice had been extremely faint and muffled; he couldn't hear clearly.

He Yiming quickly corrected, “Third Brother, I said you were injured just now; let’s walk a little slower.”

He Xuan laughed heartily. “It’s nothing, this minor injury is practically healed.”

Although the two brothers were not intimately familiar with the city’s layout, returning home the way they came was no difficulty. In a short while, they were back at the He family’s residence.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they heard He Quanxin’s hearty laughter.

The two exchanged a look and swiftly entered the main hall. Not only were their eldest uncle and father present, but their mother and younger sister were there as well.

Seeing them return, He Yilong’s eyes brightened. She asked, “Third Brother, Sixth Brother, was the ring fight fun?”

He Yiming and his brother exchanged a look, managing only wry smiles. The arena battle that day was hardly something that could be described as merely fun.

He Quanming snorted lightly. “The ring matches here are just places for ordinary cultivators to spar. No truly skilled masters ever choose to fight here. If you have time to watch, you might be better off training in the back courtyard; it could benefit you more.”

He Quanxin waved his hand. “Second Brother, they are just children. When they see something novel, their curiosity is piqued. Although the martial power displayed in these low-level ring matches isn’t much, they are genuine fights. Watching them can be beneficial for the youngsters.”

He Quanming nodded slightly. He glanced at the two of them and noticed their expressions were quite peculiar. He couldn't help but ask, “What’s wrong with you two?”

He Xuan looked up. “Eldest Uncle, Father, we encountered the Xu Yude and Xu Yucai brothers on the ring this time.”

The expressions of He Quanxin and He Quanming immediately grew serious. He Quanming asked sternly, “What happened?”

He Xuan stood respectfully, recounting how Xu Yucai had challenged him and defeated him. Although he had lost this time, he hid nothing.

The brows of the two elders, He Quanxin and He Quanming, furrowed, especially when they heard about Xu Yucai’s final blow; a flicker of astonishment crossed their faces. Clearly, even they had never heard of such a martial technique.

“Big Brother, the Xu family is still the Xu family. They have hidden such a powerful technique; we must report this to the Old Master as soon as possible,” He Quanming said grimly.

He Quanxin nodded, contemplating for a moment before shaking his head. “Reporting it to Father is necessary, but there’s no need to panic. I can be certain that the technique Xu Yucai learned must be a high-tier skill, but mastering such a technique will inevitably impede their cultivation of their inner strength methods. If the Xu family’s third generation truly unleashes their cultivation, they might suppress us temporarily, but they won't pose a threat in the long run.”

He Quanming lightly patted his thigh twice—a peculiar habit he exhibited when faced with a difficult problem.

A moment later, he said slowly, “Big Brother, I worry if the Xu family has reestablished contact with them?”

He Quanxin paused, hesitating for a long time. “Impossible. Unless someone in the Xu family reaches the Innate Realm, that is absolutely out of the question.”

He Yiming’s gaze shifted between the two elders. From their words, he vaguely discerned a hint of something.

The origin of the Xu family seemed profoundly mysterious. That mysterious group referred to as “them” instilled deep apprehension in both his Uncle and his Father.

Furthermore, based on his observation, the power of the final technique Xu Yucai used, while not as exaggerated as the Thirty-Six Slashes of Mountain Splitting, was far beyond that of ordinary martial techniques. Even if this technique wasn't an Innate-level skill, it was undoubtedly one of the absolute top-tier conventional techniques.

For the Xu family to possess such a skill suggested that the quality of their ancestral library was clearly a notch above the He family’s.

While his mind wandered, He Xuan continued, “Eldest Uncle, Father, although I lost, Xu Yucai did not gain the advantage.”

He Quanming asked suspiciously, “Did you injure him as well?”

“I don't possess that ability, but Yiming does,” He Xuan said, slightly turning sideways to look at his Sixth Brother. “When Yiming saw me injured, he attacked out of anger. With just one palm strike, he sent Xu Yucai flying.”

“What did you say?” He Quanming started, then his expression suddenly shifted slightly. “Yiming, did you use the Thirty-Six Slashes of Mountain Splitting?”

He Yiming shook his head slightly. “Father, I only used my pure internal energy.”

He Xuan nodded with even greater excitement. “Yes, Father, Yiming’s inner strength has already reached the peak of the seventh layer.”

For a time, the entire hall fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. Every eye in the room focused on He Yiming.

Especially He Yitian. He slowly exhaled a long breath, his gaze undeniably one of extreme complexity…