In the dense forest, devastation reigned supreme; the dozens of Red Scarf Bandits were all slain, not a single one escaping capture. Their leader, Guan Wei, met a particularly gruesome end, struck midsection by the staff of the elder Cheng Ningsheng, broken in two, and dying in agonizing pain.

Yet, despite the vengeance achieved, Cheng Ningsheng and his companions wore expressions not of joy, but of profound sorrow.

Their family had lived in harmony, only for disaster to strike from the heavens. The Red Scarf Bandits, driven by the desire for the Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng, had shown no mercy, slaughtering the innocent without hesitation. In a single night, over a hundred members of the household were destroyed. Though revenge was sweet, their hearts refused to feel any gladness.

After a long silence, Cheng Ningsheng finally sighed, "Misfortune is often the precursor to fortune, and fortune can conceal misfortune."

The members of the He family exchanged glances, a chill running down their spines.

When Cheng Ningsheng celebrated his grand birthday, the Lin family of Linlang sent emissaries bearing the Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng as a gift—a truly magnificent occasion that instantly elevated the Cheng family’s prestige to its zenith.

But immediately following that came the incident with the Red Scarf Bandits, which plunged the Cheng family from the clouds of the empyrean down into the depths of hell.

This sudden reversal of fortune was truly unpredictable by any measure.

They were also reminded of the spirit beasts back at their own estate. If news of this incident were carelessly allowed to leak out, they feared the Cheng family would become their cautionary tale.

A moment later, Cheng Ningsheng finally regained his composure, his gaze immediately drawn to the long-handled great saber in He Yiming’s hand.

A complicated expression flickered in his eyes as Cheng Ningsheng spoke, "If this old man is not mistaken, this weapon is the Great Guandao once wielded by Martial Virtue Brother in his youth."

He Yiming bowed slightly. "Indeed, Elder, your perception is sharp. This is Grandfather's weapon, the Great Guandao."

Cheng Ningsheng’s eyes held a flicker of nostalgia. "In those days, your ancestor carried this great saber, sweeping through all of Taicang County. He was known as the foremost saber master in the county, with almost no one who could stand against him. What magnificent glory that was! Even thinking of it today inspires deep longing."

He Yiming’s grip on the long-handled saber tightened involuntarily. Hearing an outsider praise the weapon was certainly far more impartial and stirring than hearing it from his own kin.

Cheng Ningsheng’s gaze finally settled upon He Yiming. "Martial Virtue Brother passed this great saber to you, and you have certainly not disgraced its renown. That strike just now—even Guan Wei could not withstand it. Truly, a young hero emerges."

He Yiming offered an awkward smile, dismantled the great saber into its three sections, fitted the sheaths, and tucked it into his pack. "Elder, you flatter me. Guan Wei had already exhausted his strength fleeing the pincer attack between you and my paternal uncle; that is why my sneak attack managed to repel him. If he had been at his peak, I would have been powerless against him."

Cheng Ningsheng gave him a meaningful look, seemingly accepting his explanation, and ceased speaking.

The joint operation by the Cheng and He families this time yielded the desired result.

Under Cheng Ningsheng's orders, everyone hauled the corpses away. According to his declaration, they would flog the bodies and sever the heads to pay tribute to the departed members of the Cheng clan.

He Yiming, naturally, had no interest in such matters.

However, following this battle, the relationship between the Cheng and He families had visibly improved significantly. Furthermore, He Quanxin had agreed to the He family's proposal for a marriage alliance with the Cheng family’s Hui. The two sides set the date for the grand celebration shortly after the New Year.

He Yitian carried himself with modest dignity, pleasing both sets of elders. Yet, He Yiming knew that for his elder brother, as long as it benefited the clan, it mattered little whether he married a Cheng family daughter or a Xu family daughter.

※※※※

After taking their leave from the Cheng residence, He Quanming naturally stayed within the city walls, while He Yiming returned to the main branch of his family with his uncles.

This birthday visit to the Cheng family had inadvertently triggered so many unforeseen developments; it truly exceeded ordinary expectations.

Upon returning home, the treatment He Yiming received was markedly different. The elders of the family, as well as his brothers like He Yitian, regarded him with immense respect. Even casual words he uttered were given serious consideration.

This shift was extremely obvious, and even Yi Tao, who was closest to He Yiming, though unaware of the reason for the change, acutely perceived it.

Among the third generation of the He family, He Yiming had become the most singular and unique presence.

Several days later, still somewhat unaccustomed to the attention, He Yiming resumed his routine of secluded, rigorous cultivation. The day he announced his retreat, no one dared to disturb him again; even He Yitao was pulled aside by He Quanyi and admonished several times while having his ear firmly held.

He Yiming's cultivation had become a paramount concern within the clan, an endeavor no one dared to slight.

Day after day passed, as the scorching summer slowly receded, the power of the Autumn Tiger waned, and winter finally arrived, marking another half a year gone by.

Though the sealed chamber knew no day or night, the change in temperature signaled the passage of time in the outside world.

During these six months, He Yiming never allowed himself a single day of relaxation; his entire focus was poured into his practice.

Over the entire half-year, the internal energy cultivation method he mainly practiced shifted from the Metal-elemental Primordial Energy to the Fire-elemental Blazing Fire Art.

The higher one ascended in internal energy cultivation, the exponentially more difficult the ascent became.

Before He Yiming’s internal energy reached the Ninth Layer, he hadn't felt this profoundly. But once his internal energy broke through to the Ninth Layer, he gained clear comprehension of the obstacle.

The Ninth Layer internal energy was only a single step away from the Tenth.

Advancement at this stage was undeniably arduous. Although He Yiming’s physique was unique—meaning dedicated effort yielded tangible gains—progressing further was far less effortless than before.

The Metal-elemental Primordial Energy and the Water-elemental Rippling Wave Art were significantly less effective for internal energy refinement than the Blazing Fire Art.

However, after a month of frantic cultivation, He Yiming unexpectedly discovered that overzealous practice of the Blazing Fire Art caused a degree of burning injury to his meridians.

He immediately understood that within the Xu family, there must exist some mysterious secondary technique to eliminate this hidden danger, otherwise Xu Xiangqian could not have cultivated that internal energy method to the Ninth Layer realm.

It was simply that the technique meant to complement the Blazing Fire Art was not recorded in the copied scriptures.

If anyone else had damaged their meridians while cultivating the Blazing Fire Art, repairing the damage would have required extensive effort. But He Yiming’s constitution was truly extraordinary; he could simultaneously circulate three internal energy methods of different attributes during moments of crisis and be back to near-full health within a day of releasing them.

A mere bit of meridian damage was child's play for him. After nurturing the area with the Water-elemental Rippling Wave Art for half a day, his meridians were completely restored.

Yet, learning from this lesson, He Yiming began alternating: three days of Blazing Fire Art, followed by one day of Rippling Wave Art. After combining water and fire, his internal meridians showed no signs of further injury.

He was unaware that if the Xu family were to witness this, they would surely be utterly flabbergasted and disbelieving.

The Blazing Fire Art, such a potent primary internal energy method, could be cultivated alongside the Rippling Wave Art, a rather common Water technique, and actually yield a strange effect of mutual compensation and assistance—this was absolutely incomprehensible to them.

But since it proved remarkably effective for He Yiming, he naturally paid no mind to external opinions.

It was precisely due to the Blazing Fire Art’s rapid pace that He Yiming managed to elevate his Ninth Layer internal energy to its peak state within half a year, already brushing against the barrier of this layer.

Once he truly reached this stage, he secretly slipped out of the estate and ventured deep into the secluded woods behind the manor.

Finding a place rarely trodden by feet, he used his peak Ninth Layer internal energy to fully run through every single technique he had learned.

It wasn't that he disliked the underground chamber; it was simply that the environment there no longer permitted him to exert himself without restraint.

This full practice session left He Yiming very satisfied. Whether it was the Metal-elemental Rolling Stone Fist, the Water-elemental Soft Palm, or his signature technique, the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Cleaving, all had reached a level far surpassing previous attainments.

Compared to when he had just broken through to the Ninth Layer, the power displayed now represented a massive leap forward.

The difference between the peak of the Ninth Layer and the moment he first entered it was perhaps even greater than the gap between the Eighth and Ninth Layers.

These were experiences he had confirmed firsthand, leading him to boundless contemplation.

No wonder there were still several masters who reached the Ninth Layer, but those who truly attained its peak were exceedingly rare. As for those capable of shattering the limiting barrier beyond the Ninth Layer, they were truly one in a million.

After spending half a day in the mountains, the only regret he harbored was that no matter how hard he tried, he could not reproduce that earth-shattering strike unleashed when the three different attribute internal energies burst forth simultaneously.

Even at the peak of his Ninth Layer internal energy, it remained beyond his grasp.

Though the power of the Ninth Layer peak was immense, compared to that single strike, it amounted to nothing.

Resigned, He Yiming returned to the manor. He made his way to the family’s library and began selecting books with his eyes closed.

This time, he deliberately headed toward the cabinet housing the Wood-elemental techniques and casually pulled one out.

A look of wry amusement reappeared on his face. This time, he had, once again, drawn forth a book detailing a supporting auxiliary internal energy technique.

Ps: Second update for Monday, requesting recommendation tickets, please brothers, do not be stingy ^_^