The old man in the room nodded towards He Yiming; it was none other than Elder He Wude, the patriarch of the He Family Village.

"Yiming, I hear from Quanxin that you had quite an encounter in the Sutra Pavilion yesterday?" The old man cut straight to the chase, showing no need for concealment in front of his own kin.

He Yiming acknowledged him. "Yes, Grandpa. Yesterday, while transcribing a secret manual, I suddenly entered a wondrous state." He paused, thinking. "I can't really describe it; it was just a very strange sensation."

Elder He's eyes were sharp and bright. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yiming, tell me in detail."

Yiming, of course, would hide nothing from the Elder. As the bewildered party involved, he was more eager than anyone to know exactly what had transpired the night before.

After listening to He Yiming’s exhaustive and precise explanation, He Wude’s brow furrowed deeper. Yet, what struck Yiming as strange was that he could faintly discern a mixture of surprise and joy flickering in the old man's eyes. A realization dawned on him: perhaps the Elder did indeed understand something.

A moment later, He Wude asked in a deep voice, "Yiming, after you exited that state, did you notice any peculiar changes?"

He Yiming considered this. "It seems so. The content of the secret manual I was copying appears to be firmly imprinted in my memory, and my understanding of its meaning seems to have been greatly aided."

He Wude’s eyes immediately lit up. "Where is your transcribed copy of the manual? Let me see it."

He Yiming quickly went to the secret underground chamber and brought out the manual. He brought not only the Bone Dissolution Art transcription but also the notes on the eighth layer of the Rolling Stone Fist.

After all, aside from the Bone Dissolution Art manual, the other secret manuals, when transcribed, carried slight discrepancies, especially in the diagrams; it was impossible for them to be perfectly identical. Of course, these minor variations were merely due to differing skill in drawing, but the general meaning remained correct.

"Grandpa, this is the manual I copied last night. It is indeed slightly different from the previous transcription."

He Wude glanced at the three characters, Bone Dissolution Art, on the manual and couldn't help but stiffen slightly. He looked up at He Yiming with confusion, wondering why he had chosen to study this Wood-elemental auxiliary technique.

However, the Elder did not inquire, as he had already decided to let Yiming develop independently. If he made this choice, perhaps he had his own reasons.

Opening the manual, the Elder began to read intently. After a moment, the expression on his face shifted. "Come with me."

Under the Elder's guidance, they arrived at the Sutra Pavilion. He Quanxin and He Laibao naturally came forward to greet them, but the Elder merely waved a hand, dispatching them instantly.

Entering the main hall of the Sutra Pavilion, He Wude retrieved the Bone Dissolution Art from the bookshelf and placed the two manuals side by side.

If viewed separately, neither of the two Bone Dissolution Art manuals seemed particularly special. But when placed together, their mystery revealed itself.

The content of the two manuals was exactly the same, without the slightest variation.

Were it not for the difference in paper and the time of transcription, these two manuals could almost have been mistaken for one.

He Wude let out a long sigh and nodded slightly. "Just as I thought."

He Yiming quickly asked, "Grandpa, do you know what this means?"

He Wude turned to Yiming, his eyes filled with suppressed elation. "Yiming, I have only heard whispers of this state. If I hadn't seen these two manuals, I never would have been certain that you entered such a state by sheer chance."

He Yiming blinked twice, his eyes brimming with curiosity.

He Wude pondered, seemingly weighing how to explain this to his young grandson. Yiming did not press him, and a silence fell over the room.

After a long while, the Elder spoke, "Yiming, for the vast majority of cultivators, what we practice is Neijin, or the 'Way of Strength.' However, a small number of cultivators with exceptional talent, or who have consumed rare heavenly treasures, can break through the shackles of Neijin and reach the Xiantian realm, thereby cultivating the 'Way of Qi'."

He Yiming was greatly startled. This was the first time the Elder had discussed the Xiantian realm with him, and for him, already having advanced to the tenth layer of Neijin, it was overwhelmingly intriguing.

"Grandpa, are you saying my condition is related to the Xiantian realm?"

He Wude gave a wry smile. "I'm not entirely sure, as I will never break through to the Xiantian realm in this life, so I cannot offer you any assistance." His voice was heavy with regret. "However, I once heard my teacher mention that above the 'Way of Qi' of the Xiantian realm, there seems to be a 'Way of Spirit' (Shendao). This 'Way of Spirit' is profound and unknowable, accessible only to those possessing great mystical power and immense willpower. Once one enters the 'Way of Spirit,' they gain the ability of perfect recall. The miraculous state you experienced yesterday, resulting in the identical transcription of the Bone Dissolution Art manual, is precisely one of the unique abilities of the 'Way of Spirit'."

He Yiming’s eyes widened roundly; he never expected to learn this secret today.

So the Xiantian realm was called the Way of Qi, and the Way of Qi was not the peak of cultivation; above it lay the concept of the Way of Spirit...

He Yiming felt an irrepressible excitement rising within him; he could even feel his heartbeat accelerating far beyond its normal pace.

"Grandpa, how does one reach the Xiantian realm and cultivate the 'Way of Qi'?" He Yiming asked solemnly.

He Wude paused, opened his mouth, and then let out an understanding chuckle. "Yiming, you don't need to ask that question yet. Wait until you reach the peak of the tenth layer, and then I will tell you." Seeing He Yiming’s brow slightly furrow, displaying clear unwillingness, He Wude shook his head slightly and laughingly chided, "You are the most promising and talented among the He family's younger generation, so you must always remember: never aim too high and lose your footing."

He Yiming responded sullenly, "Yes, Grandpa."

At that moment, he felt a sudden urge to display all his true strength.

However, this impulse only flickered briefly before he suppressed it. His performance was already astonishing enough; perhaps he should wait another year or two and proceed slowly.

With a shift in thought, He Yiming abruptly asked, "Grandpa, who was your teacher?"

He Wude’s face instantly darkened. Though he wasn't angry, anyone could tell the old man was clearly displeased.

He Yiming's heart leaped, and he quickly plastered on a smile. "Grandpa, your grandson has one favor to ask you to grant."

He Wude's expression softened. "What is it?"

"Grandson feels his progress in recent cultivation has been slow, and his mind is restless. Therefore, I wish to halt my seclusion and travel for a while." He Yiming said respectfully.

He Wude’s expression changed slightly. He immediately warned, "Yiming, the cultivation of Neijin techniques is an exceedingly tedious matter. When you practice, you must never seek shortcuts; you must always establish a solid foundation. It is better to slow down than to blindly seek speed."

He Yiming lowered his gaze submissively. "Yes, Grandpa, your grandson has noted it."

He Wude deliberated for a moment. "Everyone's talent and temperament are different. Even in secluded practice, the time each person can endure varies. You, at such a young age, have already spent a considerable time in seclusion; it is time for you to travel a bit."

He Yiming was slightly stunned and looked at the Elder in surprise.

He had made this plan while still on the mountain, but since he was not yet fifteen this year, he worried his family would object to him traveling. Unexpectedly, the Elder seemed quite agreeable based on his tone.

He Wude reached out and patted Yiming's shoulder. "A good man’s ambition lies in all directions. Since you have such thoughts, your Grandpa naturally supports you. However, I have only one requirement."

He Yiming quickly said, "Grandpa, please tell me."

"You are traveling alone; it might be too lonely. How about I let Laibao accompany you?"

He Yiming rolled his eyes, inwardly groaning about the predicament.

His request to travel was actually fueled by a different plan. If Master Bao accompanied him, there was no way the Elder would agree to him going to Xujia Fort to seek the Withered Wood Technique.

Without hesitation, he shook his head like a rattle drum. "Grandpa, I want to travel alone. What's the fun if someone is following me?"

He Wude hesitated, about to object, but suddenly sensed the unyielding determination in He Yiming's words. His heart stirred. If he opposed and suppressed this urge, wouldn't it hinder Yiming's state of mind?

Seeing the Elder seemingly swayed, He Yiming quickly pressed his advantage. "Grandpa, I am, after all, a master of the eighth layer of Neijin. Coupled with the thirty-six styles of Mountain Splitting, do you think there is anywhere in Taicang County that your grandson cannot go?"

He Wude was momentarily taken aback, and the look in his eyes towards Yiming finally changed.

He sighed deeply. "Very well. But in just over a month, it will be Yitian’s wedding day. I hope you can return in time to attend his wedding."

He Yiming quickly calculated in his mind; a little over a month should be more than enough time.

But he also understood why the Elder had become so accommodating. A mere month of travel, considering the round trip, meant he could only wander around Taicang County or its neighboring districts. Going anywhere further would be absolutely impossible.

Nodding firmly, He Yiming declared solemnly, "Yes, Grandpa. I will return home after one month."

With that, his gaze flickered in a certain direction, and a surge of powerful confidence rose in his heart: within one month, he must obtain the Withered Wood Technique.

Ps: The essence tag was added yesterday by the assistant moderator Xiaotian ^_^

Bai He went to check. Some friends mentioned that the back mountain of He Family Village being a treasure trove, even housing spirit beasts, seems unreasonable.

Sigh...

Bai He is writing fantasy. What is fantasy? It means fully utilizing one's imagination. As long as the general framework isn't too far off, that's enough, so please do not be too harsh. If you see anything you think is illogical, please just smile and let it pass ^_^

In fact, let alone a Golden Crown Python migrating from afar, even if ten or eight migrated, it wouldn't affect the overall situation. Anyway, I won't let He Yiming die by a snake's mouth.

I dare say that every book on Qidian has plot holes. If one wanted every detail to be logically consistent, a person could probably only write a thousand words a day, or even less.

Well, everyone has types they like and types they dislike. What Bai He aims to do is to ensure that readers who appreciate Bai He's style feel happy while reading, and that is all...

I'll secretly state one thing: Bai He is truly not a spammer!