They had not informed He Yiming about the Golden Elixirs before the Golden Core was successfully refined. This was because alchemy was not guaranteed success; if He Yiming had known beforehand only for the refinement to fail, it would have been terribly disappointing, perhaps even affecting his state of mind for cultivation.
But the moment the alchemy succeeded, the five people in the He Family Estate who knew made an unspoken, unanimous decision: at least one of these three Golden Elixirs must belong to He Yiming.
This was because He Yiming was the youngest and most promising descendant in the entire family.
Such a vital resource as a Golden Elixir naturally had to be allocated to him. If it weren't for the fact that low-tier Golden Elixirs offered the maximum effect upon the very first consumption, with subsequent effects diminishing significantly, they would not have hesitated to reserve all three Elixirs for He Yiming.
As for whether the Elixirs would be effective for He Yiming, that was no longer within their primary consideration.
Therefore, while it remained unknown who would claim the two Golden Elixirs left on the table, He Yiming's portion was absolutely non-negotiable.
He Yiming looked at the three elders’ somber expressions; to say his heart remained unmoved would be a lie. A warmth surged within him, and he almost blurted out the secret of his unique physique. Yet, the words caught in his throat, and he forcefully swallowed them down.
It wasn't that he distrusted the three elders before him; rather, every person harbors secrets they wish to keep hidden. For He Yiming, the incredible fortune at the bottom of the lake was his greatest secret, one he would rather bury forever than mention to anyone.
“Yiming, take this Golden Elixir,” He Wude said with a stern face. “In the future, never speak such childish words again.”
He Laobao and He Quanxin nodded in unison. Seeing their demeanor, if He Yiming refused the Elixir, he would likely be subjected to an endless barrage of nagging.
Mulling it over, He Yiming slowly rose to his feet.
As he stood, a wave of powerful confidence and imposing aura radiated from him.
The complexions of He Wude and the other two shifted slightly. Sensing this rising energy, much like the dawn breaking, they felt immensely stirred.
Although He Quanming and He Quanyi had sworn to them that He Yiming had successfully advanced to the ninth level of Inner Strength, and though the three elders themselves were experts at the ninth or tenth level, He Yiming truly releasing his aura still caused them profound shock.
What struck them deepest within this aura was not merely its power, but the irresistible force of self-assurance that accompanied such strength—a confidence no one could ignore.
Feeling this aura transformed from immense willpower, the three elders vaguely grasped Yiming’s meaning. Though inwardly they felt it was perhaps premature, they simultaneously chose silence.
He Yiming’s gaze was unwavering; his stance was steady as a mountain. He spoke clearly, “Grandfather, Master Bao, Eldest Uncle, whose innate talent can compare to mine?”
The three elders shook their heads simultaneously. To compare their talent to this little monster’s? That was purely a joke.
He Yiming smiled brightly. “Since that is the case, I promise you three: within three years… three years at most, I will certainly advance to the tenth level.” His gaze swept over them, carrying an air of commanding confidence that left no room for doubt: “Do you believe me?”
He Wude and the other two opened their mouths. They had intended to say that advancing to the tenth level of Inner Strength was not so simple—otherwise, He Quanxin and He Laobao would not have been stuck at that bottleneck for decades.
But for some inexplicable reason, they found themselves unable to utter a single word of objection.
The three elders exchanged wry smiles. For the first time, they sensed that this young man’s future accomplishments would likely soar far beyond their highest expectations.
He Yiming knew when to stop, and his overwhelming aura vanished instantly.
If he maintained that suppressive presence for too long, the three elders would surely erupt sooner or later.
“Grandfather, you won’t ask me to take the Golden Elixir now, will you?” He Yiming chuckled, appearing utterly different from moments before.
He Wude sighed deeply. “Yiming, since you possess such confidence, I will temporarily hold onto this Golden Elixir. However, after three years…”
A sharp glint flashed in He Yiming’s eyes. He stated decisively, “Grandfather, rest assured. Within three years, I guarantee I will reach the tenth level.”
When he spoke these words, his voice carried an undeniable authority, cutting off He Wude’s unfinished sentence.
He Wude offered a bitter smile. If another grandchild had interrupted him like that, he would have been furious. But interrupted by He Yiming, especially over this matter, he simply couldn't muster any anger.
He Laobao suddenly clapped his hands. “Since Young Master Six has such confidence, that is wonderful news. Old Master, let us simply wait and see.”
He Wude hesitated for a moment, then nodded deeply.
Since Yiming was so sure of himself, it was best not to dampen his spirits. At worst, if he failed to advance in three years, the Golden Elixir would still be waiting for him.
※※※※
Leaving the He Family courtyard, He Yiming returned to his room.
He paid no mind to the three-year pact with his grandfather, for he was already a genuine tenth-level master. Even if he made no progress over the next three years, he would have fulfilled the agreement.
Thus, once inside the underground secret chamber, he immediately cast aside all distractions and focused intently on studying the few ultimate techniques he possessed.
Among all the superior skills he commanded, the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting stood paramount.
This was a true Primordial Battle Skill, a peerless technique that was in no way inferior to the Hand Seal Battle Skills of the Lin Family of Linlang. Even better, this Primordial Battle Skill consisted of thirty-three forms, providing him ample material for slow cultivation in the future.
Besides that, there were the two hand seals he had managed to steal.
The Prostrating Seal and the Cloud Rain Seal were both exceedingly powerful Primordial Battle Skills. Though they appeared simple, the transitions between the hand seals were incredibly subtle, and when combined with the flow of Inner Strength, the complexity far surpassed the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting.
It was likely that no one other than a freak like He Yiming could have managed to steal such a battle skill just by observing a fight.
Of course, He Yiming had only managed to steal the majority of the techniques. Although he completed the Prostrating Seal, he had altered its structure beyond recognition. As for the Cloud Rain Seal, even after several days of dedicated analysis, he had only grasped its general framework; a long road lay ahead before he could fully complete it.
After all, the complexity of the Cloud Rain Seal was a tier above that of the Prostrating Seal.
In comparison, the Rolling Stone Fist and the Soft Palm seemed vastly inferior.
Even though he had cultivated both these battle skills to the pinnacle of mastery, the resulting power was incomparable to that of a Primordial Battle Skill.
Conversations with Lin Taoli over the past few days had enlightened He Yiming on several points.
Primordial Battle Skills were generally cultivated by experts in the Primordial Realm. Usually, Postnatal cultivators who obtained Primordial Secret Manuals could hardly find the entrance, grasping only a superficial layer of the technique. Truly mastering them, however, was tremendously difficult.
In the Lin Family of Linlang, there were countless younger disciples, yet only fewer than ten were qualified to practice Primordial Battle Skills in the Postnatal Realm. Among those ten, only two had achieved success, one of whom was Lin Taoli.
Similarly, through his grandfather’s words, He Yiming learned that among the three great clans of Taicang County—whether it was the older generation like He Wude and Xu Yinjie, or the younger generation like He Yitian—none had ever cultivated a Primordial Battle Skill.
This meant that in the entirety of Taicang County, only he had successfully mastered a Primordial Battle Skill.
With the power of tenth-level Inner Strength combined with a Primordial Battle Skill, He Yiming was already the foremost master in Taicang County.
It was precisely because of the power of Primordial Battle Skills that He Yiming focused all his attention on them, deeming ordinary battle skills unworthy of further distraction.
Thus, He Yiming spent his time in the underground secret chamber pondering his two acquired Primordial Battle Skills while rigorously cultivating his Inner Strength, slowly increasing its total volume.
More than half a year passed, and He Yiming’s life maintained a remarkably stable routine.
Aside from basic physiological needs like eating, drinking, and sleeping, the vast majority of his time was spent in the secret chamber.
He diligently practiced techniques such as the Blazing Fire Skill, the Withered Wood Skill, and even the Ripple Skill. Conversely, the Primal Chaos Force, which he had previously been most enthusiastic about, was practiced the least.
This was because, in comparison, the circulation of the Primal Chaos Force yielded the lowest results and the least amount of Inner Strength, leading He Yiming to naturally discard it after multiple trials.
As for the Ripple Skill, although the total amount of new Inner Strength generated was comparable to the Primal Chaos Force, this technique possessed the special effect of nourishing the meridians. Therefore, after cultivating the Blazing Fire Skill, using the Ripple Skill for recuperation proved to be the most comprehensive method.
Through countless attempts, he had grasped a certain pattern.
First, cultivate the Withered Wood Skill, followed by the Blazing Fire Skill, and finally, the Ripple Skill.
Following this sequence, cultivating all three techniques in one session not only resulted in a satisfactory rate of Inner Strength growth but also caused no damage to his meridians—it was the optimal combination for Inner Strength cultivation.
On this day, he sat cross-legged in the underground secret chamber, Inner Strength surging through his meridians like an endless, rolling river.
Every limb and every bone seemed filled with inexhaustible power; the might of his Inner Strength appeared to permeate every inch of his body, giving him a strange sensation of overflowing vitality, as if he might burst.
A sharp realization struck him, and he ceased his practice, sensing the peculiar transformation occurring within him.
After a long moment, his face broke into an expression of mingled surprise and joy. He finally confirmed that this unique feeling was not the result of cultivation going awry (qigong deviation), but rather that his Inner Strength had truly reached the peak of the tenth level. He was now separated from the legendary Primordial Realm by only a thin veil.
[bookid=1429437,bookname=《The Strategist: Lü Buwei in the Warring States Period》]