He walked out of the underground chamber with a grim expression, a deep unease churning within He Yiming. This was the first time since his fortuitous encounter at the bottom of the lake that he felt so adrift, so utterly at a loss.

That arrogance, the air of looking down upon all others, and the absolute, unassailable confidence—it all seemed to have vanished in that single moment. His gaze held a profound confusion about the path ahead, thick with heavy disappointment.

When a person becomes intimately familiar with and reliant upon a certain strength, the sudden realization that this power has been stripped away delivers an unparalleled blow. He Yiming, after all, was nothing more than a fifteen-year-old youth.

Although his current strength undoubtedly placed him first in Taicang County, before today, he would never have been satisfied with such an accomplishment. But reality was harsh; the moment he discovered he could no longer advance using his unique constitution, that intense wave of disappointment was enough to utterly shatter a person.

In that instant, he seemed to revert to being just a fifteen-year-old boy again, utterly devoid of any faith in his future prospects. Leaving his courtyard, He Yiming walked aimlessly, not knowing where his path lay beyond this moment.

Lost in his confusion, he arrived outside a certain courtyard and paused, only then realizing he had unconsciously wandered to the grounds of the Repository Pavilion. A bitter smile touched his lips; perhaps his subconscious refused to give up hope entirely.

Yet, he knew that until the crux of the problem was uncovered, no amount of secret manual study would bring about a breakthrough. "Yiming, what is wrong?" A familiar voice called out abruptly from behind him.

He Yiming started slightly, a swift thought crossing his mind—how could this voice possibly be here? Turning around, he exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle!

How did you get out?" He Quanxin smiled proudly. "What do you think?" Though his spirit was somewhat scattered, He Yiming’s spiritual perception remained sharp.

After scrutinizing him carefully, his eyes finally brightened slightly. "Congratulations, Uncle.

You have successfully advanced to the peak of the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength." He Quanxin laughed heartily, unable to conceal his satisfaction. However, his joy was short-lived, for he quickly noticed that He Yiming standing before him seemed profoundly different from before.

If the former He Yiming radiated an aura of surging vitality, the current He Yiming appeared deeply dejected, giving off the impression of a stray dog. The magnitude of this transformation was far beyond his imagination.

He never could have conceived that in just over half a year, while he himself had successfully broken through the Nine-Layer limit barrier, He Yiming seemed to have lost all confidence and spirit. His heart suddenly tightened, for he knew precisely what a devastating catastrophe it was for a cultivator in their prime to lose their inner drive.

"Yiming, did something happen at home?" "No, nothing," He Yiming replied, thinking skeptically. But he couldn't be entirely sure, as he had been in seclusion in the underground chamber for most of the past half-year and had little contact with the outside world.

He Quanxin spoke gravely. "Then, while you were cultivating, did you encounter any troubles?" He Yiming hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"What kind of trouble? Perhaps you can discuss it with me?" He Quanxin softened his tone.

Having now advanced to the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength, his confidence was a hundred times inflated; whatever difficulty He Yiming faced, he felt certain he could offer some guidance. A wry smile immediately spread across He Yiming's face.

It wasn't that he looked down on his uncle, but the trouble he faced now, he suspected, no one in the world could offer advice on. He shook his head slightly; although his tone was gentle, it carried a definite note of refusal.

He Quanxin wasn't angered, but he felt a great headache coming on. His nephew, despite possessing unparalleled talent, was incredibly obstinate, especially concerning cultivation—always exploring things alone, never seeking counsel from any elder.

Confidence was good, but being overly stubborn was not. However, he had no recourse against Yiming’s insistence.

After contemplating for a moment, He Quanxin glanced up and noticed the courtyard of the Repository Pavilion. A thought suddenly struck him.

"Yiming, while solitary, hard practice is essential, but sometimes reading the notes and insights penned by our predecessors can lead to sudden enlightenment. If you’ve hit a snag in your cultivation that you can't solve, try looking through the books in that area." He Yiming’s eyes gradually gained a spark of animation.

His uncle was right; if there were notes from any expert who had reached the Innate Realm, especially if they detailed how they broke through to that level, it would surely be immensely helpful to his current state. He looked up abruptly, ready to enter.

But just as his foot moved, he stopped. "Uncle, if I recall correctly, the Repository Pavilion doesn't seem to house any notes on that specific subject." Indeed, although he hadn't visited the Pavilion many times over the past two years, he had quickly skimmed through the majority of the secret manuals housed there.

While he couldn't recall every detail, he was certain there were no travelogues or such casual writings. The five bookshelves, each dedicated to the manuals of the Five Elements, were distinctly arranged, making it impossible for such items to be mixed in.

He Quanxin chuckled, "Yiming, there are some things I intended to tell you after you came of age, but it’s fine to let you know now." With that, he turned and started walking. "Follow me." He Yiming hesitated only briefly before following his uncle.

Moments later, He Yiming was led by his uncle into the main courtyard of the He family estate. He entered He Wude’s room, spoke a few quiet words, and then directed He Yiming inside.

He Yiming stepped into his grandfather's chamber. He Wude studied him intently for a long time, inwardly startled.

When Quanxin had told him earlier, he had been half-skeptical, but meeting Yiming now confirmed his suspicion: a definite problem had arisen with his grandson. Old Master He didn't press for answers.

Since He Quanxin couldn't elicit anything, he knew he wouldn't either. Nodding toward He Quanxin, He Wude moved to a bookshelf in the corner of the room.

He manipulated a seemingly fragile porcelain vase on the shelf, and moments later, a series of mechanical grinding sounds echoed from the wall. The massive bookshelf slowly parted from both sides, revealing a vast, dark aperture.

The Old Master reached inside and felt around, immediately retrieving a torch that had clearly been kept ready there for some time. His practiced movements suggested he had entered this hidden place many times before.

He Yiming’s eyes were filled with curiosity; he had no idea his grandfather possessed such a secret chamber within his room. "Yiming, in the estate, only Quanxin and Laibao know of this secret room.

Now, you are the third," He Wude said solemnly. "You must remember, do not speak of this to anyone." He Yiming quickly agreed, realizing that even his father, Third Uncle, and eldest brother were completely unaware.

Entering the hidden space, He Wude raised the torch high and led the way down a flight of stairs. Soon, they arrived in an underground chamber with a unique layout.

This was certainly not a training room, but a subterranean library filled with countless books. The environment was remarkably dry, and from a distance, every volume appeared to be excellently preserved.

He glanced at He Wude, who smiled and nodded. He then stepped forward, quickly flipping through a few texts, and instantly understood that most of these items were the original copies of the secret manuals kept in the outer Repository Pavilion.

So, the Pavilion had an inner and an outer section! His hand chanced upon a dense manual: the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, missing three forms.

This manual was not cataloged in the outside Pavilion, yet it appeared here, causing He Yiming a moment of genuine surprise. He Wude lit two more torches that had been prepared in the room, instantly brightening the chamber considerably.

He Yiming paid little attention to the light. He quickly observed that apart from that innate cultivation technique, most other manuals could be found outside.

However, the greatest harvest here was not the manuals themselves, but about a dozen notebooks that resembled personal insights and reflections. Flipping through one casually, he immediately discerned that the contents were encyclopedic—not only detailing the experiences of Houtian experts on breaking through various limit barriers but also offering relatively detailed descriptions of the Innate Realm.

Though from his current perspective, he could tell these were all hand-copied manuscripts, not the originals. Nevertheless, even as copies, they were unquestionably rare treasures, certainly more valuable than mere cultivation manuals, which explained why they were stored alongside the original innate technique and other core manuals.

He gently stroked the cover of one book. It bore no name, but its contents meticulously recorded the author’s entire journey and insights on overcoming every limit barrier, the most crucial part naturally being the breakthrough to the Innate Realm.

In He Yiming’s eyes, this book was absolutely priceless. "Yiming, you will stay here tonight and go out tomorrow," He Wude stated with solemnity.

"From now on, if you wish to consult these, you may do so anytime, but your stay must not exceed one day." He Yiming bowed deeply to the old man. "Yes, sir." He Wude nodded with satisfaction and left with He Quanxin.

After exiting the secret room, He Quanxin hesitated before asking, "Father, how do you assess Yiming's condition..." He Wude mused, "I suspect Yiming has already reached the peak of the Ninth Layer." "So fast?" He Quanxin was utterly aghast. It had taken him a full eight years to advance from the Ninth Layer to its peak.

He Wude smiled faintly. "Extraordinary people must be viewed with extraordinary measures.

Yiming's talent is beyond what you can imagine." Hidden within his heart was a trace of pride mixed with a subtle apprehension, yet no matter what, he had never imagined that he had vastly underestimated He Yiming.