Among the world existed Spirit Beasts, existing for five hundred years; slay one, extract its Inner Elixir, refine it in the furnace to forge a Golden Elixir; consume this Golden Elixir, shatter the barrier of the limit, and comprehend the Primordial Dao.

These mere seven sentences laid out with chilling clarity the method to break through the bottleneck of the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength and ascend to the Innate Realm.

Yet, even knowing this method seemed to amount to knowing nothing at all, adding only an unnecessary burden of thought and worry.

A Spirit Beast existing for five hundred years meant one that had lived for half a millennium.

Though Spirit Beasts were not human, their wisdom was not far inferior to that of humankind.

The Golden-Crested Python that the entire He Family Estate mobilized to slay was a Spirit Beast that had only lived for a mere century or so.

But even a century-old Spirit Beast possessed such fearsome might; had it not been for Xiao En’s sudden explosion of power, the elites of the He Family Estate might well have been utterly annihilated in that battle.

If that Golden-Crested Python had been allowed to live to five hundred years...

He Yiming truly could not fathom what immense martial power would be required to bring such a beast to heel.

He Wude paid no mind to the shifting expression on his grandson’s face. Truthfully, when he himself had first advanced to the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength, he had entertained similar thoughts. However, as he aged and personally hunted a Spirit Beast once, he had discarded that notion entirely.

A five-hundred-year-old Spirit Beast—never mind finding one, even if he were miraculously lucky enough to locate it, there was no possibility of slaying it. Since that was the case, he had completely abandoned the idea.

Moreover, given his advanced age, even if he consumed the Golden Elixir refined from a five-hundred-year Spirit Beast’s Inner Elixir, a successful breakthrough was far from guaranteed.

For an Acquired Realm cultivator past eighty years of age, even upon consuming a Golden Elixir, the probability of his body exploding was higher than the chance of a successful advancement.

The reason he handed this item to Yiming was precisely to reignite the fighting spirit of his gifted grandson, pushing him further along the path of martial cultivation.

After tidying things up, He Wude nodded slightly and turned to leave.

As the door to the secret chamber closed, the light abruptly dimmed, leaving only the soft sound of the wax-coated torches burning on the two walls.

He Yiming rapidly calculated the possibilities in his mind. Although he had never witnessed the true power of a five-hundred-year Spirit Beast, he presumed it could not be significantly weaker.

However, He Yiming now, compared to the previous year, had undergone a sea change.

Especially after mastering the two Innate Battle Techniques, his self-confidence had swelled to an extreme degree. With his current capabilities, perhaps striking first with the Hidden Needle Seal as a surprise attack, followed by a full-force strike with the Great Broadsword utilizing the thirty-six styles of Mountain Cleaving, might actually hold a slim chance of success.

The thought set his heart ablaze.

If that senior could accomplish it, why couldn’t he? His inner confidence grew stronger, and his former worries receded completely.

From him, that powerful, convincing aura surged forth once more.

He carefully read the final page of the ancient manuscript, his yearning for the Innate Realm deepening.

The only ones capable of truly restraining an expert of the Innate Realm were other experts of the Innate Realm.

These individuals could draw upon the energies of Heaven and Earth for their own use, and the sheer robustness of their physical bodies was incomparable to those in the Acquired Realm. Furthermore, one utilized Inner Strength, while the other wielded True Qi refined from the energies of Heaven and Earth—the resulting power was worlds apart.

Moreover, the energies of Heaven and Earth held endless mysteries; by employing certain tools and esoteric techniques, these mysteries could be exploited to their utmost potential. It could be said that as long as a family had an Innate Master presiding over it, practically no one would dare provoke them.

At least, not until that family's Innate Master perished.

Additionally, Innate Realm Masters, having absorbed the energies of Heaven and Earth, benefited immensely from this mysterious energy, which greatly extended the cultivator's lifespan.

Of course, how much it extended depended heavily on the age at which the person stepped into the Innate Realm.

The earlier one entered the Innate Realm, the greater the potential to alter their constitution, and the longer their lifespan would be; conversely, if one, like Old Master He, only managed to advance to Innate status at eighty, the chances of success were extremely low, and even if they succeeded by chance, the lifespan extension would be, at best, only fifty or sixty years.

Advancing to Innate success around the age of fifty would generally allow one to live to about two hundred years.

As for before the age of twenty...

It was not written down; perhaps even the author of this text could not achieve that.

Having finished reading the book meticulously, he carefully affixed this last page to the very end of the volume.

He sat down silently, pondering for a long while, until a decision finally solidified in his mind.

He stood up abruptly, his eyes sharp as lightning, casting one last look at the book. Then, he strode purposefully toward the entrance of the secret chamber and tapped lightly a few times.

A moment later, the door opened, and Old Master He looked at him with a trace of surprise.

The day was not yet over; He Wude had never expected Yiming to emerge so soon. Had he found nothing of value in the chamber below?

Yet, looking into He Yiming’s eyes, the Old Master slowly understood. The astonishment and worry in his eyes vanished completely.

Because he could clearly see that the slump from when his grandson had entered was gone, replaced instead by vibrant energy, and especially in those bright eyes, the undeniable confidence was visible once more.

Sensing the shift in his grandson's mood, He Wude felt immense joy. Suddenly, he remembered something, and he smiled, saying, "Yiming, I still have the Golden Elixir here. Do you wish to use it?"

Saying this, he drew out a jade vial from his robes and placed it on the table.

He Yiming paused slightly, his eyebrows lifting, a hint of displeasure crossing his face.

Old Master He waved a hand: "Yiming, I understand what you mean. I merely wanted to tell you that using a Golden Elixir to break the limit barrier is nothing shameful. You should have seen the record left by that great senior; he too consumed a Golden Elixir refined from a five-hundred-year Spirit Beast’s Inner Elixir to break through the Acquired limit barrier and ascend to the Innate Realm."

He Yiming smiled bitterly internally. If the Golden Elixir before him had truly been refined from a five-hundred-year Spirit Beast’s Inner Elixir, he might not have been able to resist consuming it.

But a Golden Elixir from a Spirit Beast barely over a century old would do him no good. Consuming it would merely be a waste.

He shook his head slightly, then smiled proudly, "Grandfather, hasn't the three-year pact not yet expired?"

He Wude sighed deeply, feeling helpless at his grandson's stubbornness, but then burst into loud laughter. "Good, since you have such confidence, I will not press the matter further. I wish you an early advancement to the Tenth Layer."

He Yiming nodded heavily, then suddenly said, "Grandfather, I have been in closed cultivation at home for some time now, and I wish to go out and travel for a while."

When he spoke these words, although his tone was one of seeking permission, there was an unyielding undertone, suggesting that regardless of whether the Old Master agreed, he would proceed without hesitation.

He Wude startled, hesitating for a moment. But he knew that although He Yiming was only fifteen, his current strength was no longer inferior to his own.

Even though the Inner Strength of the Ninth Layer could not compare to the Tenth, with the boost from the Innate Battle Techniques, even he would have to retreat a respectful distance.

However, venturing out alone at fifteen years of age was still far too early.

Seeing the hesitation in the Old Master's eyes, He Yiming proclaimed loudly, "Jade cannot be shaped without carving, and raw iron cannot become the Great Broadsword that dominates Taicang County without tempering. Furthermore, you yourself said that your grandson's aspirations lie elsewhere."

He Wude’s eyes brightened, and he finally nodded heavily. "Very well, Yiming, you may go out to travel, but the three-year pact must still be honored."

He Yiming took a step back, bowed deeply to the Old Master, and turned to leave.

A short while later, He Yiming was packed. This time, he even took along his Great Broadsword, which had been separated into three parts, unconcerned about the added burden.

Carrying the massive pack, over a meter long, He Yiming left home without speaking to anyone.

It was the moment the rising sun broke the horizon.

Outside the gate of the He Residence, He Wude watched his most prideful grandson walk away, his gaze filled with an indescribable mix of pride and sorrow.

He vaguely felt that when his grandson returned from his travels, he would certainly have advanced to the Tenth Layer, becoming the youngest peak expert of the Tenth Layer Acquired Realm in the history of Taicang County.

The He Family would change because of him, officially becoming the foremost family in Taicang.

Lost in thought, a figure silently approached his side—it was He Laibao, who had grown up with him since childhood and accompanied him through most of his life.

"Old Master, the Sixth Young Master has departed."

"Yes, he is gone."

"Old Master, we are both old now; this is the era for the young masters," He Laibao said slowly.

He Wude turned his head. In the last two years, the old servant’s face had grown increasingly aged. Perhaps they both knew that the time they had left in the world was short, which accounted for the shared sorrow that others could not comprehend.

"Laibao, in my life, besides the establishment and growth of the He Family Estate, I had one other wish. If I could fulfill that wish, then I could close my eyes without regret."

He Laibao raised his head, his formerly pale face seeming to gain a strange glimmer of light. "Old Master, this wish of yours will certainly be fulfilled. The Sixth Young Master absolutely will not disappoint you."

He Wude smiled faintly. "Yes, I believe he can achieve it for me." He then looked deeply at the servant, "And what about you? Don't forget, this wish was one we made together, back then."

A golden light gradually shone from He Laibao’s eyes; he seemed to be recalling something that stirred him greatly.

"Old Master, rest assured, I won't depart so soon. Before I see the Sixth Young Master fully grown, and before I see you returned to the Hengshan lineage, this old servant will not easily pass on."

Seeing He Laibao momentarily filled with vitality, He Wude roared with laughter. His laughter echoed throughout the entire He Family Estate and even reached the ears of He Yiming, who was far on his way.

He turned back, waved towards the direction of the He Family Estate from afar, and walked into the path of the rising sun.

P.S.: It's finally time for the shelves! Bai He begs for subscriptions, monthly tickets, and tips ^_^ Of course, please leave two recommendation tickets too; don't let the momentum drop all at once...