A massive sound of tearing air suddenly erupted from the dense forest, and a sharp, yet overwhelmingly powerful beam of white light flashed past, severing the head of a giant Fox Bear without it even managing a single cry, struck down by an incredible force with lightning speed.

Two Fox Bears had approached together, intending to ambush someone walking through the forest, but as soon as they revealed themselves, the person casually waved a hand, instantly slicing off the head of one of the beasts.

The other Fox Bear shuddered. It smelled death; the human who had seemed completely harmless moments ago now radiated such a perilous aura that its very body began to tremble.

The cunning Fox Bear held no thought of avenging its companion. Its massive frame abruptly spun around, fleeing desperately with agility several times greater than its approach, vanishing in an instant. From that day forward, whenever this Fox Bear caught the scent of humans, it would flee regardless of everything else, never daring to face those creatures that appeared so much smaller than itself again.

He Yiming drew back his hand, and the massive saber in his grip obediently returned to his side.

He Wude’s grand saber, which had been wielded with great martial presence in Taicang County during his youth, was composed of three distinct parts.

Aside from two sections, each being a meter-long rod of refined steel, there was a huge, sweeping blade. This blade also possessed a handle, allowing it to be used independently as a medium-sized weapon.

When all three sections were connected, the entire great saber weighed a staggering 360 jin. Outside of those born with immense natural strength, even a practitioner whose Inner Strength had reached the Tenth Layer would be reluctant to brandish this behemoth around town.

In his youth, He Wude possessed such innate divine strength. After advancing to the Eighth Layer of Inner Strength, this saber became his signature weapon; even his old rival, Xu Yinjie, found it a major headache.

No one had ever managed to confront him in a direct, hard-hitting battle.

Although He Yiming’s strength was considerable, it still fell far short compared to the innate divine power the old man possessed in his prime. The only reason he could previously wield this great saber was entirely due to the support of his powerful Inner Strength.

To be honest, he hadn't initially planned to bring this saber along, but the objective of this journey was a legendary five-hundred-year Spirit Beast, making the might of this great saber absolutely indispensable. However, after carrying the saber for several days, He Yiming suddenly realized something.

That realization was that this weapon, for him at this moment, didn't seem to be much of a burden.

The Earth-elemental technique he was currently cultivating was the Great Strength Art, which was notoriously difficult to master.

The difficulty for an ordinary person attempting to cultivate this technique was almost equivalent to cultivating a top-tier skill. Therefore, unless one had no other techniques available, or was simply an utter fool, almost no one chose this technique as their primary cultivation method.

Yet, reaching the Tenth Layer realm had brought He Yiming immense benefits.

That was to say, his physical strength had indeed increased substantially. Even without activating his Inner Strength, this 360-jin great saber caused him little significant impact. Especially when gripping the foremost blade section with a single hand and infusing just a little Inner Strength—it felt utterly weightless.

From then on, he was naturally overjoyed.

After leaving He Family Village with the saber, he ventured deep into the dense forest.

Taicang County was a region characterized by immense mountain ranges—a continuous expanse that no one had ever successfully traversed. He Yiming’s thought process was very simple: since the Golden Crown Python could appear in these mountains, there must be higher-ranked Spirit Beasts present as well.

Spirit Beasts came in many forms, but they shared a common trait: they all resided in places rarely frequented by humans. The more powerful the Spirit Beast, the more meticulously they concealed any trace of their presence.

Although He Yiming knew well that relying on sheer luck to find a Spirit Beast was a slim prospect, his excursion was inherently undertaken with the mindset that finding a Spirit Beast would be ideal, but even if he failed, the journey itself served as excellent training. Thus, despite finding nothing along the way, he remained undiscouraged.

However, following this period of enduring wind, rain, and harsh survival conditions within the forest, his spirit had instead become significantly more vigorous. When employing various combat techniques, he found himself achieving a state of utter fluidity, reaching the point where his intent manifested instantly.

The attacks from venomous snakes, mosquitoes, flies, and various fierce beasts in the jungle served as an excellent trial for him. After three months, his performance was no less than that of a true mountain hunter, and the strength he possessed far surpassed that of an ordinary hunter, meaning he naturally encountered no life-threatening dangers.

Of course, some troubling matters had arisen—this three-month sojourn in the dense woods had left him utterly bewildered about his exact location.

In short, he had not seen another human being in the forest for a full month and a half. If not for the thoughts held within his heart, he would have succumbed to loneliness and left long ago.

Turning, he expertly gutted the Fox Bear that had sought its own demise. Then, he gathered several thick logs, constructed a simple rack, and began roasting the bear meat.

He clearly remembered encountering a Fox Bear the first time he broke through to the Sixth Layer. Back then, it had taken him immense effort just to frighten the beast away. Yet now, upon meeting one again, he dispatched it with a casual wave, and terrified the other so thoroughly it fled incontinently to some unknown location.

Recalling that past made it seem like yesterday, yet it brought a touch of melancholy.

The bear meat on the branches slowly cooked, though "cooked" was generous; expecting He Yiming to barbecue some gourmet delicacy would be utterly unrealistic. Merely managing to roast the meat after skewering it represented a remarkable improvement.

The memory of his very first attempt at roasting meat still sent a shiver down his spine. Fortunately, after a period of agonizing recollections, the food he now produced was at least barely edible.

After consuming a small portion, He Yiming’s movements suddenly froze; he tilted his ear, listening intently.

In the jungle, aside from the sound of the wind and the rustling of animals, there was a distinct, unexpected sound.

It was the sound of leather boots crunching on dry twigs—a sound He Yiming hadn't heard in a long time. A flicker of joy crossed his eyes; encountering other people in this desolate place was genuinely a reason to be happy.

Indeed, the sound of boots stepping was not singular; it was a group, likely hunters entering the mountains.

Judging by their direction of movement, they were heading toward him. Glancing at the still-rising flames, He Yiming realized the aroma of cooking meat must have drawn them in.

He looked at the massive carcass of the dead Fox Bear and a slight smile touched his lips; such a huge creature meant more meat than any small group could possibly consume.

He sat quietly where he was, making no move to deliberately greet them.

In the jungle, danger wasn't limited to animals; fellow human beings posed a certain threat as well. However, given his power level, he gave little concern to the impending arrivals; if those people harbored ill intent, they would likely be the ones regretting it in the end.

The group moved swiftly, clearly containing veterans accustomed to long treks through the wilderness.

Indeed, apart from those recklessly bold individuals like He Yiming, even ordinary Eighth-Layer Inner Strength masters dared not wander recklessly through unfamiliar forests.

The closer they got, the lighter their steps became, clearly indicating they had sensed someone roasting meat nearby and wished to avoid alerting He Yiming.

Shaking his head slightly, He Yiming spoke plainly, "Friends, since you have arrived, please step out openly. I have more roasted meat here than we can possibly finish; join me for a meal."

The footsteps instantly ceased—a synchronized halt achieved in a single moment.

He Yiming was slightly startled. He heard clearly that ordinary hunters could never achieve such perfect coordination. A vague feeling arose in his heart that these people were certainly not common hunters.

After only two breaths, a clear, hearty voice rang out, "Excellent. Since the gentleman is so hospitable, we shall respectfully accept your invitation."

The next instant, eight individuals materialized from the nearby undergrowth and began walking toward the bonfire.

They appeared nonchalant, but He Yiming observed that six of them maintained a dispersed formation, stepping with deliberate care, clearly guarding the two in the center while using their own bodies to test the surroundings for potential ambushes.

The central two walked side-by-side, naturally enjoying this escort treatment.

He Yiming’s heart stirred again. Observing the attire of the six guards, they seemed to hail from the same origin. They were likely retainers from some aristocratic family, but a family capable of cultivating such fiercely loyal attendants must not be underestimated.

Moreover, these retainers all possessed formidable Inner Strength cultivation.

Based on his spiritual perception—judging their footwork, bearing, and palpable aura—He Yiming estimated these men’s Inner Strength levels were around the Seventh Layer.

He Yiming didn't know if the prominent Lin Family in Taicang County possessed retainers of such caliber, but he was certain that among the three great aristocratic families of Taicang County, none boasted attendants of this quality.

In just a few steps, the two central figures reached He Yiming. Upon clearly seeing his face, they both couldn't help but show a hint of surprise, their gazes sweeping past the bonfire to the Fox Bear carcass and the first segment of the great saber, which was over a meter long.

The leader of these two was a stout, middle-aged man with large pores and slightly puffy eyes. However, when He Yiming met his gaze, he instantly dismissed any notion of underestimating him.

This person radiated a sense of danger toward him. If He Yiming wasn't mistaken, this man’s Inner Strength cultivation was already on par with his grandfather’s.

Tenth Layer Inner Strength—a peak Houtian expert appearing in such a desolate wilderness was truly unexpected.

Beside the stout man walked a pale-faced young gentleman. This young master was roughly He Yiming's age, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, dressed in form-fitting clothes that displayed his well-conditioned physique, clearly the result of intense training.

He shared a slight resemblance to the stout man; they were father and son. This young man’s cultivation was also formidable, likely not below He Yi’s, roughly peaking around the Seventh Layer.

Suddenly encountering such a pair of father-and-son experts deep in the mountains was indeed far beyond what He Yiming had anticipated.