Xie Nuanyi roared, though he hadn't yet reached the battlefield between the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes and He Yiming, his sharp shout cut through the air.

He wanted He Yiming to know he hadn't fled and abandoned him, thus bolstering his will to keep fighting. He also wanted the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes to realize that a master was present; they shouldn't think about overwhelming with numbers anymore.

However, as he emerged from behind a towering tree, radiating immense might and an imposing aura, he froze abruptly. The thoughts that had flashed through his mind moments before were now completely useless.

Seeing the scene before him, he was momentarily stunned.

This patch of jungle had been utterly ravaged; the surrounding trees and undergrowth had been swept clean, leaving a vast open clearing.

In this clearing, three figures were tumbling rapidly.

Yes, to Xie Nuanyi's perception, they resembled three massive boulders rolling and chasing one another.

The largest of these boulders emitted an intense white glare. Wherever the white light fell, a faint sound of wind and thunder could be vaguely heard.

In the dense forest, it was unlikely for sunlight to reflect this dazzlingly. But now that the surrounding trees had been cleared, the direct sunlight, shining vertically, was naturally blinding as it struck the great broadsword.

The two smaller, darker shapes were not stones but the Long-Armed Hairy Apes, being driven around by He Yiming's great broadsword. They attempted to lunge upwards, but the great shining blade seemed to anticipate their trajectories, pressing them firmly into the ground, leaving absolutely no room for escape. This forced the two spirit beasts to roll on the ground in humiliation, unable to utilize their inherent strengths.

It was precisely this sight that gave Xie Nuanyi the illusion of three large stones grappling on the ground.

Although his strength was inferior to He Yiming's, with a mere glance, he immediately understood that the ones gaining the upper hand were not the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes, but the young man he had only recently met.

At that moment, the shock in his heart was utterly indescribable.

Witnessing this spectacle, if he couldn't deduce that He Yiming was a Houtian pinnacle expert at the Tenth Level of Internal Strength, then he truly wasn't worth his salt.

Yet, a master at the Tenth Level of Internal Strength, not yet eighteen years old...

He licked his lips, a bitter, inexpressible smile touching his heart. From what crevice in the earth had such a master sprung forth?

His gaze locked onto the fray. After a long pause, Xie Nuanyi's expression shifted again.

He Yiming was indeed a Tenth Level Internal Strength expert, yes, but an ordinary expert at that level—let alone suppressing two Long-Armed Hairy Apes simultaneously—would have to avoid even one of them.

And yet, He Yiming was capable of achieving this level with just a great broadsword, firmly trapping the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes within the flashes of his blade.

Slowly, within the brilliance of He Yiming's sword light, Xie Nuanyi felt a strange pressure. He suddenly grasped it: this was the true essence of Metal-elemental power.

What He Yiming was executing with his great broadsword was no longer merely an intricate swordsmanship technique; it was the very truth of power. Only by mastering the most fundamental aspect of a certain force could one elevate a martial skill to such a height.

Though he didn't recognize He Yiming's modified Rolling Stone Blade Technique, it conveyed to him the profound intent woven into the style.

Xie Nuanyi's face paled slightly. To master a martial art to this degree—where had this fellow learned it? Or perhaps, was this blade technique something he had created himself...

Just as he was deeply shaken, two massive roars jolted him back to reality.

Xie Nuanyi shuddered, unsure if he was startled by the enraged bellow of the Hairy Apes or terrified by the might of He Yiming's blade technique. He let out a deep sigh, and the soft sword in his hand danced like a viper, ready to join the fray and lend He Yiming some strength.

※※※※

He Yiming had already noticed Xie Nuanyi before he arrived at the core of the battle.

However, he couldn't guess the true intention of this newcomer, assuming he had rushed over out of concern for his safety, bringing with him a sword. Naturally, He Yiming developed a degree of goodwill toward him.

These two Long-Armed Hairy Apes were indeed spirit beasts and possessed formidable strength.

But after fighting for a long time, He Yiming knew they were still significantly inferior to the Golden-Crowned Python. At the very least, in terms of sheer power, even the combined strength of the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes might not match the immense brute force of the Python.

The Golden-Crowned Python had managed to force back He Wude—who wielded the heavy broadsword and possessed innate divine strength—time and again, and it achieved this while having consumed massive amounts of anesthetic. How powerful was that? Even He Yiming himself was filled with deep respect for it.

But these two Long-Armed Hairy Apes were clearly inferior. Their greatest asset was their diamond-hard, impervious hide and their highly agile, varied movements, which were perhaps a slight advantage over the Golden-Crowned Python.

Even when He Yiming’s great broadsword struck their bodies, it only left behind a faint white mark on that spot.

Nevertheless, since they could not suppress He Yiming in terms of strength, he naturally deployed the full potential of his great broadsword. The heavy weapon, weighing over 360 jin, felt weightless in his hands, weaving a massive net of light that trapped them within.

Achieving this was only possible because of a weighty weapon like the great broadsword. If the weapon's power were slightly weaker, the Long-Armed Hairy Apes could have endured a few blows and fled, and He Yiming would have been powerless to stop them.

Of course, had He Yiming not suddenly grasped the intent of the Rolling Stone Fist and merged it with his blade technique, achieving such a startling feat would have been impossible.

However, what vexed He Yiming was that although the battle was fierce, very little substantive damage was being inflicted. Under his suppression, the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes couldn't harm him, but his great broadsword could only contain them; wounding them seemed impossible relying solely on post-natal martial skills.

Suddenly, He Yiming sensed a potent aura. Xie Nuanyi’s soft sword swayed lightly, suggesting he was about to join the battle at any moment.

He was slightly alarmed. In this situation, adding more people wasn't necessarily better; if the coordination between the two of them faltered, it might actually allow the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes to break free.

"Mr. Xie, leave these two spirit beasts to me," He Yiming's hearty voice projected from the heart of the fight. "I'll trouble you to hold the rear and prevent them from escaping."

Xie Nuanyi flicked his soft sword and smiled, "Very well, I shall support you, Brother He. But be careful, Brother He; these two spirit beasts have seemingly endless stamina. If you plan on grinding them down, you might not get the outcome you wish for."

He Yiming called out loudly, "I see! Thank you for the guidance." A sudden realization dawned on him. No wonder, even after enduring countless strikes, these two Long-Armed Hairy Apes had only howled a few times, sounding full of vigor and showing no signs of injury. Furthermore, their movements had been smooth from start to finish, appearing as if they could last forever. This was their innate nature—their endurance was likely far deeper than any human's.

If that was the case, then he should finish this swiftly.

A new change occurred within the battle zone. The blade work, which had seemed endless and flowing like water, abruptly ceased. The myriad of white light condensed into a single, sharp ray, suspended high above He Yiming's head.

Having been suppressed for so long, the two spirit beasts were naturally thrilled when the pressure instantly vanished. Moreover, the prolonged constraint had caused their rage to fully erupt. Once free from the pressure, they let out a great roar, immediately intending to tear apart the one who had tormented them.

However, just as they regained their footing, they were suddenly enveloped by a sensation of extreme, overwhelming danger.

Spirit beasts, by nature, possess a form of communication with certain mysterious forces of heaven and earth.

Much like experts in the Xiantian realm who can sense the energy of heaven and earth. But unlike humans, they do not know cultivation methods; they only rely on vast stretches of time to slowly increase their strength.

Yet, every spirit beast possesses exceptionally keen spiritual intuition, which aids them in avoiding danger. They can sense impending fatal peril with chilling clarity.

That Golden-Crowned Python before, before swallowing the wild wolf, had also hesitated repeatedly—a reaction surely unnatural for a mere beast. If not for the fact that there was genuinely no poison in the wolf, and because of its gluttony, it never would have swallowed those dead things.

Therefore, at this moment, when they sensed the aura emanating from He Yiming, their initial ferocity was instantly crushed. Their sole thought was to turn and flee.

But just as they were about to act on this impulse, they suddenly felt a chilling aura surrounding them, as if they had instantly plunged into an ice cellar, rendering them completely immobile.

Killing Intent—that piercing, absolute Killing Intent rushed over them like a deluge, smothering all their senses.

He Yiming held his great broadsword with both hands, raising it high above his head.

At this moment, his figure seemed as towering as a demon god descending; his aura was as vast and mighty as a raging tidal wave.

His figure, holding the raised blade, appeared, under the slanting sunlight, to extend into the infinite depths of the forest. This single strike seemed capable of infinite elongation, able to cleave the heavens and split the entire forest in half.

The tip of the meter-long broadsword shone brilliantly in the sunlight, like a massive light bulb, radiating an unbearable radiance.

Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, Twelfth Form.

This form was the strongest Post-Natal technique recorded in this Xiantian secret manual.

Starting from the Thirteenth Form, it was no longer a technique that Post-Natal experts could execute; only masters in the Xiantian realm could learn and cultivate the Thirteenth Form.

And the Twelfth Form represented the strongest power a human could manifest within the Post-Natal realm. The might of this power was infinitely close to that of a Xiantian expert.

Of course, compared to the full-force strike He Yiming used when slaying the Golden-Crowned Python, the repercussions of deploying this form were significantly milder.

When He Yiming raised his great broadsword high and unleashed such terrifying energy, not only did the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes freeze as if paralyzed by a viper, unable to move an inch, but even Xie Nuanyi, standing nearby, trembled with excitement.

With his discerning eyesight, he instantly recognized the immense power contained within He Yiming's strike.

A Xiantian martial technique—only a Xiantian technique, and furthermore, the most supreme one learnable in the Post-Natal realm, could possibly manifest such tremendous might.

At this moment, he finally understood why He Yiming could single-handedly keep two spirit beasts constantly occupied. It turned out he wasn't just a Tenth Level pinnacle Internal Strength expert, but a Post-Natal master infinitely approaching the Xiantian realm by grasping a Xiantian martial technique.

Compared to reaching the Tenth Level of Internal Strength, the difficulty of mastering a Xiantian technique prematurely in the Post-Natal realm was far greater.

In the Xie family, there were three experts at the Tenth Level of Internal Strength, but among them, only his elder brother, the current family head Xie Nanhang, had managed to grasp a Xiantian technique while still Post-Natal.

And this was the primary reason his elder brother had inherited the position of family head.

Without Xiantian techniques, one would require two Tenth Level Internal Strength experts to hold off one spirit beast. But if one understood a Xiantian technique, even the most rudimentary one, a single Tenth Level expert could manage one Long-Armed Hairy Ape.

Of course, a Tenth Level expert like He Yiming, who could trap two Long-Armed Hairy Apes using only an ordinary technique, was a rare gem, countable on the fingers—a true anomaly.

Talents who mastered the essence of a particular school of martial arts were destined for unparalleled fame later on; they were figures rarely seen once in a century, incomparable to ordinary people.

Xie Nuanyi’s eyes narrowed slightly. A cultivator under eighteen, at the Tenth Level of Internal Strength, who had mastered the essence of Metal-elemental techniques and also possessed some form of Xiantian technique.

A genius like this—if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.

He Yiming's eyes widened; he suddenly roared, and the great broadsword in his hands flashed out like lightning.

Although the raised blade descended from above, the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes in front of He Yiming simultaneously felt as if the air around them had solidified, binding them tightly like immense ropes.

The moment the great broadsword cleaved downward, no matter which direction they tried to flee, escape was impossible. Instead, their movement would only fuel the momentum of the broadsword, until they were cleaved in two by this single strike.

The two Long-Armed Hairy Apes roared in unison, a sound that echoed far and wide, filled with deep despair.

Then, their four arms were raised high. Even under the pressure of a mountain bearing down, they would not relinquish their final struggle.

The massive broadsword transformed into a streak of white light, abruptly slamming down upon the shield formed by the layering of their four arms.

In that instant, the meteor-like streak of light paused.

However, after that single moment, the blade resumed its descent.

The light burst forth violently in the next second. Xie Nuanyi instinctively closed his eyes; he seemed to sense a pervasive white radiance everywhere.

This was no longer the limit achievable by a Post-Natal expert; it was a feature exclusive to Xiantian masters—one of the characteristics of resonating with heaven and earth.

Although this incomparably fierce strike originated from a Post-Natal blade technique, it had infinitely approached a Xiantian strike, thus eliciting a subtle resonance with the energy of heaven and earth, creating a bizarre and mysterious spectacle.

When all the illusory visions vanished, Xie Nuanyi opened his eyes.

He clearly saw a scene that would be etched into his memory for a lifetime.

The four arms, harder than refined steel, were brutally severed by this single strike. Furthermore, the residual force of the blow slammed the two Long-Armed Apes into the earth beneath them, leaving only a small portion of their bodies exposed.

The heads of the two ape-like creatures hung limply. Xie Nuanyi could tell instantly that the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes had died silently and instantly due to the overwhelming impact on their internal organs.

The power of this single strike had exceeded their limit of endurance, leaving them no opportunity even to utter a final scream.

The swirling blade light had vanished. Several meters in front of the two ape-like corpses, He Yiming stood, holding his great broadsword. His gaze was locked onto the very tip of the blade, as if contemplating something, paying no heed to the two slain Long-Armed Hairy Apes beneath his feet.

Xie Nuanyi felt his throat dry, his legs as if filled with molten lead, utterly unable to move an inch.

Before his eyes, everything was still a blinding white. The sword momentum, indescribably majestic just moments ago, seemed to have frozen the very blood in his veins, leaving his body stiff, almost as if he were dead.

Even though that strike was not aimed at him, and though he had only been affected by the aftershock, it had utterly destroyed the will of this Tenth Level Internal Strength master to resist.

This was the power of Xiantian—power channeled through Xiantian energy—something no Post-Natal expert could withstand.

Of course, he vaguely understood that He Yiming had not truly broken through to the Xiantian realm.

It was because he had mastered a Xiantian technique so close to the Xiantian realm that he had triggered such a miraculous phenomenon under extremely chance circumstances.

If he were truly a Xiantian master, why would he have entangled himself for so long against two Long-Armed Hairy Apes that had lifespans less than five hundred years?

Even so, Xie Nuanyi was now completely convinced and subservient to He Yiming's might.

At this moment, in his heart, there was nothing else but the thought of forging a connection with He Yiming.

All unrealistic notions—like "If someone cannot be used by me, they must be destroyed"—had long since sprouted wings and quietly flown away.

Before absolutely overwhelming power, all schemes and machinations were merely illusions.

Watching the youth standing before him lost in thought, Xie Nuanyi remained motionless. He dared not move, for he dared not interrupt He Yiming’s contemplation.

Yet, in his eyes, the image of this young man gradually grew taller, growing so tall that he inspired sheer awe.

Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps came from behind. He turned his head and saw his son, Xie Mingjin, running toward him with several attendants.

He inwardly cried out, "Not good." He glanced backward and saw He Yiming raising his head, his eyes flashing with displeasure and a dangerous glint.

Ps: Chapter three is here, 15,000 words updated, asking for votes ^_^ Recommending a good book, Early Tang by Qing Le: A Thousand Slashes Ten thousand men could not stop this commoner from cutting down the Qing dynasty's foundation with his blade!!! Check out the modern military arms salesman who time-travels to the late Qing Dynasty, stirring up trouble in the Qing court and wreaking havoc across the land!