The forest was dense, shadows intertwined, mist hung heavy, and the autumn wind was bleak. Xie Mingjin, who had been desperately trying to push his way out of the thicket, abruptly halted.

Behind him were the seven retainers from the Xie Manor, all of them orphans raised since childhood or descendants of elders who had served the manor for generations. If they showed any aptitude for cultivation early on, they would be bestowed with Inner Strength manuals.

However, their ultimate achievements in cultivation remained quite limited; reaching the Seventh Layer of Inner Strength was already considered exceptional. This was not solely due to talent or the quality of the cultivation methods, but also significantly related to the scarcity of cultivation resources, which could not be concentrated on them.

Nevertheless, retainers nurtured this way were largely fiercely loyal to the Xie Manor, akin to personal death squads. They were far more reliable than retainers recruited through mere money or power.

Seeing Xie Mingjin stop, the eldest retainer, a man nearing forty, clasped his fists and urged, "Young Master, we cannot linger here. You must leave quickly." A strange light flickered in Xie Mingjin's eyes.

He said in a deep voice, "Xie Mingsan, tell me honestly, why did Father go there?" The middle-aged retainer, Xie Mingsan, paused for a moment, then offered a wry smile. "Young Master, since the Master has already decided, please do not interfere and hurry away." Xie Mingjin glared at him.

"So, Father didn't go back to recruit that person, but to stall the Long-Armed Hairy Apes?" Xie Mingsan pressed his lips together, saying nothing. Xie Mingjin snorted in anger and turned to leave.

Xie Mingsan quickly blocked him, saying, "Young Master, you absolutely cannot go back, or the Second Master’s efforts will be wasted." A sharp glint of killing intent flashed in Xie Mingjin's eyes. "Xie Mingsan, you were chosen by my father personally as a retainer.

Are you just going to stand by and watch him walk to his death?" Xie Mingsan slowly shook his head. His gaze met Xie Mingjin’s calm stare directly, showing no intention of flinching.

"Young Master, calm down. The Master is correct; you would only be a burden if you went.

If you stay far away, the Master’s chances of escaping safely will be much higher." Xie Mingjin replied coldly, "What if my father doesn't return?" "He will," Xie Mingsan asserted with a firm shake of his head. "I believe in the Master; he will surely return." He paused, then said gently, "If the Master truly does not return, then I will personally enter the mountain and challenge those two Long-Armed Hairy Apes." Everyone present was startled and immediately understood his meaning.

With his mere Seventh Layer Inner Strength, challenging two Long-Armed Hairy Apes in the mountains was tantamount to suicide. If Xie Nuanyi truly did not return, he would never live alone!

Xie Mingjin's eyes darted, and his tense demeanor relaxed. "Fine, I'll go with you..." As he said this, he suddenly exerted force beneath his feet, bypassing Xie Mingsan entirely and dashing back in the direction they had come from.

All seven retainers turned pale. One of them asked, "What do we do?" Xie Mingsan moved instantly, following close behind, shouting as he went, "Chase!" The seven retainers followed, but each held their own thoughts.

Although Xie Mingjin was the Young Master, he possessed a straightforward boldness quite unlike that of aristocratic scions, and his decision-making was somewhat naive. This temperament might not be an issue in an ordinary family, but in a millennium-old aristocratic lineage, it might prove detrimental.

Xie Nuanyi had brought Xie Mingjin into the dense woods partly to impart the law of the jungle to him. But clearly, this lesson had not taken hold.

When faced with a crisis, the Young Master still refused to prioritize the greater good, insisting on going forward when he knew he would only be a hindrance, and refusing to leave. Having such a master, even the seven retainers who had long ago pledged their lives to the Xie family felt a surge of anger mixed with profound weariness.

Though their Inner Strength cultivation levels were comparable to the Young Master's, the techniques they learned were far inferior, especially the movement skill passed down from Xie Mingjin's father, which they could never match. Fortunately, Xie Mingjin's inexperience meant he had to stop occasionally to orient himself; otherwise, he would have long since left them behind.

Xie Mingsan and the others, initially burning with anxiety, gradually settled into a strange calm. When they first encountered the Long-Armed Hairy Apes, they had already accepted death.

Now, they were merely postponing that moment. The eight of them finally burst from behind a large tree and saw the clearing, along with the bizarre scene upon it.

※※※※ He Yiming's entire focus remained submerged in that single strike. The twelfth form of the Thirty-Six Mountain-Splitting Styles, which he had just unleashed with all his might, had somehow resonated with a power in the void.

This power, drawn from nature, was marvelous, mysterious, and unfathomably mighty. He knew clearly that although the strike carried immense force, it was insufficient to sever those two arms and instantly kill the two spirit beasts.

The reason it manifested such tremendous power was that the final blow had drawn upon some external force between heaven and earth, resulting in this miraculous effect. To fell two spirit beasts with one strike—that was unquestionably the might of the Xiantian (Innate) Realm.

However, this strike was the result of He Yiming accumulating his momentum through the Rolling Stone Blade Technique for a long time during the fight, culminating in an explosive release when instantly using the Xiantian Blade Technique. That strike contained not only the power of the Thirty-Six Mountain-Splitting Styles but also the accumulated and suddenly unleashed power of the Rolling Stone Blade Technique.

It was the unity of the two that managed to draw upon that unfathomable aura of heaven and earth. In any other scenario, if He Yiming had started by using the twelfth form of the Thirty-Six Mountain-Splitting Styles, it could never have generated such massive power.

But precisely because this move exceeded the limits of the Houtian (Acquired) Realm, it provoked a miraculous reaction from a trace of Xiantian energy, drawing that sliver of innate power into the blade form and slaying the two spirit beasts instantly. That strike, exceeding his expectations, allowed He Yiming to taste the energy of heaven and earth for the first time.

For a Houtian cultivator, this was a rare and wondrous insight, and for a moment, He Yiming’s guard dropped, completely immersed in that instantaneous enlightenment. Although the surroundings had not changed, in his perception, the wind in the forest, the plants swaying faintly in the breeze, and even the minute, almost unnoticed insect world hidden among the foliage, all gave He Yiming a strange sensation.

In his spiritual world, a virtual scene formed, as if he didn't need eyes to explore everything around him, and the explored reality was far more authentic and vibrant than what his eyes could see. He seemed to recall the situation when he was eavesdropping on Xu Xiangqian and others in Xu Family Fort.

At that time, he used his hearing to construct a three-dimensional image in his mind, but compared to the current scene, that earlier depiction was like a drop in the ocean, utterly incomparable. Just as he was lost in this magical feeling, he suddenly sensed a surge of killing intent rising to the sky, and several people rapidly approaching entered his awareness.

As these people arrived, his spirit felt as if it had been jolted, snapping him out of that wondrous state. He suddenly raised his head, and the gaze he fixed upon Xie Mingjin and the others naturally carried a trace of displeasure.

However, Xie Mingjin, running forward with his longsword drawn, failed to notice He Yiming. His eyes first fell upon Xie Nuanyi, and he cried out emotionally, "Father, are you alright?" Xie Nuanyi's face was paler than it should have been.

He vaguely sensed the predicament He Yiming had just been in—such a rare moment of enlightenment being rudely interrupted by outsiders. If it had been a man of a fiery temper, he would surely have torn these people apart for venting his frustration.

Given the power He Yiming had just displayed, even without using that terrifying, ultimate Innate battle skill, he could have easily ensured that both father and son remained there forever. Yet, what Xie Nuanyi had not anticipated was that after hearing Xie Mingjin's shout, He Yiming’s expression showed no sign of impending explosion; instead, after a slight start, he calmed down rapidly.

Xie Mingjin's shout stirred the sentiment of kinship in He Yiming's heart. He had left He Family Village for a full three months now; in just over two more months, it would be the New Year.

Although his agreement with his grandfather was to return within three years, He Yiming had already decided he absolutely must spend the New Year with his main family. Being away from home for the first time, even if only three months, had already made him deeply miss his relatives.

Back in the village, he would often spend months in seclusion cultivating, sometimes barely seeing them. But having left the village, he now understood that the yearning felt in these separate circumstances was fundamentally different.

Xie Mingjin's single shout of "Father" immediately touched the softest part of his core, making it impossible for him to keep a cold face. Seeing Xie Nuanyi's pallor, Xie Mingjin was instantly alarmed, taking two steps in the space of three as he rushed forward, calling out, "Father..." Xie Mingsan and the others also arrived.

Their reaction differed from Xie Mingjin's; they immediately surrounded the father and son, forming a basic defensive formation. However, their gazes shifted in the next moment to the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes half-submerged in the earth, and especially when they saw the four severed arms, their expressions became wonderfully complex.

Someone had actually managed to sever the Long-Armed Hairy Apes' famous long arms? This seemed to be beyond the scope of what they could imagine.

In their view, even the Second Master's soft sword, though formidable, achieving this feat was undoubtedly wishful thinking. The eyes of the seven retainers converged on the nearly four-meter-long, inconceivably thick great saber.

Reflected in the sunlight, the massive Guandao appeared even more majestic and incredible. Looking at the Second Master’s pale face, then at He Yiming’s imposing demeanor, even an idiot could discern whose hands the two fallen Long-Armed Hairy Apes had met their end by.

Xie Nuanyi breathed a long sigh of relief, inwardly acknowledging his shame. A hint of color returned to his cheeks as he said, "Brother He, are...

are you alright?" Xie Mingjin and the others widened their eyes simultaneously. Had they heard correctly?

The Second Master was using respectful language? Even within the Xie family, Xie Nuanyi only used such honorifics when addressing an elder uncle who had long since retired, a peak Tenth Layer Inner Strength master.

But looking at the spirit beasts lying in a pool of blood, they suddenly felt this was not so hard to understand. He Yiming gave an honest smile.

He twisted the hilt of his blade a few times, and the great Guandao instantly separated into three sections. Yet, even divided, each piece was over a meter long.

Even holding just the first section, that long blade was a fearsome weapon worthy of note. "Mr.

Xie, rest assured, I am fine." He patted his chest and casually asked, "The agreement we made earlier, that still counts, right?" Xie Nuanyi was slightly taken aback and asked, "What agreement?" He Yiming’s expression darkened slightly. "These two Long-Armed Hairy Apes—we each handle one, so we each get one share of the spoils." A look of surprise crossed Xie Nuanyi's face, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Since Brother He is so generous, then I, Xie, thank you very much." Although the Xie family had discovered these two Long-Armed Hairy Apes first, in the jungle, the survival of the fittest was the natural order. Since He Yiming had killed these two beasts, Xie Nuanyi had never considered snatching the prize.

The delight he felt now that the other party upheld the verbal agreement was immense. He Yiming reached out and pulled both Long-Armed Hairy Apes from the earth.

These two spirit beasts were thoroughly dead. However, after looking at them for a while, He Yiming felt a sense of bafflement, like a mouse trying to deal with a turtle; he had no idea how to process them.

Xie Nuanyi pondered for a moment and stepped forward. "Brother He, are you troubled by how to deal with these spirit beasts?" "That's right," He Yiming admitted without reservation.

"I want to extract their inner cores to refine Golden Cores, but I don't know how." Xie Nuanyi said sincerely, "Brother He, our Xie family made its fortune and heritage in medicine and alchemy, spanning a thousand years. We have some minor research in this area.

If you trust us, why not entrust the handling of this Long-Armed Hairy Ape to us? It should take no more than a month to process properly, and we will return the Golden Core and the pelt to you." He Yiming was slightly alarmed.

"Mr. Xie, does your manor still have people capable of refining Golden Cores?" Xie Nuanyi’s voice was filled with confidence.

"I can guarantee you, within the Fire Crow Kingdom, the Xie family has the highest success rate for refining Golden Cores." He Yiming hesitated, but after a brief thought, he made a decision. From his grandfather, he knew that the inner cores of spirit beasts could not be swallowed directly; they had to be refined into Golden Cores first before cultivators could consume them to achieve the potent effect of breaking through limit barriers.

But refining a Golden Core was not an easy task. The last time he obtained the inner core of the Golden-Crowned Python, preparing the rare medicinal ingredients alone took nearly half a year.

The final refinement’s success, according to his grandfather, was a blessing from heaven, preserving the prosperity of the He family martial arts. This suggested that the success rate for refining Golden Cores was not high, and the cost was considerable.

However, what Xie Nuanyi described was entirely different. A successful refinement in just one month, spoken with such certainty, filled He Yiming with immense astonishment and deep longing.

"Mr. Xie, if someone in your esteemed manor can truly succeed in refining the Golden Core, then I, He, am willing to give half the core to him, and I won't ask for anything else from the Long-Armed Hairy Ape." Xie Nuanyi laughed heartily.

"Brother He is too polite. You have already given us one of the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes.

If we cannot handle this small matter for you, then what right does the Xie family have to be called one of the Four Great Families of the Fire Crow Kingdom?" He waved a hand, and several retainers came forward. However, they did not immediately disembowel the two spirit beasts on the spot; instead, they carefully collected their remains, especially placing the four severed arms together with great care.

Only then did Xie Nuanyi seem to recall something and turned to ask, "Mingjin, didn't you leave? Why are you back?" Xie Mingjin was instantly stunned speechless.

Xie Mingsan stepped forward. "Second Master, the Young Master insisted on returning halfway to offer you assistance.

We retainers failed to stop him; please punish us." Xie Nuanyi’s gaze swept over the group, and he finally let out a long sigh, his voice laced with both disappointment and satisfaction. Xie Mingjin and the retainers like Xie Mingsan stood with their heads lowered, daring not to speak.

Xie Nuanyi turned and looked up. "Brother He, I wish to look at the lair of these two spirit beasts, and then I will return immediately to refine the Golden Core for you.

What do you think?" He Yiming naturally had no objections. Xie Nuanyi then instructed, "Mingjin, wait here.

We will be back soon. Do not leave this spot." Xie Mingjin and the others respectfully agreed.

Since the two Long-Armed Hairy Apes were no longer present, with Xie Nuanyi’s strength, no other creature could threaten him here. Xie Nuanyi’s movement skill was clearly superior to He Yiming's, though this was also partly due to the 360 jin of heavy weaponry He Yiming carried.

However, only now did Xie Nuanyi feel a measure of balance in his heart. If he couldn't even surpass the young man beside him in the movement skill he was most proficient in, his martial Dao heart might struggle to be maintained.

After walking a short distance, Xie Nuanyi sighed again. He Yiming asked curiously, "Mr.

Xie, are you dissatisfied with something?" Xie Nuanyi shook his head. "Please forgive my poor manners, Brother He.

I am just worried about my son, Mingjin." "Brother Mingjin?" He Yiming asked in surprise. "Brother Mingjin is loyal and values righteousness; he refused to flee and leave you behind.

What is there to worry about?" Xie Nuanyi gave a bitter laugh. "Brother He, Mingjin is too sentimental.

He knew he would only be a burden coming here, yet he charged forward regardless. For now, it shows loyalty, but if he is to lead the Xie family in the future, I fear our lineage might end with him." He Yiming blinked a couple of times.

Although he didn't quite agree with Xie Nuanyi’s assessment, deep down, he acknowledged the point. A personality like that might make a fine wandering knight, but perhaps not a suitable head for a grand family.

However, without realizing it, He Yiming felt a strong wave of good feeling toward Xie Mingjin. Yet, he failed to notice the strange flicker of light that crossed Xie Nuanyi's eyes when he turned his head back.

Ps: Another chapter in two minutes ^_^