By the time this was all laid out, He Yiming finally grasped the general picture.

Though Old Master He’s talent was not top-tier, being able to cultivate to the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength and reach its pinnacle proved he was no fool.

It was merely one past oversight that led to an irreversible reality, resulting in his eventual expulsion from the sect.

Yet, within Old Master He’s heart burned an utterly stubborn resolve: he yearned to return to the Hengshan Sect.

He Yiming couldn’t truly fathom this emotion; he held little longing for Hengshan himself.

To him, Hengshan mattered even less than the Yuan family.

But in Old Master He’s view, Hengshan was where he grew up, much like He Family Village was to He Yiming.

As long as there was a sliver of possibility, he would not give up.

“When we left, we made a grave mistake.

Aside from Senior Brother Wu Jin, every fellow disciple on the mountain turned their faces away, mocking Laobao and me, saying we’d never have a chance to return to the mountain gate.” A flush of unnatural red began to creep over his face.

“Forty years have passed.

I thought returning to the sect was impossible, but Heaven has opened its eyes and bestowed you upon our He Family Village.

This is a grace from Heaven.” The old man sighed for a long moment.

“Yiming, your grandfather must truly thank you for fulfilling this final wish for me.” He Yiming quickly rose.

“Grandfather, what are you saying? Does your grandson require your thanks?” Though he spoke thus, he couldn’t help but muse internally that his grandfather was correct; that miraculous encounter in the lake was indeed a blessing from Heaven.

Had Heaven truly listened to his grandfather’s desires and chosen him, tossing that mysterious object into the lake? He Wude stroked his beard.

“Yiming, Laobao and I were practically chased down the mountain by our fellow disciples.

We can never forget that humiliation.

That’s why I gave both the Essence Golden Elixir and the Extreme Golden Elixir to Laobao; within two months, he will surely become a Tenth Layer Inner Strength master.” As he spoke, He Wude’s eyes shone brilliantly.

“When that happens, the three of us will go to Hengshan together.

I want everyone to know that not only has our He Family produced an Innate Realm powerhouse, but Laobao and I will also be Tenth Layer Inner Strength masters.

I want everyone who once shamed us to deeply regret it.” He Yiming sucked in a sharp breath, inwardly startled.

He hadn't expected his grandfather to dwell so much on those who had humiliated him.

Suddenly, he seemed to understand: perhaps the old man’s obsession with returning to Hengshan wasn't just about the affection for his master and sect; regaining face before those who had scorned him must be equally important.

With a flicker of thought, He Yiming asked, “Grandfather, you are well over eighty now, and so is Master Bao.

Do you really think that after forty years, the people who shamed you could still be alive?” He Wude’s eyebrows lifted.

“Don’t worry.

The Heaven and Earth energy is abundant on Hengshan; those who live there have lifespans at least thirty percent longer than those in the outside world.

Besides, those who insulted us back then were only in their early thirties.

If even I am still alive, they are certainly no problem.” He Yiming could only offer a wry smile.

His spiritual sense confirmed it: the old man’s notion was deeply rooted, something he absolutely could not sway.

The older people grew, the more entrenched their stubbornness became regarding certain things, and He Wude was a prime example.

Faced with the old man’s decree, He Yiming certainly had no intention of objecting.

Moreover, he felt a growing sense of anticipation for Hengshan, feeling no repulsion at all.

Because his grandfather had said that with his status as an Innate Realm powerhouse, joining Hengshan would guarantee him the position of a Sector Elder.

A Hengshan Elder surpassed the Sect Master, and crucially, possessed the authority to enter and exit the Hengshan Library at will.

This privilege was reserved only for Elders who had reached the Innate Realm.

The Hengshan lineage spanned three thousand years, boasting at least two Innate Realm experts in almost every generation.

The sheer wealth of literature in their library was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

It was highly likely that the library at the He Family’s estate, as well as the collection in He Wude’s secret chamber, consisted mostly of transcripts He Wude had made while at Hengshan.

However, given his status back then—merely a humble medicine boy—he had only managed to copy Postnatal level secret manuals; not a single Innate manual was found.

The only item related to the Innate Realm was that biography, which resembled a travelogue.

Furthermore, according to He Wude, Hengshan was home to a Grand Elder, who stood above the regular Elders.

When He Yiming heard this, his eyes began to shine, just like his grandfather’s.

If an Elder was an Innate expert, what then was a Grand Elder…? Could he possibly be one of those legendary figures of the ‘Divine Path,’ even more formidable than Innate experts? At this thought, excitement surged through him.

If he weren't already committed to visiting the capital of Tianluo Kingdom and waiting for Uncle Bao’s promotion to the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength, he would have wanted to depart for Hengshan immediately.

He Wude spoke a few more words before abruptly shifting focus.

“Yiming, although the Hengshan Sect is not some vastly renowned grand sect, its three-thousand-year heritage is by no means trivial.” He stood up and walked to a corner of the room.

There stood three pole weapons, each over a meter long—the segmented Great Guan Daos.

He Wude gently stroked the Great Guan Dao.

“This old companion was the treasured blade my master secretly passed to me when I left Hengshan.” He Yiming was astonished.

“Grandfather, Father said you forged this yourself.” He Wude burst into laughter.

“By then, I had already been expelled from Hengshan; how could I dare to use the Hengshan name to bluff and cheat? So I had to claim publicly that I had personally refined this Great Guan Dao.” He then let out a long sigh.

“In truth, the reason this Great Guan Dao is so long and incredibly heavy is not just because the materials used are precious, but also because the method of tempering it is not something an ordinary person can learn.” “Grandfather, is this, perhaps, a Treasure Artifact?” He Yiming’s heart stirred greatly.

“It hardly counts as a Treasure Artifact,” He Wude replied with a bitter smile.

“If it were a Treasure Artifact, my master couldn’t have snuck it out silently for me to take away.

However, while it isn't a Treasure Artifact, it was forged using Treasure Artifact materials and a special tempering method.” He Yiming frowned slightly.

“Since it used Treasure Artifact materials and the special method for forging Treasure Artifacts, why isn't it one?” He Wude sighed softly.

“Although all materials and procedures were correct, this is actually just a Defective Artifact.” “Defective Artifact?” He Yiming’s eyes darted, and his expression immediately soured.

“Grandfather, was there a mistake during forging, causing it to fail?” “Precisely,” He Wude lamented.

“It’s like when we refine Golden Elixirs.

We use the finest herbs and a five-hundred-year Spirit Beast core, yet when we open the furnace, it turns into an Extreme Golden Elixir.

It is truly a moment of profound regret.” He Yiming raised his eyes slightly, taking the Great Guan Dao from He Wude’s hand.

He gently stroked the blade, circulating his entire True Qi, letting it ripple across the steel.

Slowly, the entire Great Guan Dao began to emit a strange metallic luster, accompanied by a humming vibration out of thin air.

A smile of secluded pride curved He Yiming’s lips; he looked at the Great Guan Dao as if gazing upon his own pride.

Suddenly, he flipped his wrist, and the three segments of the Great Guan Dao locked together, the vibration of the entire blade growing even more pronounced.

He Wude watched the Great Guan Dao with utter astonishment.

He could faintly sense a magical power emanating from it.

Gradually, as this power spread, he experienced a startling, extraordinary sensation.

It was a breath of slaughter, yet also a breath of arrogance—a fierce, defiant spirit that seemed to look down upon the world as unrivaled, yet remained exquisitely solitary in its pride.

Before this arrogance, everything seemed compelled to yield.

All obstacles before it would be utterly crushed.

He Wude involuntarily stepped back half a pace.

Though he knew clearly that this was not an attack launched by He Yiming against him, he could not control the reflex to retreat.

His instinct recoiled from clashing with this immense, almost tangible force.

In a daze, a strange thought struck him: perhaps the source of this arrogance wasn't just He Yiming, but the Great Guan Dao in He Yiming’s hands.

This blade was forged entirely from Treasure Artifact materials using Treasure Artifact techniques.

But due to some reason during the forging process, it ultimately failed.

However, everyone except Innate experts did not know that the Treasure Artifact had actually succeeded; yet, due to some factor, it was also a failed product.

Because it was too heavy—this terrifying weapon weighing over 360 jin—it was unsuitable for Innate experts.

Among Innate experts, for the same mysterious reason, even those who favored the most obscure weapons could not wield this Great Guan Dao.

Among Postnatal masters, few were willing to use a blade of such weight and length, so the moment it was forged, it was shelved deep in the arsenal, as if forgotten by everyone who never touched it again.

Until one day, it fell into the hands of a Postnatal expert possessing innate divine strength.

Over several decades, its fearsome reputation spread throughout the entire county.

But this couldn't bring out its true potential.

It was only when He Yiming ascended to the Innate Realm and fused the essence steel and mother ore into it, completing the final step, that the blade’s true mysterious power was successfully awakened, bringing this Treasure Artifact back into the light.

If not for this, how could the feat He Yiming achieved that day—slashing two hundred bandits with one move by applying his understanding of Yin and Yang—have been borne by mere mortal iron? Sensing the powerful aura radiating from the Great Guan Dao, He Wude’s face changed drastically; he had never felt anything like this from the weapon before.

After a long while, He Yiming disassembled the Great Guan Dao again, sheathing the blade head.

“Grandfather, whether this Great Guan Dao is a defective artifact or not, to me, it is the best weapon,” He Yiming patted the blade, speaking with extreme reverence, almost in the manner of an oath: “In my entire life, the Great Guan Dao will be my weapon.

Man shall not leave the blade, and the blade shall not leave the man.” As he spoke, the blade, which had calmed down, trembled slightly once more, the buzzing sound acting as a perfect accompaniment, harmonizing with He Yiming’s words.

Only when He Yiming finished speaking did the strange sound completely vanish, the two elements meshing perfectly, as if they had rehearsed countless times beforehand.

He Wude opened his mouth, looking quietly at He Yiming, then at the Great Guan Dao, finally letting out a long sigh.

“Yiming, I finally know that passing the Great Guan Dao into your hands was the most correct decision I have ever made in my life.” “Yiming, there is something I need to discuss with you.” “Grandfather, please speak.” “What do you think of Yuan Lingling?” He Yiming paused briefly.

Yuan Lingling was the legitimate son of Yuan Chengzhi and, barring any accidents, the future head of the Yuan family.

He wasn't sure why his grandfather suddenly brought him up.

After considering for a moment, He Yiming shook his head.

“Grandfather, I have only met Yuan Lingling a few times; I am not familiar with him.” He then casually asked in return, “Why do you mention him?” He Wude cleared his throat lightly.

“When the bandits attacked Taicang County this time, I sent Laobao to lead the elderly, weak, women, and children of the village into the back mountains to take shelter.

When they returned, it seemed Lingling developed some affection for our Yi Ling.” He Yiming’s eyes widened.

Such a thing… He was about to say that in barely over ten days, what affection could develop.

But the words caught in his throat as he suddenly recalled Elder Brother Yitian.

He Yitian, after meeting Yuan Liwen once, became instantly infatuated, even dragging He Yiming into his schemes to marry her successfully.

Although He Yiming, at his age, already possessed a vague awareness of women, he was not inherently rebellious; asking him to actively pursue someone was impossible.

But if someone offered themselves up willingly, he wouldn’t refuse.

So when He Yitian proposed the matter, and after He Yiming met Yuan Lixun, he tacitly agreed.

Since He Yitian could experience love at first sight, it seemed not so unacceptable that Yuan Lingling and He Yiling might have taken a liking to each other.

Musing for a moment, He Yiming asked, “Grandfather, what are your thoughts?” He Wude considered for a moment.

“Laobao said that the boy has good character, and his martial arts skills are respectable among his peers, so he doesn't object to the match.

My only concern is that the Yuan family is too far away.” He Yiming also felt relieved.

Master Bao treated the third generation as his own flesh and blood; virtually every one of them was dear to his heart.

Since the old man was satisfied, there likely wouldn't be any major issues.

“Grandfather, now I finally understand,” He Yiming chuckled.

“When Yuan Lixuan and the others returned to the Yuan family, Yuan Lingling refused to leave, saying he felt a connection with Elder Brother and wanted to learn some martial arts.

Learning martial arts was the excuse; winning Fourth Sister’s heart was the true goal.” The corners of He Wude’s mouth curved slightly, clearly showing that this little tactic hadn’t escaped the old man’s eyes.

“Very well, it depends on the boy’s luck.

If he can truly move Yi Ling, then we will grant their wish,” He Wude said, then laughed heartily and left the room.

Watching the old man depart, He Yiming sighed inwardly.

The reason the old man accepted this match was because the Yuan family was established aristocracy, a peer to the He family.

Moreover, Yuan Zeyu shared a life-and-death bond with his grandfather, so the old man naturally leaned towards him.

If Yuan Lingling had been a penniless boy with no power or strong martial arts, Grandfather would likely have caused trouble.

After the old man left, He Yiming remained uneasy and went out.

In another room in the courtyard, Yuan Lixun was sitting on a chair, embroidering something.

He Yiming coughed lightly.

Yuan Lixun immediately started, quickly putting away her work and stepping forward.

“Young Master, has the Old Master left?” “He has,” He Yiming nodded slightly.

“I want to ask you something.” “Please speak, Young Master.” “Yuan Lingling is your elder brother, correct? What sort of person is he?” Yuan Lixun paused slightly, contemplating for a moment, glancing subtly, but finding no clue in He Yiming’s eyes.

She lightly bit her lip.

“Young Master, Lingling is the eldest son born to the principal wife.

He has been intelligent and quick-witted since childhood, deeply favored by Father.

Although he is only a few years older than myself, he has already advanced to the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength, placing him among the core figures of the younger generation in the Yuan family.” As she said this, her heart was filled with complex emotions.

Being children of the same father, Yuan Lingling had enjoyed privileges from childhood that she and her younger brother could never compare to.

He Yiming listened with an unreadable expression.

“And his conduct? Are there any blemishes on his character?” Yuan Lixun felt a chill.

She genuinely didn’t know why He Yiming was asking this.

Yet, she dared not conceal anything.

“Lingling is approachable, refined, and his character is upright; there are absolutely no blemishes.” This was her assessment of her full brother, an evaluation born from sincerity, so her words were resolute, without the slightest hesitation.

Only then did He Yiming reveal a slight smile.

“I see.” Yuan Lixun gathered her courage.

“Young Master, why are you inquiring about Eldest Brother Lingling’s character?” He Yiming did not hide his reasons.

“I heard from Grandfather that our Fourth Sister and your elder brother seem to hold some mutual affection.

I was uneasy about Lingling’s nature, so I sought your counsel.

Since he seems decent, let them spend some time together and see,” He Yiming chuckled lightly.

“It is not an easy matter to marry a daughter of our He Family, you know.” Yuan Lixun’s mind raced through countless thoughts, uncertain what she truly felt… P.S.

Another chapter in two minutes ^_^