Midway up the main peak, a small stream meandered downward through crystalline waters. The banks were lush with dense jungle, where emerald pines and jade bamboo intertwined, casting a shimmering light. The overwhelming verdure blanketing the mountain slopes was enough to captivate the heart and stir deep longing.

This area had always been a renowned scenic spot on the main peak, a favored retreat for the inhabitants above during their leisure moments. After all, even on the intrinsically beautiful main peak, this particular locale was considered peerless.

But now, under the strict orders of Yu Jinglei, this entire area had been completely sealed off.

A thousand meters distant, gathered from various subsidiary peaks, were over three hundred elite experts. These were undeniably the core disciples of the Hengshan lineage, every one of them possessing cultivation at the Eighth Layer of Inner Strength, with no shortage of those who had reached the pinnacle of the Tenth Layer.

If such a force were to manifest in Taicang County, or even within the Tianluo Kingdom, it would certainly leave all observers dumbfounded. Should they decide to deal with any established noble family, that family would have no choice but to be instantly leveled and swept away.

Such was the inherent strength of a hidden martial sect. Beyond the ultimate echelon of Innate Realm experts, the sheer depth of their reserve of Houtian (Post-Natal) masters was far beyond what ordinary noble families could possibly conceive.

Naturally, the most significant figures present were not these Houtian disciples stationed a thousand meters from the stream's edge, but rather the Elders and Grand Elders of Hengshan.

Beside them stood a middle-aged man whose expression was severe and grave.

This man possessed skin the color of healthy bronze, gleaming under the sunlight, exuding a palpable sense of abundant life force.

He appeared to be in his early forties, yet his true age was sixty-six. However, having pushed both his dual-elemental Inner Strength—Gold and Water—to the absolute peak of the Tenth Layer, his appearance was indeed strikingly youthful.

This man was Lu Zhengyi, the current Peak Lord of Lingyu Peak, possessing the complementary Gold-Water elemental talent, having brought both forms of Inner Strength to the apex of the Tenth Layer.

At this moment, he sat beside the stream, his eyes closed, breathing quietly.

He was undergoing the final preparations before attempting to break through to the Innate Realm.

When He Yiming first encountered Lu Zhengyi, he too felt a pang of surprise; the Peak Lord looked even younger than his own elder uncle. This clearly showed that the living conditions for those residing here were far superior to the outside world.

However, as He Yiming’s gaze fell upon the Medicine Daoist, that sentiment of mild appreciation immediately vanished.

Over a hundred years old, yet looking no older than his twenties—this truly bordered on the monstrous.

The Youth-Preserving Pill…

The mere thought of that elixir gave him a massive headache. So many rare medicinal ingredients were required. It would not be easy to gather them all. He supposed he would have to take things one step at a time, testing his luck to see if such a fortune might arise.

Suddenly, He Yiming lifted his head. He sensed it: Lu Zhengyi had achieved complete serenity. In his heart, he had reached a state where the water was still and utterly unruffled, without even a single ripple remaining.

The several Innate Elders exchanged glances, nodding silently to themselves. Perhaps due to the setback from his second failed attempt at the Innate Realm, Lu Zhengyi had become as steadfast and unyielding as a massive stone.

At this moment, he faintly radiated a sense that he could merge seamlessly with Heaven and Earth. Under such a mental state, the probability of a successful advancement would be maximized.

"Elder He, this disciple is fully prepared," Lu Zhengyi said respectfully, opening his eyes.

His gaze rested calmly upon He Yiming, and in his eyes, it seemed only He Yiming existed; the other Elders had been subconsciously forgotten.

He Yiming nodded slightly and moved behind him, sitting down cross-legged. Then, he abruptly asked, "Do you trust me?"

Lu Zhengyi answered without hesitation, "This disciple naturally trusts the Elder."

The words were spoken with absolute finality, without the slightest waver. In his heart, his trust in He Yiming was exactly as he professed.

After all, seated behind him was He Yiming, who had successfully advanced to the Innate Realm at the age of sixteen, and who had been praised highly by Grand Elder Yu Jinglei as the foremost figure beneath the 'First Line of Heaven.'

Facing such a person, if one could not trust him, who then was worthy of faith?

He Yiming smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Since you trust me, focus entirely on breaking through to the Innate Realm." His voice was resonant and forceful, making even the surrounding air seem to vibrate and respond to his decree: "Cast aside all other thoughts. Remember, I am behind you. Go..."

A flash of sharp, bright light immediately shot through Lu Zhengyi's eyes. He then closed them, and a powerful aura suddenly surged from his body. Within this aura seemed to be contained his current intention.

It was an intent of success or death—as if he had truly cast everything aside, pouring his entire focus, his True Qi, and even his life force into this single moment.

Immediately thereafter, the Gold-elemental Inner Strength within his body began to churn with frantic speed.

Yu Jinglei and the others exchanged glances, nodded in unison, and instantly dispersed. Although each retreated a hundred meters, they simultaneously spread their attention, vigilantly monitoring the surroundings. During the process of breaking through to the Innate Realm, Lu Zhengyi could not suffer the slightest disturbance.

However, under such stringent security, unless a master on the level of Yu Jinglei himself intervened, no one could possibly disturb He Yiming and Lu Zhengyi.

In truth, for any sect, Innate experts constituted the absolute core. Every disciple showing potential for an Innate breakthrough was treated as an event of supreme importance when they attempted the ascent, with the entire sect operating as if facing a major enemy, providing optimal protection for that disciple.

Yet, when He Yiming himself broke through to the Innate Realm, he had been utterly alone—a true testament to the ancient adage that ignorance breeds fearlessness.

The instant the Gold Inner Strength surged wildly within Lu Zhengyi, He Yiming’s Gold True Qi also permeated into Lu Zhengyi’s body.

Lu Zhengyi had by now dedicated his entire focus to circulating his techniques, so he did not notice that as He Yiming’s True Qi entered him, it caused no turbulence whatsoever. Instead, it attached itself to his meridians, gradually reinforcing them. Moments later, it seemed as if a layer of substantial, spectral meridians had been added to his own.

If Yu Jinglei and the others had been aware of this development, they would surely have been so shocked their jaws would have dropped to the floor.

Every individual is a unique entity; even those as close as father and son cannot be entirely identical.

When the True Qi of an Innate expert entered the body of a Houtian cultivator, it would inevitably cause some degree of impedance or friction. The degree of this hindrance depended entirely on the differences in physical constitution between the two individuals.

If the impedance were too great, then even if they practiced identical elemental techniques, reinforcing or protecting the meridians would become impossible.

Because if even the Inner Strength could not flow smoothly, how could a breakthrough possibly occur? No matter how thick or perfect the reinforced meridians were, if they could not facilitate the breakthrough, it was all meaningless speculation.

Yet, as He Yiming’s True Qi slowly entered Lu Zhengyi’s body, not only did it cause no impedance, but there was even a faint hint of propulsion, of actively assisting the process.

This bizarre occurrence completely surpassed their existing understanding. Fortunately, they could not perceive the subtle changes occurring within, or they would undoubtedly have viewed He Yiming with fresh astonishment.

Even so, they allowed themselves a measure of relief.

They had been quite worried about this possibility initially. Seeing that Lu Zhengyi appeared normal, they assumed their physical constitutions were similar enough that any impedance was negligible. They never suspected that He Yiming's True Qi possessed such strangeness and achieved such incredibly beneficial results.

Slowly, the Gold Inner Strength within Lu Zhengyi cycled until it reached the absolute peak of the Tenth Layer. A faint metallic sheen began to overlay his skin.

At this moment, if anyone had attempted to pierce him with ordinary swords or blades, they would have been stunned to find that Lu Zhengyi’s skin was as hard as tempered metal, completely impervious to penetration.

Of course, even with Lu Zhengyi’s Tenth Layer Inner Strength, he could not maintain this state for long.

To truly achieve skin that was invulnerable to blades and arrows was something even He Yiming at this moment could not accomplish, let alone Lu Zhengyi.

In He Yiming’s perception, this intensely powerful Inner Strength was ceaselessly bombarding Lu Zhengyi’s meridians—the degree of impact was unparalleled. Under normal circumstances, sustained bombardment would inflict considerable damage upon the internal pathways. But now, under He Yiming’s protective guidance, this impact force had not even breached the spectral meridians created by the True Qi, let alone caused those dire consequences.

After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Lu Zhengyi’s Gold elemental power finally reached its zenith, unable to increase by even a minuscule fraction more.

And at that precise moment, the Water elemental technique simultaneously began to operate within him.

A minute stream, seemingly the weakest energy imaginable, flowed slowly within his body.

Compared to the immense Gold Inner Strength currently present, this droplet of Water energy was utterly insignificant, like a single bead of water in a parched desert.

But this single droplet seemed imbued with infinite vitality and the tenacious will to never yield. It moved slowly through the meridians already saturated with Gold energy.

He Yiming’s concentration now focused entirely on this tiny stream of Water Inner Strength. He was profoundly surprised; he had undergone a similar process himself. Yet, in his memory, it had been nowhere near this arduous or fraught with difficulty.

He vaguely suspected this disparity was inextricably linked to his own unique constitution.

No wonder Yu Jinglei and the others had warned that even those with the talent for cultivating complementary dual elements might fail to clear this final hurdle. He had initially thought they were deliberately exaggerating, but now he saw they had, if anything, understated the difficulty.

Lu Zhengyi seemed to recall He Yiming’s earlier instruction; he devoted all his mental energy to circulating his Inner Strength, ignoring any concerns about his meridians.

As he exerted his maximum effort on the Water Inner Strength, this energy did indeed begin to grow stronger. However, the speed was simply lamentable.

He Yiming suddenly felt that as his True Qi infiltrated Lu Zhengyi’s body, a form of mental nexus had been established between the two individuals.

Although he could not fully penetrate Lu Zhengyi’s precise thoughts, he grasped the nuances of his emotional shifts perfectly.

He sensed that Lu Zhengyi’s spirit was growing increasingly agitated, as if a shadow of darkness was corroding his otherwise bedrock-solid resolve.

Vaguely, He Yiming suddenly understood: that dark feeling was the lingering shadow left by Lu Zhengyi’s previous failure to reach the Innate Realm. While this shadow had been suppressed during normal times, it had never been entirely expelled. Once he attempted the breakthrough again and reached the most critical juncture, this shadow amplified limitlessly, beginning to attack his self-confidence.

Frowning slightly, He Yiming sensed that under the assault of this shadow, Lu Zhengyi’s confidence was visibly wavering.

At this same moment, a flicker of unease appeared in the eyes of Yu Jinglei and the others.

These Innate experts all sensed that when Lu Zhengyi initially maximized his Gold Inner Strength, he had nearly succeeded in achieving the state of Unity with Heaven and Man. But now, his state was precarious, like a mirror about to shatter. If the mirror broke, they knew all too well what that implied.

However, at this critical instant, a vision suddenly flashed through He Yiming’s mind.

It was from when he first met Luo Miya and the others; Luo Miya had repeatedly spoken a language He Yiming did not understand. Yet, it was this very language that seemed to elevate Luo Miya and his group’s strength by an entire level, almost magically.

Though He Yiming did not grasp the language, he had learned from Yu Jinglei that it was actually a form of mysterious sonic technique—using methods incomprehensible to outsiders to blend one's own True Qi with potent spiritual energy, projecting it through the mouth. This power could stimulate the body's potential, boosting confidence and strength within a short span.

He Yiming was startled. He did not understand why this scene and these details surfaced in his mind at this juncture. But even as confusion clouded him, he suddenly noticed the scene in his mind continuing to evolve, his focus drawn entirely to Luo Miya. He clearly "saw" Luo Miya open his mouth, and he could even "hear" the trajectory of a certain power circulating within Luo Miya's body.

His head gave a sharp pain—the feeling of agonizing, splitting headache from when Luo Miya had ambushed him returned.

But this sensation lasted less than an instant before naturally receding.

A mysterious enlightenment suddenly bloomed within He Yiming's consciousness. In that fleeting moment, he seemed to grasp something intangible, an inspiration as elusive as wisps of smoke, seemingly impossible to hold.

But then, He Yiming’s eyes flashed brightly. In his mind’s eye, a steady, massive hand materialized abruptly from the void and seized this strange cloud of inspiration.

The cloud swiftly dissolved into the hand, and the knowledge contained within flowed into He Yiming’s mind like a gushing spring.

An ineffable joy welled up in his heart. He opened his mouth, and a sound imbued with strange power issued forth.

"Lu Zhengyi, you will certainly succeed in breaking through to the Innate Realm..."

This voice carried an immense majesty, exploding into the empty air like rolling thunder.

Lu Zhengyi’s body trembled once, then immediately regained its calm. The mirror that was on the verge of shattering stabilized, becoming as unshakeable as towering mountains. His confidence swelled irrepressibly; his heart opened up, dazzling like sunlight. Every trace of the shadow that had tormented him was dispelled instantly, leaving not a single remnant.

The Water elemental energy within his meridians flowed with the momentum of ten thousand stampeding horses. Any obstruction before them was shattered and submerged like fragile debris under a monstrous flood.

The vast Gold elemental power ceaselessly converted, bit by bit, becoming part of the Water element.

Gradually, his internal meridians could accommodate no more Inner Strength. Yet, the Gold energy continued to convert, like a dam overflowing as upstream floodwaters incessantly crashed down.

Finally, the surging water level breached the dam, inundating everything with unstoppable force.

In He Yiming’s ears, and in Lu Zhengyi’s ears simultaneously, a crisp sound seemed to ring out.

The immense Innate Water power established a miraculous connection with Lu Zhengyi’s body, and a sensation of utter marvel instantaneously enveloped them both.

Even though He Yiming was already an Innate expert, in that moment, he felt as if he were breaking through for the first time, completely immersed in that beautiful state. He gained a deeper layer of understanding regarding the powers of Gold and Water, drawing ever closer to the source of these two elements.

However, he failed to notice that Yu Jinglei and the others were slack-jawed, their mouths agape in disbelief as they stared at He Yiming.

At this moment, they had even forgotten Lu Zhengyi, who had just successfully achieved the Innate Realm. Radiant light seemed to emanate from He Yiming, a wondrous brilliance that even Lu Zhengyi’s breakthrough could not overshadow.

After an unknown period, He Yiming let out a long breath, stood up, and glanced at Yu Jinglei and the others, stating with deep satisfaction, "Martial Uncle, when Che Wenjun cultivates to the peak of the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength and wishes to attempt the Innate Realm, I shall also be the one to protect and empower her meridians."

Yu Jinglei and the others responded subconsciously, then realization dawned. Yu Xichen hesitated slightly. "Elder He, but Che Wenjun cultivates the Earth-Gold dual system, Elder."

He Yiming stretched languidly, still seeming slightly dazed from the earlier experience. He casually replied, "Elder Yu, rest assured. I cultivate the Five Elements."

Yu Jinglei: “…………” Medicine Daoist: “…………” Yu Xichen: “…………” Lian Yi: “…………”

Ps: Fifteen thousand words updated today, requesting monthly tickets. ※※※※ White Crane’s **Intimate Friend, "I Am a Fierce Man," has started a new book. Look at that terrible title—"I Am a Fierce Man." I highly despise it. Everyone go throw two bricks at it and bookmark it. When a demon carries the wings of an angel and wears the halo of a saint, no matter what evil it commits, truth will always be on its side! Book ID 1507040, Title: Reverse Cultivation.