Chapter 8, Dinner in the Main Hall

He Wude stood up from his seat, and in just a few steps, he had crossed the table and arrived in front of He Yiming. He also extended his palm, placing it flat in front of He Yiming.

Seated in the foremost position, He Wude has a broad forehead and thick eyebrows, with a pair of somewhat deep-set eyes concealing a wisdom that is perceptive and understanding. He looks up and smiles, saying: "Quanxin, you are late today"

If such an event were to truly occur, how would they explain it to the second one

He Quanxin quickly bowed and said with a beaming smile: "Father, although I have arrived late, I bring you good news."

He Quanxin's face flashed a wry smile of helplessness, indicating that the old man would never feel at ease without personally verifying it.

He Quanxin and He Quanyi nodded in succession, and just thinking about the dangers they faced at that time made them break out in a cold sweat on their backs. If Yiming had not encountered an injured fox bear, if he had not successfully broken through at a critical moment, then he would likely have met a tragic end under the bear's paw today

He Yiming, without a moment's hesitation, placed his palm opposite his grandfather's. Subsequently, the sixth layer of his Hunyuan energy surged forth like a tidal wave. This time, He Yiming had gained experience; after delivering a full-force strike, he immediately retracted his internal energy. However, this powerful blow had already clearly conveyed his foundation to He Wude.

The higher one progresses in the cultivation of internal energy, the greater the difficulty becomes. Achieving a breakthrough to the sixth level before the age of twenty is already considered an excellent accomplishment. Among the third generation disciples, He Yihai, the second, and He Yixuan, the third, both broke through to the sixth level at the ages of seventeen and eighteen. However, all the elders agree that without ten to twenty years of diligent practice, it is essentially impossible for them to advance further.

The smile on the old man's face grew increasingly pronounced, and he finally burst into hearty laughter, saying: "Good, excellent, and - picture - book, our He family has gained another internal strength master under the age of fifteen." His cheerful and unabashed laughter resonated throughout the room as he continued: "Quanxin, you will accompany Yiming later, allowing him to enter the library to select martial arts manuals, and also convey everything that needs to be said to him."

He Yihai and He Yixuan, the two third-generation disciples who have already broken through to the sixth level, exchanged a glance. Their eyes were extremely complex, filled with intense joy yet tinged with an unusual dimness and envy.

In the following days, even He Wude personally took action, circling a few times with He Quanyi at the foot of the mountain, and went to the edge of the forest to inspect the location where He Yiming had fought with the fox bear. Only after confirming that the fox bear had left was the alert lifted

He Yiming quickly composed himself and said solemnly, "Grandfather, I made a breakthrough today."

He Yiming quickly said: "At the edge of the forest, but I have already chased it away."

He Yiming looked towards his grandfather and uncle, but the two elders turned their faces away and did not acknowledge him at all. This clearly indicated that they were still quite shaken by He Yiming's encounter with the fox bear.

Subsequently, they turned around to see a peculiar expression on Biao's face, and could not help but let out a soft sigh. They truly could not understand why there was such animosity between the fifth and sixth siblings; they were indeed a pair of oddities within the family

However, He Yizhang, who had a relatively poor relationship with Yi Ming, slightly changed his expression, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes

The internal strength of the sixth level does not seem to be anything particularly remarkable. In his memory, when Second Brother Yihai and Third Brother Yixuan broke through to the sixth level, although Grandfather was happy, it was nowhere near the level of ecstasy seen today

"Father, today Yiming came to the library." He Quan paused for a moment, reached out, and pulled He Yiming closer, saying: "Yiming is now qualified to practice martial arts."

He Qianyitu let out an angry grunt and said, "Yiming, the rules of the village do not permit third-generation descendants to enter the mountains alone. Why do you wish to go into the forest?"

He Yi Ming scolded that fox bear seventeen or eighteen times in his heart, wondering why it couldn't just stay in the deep mountains and instead came to the edge of the forest. However, faced with his third uncle's furious gaze, he could only helplessly reply, "Yes, Third Uncle"

He Qianyi asked curiously, "Yiming, didn't you switch to practicing the Xuan's Ripple Technique last night? Why have you instead broken through to the Hunyuan Force today"

Among the second-tier participants, all the third-generation descendants were present except for He Yiming. Even He Yihai and He Yixuan, who had always been in seclusion, diligently working to enhance their own cultivation, attended punctually.

He Yi Ming glanced at several elders, feeling a deep sense of suspicion in his heart

As for He Yiming, when he was promoted to the fifth level at the age of nine, his family had high hopes for him, even more so than for his elder brother He Yitian. However, the excessive care he received placed immense pressure on him, causing his internal strength cultivation to stagnate. Now, his status within the family is far inferior to that of his elder brother and eldest grandson, He Yitian.

After listening to He Yiming's description, He Wude nodded slightly and said, "You are quite fortunate; that fox bear was likely injured before encountering you. However, it is fortunate in another sense, as it allowed you to use the fifth level of the Hunyuan Force to handle the situation. " He looked at his grandson, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face, and continued, "Yiming, your diligent practice has not been in vain. Therefore, under the pressure of confronting the fox bear, you were able to fully unleash the results of your hard work. Hehe, it is indeed a stroke of luck that you were able to unconsciously overcome this obstacle and successfully advance to the sixth level with the help of the book."

When He Yiming arrived at the main hall with his uncle, everyone was already present

The expressions of those third-generation disciples in the second seat varied greatly. A few of them, who had a close relationship with He Yiming, exchanged glances filled with joy. If it were not for the presence of their elders at this moment, they would surely have caused a commotion.

Of course, he could not claim that he had already mastered the sixth level of the Ripple Technique; instead, he stated that he had always been using the Primordial Energy. However, he did not conceal the inexplicable process of his sudden advancement at the critical moment. To be honest, he also wanted to know why his Primordial Energy had automatically progressed.

He was suddenly taken aback, as if he could understand the meaning in the eyes of the elders and his older brother. What on earth was happening? When did his feelings become so sharp?

"Yes," He Quanxin said with a smile

A hint of surprise flashed in He Wude's eyes as he asked, "What good news?"

Except for He Quanming, who is responsible for the shops in the city and cannot return, all other direct descendants will attend, and this will also be the only time He Quan leaves the library courtyard.

He Yiming blinked twice and thought to himself that something bad had happened

At just fourteen years old, the eldest, He Yitian, had already broken through to the sixth level. After six years of rigorous training, he advanced to the seventh level before turning twenty, and was regarded as the future pillar of the family

He Wude and He Quan also reacted, their gazes towards He Yiming filled with hostility

"Where is the fox bear?" The faces of He Wude and others immediately showed signs of tension as they asked, "Where is that fox bear?"

He Yiming murmured: "Third Uncle, I was merely feeling bored, so I decided to take a walk up the mountain. Moreover, I was only walking along the edge of the forest and did not venture deep into it"

He felt a tightness in his heart, and his gaze fell under the light of the books, just in time to see the wrinkles on his clothes. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he hurriedly said: "Third Uncle, after my morning exercise today, I went up the mountain to continue my training. However, I didn't expect to encounter a fox bear."

In the main hall, two tables were set up, with only five seats available above the chief.

In Hejia Village, on the evenings of the first and fifteenth days of each month, the old master He Wude would appear in the main hall to dine. These evenings are also the times when the entire family gathers for a meal together

He Yiming nodded heavily and said, "Yes."

He Yi Ming scratched his scalp, let out a silly chuckle twice, but tightly closed his mouth. His promotion process was indeed too bizarre, so he did not dare to say much.

The elderly man seated in the main position is He Wude, the founder of Hejia Village. To his left, there is an empty seat, which is meant for He Quanxin. On his right sits his third uncle, He Quanyi. Additionally, there is a seat occupied by a young and handsome young man, who is He Yitian, the eldest son of the family, having already reached the seventh level of internal strength at the age of twenty.

He Yi, the chief, also stood up. As the eldest son and grandson of the family, he indeed possessed privileges that the other three generations of disciples did not have, allowing him to say a few words even in this occasion

In Hejia Village, He Yitian is the only third-generation disciple permitted to sit at the same table with several elders

He Wude's serious face finally broke into a joyful smile as he said, "Yiming, you are indeed remarkable. Someone, take this news to the city and let Quanming come back to share in the joy."

Sixth brother, you are truly remarkable, advancing a whole year faster than my promotion of six levels

How formidable is the fox bear? The people living at the foot of the mountain know this very well. Although He Yiming has just advanced to the sixth level, he is, after all, a novice who has not mastered any martial arts techniques, and at the age of only thirteen, he may not necessarily be a match for a fox bear

He Wude exclaimed, "Yiming, when did you break through?"

Yes. He Yiming quickly composed himself and recounted the encounter with the fox bear on the mountain.

Indeed, it is not only Grandfather, but also the extreme joy expressed by Uncle and Third Uncle, which is markedly different from the time when Second Brother and Third Brother were promoted to the sixth level

Stealing a glance at He Yitian, I noticed him winking at me twice. However, He Yiming vaguely sensed that, while his elder brother was happy, there seemed to be a hint of jealousy as well.

"You scared off the fox bear," He Quan asked with a strange expression.

"Are you out of your mind? Do you know how dangerous it is for a person to go up the mountain? How could you dare to encounter ferocious beasts like the fox bear?" He Qianyi pointed at him and said angrily, "From today onwards, you are to stay at home properly. Without my permission, you are not allowed to step outside even a single step."

The fox bear is a fierce beast of the mountains, and it is considered to be particularly troublesome. Not only does it possess the strength of a bear, but it also has the cunning of a fox. If this ferocious creature were to conceal itself outside the village, it would pose a significant threat to the ordinary people and the third-generation disciples within the village

The orders of the old landlord were naturally carried out immediately by the servants, and there was no need for the direct family members to worry at all

The main hall suddenly fell silent, and He Quanyi immediately stood up, asking in surprise: "Yiming, have you broken through to the sixth level?"

He Yi Ming felt a sense of despair in his heart, but he had long made up his mind that the extraordinary events happening to him must never be disclosed to anyone

He Wude pondered for a moment and said, "Yiming, recount the incident with the fox bear that you encountered today, in detail."