Book 3 Chapter 1: Master - Martial God

### Chapter 1: Master As fast as lightning, when He Yiming caught up to the man, they were situated midway between a mountainside dwelling and the summit. Beyond the halfway dwelling, the terrain was forbidden for most people, being regarded as sacred ground on Spirit Medicinal Peak. Thus, no one noticed the sudden appearance of two people in this secluded part of the mountain. He Yiming halted 20 meters in front of the stranger. When his gaze fell upon the man's face, he couldn't help but be deeply shocked. He Yiming had always been extremely proud of reaching the innate realm at the tender age of fifteen. From what he knew, most innate experts achieved their breakthrough between the ages of sixty to eighty. Although there were exceptions, reaching the innate realm by forty was already a rare achievement for a supreme genius. Yet, it was upon first seeing this man that He Yiming realized the vastness of the world and that he was not the sole prodigious talent. The man standing before him had ordinary features and unremarkable attire, resembling a poor farmer. But his youth—his extraordinary youth—was undeniable. While he appeared slightly older than He Yiming, he looked no older than He Yiming's eldest brother, who was around twenty-four or twenty-five. An innate expert at such an age, the intense, unfathomable aura exuding from him made He Yiming realize that this man was no mere newly ascended innate master. Unless he had undergone an epiphany like He Yiming or someone familiar, his breakthrough into the innate realm must have occurred at least a decade prior. With this realization, He Yiming couldn't help but feel uneasy. If this man indeed became an innate ten years ago, he was much like He Yiming himself. It seemed that in the vastness of the world, extraordinary figures were countless, and He Yiming had been somewhat arrogant and narrow-minded. However, it wasn't just He Yiming feeling this way. The innate master in front of him was equally dumbfounded, as if unable to comprehend the existence of another innate expert even younger than him. Both men studied each other, brimming with astonishment over their respective youth. After a prolonged silence, He Yiming finally spoke first, "Who are you, and why sneak into Spirit Medicinal Peak? Do you not know this is the heart of the Hengshan Sect, a place not to be trifled with?" The young expert opened his mouth as if to explain but furrowed his brows instead. "Who, may I ask, are you? What ties do you have with Hengshan Sect?" He Yiming smiled arrogantly. "You need not concern yourself with that. Since you've dared to trespass upon Spirit Medicinal Peak, then stay as our guest here for a few days." The man let out a bemused chuckle, his expression displaying outright confidence. "You indeed have quite the audacity." He Yiming's eyes sharpened. "If you think I'm boasting, why not test it? If you have the courage, follow me down the mountain for a duel." They were already close to the summit. Although He Yiming had never visited before, he knew that disturbing someone in closed-door alchemy cultivation was strictly prohibited. A duel between two innate experts here would certainly alert those in secluded cultivation. The man laughed heartily. "Why all the trouble? If you wish to fight, come at me." He Yiming frowned deeply, suddenly driven by an instinct to capture this man swiftly. Once decided, his body moved like a phantom. Originally, the man's eyes held a complex and strange light. However, upon witnessing He Yiming's unexpected maneuver, his face grew serious, and a cold sweat broke out across his back. In an instant, all distractions were cast aside. He chided himself internally; he wasn't up against an ordinary youth but another innate expert of equal standing. Despite the young appearance of his opponent, the formidable aura emanating from He Yiming instilled a shiver of fear. Challenging such an adversary while distracted would surely be courting death. What seemed like a simple maneuver from He Yiming materialized like a mist around the man’s perception. To him, He Yiming transformed into a being of clouds and fog. Simultaneously, an overwhelming, nearly tangible aura spread out, pressing towards him from all directions. Just as he was engulfed by He Yiming's aura, the man took a deep breath. From within, he erupted with a fierce aura akin to blazing fire. When he lifted his palms, the air temperature noticeably rose. With a shout akin to a meteor's tail soaring through the night, he charged directly at He Yiming. Wherever his feet landed, the ground sparked like embers, generating a palpable wave of heat that danced and swirled within the cloudlike aura, resembling a dominant fire dragon. Under this fiery dragonlike surge, the misty aura around them began to dissipate. He Yiming inwardly chuckled, realizing the man was akin to Cheng Fu's level, perhaps even more proficient. But among all innate experts, He Yiming was undoubtedly most experienced in handling fire-elemental adversaries. In a heartbeat, he shifted into a peculiar, rapid stride. This movement wasn't complex but incredibly fast! One step, two steps, three... By the third step, the speed rendered countless afterimages in the air. He Yiming seemed to occupy every space within this realm simultaneously. Gentle mountain rain enveloped the earth. In that moment, He Yiming recalled once more the endless rain illustrated in his mind. He'd previously depicted the relentless rainstorm with a grand saber technique, cleaving over two hundred foes in one strike. After battling the two-headed spirit beast in the canyon and experiencing the synergy of the five elements, He Yiming’s understanding of both saber and movement techniques deepened. Though lacking his grand saber, He Yiming successfully integrated the essence of mountain rain into his cloud and rain technique, transforming his hands into blades, releasing its core. Instantly, the embers, once vibrating with fervor, like a forest blaze doused by a rare torrential storm, were extinguished at a speed visible to the naked eye. A look of horror flashed across the man's face. His fire-elemental technique boasted formidable power, although not born from an epiphany, its uniqueness gave it parity with others possessing innate fire insights. However, He Yiming, the inexplicably youthful innate expert before him, displayed formidable prowess, dousing his fiery power effortlessly, as if wielding a mighty ocean. His face turned grave, though panic had yet to seize him. As He Yiming's atmosphere of cloud and mist gathered for another assault, the man inhaled a deep breath. This breath was astoundingly long, akin to a primeval dragon rather than a human lung, lasting indefinitely. At that moment, the surrounding air seemed to solidify, and He Yiming realized his cloud-like presence met an unusual force, like an invisible net expanding from the man's body, pushing back. Amidst that power, He Yiming recognized a distinctly familiar essence. Withered Wood Technique. One of the Xu family's two supreme post-heavenly techniques, bearing a close resemblance to this present energy. In an epiphany, He Yiming understood the remarkable prowess of his opponent might even exceed Cheng Fu. For this figure turned out to be a dual-elemental innate master of both fire and wood. Though Cheng Fu also studied fire and earth, his twenty-something years as an innate master, with a single epiphanic experience, only advanced his fire insights significantly. Earth remained undeveloped due to limited time. Yet, this young man's dual cultivation of wood and fire was far more terrifying. He evidently achieved near-mastery of fiery power and similarly reached an impressive level with wood energy. At once, his internal energy shifted, mirroring a withered tree, fully retracting his aura, presenting himself as less of a man and more of an unyielding, colossal tree. For the first time, He Yiming faced an innate expert specializing in the wood element. As his assaults, like a storm, bombarded his opponent, he couldn't help but wonder internally. How could someone of this age—barely older than his eldest brother—already be an innate expert, and a dual-element one at that, reaching such formidable levels of mastery? How did he train? Was it possible that in this vast world, others besides himself had stumbled upon miraculous opportunities, like his own encounter beneath the lake? Under the Cloud and Rain Flight technique, He Yiming moved with lightning speed, his hands forming continuous seals. The forces of wind, cloud, and rain seemed to merge into a colossal net, so immense it could obscure the heavens. Yet, he soon realized the truth of the Five Elements' interdependency: they were always in flux. The opponent's technique was clearly another innate battle skill. Though it appeared simple, its simplicity concealed boundless defensive strength. Since attaining the innate realm, He Yiming could unleash his inner energy to injure adversaries from several meters away, even without using the Hidden Needle Seal. However, this time, even after launching over a hundred energy attacks, each strike felt like hitting a withered tree, accompanied by dry crackling sounds. It was like the rain-soaked day on the mountain peak; though rain enveloped everywhere, the towering trees of the forest remained unaffected, standing proudly as if eternal. He realized for the first time that while his powers of wind, cloud, and rain were potent, they were also too ethereal. Against a weaker opponent, he could prevail through illusion and finesse. But against an equally strong opponent, especially one with a composed and mature demeanor, whose cultivation methods subtly countered his own, these powers lacked a decisive, striking force. He calmed his mind, attempting to glean insights from his opponent’s methods, hoping to identify his shortcomings. To learn from a peer or someone even slightly superior was the best of scenarios. This approach was second nature to He Yiming. Within moments, he memorized the few moves the man repeatedly employed, even understanding some of the opponent's energy flows. Should the opponent realize He Yiming’s insights gained during their encounter, he would surely be left speechless in shock. Finally, a satisfied smile crept onto He Yiming's face, having grasped most of what he needed to know. With this understanding, he lost interest in prolonging the conflict. His form, like wind, cloud, and mist, abruptly ceased its motions, transitioning from extreme movement to utter stillness—a feat challenging enough that even innate masters found it difficult. After all, wielding powerful innate skills required years to master and control seamlessly. Surprised and terrified, the opponent found himself paralyzed with fear, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in battle dynamics. As he remained stunned, He Yiming raised his hands. Those hands now glowed with a metallic sheen, turning into massive blades exuding sharp killing intent in the wind. A strange feeling of dread flooded the man’s heart—an emotion he'd never experienced against peers. Squinting, his internal energy swirled. He recognized He Yiming’s use of gold-element power, which naturally countered his own wood-element technique. He wanted to alter the attribute of his cultivation method, but in his haste, how could he manage that? Dismayed, the man sighed inwardly. What kind of anomaly was this person? Not only did he grasp so many elemental truths, but he also possessed unparalleled skill in elemental transitions. Switching from the gentle subtleties of clouds and mist to the staunch gold element with ease and fluidity—as if unhindered—was baffling. All he could think was, how did this guy do it? With a thunderous roar, the pathway exploded with sound. Mountain Splitter Technique—Form Sixteen. Although this strike lacked the full force of He Yiming's five-element circulation or the momentum built from the Rolling Stone Fist, its sudden execution produced immense power, shattering the opponent's defense like a giant axe severing a towering tree. The man’s body was flung backward, his internal energy roiling to a boiling point, barely resisting the urge to vomit blood. As He Yiming landed, he immediately sensed the opponent's injury. Through the bond of their energy exchange, his aura flared like a beacon, eyes glittering, surging forward like lightning for a follow-up assault. He wielded his hand like a blade, unleashing the Mountain Splitter Technique in a sweeping onslaught that pressured the opponent relentlessly, leaving him overwhelmed and scrambling. He Yiming hesitated to deliver a killing blow, uncertain of the man's background. Otherwise, that strike, though not mortal, would have left the enemy gravely injured. Noisy commotion from below announced the arrival of those agitated by the earlier explosion, no doubt alerted by the sound. This was, after all, Spirit Medicinal Peak’s forbidden ground, demanding utmost vigilance. Quickly, several figures approached—men in their forties and fifties. Upon seeing the combatants, their expressions changed drastically. Unhesitatingly, they unsheathed their weapons and charged forward with spirited cries. He Yiming stifled a groan. Over the past five days, he had encountered some of these individuals multiple times, aware that they were Spirit Medicinal Peak’s third-generation disciples and younger than He Wude. These men's parents had connections with He Wude. While not bound by life-and-death friendships, they were at least acquaintances. Although decades had passed since their last meeting, when they reunited, it was in harmony and camaraderie. In terms of skill, these men weren't mediocre, most possessing inner strength of the seventh or eighth level, with one even at the ninth level. Training in Hengshan's environment, reaching the pinnacle of inner strength seemed easily attainable. In Tianluo Kingdom, such prowess would be formidable and coveted by major families. However, his battle with that man was an innate clash. These courageous but ill-fated individuals intervening were surely courting death. Though unrelated to him, this was Hengshan's domain. If his grandfather learned of deaths occurring under his watch, He Yiming would bear the blame, regardless of his grandfather's remonstrations. He sighed inwardly. If these men had arrived just a moment later, he might have injured or even captured this young innate expert. With reluctance, He Yiming’s technique shifted—from the mighty, axe-like Mountain Splitter Technique to the more gentle, misty hand imprint technique. With a quick turn, he positioned himself between the man and the approaching Spirit Medicinal Peak disciples. Though appearing restrained by He Yiming’s tactics, that man was still a formidable opponent. When surrounded by cultivation levels of inner strength seven and eight, he'd be like a tiger among sheep, capable of lethal strikes. Therefore, He Yiming couldn't afford to let him clash with the group. Noticing He Yiming’s actions, the man's face flushed with extreme anger. Earlier, despite their mysterious skirmish, no significant hostility had developed between them. But now, with He Yiming standing between him and the incoming disciples, the man's emotions surged violently, his aura taking on a more menacing charge. He Yiming sensed a wounded beast-like determination emanating from him. Yet, in He Yiming's grasp, the man found no leverage. As the others neared, a mix of anger and a pleading look flashed in his eyes. This sudden expression puzzled He Yiming. A peculiar thought struck him—could it be that the man knew these Spirit Medicinal Peak disciples and did not wish to confront them? But how could an innate master fear these seemingly insignificant post-heavenly cultivators? Just as He Yiming had this thought, his expression suddenly shifted. He "heard" the arrival of the others, but instead of avoiding him and attacking the person ahead, they raised their weapons and, with no hesitation, charged at him. A flash of anger and surprise crossed He Yiming's eyes. These people knew him, even if just by acquaintance, yet they attacked without sorting out friend from foe. It was truly infuriating. With a disgruntled hum, his inner energy surged, causing his sleeves and robe to billow as if filled with an invisible wind, like an inflated balloon. Regardless of his irritation, He Yiming had no intention of causing these people serious harm. Thus, he amplified his energy as a warning, aiming to disarm them and teach a lesson. But at that moment, he saw the man before him undergo a sudden change in expression, shouting, "No, retreat quickly!" He Yiming paused, curious. Could this man's mere words compel the third-generation disciples of Spirit Medicinal Peak to fall back? Yet, something even stranger unfolded. Upon hearing the man’s cry, the disciples promptly withdrew their weapons and retreated without hesitation. They did this instinctively, almost as a reflex to the man’s command. It seemed that in their hearts, this man held a place of supreme authority. They would obey him unquestioningly, even if asked to turn swords against themselves. He Yiming narrowed his eyes. He wasn't naïve, and this scene made him realize that he might have committed a grave mistake. With a subtle shift, he leapt back, moving as swiftly as a flying leaf, scrutinizing the young, overly powerful innate expert before him with uncertainty. The man breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing He Yiming retreat and didn’t dare pursue, using the respite to regulate his breathing while keeping a wary eye on He Yiming. Despite the brevity of their skirmish, the man had grown wary of He Yiming after witnessing his prowess. Simply put, he was intimidated by He Yiming’s strength! He knew well that when He Yiming had transitioned his energy during that last strike, he had shown mercy. A rematch would leave him without any assurance of victory. He Yiming glanced with suspicion at the Spirit Medicinal Peak disciples who had arrived. They stood with weapons in hand, glaring fiercely, ready to draw swords at the slightest provocation. He blinked, returned his gaze to the young innate expert, and respectfully inquired, "I am He Yiming. May I know your esteemed name?" The man, noticing He Yiming's lack of further aggression, relaxed slightly and did not dare ignore the inquiry. Returning the gesture, he replied, "What a coincidence, I too bear the surname He." "Old master?" The ominous feeling in He Yiming's heart grew stronger, exacerbated by the man's naturally condescending yet undeniably sincere tone, making him feel an urge to flee. Suddenly, more figures arrived from the mountainside: He Wujin, He Wude, and He Laibao among them. Clearly, they had rushed from a farther dwelling on the mountain, so despite their superior martial skills, they lagged slightly behind. Upon their arrival and sighting the young man, both He Wude and He Laibao stood frozen like statues, eyeing him with mouths agape, and a crystalline liquid almost shimmering in their eyes. He Yiming was equally astounded. He hadn’t known that an elder, overwhelmed with emotion, could display such a heartfelt response. However, his heart sank like lead; it seemed he might have made a terrible mistake in confronting this individual. Abruptly, He Wude and He Laibao stepped out from the group, approached the young man, and knelt down with reverence befitting the heavens and earth. Their respectful bows communicated an overwhelming sense of piety that anyone could feel. The only sound in the profound silence was the steady "thump, thump" of their foreheads hitting the ground. After three bows and nine kowtows, He Wude raised his head and declared, "Master, Wude has returned." The young man’s face overflowed with satisfaction and warmth as he extended his hand, helping He Wude and He Laibao rise. "It's good...to have you back."