Martial God

The new year was a joyous occasion for the majority of the people. At least for the He family manor and the surrounding neighbors, this was a rare day to relax.

At the same time, for the He family’s third generation, this was a day to exhibit their entire year’s achievements.

On new year’s third day, all the members of the third generation gathered together, and the wives of He Quanxin and his two brothers could attend as well.

For the sake of the third generation’s early independence and future achievements in cultivation, all the children left their parents and lived alone in their own courtyards after the age of five. This method was somewhat cruel, but quite effective. Among the three influential families in the Tai Cang county, the young generation of the He family was, without a doubt, the most outstanding.

At this moment, the training ground in the backyard had been decorated. He Quanxin and his wife, the couple, had also closed the shop in the city and returned. The entire household was sitting together, discussing trivial matters. A warm and joyous atmosphere permeated the entire courtyard.

Seated on the middle seat, He Wude was extremely content as he watched the smiling appearances of his descendants. However, as his vision gazed distantly following a certain direction, his eyes revealed a strange, complex expression; as if he couldn’t untie a knot in his heart. It seemed as though he couldn’t let go of a melancholic feeling even on such a joyous occasion.

He Quanxin sighed inwardly. Being the first son, he obviously knew his father’s thoughts. But he was, in fact, completely helpless regarding the problem. His vision jumped towards He Yitian and He Yiming as he thought whether they could make the Lord Father’s wishes come true.

He Quanxin lightly coughed and said:

“Father, it’s about time. Should we begin?”

He Wude moderated his slightly wandering thoughts before he said with a smile:

“All right, begin.”

He Quanxin stood up and walked up to the center of the stage before speaking in a clear voice:

“Yi Zhang and the rest of you, come.”

Yi Zhang and the rest four, who were still stuck at the fifth layer or below, promptly ran to the stage.

The five of them stood in a line. With another wave of a hand from He Quanxin, hundreds of servants came running at a lightning fast speed. They always trained in normal times, and at this moment, they further displayed their skill to the peak as they arranged themselves behind He Yizhang and the rest in a short while.

Hundreds of individuals simultaneously bowed towards He Wude before exhibiting the elementary fist techniques.

This was not a battle skill but were fist techniques which strengthened one’s body and the children of the third generation who’d not attained the sixth layer practised every day.

As for the servants behind He Yizhang and the rest, they were robust men who cultivated Internal Energy, but, at most, were somewhere along merely the second or third layer.

Although their cultivation was shallow, dealing with ordinary people was not an issue for them. Therefore, this technique, which strengthened one’s body, had been imparted to them as well.

Watching synchronised movements of hundreds of individuals, looking like a single entity, indeed had a pleasing feel to it.

As He Yiming watched this spectacle, his mind involuntarily drifted off. Before a year, he was a member of this group and could only practise this body strengthening fist technique that did not rely on Internal Energy at all. However, today, seated in his seat, he was watching them perform. The difference of one step, the fifth and sixth layer, was indeed akin to the heavens and earth.

Hundreds of people’s fist training exhibition although seemed impressive, everybody knew that this was just a demo. Today’s main attraction, which people genuinely looked forward, was the upcoming skill competition among the members of the third generation who’d attained the sixth layer.

After a short while, the performance of fist technique concluded and everybody returned to their respective seats. He Wude’s big figure rose up before he said a few lines of praise and rewarded silver taels on the spot, to the delight of the crowd.

Subsequently, He Quanxin’s clear voice sounded:

“Yi Hai and Yi Xuan.”

He Yihai and He Xuan sounded their agreements before they left the side of their respective parents and arrived at the centre of the stage in neither swift nor slow steps.

He Quanxin faintly nodded and said:

“Yihai, Yixuan, another year has passed; how is your cultivation?”

He Yihai and He Yixuan glanced at each other. Their relationship was extremely good, but at this moment, both were brimming with battle intent. The two eyes, which were brimming with dominance and unruliness, when confronted their counterparts, the atmosphere immediately tensed up.

He Quanxin retreated several steps with satisfaction and said:

“Exhibit your entire year’s efforts. Let everybody see your accomplishments.”

The scene turned completely quiet as everybody watched the two individuals at the centre.

This was obviously not the first time these two had exchanged blows in such a situation. Thus, they naturally had no stage fright. They bowed towards each other and immediately started the battle by unleashing their fist techniques onto each other.

Although Yihai was named ‘hai’(ocean), the techniques he was well-versed were actually that of the fire type. As he bombarded his opponent with fists, the technique operating in his body reached the peak, giving off an aggression like that of a blazing inferno.

Fire type techniques were reputed to be the most ruthless techniques. In terms of offense, they were even a notch above the metal-type techniques. One more characteristic of the fire-type techniques was that once a fire-type technique was fully employed, for the most part, the opponent would find himself completely surrounded. If such a situation did not occur, it seemed as if a fire type technique’s might could not be fully exhibited.

At this moment, He Yihai’s quick movements corresponding to his full strength even turned his body faintly red. Seeming like a flame spirit that crazily emitted flames, he made the spectators tremble with fear.

On the other hand, He Yixuan was completely opposite of his brother. The techniques he was well-versed were that of the water type. Likewise, the battle skill he used was the Silk Palm, which He Yiming was familiar with. Although this technique had been transformed into a common battle skill, its might in an actual combat was not much inferior even when compared to some of the so-called unique battle skills.

As his Silk Palm unfolded, it seemed tepid; his actions didn’t seem like that of He Yihai at all, who seemed to have covered the sky with fire.

Despite the two sides not fighting a life-and-death battle, the exchanges between them were extremely influential; a feast to the eyes of spectators. The majority of the people on the scene were moved and were completely engrossed, rendered incapable of diverting their attention.

However, He Yiming’s brows were slightly creased. Although the moves displayed by his brothers were pretty jubilant, in his eyes, they were full of holes and gave off a feeling of flower but no fruit.

He silently compared the two of his brothers with Hubin before his expression slightly changed. He discovered that if either of his two elder brothers had encountered Hubin, the conclusion couldn’t have been anything but a disaster.

He’d not determined as such because Hubin had knowledge of a ferocious battle skill, Mountain Splitting Thirty Six Forms, but because of the difference in both side’s vehemence, skill employment, and other factors.

Hubin’s techniques were simple and practical. Even while evading He Yiming’s Rolling Boulder Fist, he was straightforward. A roll on the ground might seem lousy, but with respect to results, it is good beyond what one expects.

While the strikes of his two elder brothers although seemed to fill the skies, the fanciness in their moves, would not likely have much effect during a life-and-death battle.

He Yiming’s vision turned towards his grandfather, father, and other elders. Their faces were full of smiles, as if they hadn’t inferred anything at all. Feeling strange, he scratched his head:

‘Don’t tell I am actually seeing wrong….’

However, he didn’t know that only because he’d gone through a life-and-death battle with Hubin, he felt as such. Although He Yihai and He Yixuan were a few years older than him, they hadn’t gone through such an experience. Furthermore, the duels between peers also wouldn’t involve killings, thus, some fanciness in their styles was inevitable.

As for Hu Wude and the rest, although they could see their flaws, correcting them was no easy matter. Only after experiencing several life-and-deaths battle could such a thing be slowly improved. People who could grasp so many profound mysteries just after a single life-and-death battle, like He Yiming, were extremely rare.

After quite a while, He Yihai seemed the first one who was unable to sustain his technique which seemed like a flaring sea of fire. He Yixuan, on the other hand, gradually and silently gained the upper hand.

As He Yiming silently watched, he felt that the actual strength of his second and third brother was approximately the same. In terms of pure Internal Energy cultivation, his second brother, He Yihai, perhaps even had a slight advantage.

However, nevertheless, a short while after the start of the fight, He Yixuan gained a clear advantage, which was gradually turning into victory, and if nothing unexpected occurred, he would be the final victor as well.

He Yiming’s brows slightly creased before an enormous question emerged in his mind. He calmed himself and carefully paid attention. After a short while, his discovery slightly surprised him. The Silk Palm of his third brother, Yixuan, could actually restrain the fire type technique of his second brother.

This restrictive power was not strong at all and could even be said to be extremely minute, but with the progression of the fight, this power had constantly been accumulated and magnifying, to the extent of turning into the principal factor which determined the victor.

He Yiming watched for quite a while before his eyes gleamed and gigantic waves rose in heart.

Originally, he had not paid attention to the fact that the five type of Internal techniques could mutually restrain each other. However, at this moment, his cultivation had already reached the eighth layer and after cultivating two different primary Internal Energy cultivation techniques, he’d gradually formed a new understanding towards this point.

Currently, as he watched his second and third brothers fighting against each other using fire and water type techniques, he felt his understanding suddenly increasing by a lot.

For some matters, even if one hear about them several times, it could never be compared to the profound impression one could obtain after personally experiencing them.

Experiencing a life-and-death battle allowed He Yiming to understand that one had to be pragmatic. Today’s battle between the water and fire further allowed him to comprehend the dao of mutual restraint among the five phases. Now, he could be considered to have truly entered the palace of five-phase techniques.