[Bang—]

[A surge of Earth Source sword qi shot out, exploding at the center of the vast lake and sending massive water splashes into the air, causing the entire lake surface to tremble violently]

[Many fish in the lake floated belly-up to the surface]

[The sheer power made Lin Mo gasp in shock: "Uncle Yu, what technique is this? Did you create this too?!"]

["Well this is actually... uh..." You almost instinctively claimed credit]

[But fortunately you stopped yourself in time, suppressing the strong urge to show off]

[Otherwise when Lin Mo truly came into contact with Earth Source, you'd be thoroughly embarrassed]

[You told Lin Mo this was a signature technique created by someone else]

[Lin Mo nodded thoughtfully: "The creator must have been an Ultimate Grandmaster!"]

[You asked if Lin Mo had noticed anything special about it, but he didn't have many insights yet]

[You fired several more bursts of Earth Source sword qi to give him a clearer demonstration]

[This time Lin Mo actually gained some comprehension, though it wasn't particularly helpful to you]

[Having already mastered sixteen strands of Earth Source sword qi yourself, you'd already considered most of what Lin Mo pointed out]

[But this did prove Lin Mo's extraordinary talent - just by watching your demonstrations he could analyze the technique]

[You persistently demonstrated Earth Source sword qi to Lin Mo, and gradually he began offering insights you hadn't considered before]

[Seeing hope, you continued showing Lin Mo the sword qi from every angle - fast, slow, heavy, light, trying every possible variation]

[Truthfully, letting Lin Mo directly comprehend the Earth Source would be more efficient]

[You could even have him focus only on the eight strands you hadn't mastered yet, going straight to the key points]

[But you didn't dare do that - given Lin Mo's talent, you feared he might "slurp" up all your Earth Source in one go]

[He might even burp and ask if you had any more of such treasures]

[So letting Lin Mo directly comprehend the Earth Source would be like giving a death sentence to a duck - completely unnecessary]

[After Lin Mo started gaining new insights into Earth Source, the two of you built a small cabin and settled in the canyon]

[Every day you'd release Earth Source sword qi for Lin Mo to analyze and help your comprehension]

[Lin Mo's insights became increasingly valuable to your progress]

[Three months later]

[Thanks to Lin Mo's meticulous analysis and shared experiences, you successfully comprehended two new strands of Earth Source sword qi!]

[Out of twenty-four total strands, you'd now mastered eighteen]

[Feeling pleased, you were about to give Lin Mo some motivational talk to keep him working hard]

[When suddenly you sensed violent surges of true qi around Lin Mo as he cultivated, the powerful aura of Dragon Transformation peak stage erupting from him]

[Your jaw dropped: "You... you broke through?!"]

[Through comprehending Earth Source sword qi, Lin Mo had directly advanced from late Dragon Transformation to peak Dragon Transformation]

[And this wasn't even from direct Earth Source comprehension - just from analyzing the sword qi you released after your own comprehension]

[It was like you ate a full meal, while Lin Mo just smelled the aroma from beside you, yet somehow gained twenty pounds - absolutely ridiculous]

[You were convinced, thoroughly convinced, and grateful you hadn't let Lin Mo directly comprehend the Earth Source]

["Uncle Yu, thank you! Thank you for pushing me, letting me comprehend sword qi, always believing in me and nurturing me! I'll never forget your kindness!!"]

[Thud—]

[Bang bang bang—]

[Lin Mo performed a triple kowtow before standing back up]

[You were stunned]

[This kid was too sincere]

[But you couldn't blame him]

[From Lin Mo's perspective, you exhausted your true qi daily and used precious pills to recover, all just to release sword qi for his benefit]

[To prevent slacking, you made him summarize his daily insights]

[You appeared as the perfect strict-but-caring mentor]

[This moved Lin Mo to tears]

[Looking at him, you realized his imagination might be even stronger than his martial talent]

[A genius with wild imagination]

[You patted this imaginative kid's shoulder with feigned kindness: "Good boy, I'm glad you understand your uncle's intentions. Let's continue!"]

[Lin Mo nodded solemnly, eyes filled with determination]

[Two months later]

[You squeezed out two more strands of Earth Source sword qi from Lin Mo's analyses]

[You'd now comprehended twenty strands, with only four remaining]

[Another month passed]

[Feeling Lin Mo's insights were no longer as helpful, you gradually reduced the frequency of your sessions]

[You began focusing on mastering eighth-grade pill refining at Danxia Sect]

[Batch after batch of eighth-grade pills ended as failures]

[Yet you grew increasingly confident - you could feel the breakthrough coming]

[Year 41]

[After another failed batch of eighth-grade pills]

[You decided to rest for two days before making your final push for eighth-grade mastery]

[The day was clear, with a pleasant breeze]

[You visited Xie Huide's gravesite]

[Hands behind your head, a blade of grass between your teeth, you leaned leisurely against the grave mound]

["Master, truth be told, my pill refining is about to surpass yours."]

["But don't blame me for this - if I succeed in refining the Reviving Yang Pill for master's wife, she'll be with martial uncle from then on."]

["You wouldn't mind, right?"]

["If you really mind, just say something."]

[You: "..."]

["Well, since you're not saying anything, don't blame me later."]

[You stayed until sunset before returning to your courtyard]

[Upon returning, you found a letter from Lin Mo announcing he'd reached early Grandmaster stage, proudly stating he hadn't disappointed you]

[You froze reading the letter]

[After a long pause, you let out a shrill scream: "You damn kid! You've completely disappointed me!!"]

[Lin Mo's progress after comprehending Earth Source sword qi was terrifying - just last year he reached peak Dragon Transformation, and now he was already early Grandmaster]

[You raged: "Is this even human?!"]

[In fury, you threw some rose seeds into the dirt and angrily watered them]

[After venting, you headed inside to refine pills]

[But Hu Zhongxuan suddenly landed excitedly in your courtyard: "He Yu!"]

[His face flushed with excitement, you approached: "Oh? Good news, martial uncle?"]

[Hu Zhongxuan couldn't contain his grin: "Great news! I can obtain a strand of Earth Source!!"]

[Your eyebrows shot up: "No shit! Really?"]

["Absolutely true!"]

["Congratulations, martial uncle!" You genuinely shared his joy]

["By the way, any progress with eighth-grade pills?" Hu Zhongxuan asked eagerly]

[You smiled: "About to break through to entry level. Pretty confident."]

["Excellent!" Hu Zhongxuan's voice trembled, "How much longer?"]

["Just a few days."]

[After thinking, Hu Zhongxuan excitedly said: "Then I'll stay a few days!"]

["Wait, martial uncle, why are you supervising me like a prisoner? I'm not going anywhere."]

[Hu Zhongxuan hesitated: "You're right, I might disturb you. I'll return to the capital then."]

["No need." You said confidently, "Stay two days. Seeing my progress might reassure you."]

[Hu Zhongxuan brightened: "Deal!"]

[You turned and entered the pill refining room]

[On the third day]

[You emerged calmly]

[Hu Zhongxuan, who had been waiting anxiously, sprang up and stared intently]

[You opened your palm, revealing two eighth-grade pills exuding medicinal fragrance]

["Martial uncle, mission accomplished."]