A man stands before the heavens, his sword emerges from the Emei Mountains.

The place where the junior sister of Yaowang Cave fell off the cliff in the back mountain is called Buddha's Palm Rock. It is four or five miles away from the forest where Chen Yu discovered Huangjing. Strange peaks rise with the clouds, solitary peaks stand out, green cypresses shade the peaks, and clear springs irrigate the top.

It is indeed dangerous, but the scenery is magnificent.

Chen Yu, Yang An, and their junior sister Shi Jinkui, who was in charge of collecting herbs and refining elixirs at the Medicine King Cave, were together.

Shi Jinkui was around thirty years old. Because he was an outer disciple, he addressed Chen Yu as his senior brother. His name sounded like that of a man, but there was a hidden meaning in it. The name Jinkui was taken from the medical classic "Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber".

His cultivation level is decent, roughly at Li Mingxia's level.

"Is this the place?"

The three emerged from the lush forest. Shi Jinkui pointed to the cliff a few feet away and said, "Senior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Yang, please look. There's a small section collapsed here; that's where people fell."

Chen Yu leaned forward; below was a sheer cliff, seven or eight zhang high, with jagged rocks on the ground. If he were to slip, he would surely perish.

Yang An asked, "Do the junior brothers and sisters from Medicine King Cave often come here to gather herbs?"

"Junior brothers and sisters with average skills usually avoid dangerous areas, but those who are more agile are not restricted to places where ferocious beasts roam. Moreover, when they go out to collect herbs, they all carry ropes and steel claws. Senior Brother Yang, do you find anything unusual?"

"Could it be the Five Poisons Sect? Or the Demonic Sect?" Yang An looked at Chen Yu.

Chen Yu asked in a deep voice, "Can any rare medicinal herbs be found among the mud and rocks surrounding Junior Sister's body?"

"No," Shi Jinkui said definitively.

Chen Yu nodded, "In that case, we can't rule out the possibility that an outsider was behind it. Let's go back first, I'll go find my senior sister."

"it is good."

The three returned the way they came. Chen Yu found Jing Xuan and shared his analysis with her. Since so much time had passed, there was no way to investigate. Jing Xuan could only take precautions and send more disciples to guard the mountain.

When Chen Yu returned to the courtyard, the sun was setting. He fetched water to bathe and changed into dry clothes. Squeaking sounds came from outside the courtyard.

"It's a white ape."

As Chen Yu stepped out of the house, he saw the little white ape squatting on the persimmon tree. It had been more than half a year since he last saw it, and it had grown stronger and its eyes were more lively. It seemed that it had been eating a lot of mountain delicacies such as Solomon's seal and wild ginseng to strengthen its spirit.

Chen Yu turned and went into the house to retrieve a ginseng root he had purchased from Hanyang.

"Take it."

The little white ape somersaulted through the air to catch the ginseng Chen Yu threw out. With its toes touching the ground, it was as light as a swallow and landed on a branch again, where it ate the ginseng with both hands.

The dried ginseng was as hard as wood, but the little white ape's teeth were as sharp as knives. It chewed it to pieces in just a few bites and swallowed it.

"Good teeth."

Chen Yu sighed in admiration and asked, "Did you see any Emei female disciples fall off the cliff in the back mountain?"

The little white ape's eyes darted around.

If this white ape is raised for a while and fed more medicinal delicacies, such as snake gallbladders or white fish, its intelligence might be no less than that of the Divine Eagle.

"Yes or no?"

The white ape covered its eyes.

Chen Yu chuckled, clearly understanding human speech.

"Keep an eye on things on the back hill for me. See if there are any unfamiliar faces around. There's bound to be plenty of Solomon's seal and ginseng."

With a squeak, the little white ape stretched out its body and sped past the wall, disappearing into the vast wilderness.

Chen Yu felt much more at ease, as the white ape's help saved him a lot of effort.

Nothing happened in the evening. Chen Yu ate his meal as usual and continued his spiritual practice. He went to sleep late at night.

……

The morning bell tolls, the moon wanes, and autumn geese fall from the frosty sky.

Before dawn, Chen Yu got up early to practice a set of Baguazhang, then washed up and headed towards the Golden Summit. Along the way, he kept encountering his fellow disciples from the outer sect.

Good morning, Senior Brother Chen.

"It's good that Senior Brother Chen is back. He can lead us in training."

"Senior Brother Chen, what a distinguished figure!"

The story of Chen Yu encountering a powerful enemy in the Valley of Heartbreak and sacrificing himself to protect his fellow disciples, along with Wei Yixiao, had already spread through Tang Zhihu and Yang An's mouths. All the junior disciples looked at Chen Yu with admiration, especially the female disciples of similar age.

Chen Yu smiled and answered each question one by one. Soon after, he saw Zhou Zhiruo walking with seven or eight young men and women who had recently joined the sect.

He didn't disturb them, but followed behind, passing the Elephant Washing Pool and going straight to the Golden Summit.

As the sky brightened and the clouds surged like giant waves, disciples from both the inner and outer sects of the Emei Sect gathered. Soon after, Miejue and Jingxuan appeared.

Jingxuan presided over the ceremony, leading the newly arrived disciples to respectfully offer three sticks of incense, pay respects to their grandmaster Guo Xiang, and then bow to Miejue before entering the Emei sect.

After Jingxuan finished reciting the eighteen rules of the sect, Zhou Zhiruo officially became a disciple of Emei. Like Chen Yu, she first cultivated from the outer sect and could only enter the inner sect after passing the examination.

"Master!" Jingxuan finished presiding and looked at Miejue.

With a calm and composed demeanor, as deep as a mountain, he said in a clear voice, "Yu'er, step forward."

"Your disciple obeys."

Chen Yu stepped forward and said to Miejue, "The succession to the sect leader's mantle has been unresolved for a long time. It's not that you, Minjun, Xiaofu, Jinyi, and Mengqing, lack talent, but rather that the world is currently in chaos, with the Demonic Sect running rampant and evil spirits rampant. This concerns the survival and revitalization of our Emei Sect, and we cannot afford to be careless. Yu'er is exceptionally talented, possessing both literary and martial skills, and is intelligent and quick-witted. Today, we will establish the mantle. You should all work together to bring glory to our Emei Sect."

Ding Minjun's mind went blank. She had risked her life for Emei, yet she was no match for Chen Yu, who had only been a disciple for less than two years. Thinking this, her nose stung, her heart ached, and her vision blurred.

Ji Xiaofu was genuinely happy for Chen Yu, her face beaming with joy.

Jingxuan had anticipated this outcome, and her eyes were full of encouragement as she looked at Chen Yu.

Su Mengqing let out a soft sigh. From now on, she no longer needed to struggle with whether to help her junior brother or senior sister. Following her father's instructions, she would wholeheartedly assist her junior brother.

Li Mingxia knew she had no chance of inheriting the mantle of Emei, but upon hearing that it was Chen Yu, she still felt a pang of jealousy.

Yang An's eyes welled with tears, for Emei was about to open up a new world.

Zhou Zhiruo's eyes shone brightly. "I should study martial arts diligently so that one day I can help my senior brother, the sect leader, punish evil and promote good, drive out the Tartars, and bring glory to Emei."

"Yang An, you all step back."

"Yes, sir." Yang An left with Zhou Zhiruo, Tang Zhihu, Shi Jinkui and others. Jingxuan burned sandalwood incense in the hall. Miejue led Chen Yu to kneel and pay respects to Guo Xiang and Fengling Shitai, and then let him sit beside her.

When the Emei Sect held discussions, Chen Yu always sat with his head bowed. Among the inner disciples, he was the youngest in seniority, but now that he had become the successor, his status had risen accordingly.

"Bai Guishou was captured by the Five Poisons Sect. What are your thoughts?"

In the past, Ding Minjun was always the first to speak in such situations. But now that it was Miejue's turn, just as she was about to open her mouth, Li Mingxia nudged her with her elbow.

Ding Minjun opened her mouth, then closed it in frustration.

Ji Xiaofu, Bei Jinyi, Su Mengqing and others all looked at Chen Yu.

Chen Yu remained calm and composed, speaking clearly and logically. "Master, back in the Wushan Gang, Luo Kui revealed that the forces that had sided with the Five Poisons Sect included the Thunder and Lightning Sect and the Jade Phosphorus Cave. The Bashu Altar is located in Bashan. Perhaps we could have Junior Brother Yang An investigate the enemy altars and sects and annihilate them in one fell swoop."

"Hmm." Extinction nodded slightly.

"Luo Kui also said that when his disciple came down the mountain that day, he was discovered by the spies planted in the county town by the Five Poisons Sect. His disciple felt that our Emei Sect could not hold onto one mountain."

"Share your thoughts."

"The matter of Ji Zhuang in Hanyang has inspired me. Ji Zhuang, Changwei Escort Agency in Guan County, and Emei Sect are all interdependent. If it hadn't been for the coincidence, Ji Zhuang would have been in danger of survival. My idea is to send disciples to build temples and spread the teachings in both places. This would facilitate information gathering, provide a basis for action, expand the sect's influence, and accumulate strength for the day when we can drive out the Tartars."

"Good idea." Miejue praised Chen Yu's suggestion.

Ding Minjun and Li Mingxia felt a jolt in their hearts. At the same time, they thought, "Chen Yu and I have never had any dealings before. Could it be that he's going to send me out to control everything?"

"Furthermore, Master once said that anyone who makes a contribution to the sect can be admitted to the inner sect without any special requirements. Junior Brother Yang has been working diligently in the outer sect. This time, he came down the mountain and planned and handled things on his own. I thought that Junior Brother Yang could be admitted to the inner sect to encourage the junior brothers and sisters in the outer sect to work hard."

"permit."

Ding Minjun felt utterly disheartened; this was blatant nepotism!