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

The wind howled, and Chen Yu arrived swiftly, braving the cold.

"Senior brother is here."

The Medicine King Cave has been incorporated into the inner sect, but the disciples still sort medicinal herbs and refine pills at the original site. However, now that their status has changed, the disciples are all in high spirits and full of energy, presenting a thriving scene.

Chen Yu appeared, and Shi Jinkui, who was in charge of the Medicine King Cave, came forward to greet him.

"Senior brother, have you had breakfast? There was medicinal porridge."

"One bowl, please."

"Alright." Chen Yu's down-to-earth behavior pleased Shi Jinkui. When the other party served him porridge and rice, Chen Yu thanked her and asked while eating, "I have something to ask you, Junior Sister."

"Can I?" Shi Jinkui asked in surprise.

"It's related to medical theory."

"That should be possible," Shi Jinkui said, displaying absolute confidence in his professional field.

"I want to combine the two lightness techniques into one, but it involves multiple internal organs and meridians, and I'm afraid that the qi in these meridians will clash and damage them."

"The five elements are indeed mutually restraining, but they are also mutually generating."

That's why I asked my junior sister for help.

"I know that." Shi Jinkui smiled brightly, like the morning sun, and said, "If you don't mind me being long-winded, please listen to what I have to say."

"Every detail is meticulously included."

"Well, then I'll explain." Shi Jinkui explained in detail: "The five internal organs correspond to the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water in the universe. Wood corresponds to the liver, fire to the heart, earth to the spleen, metal to the lungs, and water to the kidneys. If a cultivation method involves the kidney meridian and the heart meridian at the same time, there will be a problem of water and fire clashing."

"Yes, that's what's bothering me."

"Senior brother, have you ever heard the saying, 'The central energy is like an axle, the four directions are like wheels; when the axle moves, the wheel moves; when the wheel moves, the axle is spirited'?"

"No, please explain in detail, Junior Sister."

Shi Jinkui smiled and said, "This is a statement that my junior sister saw in the 'Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber'. The human body is composed of the spleen and stomach earth to form the central qi, which can be called the axis. The lung metal, gallbladder wood, liver wood, and kidney water form the four wheels, also called the four dimensions. The four wheels revolve around the central qi like wheels. When the axis moves, the wheels move; when the wheels move, the axis moves. The two depend on each other and work together. Isn't this the mutual generation of the five elements?"

Chen Yu pondered for a moment and said, "It means coordinating breathing with the practice, with the axis rotating internally and the wheel rising and falling externally."

Shi Jinkui exclaimed, "Senior Brother is truly gifted. His central Qi rises while the four Qi descend, and vice versa, forming a circular cycle. In terms of cultivation techniques, this should be called..."

"Small Heavenly Circuit"

"Yes, a special microcosmic orbit."

Chen Yu suddenly understood. "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Junior Sister."

Shi Jinkui was overjoyed, but then sighed, "The way of cultivation has always been something that junior brothers and sisters of the Medicine King Cave ask for guidance from senior sisters and brothers of the inner and outer sects. You are the first senior brother to come to the Medicine King Cave to inquire about it."

"Three people go together there must be my teacher."

"Junior sister can't possibly accept this. She's too grateful to her senior brother. If it weren't for him, how could we have been accepted into the inner sect?"

"Junior Sister, please take good care of me during the upcoming examinations for the inner disciples of Medicine King Cave."

"Don't worry, senior brother."

Chen Yu quickly finished the medicinal porridge. "I won't disturb my junior sister. Let's strike while the iron is hot and go study the cultivation technique."

"Please wait a moment, senior brother."

Shi Jinkui returned with a porcelain bottle. "This is a food elixir improved based on the secret recipe of the Five Poisons Sect. It has already been sent to Master. Senior Brother, take it. When you have an epiphany, you won't have to run around for meals. You can have one meal every three days."

The elixir cannot completely replace a proper diet, hence Shi Jinkui's statement.

"Okay, thank you."

"You're too kind, senior brother."

After bidding farewell to Shi Jinkui, Chen Yu proceeded from Yaowang Cave to Fozhang Rock.

With a few squeaks, the little white ape leaped out of the forest. Chen Yu took out several food pills for the ape, petted it for a while, and let it play on its own. He then sat cross-legged and began to integrate his cultivation techniques.

Hengshan's "Yuangong Jindoujin" forms a small circulation through twelve major acupoints in the three Yin meridians of the hand, the liver meridian of the foot, and the bladder meridian of the foot. Emei's "Youlong Sanzhe" follows the Yangqiao meridian, the Yinqiao meridian, and the lung meridian of the hand, forming a circulation between acupoints such as Kunlun, Zhaohai, and Yunmen.

The coolness of the jade ruyi quickly calmed Chen Yu's mind. He exhaled and inhaled, raising his vital energy and focusing on the four energies of the lungs, gallbladder, liver, and kidneys. With each breath, a circular cycle was formed. In an instant, the five energies surged up and down, and Chen Yu suddenly felt as if a whirlwind of fire had been ignited in his chest.

Thanks to the effects of the jade ruyi, Chen Yu could focus all his attention on guiding the qi without having to fight off the heart fire. He then used his mind to guide the qi, and the internal energy of the Nine Yang in his dantian quickly warmed up, circulating through the meridians and connecting the Yang Qiao meridian's Pucan and Kunlun acupoints on the outer ankle. Then, like threading a needle, it traveled into the Haizhao acupoint on the Yin Qiao meridian. In this way, it also connected the acupoints of the Jindoujin, such as Fuyang, Naoyu, Jianyu, and Jugu.

A microcosmic orbit encompassing seven meridians and eighteen acupoints is established, allowing for the circulation of internal energy. There is no conflict between the meridian energy and the internal energy. Under internal observation, the meridian energy and the internal energy form two complementary cycles, like two wheels.

No discomfort whatsoever, mission accomplished.

Chen Yu's move seemed simple, but in reality, even for talented Emei disciples like Ji Xiaofu and Bei Jinyi, who knew two lightness techniques, it would be extremely difficult to achieve a fusion of them in one step. The reason was that Chen Yu, by using the jade ruyi, could devote all his mind to his senses.

However, Ji Xiaofu and Bei Jinyi had to devote most of their attention to fighting the inner fire, and could not achieve complete harmony between intention and energy.

Chen Yu leaped up, gathering his energy once more. He felt his ribs expand as if wings were growing, his abdominal cavity bulge like a sac, and his feet gush forth with true energy like a spring.

"Ha ha……"

Chen Yu laughed loudly, his body swayed, and he flew straight up more than three zhang away. He seemed to be floating in the air, yet he was as light as a feather. He spun around once, rose more than ten zhang, and landed on the branches of an old tree. He lightly touched the ground with his toes and somersaulted several times before landing on another old tree.

With a squeak, a white ape flew in.

Chen Yu suddenly reached out and grabbed the white ape.

In a flash, with the ape's arm hooking the tree branch, it flipped sideways and flew away.

Chen Yu gave chase, his steps light as he treaded on flowers, his shadow following him, his two steps swift as he chased stars and the moon.

A monkey and a human, one in front and one behind, transformed into two swift shadows in the forests and fields behind Mount Emei, sometimes sinking and sometimes floating, their bodies as fast as flying ducks, creating an astonishing scene.

……

The sky was filled with the first delicate snowflakes, and after half a day of caressing, at dusk, the snow began to fall heavily.

Chen Yu and the white ape chased each other in the mountains for half a day. Now they have mastered the combined lightness skills of the Emei and Hengshan schools. With their lightness skills reaching a new level, they need to return to the essence and improve their internal strength.

Chen Yu returned to the courtyard and sat around the stove, beginning to study the "Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening Chapter" of the Nine Yin Manual that he had memorized. With his current level of knowledge, it was not difficult for him to understand it. After about half an hour, he put down the scroll.

He had a thorough understanding of the mysteries of the technique.

The entire exercise manual is divided into nine sections.

The initial three stages of fascia resurfacing aim to transform the body, making the fascia resilient, able to stretch and contract like a bow, and resulting in longer tendons and a stronger body. "For every inch the tendons grow longer, the strength increases threefold"—this is the principle at play.

The next three sections are bone and blood. Bone produces blood, and blood generates strength. By constantly cleansing the marrow, the body is nourished with new blood, bones are strengthened, and vitality is restored. Chen Yu felt that this was similar to a practice called "Marrow Cleansing Classic".

The remaining three sections use the method of circulating qi to temper the five internal organs and six bowels. This can also be understood as internal strengthening.

Ultimately, through the transformation of qi, blood, vessels, flesh, marrow, tendons, and bones, the physical body undergoes a complete metamorphosis.

The internal martial arts techniques of the Emei School have similar effects, but can only achieve quantitative changes.

Chen Yu felt that once he had mastered the first three stages, his muscles and tendons would be full, and the techniques he practiced, such as Hung Kuen and Bajiquan, would be able to increase their power many times over.

As dusk settled, Chen Yu's voice slowly rang out.

"Outside the joints and within the muscles, in the limbs and bones, there is no place without tendons and meridians, connecting the whole body, facilitating the flow of blood, and serving as an external support for the spirit. Just as a person's shoulders can bear weight, hands can grasp, and feet can walk, the agility and flexibility of the whole body are all due to the firmness of the tendons..."

"When the Qi is clear and even, harmonious and unobstructed, it flows through the tendons and membranes, making the whole body agile and moving everywhere. When the Qi reaches the membranes, they rise; when the Qi moves, the membranes expand. If they can rise and expand, then the membranes and tendons will be equally strong and secure..."

Chen Yu began to strengthen his tendons and bones.

……

Time flies, and the seasons change.

It is already the winter solstice.

The fire in the stove burned brightly, as if a rosy glow had fallen on Zhou Zhiruo's beautiful face. She carefully placed the dumplings into the food box, then filtered through the difficult questions that she had been struggling with during her cultivation in her mind before picking up the food box and gracefully walking towards Chen Yu's courtyard.

Zhou Zhiruo was a little excited to see her senior brother after not seeing him for so long.