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

Mount Emei is the most beautiful mountain under heaven, with ever-changing scenery. One mountain contains all four seasons, and every ten miles brings a different world.

It was late spring when Chen Yu and Abbess Miejue finally arrived at the Emei Mountain area. Looking around, they saw magnificent peaks rising with the glow of dawn, flocks of egrets soaring, and monkeys howling – a truly spectacular sight.

The journey was uneventful. Abbess Miejue taught Chen Yu a set of "Nine Palaces Swimming Dragon Steps," and then asked him to refine "Yue Maiden Sword Technique" and "Willow Dance in the Wind Sword," while also explaining some common knowledge about meridians and internal energy cultivation.

For example, the four elements of harmony are: concealing the gaze, focusing the ear, regulating the breath, and keeping the tongue still.

Acupoints are connected to meridians, which originate from sinews. Sinews are like mountains, meridians like rivers, and acupoints like riverbanks and villages; therefore, acupoints, meridians, and sinews are inseparable. Meridians are the channels for the flow of Qi and blood; their unobstructed flow is crucial to health and the advancement of martial arts skills. Blood vessels prefer softness to stiffness, warmth to cold, moisture to dryness, and unobstructed flow to blockage. To reach the pinnacle of martial arts, one must continuously use internal Qi to relax muscles and tendons, connecting the meridians and acupoints. Practicing external martial arts typically involves methods such as bathing, medicinal diets, and soaking in medicinal wine to relax muscles and tendons, nourishing the internal organs. For martial artists, using internal Qi as the primary method and medicinal diets as a supplement to strengthen muscles and tendons and clear the meridians yields even better results.

The explanation of the massacre was detailed, and Chen Yu took careful notes. He was also deeply moved. In the world of Yitian, no disciple of the Emei Sect could compare to Song Qingshu. It was not only because of the nun's teachings that he could not learn the proper methods, but also because the martial arts of the Emei Sect were not inferior. Apart from Zhou Zhiruo, the disciples' talents were simply insufficient.

He was even more grateful for the other party's teaching method. It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. What he lacked was a comprehensive and solid understanding of the methods of martial arts training. This way of teaching would help him to fill in the gaps in the boxing techniques he learned when he was a stuntman, to understand the subtle details, and to reach a higher level.

Birds fly and rabbits run, time flies.

In this rhythm of teaching and learning martial arts, Miejue and Chen Yu arrived at the Emei Mountain area in mid-April.

The two did not enter Emei County, but followed the stone path up the mountain. The mountain path was winding and ascended step by step. The empty mountains were quiet, with the sound of flowing water echoing in the valleys from time to time.

Spring thunder rumbled, and soon after ascending the mountain, a misty rain enveloped Mount Emei. Chen Yu looked back, but the clouds and mist obscured the path he had taken; only the gate of Mount Emei lay ahead.

Abbess Miejue's mood brightened. She had come down the mountain on business, but things hadn't gone as planned. However, she had unexpectedly encountered the exceptionally talented Chen Yu, a silver lining in a silver lining. In her cheerful mood, she spoke more, explaining, "From afar, this mountain resembles a beautiful, long, and delicate eyebrow, hence its name, Mount Emei. The summit is where Bodhisattva Samantabhadra manifested. A temple was built there during the Han Dynasty, where a great burst of Buddhist light shone forth, and it was named the Puguang Hall. There are also Baishui Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Xianfeng Temple, and Xixiang Pond, among others. Once you've settled in, you can explore and familiarize yourself with the terrain."

"Disciple understands."

A light drizzle was falling from the sky, washing the leaves on the mountainside until they shone brightly, their lush green leaves seemingly about to drip. Chen Yu followed the pebble-paved path, turning over a small bridge over a stream, and passing through a bamboo grove. Before her came a bamboo house, its verdant bamboos swaying, quiet and secluded, a place that soothed the soul.

A burst of pleasant laughter suddenly came from behind. Chen Yu looked in the direction of the sound and saw several women under the eaves of a bamboo house. The women there also looked back, their laughter turning into either fear or surprise.

"Oh no, if Master sees us behaving so recklessly, he'll put us in solitary confinement."

"Ah, Master is back."

"Master."

Four figures carrying bamboo baskets and wearing straw hats, each holding up their skirts with one hand, gracefully flew over like butterflies through the slanting wind and drizzle. Water droplets on the green grass rolled down as their embroidered shoes swept past. The figures landed in front of Miejue and said in crisp, orderly voices, "Disciples greet Master."

Before Miejue could ask, a beautiful and elegant woman in the middle, who appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, said, "This disciple brought three junior sisters to gather herbs, but unexpectedly the rain came so suddenly, so we took shelter in the bamboo hut and did not come to greet Master."

"They were all laughing and joking, none of them serious."

"Please punish me, Master."

"Where is Minjun?"

"Many outer disciples came during Master's time down the mountain, and Senior Sister has been supervising their practice these past few days."

Miejue gave a light snort, not pursuing the matter further, and changed the subject, saying to Chen Yu, "Greetings to your Senior Sister Ji, Senior Sister Su, Senior Sister Li, and Senior Sister Zhao."

Chen Yu knew in her heart that it was Ji Xiaofu, Su Mengqing, Zhao Lingzhu, and others.

"This humble one, Chen Yu, has met several of my senior sisters."

Ji Xiaofu breathed a slight sigh of relief. Her master was always strict, and although everyone was seen laughing and playing under the eaves of the bamboo house, he never punished them. It must be because he had taken on a disciple.

"Junior Brother Chen, please don't be so polite."

"Master, Junior Brother Chen is handsome and has bright eyes; he must be a martial arts talent." Su Mengqing said sweetly, trying to curry favor with Miejue.

Miejue was pleased and said, "Xiaofu, take him to the outer gate and settle him in a secluded place. He will burn incense and enter the gate tomorrow."

"Understood, Master. Junior Brother Zhou, come with me."

"This disciple takes his leave."

Chen Yu bowed to Miejue, then walked towards Ji Xiaofu. As they walked a distance apart, the elegantly dressed Ji Xiaofu comforted him, saying, "Master has a discerning eye, but I can see that he favors you greatly, Junior Brother. You must be exceptionally talented. Don't be discouraged by being a nominal disciple. Practice martial arts diligently. Even if you only receive a little guidance from your senior sisters, it will benefit you for life."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister Ji."

"Are you skilled in martial arts?"

"I've practiced some boxing techniques haphazardly, but I've never really mastered them."

"Having a foundation is good; basic techniques will be much easier to learn."

"Junior brother will work hard."

"Which family does Junior Brother Zhou belong to?"

"He made a living by fishing in the Xiangjiang River in Hengyang, encountered villains, and was rescued by the sect leader."

Ji Xiaofu looked apologetic and quickly said, "Junior Brother Zhou, don't worry. Once you join Emei, no one will bully or make things difficult for you anymore. We will also take care of you."

"Thank you, Senior Sister." Chen Yu spoke with grace and composure, sighing inwardly at Ji Xiaofu's kind heart, but unfortunately, her fate was full of misfortunes.

"Senior Sister Ji, does the sect leader always descend the mountain alone?"

"Actually, I spend most of my time in seclusion on the mountain cultivating. This time, I'm coming down to Wangpan Mountain. Junior brother, are you familiar with some of the ways of the martial world within Emei?"

According to Ji Xiaofu, Chen Yu knew that Abbess Miejue must have gone to Wangpan Mountain to find Bai Guishou to inquire about Xie Xun and seek revenge, but the information was not enough to determine exactly which time period in the world of Yitian.

"When I was fishing in Hengyang, I heard some people in the martial arts world say that the Emei and Wudang sects were on good terms."

Ji Xiaofu's expression instantly darkened.

Chen Yu, observing the situation, deduced that Zhang Wuji had likely returned to Wudang Mountain from Icefire Island, and that Zhang Cuishan and his wife had committed suicide. Ji Xiaofu was still on Mount Emei, so the world of Yitian was currently in during Zhang Wuji's recovery period at Wudang.

"Senior Sister Ji, what's wrong? Did Junior Brother say something wrong?"

"You will gradually learn the truth about this matter."

"Hmm, Senior Sister, tell us about the other senior sisters and brothers."

Ji Xiaofu's thoughts returned from some unpleasant memories. She spoke of the origin and development of the Emei Sect, as well as its members such as Jingxuan, Ding Minjun, and Bei Jinyi. She also spoke of the many disciples of Emei, being impartial and unbiased, which made her quite likable.

……

A small villa is built in the mountains, with moss growing along the stone path. Broad leaves provide shade, and secluded bamboo groves reflect the azure sky.

Ji Xiaofu showed Chen Yu around the outer gate layout, introduced him to the senior brother in charge, and then led him to this secluded and quiet courtyard.

"Junior brother, rest well. Tomorrow I will take you to offer incense and formally enter the sect, so you can familiarize yourself with the various halls and courtyards."

"Okay, thank you, Senior Sister Ji."

Don't be so polite.

After Ji Xiaofu left, Chen Yu entered the courtyard. It was a spacious courtyard with stone walls and wooden houses. The main house faced north, and there were wing rooms on the east and west sides. There was a persimmon tree with lush branches and leaves, a porcelain jar, a wooden bucket, and a nine-square pillar in the courtyard.

The disciples of Emei have a profound understanding of Yin and Yang, the Four Symbols, the Nine Palaces, and the Eight Trigrams. This was demonstrated by Zhou Zhiruo during the Battle of Bright Peak in the world of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.

Chen Yu examined the Nine Palaces Stakes and guessed that the previous owner of this courtyard must have practiced the Emei Four Symbols Palm technique.

He now has a comprehensive understanding of the Emei Sect. There are more than 300 disciples in total, most of whom are outer disciples. When Abbess Miejue is in seclusion or down the mountain, Jingxuan takes care of the sect's affairs.

The courtyard was spotless, clearly cleaned regularly, requiring no extra effort. Chen Yu placed his bundle on the table, hung his long sword on the wall, spread the mattress and quilt he had received on the bed, and went outside to fetch spring water from a wooden bucket and fill a porcelain jar.

He washed away the dust of his journey, changed his clothes, and with a flourish, entered the array of wooden stakes, practicing the Nine Palaces Swimming Dragon Step, a movement technique taught to him by Abbess Miejue along the way.

The wind has ceased, the rain has stopped, and the fallen petals are silent. Dusk falls amidst the cold mist, and night descends.

Extinction appeared on the mountain path. Looking down from above, one could see Chen Yu practicing the Nine Palaces Step, moving in all directions, front, back, left, right, and diagonal. The thin mist made him look like a young dragon weaving through the air.

"Since ancient times, true skill comes from hardship; only through countless trials and tribulations can one reach the pinnacle." Abbess Miejue said with a pleased expression, "So diligent from the very beginning! Excellent, excellent!"