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

The evening clouds dispersed, and the setting sun hung high.

After dinner, Chen Yu sat upright under the persimmon tree in the courtyard and practiced the Emei breathing exercises taught by Abbess Miejue.

The coolness of the jade ruyi allowed him to calm his mind without having to clear his mind of distractions. His already considerable internal energy circulated throughout his body with his blood and qi, making a soft, murmuring sound like a clear spring. As his blood flowed, it reached every part of his body, nourishing every muscle and tendon.

After about several hundred breaths, the blood began to flow turbulently, gradually becoming like a surging river, and a wisp of subtle but warm heat seemed to emerge from the gaps in the bones and rush into the meridians.

Another wisp of internal energy was born.

Qi is the commander of blood, and blood is the mother of qi. When qi flows, blood flows; when qi stagnates, blood stagnates. Qi generates blood, circulates blood, and controls blood. Blood nourishes qi and carries qi. The two are interdependent and interact with each other.

The profoundness of Emei Kung Fu lies in the fact that once you find the Qi sensation, you can quickly grasp the Qi and blood, and the circulation of Qi and blood nourishes the muscles and bones, strengthens the body, and cultivates strength.

Chen Yu continuously exhaled and inhaled, and after half a watch, he brought the strands of internal energy he had cultivated and which were circulating through his meridians into his dantian. Then, using the breathing technique, he transported the hot internal energy to the coccyx, a point on the Du meridian. From there, it rose to the four points of Jiaji, Shuangguan, Tianzhu, and Yuzhen, and finally to the Niwan Palace at the top of his head. After pausing for a moment, he pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and his internal energy descended, circulating from Shenting to Queqiao and Chonglou, slowly descending to his dantian.

With his internal energy circulating freely, Chen Yu's complexion was rosy, his spirit radiant, and he was full of energy, showing none of the physical and mental exhaustion that an ordinary disciple would experience after half a day of arduous practice. He got up to practice the Nine Palaces Stance when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from afar.

"Junior Brother Chen, have you rested yet?"

"It's still early, Senior Brother Yang."

Chen Yu strode across the courtyard and opened the door. "Senior brother, please come in."

"it is good."

The two were admitted to the hospital. Chen Yu poured tea, and Yang An took a small sip before taking out a square box from his pocket.

"The most difficult things in the world must be done by starting with the easiest, and the greatest things in the world must be done by starting with the smallest. Junior Brother, your skill is evident in the details of your practice during the day." Yang An sighed, "Junior Brother is no ordinary person. Be humble and not be impatient. Do not waste this talent. I hope that one day you can enter the inner sect and become the sect leader's personal disciple. I have been teaching you, and if you truly succeed, I will surely shed tears that soak my blue robe."

"Senior Brother Yang is a man of great virtue and should be the sect leader's personal disciple."

"Alas!" Yang An sighed. "The martial world is in chaos, and the world is in turmoil. It's already incredibly difficult to gain a foothold, let alone stand out from the crowd. It's more than hard to climb to heaven. Now that we have a place to stand in Emei, that's enough. Junior brother, you're studying hard. This box of plasters to relax muscles and improve blood circulation will come in handy."

"As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement. Senior brother, do not give up hope either. My father often taught me that one must go against the current, have ambition, and even if the road is full of hardships, there will always be a day when the sun shines brightly."

Yang An was already thirty years old, and if others had said that, they would have thought it was mockery. But Chen Yu spoke sincerely and had clear eyes. Looking at the other man's thriving spirit, Yang An suddenly felt his withered and dry heart revitalized.

He let out a soft breath, "Thank you for your kind words, I won't disturb my junior brother's cultivation."

"To my senior brother."

The two walked out of the courtyard, and Yang An said, "Junior Brother, please return."

"Take care, senior brother."

Chen Yu watched Yang An's figure disappear into the twilight before entering the courtyard to begin practicing the Nine Palaces Stance.

……

In the stillness of the night, the wisps of smoke dissipated.

Chen Yu leaped out of the Nine Palaces Stake in an instant, using his palm to lead his fist, and with a muddy step, he moved like a dragon probing its claws. He turned and changed his palm, then moved like a lion holding a ball on both sides, followed by a backward kick with a hooking step. His movements were graceful and light, like a snake swimming and a dragon dancing. Suddenly, Chen Yu spun around and got close to the wooden stake, his left hand pushing against his elbow, and his right hand thrusting straight through his armpit with a palm strike. The palm force was like a drill penetrating bone. A Bagua Palm killing move, "Dragon Hidden Under the Leaves," landed on the wooden stake.

With a loud thud, the wooden stake shook.

"With a slight increase in internal strength, one can truly feel the power in the palm. If one were to cultivate tendons and bones, lengthening tendons and increasing strength, Baguazhang would be no less powerful than any of the unique skills in the 72 volumes of Shaolin Temple's martial arts manual in this era."

Chen Yu looked pleased, finished his practice, fetched water, washed up, and went to sleep peacefully.

……

A few streaks of dawn's fiery glow, a thin veil of light and wisps of smoke shrouding the mountains.

Chen Yu got up early to practice his sword at the Sword Washing Platform when he suddenly heard a series of clanging sounds in the air.

"Someone's already practicing martial arts?"

Chen Yu was quite curious, so he hurried through the forest. When his view suddenly opened up, he saw Yang An's figure moving along with the wooden stakes, his hands...

Like sharp claws stirring up the clouds, fingers like eagle beaks, tearing and seizing locks, this is the skill of grappling.

Chen Yu's eyes lit up. Suddenly, he saw Yang An's body sink down, his hands like the mouths of a bloodthirsty dragon, his claws closing and gripping the wooden stake. With a snap, wood chips flew everywhere, and the opponent gripped large pieces of wood in each hand.

"If I were to grab the enemy's arm, with that kind of strength, I could probably tear it apart."

Yang An turned around, saw Chen Yu, and stopped his practice, saying, "Junior Brother Chen, why have you arrived so early?"

"I'm still a step too late, senior brother."

Yang An said, "As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement. Junior brother's words are kind and inspiring. An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles, and I am still strong and vigorous. The mundane world is difficult to climb, but martial arts skills do not lie. In the future, I will follow the sect leader to drive out the Tartars and kill a few villains."

"Senior brother is right."

"What my junior brother said was truly thought-provoking."

"I was merely reciting some of my father's teachings. Senior brother, you're too kind. Is this a grappling technique?"

"It is the 'Emei Small Capturing Hand,' which is the introductory technique of our school's supreme skill, the 'Nine Intercepting Hands.'"

"Could I learn it?"

Yang An laughed heartily, "Of course I can. I will pass it on to my fellow disciples in the future. If your foundation is weak, you need to proceed step by step. If you have a solid foundation, I will teach you everything you know, not only grappling techniques, but also basic martial arts of the Emei School such as the Emei fan, Emei daggers, and hidden weapon skills, as long as you are willing to learn."

"Thank you, senior brother. It's rare to see senior brothers and sisters practicing weapons like the Emei dagger."

"Our school reveres the sword and focuses on swordsmanship. However, practicing thrusting, fan techniques, and hidden weapons can greatly benefit swordsmanship, improving the power and range of the sword."

"Junior brother, I have learned a lot. From now on, I will practice these techniques with you in private."

"No problem, I'll teach you the 'Emei Minor Capturing Technique' first."

"Okay."

Chen Yu placed the wooden sword on the weapon rack, fastened his leg wraps, and Yang An said, "First, recite the incantation: Thirty-six minor grappling techniques, unseen by gods and ghosts. The Buddha's palm seizes the wrist, Erlang carries the sun, cleaves the ribs. One finger pierces the sky, striking the eyes, the black dragon swirls its tail, sweeping the eyebrows..."

Yang An taught by example, and the cool sensation emanating from the jade ruyi on Chen Yu's chest calmed his mind, allowing him to concentrate on listening, watching, and learning.

After reading it once, Yang An asked, "Junior Brother, how much of it have you remembered?"

"It's about 80%, but there are still some major points that need further explanation from you, senior brother."

"Junior brother has a photographic memory, I admire you," Yang An exclaimed. "You explained the moves while you were demonstrating them."

"it is good."

Chen Yu humbly sought instruction, and Yang An explained everything in detail. Gradually, the two became more agile, dismantling, restraining, and counter-rescuing techniques unfolded, like two dragons writhing and biting, constantly creating crackling sounds in the air.

A tiny red sun rises from the vast clouds.

Tang Zhihu walked over and saw Chen Yu and Yang An. He said to himself, "I am actually the third person to come to this Sword Washing Platform to practice martial arts. It is no exaggeration to say that I have learned from diligence."

Tang Zhihu didn't disturb the two of them. He walked away and practiced the basic skills of Emei swordsmanship with his sword.

As the sun rose higher, a few outer disciples arrived one after another, each with wide eyes.

"What's wrong with Senior Brother Yang? Has the old tree been rejuvenated?"

"Is the new junior brother so diligent?"

"No matter how hard you try, you can't get into the inner circle."

"One's skills are acquired through one's own efforts; one's abilities do not impress others."

The outer disciples had various opinions. When Lin Shen saw people, Abbess Miejue looked at Chen Yu with increasing satisfaction.

"Be humble and patient, and eager to learn. Live up to expectations."