No one had ever possessed the complete version of the Nine Yang Manual ever since it was stolen from Shaolin. Zhang Sanfeng, Guo Xiang and Wuse only grasped parts of the book from Jueyuan's incomplete recitation of the text. Zhang Wuji discovers the white gorilla by chance. He uses his medical knowledge to remove the book from the ape's abdomen, which was placed inside by Yinkexi after he stole it from Shaolin nearly a century ago. As Zhang had previously learned Wudang's simplified version of the manual, he is able to understand its content and spends five years mastering the skills in the book. He develops the Nine Yang Divine Skill (九陽神功) from his study and uses it to heal himself of his wounds caused by the Xuanming Elders' 'Xuanming Divine Palm'. Zhang later buries the manual, along with the books about medicine and toxicology (written by Hu Qingniu and Wang Nangu), in an unknown valley in the Kunlun Mountains. Zhang integrates his knowledge of the manual's skills with other martial arts he learnt and becomes a formidable martial artist.