The Waist Token's Strange Property

Zhang Xiaohua held the waist token and walked straight into the restriction. The token had not shown the slightest fluctuation of vital energy, so Zhang Xiaohua had not paid it any special attention before. But now that Senior Brother Wei had mentioned it, he became alert and released his divine sense, paying no heed to Senior Brother Wei, who was about to spread his movement technique and give chase behind him.

The instant Zhang Xiaohua struck the restriction, a faint ripple immediately spread from it, sweeping over his entire body. When it encountered the waist token in his hand, the token seemed to echo it, sending out a ripple of its own. The two ripples met and vanished without a trace. A sizable blank space appeared in the restriction, and Zhang Xiaohua passed straight through it.

Before Zhang Xiaohua could sigh inwardly at the wonder of the restriction, the sight before him stirred his heart again. The bluestone mountain path, the rocks, and the trees beside it all looked quite different from how they had appeared outside the path just moments ago. In an instant, Zhang Xiaohua understood why he had not seen Senior Brother Wei and the others earlier. They had been hiding inside the restriction, observing him from afar.

At the same time, the moment Zhang Xiaohua stepped onto the bluestone mountain path, before his gaze had even withdrawn from the utterly different scenery, he heard a startled cry from ahead. "Is... is that Senior Brother?"

Zhang Xiaohua looked up and saw the white-clad woman descending the steps, surprise written across her face. Was she not Zhang Ping'er, who had gestured to him on Shixin Peak?

Before Zhang Xiaohua could answer, several whooshes came from behind him. The peak-guarding disciples caught up and formed a semicircle around him.