The next day, Zhang Xiaohua opened his eyes, and the first thing he did was release his divine sense to see what earth-shattering tragedy had occurred outside. Yet after sweeping the area for quite some time, those sleeping were still sleeping, those patrolling were still patrolling, and nothing was any different from when he had gone to sleep the night before.
Strange, Zhang Xiaohua thought. Could my senses have been wrong?
Well, perhaps so. As long as everyone is safe and sound, isn't that better than anything else?
With a casual wave, he removed the restriction at the cave entrance. Then he quietly slipped out of the cave and removed the restrictions before the other caves as well. Only then did he stroll out into an open clearing and, heedless of the gazes of the patrolling disciples, begin practicing his Big Dipper Divine Fist.
Although Zhang Xiaohua's Big Dipper Divine Fist balanced hardness and softness, each punch stirring the wind, it was still scorned by the disciples of Wuming Hall. From afar, they curled their lips slightly. At a glance, this was clearly an external martial art, wholly unrelated to inner force. How could it possibly catch the eye of outer sect disciples who regularly cultivated inner force?
Besides, a single fist art had only so many moves, and he practiced them over and over again, turning them inside out and repeating them endlessly. After only two or three sets, no Wuming Hall disciple remained interested in him. Even Lu Lihong, who got up later, merely glanced over twice, shook his head, and went about his morning exercises.
When the sun rose, all the disciples got up, fed the horses pulling the carts, packed their things, and the convoy from the Pill-Refining Hall set off once more.
Senior Brother Wang,