Who knows how much time had passed. Zhang Xiaohua felt that the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth he had been absorbing had stabilized within his body. The purest and most abundant Yuan Qi flowed into his meridians, blending seamlessly with the True Qi already within them. After circulating through a full cycle, it was tempered and stored in his middle dantian. Zhang Xiaohua carefully observed that the True Qi in his middle dantian had grown denser than before. While the quantity remained similar, the quality had improved significantly.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua habitually released his perception. This release surprised him greatly—it felt as though his perception now allowed him to see everything around him as clearly as with his eyes. Unlike before, when he could only sense the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth, this newfound ability felt extraordinary. Zhang Xiaohua’s thoughts turned to the records in the [Carefree Heart Sutra], and he suddenly realized: wasn’t this the “divine sense” mentioned in the sutra? It was said that this divine sense could only be cultivated after reaching the sixth level or above of the Heart Sutra. How could he have grasped it now?

Intrigued, Zhang Xiaohua began to experiment with this newfound ability. His divine sense felt like an additional pair of eyes, allowing him to perceive in all directions—above, below, left, right, forward, and backward. But it wasn’t just visual; it felt more like an extra appendage. His divine sense wrapped around the crops in the field, and Zhang Xiaohua could distinctly feel the weight of the grains on the stalks. He even tried to pluck the fruits from the plants using his divine sense, but despite his attempts, he couldn’t succeed. It seemed because he was just a beginner and not yet mature enough.

For now, Zhang Xiaohua’s divine sense could only cover a radius of about five zhang(16 meters). Though this range wasn’t vast, it filled him with delight, as if Zhang Xiaohua was like a child with a brand-new toy. He played with it until he grew tired and instinctively retracted his divine sense, feeling it recede like the ebbing tide.

As his divine sense returned to his body, Zhang Xiaohua finally noticed that he was not alone atop the large Yuan Stone. His second brother, Zhang Xiaohu, stood nearby, looking anxious. Moreover, the barren surroundings from when he had first arrived had changed. A simple thatched hut had been constructed around him, and he was now sitting cross-legged inside this little hut.

Startled, Zhang Xiaohua opened his eyes and prepared to stand. However, he suddenly noticed that the world before him had changed. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a clarity he had never experienced before. Through the gaps in the thatched roof, he gazed outside and found the world layered and distinct. Even the blades of grass beside him seemed to shimmer with a divine brilliance. A realization dawned upon him: his cultivation of the Heart Sutra had entered the second level, and these benefits were the rewards of advancing in his practice.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a trace of anticipation. If just mastering the first level of the technique brought about such profound changes, what unimaginable transformations would occur if he mastered all eighteen levels?

Moreover, another long-standing question surfaced in his mind. The cultivation method and results of the [Carefree Heart Sutra] were clearly different from what He Tianshu had taught him. Was his internal cultivation technique truly an internal cultivation technique?

But if the [Carefree Heart Sutra] wasn’t an internal cultivation technique, then what kind of martial art could it be?

Frowning, Zhang Xiaohua walked out of the small thatched hut.

Zhang Xiaohu, who stood nearby, looked anxious but refrained from pacing. He was deep in worry when he suddenly heard footsteps. Raising his head, he saw Zhang Xiaohua emerging from the hut. His expression instantly lightened, and he quickly walked over, looking Zhang Xiaohua up and down before asking: “Xiaohua, are you alright?”

Zhang Xiaohua, puzzled, replied: “What could possibly be wrong with me, Second Brother? Are you okay?”

Zhang Xiaohu chuckled and said: “Of course, I’m fine. What could possibly happen to me?”

Zhang Xiaohua turned and pointed to the thatched hut behind him. “If nothing’s wrong, why build this thatched shed? I was just sitting here for a while—was this really necessary?”

“Just sitting for a while???” Zhang Xiaohu looked at Zhang Xiaohua as though hearing the most absurd joke in the world. Pointing at Zhang Xiaohua’s nose, he exclaimed; “Xiaohua, oh Xiaohua, do you know you’ve been sitting here for nine days and nine nights!”

“Nine days and nine nights!?” Zhang Xiaohua was dumbfounded. He repeatedly asked: “Second Brother, how is that possible? How could that be? It felt like only a short while!”

Zhang Xiaohu’s face was filled with envy as he replied: “Doubt all you want, but it’s been nine days and nine nights. How could your practice of the [Wild Ox Strength] yield such results? I’ve heard Master say that some advanced internal martial artists can enter closed-door cultivation and train continuously for several days. But you’ve only just started—how could you already manage to cultivate for so long?”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and chose to remain silent. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his second brother, but Zhang Xiaohu was, after all, a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect. If he had told him the truth, it might have put Zhang Xiaohu in a difficult position. Since that was the case, a well-intentioned lie seemed to be the best choice for both.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s silence, Zhang Xiaohu assumed he was still immersed in the progress of his internal cultivation. He asked again: “Xiaohua, what level has your internal energy cultivation reached now?”

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “How would I know? I don’t have a master to guide me—I’ve just been fumbling around and practicing blindly, so I’m not sure.”

Zhang Xiaohu quickly said: “That’s alright, Xiaohua. When we return to the Piaomiao Sect, I’ll ask my master for you. He’ll surely be able to tell me.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua hurriedly responded: “Second Brother, please don’t. I’d rather practice on my own. If I ever have a question, I’ll ask you. But if I don’t ask, you don’t need to bring it up with Master Wen, alright?”

Zhang Xiaohu saw his insistence and had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Quickly changing the subject, Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Second Brother, what’s the story with this thatched hut?”

At the mention of the hut, Zhang Xiaohu laughed and said: “Speaking of that… Remember that day you insisted on fetching water? We waited for a long time, but you didn’t return. Eldest Brother went to look for you and found your bucket lying by the well. He thought you’d fallen in and was scared out of his wits. Without even taking the time to let anyone know, he grabbed some tools and fished around in the well, but of course, he didn’t find anything.”

“After that, Eldest Brother panicked and ran back home like a madman. He didn’t dare tell Mother, so he secretly pulled me aside. He tied one end of a rope to himself and the other end to me. You know how Eldest Brother has always been a better swimmer than me—he insisted on going down the well first. I couldn’t stop him. He stayed at the bottom of the well for a long time, but still couldn’t find any trace of you.”

“It was then that Mother, Father, and Sister-in-law realized something was wrong and came rushing over. You have no idea—Mother was crying her heart out, and Father didn’t know how to console her.”

“Fortunately, Sister-in-law was sharp enough to think that you wouldn’t fall into the well so easily. That’s when we started searching elsewhere. Eldest Brother found you here by this field. You were sitting perfectly still, breathing faintly, and with a serene smile on your face. He didn’t dare move you, so he called me over. I remember seeing you meditate like this in the guest room of the Medicine Hall during the Martial Arts Competition. I told them you were cultivating your internal skills and that it was a critical moment where you mustn’t be disturbed. That finally convinced them to leave.

“Mother and Father, of course, didn’t want to go back, so I had to say that disturbing you might cost you your life. Only then did they reluctantly leave. Eldest Brother and I kept watch from a distance. Soon, night fell, and you still hadn’t woken up. Mother was worried you’d catch a chill, and she also feared that villagers might wander by and disturb your cultivation. We wouldn’t be able to explain it to them. So, we built this thatched hut for you. It wasn’t easy. Haha, Eldest Brother and I put it together far away and carefully carried it over to cover you, just like when we used to trap birds in the snow when we were kids.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua thought back to the peril he’d faced when he had a qi deviation after returning to Guo Village. He couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of dread. If not for his second brother’s knowledge and careful handling, he might have experienced another deviation. Who knew if he would have been lucky enough to survive it again?

With that in mind, Zhang Xiaohua looked apologetic and said: “Second Brother, it’s all my fault for being so focused on cultivation and causing so much trouble for you all.”

Zhang Xiaohu burst into laughter and said: “What trouble? Eldest Brother and I just took turns keeping an eye on you, one during the day and one at night. It’s no big deal. It’s like when we used to guard melons in the field—nothing to worry about. But you should hurry back home. You have no idea how worried Mother and Father have been. No matter what I told them, they didn’t really believe it. They’ll only be at ease once they see you safe and sound.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded and said: “Alright, let’s head back together.”

The two brothers returned to the village. Along the way, villagers who knew them kept asking: “Xiaohua, where have you been these past few days? We heard you were back, but we haven’t seen a trace of you.”

Before Zhang Xiaohua could reply, Zhang Xiaohu would step in and say: “Xiaohua went to Lu Town to take care of some matters.”

Hearing that Zhang Xiaohua had business in Lu Town, the villagers’ expressions immediately turned respectful. They refrained from asking further questions.

When the two brothers returned to the Zhang family’s courtyard, they saw everyone in the main hall with anxious expressions. The moment they saw Zhang Xiaohua following Zhang Xiaohu inside, their faces brightened with joy. Zhang Xiaohu immediately said: “See? Xiaohua’s back, safe and sound, not even a hair out of place. Didn’t I say so? He was just practicing his internal skills. You all don’t need to worry anymore.”

Seeing the deeply concerned look in his mother’s eyes, Zhang Xiaohua quickly reassured her: “Mom, I was really just practicing martial arts. I just lost track of time. Look, I’m perfectly fine.”

Before Guo Sufei could respond, tears had already begun streaming down her face. She wiped them away and said: “It’s not that Mother doesn’t want you to focus on martial arts. But next time, can you let me know beforehand if you’re going to practice? That way, I won’t be so worried, alright?”

Zhang Xiaohua’s heart ached at her words. He said earnestly: “Mother, I understand now. I won’t do this again. Next time, I’ll definitely tell you before I start practicing.”

Zhang Cai, puffing on his dry tobacco pipe, couldn’t help but chime in: “As long as you’re alright. But you must remember to let us know beforehand next time so your mother doesn’t have to worry.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded obediently and said: “I understand, Father. I’ll make sure of it.”

Mr. Liu, standing off to the side, let out a sigh but said nothing.

Liu Qian then asked: “Xiaohua, after sitting for nine days and nights, aren’t you hungry?”

As soon as she mentioned this, Zhang Xiaohua’s stomach growled loudly, making him blush. Embarrassed, he said: “Now that you mention it, Sister-in-law, I am really hungry.”

Liu Qian chuckled and said: “Then hurry inside and have some water first. I’ll bring the food out right away.”