The fox crouched low, turquoise eyes sweeping the courtyard.
> "Let's get started," it transmitted softly, voice carried only in thought. "Leave the pouch with me. Carrying it along is only a hindrance. Don't worry, I'll keep it safe. Once you finish, you can come get it."
The lizard, perched atop its head, shifted slightly. The pouch beneath it wobbled for a moment, then it flicked its wings, lifting off. The pouch remained balanced atop the fox's head as it hovered briefly.
Slowly, the fox began to fade from perception, invisibility brushing against the edges of the night. It paused, feeling the weight on its head lessen. Raising a paw, it confirmed the lizard had left, then set it down carefully.
The fox bent its head over as the pouch began to slip. In one fluid motion, it snapped it up with its mouth, teeth closing lightly around the fabric.
It moved, disappearing from the spot, leaving no trace behind. The night remained undisturbed, only the faint hum of energy hinting at its presence.
---
Above, the lizard spread its wings, slicing through the night air. Golden eyes glowed, scanning the estate below with precision. Every roof, every courtyard, every flicker of spiritual energy pulsed faintly, tracing the estate like a living map.
Through the haze of darkness, its gaze caught a mid-stage energy pulsing steadily within a building. Stronger currents throbbed around it, radiating faintly from deeper within the innermost part of the estate.
> "There," it thought, narrowing its gaze on the source of dense energy within the building.
The unmistakable signature of a cultivator of significant power.
Invisible, it dove, wings beating silently, slicing through the night air. The estate stretched vast below, but the lizard traced the energy like a river flowing beneath the tiled rooftops. Every pulse of spiritual force guided its path. It moved without sound, a streak of shadow moving against shadow, scanning constantly for other presences.
Ahead, it identified the building — the source of the strongest energy. Two guards stood at the entrance, their cultivator auras sharp, vigilant.
> "Both energies are just that of a Rank 5 and 6 beast," it thought, staring at them with wide, glowing eyes.
Wings angled precisely, it slipped past them effortlessly, body brushing unseen against the moonlight.
Its golden eyes remained locked on the interior, scanning every corner for fluctuations in energy.
It entered the structure, still invisible. Wings folded slightly, tail flicking, it hovered silently, ready to approach its target without detection.
The lizard glided through the narrow lattice of an upper window, wings slicing noiselessly through the thick air within.
Inside, the chamber was dim — lit only by the pale shimmer of moonlight filtering through a carved lattice screen. Incense smoke curled in slow spirals, heavy with sandalwood and something sharper, bitter — the scent of spirit herbs.
The pulse of energy was stronger here. It filled the room like a living tide, steady and suffocating.
At the center sat a man.
His long hair, once black, had turned mostly silver, bound loosely behind him with a crimson cord. His robes flowed down over him. He radiated calm, unmoving presence.
Lin Canghua, the Great Elder of the Lin Clan — a cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
His breath was slow, measured, each exhale brushing the edges of the chamber with faint ripples of Qi. Though his eyes remained closed, the lizard could feel the weight of his cultivation — steady, ancient, deeply rooted.
He sat cross-legged, hands resting on his legs, body faintly pulsing with spiritual light. The rhythm matched his breathing.
The lizard hovered near the rafters, golden eyes reflecting the dim shimmer of his spiritual energy.
> "Its energy… different from other mid-stage cultivators. Stronger," it thought, wings spread wide, tracking Lin Canghua's steady pulse.
> "What is its cultivation?" it asked the System, voice calm.
> {System}
"He is a Cultivator of the Foundation Establishment stage, 6th Layer."
The lizard's eyes narrowed sharply.
> "Hmm… sixth layer."
Below, Lin Canghua continued his meditation — unaware of the silent gaze fixed upon him from above.