The storm howled without end beyond their fragile sanctuary.
Inside the eye of the Shattered Tempest Expanse, however, everything was unnaturally still.
The fox sat motionless, her white fur blending seamlessly into the muted haze of distorted qi, completely concealed beneath the lizard's perfected invisibility. The lizard had shrunk again—small and compact, conserving energy. He rested atop her head, claws lightly hooked into her fur to steady himself as chaotic currents rotated beyond their shelter.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
But the lizard's mind was anything but calm.
*Hmm?*
So just… wait?
Until a Golden Core loses interest?
That could take years.
His thoughts sharpened.
Internally, he called out, "How long until my sight fully recovers?"
The System responded instantly, emotionless and precise.
**[Estimated Recovery Time: Fourteen Days.]**
He stilled.
Fourteen days.
He calculated silently.
Fourteen days inside a chaotic spiritual zone.
Fourteen days while a Golden Core predator waits outside.
He asked again, "How many evolution points do I currently have?"
A brief pause.
**[Evolution Points: 0]**
**[Gene Points: 0]**
Nothing.
His gaze remained blank as he stared into the spiraling wall of wind.
No beasts here.
No prey.
No cores.
No killing.
No points.
His eyes drifted downward slightly. The fox beneath him remained still, unaware of the direction of his thoughts.
Fourteen days until full ocular recovery.
Once recovered—
He could attempt a soul attack.
It wouldn't kill a Golden Core.
But it could injure. Disrupt. Create an opening.
But—
What if the cultivator possessed soul defenses?
At Golden Core… that possibility was high.
If the soul strike failed—
It would become a direct confrontation.
And in a direct confrontation—
Current strength: insufficient.
Conclusion:
Waiting passively was unacceptable.
He could not rely solely on a future advantage.
He needed to grow stronger before those fourteen days passed.
But how?
No beasts.
No points.
No devouring.
No external resources.
His thoughts slowed.
There was still one method.
The most basic.
The most fundamental.
Cultivation.
He had relied on evolution.
On system growth.
On devouring.
On adaptation through battle.
But since gaining reasoning, he had observed humans and beasts refine qi. Watched them circulate energy through meridians. Even if his memories of this world were fragmented, he still possessed knowledge—Earth knowledge. Understanding of systems. Structure. Efficiency.
And now—
He was inside a place overflowing with raw, violent spiritual energy.
Unstable?
Yes.
Dangerous?
Absolutely.
But also—
Dense.
Abundant.
Unclaimed.
His pupils narrowed.
If he synchronized properly—if he used wind and lightning not for speed but as conduits—he could draw from the storm itself.
The fox felt the faintest change in the air around her.
"What are you doing?" she transmitted softly.
"Cultivating," he replied.
She nearly turned her head but stopped, remembering they were concealed.
"…Here?"
"There is more spiritual energy here than anywhere outside."
She hesitated. "It's unstable."
"Yes."
A pause.
"Then refine it," he finished.
The fox fell silent.
Beyond their sanctuary, lightning struck sideways. Wind devoured itself.
The lizard closed his not-yet-fully-recovered eyes.
He did not pull qi violently.
He observed first.
The storm had patterns.
Rhythm.
Cycle.
Inhale—
The wind compressed inward.
Exhale—
It expanded outward.
He aligned his breathing with it.
Wind gathered naturally around him. Lightning followed, veins of pale light threading through turbulent air.
Instead of resisting the instability—
He matched it.
Wind entered his body through his scales.
Lightning filtered through his meridians.
He used wind to smooth the turbulence.
Used lightning to burn away impurities.
Slowly.
Carefully.
His core region began to warm.
The fox felt it now—a subtle gravitational pull forming above her head.
"…You're absorbing the Expanse energy."
Outside—
A Golden Core cultivator waited patiently.
Inside—
A small storm-born creature began refining the chaos of heaven and earth.
Fourteen days.
He would not waste them.
If a soul attack was not enough—
Then when those fourteen days ended—
He would be something more than he was now.
---
Five days passed like a single breath.
Inside the eye of the Shattered Tempest Expanse, the lizard slowly opened his eyes.
The faint lightning circulating around his body dimmed and withdrew beneath his scales.
The fox immediately felt the shift.
"You're awake," she transmitted quietly. "You've been cultivating non-stop for five days."
He blinked.
"…Five days?"
To him, it had felt like moments. One prolonged inhale with the storm.
He called inwardly, "What is my current cultivation level?"
The System answered without delay.
**[Current Realm: Foundation Establishment — Eighth Layer.]**
Silence.
His gaze stilled.
Still the eighth layer.
No breakthrough.
Five days of absorbing violent, dense spiritual energy—
And nothing.
His thoughts sharpened.
Even if he continued like this for nine more days, there would be no qualitative change. The energy density was high, yes—but he lacked a catalyst.
If he wanted to execute his plan—if he wanted to launch a soul attack against a Golden Core and survive the retaliation—he needed at least peak Foundation Establishment.
At minimum.
Otherwise, even if the soul strike landed, his body would not endure the counterattack.
The fox shifted slightly beneath him.
"I was planning to wait," she said slowly. "Until we were completely safe."
There was a faint rustle.
"But since you can cultivate in a place like this…"
She opened the small storage pouch at her side.
A dense, ancient aura flooded their sanctuary. Even the chaotic currents outside seemed to recoil faintly.
She withdrew a sealed jade container.
Inside—
A single drop of crimson-gold liquid floated.
Thick.
Heavy.
As though mountains were suspended within it.
The lizard's pupils narrowed.
"What's that?"
The fox glanced up slightly.
"Dragon blood essence."
Her tone was calm.
The air trembled faintly from the residual pressure of the droplet.
At the same time, the System's voice echoed inwardly:
**[High-Grade Draconic Blood Essence Detected.]**
**[Purity Level: 27%.]**
**[Estimated Origin: Ancient Dragon Subspecies.]**
**[Absorption Compatibility: Extremely High.]**
**[Warning: Violent Reaction Probability — 81%.]**
His gaze sharpened.
Extremely high compatibility.
Of course.
His bloodline.
His body.
The fox continued, "I bought it at the auction. It cost me nearly everything."
She snorted softly. "I was going to give it to you once we weren't being hunted by a Golden Core."
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"But right now? This might be the perfect place."
She gestured toward the rotating walls of chaos around them.
"If it goes wrong, the turbulence will mask the fluctuations."
The lizard stared at the droplet.
He could feel it calling to him.
Not like food.
Not like prey.
Like inheritance.
If he refined that essence, his foundation would change.
Not just more qi.
Better qi.
Denser.
More draconic.
Reaching peak Foundation Establishment might not simply be possible—
It might be inevitable.
But—
The System's warning lingered.
Violent reaction probability: 81%.
The fox looked up at him.
"Well?"
A faint grin touched her lips.
"You wanted to grow stronger, didn't you?"
Outside—
A Golden Core cultivator waited beyond the storm.
Inside—
A single drop of dragon blood essence floated between them.
And the air itself grew heavy with anticipation.