The wind moved quietly through the ruined forest.
Broken trees leaned in every direction, the ground scarred by craters and scorched by lightning. The battlefield still carried the heavy scent of burnt qi and blood.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The lizard remained where he stood, white scales cracked in several places. The lightning that once danced wildly across his body had faded to faint flickers that occasionally crawled along the black scales at the end of his tail.
His breathing was slow now.
Controlled.
But the exhaustion was there.
Across from him, the fox watched silently.
Her brown fur shifted gently in the breeze, turquoise eyes sharp as they studied him.
Then she spoke.
"Well…"
Her tail swayed once behind her.
"That was quite the mess."
She looked around at the shattered terrain.
Mountains fractured.
Forests flattened.
A Golden Core cultivator forced to flee.
Her ears twitched.
"I'd say today was rather… productive."
Her gaze returned to him.
"But you don't look like you're about to collapse."
The lizard didn't deny it.
The earlier techniques had taken their toll.
The **Blood Fury Mountain Tyrant Physique**, the storm control, the soul attacks—each one carried heavy backlash. His body still burned from the strain, and his vision occasionally blurred at the edges.
Still—
He remained standing.
The fox gave a quiet snort.
"Stubborn."
She turned slightly and looked toward the distant forest beyond the ruined battlefield.
"We shouldn't stay here."
Her tone was calm, but firm.
"A Golden Core battle leaves too much disturbance. Other cultivators or spirit beasts will investigate sooner or later."
Her turquoise eyes slid back toward him.
"And in your current condition…"
Her tail flicked once.
"You wouldn't enjoy another fight."
She began walking slowly away from the battlefield, clearly expecting him to follow.
"There's a valley a few hundred miles west of here," she continued.
"The spiritual energy there is dense, and the terrain is complicated. It's a good place to hide for a while."
After a few steps she paused.
Then glanced back over her shoulder.
"You should recover."
Her eyes lingered on the cracks in his scales and the dried blood along his side.
"That Golden Core didn't just scratch you."
A faint smirk appeared.
"And if he survives his wounds and poison…"
Her turquoise eyes gleamed slightly.
"…he might come looking for revenge someday."
The wind stirred again.
The ruined battlefield creaked under shifting debris.
The fox watched him quietly for a moment longer before adding in a lighter tone:
"So…"
Her tail swayed slowly.
"Are you coming, little storm dragon?"
"Or do you plan on guarding that empty corpse field all day?"
The lizard didn't move immediately.
He simply stood there, staring at the fox's back as she waited a short distance away.
The ruined battlefield stretched around them like a graveyard of broken stone and splintered trees. The storm clouds that once churned violently above were already dispersing, leaving only thin strands of gray drifting across the sky.
Inside his body—
Everything hurt.
His body burned.
The earlier clash with the Golden Core cultivator had pushed him far beyond what his current cultivation should have endured. The **Blood Fury Mountain Tyrant Physique**, the storm manipulation, and the soul techniques—every one of them had drained him.
He could feel it clearly.
Only a fraction of his energy remained.
Less than thirty percent.
His breathing was steady, but his limbs felt heavier than usual. Even the faint lightning occasionally crawling across his scales flickered weakly now.
If another enemy appeared right now…
It would be dangerous.
Very dangerous.
His golden eyes swept across the battlefield one last time.
The corpse puppet was gone.
The spirit tool had been taken.
The cultivator had escaped.
Nothing remained here except the scars of the battle.
The fox watched him quietly from ahead, turquoise eyes half-lidded but alert. She didn't rush him. She seemed to understand exactly what state he was in.
Her tail swayed slowly.
"Well?" she asked lightly.
"You planning to grow roots there?"
The lizard exhaled slowly.
A faint rumble escaped his chest.
Then he stepped forward.
The ground cracked softly under his claws as he began moving.
The fox's ears twitched in mild satisfaction when she saw him follow.
"Good."
She turned and started walking again, moving through the ruined forest with practiced ease.
The two of them moved away from the battlefield.
Neither spoke for a while.
Only the sound of wind and distant rustling leaves followed them.
After some time, the fox glanced sideways at him again.
"You pushed yourself quite far back there."
Her tone carried a hint of curiosity.
"Most spirit beasts at your stage would have died ten times over fighting a Golden Core cultivator."
Her turquoise eyes gleamed faintly.
"But you didn't."
She tilted her head slightly.
"That bloodline of yours…"
Her voice trailed off thoughtfully.
"…it's not ordinary."
Ahead of them, the land slowly began to slope downward.
The forest grew thicker.
Spiritual energy in the air gradually became denser.
The fox's ears perked slightly.
"We're getting close."
She flicked her tail toward the valley ahead.
"Once we reach the valley, you can rest."
Then she glanced at him again, a faint grin appearing on her face.
"Try not to die before we get there."
The forest grew denser as they moved deeper into the valley.
The spiritual energy in the air thickened, flowing slowly between the ancient trees like an invisible current. Compared to the ruined battlefield behind them, this place felt calm… quiet.
The fox moved lightly across the forest floor, her brown fur brushing through tall grass as her sharp turquoise eyes scanned the surroundings.
Behind her—
A faint ripple of spiritual energy appeared.
The large white-scaled lizard suddenly began to shrink.
His body compressed smoothly, bones and muscles shifting as his form reduced again and again until the once towering storm beast became something no larger than a small snake.