The valley remained quiet after the lizard disappeared into the forest.
Only the soft sound of the stream flowing over smooth stones filled the clearing.
The fox lay there for a moment longer, chin resting on her paws, turquoise eyes half-lidded as she listened to the distant forest.
Then slowly—
A smile crept across her face.
Her tail flicked once.
"Well…"
She lifted her head and stretched her front legs lazily.
"While he's out hunting…"
Her eyes gleamed with unmistakable excitement.
"…I suppose I should check my own harvest."
With a subtle ripple of spiritual light, she reached toward the small storage pouch hanging from the cord around her neck. Something slipped free and landed softly on the grass in front of her.
A ring.
Simple.
Dark metal.
Faint golden runes etched along the inner band.
The fox's turquoise eyes brightened immediately.
"The Golden Core cultivator's storage ring."
Her voice carried barely restrained excitement.
She had taken it from the corpse puppet earlier, stowing it away quickly before leaving the battlefield.
Now that things were calm—
She was **dying** to see what it contained.
Her tail swished eagerly.
"You fought a Golden Core cultivator…"
She muttered, studying the ring.
"…so your storage ring had better not disappoint."
But she didn't rush.
A cultivator's storage ring could contain defensive seals or spiritual traps left behind by its owner—especially someone as cautious as that man had been.
The fox narrowed her eyes slightly.
A thin strand of spiritual sense extended from her mind, touching the ring like a careful probe.
The runes flickered faintly.
Nothing happened.
The fox's eyes lit up.
"No defensive seal?"
She grinned.
"You were in a hurry when you fled."
That made sense. When he escaped, he had been poisoned, injured, and desperate. He hadn't had time to reinforce everything he owned.
Her excitement returned.
The fox studied the faint spiritual fluctuations emanating from the ring.
Even without opening it, she could feel the subtle energy within. A Golden Core cultivator's storage ring would never be ordinary.
But her enthusiasm slowed.
Her ears twitched.
"Mm… not so fast."
She leaned closer, examining the faint golden runes along the inner band.
"There's still a soul imprint."
Her tail swayed slowly as she circled the ring.
The imprint was subtle—but undeniable.
A thin remnant of spiritual presence clung to the formation like a lingering shadow—the owner's mark.
The fox clicked her tongue softly.
"Of course there is."
She sat again, curling her tail around her paws as she stared at it.
"A Golden Core cultivator's storage ring isn't something you can simply pick up and open."
Her turquoise eyes narrowed in thought.
"That soul imprint must be erased first."
She tapped the ring lightly with a claw.
"But removing the imprint of a Golden Core cultivator…"
Her ears flattened slightly in annoyance.
"…isn't nearly as easy as stripping one from a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Foundation Establishment imprints were weak. A stronger spiritual sense could crush them with little effort.
A Golden Core imprint, however, was denser—more stubborn. Even if the owner was far away, the mark could resist being erased.
She sighed.
"This will take work."
The fox lowered her head slightly.
Her turquoise eyes glowed faintly as spiritual sense gathered once more.
This time—
It didn't merely probe the ring.
It pressed directly against the imprint.
The moment it touched, the ring trembled.
Golden light flickered along the runes.
The imprint reacted instinctively, resisting intrusion.
The fox's ears twitched again.
"Oh?"
A small grin spread across her face.
"So you're still stubborn, even after fleeing."
Her spiritual sense pressed harder.
Invisible pressure built around the ring.
"Let's see how long your imprint can hold."
The grass around the ring rustled softly as spiritual energy gathered.
The fox's turquoise eyes sharpened with focus.
"If I erase this imprint…"
Her tail flicked eagerly.
"…everything inside will belong to me."
But she understood the challenge.
Breaking the imprint of a **Golden Core cultivator** would not happen instantly.
It required time.
Careful pressure.
And patience.
So the fox settled in, concentrating as her spiritual sense slowly began grinding away at the stubborn mark left within the ring.
---
Meanwhile—far deeper in the valley—
The air was thick with spiritual energy.
Tall trees twisted toward the sky, roots crawling across the forest floor like ancient serpents. Mist drifted between the trunks, carrying the quiet sounds of insects and rustling leaves.
Yet within that stillness—
A predator moved.
Silently.
The small white lizard glided through the forest like a ghost.
No rustle of leaves.
No disturbance of wind.
No sound at all.
His body was completely **invisible**, wind currents bending light around his scales as he slipped between the trees. Not even the faintest ripple in the air betrayed him.
Golden eyes remained sharp.
Focused.
His senses stretched through the forest.
And there—
He found it.
The demonic beast.
Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.
It rested in a clearing, a heavy aura pulsing slowly from its body—dense with raw spiritual energy.
The lizard slowed.
Even injured, his instincts remained precise.
He climbed a large tree, moving to a thick branch overlooking the clearing.
Then he stopped.
And looked down.
The beast lay curled beside a cracked stone formation.
Massive.
Armored in dark gray plates that overlapped like natural armor.
A long tail dragged across the dirt, thick enough to shatter rock.
Two jagged horns curved from its head.
Each breath caused faint spiritual energy to swirl around it.
The lizard's pupils narrowed.
A **Stoneback Horned Monitor**—a territorial demonic beast.
Its earth-aligned scales granted exceptional defense, making it a difficult opponent for most predators at the same stage of cultivation.
But the lizard didn't move yet.
He observed.
Studying the rhythm of its breathing.
Muscle tension.
The direction of the wind.
His body remained still on the branch.
Invisible.
Patient.
A faint arc of lightning crawled across the black scales near his tail.
His energy was low—below thirty percent.
He could not afford a prolonged fight.
This hunt would end in a single strike.
Below, the Stoneback Horned Monitor shifted in its sleep.
Completely unaware.
Above it—
The invisible storm dragon coiled his body.
Wind gathered silently.
Lightning built within his scales.
Golden eyes locked onto the exact point where the beast's skull met its spine—the killing point.
Then—
He moved.