The fox stared up at the small lizard for a moment longer, her turquoise eyes shining with expectation.
The lizard said nothing.
He simply sat between her ears, calm and unmoving.
That was all the confirmation she needed.
"Oh, good."
She said it quickly.
Before the lizard could even react—
Her paw shot down.
She grabbed the **Moonshade Spirit Grass** and, in one smooth motion, opened the small storage pouch hanging from the cord around her neck.
A ripple of spiritual light flickered.
Then—
*Shup.*
The herb disappeared inside.
The pouch snapped shut instantly.
The fox straightened as if nothing had happened.
Her tail swayed innocently behind her.
"There."
She said with complete satisfaction.
"Safely stored."
The lizard remained seated on her head, golden eyes glowing faintly as he stared ahead.
The fox cleared her throat lightly.
"Obviously…"
She added casually,
"…I'll refine it properly later."
Her ears twitched.
"It would be irresponsible to leave a spirit herb lying around where some random beast might eat it."
Her turquoise eyes flicked upward for a moment, clearly aware of the lizard sitting directly above her.
Then she continued speaking as if defending herself.
"And besides…"
She lifted her chin proudly.
"I'm the one handling all the resources anyway."
"So naturally I should keep it."
She paused.
Then added with a smug smile,
"For **organizational purposes**."
Above her—
The small lizard's tail flicked once.
Whether he believed that explanation…
Was another matter entirely.
The forest remained quiet around them, the full moon hanging high in the sky as the two prepared to move deeper into the night.
The fox gave the clearing one last glance.
Then she began packing everything away.
The **Ghost Banner** was folded carefully before she slipped it back into the storage pouch. The dark cloth twitched faintly once before disappearing inside, the trapped ghost still suppressed beneath the runes.
Next came the **storage ring**.
She rolled it between her claws for a moment, her turquoise eyes glinting with satisfaction, before dropping it into the pouch as well.
Then the sealed black box.
The corpse puppet token.
Every last item from the night's harvest vanished one by one into the small pouch hanging around her neck.
When she finished, the fox stretched her back and shoulders lazily.
"Alright."
She said it with a small sigh.
Her tail swayed once behind her.
"That's enough resting."
She glanced toward the forest.
"We should get moving."
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Next destination."
Her voice carried excitement now.
"Somewhere with enough demonic beasts for **both of us** to eat our fill."
On her head—
The small lizard's golden eyes flashed faintly.
Then slowly…
His body began to blur.
His scales faded.
The wind around him twisted slightly as his **invisibility** ability activated.
Within seconds—
He vanished.
But he didn't stop there.
A faint ripple of energy spread outward.
The air around the fox shimmered briefly.
Then—
Her body disappeared as well.
The fox blinked.
She slowly raised one paw and looked down at it.
There was nothing there.
Only empty air where her paw should have been.
Her ears twitched.
"Oh."
She rotated the paw slightly.
Still nothing.
A grin slowly spread across her muzzle.
"Well…"
She chuckled softly.
"This is always so convenient."
Invisible fox paws touched the ground as she took a step forward.
No body.
No shadow.
Only the faint sound of grass shifting beneath her feet.
She nodded with approval.
"Alright then."
Her voice came from empty space.
"Let's go hunting."
And with that—
The invisible fox began moving through the moonlit forest, silent and unseen.
---
Hours passed beneath the quiet, moonlit sky.
The forest gradually thinned as the fox moved deeper into the mountains, her invisible form slipping silently between ancient trees and jagged stones.
Eventually—
The fox slowed.
Then stopped.
They stood before a narrow crack in a cliff wall, half-hidden behind hanging vines and thick moss.
A cave.
Small.
Dark.
Almost impossible to notice unless someone knew exactly where to look.
The fox's voice came softly through a voice transmission from empty air.
"…Here."
She stepped closer to the entrance.
"This place should work."
The lizard remained on her head, both of them still invisible. His golden eyes glowed faintly as he scanned the surroundings.
The forest remained quiet.
No nearby cultivators.
No powerful beasts.
Only distant nighttime sounds.
The fox moved quickly.
She began pulling items from her storage pouch one after another.
Small jade plates.
Thin carved talismans.
A handful of spirit stones.
She worked fast.
Placing the plates into the ground around the cave mouth.
Sliding talismans into cracks between the rocks.
Pressing spirit stones into carved grooves.
As the final piece settled—
She formed a hand seal with her paw.
A pulse of spiritual energy spread outward.
The talismans flickered.
The jade plates hummed faintly.
Then—
The cave entrance blurred.
The vines thickened.
The rocks shifted slightly.
Within seconds, the entrance no longer looked like a cave at all.
Only an uneven cliff wall covered in old moss and creeping vines.
A high-tier Earth Grade **concealment formation**.
The fox stepped back and studied her work.
"…Good enough."
She muttered.
"It won't fool a Golden Core cultivator if they search carefully…"
Her tail flicked once.
"…but it'll hide us from most things."
Behind her—
The air rippled.
The small lizard slowly became visible again, landing lightly on the stone beside her.
His golden eyes studied the concealed entrance.
The fox glanced at him.
"We'll stay here for now."
She turned toward the hidden cave.
"You wanted to eat."
"And I need time to refine resources."
Her turquoise eyes gleamed slightly.
"And we both need to recover after that fight."
Without waiting, she stepped forward and passed through the illusionary rock wall.
The concealment formation rippled slightly—
Then swallowed her inside.
The cave grew quiet again beneath the night sky.