The forest path had fallen quiet again—too quiet.
Leaves shifted softly overhead, but even that sound felt distant, muted, as though the world itself hesitated to acknowledge what was unfolding beneath it.
Ling Wei walked at the front.
His posture was stiff, every movement controlled with deliberate restraint. His arms were steady only because he forced them to be.
In his hands—
the small white lizard rested like an ordinary injured beast.
But nothing about it felt ordinary.
Behind him, Ling Yue followed closely. Her steps were uneven, and her gaze never stayed still, constantly darting across the surrounding forest as if expecting something to leap out at any moment.
After a long stretch of silence, she finally leaned slightly forward and whispered,
"Big brother…"
Ling Wei did not turn his head.
"…What."
Ling Yue hesitated for a moment.
"Shouldn't we hide it?"
Her voice lowered even further.
"If we bring it back like this… and they see it…"
Ling Wei's mouth twitched faintly.
Of course he had considered that.
He wasn't foolish.
He was currently carrying a creature that had nearly erased their entire existence—just by *speaking*.
Inwardly, he was already screaming.
*Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I have any choice right now?! I feel like my bones are going to crack just holding this thing—*
But outwardly, he merely sighed.
"…We'll just say we found a rare beast," he said calmly.
"…and decided to bring it back for identification."
Ling Yue blinked.
"…That sounds believable?"
Ling Wei cast her a flat look.
"It's better than saying it told us to carry it."
"…Fair."
She paused, then quickly added,
"We should act normal. If we look suspicious, they'll question us more."
Ling Wei exhaled slowly through his nose.
"I'm aware."
Then, after a brief pause, he added dryly,
"You might want to stop trembling."
Ling Yue forced a nervous smile.
"I'm not trembling."
Her legs visibly shook as she said it.
Before Ling Wei could respond—
a cold voice cut directly through both of their thoughts.
"Don't say anything unnecessary."
Both siblings stiffened instantly.
Their steps nearly halted.
Ling Yue's forced smile froze in place.
Ling Wei's grip tightened instinctively around the creature in his hands.
"…Yes, senior," Ling Wei replied immediately.
A pause followed.
Then—
Ling Yue blinked slowly.
"…Big brother."
Ling Wei glanced at her.
"What."
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"…Where is it?"
Ling Wei frowned.
"…What do you mean, where is it?"
"I mean—it's gone."
Ling Wei lowered his gaze to his hands.
The small white lizard was still there.
But—
something felt wrong.
His vision confirmed it.
He could no longer see it.
No shape.
No outline.
Nothing.
Only empty air rested in his palms.
And yet—
he could still feel it.
The weight remained.
The pressure was unchanged.
Even the faint warmth of its body lingered against his senses.
Ling Wei's expression gradually stiffened.
"…It's invisible."
Ling Yue's eyes widened.
"…Invisible?!"
Ling Wei swallowed once.
"Yeah."
After a brief hesitation, he added more quietly,
"I can't see it… but I can still feel it."
Ling Yue leaned slightly closer, squinting hard at his hands.
"I don't see anything at all…"
A pause.
Then her voice dropped even lower.
"…That's even scarier."
Ling Wei did not disagree.
In his hands, the empty space suddenly felt heavier than before.
And from somewhere within that unseen presence—
a calm, indifferent voice echoed again.
"Continue."
Ling Wei kept walking at a steady pace, though every step now felt as if it carried something far heavier than it should.
*Better this way.*
He glanced downward briefly.
Nothing was visible in his hands.
No shape. No outline.
And yet the pressure remained—real, undeniable. Like holding an unseen mountain that breathed quietly within his grip.
At least now…
they would not need to explain anything.
No one would question why they were suddenly carrying a "mysterious beast." No one would panic at its appearance. No one would realize what it truly was.
That alone made the situation slightly more manageable.
Ling Wei exhaled slowly and shifted his gaze sideways.
Ling Yue was walking beside him again, though her trembling had lessened slightly.
Not gone—but at least controlled.
*So even not seeing it helps calm her down…*
That was something.
Behind them, the forest gradually opened up.
The narrow, scattered paths they had taken earlier came back into view as faint voices began to echo ahead.
"Over here!"
"Did you find anything?"
"No, nothing on my side!"
The rest of the group was regrouping.
Soon, figures emerged from between the trees—other young cultivators from their party, along with the two elders standing at a distance.
Elder Qin frowned immediately.
"You all took long enough. Any findings?"
One by one, the disciples shook their heads.
"Nothing."
"Not even a spirit beast."
"It's completely empty."
Another added uneasily,
"This place is too strange."
Elder Zhao narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Strange how?"
The disciple hesitated before replying,
"…It feels like everything is avoiding this forest."
A few others nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Even birds aren't around."
Ling Wei arrived with Ling Yue just as the discussion continued.
The yellow-haired youth sighed.
"We wasted the whole trip."
Another clicked his tongue in frustration.
"At this rate, we should just head back."
Several others immediately agreed.
"Yeah, there's nothing here anyway."
"Elder Qin, Elder Zhao, should we return to Lotus Valley?"
The two elders exchanged a brief glance.
Elder Qin slowly nodded.
"…It is unusual."
Elder Zhao added,
"No traces of beasts, no disturbances, nothing. That alone is concerning."
His gaze swept across the group.
"Very well. We return."
Relief immediately spread through the younger cultivators.
One by one, they began gathering their belongings, preparing to leave the forest.
Ling Yue exhaled softly beside Ling Wei.
"…Finally."
Ling Wei did not respond.
He simply continued walking.
Because in his hands—
the invisible weight remained perfectly still.
And from it, that same calm, unreadable voice echoed once more.
"Do not deviate."
Ling Wei's fingers tightened slightly.
"…Yes," he murmured under his breath.
Ling Yue glanced at him.
"…Did you say something?"
Ling Wei shook his head.
"Nothing."
But as the group began their journey back toward Lotus Valley…
none of them realized that what they believed to be a failed training expedition—
was now carrying something that could quietly determine the fate of their entire city.
The group moved steadily through the forest.
Branches swayed overhead.
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy.
From the outside, everything appeared normal.
Young cultivators chatted casually.
Some complained about the wasted trip.
Others joked about returning empty-handed.
Yet hidden within Ling Wei's arms—
an invisible predator listened in silence.
Lizarius remained concealed beneath his concealment ability.
Not a trace of his presence leaked outward.
Not even the two elders sensed anything unusual.
His golden eyes remained closed.
Yet his mind remained active.
Calculating.
Observing.
Evaluating.
*Spirit Refining.*
His thoughts drifted toward the humans surrounding him.
Weak.
All of them.
Exactly as expected.
Spirit Refining cultivators.
The two elders were stronger than the others.
But only slightly.
Insignificant.
Under normal circumstances, he could erase the entire group with a casual strike.
Now—
things were different.
His body remained severely damaged.
His core unstable.
His soul injured.
Yet even so, these people posed no threat.
His thoughts shifted toward the two siblings.
Ling Wei.
Ling Yue.
And the poison mark etched onto the backs of their hands.
The mark itself was not particularly lethal by his standards.
It was not meant to be.
Its true purpose was control.
Insurance.
Fear.
As long as they believed disobedience meant death—
they would obey.
And if they attempted betrayal—
the poison would activate.
Simple.
Efficient.
Useful.
*The two are sufficient.*
There was no need to involve the others.
No need to introduce unnecessary variables.
No need to risk drawing attention.
Killing them all earlier would have solved one problem—
and created several more.
Missing clan heirs.
Dead disciples.
Dead elders.
Entire clans investigating.
Questions.
Searches.
Attention.
Things he could not afford while recovering.
No.
This outcome was preferable.
The siblings lived.
The city remained unaware.
And he had acquired transportation directly into human territory.
Far more useful.
The journey continued.
Minutes passed.
Then nearly an hour.
The younger disciples gradually relaxed.
The tension from the strange valley slowly faded.
Laughter returned.
Conversations resumed.
As the group continued their return journey, the forest itself seemed to shift.
Not normal movement—
but *wrong* movement.
The earlier emptiness was gone.
Now faint rustling echoed between the trees. Branches moved without wind. Shadows flickered in places where nothing should have stood.
The atmosphere had changed.
Elder Qin's steps slowed slightly.
"…Something's off."
Elder Zhao narrowed his eyes.
"I sense it too."
Behind them, the younger disciples stiffened.
The yellow-haired youth looked around nervously.
"What is it, Elder?"
Before either elder could answer—
a low growl echoed from the treeline.
Then another.
Then several more.
Green eyes began appearing between the dense foliage.
Ling Wei instinctively tightened his grip.
The invisible weight in his hands remained still, but his entire body had already gone rigid.
Elder Qin's voice turned serious.
"…Spirit beasts."
Elder Zhao nodded slowly.
"Several of them."
The group immediately formed a loose defensive formation.
The younger disciples swallowed hard.
"Why are there so many all of a sudden?"
"I thought this place was empty…"
Ling Yue moved closer to Ling Wei, her voice barely audible.
"…This wasn't happening before."
Ling Wei did not answer.
Elder Qin raised a hand slightly.
"Stay alert.
These are low-level spirit beasts—Rank Two and Three—but their numbers are strange."
Elder Zhao added calmly,
"Do not panic.
We can handle them."
But even as he spoke—
more shapes emerged.
Ten.
Twenty.
Then more.
A pack forming from all directions, slowly tightening the encirclement.
Ling Wei's expression darkened.
"…This doesn't seem normal," he muttered under his breath.