Inside the sealed cultivation chamber—
silence reigned.
The room looked vastly different from how it had appeared a month ago.
The piles of spirit stones that had once covered large portions of the floor were gone.
Most of the medicinal bottles had been emptied.
Several had been crushed entirely.
Faint stains of dried blood marked the stone floor in scattered patches throughout the chamber.
At the center of it all—
the black, cracked shell-like substance that had once encased Lizarius remained split apart across the ground.
Like the discarded husk of some ancient and monstrous creature.
The white-scaled lizard himself was nowhere to be seen.
Only a small figure sat quietly amidst the debris.
Eating.
The corpse of an Iron-Spine Cat slowly disappeared between powerful jaws.
Crunch.
Bones shattered.
Crunch.
Flesh vanished.
Crunch.
Blood disappeared.
The chamber remained silent except for the steady sounds of consumption.
Golden eyes remained calm.
Cold.
Thoughtful.
One month.
The recovery had been worthwhile.
---
Meanwhile—
far across Lotus City—
Ling Wei moved swiftly through the bustling halls of the White Lotus House.
His pace increased with every passing second.
The sounds of music, laughter, and conversation blurred together around him.
His thoughts raced.
*The mark activated.*
*Senior is awake.*
*Yue definitely felt it too.*
There was no possibility she hadn't.
The poison mark connected both of them.
If his mark had erupted with pain—
hers would have done the same.
Which meant she was probably already rushing back toward the residence.
Ling Wei rounded another corner.
Only to come to an abrupt halt.
Three young men were approaching from the opposite direction.
All wore expensive robes.
All carried themselves with the confidence of those born into influential families.
The young man in front spotted him immediately.
His eyes brightened.
"Ling Wei!"
Ling Wei's heart sank.
*Not now.*
The youth laughed as he approached.
"You're actually here."
"We heard you rented one of the private rooms."
The other two followed behind him.
One carried an elegant folding fan.
The other had a sword hanging from his waist.
All three appeared to be in exceptionally good moods.
Unfortunately—
Ling Wei was not.
The leading youth grinned.
"You disappeared for quite a while after returning from Lotus Valley."
"What happened?"
"Were you recovering after being chased by spirit beasts?"
The three laughed.
Normally, Ling Wei would have responded.
Normally, he would have traded insults with them.
Normally, he might have stayed for a drink.
Today—
absolutely not.
"Another time."
He immediately stepped aside.
"I have somewhere important to be."
The three blinked.
That was not the response they had expected.
The fan-bearing youth frowned.
"Somewhere important?"
He glanced deeper into the White Lotus House.
"You were literally drinking moments ago."
Ling Wei's expression twitched.
*Because I didn't expect a monster to suddenly wake up.*
Outwardly, he forced a smile.
"Family matter."
The leading youth raised an eyebrow.
"A family matter serious enough to abandon Lady Chi Xue?"
The other two immediately looked shocked.
"Wait."
"You left Chi Xue's room?"
"You?"
The sword-bearing youth stared at him as though witnessing an impossible miracle.
Ling Wei felt a headache beginning to form.
"Yes."
"Now move."
The blunt response caught them completely off guard.
The three exchanged bewildered glances.
Something was clearly wrong.
The leading youth's smile faded slightly.
"...Is everything alright?"
"No."
The answer slipped out instinctively.
Then Ling Wei sighed.
"...I mean yes."
The three looked even more confused.
Ling Wei rubbed his forehead.
"Forget it."
"I don't see why I should explain myself."
Without waiting for a reply—
he stepped around them and continued on his way.
The three young masters remained standing where they were, watching him leave.
The fan-bearing youth blinked.
"...Was that really Ling Wei?"
The sword-bearing youth nodded slowly.
"I think so."
The leading youth stared at Ling Wei's retreating figure.
"...Something definitely happened."
None of them realized just how accurate that statement truly was.
Because at that very moment—
the thing awaiting Ling Wei's return was not a clan elder.
Not a family member.
And certainly not a friend.
It was a creature that had fought Nascent Soul cultivators.
A creature currently being hunted by powerful forces throughout the cultivation world.
And it had finally awakened.
---
The moment Ling Wei stepped into his courtyard—
he spotted a familiar figure waiting near the entrance.
Ling Yue.
The young woman immediately stood upon seeing him.
Relief flashed across her face.
Followed by lingering fear.
"G-Gege."
Ling Wei quickly approached.
"It seems you understood immediately."
Ling Yue nodded repeatedly.
Her face was still somewhat pale.
"How could I not?"
She subconsciously rubbed the back of her hand where the hidden mark rested.
"That pain..."
A shiver ran through her body.
"For a moment, I genuinely thought I was going to die."
Ling Wei's expression darkened.
He understood exactly what she meant.
Because he had felt the same thing.
It wasn't merely pain.
It was the certainty that accompanied it.
The terrifying sensation that death was only a single thought away.
"I know."
His voice was low.
"I felt it too."
Ling Yue released a shaky breath.
The memory alone was enough to make her nervous.
The mark had remained completely silent for an entire month.
No commands.
No warnings.
Nothing.
Then suddenly—
that unbearable agony.
As though the creature had casually reminded them of their place.
"I rushed here immediately."
She glanced toward the inner residence.
"But you weren't back yet."
A trace of embarrassment appeared on her face.
"I..."
She hesitated.
Then quietly admitted—
"...I was too afraid to go in alone."
Ling Wei stared at her for a moment.
Then, somewhat surprisingly, nodded.
"Good."
Ling Yue blinked.
"Good?"
"It's good that you waited."
He began walking toward the inner residence.
"If Senior only summoned one of us and the other arrived later..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
The implication was obvious.
Neither of them had any desire to discover whether making such a creature wait would be considered disobedience.
Ling Yue hurried after him.
The closer they drew to the sealed cultivation chamber—
the quieter they became.
Even the sounds of the clan gradually faded away.
Servants.
Disciples.
Guards.
Everything seemed distant.
Until eventually—
only their footsteps remained.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The corridor stretched endlessly ahead.
Ling Yue swallowed nervously.
"Do you think..."
She hesitated.
Then lowered her voice.
"...Do you think it's fully recovered?"
Ling Wei's expression tightened.
"I don't know."
The answer was not reassuring.
Because neither possibility was good.
If the creature wasn't fully recovered—
it was dangerous.
If it was fully recovered—
it was even more dangerous.
The siblings eventually reached the final corridor.
The sealed cultivation chamber stood before them.
The formation remained active.
The heavy stone doors remained tightly shut.
For a moment—
both stopped.
Neither moved forward.
Neither spoke.
The pressure wasn't physical.
It came entirely from their own minds.
One month ago, they had entered this room carrying a dying beast.
Today—
they had no idea what awaited them inside.
Ling Yue looked toward her brother.
Ling Wei stared at the door.
Then he took a slow breath.
"We've already come this far."
Ling Yue nodded weakly.
"Right."
Another moment passed.
Then together—
the siblings approached the chamber.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Until they stood directly before the sealed doors.
Neither entered immediately.
Ling Wei swallowed.
Then raised a hand and knocked lightly.
"Senior?"
His voice was respectful.
Careful.
"We have arrived."
For a moment—
nothing happened.
Then—
RUMBLE.
Both siblings jumped.
The heavy stone doors suddenly slid open on their own.
A cold gust of air drifted outward.
Ling Yue instinctively took a step back.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The two cautiously looked inside.
And froze.
The room was a complete mess.
Shattered bottles littered the floor.
Broken jade containers lay scattered everywhere.
Crushed medicinal jars covered entire sections of the chamber.
Dried blood stained portions of the stone floor.
The contents of their storage pouches were strewn about in complete disarray.
And at the center of the room—
hovering several feet above the ground—
was Lizarius.
The white-scaled lizard no longer resembled a dying beast.
The cracks that had once covered his scales had vanished.
The broken horn on his head had regrown significantly.
Longer.
Sharper.
More refined.
Golden eyes stared down at them calmly.
The sight alone caused both siblings' hearts to tighten.
Ling Wei immediately lowered his head.
"I greet Senior."
Beside him, Ling Yue hurriedly followed.
"I greet Senior."
Lizarius observed them silently.
His golden gaze lingered on the siblings.
*No visible damage.*
*Good.*
The poison mark had only been activated briefly.
Enough to summon them.
Not enough to cripple them.
At least not intentionally.
They remained useful.
That was what mattered.
After several moments, his calm voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Do not bother with that."
The siblings immediately straightened.
Then Lizarius continued.
"I require something."
Neither spoke.
Neither interrupted.
"I want as many corpses as possible."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Cultivators."
"Spirit beasts."
A brief pause followed.
"Foundation Establishment and above."
The siblings stiffened.
Then he continued.
"Additionally."
"I require beast cores."
"Bring everything within the next hour."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ling Yue stared blankly.
Her mouth opened slightly.
Then closed.
Then opened again.
Finally—
"That's impossible!"
The words escaped before she could stop herself.
The moment she realized what she had said—
her face turned deathly pale.
Ling Wei's expression changed instantly.
Yet surprisingly—
Lizarius merely stared at her.
Waiting.
Thinking quickly, Ling Wei stepped forward.
"Senior."
His voice remained respectful.
Measured.
"We understand your request."
A brief pause.
Then—
"But we do not possess such resources."
Lizarius remained silent.
Ling Wei continued.
"We are only Spirit Refining cultivators."
"We do not have access to Foundation Establishment beast remains or beast cores."
"Even if we wished to purchase them—"
He shook his head.
"An hour would not be enough."
"We would need to locate sellers."
"Negotiate."
"Gather sufficient funds."
"Arrange transactions."
"Such materials are not readily available."
Ling Yue quickly nodded.
"Especially Foundation Establishment beast remains."
"Those are valuable cultivation resources."
"Most are controlled by major clans, sects, or powerful merchants."
The room became quiet.
Lizarius stared at them.
Then asked a simple question.
"So."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"You lack money?"
Silence.
Ling Wei hesitated.
Then reluctantly nodded.
"...Yes."
"That is the first problem."
The room fell silent once more.
Lizarius recalled the fox merchant.
Spirit stones.
Currency.
Human transactions.
After a moment—
he infused a trace of energy into the jade storage ring coiled around his tail.
A faint flash appeared.
Then—
CLACK.
CLACK.
CLACK.
Several spirit stones fell onto the floor.
Then several more.
Then even more.
A small pile rapidly formed.
The siblings glanced down casually.
Then froze.
Their pupils contracted violently.
The chamber became deathly silent.
Neither moved.
Neither breathed.
The spirit stones emitted a soft glow.
Pure.
Dense.
Almost liquid-like spiritual energy flowed within them.
Even standing several meters away—
the siblings could feel the astonishing quality.
Ling Yue's legs nearly gave out beneath her.
"...W-What..."
Ling Wei's mind went completely blank.
His eyes remained fixed on the pile.
*Impossible.*
Every instinct within him screamed the same thing.
Those weren't ordinary spirit stones.
Not low-grade.
Not middle-grade.
Not even high-grade.
The spiritual density contained within them was so absurdly concentrated that merely looking at them caused his cultivation to stir.
His heartbeat accelerated.
His throat went dry.
He had never seen treasures like these before.
Not once in his entire life.
Yet despite never seeing them—
he immediately understood one thing.
Each individual stone was priceless.
Absolutely priceless.
Even if he sold everything he owned.
Everything his sister owned.
Everything their branch family possessed.
It still wouldn't equal the value of a single one.
Ling Yue stared at the glowing pile in complete disbelief.
"...Big Brother..."
Her voice trembled.
"...Are those..."
Ling Wei didn't answer.
Because he genuinely didn't know what to call them.
He only knew that their value far exceeded anything he had ever imagined.
Meanwhile—
Lizarius simply observed their reactions.
Confused.
To him—
they were merely resources.
Things that had accumulated over time.
Things taken from prey.
Useful.
Nothing more.
The siblings, however, were staring at the pile as though an entire mountain of treasure had suddenly materialized before them.
And for cultivators living within Lotus City—
that wasn't far from the truth.