The invisible lizard silently crossed above the city walls.
Below—
the streets remained brightly illuminated.
Lanterns hung from every corner.
Merchants loudly advertised their goods.
Cultivators wandered through the crowded streets.
None of them noticed the tiny figure passing silently overhead.
Lizarius paid them no attention.
His senses remained firmly locked onto the lingering aura.
He flew over countless rooftops.
Across secluded courtyards.
Above narrow streets.
Eventually—
he slowed.
Ahead—
an enormous estate occupied the very heart of the city.
Towering walls surrounded it.
Countless formations shimmered faintly beneath the stone.
At the entrance—
a massive plaque hung above the gate.
Its characters had been deeply carved into the blackwood.
**Ye Su Clan.**
Lizarius hovered silently before the protective barrier surrounding the estate.
His golden eyes remained calm.
Without hesitation—
his tail slowly moved.
**Crack.**
The invisible barrier shattered.
Like fragile glass.
The surrounding formation collapsed before it could even issue a warning.
Lizarius continued forward.
---
Elsewhere—
within the estate—
a spacious courtyard lay hidden behind several elegant pavilions.
At its centre—
the Crimson-Veined Blood Tree had been carefully replanted.
Its roots were deeply buried beneath numerous corpses.
The flesh had already begun shrivelling.
Blood.
Essence.
And spiritual energy continuously flowed into the ancient tree.
Standing beside it—
was a young man dressed in immaculate robes.
He quietly observed the crimson fruits hanging from its branches.
Suddenly—
his expression changed.
He abruptly turned.
"...The protective barrier—"
His voice stopped.
A calm voice interrupted him.
"...Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment."
A brief pause.
"...Lower than expected."
The young man's pupils contracted.
He immediately turned toward the source of the voice.
His heart skipped a beat.
A tiny white-scaled lizard stood quietly atop the courtyard wall.
It hadn't been there a moment ago.
He hadn't sensed its approach.
Not even the slightest fluctuation.
*...What is that...?*
His body instantly retreated several dozen metres.
Spiritual qi surged throughout his body.
His eyes never left the tiny creature.
Meanwhile—
Lizarius never looked at him.
His attention remained fixed entirely upon the Blood Tree.
His glowing eyes slowly swept across its branches.
The missing fruits.
The freshly exposed stems.
The scattered bones piled beneath its roots.
*...The fruits have already been harvested.*
His gaze shifted downward.
The tree's roots remained deeply embedded within the buried corpses.
Silence.
Then—
he spoke.
"...Uproot yourself."
A brief pause.
"...Or I'll erase you."
The young man frowned.
"...What are you—"
Before he could finish—
the Blood Tree suddenly trembled.
Every crimson-veined root violently shuddered.
Then—
one after another—
they slowly withdrew from the corpses beneath them.
The earth rumbled softly.
With a violent pull—
the entire Blood Tree tore itself free from the ground.
Its countless roots twisted tightly together beneath its trunk—
lifting its own body into the air.
The Blood Tree hovered silently.
Its roots writhed uneasily beneath it.
Yet—
it made no attempt to flee.
---
Lizarius quietly watched it.
*...As expected.*
*It possesses awareness.*
His gaze slowly shifted away.
Toward the young cultivator.
He moved.
The distance between them vanished.
Before the young man could even blink—
the tiny white lizard was already standing before him.
His pupils contracted violently.
*How—*
A translucent barrier instantly erupted around him.
Several defensive talismans activated one after another.
Layer upon layer of protective light wrapped tightly around his body.
At the same time—
he attempted to retreat.
Nothing happened.
His body refused to move.
An invisible force had already imprisoned him.
His heartbeat accelerated.
*I can't move...*
*Gravity...?*
His thoughts raced wildly.
*Who...*
*What is this creature...?*
Before another thought could form—
Lizarius spoke.
His voice remained calm.
"...You haven't consumed the fruits."
The young man froze.
Lizarius continued.
"...Have you?"
His gaze swept once across the Blood Tree.
"...It doesn't appear so."
"...You merely harvested them..."
"...Then transplanted the tree."
His eyes slowly lifted.
Above the courtyard—
a faint veil shimmered almost invisibly.
A concealment formation.
It completely isolated the entire courtyard from the outside world.
"...Confident."
"...You believed this formation..."
"...Would conceal it."
Silence.
His gaze returned to the young cultivator.
Then—
his eyes shifted slightly.
"...And the other scent..."
His attention settled upon the folds of the young man's robes.
Without warning—
his tail moved.
**Crack!**
The defensive barrier surrounding the cultivator exploded into countless fragments.
The young man's face turned deathly pale.
*Impossible!*
*That was a mid-grade Earth-rank defensive talisman!*
*It shattered... with a single strike?*
Before he could react—
an invisible force reached into his robes.
Something struggled violently.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
A tiny white rat with intricate golden markings was pulled into the air.
Its tiny claws flailed helplessly.
Its whiskers trembled in panic.
Lizarius quietly stared at it.
*...A rat.*
His eyes calmly examined its aura.
*Second Layer of Spirit Refinement.*
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then—
he asked calmly,
"...What kind of beast..."
"...Is this?"
The tiny white rat struggled helplessly.
Its claws scratched desperately against the invisible force restraining it.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
Lizarius merely watched.
The familiar mechanical voice answered within his mind.
**[Species Identified.]**
**[Treasure Mouse Bloodline.]**
**[Grade: Low.]**
**[Innate Ability: Detects spiritual treasures, rare ores, concealed herbs, and naturally formed treasures within its surroundings.]**
Silence.
Lizarius quietly considered the information.
*...Able to locate treasures.*
Another conclusion immediately followed.
*Hmm...*
*So that's how they found the cave.*
His golden gaze remained fixed upon the tiny creature.
There was no further hesitation.
His jaws slowly opened.
**Crunch.**
The Treasure Mouse disappeared between his fangs.
Its squeaks stopped instantly.
Another bite.
Then another.
Within moments—
nothing remained.
The system spoke again.
**[Evolution Points Acquired: 24.]**
**[Bloodline Gene Acquired: Treasure Mouse.]**
Lizarius slowly licked the blood from his maw.
His gaze returned to the young cultivator.
The man's face had become completely devoid of colour.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
His breathing became frantic.
His thoughts descended into complete chaos.
*That...*
*It ate it...*
*That beast...*
*It actually ate the Treasure Mouse...*
Before another thought could form—
their eyes met.
The world abruptly darkened.
His consciousness fell.
...
...
Silence.
---
Pure white.
An endless world without beginning or end.
The young cultivator stood frozen.
Unable to move.
Unable to speak.
Unable to comprehend where he was.
Far ahead—
the tiny white lizard quietly watched him.
There was no hostility.
No emotion.
Only silent observation.
The dream space had already formed.
Lizarius paid no attention to the terrified cultivator.
Instead—
his consciousness moved directly through the memories contained within the man's soul.
Scenes rapidly flowed past.
The discovery of the cave.
The transplanted Blood Tree.
The concealment formation.
The Treasure Mouse leading them there.
Conversations.
Plans.
Everything.
One memory after another unfolded before him.
Several moments later—
the flow of memories finally came to an end.
Silence.
Lizarius calmly organised the information.
*...No one else knows.*
His thoughts remained perfectly steady.
*Only the two of them discovered the cave.*
*The information was never shared.*
*No records.*
*No witnesses.*
*Acceptable.*
The endless white world gradually dissolved.
The dream space collapsed.
---
Reality returned.
The young cultivator's eyes had already become vacant.
His consciousness had completely disappeared.
Without another glance—
Lizarius resumed his true form.
His body rapidly expanded.
His enormous jaws slowly opened.
The unconscious cultivator disappeared into them.
**Crunch.**
Bone shattered.
Another bite.
Then another.
The storage ring floated quietly into the air.
The cultivator's storage pouch followed shortly after.
Finally—
the uprooted Blood Tree drifted into his storage ring as well.
Nothing was left behind.
Several breaths later—
Lizarius slowly licked the remaining blood from his fangs.
The familiar mechanical voice echoed within his mind once more.
**[Evolution Points Acquired: 5,358.]**
A brief pause followed.
Then—
**[Bloodline Gene Acquired: Sunforged Bloodline.]**
Silence returned to the courtyard.
As though neither the cultivator...
Nor the Blood Tree...
Had ever existed at all.