In the night sky, the soft glow of moonlight fell upon a forest thick with trees.
The fox—still cloaked in invisibility—leapt silently from branch to branch, moving swiftly through the canopy.
Its pace slowed as it neared a clearing. With practiced grace, it landed gently on the forest floor before what looked like an ordinary rock formation.
Gnarled roots twisted over slabs of stone, moss and leaves clinging to every surface like a shroud.
Perched atop the fox's head, Lizarius with golden, glowing eyes shifted, its body coiled tightly around a pouch.
> "Why did we stop? Where are we?" Lizarius wondered, its gaze flicking around the area.
Hidden within the base of the rock formation—barely visible to any normal eye—was a narrow, jagged opening.
The shadows clung tightly to it, darker than they should have been, and the air was unnaturally still.
The fox's ears flicked.
Then, without a word, it leapt forward, slipping into the gap.
Its form vanished into the darkness.
---
Inside, the cave was quiet—small but spacious, like a hidden chamber.
The walls were rough and cool to the touch, with patches of dry moss scattered across the floor.
"This is one of my caves," the fox finally spoke, its voice low and calm. "Hidden.
Quiet.
Warded with a concealment formation."
It glanced over at the lizard.
"You can rest.
Heal.
Once you've recovered, I'll take you to the next city.
Where the Foundation Establishment cultivators are—like we agreed."
The lizard slowly turned visible, glancing around the cave as it uncoiled from the fox's head.
It grabbed the pouch with its maw and leapt off, landing gently on the ground.
As it touched down, its body shimmered and grew—returning to its original size.
The fox, now also visible stared.
The lizard crouched and dropped the pouch from its maw, holding it between both front paws.
It glowed faintly as it opened.
Lizarius turned its head toward the fox, then toward the pouch.
Without hesitation, it turned it upside down—corpses tumbled to the ground in a heap.
Lizarius tossed the empty bag aside, then padded over, drooling as it licked its maw.
Its golden eyes gleamed with hunger.
It opened its maw and bit into the first body, tearing through bone and flesh and starting to eat without hesitation.
The fox watched silently, then thought:
> "It just started eating the moment it got the chance… Is that really its only interest?"
"Either way, it's fine.
Just knowing I'm not going to be eaten is a relief."
Turning away, the fox padded to the side of the cave and sat down, facing the wall.
Its own pouch glowed faintly.
The fox gently undid the cord from its neck and caught the bag in its paws.
It opened it—just like the lizard had done—and tipped it upside down.
A mountain of treasure spilled out onto the cave floor.
Boxes of spirit stones.
Bottles of pills.
Rolled talismans.
Jade containers holding spiritual herbs.
Strange and intricate tools, some of them glowing faintly.
The entire pile shimmered under the dim cave light.
The fox's eyes gleamed.
Then, a wide, toothy grin crept across its muzzle.
> "All these treasures… are mine.
I never thought I'd ever have this much.
But here I am, sitting on a mountain of spirit stones.
Just a breath ago, I was nearly a corpse…"
It stared at the treasure in awe.
> "Some might call this fate.
Meeting it… was like brushing death—but it also changed everything.
Back then, I thought I'd die to that Cloud River Sect cultivator.
But who would've thought… it would slay my them, nearly kill me—and still become my lucky star?"
The fox laughed softly under its breath.
> "If I hadn't groveled, I wouldn't be alive.
I wouldn't be rich.
Truly, fortune hides behind every blade…"
It narrowed its eyes, gaze sharpening.
> "But is it fate?"
"No.
This world only bows to power.
If I were stronger, I wouldn't have had to run.
Those cultivators almost ended but they also made me.
Now, with this beast at my side, I won't just survive… I'll rise.
> "Not just in cultivation. In wealth.
---
It turned back to the pile and eyed the storage pouches among the goods.
Six storage pouches floated toward the fox, glowing softly. They dropped neatly at its feet.
The fox picked up one—bloodstained—and held it carefully.
"Let's open this one first."
It smiled.
"This is going to take a while."
The pouch pulsed with faint light as it activated. The fox closed its eyes.
---
Seven minutes passed.
> [System Notification: Gained 3,000 Evolution Points]
Behind it, Lizarius had already finished devouring one of the corpses and had moved onto the next, its mouth and claws soaked in blood.
The only sounds were chewing, tearing, bone cracking.
The cave was otherwise still.
The fox remained seated—eyes closed, focused.
---
Nine more minutes.
> [System Notification: Gained 4,000 Evolution Points]
The pouch in the fox's paws clicked open.
It slowly opened its eyes, a flicker of expectation gleaming in them.