Time passed.
We see the clear sky and the rising sun; its light falls upon the forest trees, golden rays slipping through the leaves.
Inside the cave, it remains dark and silent. The only light comes from the faint glow of the spear. The fox, eyes closed, sits still—its paw resting on the spear's shaft, still trying to erase the imprint left behind. Nearby, the lizard remains cocooned, unmoving.
Seconds pass. Then minutes. But the cave remains the same—dark and quiet.
Minutes turn into hours.
Outside, the sun sets.
The sky fades into darkness.
But within the cave, all remains still.
Then—a subtle shift.
The fox's ears twitch.
Its eyes slowly open. It sighs softly.
"Finally," it whispers. "It sure took a while... but I've gotten rid of the imprint. Now I just need to carve my own."
It lifts its paw from the spear. The glow pulses faintly. Slowly, the fox's eyes begin to close once more.
---
The cave returned to silence, just as before.
The only light came from the spear, still glowing faintly as it hovered in the air before the fox.
An hour and a half passed.
Then, the fox's eyes snapped open. A wide grin slowly spread across its muzzle.
"It's done," it murmured. "From now on… it's mine. Finally, mine."
It stood, voice rising with manic delight.
"And with you… who dares stand against me? Hah! This world will kneel—one sect at a time!"
It paused, letting the words hang in the air. Then scoffed at itself with a flick of its tail.
"Hmph. Tough crowd. Shame—no one around to laugh at that one. Sounds like something an actual lunatic would say."
Still, it chuckled, low and amused, and then settled back, quite pleased with itself.
"Hmm…" It glanced toward the cocoon nearby, muttering, "Is it still inside? How long is it going to stay in there?"
Its eyes narrowed as it thought back.
"I remember… back then it came out of some kind of egg-shaped rock. Could that have been a cocoon too? If it was, then it must've stayed in there for a long time.
So long it hardened—turned to stone. Almost blended into the cave, like just another rock."
The fox frowned.
"Maybe that's why no one noticed it before… but if that's the case, how long is it going to stay inside now? How much longer until it decides to break free?"
A beat of silence. The fox's jaw clenched.
"Don't tell me… once it eats, it'll go into estivation and not wake up again. Still... it's hungry. Maybe that's why it only cares about eating..."
It growled low in its throat.
"Damn it. Have I been played?"
It stared hard at the cocoon. A long breath escaped its lips.
"Just have to stay calm…"
Its gaze remained fixed.
"It's just speculation. That might not actually be the case. Besides—we signed a blood pact. It can't go back on that. Just… have to wait. It might take a while, but it'll come out eventually."
The fox sighed again, softer this time, and turned its eyes back to the spear.
"…This might also give me time to cultivate."
---
It controlled the spear with ease, letting it fly in slow circles around its body.
The small pouch hanging from its neck stirred, lifting open on its own. At once, the spear glided toward it and slipped neatly inside.
Reaching a paw into the pouch, the fox pulled out a small jade bottle, then gently dropped it on the cave floor. It reached in again—once, twice, a third time—until three more pill bottles sat before it in a neat row.
With a thought, it extended its divine sense toward one of the bottles.
The lid popped open, and a single pill floated out, hovering in front of its snout. The bottle sealed itself again with a quiet snap.
The fox sniffed the air around the pill, its expression shifting into visible pleasure.
"Mmm… what a rich fragrance," it murmured. "The scent of an Earth-grade pill."
Its eyes gleamed.
"I've been stuck at the Third Layer for years… but with pills like this, I might just break through. The Fourth Layer—maybe even the Fifth or higher…"
The excitement faded slightly, replaced with sharp determination.
"But if I want to keep getting good stuff like this, I need to become strong. Strong enough that I'm not killed by just anyone."
It opened its jaw and swallowed the pill in one gulp.
Then, its eyes drifted to the cocoon again. It crouched down, muttering softly:
"Let's see how far this takes me…"
It rolled into a curled position, tail wrapped neatly around its body. Its eyes closed, and spiritual energy surged outward—flowing over its body like waves of shimmering mist.
It began cultivating.
---
One day later...
The sun was setting again. Outside, the sky bled into shades of deep orange and purple.
Inside the cave, the air was still.
Empty pill bottles lay scattered across the floor. The fox, still rolled up in the same position, was now glowing faintly—its body saturated with dense qi.
It was still cultivating.
Steadily.
Silently.
Growing stronger with each passing breath.