The lizard perched on the fox's head narrowed its glowing gold eyes, staring at the shimmering formation before them.
"Huh… a defensive formation," it thought. "Just like the one the humans used to trap me during that battle… but this one's different. It's not meant to trap—it's meant to block attacks. Still… it's weak. Not like those defensive talismans. This one's barely holding any energy. That means..."
Its eyes narrowed further.
"It's a trap—just like the fox said. They're using it to detect intruders."
On the ground, the fox stepped forward, its tail sweeping gracefully behind. It walked slowly along the wall, amber eyes scanning the formation's outline. Through voice transmission, it said:
"Alright. Looks like we won't be hopping over here. We need to find a weak point to slip through."
The lizard tilted its head slightly, tongue flicking out. Its claws pressed lightly against the pouch slung over its side.
"A weak point?" it asked.
The fox exhaled slowly, eyes gleaming with focus.
"Yes. We can't destroy the formation—it would alert them. But if we find the weakest point—the spot with the least energy—we can slip inside undetected."
Without another word, the fox broke into a swift run, moving fluidly along the top of the outer fence. Its eyes tracked the shape and glow of the barrier, calculating.
Still perched on its head, Lizarius's gold eyes flared as it joined in the search.
"The place with the least energy…" it thought, scanning intently. "That's where we get in."
---
Still invisible, the fox moved quickly across the outer fence of the estate. On its head, the lizard raised its snout, golden eyes glowing.
It saw it.
"There... the formation's weak point. That's the spot—the energy there is the weakest."
It narrowed its eyes.
"So why is the fox still searching?"
Lizarius glanced down. The fox continued moving swiftly, its glowing turquoise eyes locked onto the formation, scanning with intense focus.
"Didn't it see it already?"
Lizarius moved, reaching out with one tiny claw and tugging sharply on the fox's ear.
"Hmmp!" The fox flinched, surprised—but didn't stop. Jaw clenched, it shot the lizard a side-glance and growled through voice transmission:
"Let go. What are you doing? I—"
"Already found it," the lizard cut in, voice calm but firm.
The fox blinked. "Huh?" It came to a soft halt, paws landing silently on the fence, eyes still on the lizard.
"The formation's weak point," the lizard repeated. "You already passed it."
The fox turned, eyes narrowing. It scanned the area behind them, confused.
"Where? I don't see it."
The lizard slowly let go of the fox's ear, gold eyes still glowing.
"Back there. You passed it."
The fox blinked again, then turned without a word, padding silently back along the fence. Its eyes stayed fixed on the barrier as it thought:
"I can't see it... Did it really find the weak point?"
Suddenly, the lizard tugged the fox's ear again—sharper this time.
The fox's eyes narrowed; it clenched its jaw and stopped dead in its tracks.
"Will you stop doing that?" it hissed through voice transmission.
The lizard, calm and unmoving, raised its head, golden eyes flaring slightly.
"There. It's right there."
The fox followed its gaze.
Its eyes sharpened... and then widened slightly.
"Yes... that's it. The formation's weak point."
For a moment, it stared in silence. Then it thought:
"But how did it find it so easily?"
Its gaze shifted, now fixed on the tiny creature perched on its head. The lizard's golden eyes still glowed faintly—unblinking, steady, focused.
The fox's own eyes narrowed as it watched him, thoughtful.
"It must have a different way of seeing…"
---
Through voice transmission, the fox spoke, calm but urgent:
"Alright. Now that we've found it, let's not waste any more time."
It leapt lightly, slipping through the formation's weak point without a ripple. Its paws landed soundlessly on the concrete courtyard beyond.
"Let's get started."
On its head, Lizarius rose from its crouch atop the pouch. Its golden eyes glowed brighter as it scanned the estate, seeing not just walls and structures but the swirling energy signatures of the cultivators within.
Its gaze stopped, fixed on one.
"There. That's the same energy… the human at the Fifth Layer."
The lizard's eyes narrowed, his focus hardening.
"Need to kill it first," it thought. Slowly, it unfolded its tiny wings.
The fox, still crouched low, said through voice transmission:
"You should go for the one at the Fifth Layer first. Once you kill that one, the rest—huh?"
It broke off, ears twitching. Suddenly, it realized the weight atop its head had vanished. It blinked once, then growled softly, muzzle wrinkling as it lifted a paw to its head.
"It's already gone."
Its tail flicked once in irritation.
"Didn't even listen to what I was saying…"
But then the fox exhaled slowly, its body relaxing as it let its invisibility fade.
"Lucky for me," it thought, eyes narrowing faintly, "I'm now at the Fourth Layer. As long as I suppress my energy, even someone at mid-stage won't be able to sense me."
Its gaze swept the courtyard, sharp and steady, ears twitching slightly.
"Now… time to move."