Lianhua's gaze remained fixed on the three white scales hovering above her palm.
Slowly, she allowed a thread of **pure qi** to flow into them.
The instant contact deepened—
Her perception **slipped**.
For a fraction of a breath, the scales ceased to make sense.
Not invisible.
Not hidden.
They simply **failed to register** within the logic of her divine sense.
Space did not reject them.
Time did not distort.
Instead, her awareness slid past them, as if her perception itself had been gently nudged aside.
Lianhua's eyes narrowed.
"So this is how it does it," she murmured.
She withdrew her qi slightly, then reintroduced it—more carefully this time, adjusting its frequency, its rhythm, its intent.
The world steadied.
The scales came back into focus—not fully, but **enough**.
"This is not concealment through illusion," she judged calmly. "Nor suppression through brute force."
Her fingers shifted minutely beneath the hovering scales.
"It is **misalignment**."
The word carried weight.
"You do not hide your presence," Lianhua continued. "You make yourself… *irrelevant* to perception."
Her eyes cooled further.
"That is why even divine sense slides past you."
A pause.
"But such a state is not absolute," she added. "If it were, these would not exist."
The scales trembled faintly, as if acknowledging the truth of her words.
"I was only briefly unable to make sense of it," she said. "Which means the effect has limits."
Her qi wrapped around the scales more firmly now—not forcefully, but with quiet authority. Patterns unfolded within her perception, faint and incomplete, yet unmistakably **structured**.
"I can still touch it," she concluded. "And therefore… I can still learn."
She let the scales drift apart slightly, studying each one in turn.
"Still," Lianhua said softly, "this alone is not enough."
These remnants carried no directional pull.
No lingering intent.
No thread she could follow back to its source.
"They will not allow me to pinpoint it," she judged. "Not yet."
Her gaze lifted—toward the east.
"If I wish to find it," she continued calmly, "I will need **more**."
More traces.
More disruption.
More imbalance.
And that meant only one thing.
"Jinshi City," Lianhua said quietly.
Her qi withdrew from the scales. They slipped into her sleeve, vanishing without a trace—as if they had never existed at all.
"If it truly grew bolder there," she thought, "then you will have left something behind."
Her figure began to blur, the air bending in quiet submission around her.
"Run if you wish," Lianhua said, voice soft but absolute. "Hide within misalignment and erased traces."
Her eyes sharpened with ancient resolve.
"It will not save you."
With a single step, she vanished from the battlefield—leaving behind only stillness, and the faint sense that something far greater than a demon hunt had begun.
---
### **Scene Shift**
The lizard straightened after the last corpse vanished, **nothing left behind—not even bone**.
The floor beneath it was smeared dark with blood, the scent thick and clinging in the air.
It **licked its maw slowly**, savoring the lingering residue, its body warm and heavy from the feast.
It lifted its head.
…Still can't see well.
Shapes existed now—light, shadow, vague outlines—but the world refused to sharpen. No edges. No detail.
The lizard remained silent for a moment, then thought:
*So even eating all of that wasn't enough…*
*How much time remains until my eyes fully heal?*
---
**{System}**
> **After consumption, your injuries have stabilized.**
> **Remaining Estimated Recovery Time:**
> **190 days** *(approximately six months)* for **full vision restoration**
> Continued consumption of **Foundation Establishment–level corpses**,
> **Yin- or Essence-rich materials**, or
> **high-grade nourishment**
> may further reduce this time.
---
The lizard absorbed the words.
*Six months…*
Only that much? It had expected less—yet it was still better than before.
Much better than a year.
It lowered its head again, licking the last traces of blood from its claws, thinking quietly:
*Then I just need to keep eating… and my eyes will fully heal.*
Somewhere in the chamber, qi continued to flow toward the fox—
unaware that beside it, another creature was already **planning its recovery**.
The lizard paused mid-lick.
The taste of blood still lingered on its tongue as it turned its attention inward.
*So I can also recover Yin… Essence…* it thought.
*What exactly does that mean?*
---
**{System Response}**
**Affirmative**
> **Yin- or Essence-rich materials** are substances that contain **concentrated life force, soul residue, or spiritual polarity** useful for regeneration and cultivation.
> For your condition, these materials are especially effective at repairing **sensory organs, soul-linked structures, and spiritual perception**—including your eyes.
---
### **Yin-Rich Materials**
Primarily nourish **souls, shadows, and spiritual injuries**.
Examples include:
* **Ghost cores**
* **Remnant souls or soul fragments**
* **Corpse essence from powerful beings**
* **Yin herbs** grown in gravefields or Yin-rich regions
* **Spirit bamboo wine** *(moderate Yin content)*
> Yin materials are particularly effective for injuries caused by **soul attacks**, fear techniques, or spiritual backlash.
---
### **Essence-Rich Materials**
Contain **pure vitality** or condensed life force.
Examples include:
* **Foundation Establishment–level flesh and blood**
* **Demon beast cores or marrow**
* **Blood essence pills**
* **High-grade spiritual plants**
> Essence materials accelerate **physical regeneration**, strengthen organs, and reinforce your body's foundation.
---
### **Important Note**
> **Best results occur when Yin and Essence are balanced.**
> Excess Yin slows physical healing.
> Excess Essence may destabilize damaged organs.
Your recent consumption achieved **stabilization**, but not full restoration.
---
### **Recommended Recovery Methods**
* Consume **Foundation Establishment–level corpses**
* Ingest **Yin-balanced spiritual liquids**
* Absorb **high-quality demon beast materials**
* Rest within **Qi-dense environments** during recovery
---
The system's voice faded.
The lizard stood quietly, claws stained red, eyes still blurred—but now **with understanding**.
*Wine… corpses… ghosts… beast cores… herbs… pills…*
Its tongue flicked once more across its maw.
And somewhere far away, beneath silent heavens, something ancient was already closing in.