The fox stood still for a long moment, staring at the fading glow of sunset painting the wall.
Then its eyes shifted—calm. Resolute.
"I've already obtained one of the materials I need," it murmured quietly.
Its gaze flicked briefly toward its storage pouch.
The crystallized Stormlash claw.
The six-layer wind eagle wings.
The lightning essence sealed within.
The foundation for something greater was already forming.
"And I will get the rest."
Its voice was low—not loud, but unyielding.
"Even if this is the limit of my bloodline… I will not stop because something invisible tells me to."
A faint smile curved at the corner of its mouth.
"I'll stop when I decide to stop."
Not fate.
Not bloodline.
Not some unseen ceiling imposed at birth.
Only itself.
The fox turned.
In the corner of the room, the lizard remained curled tightly upon itself, wings wrapped around its body. Energy pulsed around it in slow, heavy waves. Occasionally, faint arcs of lightning danced across its scales before sinking back inward. Poisonous mist coiled faintly around its maw, then dissolved.
Its body trembled subtly—not violently—but as if something inside were being reforged.
The fox narrowed its eyes slightly.
"…Still refining?"
It took a few slow steps closer, careful not to interfere.
The air around the lizard felt thick. Heavy. Layered.
Not just wind or lightning anymore. There was something deeper mixed within.
The fox tilted its head.
"Last time, it took days…"
Its eyes flicked briefly toward the window.
"Three days."
And that was with fewer cores.
This time? Seven cores. Seventeen corpses. Stronger energy.
The fox exhaled softly.
"It might take that long again."
A pause.
"…Maybe longer."
The fox didn't sound worried. Only thoughtful.
If it took days, so be it. They were protected.
The defensive formation still covered the room. No cultivators nearby. The night market already closed.
And besides—
The fox's eyes softened faintly.
"If you wake up stronger… it'll be worth the wait."
It stepped back slightly, giving the lizard space.
Lightning crackled faintly across the curled body again—brighter this time. For just a fraction of a second, the energy in the room surged… then settled.
The fox's pupils narrowed.
"…You're not just refining cores."
It could feel it now. This wasn't simple digestion. This was transformation.
The fox slowly returned to the center of the room, sitting down, tail curling neatly around its paws.
"Take your time."
Its gaze remained steady on the evolving figure.
"I'll make use of mine."
Outside, night fully descended over River Mist.
Inside—
One cultivated through ambition.
The other through evolution.
And neither intended to remain where they were.
The fox stood still for a moment longer, watching the slow, rhythmic pulses of energy rising and falling from the curled lizard.
Then its eyes sharpened.
"…I can't just sit here."
There were still matters to settle in the night market. Credits to exchange. Information to gather. Materials to secure.
But first—protection.
With a flicker of qi, the advanced defensive formation tool floated into its paw. The array disk hummed faintly, runes along its rim glowing in layered geometric patterns.
"This should've been done the moment I got it."
The fox extended a thread of divine sense into the formation core. The imprinting process began. Its consciousness seeped into the structure—mapping nodes, anchoring its signature, binding command authority to itself alone.
The air grew faintly tense as the formation resisted briefly, then gradually accepted the imprint.
Minutes passed in silence.
Finally, the fox exhaled slowly.
"…Done."
The formation disk floated free again, settling midair as it reactivated. Invisible latticework expanded outward, covering the room in layered protection.
Now—even if it were miles away—the moment something disturbed the barrier… it would know.
Satisfied, the fox turned toward the lizard. The creature remained tightly curled, wings folded, energy occasionally rippling across its scales. Lightning flickered faintly along its horns before fading inward again. Still unconscious. Still evolving.
The fox stepped closer.
"For extra insurance."
It reached into its storage pouch and withdrew four mid-tier earth-grade defensive talismans. Thick, inked paper glowed faintly with dormant runic seals.
One by one, it activated them.
Fwoom. A golden barrier unfolded around the lizard.
Fwoom. A second layer formed, darker and denser.
Fwoom. A third—inscribed with earth-binding arrays.
Fwoom. A fourth—wind-buffered, designed to disperse impact force.
The talismans adhered to the air around the lizard, forming overlapping protective shells.
The fox didn't stop. It pulled out two more talismans—higher quality, more refined.
"These were meant for emergencies. This qualifies."
It activated both.
The fifth talisman formed a thin crystalline membrane that shimmered like glass. The sixth layered a faint pulse barrier that would react automatically to hostile qi.
Six defensive layers.
Plus the formation array covering the room.
Plus the fox's own imprint alert.
The fox stood there, staring at the heavily shielded lizard.
"…If something gets through all that, then it deserves to."
Its tail swayed slowly.
The room now felt sealed. Contained. Like a vault.
The fox leaned slightly closer to the curled figure.
"Don't wake up and blame me if you're wrapped like a treasure chest."
It stepped back.
Satisfied. Everything was prepared.
Now—the night market awaited.
But—
The fox remained in place for a few more breaths after placing the final two talismans.
Six layers of defensive talismans.
An advanced formation tool imprinted to its soul.
Layered alert triggers bound both inward and outward.
It stared at the tightly curled lizard, energy pulsing faintly through its growing body.
Then a faint smile curved its lips.
"Now I can breathe."
Its tail swayed once.
"I can't let anything harm you… but I also can't let you wander off if you wake while I'm gone."
Its eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
"The barrier isn't just to keep things out."
A soft hum filled the room as the formation adjusted subtly.
It worked both ways.
If something attempted to break in—
It would know.
If something tried to break out—
It would know.
Every fluctuation.
Every disturbance.
Every forced passage through the layered array.
Satisfied, the fox stepped toward the window.
With a controlled flicker of qi, the formation parted just enough to allow passage. The window opened silently.
Before stepping through, the fox's body shimmered.
Its form distorted.
Shrank.
Shifted.
In the blink of an eye, the fox was gone.
In its place stood a slender young man in plain travel robes, features unremarkable enough to forget at a glance. His aura was suppressed, cultivation masked beneath careful concealment.
An illusion.
Refined.
Stable.
He glanced back one last time.
The room was quiet.
The lizard remained curled in the corner, wrapped in six shimmering layers of protection, surrounded by the invisible defensive formation humming softly through the walls.
Energy occasionally rippled across its scales.
Lightning flickered faintly along its horns.
Then stilled.
The fox nodded once.
Then stepped through the window.
The formation sealed behind him without a ripple.
Inside—
Silence returned.
The talismans glowed faintly.
The formation pulsed steadily.
And in the corner of the room, the lizard remained unmoving—
Suspended within its evolution—
Unaware of the world outside.
Outside, the fox moved like a shadow through River M.
Roof to roof.
Silent.
Measured.
It landed lightly between two narrow buildings, robes barely stirring. Without hesitation, it stepped forward—
—and walked straight through the brick wall.
Ripples spread briefly across the surface like disturbed water.
On the other side—
Lantern light.
Noise.
Movement.
The Night Market.
Voices overlapped: bargains, laughter, hidden threats beneath polite smiles. The scent of herbs, blood, talismans, roasted meat, and spirit ink thickened the air.
The fox did not glance around.
It did not pause.
It walked forward as though it belonged.
Through the crowd.
Through drifting sleeves and shifting bodies.
No one noticed the subtle distortion surrounding it.
Soon, the towering facade of the Heavenweight Exchange Pavilion rose ahead—polished stone, gilded beams, lanterns glowing with steady spiritual light.
The fox entered without hesitation.
Three steps inside—
An attendant appeared, as if summoned by breath alone.
"Esteemed guest," the girl said with a slight bow, "how may Heavenweight serve you tonight?"
The fox raised a hand calmly.
Between its fingers—
The VIP card.
Polished.
Engraved.
Heavy with status.
The attendant's eyes flickered as she recognized it. His posture straightened subtly.
"Honored VIP," she said smoothly, bowing deeper this time. "Please, follow me."
They moved through a side corridor, away from the main trading hall.
Past carved doors.
Past layered sound barriers.
Until they entered a smaller, richly furnished chamber.
Low table.
Spirit tea set.
Thick carpets embroidered with defensive threads.
Privacy arrays hummed faintly in the walls.
"Please, take a seat," the attendant gestured respectfully.
The fox leapt lightly onto the chair.
Outwardly—
The illusion of the young man adjusted his robes, sitting with composed dignity.
Inwardly—
Turquoise eyes gleamed.
Calm.
Calculating.
Waiting to see how much the night would yield.