The night streets had grown noticeably quieter.
Most of the shops had already closed for the evening.
Only the lanterns lining the streets continued to illuminate the roads, their warm glow pushing back the darkness.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue walked side by side toward the Ling Estate.
Above them—
the invisible white-scaled lizard remained perfectly motionless.
Then—
his calm voice drifted into their ears.
"...Is there a town beyond this city?"
Ling Yue blinked.
"...A town?"
Ling Wei glanced toward her.
"...Senior said something?"
She nodded.
"He asked if there's a town outside Lotus City."
Ling Wei thought for a moment before answering.
"...There are several."
"Small market towns."
"Trading settlements."
"And a few villages as well."
He paused briefly.
"...Why does Senior ask?"
Ling Yue tilted her head upward.
"...Senior?"
"Is there a particular town you're looking for?"
"No."
His answer came immediately.
"I simply wish to visit one."
A brief silence followed.
Then he continued.
"There is something I intend to do."
The siblings stopped walking.
Neither of them spoke.
Their thoughts immediately began racing.
*A town...*
*Something he wants to do...*
Neither could imagine what kind of experiment would require an ordinary town.
Ling Yue was the first to break the silence.
"...Senior..."
"...What exactly are you planning?"
"I will know once I arrive."
The answer only deepened the mystery.
Silence stretched between them once more.
Finally—
Ling Wei hesitated before speaking.
"...Senior."
"...Do you wish for us to leave now?"
"Yes."
Silence returned.
Ling Wei slowly looked toward the dark road leading out of Lotus City.
*It's already night...*
*Ordinarily, I wouldn't even consider traveling at this hour...*
His thoughts continued.
*...But Senior is with us.*
*Whatever he intends to do...*
*We'll understand once we arrive.*
He finally nodded.
"Then we should leave immediately."
Ling Yue stared at him.
"...Brother."
"If we leave now..."
"We won't reach the nearest town for another few hours."
He looked at her calmly.
"Then we should get moving."
Ling Yue puffed out her cheeks.
"...It's nighttime."
"Couldn't we just go tomorrow?"
Ling Wei simply looked at her.
"...Yue."
She let out an exaggerated sigh.
"...Fine."
She adjusted the sword hanging at her waist before looking upward once again.
"...Senior."
"If something dangerous appears on the way..."
"...Like some powerful enemy..."
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"...You'll deal with it, right?"
Silence.
No reply came.
Ling Yue nodded to herself anyway.
"...I'll take that as a yes."
Ling Wei couldn't help smiling helplessly.
"...I'm not sure that's how it works."
"It is now."
She answered confidently.
With that—
the two siblings changed direction.
Rather than returning to the Ling Estate—
they headed toward the western gate of Lotus City.
The streets gradually emptied behind them.
Before long—
the towering city walls rose before them beneath the moonlit sky.
Their night journey had begun.
---
The moon hung high above Lotus City.
Silver light bathed the tiled rooftops and silent streets below.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue moved swiftly from rooftop to rooftop, their footsteps so light they scarcely made a sound.
The cool night wind rushed past them.
Suddenly—
Ling Wei slowed.
Then stopped altogether.
Ling Yue landed beside him.
"...Brother?"
"What is it?"
Ling Wei narrowed his eyes toward a street below.
"...Look."
"Isn't that Ling Hua?"
Ling Yue followed his gaze.
A young man with sky-blue hair strolled leisurely through the nearly deserted street.
A short, neatly trimmed goatee rested upon his chin.
His robes remained immaculate despite the late hour.
"...Yeah."
"It is."
She frowned.
"...What's he doing all the way out here?"
Ling Wei looked thoughtful.
"...I don't know."
"It's strange."
"The main residence is in the opposite direction."
"And this is the outer district."
Above Ling Yue—
the invisible white-scaled lizard quietly observed the lone figure.
His golden eyes gradually brightened.
*...Dark spiritual fluctuations.*
His gaze remained fixed upon Ling Hua.
*Demonic cultivation...*
The energy was concealed with remarkable precision.
So perfectly hidden that neither Ling Wei nor Ling Yue noticed anything unusual.
But to Lizarius—
it stood out immediately.
Not merely because he could see it—
but because something about it felt fundamentally incomplete.
His thoughts turned inward.
*What spiritual roots does this human possess?*
The familiar voice answered immediately.
---
**[Target Analysis Complete.]**
**[Target possesses no spiritual roots.]**
---
Lizarius remained silent.
*...No spiritual roots.*
*So I wasn't mistaken.*
He examined Ling Hua once more.
*A human without spiritual roots...*
*Yet possessing Late Stage Spirit Refining cultivation.*
*How interesting.*
Without hesitation—
he activated another ability.
*Eyes of Truth.*
The world changed.
Invisible threads emerged around Ling Hua.
Dozens of them.
Some were faint.
Others shone brilliantly.
Some were black.
Others crimson.
Several crimson-and-black threads stretched toward different parts of Lotus City.
Among them—
two brilliant crimson threads extended directly toward Ling Wei and Ling Yue.
Lizarius observed them in silence.
*...Hatred.*
*Intense hatred.*
His gaze shifted elsewhere.
Three more threads immediately caught his attention.
One shone with a brilliant blue radiance.
Another glowed a deep violet.
The last shimmered with a soft golden light.
Unlike the crimson threads—
these stretched far into the distance.
Growing thinner...
Fainter...
Until they disappeared somewhere beyond the limits of his perception.
*Interesting...*
He quietly committed their directions to memory.
Below—
Ling Hua continued walking without the slightest awareness that he was being observed.
Lizarius finally spoke.
"...Continue."
Both siblings immediately nodded.
"Yes, Senior."
Neither questioned the order.
They resumed their journey across the rooftops.
Within moments—
they vanished into the night.
Meanwhile—
back on the silent street—
nothing appeared to change.
No sound.
No movement.
No disturbance.
Yet—
from the darkness beneath a nearby rooftop—
a small shadow detached itself.
It moved silently across the ground.
Completely flat.
Completely unnoticed.
In the blink of an eye—
it reached Ling Hua.
The shadow flowed beneath his feet.
Merged seamlessly with his own shadow.
Then—
vanished.
Not even the slightest ripple remained.
Ling Hua continued walking through the moonlit street.
Entirely unaware...
That from this moment onward—
another presence silently accompanied him.
---
Three hours later—
Ling Hua suddenly slowed.
His eyes shifted toward the rooftops.
For the briefest moment—
he frowned.
"...Hm?"
The quiet street remained empty.
Only the moonlight illuminated the rooftops above.
No movement.
No presence.
No sound.
After several seconds—
he looked away.
"...Must've been my imagination."
Without another thought—
he continued walking into the night.
Behind him—
his shadow stretched quietly across the ground.
Perfectly ordinary.
Or so it appeared.
---
Three hours later—
far beyond Lotus City—
two figures landed lightly atop the roof of a quiet building.
Tap.
Tap.
The town below rested peacefully beneath the night sky.
Lanterns glowed softly along the streets.
Most homes had already gone dark.
Only the occasional tavern still showed signs of life.
Ling Yue looked around.
"...We're here, Senior."
"So..."
"What do we do now?"
Silence.
Then—
the invisible white-scaled lizard slowly opened his glowing golden eyes.
A faint golden radiance spread through his pupils.
His perception expanded outward.
One street.
Ten streets.
The entire town.
Every cultivator.
Every ordinary mortal.
Every fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Every living presence.
Nothing escaped his observation.
Several moments passed.
Then—
he spoke.
"...Not here."
Ling Yue blinked.
"...Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'not here'?"
"...Continue."
"Find another town."
Ling Yue stared blankly for a moment before turning toward Ling Wei.
"...Brother."
"Senior said this isn't the place."
"He wants us to keep going."
Ling Wei nodded without the slightest complaint.
"...Alright."
He looked toward the distant horizon.
"The next town isn't too far from here."
"We should reach it in another few hours."
Ling Yue sighed dramatically.
"...Another few hours..."
Then she straightened.
"...Let's go."
Neither of them questioned the decision.
The two siblings immediately began circulating their movement technique.
Wind gathered beneath their feet.
Spiritual energy flowed smoothly through their meridians, cycling efficiently with every step.
**WHOOSH!**
The rooftops blurred beneath them as they shot into the darkness once more.
The distance they had covered throughout the night...
Would ordinarily require several days of travel by carriage.
Even riding the fastest horses—
the journey would have taken far longer.
Yet through the movement technique Lizarius had created...
A journey measured in days had been reduced to mere hours.
As they traveled—
their depleted spiritual energy steadily recovered with each passing minute.
By the time they reached the next town—
their cultivation would once again be nearly at its peak.
Above them—
the invisible white-scaled lizard remained perfectly still.
Golden eyes fixed upon the road stretching into the darkness ahead.
Searching.
Observing.
Looking...
For something only he understood.