The jade token guided them through the quiet corridor.
No doors lined the walls.
Only smooth, dark stone stretched endlessly ahead, illuminated by the soft glow of hanging lanterns.
Ling Yue frowned slightly.
"...Are we sure this is the right way?"
The jade token pulsed gently in her hand.
Its soft radiance came to a stop before what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary stone wall.
Ling Wei looked around.
"...There's nothing here."
The moment the jade token drew close—
*Hum—*
The wall responded.
Countless luminous lines spread rapidly across its surface like an intricate spider's web.
Ancient runes awakened one after another, each emitting a faint, ethereal glow.
A deep rumble echoed throughout the corridor.
*Rumble...*
The seemingly solid wall slowly slid aside.
A spacious suite was revealed beyond.
Warm spiritual energy drifted outward in gentle waves, carrying a refreshing tranquility with it.
The furnishings were elegant without being extravagant.
A large bed occupied one side of the room, draped in pristine white bedding.
A polished wooden table stood nearby, accompanied by two finely carved chairs.
Soft lanterns illuminated every corner, bathing the suite in a warm golden glow.
Near the center—
a circular Spirit Gathering Formation had been engraved into the floor with remarkable precision.
Faint streams of spiritual qi continuously flowed toward its center, creating a subtle current that could be felt throughout the room.
Ling Yue's eyes immediately brightened.
"...This place is amazing."
Ling Wei slowly nodded.
"It certainly lives up to its price."
The two siblings stepped inside.
The instant they crossed the threshold—
*Rumble...*
The entrance silently closed behind them.
The glowing runes gradually faded until the wall once again appeared completely ordinary, leaving no trace that a doorway had ever existed.
At that same moment—
the invisible white-scaled lizard gradually became visible.
His concealment quietly dissolved.
Lizarius lifted himself from atop Ling Yue's head and floated deeper into the room with his usual unhurried composure.
The shadows cloaking the siblings also dispersed, revealing their true appearances once more.
Ling Yue stretched her shoulders with a relieved sigh.
"...Finally."
"It feels strange wearing that concealment."
Ling Wei smiled faintly.
"...It wasn't uncomfortable."
"But simply knowing it was there..."
"...Was."
Curiosity soon got the better of them.
The siblings began exploring the suite.
Another door stood near the back of the room.
Ling Yue reached out and gently pushed it open.
Warm mist immediately drifted out.
"...Brother."
"You should see this."
Ling Wei walked over.
Inside—
an elegant bathing room had already been prepared.
A large stone tub had been built directly into the floor.
Crystal-clear water filled it nearly to the brim as gentle steam continuously rose from its surface.
Small runes glowed faintly beneath the tub, maintaining the water at a perfect temperature.
Clean robes had been neatly folded nearby.
Fresh towels, fragrant spiritual herbs, scented oils, and various bathing supplies had all been arranged with meticulous care.
Ling Yue blinked.
"...They're very thorough."
Ling Wei nodded absentmindedly.
His attention, however, had already shifted elsewhere.
His gaze settled upon the Spirit Gathering Formation engraved into the floor of the main room.
He slowly approached it.
The spiritual fluctuations emanating from it were incredibly stable.
Profound.
Far beyond anything he had ever encountered before.
His eyes gradually widened.
"...This..."
He crouched to inspect the intricate inscriptions more closely.
Every line had been carved with astonishing precision.
Not a single engraving appeared even slightly imperfect.
Spiritual energy circulated flawlessly throughout the formation.
Not the slightest instability could be sensed.
Ling Wei's thoughts raced.
*An Earth Grade formation...*
*And not an ordinary one.*
*This was definitely constructed by a Foundation Establishment Formation Master.*
His gaze slowly swept across the room once more.
The defensive formations.
The concealment formations.
The Spirit Gathering Formation.
Each one operated independently while remaining perfectly synchronized with the others.
Not the slightest trace of interference existed between them.
Ling Wei couldn't help releasing a slow breath.
"...The Night Market really is on another level."
Nearby—
Lizarius quietly drifted toward the polished wooden table.
He landed lightly upon its smooth surface.
Without a word—
a clay wine jar emerged from empty space.
It floated gently before him.
The tiny white-scaled lizard effortlessly wrapped his slender body around the jar, his tail securing it firmly in place.
Although the vessel was nearly as large as he was...
It remained suspended with perfect ease.
*Pop.*
With a small tug, the cork slipped free.
The rich aroma of aged spiritual wine immediately spread throughout the suite.
A mellow fragrance of spirit fruit, moonlight blossoms, and aged medicinal herbs filled the air.
Even the spiritual qi within the room seemed to grow slightly livelier.
Without the slightest hesitation—
Lizarius lowered his head.
*Gulp.*
*Gulp.*
*Gulp.*
He drank steadily.
His golden eyes gleamed faintly beneath the lantern light.
After several mouthfuls—
he slowly licked the droplets clinging to the edge of his mouth before calmly taking another drink.
Not once did he acknowledge the two siblings.
His entire attention remained fixed upon the wine.
Ling Yue and Ling Wei stood frozen.
The fragrance alone was enough to tell them that it was no ordinary spiritual wine.
Yet the little lizard drank it as casually as though it were nothing more than plain water.
Ling Yue stared for several moments before finally speaking.
"...It seems..."
"...Senior really likes wine."
Ling Wei nodded absentmindedly.
"...I noticed."
His eyes drifted toward the nearly empty jar.
"...Though I didn't expect him to start drinking the moment we entered the room."
Another quiet gulp echoed throughout the peaceful suite.
*Gulp.*
Lizarius remained completely expressionless.
Only the slow movement of his throat and the occasional flick of his tongue revealed just how much he was enjoying himself.
Ling Yue couldn't help smiling.
"...This is probably the happiest expression I've ever seen on Senior."
Ling Wei glanced at her.
"...Expression?"
She nodded confidently.
"...Look closely."
Ling Wei did.
The tiny white-scaled lizard still wore the same calm, unreadable face as always.
"...He looks exactly the same."
Ling Yue folded her arms.
"...No."
"The corners of his eyes relaxed a little."
"And he keeps licking his mouth."
"That counts."
Ling Wei looked back at the quietly drinking lizard.
Then at his sister.
After a long pause...
He smiled helplessly.
"...I'll leave interpreting Senior's expressions to you."
Ling Yue grinned.
"I've had over two years of practice."
Another quiet gulp broke the silence.
The first jar was finally emptied.
Lizarius casually set it aside without the slightest ceremony.
A second clay wine jar floated out from his storage ring before settling gently in front of him.
*Pop.*
The cork flew free.
Once again, the rich fragrance of aged spiritual wine spread throughout the suite.
Without pause—
he calmly continued drinking.
Neither sibling interrupted him.
They simply exchanged amused glances before quietly returning to their own matters.
Ling Yue walked over to the table.
From her storage pouch—
she removed both storage pouches containing everything they had purchased from the Cloud Moon Pavilion.
The Yin-attributed treasures.
The beast cores.
She carefully placed both pouches beside the wine jars.
"There you go, Senior."
"I'll just leave these here."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked back toward Ling Wei.
The tiny white-scaled lizard didn't even spare the pouches a glance.
He was already halfway through another jar of Spirit Dew Wine.
*Gulp.*
*Gulp.*
His golden eyes remained half-lidded in quiet satisfaction.
Ling Wei's attention soon returned to the Spirit Gathering Formation engraved into the floor.
He carefully studied the intricate inscriptions for another moment before speaking.
"...Yue."
"Hm?"
"This formation..."
"It doesn't seem to be activated."
Ling Yue looked toward the center of the room.
Now that he mentioned it...
The formation was drawing in only a faint trickle of spiritual energy.
Far less than something of this caliber should have been capable of.
She tilted her head thoughtfully.
"...Maybe it needs spirit stones?"
Ling Wei nodded.
"Most formations do."
"But..."
He smiled helplessly.
"I've never actually used one before."
Neither had she.
The two siblings exchanged uncertain glances.
Then—
almost instinctively—
Ling Yue looked toward the table.
"...Senior?"
No answer came immediately.
The only sound inside the suite was—
*Gulp.*
*Gulp.*
The tiny white-scaled lizard calmly finished another mouthful of wine.
Without even lifting his head—
his tail flicked once.
*Whoosh.*
A spirit stone suddenly flew out from his storage ring.
It rotated gracefully through the air before landing lightly upon the wooden table.
*Clink.*
Both siblings immediately turned toward it.
It was a **top-quality low-grade spirit stone**.
The same flawless kind they had been using throughout the Night Market.
Only then did Lizarius finally speak.
His eyes never left the wine jar.
"...Use that."
Ling Yue blinked.
"...Just one?"
"...Hmm."
Ling Wei carefully picked up the spirit stone.
Even after seeing several of them throughout the night...
Holding one in his own hand still felt surreal.
The spiritual energy contained within it was astonishingly pure.
He looked toward the formation.
"...Where should I place it?"
Lizarius answered without the slightest hesitation.
"The central node."
Ling Wei walked toward the middle of the room.
After only a brief search, he found a small circular depression at the exact center of the formation.
"...Here?"
"...Hmm."
Taking a careful breath—
he gently lowered the spirit stone into place.
*Click.*
The instant it settled into the depression—
*Hum—*
The entire formation came alive.
Countless engraved lines illuminated one after another.
Soft white light rapidly spread throughout the intricate inscriptions covering the floor.
The surrounding spiritual energy suddenly surged.
*Whoooom—*
Spiritual qi rushed into the suite from every direction like converging rivers.
Within only a few breaths—
the density of spiritual energy increased dramatically.
Ling Yue's eyes widened.
"...It's working."
Ling Wei slowly inhaled.
The moment the spiritual qi entered his lungs—
his expression immediately changed.
"...The spiritual energy..."
"...It's nearly ten times denser than outside."
Even breathing felt completely different.
Every single breath carried abundant spiritual qi directly into his body.
Cultivating here...
Would be vastly faster than anywhere within the Ling Estate.
On the table—
Lizarius continued drinking peacefully, seemingly unconcerned by the now fully activated formation.
The only acknowledgment he gave was a brief flick of his golden eyes toward the flowing spiritual energy before calmly returning his attention to the wine before him.
As far as he was concerned—
the Spirit Gathering Formation was merely functioning exactly as it was supposed to.