The spirit gathering formation continued humming softly.
Streams of dense spiritual qi flowed steadily toward its center.
Without wasting another moment—
both siblings stepped into the formation.
Ling Yue sat down first, crossing her legs comfortably.
Ling Wei took a seat beside her.
The instant they settled—
the surrounding spiritual qi naturally began converging around them.
Ling Yue glanced toward the table one last time.
"...Senior."
"We'll cultivate for now."
"As always..."
"...Please call us if you need anything."
Silence.
No reply came.
She smiled faintly.
"...I figured."
Closing her eyes—
she formed a cultivation seal with her hands.
Her breathing gradually slowed.
Gentle streams of spiritual qi flowed toward her before being refined into her dantian.
Beside her—
Ling Wei also closed his eyes.
His expression quickly settled into one of deep concentration.
Compared to the Ling Estate...
the speed of cultivation here was astonishing.
He could almost feel his spiritual energy increasing with every passing breath.
Neither sibling spoke again.
The room gradually fell silent.
Only the soft hum of the formation remained.
At the wooden table—
Lizarius calmly finished the wine in his current jar.
Gulp.
He lowered it.
Another clay jar floated out from his storage ring.
Pop.
The cork shot free.
A fresh aroma of aged spirit wine quietly spread throughout the room.
Without the slightest hesitation—
he began drinking once more.
Gulp.
Gulp.
While the two siblings immersed themselves in cultivation...
the white-scaled lizard simply continued enjoying his wine in peaceful silence, as though the passage of time itself meant very little to him.
---
A full day passed.
The room remained quiet.
The spirit gathering formation hummed steadily as dense spiritual qi flowed endlessly toward its center.
Ling Yue and Ling Wei never stirred.
Both remained seated within the formation, breathing evenly as they immersed themselves completely in cultivation.
The only sound besides the formation...
was the occasional—
**Clink.**
**Crash.**
Empty clay wine jars.
By now—
they covered the tabletop.
Several had rolled onto the floor.
Others had tumbled over the edge of the table before shattering upon impact.
Fragments of baked clay lay scattered throughout the room.
Hovering above the mess—
the tiny white-scaled lizard remained comfortably wrapped around yet another wine jar.
Gulp.
Gulp.
His golden eyes were half-closed with quiet satisfaction.
Several moments later—
the final drop disappeared.
He licked the corner of his maw.
Then casually released the jar.
**Crash.**
The clay vessel struck the floor and shattered into countless fragments.
Lizarius watched it for a brief moment before silently calculating.
*...Two hundred.*
His gaze slowly swept across the room.
Toward the two siblings—
still cultivating without interruption.
Toward the storage pouches resting quietly upon the table.
The yin-attributed treasures.
The beast cores.
Untouched.
His attention lingered there only briefly.
Then—
without another thought—
he drifted away from the table.
His small body floated effortlessly through the room.
Past the spirit gathering formation.
Past the chairs.
Until he reached the bathing chamber.
Warm mist drifted lazily through the air.
The large stone bath shimmered beneath the runes carved into its base, its water kept perfectly heated by the formation beneath it.
Without the slightest hesitation—
the little white lizard folded his wings.
Plop.
He dropped straight into the water.
Ripples spread gently across the surface.
Only his head and the tip of his tail remained above the steaming water as he floated there in complete comfort.
For a long moment...
he simply drifted.
Then—
another clay wine jar emerged from his storage ring.
It hovered beside him.
Pop.
The cork flew free.
The rich aroma of spirit wine blended with the warm steam filling the chamber.
Lizarius wrapped his forelegs around the jar.
Leaning comfortably against the edge of the bath—
he resumed drinking as though there were nothing more natural in the world.
Gulp.
Gulp.
Outside the bathing chamber—
the two siblings continued cultivating in absolute silence.
Inside—
the little lizard soaked peacefully in the warm water, calmly working his way toward the remaining one hundred and seventeen jars of wine.
---
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
Warm mist continued drifting lazily through the bathing chamber.
Dozens of empty wine jars floated across the surface of the water.
Some bobbed gently against one another.
Others slowly rotated in place.
The rich fragrance of spirit wine lingered heavily in the air.
At the center—
the small white-scaled lizard finished another jar.
He lowered it.
For a brief moment—
he simply floated there.
His golden eyes remained calm.
*The last one...*
*I'll leave it for later.*
Without another thought—
he climbed out of the bath.
Droplets of warm water rolled across his pristine white scales before vanishing beneath a faint pulse of spiritual energy.
His body dried almost instantly.
He quietly returned to the main room.
Ling Yue and Ling Wei remained seated within the spirit gathering formation.
Neither of them had moved.
Dense spiritual qi continued flowing steadily into their bodies.
Lizarius glanced at them only once.
Satisfied that nothing required his attention—
his gaze shifted elsewhere.
Resting upon the nearby table—
was the jade token that served as the room's key.
It slowly floated into the air.
The tiny lizard caught it effortlessly with his tail.
Then—
he drifted toward the entrance.
The moment he approached—
the jade token emitted a faint glow.
Hum—
The hidden formations awakened.
Ancient runes spread across the seemingly solid wall.
With a low rumble—
the concealed doorway slowly opened once more.
Rumble...
At the threshold—
darkness gathered.
Shadows flowed over the little white-scaled body like liquid.
They stretched.
Expanded.
Reshaped.
Moments later—
a shadowy humanoid figure stood where the tiny lizard had been.
Its outline resembled an ordinary human cloaked entirely in living darkness.
No features could be distinguished.
Only an indistinct silhouette woven from shifting shadows.
Hidden within that shadow—
Lizarius continued hovering silently.
The construct itself merely served as a vessel through which he moved.
The jade token drifted gently back onto the table.
The doorway slowly sealed behind him.
Rumble...
Without making a sound—
the shadow figure walked calmly down the corridor.
Past the softly glowing lanterns.
Past the silent stone walls.
Its footsteps were nearly inaudible.
Before long—
it reached the lobby of the Night Sheep House.
The innkeeper glanced up briefly.
Seeing only another shadow-cloaked guest of the Night Market—
he offered a courteous nod.
The shadow offered no reply.
It merely inclined its head slightly before continuing onward.
The innkeeper smiled politely and returned to his ledger without another thought.
A moment later—
the shadow stepped through the entrance.
Cool night air greeted it.
Beyond—
the streets of the Night Market remained as lively as ever.
Lantern light bathed the bustling streets in warm golden hues.
Cultivators of every race wandered between the countless stalls, bargained over rare treasures, exchanged quiet conversations, and disappeared into the winding alleys that branched deeper into the market.
Hidden within the shadow—
Lizarius' golden eyes slowly swept across the endless sea of lights.
For a brief moment—
he simply observed.
The bustling crowds.
The countless scents.
The flow of spiritual energy drifting through the marketplace.
Then—
without the slightest hesitation—
the shadow figure took another step forward.
And calmly disappeared deeper into the endless Night Market.