Then—
he began to fade.
Slowly.
His form blurred, edges dissolving into nothing—
until he was gone.
Invisible.
A breath later, that same distortion spread across her.
Over her fur. Over her presence itself.
Until the fox, too, disappeared.
Not just from sight—
but from sense.
No aura. No trace.
Nothing.
Only the faintest disturbance in the air remained—and even that vanished quickly.
The forest swallowed them whole.
And in the next instant—
she moved.
Fast.
Silent.
Gone before anything could even realize she had been there.
They didn't return.
Instead, they went deeper.
Through the Broken Ridge.
Hours passed.
Silent movement. Efficient killing.
Five more beasts fell.
All at the Foundation Establishment stage—but barely.
Nowhere near what the ape had been.
Nowhere near worth slowing down for.
A massive reptilian beast collapsed with a final shudder, its body crashing into the fractured ground.
The fox stood over it, calm and unbothered.
The Ghost Banner appeared in her grasp—dark, waiting.
She drove it down.
The moment it pierced, the pull began.
A distorted shape tore free from within the corpse, struggling—
then—
gone.
Absorbed.
The banner dimmed slightly, satisfied.
The fox exhaled.
"Looks like the monkey was right."
Her tone carried mild disappointment.
"There really aren't that many Foundation Establishment beasts here."
She glanced around at the empty ridges stretching outward—quiet, lifeless.
"After hours…"
A faint pause.
"…we only found a few."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"And only two were even close to mid-stage."
A soft click of her tongue.
"Not worth the time."
The banner vanished, returning to her pouch.
With another thought, the corpse followed—disappearing just as cleanly.
Nothing left behind.
The fox straightened.
"At this rate…"
Her voice lowered slightly, thinking ahead.
"…we won't be able to keep hunting like before."
No resistance. No real challenge.
No growth.
A beat passed.
Then she turned.
"Let's head back."
The lizard remained silent, but didn't object.
That was enough.
And just like before, he faded.
His invisibility spread, covering her once more until both of them vanished completely.
No presence. No trace.
And in the next moment—
they were gone.
Leaving the Broken Ridge behind, empty once more.
The cave mouth loomed ahead, concealed and still.
The fox moved silently, efficiently.
Along the way, she had slain two more demonic beasts at the late stage of Qi Refining.
Their blood still faintly clung to her fur.
The lizard, perched atop her head for most of the journey, finally let go.
He dropped his invisibility and hopped lightly onto the cave floor.
The fox moved first.
Her paws glided over cracked stone.
She reached into her storage pouch.
Two corpses emerged.
Qi Refining beasts.
She tossed them deliberately to the far end of the cave.
The thud echoed softly—a reminder of her efficiency.
She paused for a moment, eyes scanning the corpses.
"That'll do."
Her voice was low, satisfied.
Then she moved again.
Another pouch appeared from within her storage pouch.
She opened it.
And from within—
carefully—
the Crimson Veinblood Tree.
Gently, she placed it atop the corpses of the Qi Refining beasts.
Silence filled the cave.
Only the subtle shift of air.
The faint pulse of the tree.
The roots stirred.
Slowly.
They wriggled downward.
Into the corpses.
Through flesh.
Through bone.
Into the ground below.
A faint, rhythmic pulse ran through them—like veins carrying life back into the tree.
The fox exhaled softly.
"That'll do."
Her eyes swept the rest of the cave.
From storage, she pulled out the remaining corpses—those from all eight Foundation Establishment beasts they had hunted.
They were arranged neatly, stacked carefully against the far wall.
"Lucky the cave isn't small," she murmured, tone light but calculating.
A faint pause.
"Though I'm not sure if they'll all fit with everything here now."
The lizard moved closer to the corpses.
Returning to his normal size, his body stretched and grew.
Muscles tensed.
Golden eyes focused.
He leaned down, biting into the nearest corpse.
Flesh and bone yielded under his jaws.
He began to eat—efficiently, without hesitation.
The fox watched for a moment, her turquoise eyes gleaming faintly.
"Looks like someone is making himself useful too," she muttered.
A faint chuckle escaped her, soft and amused.
"Good."
She moved deliberately to the corner of the cave.
Her paws were light and careful as she reached into her storage pouch.
From within, the Ghost Banner emerged—dark, humming faintly, almost alive.
She held it up, eyes narrowing, expression thoughtful.
"This thing…"
Her voice was quiet, almost a murmur.
"…isn't as simple as I thought."
A pause.
"I figured that after absorbing a handful of souls, it would start reaching its limits…"
Her fingers tightened slightly around the banner.
"But now?"
She exhaled softly.
"It doesn't seem like it."
A faint gleam lit her turquoise eyes.
"I've lost count of how many souls are in here now."
Her lips curved into a small, calculating smile.
"There must be a lot."
She tilted her head, thinking.
"And it doesn't seem like it's approaching its limits anytime soon."
"Hmph."
Her gaze sharpened.
"I guess the spiritual tool of a Golden Core cultivator isn't so simple."
She crouched slightly, focusing.
The banner pulsed softly in her grip.
A moment passed.
Then—
she spoke clearly.
"Come out."
A distorted shape coalesced above the banner.
Light flickered. Shadows twisted.
Slowly—
the Crimson-Eyed Ape's ghost emerged.
The spectral figure bowed deeply.
"Master."
The fox stared at it for a moment, calm and analytical.
"Interesting."
Her voice was low, thoughtful.
"Looks like the souls of those at Foundation Establishment aren't mindless."
She stepped slightly to the side, observing.
"They retain memories… wills… consciousness."
A pause.
"Some are more aware than others."
Her turquoise eyes gleamed faintly.
"Those must be the ones with stronger awareness and more stable minds."
A faint smirk touched her lips.
"But still, they all follow orders unconditionally."
Her gaze darkened slightly as it lingered on the ape's ghost.
"Except for that one."
Another pause.
"Right now…"
Her voice lowered.
"Even though there are many ghosts within this banner…"
"I probably could summon them all."
A soft, calculating hum.
"But I wouldn't be able to control them."
Her tail flicked once.
"If I could…"
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"…then even those below Foundation Establishment…"
A slight pause.
"…wouldn't be able to hold a candle to me."