The fox's gaze shifted slightly, settling on the lizard.
Still there.
Still eating.
Unbothered.
"…Except you, of course."
Her tone was casual—but certain.
The lizard didn't respond.
Didn't even pause.
Only the faint, wet sound of tearing flesh echoed through the cave.
The fox watched him for a brief moment, then exhaled softly.
"…As expected."
Her attention returned to the task at hand.
The Ghost Banner flickered once, then vanished back into her storage pouch.
"…I'll deal with that later."
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"…First…"
Her hand moved again, reaching into her pouch—
—and pulling out another.
The ape's storage pouch.
It floated before her, suspended in the air.
Her gaze sharpened. Focused.
"…Let's see what you were hiding."
A thin strand of her divine sense extended outward, wrapping around the pouch.
Gently at first—
then tightening.
Her eyes closed.
The cave fell quiet, aside from the distant, rhythmic sounds of the lizard feeding.
Inside, the imprint resisted.
Faint—but present.
A lingering will.
"…Hmph."
Her control deepened.
Careful.
Precise.
She didn't rush it.
Didn't force it recklessly.
Instead, she unraveled it.
Thread by thread.
Breaking down the connection left behind.
Time passed.
One minute.
Two.
Three.
Then—
Her eyes opened.
Slowly.
And they gleamed.
Sharp. Satisfied.
"…Done."
The imprint—
gone.
The pouch now—
hers.
The pouch loosened—then flipped.
Everything spilled out.
Weapons clattered against stone.
Jade bottles rolled, clicking softly as they settled.
Spirit stones scattered, their faint glow flickering across the cave walls.
Other items followed—tools, materials—everything laid bare.
The fox moved immediately.
Without hesitation.
Her own weapons—the ones the ape had taken during the fight.
She picked them up swiftly, checking each one, confirming their condition—
then sent them back into her pouch.
"…Good."
Her gaze lifted, settling over the rest.
Slow. Careful.
Then—
her eyes gleamed.
"…So…"
A faint smile curved her lips.
"…the monkey had another spirit tool."
She reached down, fingers closing around something small—
—and lifted it.
A tiny boat.
No bigger than her palm.
Delicately crafted, its surface etched with fine, intricate lines—spiritual patterns faintly glowing beneath its structure.
The fox turned it slightly, examining it from every angle.
"…A spatial-type tool?"
Her voice was low, interested.
She tapped it lightly with her claw, feeling the response—the subtle hum within.
"…Not just that."
The faint glow shifted, responding to her touch.
"…A flight-type spirit tool."
Her smile deepened—genuine this time.
"…A flying vessel."
She grinned widely, teeth bared, clearly pleased.
"…Now *this*…"
A soft chuckle escaped her.
"…this is useful."
Her turquoise eyes gleamed—already thinking ahead.
"…Looks like you were planning on going somewhere… or something else entirely."
A brief pause.
"…Too bad you didn't get the chance."
Without hesitation, she stored the small boat into her pouch.
But her gaze didn't leave the remaining items.
Not yet.
Because if this was here—
then there was definitely more worth taking.
Her gaze swept over the remaining pile.
Slow. Measured.
"…Doesn't look like there are any more spirit tools."
A small pause.
"…Not that I expected much more."
She crouched slightly, eyes scanning everything with precision.
Then—
a faint lift of her brow.
"…Still…"
Her lips curved faintly.
"…It's surprising that monkey had *four* Earth-grade artifacts."
Her tone carried a hint of approval.
"…Even if there aren't any more tools…"
Her eyes gleamed.
"…this is still a very good haul."
Her divine sense spread outward, wrapping around several items at once, lifting them into the air before her.
The first—
a long, dark shaft.
"…Dark Purple Iron Bamboo."
Its surface was smooth, but dense—faintly humming with weight and durability.
"…Good for crafting or reinforcing weapons."
Next—
a coiled, thorned vine, deep crimson at the edges, carrying a faint fragrance.
"…Rose Tail Jinsen."
Her eyes lingered slightly.
"…Useful for refining vitality-based elixirs… or enhancing blood essence."
Then—
a chunk of translucent, amber-like crystal.
Inside it, something faintly pulsed.
"…Amber Core Resin."
She tilted her head slightly.
"…Stores and stabilizes spiritual energy."
Finally—
a dull-gray stone.
Rough. Unremarkable at first glance—but faint runic patterns flickered beneath its surface.
"…Gravebind Stone."
A faint smile appeared.
"…Useful for containment… or soul-related formations."
All four hovered briefly—
then vanished into her pouch.
Stored. Secured.
Her eyes returned to the rest, still scattered across the cave floor.
"…Not bad at all."
A quiet satisfaction settled in.
"…Looks like killing you was more than worth it."
Her gaze lingered on the scattered remnants—
then shifted.
"…Mm."
She reached down, her divine sense brushing across the pile, then clicked her tongue softly.
"…Looks like the monkey only had one of those summoning talismans."
A faint trace of disappointment crossed her face.
"…What a shame."
She recalled the pressure it carried during the fight.
"…I really would've liked one of those."
A small pause—
then her expression smoothed out.
"…But…"
Her gaze dropped back to the pile.
"…I'll settle for these."
With a flick of her divine sense, a stack of talismans rose into the air.
Thin. Sharp.
Each one etched with precise markings.
"…Sword talismans."
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"…The same type he used."
A slight smile.
"…Decent output. Fast activation."
They hovered beside another set—
lighter, with flowing patterns.
"…Wind talismans."
She tilted her head slightly.
"…Good for movement… or disruption."
Then—
another group lifted.
These—
burned faintly.
Even without activation, heat shimmered around them.
Her eyes sharpened.
"…Top-tier Earth-grade fire talismans."
A soft breath escaped her—this time more satisfied.
"…Now these…"
Her smile deepened slightly.
"…are worth something."
The flames within the inscriptions flickered subtly—contained, but dangerous.
"…Strong burst damage."
A pause.
"…And useful in numbers."
Without hesitation, all the talismans vanished, one after another, into her storage pouch.
Clean. Efficient.
The last of the items lifted—
bottles of pills, small and neatly sealed—
and spirit stones, standard grade, glowing steadily.
The fox didn't linger on them.
"…Not bad."
With a single motion of her divine sense, everything rose—
then vanished into her storage pouch.
Nothing left behind.
Silence settled in the cave again—broken only by the quiet sounds of the lizard feeding.
Then—
she moved again.
Three items appeared before her, hovering.
The brown staff.
The jade disk.
The sword.