The cultivator's eyes widened. He twisted sharply, sword sweeping in a horizontal arc—
The lizard tilted his head just enough. The blade skimmed past his scales.
Too close. But not enough.
Then—
Claws struck.
**RIP—!**
Cloth tore. Blood followed. A shallow gash opened across the cultivator's side, forcing him backward again.
He retreated several meters, breathing heavier now.
His expression darkened. The playful confidence was gone.
"…You're not a normal beast," he muttered, voice lowered.
The swords around him began vibrating more intensely. The formation tightened—denser. More dangerous.
Above him, the lizard hovered silently, lightning crackling faintly along his tail, golden eyes glowing coldly. Watching. Calculating. Waiting.
The hunt had truly begun.
The wounded cultivator steadied himself midair, blood trailing from the shallow gash. His swords circled him again, sharper, more controlled.
Below—
A second surge of spiritual energy erupted.
**WHOOSH—!**
A weaker cultivator shot upward from the forest floor, rising into the air beside his companion. His expression tense, eyes fixed on the lizard.
"So it really is that thing…" he muttered. "Fast… and strong."
The mid-stage cultivator didn't glance at him.
"Don't underestimate it," he said coldly. "It already broke through my formation once."
The second cultivator inhaled, raising both hands. Spiritual energy gathered rapidly around him.
"Then we don't give it space to move."
A faint glow spread outward—threads of energy stretching into the air, forming a loose net across the battlefield. Not as lethal as the sword formation, but wider. Restricting.
The mid-stage cultivator's swords repositioned instantly within the space. A layered attack: containment… and execution.
Above them, the lizard watched silently. Golden eyes flicking once to the second cultivator, then back. No panic. Only calculation.
The second cultivator spoke again, voice tight.
"I'll restrict it—"
"Kill it." The first cultivator nodded. "Do it."
Then—they moved.
The second cultivator's hands clenched—the energy threads snapped inward. Pressure closed from all directions, limiting the lizard's movement.
At the same time, the swords struck again. Faster. Sharper. More coordinated. From every direction.
Above, the lizard didn't retreat. His tail flicked once. Lightning surged. He twisted—slipping through the tightening net, narrowly avoiding the pressure—but the swords were already waiting.
**CLANG—!**
A blade struck his scales. Sparks flew. He shifted midair, redirecting the force, but was pushed slightly off balance.
Another blade followed—then another. The pressure increased.
Below, the second cultivator's eyes sharpened. "Got you—"
But—
The lizard's golden eyes flared.
**BOOM!**
A sudden burst of lightning exploded from his body. The surrounding pressure fractured for a split second. Enough.
His body blurred—not retreating—but diving straight downward. Toward them.
The two cultivators' expressions changed instantly.
"He's coming—!"
Too late.
The lizard appeared between them—black and lightning in motion. Jaws wide. Claws ready. Close-range. Where formations meant nothing.
The distance vanished.
The lizard slipped between the two cultivators like a shadow cutting through light. Too fast. Too close.
The fourth-layer cultivator's eyes widened—*He chose me—*
He tried to react. Spiritual energy surged as he forced his body backward, hands forming a defensive technique—
But he was already too late.
The lizard's golden eyes locked on him. Cold. Precise. No hesitation.
A flicker—
The tail, white scales crackling with compressed lightning, shot forward like a spear.
**CRACK—!**
It pierced straight through the cultivator's chest.
His body froze midair. Eyes wide. Mouth opening—but no sound came.
Lightning erupted inside him. His meridians shattered. Spiritual energy collapsed instantly.
For a brief moment—everything stopped.
Then—
The lizard was already in front of him.
Jaws open.
**CRUNCH.**
The sound echoed through the forest. Blood sprayed into the air as the cultivator's body went limp.
Before he could fully comprehend, the lizard released him. The corpse fell with a dull, final thud.
Silence followed.
"…No."
Low. Dangerous.
The mid-stage cultivator hovered a short distance away, eyes locked on the falling body. Shock. Anger. Cold calculation.
His grip on his sword tightened.
"You—" His voice trembled—not from fear, but restrained fury. "You killed him."
The swords around him vibrated violently. Spiritual energy surged wildly. The controlled hunter from before was gone.
What remained—was fury.
"You're dead."
The formation behind him expanded. More swords appeared. Denser. Sharper. The air screamed with killing intent.
Above the corpse, the lizard hovered silently. Blood dripped faintly from his maw. Golden eyes glowing.
Unmoved. Unbothered. As if what he had just done—was nothing more than instinct.
The air trembled with killing intent.
The mid-stage cultivator's rage surged, swords multiplying behind him, their edges screaming with condensed spiritual energy.
"You're dead—"
He began—
But—
**A shadow exploded from the forest.**
"MOVE!"
The shout came too late.
A streak of black cut through the trees like a phantom.
The lynx.
Its body blurred with terrifying speed, silver lines along its spine glowing faintly as power surged through its limbs.
It didn't hesitate. Didn't slow. It *lunged* straight into the battlefield, claws extended, aimed directly at the lizard.
The timing—perfect.
The lizard had just finished killing the weaker cultivator. Even now, his body lingered in that brief moment between actions. Most would have been caught—torn apart instantly.
But—
The lizard's golden eyes flickered.
He had already sensed it.
The moment the lynx entered the forest. The moment it accelerated. The moment it chose to strike.
So when the lynx appeared—
He moved.
**BOOM—!**
The lynx's claws tore through the space where the lizard had been, shredding the air itself as a shockwave blasted outward. Trees cracked. Leaves exploded into the sky. The ground split beneath the force of impact.
But the lizard was gone.
A blur of white and lightning shot upward—reappearing several meters above. Hovering. Watching.