Three days passed.
The valley remained unchanged.
Moonlight came and went.
Sunrise followed sunset.
Then sunrise again.
Yet the white lizard still lay exactly where he had fallen.
Motionless.
Silent.
His body remained covered in dried blood, now hardened into dark crusts across fractured scales. Cracks spread visibly along his body, like a porcelain surface pushed beyond its limits. The broken horn on his head was still jagged, uneven—an incomplete ruin of what it once was.
At first glance—
he appeared dead.
But only at first glance.
Because the valley itself told a very different story.
The scent of blood lingered heavily in the air, thick and oppressive. It was the kind of scent that should have drawn in countless predators from miles away, triggering a frenzy of feeding and conflict.
Yet not a single beast approached.
Not one.
Even spirit beasts roaming the surrounding region instinctively avoided the valley entirely. Some would wander close to its outer edges, pause as if sensing something wrong, then suddenly retreat in panic—tails tucked, bodies trembling—as though some ancient predator slumbered within the depths ahead.
Even in unconsciousness—
the pressure leaking faintly from Lizarius's body was enough to terrify everything around him.
The valley had, without anyone realizing it, become forbidden ground.
---
Meanwhile—
several dozen meters away—
voices drifted through a forest trail.
Human voices.
Young. Relaxed. Carefree.
A group of nine figures moved steadily through the wilderness.
At the front, two older cultivators walked with measured calm, their expressions alert despite the seemingly peaceful surroundings. Both wore similar robes embroidered with silver cloud patterns.
Spirit Refining cultivators.
Behind them followed seven younger figures—four young men and three young women. Judging by their attire and demeanor, they clearly came from respectable backgrounds, likely the children of a clan or disciples sent out for training and experience.
One of the young men stretched lazily.
"This wilderness is boring."
Another immediately laughed.
"That's because Elder Qin and Elder Zhao are scaring everything away."
One of the girls rolled her eyes.
"Would you rather run into a demonic beast?"
The young man coughed awkwardly.
"…Perhaps not."
He scratched his head.
"Honestly, if we actually ran into a demon beast out here, we'd all be dead."
Several others burst into laughter.
One of the girls sighed.
"At least you're self-aware."
The young man grinned.
"I'm serious."
His expression soon turned a little more restrained.
"A Spirit Refining beast is one thing…"
"But a demon beast?"
He shook his head slowly.
"That's an entirely different existence."
The laughter faded slightly.
Everyone present understood exactly what he meant.
Spirit beasts refined spiritual energy—equivalent to Spirit Refining level.
Demon beasts, however, had already condensed a core—equivalent to Foundation Establishment level.
By their understanding, a Foundation Establishment demon beast could slaughter dozens of Spirit Refining cultivators without much difficulty.
One of the younger girls glanced around nervously.
"But there aren't any demon beasts near Lotus Valley, right?"
Another disciple quickly responded.
"Of course not."
He pointed vaguely toward the distant direction of the city.
"The clans clear them out whenever one gets too close."
"They can't allow a Foundation Establishment beast to remain near populated regions."
The others nodded in agreement.
That was common knowledge.
Lotus Valley sat under the protection of several cultivation clans. Any dangerous demon beast discovered nearby would typically be hunted down immediately.
The conversation relaxed again for a short while.
Then—
the yellow-haired young man at the front suddenly turned toward the two elders.
"Elder Qin. Elder Zhao."
Both older cultivators glanced at him.
The young man smiled eagerly.
"If we keep going like this, we won't encounter anything at all."
A few others immediately chimed in agreement.
"Exactly."
"We didn't come out here for sightseeing."
"We came for experience."
The yellow-haired youth pointed deeper into the forest.
"Can we separate a little?"
"Not far. Just enough to actually find some spirit beasts."
The two elders exchanged a brief look.
After a moment, Elder Qin sighed.
"You youngsters…"
The yellow-haired youth's eyes lit up immediately.
"So that's a yes?"
Elder Zhao chuckled.
"We can allow some distance."
Excitement instantly spread through the group.
But then Elder Zhao's tone turned serious.
"However."
Everyone straightened slightly.
"If anything unusual happens—"
"If you encounter danger—"
"If you even suspect danger—"
His gaze swept across all seven younger disciples.
"You must immediately activate your signal talisman."
The youths nodded in unison.
"Yes, Elder."
Elder Qin added calmly,
"No heroics."
"No chasing unknown beasts."
"And absolutely no entering caves or hidden locations without us."
Several of the younger disciples laughed awkwardly, clearly having considered exactly that.
The elders exchanged another glance, then finally nodded.
"Fine."
"We'll maintain our distance."
"But remain within signaling range."
Excitement immediately returned to the group.
Soon after, they gradually dispersed beneath the forest canopy.
Sunlight filtered through dense leaves overhead, while a cold wind drifted between the trees.
At first, everyone remained within sight of each other, calling out occasionally, laughing, and complaining about their lack of luck.
But despite nearly an hour of searching—
they found nothing.
No spirit beasts.
No ordinary animals.
Not even birds.
The forest remained strangely empty.
Eventually, the yellow-haired youth stopped beside a large tree.
"…Has anyone seen anything?"
"No."
"Nothing."
"Not even a rabbit."
One of the young women frowned.
"…That's weird."
Nearby, a young man with straight green hair slowly looked around. His brows gradually furrowed as he observed the surroundings more carefully.
The deeper he paid attention—
the more uncomfortable he became.
His younger sister noticed immediately and approached him.
Her long green hair swayed gently as she stepped closer.
"Big brother?"
The young man didn't answer right away.
After a moment, he spoke quietly.
"…Something feels wrong."
The nearby youths turned toward him.
His sister blinked.
"What do you mean?"
The green-haired youth scanned the forest slowly.
"…It's too quiet."
Silence followed.
One of the others laughed lightly.
"Maybe we're just unlucky."
But the green-haired youth shook his head.
"No."
"Even if there are no spirit beasts nearby…"
His gaze narrowed slightly.
"…there should still be something."
"Birds."
"Insects."
"Ordinary animals."
"Something."
The smiles around them faded gradually.
Because now that he said it—
they realized it too.
The forest was unnaturally still.
No chirping.
No rustling.
No distant movement.
Only wind.
The green-haired youth spoke again.
"It feels like everything has left."
His sister instinctively stepped closer.
"…Because of a stronger beast?"
No one answered immediately.
That possibility had already formed in everyone's mind.
Then the yellow-haired youth suddenly clapped his hands.
"Then let's check."
Several heads turned toward him.
He pointed in different directions.
"We spread out a bit more."
"Not too far."
"If there's something nearby, someone should find tracks."
One of the girls hesitated.
"…Is that wise?"
The yellow-haired youth shrugged.
"We're still within signal range."
"Elder Qin and Elder Zhao aren't far."
Reluctantly, the others agreed.
After all, two Late Spirit Refining elders were nearby. Even a Foundation Establishment beast shouldn't be able to wipe them out instantly before a signal could be sent.
Soon, the group split further.
"Call out if you find anything!"
"Don't go too deep!"
"And activate your talisman if anything seems wrong!"
Their voices gradually faded.
Then silence returned once more.
Only footsteps remained.
And even those soon disappeared.
---
Minutes passed.
The green-haired youth moved carefully through the trees, his sister following several meters behind. Neither of them spoke much now.
The strange atmosphere pressed heavily on them.
Then—
the young man's footsteps slowed.
His eyes narrowed.
"…Wait."
His sister stopped immediately.
"What is it?"
The young man stared at the ground.
There—pressed into the earth beside exposed roots—was a mark.
No.
Not a footprint.
A depression.
Something massive had rested there recently.
The surrounding grass was completely flattened, as if crushed under immense weight. Nearby tree trunks bore long, deep scratches—far too deep for any ordinary beast.
The siblings exchanged a glance.
Both felt their hearts tighten.
Then—
a faint scent drifted through the air.
Metallic. Sharp.
The green-haired youth's expression changed instantly.
"…Blood."
His sister's face went pale.
The scent was old—several days old—but thick. Far too thick.
Slowly, both of them raised their heads.
Toward a narrow valley hidden between towering stone ridges.
The scent was coming from there.
And for some reason—
neither of them could shake the feeling that something inside was watching.
Waiting.
Sleeping.
Their signal talismans suddenly felt far more important than before.
Yet curiosity—
that dangerous, foolish curiosity common among young cultivators—
still lingered.
---
And deep within that hidden valley—
beneath trees and broken stone—
a massive white-scaled body remained motionless.
Unconscious.
Breathing slowly.
Completely unaware that outsiders had finally come close enough to find him.
The two siblings exchanged uncertain glances.
The scent of blood grew stronger with every step.
The forest itself seemed to grow darker.
Quieter.
As if even the wind refused to enter this place.
The green-haired youth tightened his grip on his weapon.
"Stay behind me."
His sister nodded immediately.
Neither dared raise their voice now.
Step by step, they moved forward.
Avoiding branches.
Avoiding sound.
Avoiding attention.
Until finally—
they reached the edge of the valley.
And froze.
"…What is that?"
The girl's voice barely escaped her lips.
Below them—
resting among broken stone and tangled roots—
lay an enormous white-scaled creature.
Its scales reflected a faint moonlike sheen beneath the filtered light. Its body was riddled with dried blood, cracked scales, and deep wounds. One horn was completely broken, jagged and uneven.
Even unconscious—
it radiated an overwhelming sense of danger.
The siblings felt their hearts skip.
The green-haired youth's pupils contracted sharply.
"…A demon beast…"
But even saying that felt insufficient.
He had never seen anything like it.
Its body resembled a massive lizard, yet carried unmistakable draconic traits. Powerful limbs. Coiled strength. Folded wings resting against its body.
Even in this state—
it looked like a disaster waiting to awaken.
The girl swallowed hard.
"…Is it dead?"
The green-haired youth didn't answer immediately.
His eyes stayed locked on the motionless form.
No movement.
No sound.
No sign of life.
Only silence.
Then his gaze shifted to the surrounding ground.
The amount of blood there was horrifying—enough to kill dozens of creatures.
"…Maybe."
Even he didn't sound convinced.
The girl glanced around nervously.
"If it's really dead…"
Her voice trailed off.
They both understood what that meant.
A demon beast corpse was an unimaginable treasure.
Scales. Bones. Blood. Beast core.
Every part had value.
Especially one of this level.
The green-haired youth slowly shook his head.
"No."
His instincts screamed at him.
Something was wrong.
Far too wrong.
A creature this powerful wouldn't simply die in a place like this without reason. And if it had been killed, there should have been traces of whatever had done it.
Then—
his eyes narrowed.
"…Wait."
The girl stiffened instantly.
"What?"
He stared intently at the creature.
Seconds passed.
Then—
he saw it.
A faint movement.
So subtle it was almost imperceptible.
The rise of its chest.
Then the fall.
Slow.
Extremely slow.
But unmistakable.
The green-haired youth's face drained of color.
"…It's alive."
The words came out barely above a whisper.
The girl's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"Don't move."
His voice dropped to a tense whisper.
Controlled. Careful.
Both siblings froze completely.
Not daring to breathe too loudly.
Below them—
the massive white-scaled beast remained still.
Still asleep.
Still unconscious.
But that single realization changed everything.
Because now they understood.
They weren't standing before a corpse.
They were standing near something that was still alive.
And judging by the pressure lingering even in its weakened state—
something far beyond anything they should ever encounter.
The forest remained utterly silent.
Neither side moved.
One sleeping predator.
Two frightened young cultivators.
And neither yet realized how dangerously close they were to the moment everything could change.