The next moment—
the tribulation clouds shifted.
Not dispersing—
Moving.
Across the heavens.
---
Far away—
upon a towering mountain peak—
a massive black serpent slowly raised its head.
A single crimson horn protruded from its forehead.
Its cold eyes reflected the rolling sea of dark clouds overhead.
For a brief moment—
it silently watched.
*...The tribulation clouds are disappearing?*
Its pupils narrowed.
Then—
its expression changed.
*No.*
*They're not disappearing...*
*They're moving.*
Its enormous body immediately uncoiled.
The mountain beneath it cracked.
The colossal serpent shot into the forest.
Its gaze never left the moving tribulation clouds.
*The one undergoing tribulation...*
*Is moving as well.*
---
High above the endless forest—
an invisible figure cut through the sky.
The fox was no longer curled into a ball.
She flew at astonishing speed.
Perched upon her head—
Lizarius stood silently.
Completely invisible.
The concealment surrounding them distorted even the surrounding spiritual qi.
The fox's turquoise eyes shifted upward.
The pressure descending from the heavens...
Had weakened.
Only slightly.
A faint smile appeared within her heart.
*Little White's concealment...*
*Has become even stronger.*
*Strong enough...*
*To briefly confuse the Laws of Heaven themselves.*
The tribulation clouds continued pursuing them—
yet they no longer remained locked onto her with absolute precision.
As though Heaven itself had momentarily lost sight of its target.
After traveling thousands of miles—
the fox gradually slowed.
She carefully observed the surrounding landscape.
A vast mountain range.
Dense forests.
No obvious traces of powerful cultivators.
She finally came to a stop.
"...This should do."
She turned her head slightly.
"...Little White."
"...Retreat."
She lowered her head.
The small pouch hanging around her neck floated upward.
"...Hold onto this for me."
Lizarius silently accepted it.
The pouch disappeared into his storage ring.
Without a word—
he lightly leaped from her head.
His tiny body drifted toward the forest below.
Completely invisible.
He stopped several hundred meters away.
Hovering silently above the endless canopy.
His golden eyes remained fixed upon the fox.
Watching.
Waiting.
---
The fox's body gradually became visible once more.
At almost the same instant—
the tribulation clouds found her again.
Boom!
Purple lightning erupted throughout the heavens.
The pressure instantly multiplied.
The entire sky darkened.
Countless bolts of lightning intertwined within the clouds.
Each radiated terrifying heavenly might.
The fox slowly lifted her head.
Her turquoise eyes burned with fighting spirit.
A grin slowly spread across her face.
"...Here it comes."
BOOM!!
A pillar of brilliant purple heavenly lightning descended from the heavens.
It swallowed her completely.
The surrounding mountains shook violently.
The earth split apart beneath the overwhelming impact.
The first heavenly tribulation...
Had begun.
---
The fox stood proudly in her true form.
Several meters tall.
Beneath her—
a massive blackened crater stretched across the earth.
Smoke slowly rose from the shattered ground.
Faint arcs of lightning still crawled across the scorched stone before gradually fading away.
She lifted her head.
Her gaze remained fixed upon the tribulation clouds.
A grin slowly spread across her face.
"...One down."
The lingering numbness vanished almost instantly.
"...Twenty-six more to go."
"...Come on."
As though the heavens had heard her challenge—
Boom!
The clouds split apart.
Another pillar of heavenly lightning descended.
The surrounding sky flashed white.
The terrifying bolt crashed straight toward the fox.
Its overwhelming pressure caused the mountains for miles around to tremble.
---
Hours passed.
The heavenly tribulation continued without pause.
Again.
And again.
Pillars of heavenly lightning descended from the heavens.
Each strike shook the surrounding mountains.
Each impact carved another massive crater into the devastated landscape.
From high above—
Lizarius watched in silence.
His gaze remained fixed upon the descending bolts.
*...Weaker.*
His own tribulation had been far more violent.
Far more destructive.
His eyes slowly drifted away from the battlefield.
Toward the surrounding mountains.
The dense forests.
The distant skies.
He could see them.
Hidden among the shadows.
Concealed behind formations.
Suppressing their auras.
Cultivators.
Demon beasts.
All watching.
All waiting.
None dared approach while the heavenly tribulation remained active.
They simply observed from afar.
Waiting for it to end.
Lizarius quietly withdrew his gaze.
There was nothing more to watch.
His body gradually expanded.
Returning to his normal size.
Even so—
his concealment remained flawless.
Not even the slightest ripple betrayed his presence.
*...I'm a little hungry after waking up.*
The thought surfaced naturally after his long slumber.
Without another glance toward the tribulation—
he turned away.
His invisible figure descended into the forest below.
Within moments—
the dense canopy swallowed him completely.
The forest fell silent once more.
Only scattered leaves drifted between the ancient trees.
---
Lizarius slowly swallowed the last remaining piece of the corpse.
A familiar notification quietly appeared before him.
**[Evolution Points Acquired: 5,704.]**
Silence.
His storage ring flickered.
The fallen cultivator's storage pouch floated into the air before disappearing into the ring.
Without another glance—
he continued deeper into the forest.
...
A short while later—
Lizarius suddenly stopped.
His golden eyes shifted toward an ordinary patch of woodland.
To anyone else—
nothing was there.
Only trees.
Only shadows.
Only silence.
Yet—
he could see her.
A cultivator concealed beneath an advanced concealment technique.
Her aura was perfectly hidden.
Even her presence had nearly merged with the surrounding forest itself.
*...A Golden Core cultivator.*
His thoughts remained calm.
*Where did one come from...?*
*The Azure Sky Sect...?*
*Or another sect...?*
The question lingered for only a brief moment.
It made no difference.
She had entered his hunting grounds.
That alone was enough.
Without the slightest hesitation—
his tail moved.
Crackling lightning instantly gathered along its length.
Then—
Boom!
His tail became a streak of crimson-blue lightning.
It pierced straight toward her head.
Clang!!
A translucent barrier erupted into existence.
The lightning-coated tail slammed into it.
Cracks spread across the barrier in every direction.
The concealed woman's eyes widened in shock.
"...!"
She reacted immediately.
Her spiritual qi erupted.
The fractured barrier flared once more as she raised a hand to counterattack.
A brilliant stream of spiritual light burst toward Lizarius.
Too late.
The barrier shattered.
Shrrk!
Her attack was released—
At the very same instant—
her upper body disappeared.
Cleanly severed.
Blood erupted into the air.
The unfinished technique scattered into countless fragments of spiritual light before fading into nothingness.
Only the lower half of her body remained standing for a single heartbeat.
Then—
it slowly collapsed onto the forest floor.