Silence.
The system immediately acknowledged the command.
**[Confirmed.]**
The endless white rippled once more.
Behind the Ghost Tiger—
a faint silhouette gradually emerged.
At first—
it was nothing more than a blur.
Then—
its outline slowly became distinct.
A translucent humanoid figure.
Its entire body appeared ethereal—
like drifting mist given form.
Its feet never touched the ground.
Instead—
it quietly hovered behind the tiger.
The tiger remained still.
The spirit remained equally silent.
Neither made the slightest movement.
The system spoke.
**[Beginning demonstration.]**
Silence.
Lizarius watched carefully.
An invisible connection gradually appeared between the Ghost Tiger and the spirit.
It wasn't a chain.
Nor was it a thread.
Yet he could perceive it with absolute clarity.
It originated from the tiger's soul—
and extended directly into the Spirit Servant.
The connection wasn't spiritual qi.
Nor was it bloodline energy.
It was something deeper.
A direct bond between two souls.
The Spirit Servant suddenly moved.
Its translucent arm reached toward a nearby stone pillar.
Its hand passed through the solid stone effortlessly.
The pillar remained completely untouched.
Then—
the spirit's body briefly solidified.
Its fingers closed around the pillar.
**BOOM!!**
The stone exploded apart.
Fragments scattered throughout the endless white.
Before the debris even struck the ground—
the Spirit Servant had already become intangible once more,
passing effortlessly through the falling rocks.
Lizarius watched quietly.
His gaze followed every movement.
The system continued.
**[Spirit Servants possess both incorporeal and corporeal states.]**
**[They may freely alternate between the two.]**
**[While incorporeal, ordinary physical attacks pass harmlessly through them.]**
**[While corporeal, they may directly interact with the physical world.]**
The Ghost Tiger finally moved.
It lowered its body.
Then—
without hesitation—
it pounced.
Its claws tore straight through the Spirit Servant.
The ghost instantly shattered into countless fragments of pale light.
Silence.
Only the tiger remained.
Lizarius didn't react.
Several breaths later—
a tiny fragment of pale light slowly drifted from within the tiger's head.
Then another.
Then another.
More and more fragments emerged.
Gradually—
they gathered together once again.
The outline of the ghost slowly reformed.
Patiently.
Piece by piece.
Until the Spirit Servant once again hovered silently behind its master.
The system explained.
**[Demonstration: Spirit Sacrifice.]**
**[The bonded Spirit Servant has been voluntarily destroyed.]**
**[Residual consciousness preserved through the soul bond.]**
**[Reconstruction initiated.]**
**[Estimated recovery speed varies according to the master's soul strength and available nourishment.]**
Silence filled the endless white.
Lizarius quietly observed the restored Spirit Servant.
His thoughts rapidly analyzed the implications.
*...An additional life.*
*...A body immune to ordinary physical attacks.*
*...And a servant capable of continuous growth.*
His golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
*The true value of this bloodline...*
*Lies less in the Ghost Tiger itself...*
*And more in the existence standing behind it.*
His gaze lingered upon the Spirit Servant.
One final thought quietly surfaced.
*...If the bonded spirit were already powerful before the contract...*
*Then the Ghost Tiger's true potential would increase accordingly.*
The endless white fell silent once more.
Lizarius remained hovering in place.
Quietly committing every detail of the demonstration to memory.
His gaze lingered on the Ghost Tiger for only a moment.
Then—
he spoke.
"...Next."
The system responded immediately.
**[Next biological record.]**
The Ghost Tiger and its Spirit Servant dissolved into drifting strands of black mist.
The endless white restored itself once more.
A tiny creature gradually appeared.
White fur.
Golden markings.
Small, alert eyes.
It stood quietly upon the endless white.
The system spoke.
**[Species: Treasure Mouse.]**
**[Innate Bloodline Ability: Treasure Sense.]**
**[Primary Function: Detection of concealed spiritual treasures, rare ores, precious herbs, and naturally formed treasures.]**
The little mouse slowly sniffed the air.
Then—
it suddenly turned.
Without the slightest hesitation—
it sprinted toward an empty stretch of the endless white.
The simulated ground shifted.
Moments later—
a cluster of spirit crystals slowly emerged from beneath the surface.
The mouse continued moving.
Again—
it stopped.
Again—
hidden treasures surfaced.
Spirit herbs.
Rare ores.
Even concealed storage pouches buried beneath layers of stone.
The system continued.
**[Treasure Sense functions continuously.]**
**[Its detection range and accuracy increase alongside cultivation and bloodline development.]**
**[At higher stages, it may detect spatial fluctuations, hidden formations concealing treasures, and naturally occurring spiritual veins.]**
The mouse completed its demonstration.
Silence returned.
Lizarius quietly watched it.
His thoughts remained calm.
*...I already understand this one.*
He had already experienced its effects firsthand.
The Treasure Mouse had been the reason he discovered the hidden cave.
There was little more for him to learn.
"...Next."
The system acknowledged the command.
**[Next biological record.]**
The Treasure Mouse dissolved.
Dark strands of mist gathered within the endless white.
They slowly intertwined.
Eight long legs touched the ground.
A spider nearly the size of a horse emerged.
Its body was covered in intricate spiral markings.
Its numerous eyes quietly stared ahead.
The system spoke.
**[Species: Hypnotic Spider.]**
**[Innate Bloodline Ability: Hypnotic Pulse.]**
**[Primary Function: Emission of hypnotic mental waves capable of influencing the consciousness of nearby targets.]**
The spider remained perfectly still.
Then—
the markings covering its body began glowing faintly.
An invisible ripple spread outward.
It wasn't spiritual qi.
Nor was it ordinary sound.
It was a fluctuation that brushed directly against the mind itself.
The endless white shifted.
Several simulated beasts appeared around the spider.
The ripple reached them.
One by one—
their eyes gradually became vacant.
Their struggles ceased.
They slowly turned toward the spider.
Awaiting orders.
The system continued.
**[Targets whose mental strength is inferior to the user may gradually fall into hypnosis.]**
**[Once fully hypnotized, simple commands may be implanted.]**
The spider slowly raised one of its legs.
Immediately—
the beasts reacted.
One walked forward.
Another lay upon the ground.
A third attacked the fourth without hesitation.
Every command was obeyed completely.
Without resistance.
Lizarius watched carefully.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The system continued.
**[The effectiveness of Hypnotic Pulse is influenced by the target's soul strength, mental resistance, cultivation, and state of awareness.]**
**[Targets possessing stronger souls or higher cultivation may partially resist, weaken, or completely negate the hypnosis.]**
**[Repeated exposure increases susceptibility if resistance proves insufficient.]**
Silence returned.
Lizarius quietly examined the hypnotic waves lingering throughout the endless white.
*...A mind-based bloodline.*
It differed fundamentally from his own Dream Authority.
Dream Authority drew consciousness into another world.
This—
acted directly upon an awakened mind.
Another thought quietly surfaced.
*...The two should complement one another.*
*A weakened mind would become easier to pull into a dream.*
*And a target whose consciousness had already been disturbed within a dream...*
*Would likely become more vulnerable to hypnosis.*
He silently committed the observation to memory.
Then—
without another word—
he looked toward the system.
"...Next."
The system answered immediately.
**[No further biological records available.]**
A brief pause followed.
Then—
**[All newly acquired bloodline genes have been demonstrated.]**
**[Remaining acquired genes possessed characteristics overlapping with existing bloodlines.]**
**[They have been automatically integrated into compatible bloodline records.]**
**[No independent abilities remain to demonstrate.]**
Silence.
Lizarius quietly organized everything he had learned.
*...So that's all.*
The system remained silent.
After several breaths—
he spoke again.
"...Exit."
**[Confirmed.]**
The endless white quietly dissolved.
...
...
Reality returned.
The tranquil lake reflected the afternoon sky like a flawless mirror.
Lizarius still hovered a few feet above its surface.
Not even a single ripple disturbed the water.
For a brief moment—
he remained perfectly still.
His thoughts silently reviewed everything he had learned.
Sound Manipulation.
Mimic.
Spirit Bond.
Treasure Sense.
Hypnotic Pulse.
Each bloodline possessed its own strengths.
Some complemented one another naturally.
Others excelled in entirely different aspects.
A quiet conclusion settled within his mind.
*...Useful.*
Without lingering any longer—
he turned away.
His tiny body silently accelerated,
leaving the lake far behind.
---
The forest welcomed him once more.
Ancient trees stretched endlessly toward the heavens.
Sunlight filtered gently through countless branches.
The surrounding woods were unusually peaceful.
Lizarius glided silently between the towering trees.
Neither hurrying.
Nor slowing.
Simply observing.
Several minutes passed.
Then—
he stopped.
His golden eyes settled upon a point dozens of meters ahead.
High among the branches—
a large nest rested atop the crown of an enormous tree.
Within it—
a blue-feathered bird quietly guarded several eggs.
Late Stage Spirit Refinement.
Its sharp eyes continuously swept across the surrounding forest.
Lizarius silently observed it.
Then—
a thought surfaced.
*...A practical test.*
He remained hovering where he was.
No spiritual qi gathered.
No visible fluctuations appeared.
Instead—
an almost imperceptible pulse quietly spread from his consciousness.
It flowed directly toward the bird.
**Hypnotic Pulse.**
The invisible wave brushed gently against the beast's mind.
The blue bird stiffened.
Its vigilant gaze gradually lost focus.
Its pupils slowly became vacant.
The resistance lasted only a few breaths.
Then—
it disappeared completely.
The beast remained perched upon the nest.
Perfectly still.
Awaiting instruction.
Lizarius quietly observed the result.
His thoughts remained calm.
*...Success.*
He had neither strengthened the technique nor layered additional mental pressure upon it.
Only a single pulse.
Yet—
it had been enough to subdue a Late Stage Spirit Refinement beast.
His golden eyes remained fixed upon the bird.
Another thought quietly surfaced.
*Now...*
*To determine its limits.*
He calmly issued his first command.