The corridor gradually grew quieter.
The figures of Ling Wei and Ling Yue disappeared around a distant corner.
Only then did Ling Jianfei finally look away.
The disciple beside him frowned slightly.
"You think they're hiding something important?"
Jianfei didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he replayed the conversation in his mind.
Every expression.
Every response.
Every pause.
Then he sighed.
"It's hard to explain."
The disciple waited.
Jianfei folded his arms.
"When someone suddenly becomes wealthy, that's one thing."
"When someone suddenly becomes stronger, that's another."
He glanced toward the direction the siblings had left.
"But those two…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…look like they're constantly worried about something."
The disciple blinked.
"Worried about something?"
Jianfei nodded.
"Did you notice?"
"Ling Yue looked nervous the entire conversation."
"And Ling Wei?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"He was trying to leave before I even finished speaking."
The disciple thought for a moment.
Then slowly nodded.
Now that Jianfei mentioned it—it was true.
Ling Wei had practically been searching for an excuse to escape from the beginning.
Jianfei chuckled softly.
"It wasn't fear of me or my position in the clan."
"It was something else."
The disciple asked carefully,
"Should we investigate?"
Silence fell.
A moment later, Jianfei shook his head.
"No."
The disciple looked surprised.
"No?"
Jianfei's expression remained calm.
"Curiosity kills people."
The disciple stared at him.
Jianfei continued evenly.
"If the Clan Head and the Four Great Elders already know something unusual happened and still chose not to investigate further…"
"…why would I be foolish enough to do so?"
The disciple immediately fell silent.
That was a very valid point.
The Clan Head wasn't stupid.
Neither were the elders.
If they had stopped asking questions, there was likely a reason.
Jianfei lifted his gaze toward the sky.
"Besides…"
A faint laugh escaped him.
"If they truly found some great opportunity, then good for them."
"If they found trouble…"
His eyes turned thoughtful.
"…then eventually, the truth will reveal itself."
With that, he turned and began walking away.
The disciples quickly followed behind him.
Soon, the corridor became empty once more.
---
Meanwhile—
far away from the Clan Hall—
Ling Wei and Ling Yue finally exited the inner clan district.
Only after several minutes did Ling Yue release a breath she had been holding.
"…That was close."
Ling Wei glanced at her.
"Not really."
Ling Yue looked offended.
"How was that not close?"
"He was clearly probing us."
Ling Wei replied calmly,
"Everyone is probing us."
"The Clan Head."
"The elders."
"Jianfei."
"The Golden Lotus Pavilion."
"Probably half the city by now."
Ling Yue's face twitched.
"…When you put it that way, it sounds terrible."
"It is terrible."
Silence followed.
The siblings continued walking beneath the afternoon sun.
After a while, Ling Yue suddenly frowned.
"Big brother."
"Mm?"
"Do you think that senior knows about the Cloud Sword Sect?"
Ling Wei's steps slowed slightly.
The question lingered between them.
After several moments, he answered,
"I don't know."
Ling Yue lowered her voice.
"If we were ordered to leave…"
Neither of them finished the sentence.
They didn't need to.
Both understood.
The poison mark beneath their gloves remained.
Invisible.
Silent.
Waiting.
Ling Wei finally spoke.
"If the senior wants us to go…"
"We'll go."
"If he wants us to stay…"
"We'll stay."
Ling Yue let out a soft sigh.
"That's not really our choice, is it?"
"No."
Ling Wei's answer came immediately.
For a brief moment, both of them fell silent.
Then unexpectedly—
Ling Wei laughed.
A short, quiet laugh.
Ling Yue stared at him.
"What?"
He shook his head slightly.
"Nothing."
"Tell me."
"I was just thinking."
"About what?"
Ling Wei looked toward the distant direction of his residence.
Toward the sealed chamber hidden beneath layers of formations.
Toward the sleeping monster beneath his courtyard.
Then he exhaled softly.
"A few months ago, getting accepted into the Cloud Sword Sect would've been the biggest problem in my life."
Ling Yue blinked.
Then she immediately understood.
A moment later, she started laughing too.
Because compared to serving an ancient draconic monster capable of devouring an entire city…
The Cloud Sword Sect suddenly didn't seem nearly as frightening.
The siblings continued walking beneath the bright sky.
Soon, they approached the familiar chamber.
Neither spoke.
The closer they got, the more tense the air became.
Three weeks.
Three entire weeks without a summons.
And now—
the creature had suddenly called for them.
Neither of them knew why.
Neither of them wanted to guess.
They stopped before the stone doors.
Just as Ling Wei prepared to knock—
RUMBLE.
The doors slid open on their own.
Both immediately stiffened.
Then quickly bowed.
"We greet Senior."
"We greet Senior."
Their voices echoed softly through the chamber.
No reply came.
Inside, the small white-scaled lizard hovered quietly above the stone floor.
Golden eyes stared directly at them.
Unmoving.
Unblinking.
The silence only deepened their unease.
Ling Yue felt her heart begin to race.
Ling Wei remained outwardly composed.
Internally, however, he was no different.
The lizard simply watched them.
And through the Eyes of Truth, the world appeared entirely different.
Countless threads stretched through existence.
Most faded into the distance.
Others vanished beyond the chamber walls.
But the threads attached to the two humans before him were impossible to miss.
A thick black thread.
A thick golden thread.
A bright gray thread.
A faint purple thread.
And an even fainter red thread.
All of them connected directly to him.
Lizarius observed in silence.
*Interesting.*
The black thread was obvious.
Death.
The possibility of death.
The poison mark bound their lives directly to him.
That explanation was simple.
The red thread was equally clear.
Hostility.
Resentment.
Perhaps even hatred.
Small.
Very small.
Barely noticeable.
Yet undeniably present.
He wasn't surprised.
Most creatures disliked being threatened with death.
The fact that it remained so faint was more surprising than its existence.
Then his gaze shifted.
Gold.
Purple.
Gray.
The golden thread was surprisingly thick.
Almost as thick as the black one.
*Fortune.*
*Opportunity.*
*Luck.*
The lizard considered this carefully.
Then nodded inwardly.
Reasonable.
Since meeting him, their cultivation had advanced rapidly.
Their wealth had increased dramatically.
Their status had risen.
Even the Cloud Sword Sect had become attainable.
By mortal standards, he had undeniably brought opportunity into their lives.
The purple thread was thinner, but still present.
*Debt.*
*Obligation.*
*Gratitude.*
That also made sense.
Their relationship was strange.
Part captor.
Part benefactor.
Part threat.
Part opportunity.
An unusual mixture.
Then his attention settled on the gray thread.
It glowed steadily.
Far brighter than the red thread.
Not quite as thick as the black thread, but still clearly visible.
*Gray?*
The lizard remained silent for several moments.
Then inwardly asked,
*What is the gray thread?*
The answer came instantly.
**[Gray Threads represent fear.]**
Silence.
Lizarius stared.
Then looked back at the siblings.
Both remained bowed.
Neither dared raise their heads.
The gray thread connecting them to him remained clearly visible.
Bright.
Stable.
Unmistakable.
The system continued:
**[Fear intensity directly influences thread density.]**
**[Fear may coexist with gratitude, hostility, obligation, admiration, loyalty, or other emotions.]**
**[Threads are not mutually exclusive.]**
The lizard understood immediately.
Of course.
Emotions rarely existed alone.
A creature could fear something…
and hate it…
and need it…
and be grateful to it…
all at the same time.
The threads simply revealed the connections.
Not a single truth.
But many truths intertwined.
His gaze moved once again across the five strands.
Black.
Gold.
Gray.
Purple.
Red.
A fascinating combination.
Especially the balance between them.
The gray thread of fear remained prominent.
The black thread of death remained heavy.
Yet neither fully overshadowed the golden thread.
That meant something important.
Despite fearing him…
despite knowing he could kill them…
they still viewed him as a source of opportunity.
Useful information.
Very useful.
The lizard remained hovering in silence, golden eyes fixed on them.
This time, however, he was not merely observing their words.
He was observing the invisible threads binding them together.
And for the first time, he began to understand how humans truly felt.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue continued standing near the entrance.
Neither dared move.
Neither dared speak.
The small white-scaled lizard hovered calmly before them.
Yet strangely, he seemed distracted.
As though observing something they could not perceive.
Several moments later—
Lizarius shifted his attention inward.
*How do I enter a dream?*
The answer came instantly.
**[Dream Entry requires a sleeping target.]**
**[The user's soul consciousness must establish contact with the target's dream layer.]**
He remained silent.
The system continued:
---
**[Basic Dream Entry Process:]**
**[Step One:]** Locate a sleeping target.
**[Step Two:]** Extend soul perception toward the target.
**[Step Three:]** Identify dream fluctuations generated by the subconscious mind.
**[Step Four:]** Establish resonance.
**[Step Five:]** Enter the dream layer.
---
Silence returned.
Lizarius considered the explanation.
Simple.
Too simple.
*And then?*
The system responded:
**[Upon successful entry, the user becomes an observer within the dream.]**
**[Initial control is limited.]**
**[Further manipulation requires practice.]**
*An observer?*
**[Correct.]**
**[Most Dream Crawlers begin as observers.]**
**[Interference becomes possible after sufficient familiarity.]**
He remained thoughtful.
The system continued:
---
**[Dream interaction hierarchy:]**
**[Level One: Observation.]** View dream events without interference.
**[Level Two: Presence.]** The dreamer may subconsciously sense the user.
**[Level Three: Influence.]** Alter dream environments and events.
**[Level Four: Manipulation.]** Directly shape dream structures.
**[Level Five: Domination.]** Complete control over the dream space.
---
The chamber fell silent once more.
Lizarius slowly absorbed the information.
Useful.
Extremely useful.
Especially observation.
Information was often more valuable than strength.
*Can I be detected?*
The answer arrived immediately.
**[Yes.]**
**[Strong souls may sense intrusion.]**
**[Cultivators specializing in soul techniques possess increased resistance.]**
**[Hostile detection may result in expulsion.]**
The lizard's tail twitched slightly.
Reasonable.
Nothing came without risk.
*Can I be injured inside a dream?*
A brief pause followed.
Then—
**[Yes.]**
His eyes narrowed.
**[Dream injuries normally affect soul consciousness.]**
**[Minor injuries are negligible.]**
**[Severe injuries may damage the user's soul.]**
Silence.
That answer immediately lowered the priority of the ability.
His soul was already damaged.
Experimenting recklessly would be unwise.
The system seemed to sense his thoughts.
**[Warning.]**
**[Current soul condition remains partially unstable.]**
**[Dream abilities are not recommended for extensive use at this time.]**
Lizarius stared.
Then slowly nodded.
That aligned with his own judgment.
The ability held tremendous potential—but also significant risk.