The endless white dream remained tranquil.
High above—
Lizarius silently raised a single claw.
The dream rippled.
Two figures gradually emerged from the endless white mist.
One stopped before Ling Yue.
The other stood before Ling Wei.
They were perfect replicas.
Every feature.
Every expression.
Every movement.
Every fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Even their cultivation realms were identical.
Unlike ordinary dream constructs—
their bodies were partially transparent.
Meridian pathways shimmered beneath their skin like glowing rivers of light.
Every circulation of spiritual energy was clearly visible.
Every minute adjustment could be observed.
Nothing remained concealed.
Ling Yue smiled in astonishment.
"...They're transparent?"
Ling Wei looked equally stunned.
"...You can actually see their meridians..."
The copies remained motionless.
Waiting.
Lizarius spoke calmly.
"Watch carefully."
"You may ask them any questions."
As he finished speaking—
the dream slowed once more.
The spiritual energy flowing within the duplicates began moving at an almost glacial pace.
Every circulation route.
Every compression of qi.
Every fluctuation.
Every subtle transition.
Everything became perfectly visible.
Nothing remained hidden.
Ling Yue unconsciously leaned forward.
"...We can see everything..."
Ling Wei nodded slowly.
"Even the smallest changes..."
The copy standing before Ling Yue slowly raised one hand.
Emerald spiritual energy flowed outward.
Instead of dispersing—
it compressed repeatedly.
Layer upon layer.
Again.
And again.
The energy gradually condensed into a single translucent emerald scale.
Rather than simply appearing—
the entire creation process unfolded before their eyes.
How much spiritual energy was required.
Where it gathered.
How it compressed.
How its shape stabilized.
How its structure hardened.
How it detached from the body.
Every stage was displayed in perfect detail.
The scale floated quietly beside the copy.
Then—
another began forming.
Soon—
three emerald scales revolved around the duplicate.
They moved independently.
Responding to the slightest fluctuations in intent.
One drifted before the chest.
Another guarded the neck.
The third circled behind the back, constantly adjusting its position on its own.
Ling Yue's eyes widened.
"So... that's how they're controlled..."
She had originally believed each scale required constant concentration and manual manipulation.
Instead—
once formed—
they responded almost instinctively.
Like loyal extensions of the cultivator's own will.
Meanwhile—
the duplicate before Ling Wei began demonstrating something entirely different.
Its feet shifted.
Its breathing slowed.
Spiritual energy gathered beneath the soles of its feet.
The energy did not erupt outward.
Instead—
it circulated repeatedly through the legs before being released in perfectly controlled bursts.
Every movement became visible.
Each step.
Each transfer of weight.
Each contraction of muscle.
Each redirection of force.
Nothing escaped observation.
The copy glided several meters forward without producing the slightest sound.
Ling Wei watched intently.
"...Amazing..."
The movement wasn't merely fast.
It was efficient.
Every motion flowed seamlessly into the next.
Not a single thread of spiritual energy was wasted.
High above—
Lizarius quietly observed both siblings.
Neither noticed that he had already begun recording every reaction.
Where their eyes lingered.
Where confusion surfaced.
Which demonstrations required longer observation.
Which principles they understood immediately.
His golden eyes remained calm.
*Interesting.*
*Displaying the complete process appears considerably more effective than simply explaining it.*
Below—
Ling Yue slowly drew her sword.
She looked toward her transparent duplicate.
Then smiled faintly.
"...Alright."
She took a slow, steady breath.
"...Let's begin."
Ling Wei also stepped forward.
His gaze never left the glowing meridians flowing within his copy.
For the first time—
neither sibling intended merely to imitate the final result.
They intended to understand every step that created it.
---
The endless white dream remained silent.
Below—
Ling Yue and Ling Wei continued observing their transparent duplicates.
Questions were exchanged.
Demonstrations repeated.
Whenever either sibling failed to understand a movement—
the duplicate simply performed it again.
Slower.
Clearer.
Until every circulation route became unmistakable.
Every transition became obvious.
Every subtle detail became impossible to miss.
High above—
Lizarius no longer watched them.
His thoughts had already shifted elsewhere.
*A movement technique...*
His golden eyes remained unfocused.
*What should it become?*
Countless memories surfaced one after another.
Cultivators crossing battlefields.
Sword cultivators soaring through the skies.
Experts disappearing into shadows.
Masters weaving effortlessly between attacks.
Every movement technique he had ever witnessed replayed within his mind.
One after another.
Rejected.
*Too complex.*
*Requires Foundation Establishment.*
*Requires flight.*
*Requires divine sense.*
*Unsuitable.*
His thoughts continued without pause.
*Escape techniques...*
Another series of memories emerged.
Earth Escape.
Shadow Traversal.
Phantom Steps.
Each possessed remarkable utility.
Each was discarded almost immediately.
*Earth Escape is impossible.*
*It demands harmony with the earth itself.*
*Spirit Refining cultivators cannot sustain such consumption.*
*Even those possessing earth affinity would find the requirements excessive.*
Silence.
His thoughts slowed.
Then shifted in another direction.
*Humans cultivate according to their spirit roots...*
*Then perhaps...*
*The technique itself should be reconstructed around their natural affinities.*
Without opening his eyes—
he spoke inwardly.
---
*"What are their spirit roots?"*
The familiar mechanical voice answered immediately.
---
**[The female]**
**Spirit Root Grade:** Three-Attribute Spirit Root
**Attributes:** Water • Fire • Wind
---
**[The male]**
**Spirit Root Grade:** Three-Attribute Spirit Root
**Attributes:** Earth • Wood • Wind
---
The information lingered briefly before fading away.
Lizarius quietly considered it.
*Wind...*
Both possessed wind affinity.
The one element they shared.
His golden eyes brightened ever so slightly.
*Good.*
Wind represented movement.
Acceleration.
Redirection.
Flow.
Unlike earth—
it imposed few restrictions.
Unlike lightning—
it demanded no overwhelming destructive force.
Unlike spatial movement—
it required no comprehension beyond the Spirit Refining Realm.
His thoughts accelerated once more.
He wasn't recalling a technique.
He was constructing one.
*If movement is reduced to its most fundamental principle...*
*The objective is not speed.*
*The objective is reducing resistance.*
Wind did not overpower obstacles.
It slipped around them.
Flowed between them.
Always choosing the path requiring the least effort.
Another realization surfaced.
Spirit beasts.
Many possessed astonishing speed without relying upon sophisticated movement arts.
They moved by instinct.
Tiny adjustments.
Perfect balance.
Explosive bursts released only when necessary.
No wasted movement.
No wasted energy.
Only flawless efficiency.
*Interesting...*
His calculations continued.
The movement art gradually took shape.
Not a technique that forcibly propelled the body forward—
but one that taught the body to move where resistance was weakest.
Every step borrowing the surrounding wind.
Every motion preserving momentum.
Every shift in direction requiring the smallest possible expenditure of spiritual energy.
The more he analyzed it—
the more elegant it became.
A faint smile almost appeared upon his human face.
Almost.
*This should be suitable.*
*Provided the reconstruction succeeds.*
---
Four months passed in the blink of an eye.
Within the dream—
the enormous timer continued its relentless countdown.
**217 Days : 08 Hours : 41 Minutes**
The endless white world had transformed once again.
Mountains.
Forests.
Rivers.
Rolling plains.
They stretched endlessly in every direction.
At the center of that vast landscape—
CLANG!
CLANG!
Ling Yue and Ling Wei exchanged sword strikes at astonishing speed.
Neither attempted to dodge.
Neither raised a conventional guard.
Instead—
emerald scales revolved around their bodies.
Two around Ling Yue.
Two around Ling Wei.
Whenever a blade approached—
WHOOSH!
A scale instantly shifted into position.
CLANG!
The incoming strike was intercepted before it could reach its target.
The impact dispersed harmlessly as the scales redirected the force evenly throughout their structure.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each exchange became smoother than the last.
The scales moved almost instinctively.
Like faithful guardians protecting their masters.
High above—
the small white-scaled lizard floated silently.
Watching.
Recording.
Analyzing.
*The autonomous interception functions exactly as intended.*
*Their reaction speed has improved considerably.*
*Energy expenditure has also decreased.*
*Excellent.*
Without warning—
he raised a claw.
The dream rippled.
Two familiar figures gradually emerged from the white mist.
Transparent.
Identical.
Each was a flawless duplicate of one of the siblings.
Their glowing meridians shimmered beneath translucent skin.
Ling Yue immediately stepped back.
"...Senior?"
Ling Wei also lowered his sword.
"The clones..."
Both duplicates spoke simultaneously.
Their voices perfectly synchronized.
"That is enough."
"You have successfully mastered the defensive art."
Ling Yue smiled instinctively.
"...Already?"
The duplicate nodded.
"Your next lesson begins now."
The transparent figures slowly walked several steps apart.
Then—
they assumed identical stances.
Their feet relaxed.
Their bodies lowered slightly.
Neither appeared prepared to sprint.
Instead—
they became astonishingly still.
The surrounding air gradually shifted.
A gentle breeze formed around each duplicate.
It circled them naturally.
Almost affectionately.
The clones spoke once more.
"This is a wind-attributed movement technique."
"It does not rely upon overwhelming speed."
"It relies upon harmony."
The wind surrounding their bodies gradually became visible.
Soft streams of pale green spiritual energy intertwined with the natural currents of air.
"The objective is not to outrun the wind."
"It is to become part of it."
Ling Yue watched without blinking.
Ling Wei narrowed his eyes.
The clones slowly took a single step.
Nothing explosive occurred.
No violent burst of spiritual energy.
No sudden acceleration.
Their feet merely touched the ground—
Then—
they vanished.
**WHOOSH.**
A gentle breeze swept across the battlefield.
The two transparent figures reappeared dozens of meters away without leaving so much as a single footprint.
Ling Yue's eyes widened.
"...They disappeared..."
Ling Wei slowly shook his head.
"...No."
"They moved."
"I just couldn't follow them."
The duplicate nodded.
"Correct."
"The movement does not force the body forward."
"It allows the wind to carry away unnecessary resistance."
As it spoke—
the glowing streams of spiritual energy within its body became even more distinct.
The circulation through its meridians slowed until every detail could be observed.
Wind-attributed spiritual energy flowed from the dantian into the legs.
Not explosively.
Not violently.
Instead—
it circulated repeatedly.
Each cycle becoming lighter.
Smoother.
More refined than the last.
Eventually—
the spiritual energy extended beyond the skin itself.
Merging seamlessly with the currents of wind surrounding the body.
Only then—
did the clone move again.
This time—
its movements were slowed thousands of times.
Every shift of weight.
Every adjustment of posture.
Every release of spiritual energy.
Every contraction of muscle.
Every interaction with the surrounding wind.
Every ripple of airflow.
Nothing remained hidden.
The duplicate explained calmly.
"Do not fight the wind."
"Follow its direction."
"When no wind exists..."
It paused.
"...Create one."
A gentle breeze immediately formed around its feet.
Its next step appeared almost effortless.
The body glided forward as though unseen hands were gently carrying it onward.
No wasted motion.
No wasted spiritual energy.
Only perfect efficiency.