The hideous beast's body, which was just thrown at a ledge, was raised back up to the three women.
"So... you can recreate the Dao Arts, Edifice?"
Edifice nodded in response as she placed her hand on the beast's forehead.
"Dao Arts are conjured with an Image as their base."
"All Dao Art Images are initially complex and drawn with Qi; they also have to be sustained constantly with an inflow of Qi."
"But that is it, they are images. There may be different intricacies between Dao Arts, but similar effects are expressed through similar intricacies."
"As you know, Dao Arts can also be inscribed on a medium, such as Qi Conglomerates or Qi Cores."
"When I destroyed this hideous beast's Qi Cores, I got a good look at the Dao Arts assimilated within them."
"Using this, I'm confident that I can restore them by cross-referencing with other Dao Arts, but with the given time, I'll likely only be able to achieve one, or two if I dedicate solely to their restoration."
Closing her eyes and focusing, Edifice scanned its entire body.
'The Qi Core that was within its mind contained the Dao Art, which devours Qi."
'The two Qi Cores that were within its chest contained the Dao Art -- Fallen Sovereign's Tenacity, and that Defensive Dao Art which hardens skin.'
'The fourth and final Dao Art should be the Dao Art -- Tiger's Ferocity -- which was within the Qi Core within the stomach.'
'However...'
"Dawn."
Edifice gestured for Dawn to approach.
"Yes?"
"Can you tear into its eye?"
Brushing the fallen hair out of its face, Edifice revealed the hideous beast's other eye, which was scarred similarly to Dawn's.
There was a moment's pause before Dawn raised her Iron Lotus and tore a gash into the beast's face.
Edifice shoved her hand inside, eventually bringing something out.
"What is that?"
"A Dao Art Medium..."
It was smaller than one's palm, which was vastly smaller compared to the beast it was pulled from.
The beast's body was larger than the carriages of the caravan. Its head was as tall as Selene, and twice as wide. Its eyeball was the size of a human head.
"When I was fighting the beast, I slowly deduced all of its traits, which were assimilated into its core."
"But when I deduced them all, I realised the number of Qi Cores did not match its number of Dao Arts."
"The ravenous hunger of a beast, the weight of a beast's terror, the resilience of a beast, and a beast's final stand. Simply put, these represent the expression of the beast's Dao Arts."
Holding the small object high, the Dao Art Medium resembled that of a small animal-esque figurine, a wolve's head.
"Yet, it had a fifth Dao Art. It could camouflage, not just its visage, but also its presence from Immersion."
"Yes... I remember that. It only hid itself when we first encountered it by accident; it must not have used that ability again?"
"No, which was odd. What is worse is that it's inscribed with a camouflage Dao Art of a high level of Clarity."
"And that means...?"
That question was shot by Selene, the only one of the three who could not use Immersion.
Promptly, Edifice lightly tossed the Dao Art Medium to Selene.
"Dao Arts have certain levels of Clarity. Simply put, the higher the level of Clarity, the more powerful, intricate, and efficient the Dao Art."
"So this thing is a Dao Art Medium with a Dao Art of high clarity?"
"Yes. If you instil Qi into the Dao Art Medium, you would be granted a level of camouflage that could hide you, even from standard Immersion."
"Meaning that you two can't sense me if I use this? Unless you can some 'non-standard Immersion' or something like that?"
"Yeah. I would recommend trying it out, but let us save your strength for now."
Nodding, Selene decided to just hold onto it as she sat against the wall.
Turning around, Edifice met the beast's face. She activated a Dao Art Medium within her robes, which burned the foul blood staining her hand.
"What are you going to do next?"
It was Dawn who asked this question.
"It's getting late. Not only am I still on a timer, you and Selene are also required to return, no?"
"That is true..."
Sighing, Edifice opted to drag the beast's corpse out of the cave, but she had other duties she wanted to tend to first.
...
Three pits were dug in the uplifted soil by the cave's entrance.
Within were the crushed, if not splattered, remains of the caravan's Cultivators.
Edifice filled in the holes with soil.
Turning around, she destroyed the cave's entrance, filling it with shattered stones and slabs of rock.
After the collapse had settled, Edifice retrieved one of the slabs and dug it into the ground as a makeshift tombstone.
The beast's body lies on the ground like a hill, its body torn and gutted, and several bones have been extracted, held in a giant hand of translucent white..
The gentle, dim starlight cast a solemn hue over the scene.
Edifice remained over the graves of her fallen companions, rather, the few that left something to be buried.
"Have you finished?"
Selene walked up to her side, standing side by side as she looked up at her Senior Sister.
Her tone was questioning, but not impatient, sounding something like concern.
"Yes... Let us not waste time."
Tearing her gaze from the graves, Edifice turned to Dawn, who stood to the side.
"Are you sure you don't need aid? Even if your wound has dried up, it still seems unwise to leave it bare..."
"It is fine. One of my Dao Arts is retaining my vitality, and another is keeping my wound sterile. I will seek aid when I return."
"If you say so."
With their expedition trashed and Late Hour hanging above their heads, both of their journeys have come to an end.
"When you return to your Settlement -- the Iron Mountain Quarry Settlement? -- You will only have the second and third tides to deal with, right?"
"Yes. After that, we will likely help to return everything to how it originally was, then return to Union Settlement. Sun will return, too. If there is nothing to be done, then both of us will be free."
"..."
"We'll make sure to visit you at that time, Selene."
Dawn flashed a faint smile to her friend, who sighed and looked away.
"I'll be looking forward to it, then."