Void Cultivation

Violet’s sudden appearance and Grey’s devastating strike had left Kaien at a complete disadvantage despite his Four ball Cultivation. The shock of Violet’s arrival, coupled with Grey’s sudden lethal punch, caused Kaien’s Special Brilliance form to become unstable and collapse entirely.

The four brilliant balls of Spirit Fire rotating around him trembled violently before exploding into countless sparks and fiery motes that scattered through the air.

"Pu!"

Kaien spat out an exaggerated amount of blood, his face turning even paler. But that was not the end of it.

The golden ring covered with patches of black and red also showed signs of shattering. Cracks rapidly spread across its surface before it finally broke apart with a soft, crisp sound.

The physical enhancement it had granted him instantly vanished.

He coughed violently and spat out another mouthful of blood.

His already pale skin and emaciated features became even more apparent. Despite the fact that his chest was still rising and falling and his eyes remained open in shock, he looked no different from a walking corpse.

Grey, dressed in his majestic purple emperor robe, slowly descended toward Kaien.

Each of his footsteps seemed to carry a terrifying pressure.

He raised his hand, and the hilt of a purple illusory sword appeared within his grasp. Wisps of purple energy swirled around it, and a chilling murderous aura gradually spread throughout the surroundings.

The eyes of the Mosasaur beneath him also shone with a bright, murderous glint.

The hilt slowly materialized further and further until it was on the verge of becoming a complete sword.

At that moment, Violet’s voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Don’t kill him yet. He has valuable information."

Hearing her words, Grey, who was already prepared to slash down mercilessly, paused.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered her words.

This person had nearly claimed his life and had displayed terrifying strength. If he did not eliminate him here and now, it could very well lead to endless troubles in the future.

Killing him now would remove a potential threat once and for all.

As if sensing his thoughts, Violet hurriedly spoke again.

"He’s one of the Heaven’s Chosen from the Sect Alliance. Although he’s involved in the recent kidnappings and disappearances, we still don’t have sufficient evidence to prove his crimes. If he dies here, we’ll likely face the wrath of his sect and perhaps even the entire Sect Alliance."

She paused for a moment before speaking softly.

"It’s better if he’s left alive for now..."

Grey remained silent.

He lowered his gaze and looked at the severely injured Kaien.

The latter looked like a shriveled corpse, with an open wound in his chest and blood covering his body. The brilliant aura that had once surrounded him had completely disappeared, leaving him looking incredibly weak.

So weak that even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could easily kill him in his current state.

The four dazzling balls of Spirit Fire that had previously displayed such overwhelming might were nowhere to be seen.

After a long moment, Grey finally dispersed his Special Brilliance form and released the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird.

The gigantic Mosasaur beneath his feet let out a low roar before its body dissolved into streams of spirit essence. The energy flew back into Grey’s Sea of Consciousness and quietly settled within his spirit sea.

A few moments later, Grey returned to his original appearance.

However, he did not lower his guard.

He quickly approached the fallen Kaien and bound his hands with a special device designed to suppress the circulation of spirit energy.

Even though Kaien was already in an extremely weakened state, Grey did not dare underestimate him in the slightest.

A Heaven’s Chosen was not someone who could be judged by ordinary standards.

Since Violet had insisted that he remain alive, Grey decided to capture him and hand him over to the prison under the Detective Agency’s jurisdiction.

Moreover, considering the other party’s status as a Heaven’s Chosen, his death would definitely not go unnoticed.

It was even possible that his death could trigger a conflict between Sky Mist City and the Sect Alliance.

If that happened, Grey, Violet, and the entire Detective Agency would undoubtedly find themselves at the center of the storm.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Grey suddenly recalled a sentence he had once read in an ancient jade slip.

Sometimes, the greatest victories are achieved not through strength, but through wisdom.

Grey silently repeated those words in his heart.

After a long moment, he said nothing more and merely tightened the restraints around Kaien’s wrists.

He could always find an opportunity to kill him later, when they were alone and far away from any prying eyes.

Although the other party’s cultivation was higher than his, Grey did not feel the slightest bit of fear. He had faced dangers far greater than a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator and had survived encounters that should have claimed his life long ago.

Grey remained silent, but it was as though Violet could read his thoughts.

"Besides, we can always find a chance to erase him later," she said casually. "Much like I did with his companion who was hiding even farther away."

She raised the severed head in her hand. Blood slowly dripped from her pale fingers, falling one drop at a time into the pitch-black waters of the ever-gloomy Dead Sea. The crimson droplets disappeared beneath the dark waves without leaving the slightest ripple, as if the sea itself had swallowed them whole.

Grey did not ask where the head had come from. He had already pieced everything together. The dead man was most likely the person responsible for the disappearances in Sky Mist City, while the heaven’s chosen he had fought was merely overseeing the operation.

However, that did not absolve Kaien of his crimes.

He was still an accomplice and an active participant in the sinister schemes that had been creeping through the streets of Sky Mist City like an unseen plague.

Taking a deep breath, Grey calmed the killing intent in his heart before asking,

"Did you find out what they were doing with the kidnapped victims?"

Violet glanced at the bound Kaien before lowering her gaze to the severed head in her hand. After a brief moment of silence, she slowly nodded.

"Yes. Aside from the incomplete ritual they were performing in the market district, they were also kidnapping people and secretly transporting them out of Sky Mist City."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"By the time I arrived at the harbor, several of the boats had already departed. Fortunately, I managed to intercept some of them before they could leave the Dead Sea entirely. Unfortunately, more cultivators soon arrived, and I couldn’t stop every vessel."

A small frown appeared on Grey’s face.

"What did they want to use those people for?" he asked. "Were they planning to sacrifice them to cultivate some fiendish art of their sect?"

However, Violet merely shook her head.

"It’s much worse than that."

Her voice turned colder.

"They were trafficking them with the intention of selling them as slaves to a particular faction. I couldn’t uncover their true motive or what those people intended to do with the captives, but I did manage to learn one thing."

She looked directly at Grey.

"The name of the faction they were working for..."

A strange glint flashed across her eyes.

"...is the Secret Order."