Void Cultivation

The rusty nail... had devoured the bizarre existence.

Even Grey, who was standing several meters away, couldn’t help but suck in a deep breath when he witnessed this scene.

At this moment, the rusty nail let out an intense buzzing sound.

Bzzzzzz!

The sound seemed to reverberate through the surrounding space, carrying with it an ancient and inexplicable pressure. A wave of cold air suddenly drifted out from the nail, spreading in every direction and causing the already freezing surroundings to become even colder.

The moment the bizarre existence was completely devoured, the rusty nail suddenly shuttled through space several times, as if it was still searching for the bizarre existence.

However, there was nothing.

The bizarre existence had completely disappeared.

The mournful singing that had filled the surroundings vanished without a trace. The terrifying voices that had seemed to originate from every direction were gone, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Even the ice that had covered the surroundings had already begun to melt, turning into streams of black water that slowly flowed across the ground.

The bizarre existence had truly been devoured by the rusty nail.

There were no remnants.

Not even a trace of its existence remained.

Grey was still in a daze when the rusty nail suddenly flashed and appeared before him. Barely a moment later, it transformed into a transparent stream of light and shot into Grey’s body.

Or, more precisely, it returned to his sea of consciousness.

But this time, something was different.

Instead of immediately concealing itself as it had always done, the rusty nail began flashing repeatedly while trembling violently.

Waves of cold air gushed out from the nail, filling Grey’s sea of consciousness with an icy sensation. At the same time, a faint yet ancient presence began emanating from it.

Grey didn’t know what this meant.

However, he had an inkling.

The rusty nail...

Was activating itself.

It flashed several times in a single second while trembling intensely. Each time it flashed, the ancient aura it released became slightly stronger.

The trembling also became more violent as time passed.

Grey could only watch in bewilderment.

What exactly was happening to the rusty nail?

He had possessed it for so long, yet he had never truly understood what it was. The rusty nail had always remained concealed within his sea of consciousness, rarely revealing itself unless Grey encountered something capable of triggering its reaction.

And this time, it had actually emerged on its own.

Not only that, it had devoured a bizarre existence that had nearly killed him.

Grey’s expression became solemn.

Unfortunately, he had no time to investigate it further.

It was only then that Grey suddenly realized that Iria was still in his hand.

With the death of the strange bizarre existence, the cold night was slowly returning to normal. The terrifying atmosphere that had enveloped the city was gradually fading, and the temperature was beginning to rise.

However, Grey could clearly tell that dawn was approaching.

Very soon, the first rays of sunlight would appear.

Grey’s expression changed slightly.

"Do I still leave the city, or wait until dawn and teleport?"

Grey muttered to himself as he hesitated over which decision to make.

Throughout the entire battle, he had been at a disadvantage.

If it hadn’t been for the shadow taking most of the damage from the beginning, Grey would have already been severely debilitated before the battle had even reached its climax.

And just now, it had been the rusty nail that had appeared on its own and attacked the bizarre existence.

These factors had allowed Grey to narrowly survive the encounter.

But instead of feeling proud about surviving, Grey couldn’t help but begin doubting himself.

His expression gradually became solemn.

"Against other cultivators, I can still put up a fight."

Grey’s eyes narrowed.

"But against bizarre existences and unknown entities..."

His fists tightened.

"I’m as good as dead."

The thought made Grey’s heart sink.

"If it weren’t for the strange entities within my body, I would have died several times already."

The shadow.

The purple crystal.

The rusty nail.

These strange existences had saved his life more than once.

Yet Grey had slowly realized something that made him uncomfortable.

His own strength was still far from enough.

Against cultivators whose strength he could perceive and understand, he could rely on his cultivation, combat experience, and various abilities to fight above his level.

But bizarre existences were different.

They didn’t follow the rules he understood.

Their abilities were strange, unpredictable, and often impossible to defend against.

One mistake could mean death.

"Moreover, there may be another bizarre existence like this one somewhere in this city."

Grey’s gaze swept across the dark streets.

"Just because I encountered one doesn’t mean there won’t be another."

His expression became increasingly serious.

"This city is very strange. It’s better if I leave than stay here for another second."

The moment Grey made his decision, his hesitation disappeared completely.

He had no intention of taking another risk.

"Leave."

Without another second of hesitation, Grey’s cultivation base erupted.

Boom!

A powerful aura burst from his body as he completely released his strength.

His muscles tensed, and spiritual energy surged through his body like a raging river. In the next instant, his body turned into a quick blur, leaving behind several afterimages as he sped toward the city’s exit.

Whoosh!

The wind screamed beside his ears.

Grey pushed his speed to its limit.

As he ran, many of the windows and doors of the nearby shops and houses suddenly opened.

Creak!

Creak!

One after another.

Cold streams of air poured out from within the buildings.

Grey’s expression remained unchanged, but his senses instantly became alert.

He could feel several gazes landing on his body.

They were cold.

Silent.

And filled with an indescribable feeling that made his skin crawl.

For a brief moment, Grey considered turning his head to look.

But he immediately dismissed the thought.

He didn’t know what was watching him.

And he had no intention of finding out.

Instead, Grey pushed his body even harder and erupted with even greater speed.

Boom!

His feet struck the ground with tremendous force as his figure shot forward.

The city exit was getting closer.

Closer.

And closer.

Grey’s eyes narrowed as he saw the familiar outline of the city’s entrance ahead.

His speed increased once again.

He didn’t dare slow down.

He didn’t dare look back.

Very soon, Grey’s feet crossed the city’s exit.

He stepped into the open and desolate world outside.

The moment he left the city, Grey felt a warm sensation spread throughout his body.

Dawn had finally arrived.

A gentle beam of sunlight descended from the sky and landed directly on his face.

The warmth felt almost unreal.

After spending so long inside that strange city, the sunlight gave Grey a sense of relief he hadn’t realized he needed.

But Grey didn’t pause even for a moment.

He continued speeding forward.

Only after the city’s outline had become nothing more than a blurry image behind him did Grey finally slow down.

His breathing was slightly hurried as he turned his head and looked back.

And when he saw the city from the outside, Grey noticed something peculiar.

His brows immediately furrowed.

The sunlight...

Wasn’t entering the city.

The golden rays of dawn stopped at the city’s boundary, as if an invisible barrier was preventing the light from penetrating inside.

Grey’s eyes narrowed.

"So that’s why..."

He finally understood.

If he had remained inside the city and waited for the first break of sunlight, it wouldn’t have helped him immediately.

The sunlight would have needed several more minutes before it could actually enter the city.

And those few minutes could have been enough for another bizarre existence to appear.

A trace of fear flashed through Grey’s eyes.

It was also at this moment that he realized something else.

The feeling of dread that had been slowly enveloping his body was gradually disappearing.

Grey lowered his head and examined himself.

Without realizing it, his body had already begun turning as cold as ice.

His skin was pale, and his fingers were slightly numb.

Even though he had already escaped the city, the strange coldness had remained within his body.

But under the gentle sunlight, the chill gradually faded.

Warmth slowly returned to his skin.

Grey breathed out softly.

At the same time, the purple crystal within his body began accelerating his recovery.

A faint purple radiance circulated through his body, repairing the damaged tissues and suppressing the injuries he had suffered during the battle.

Before Grey even realized it, most of the internal injuries he had sustained before leaving the city had already healed.

His breathing gradually stabilized.

However, instead of feeling relieved, a vigilant expression appeared on Grey’s face.

There was also a faint trace of terror in his eyes.

"It’s a good thing I decided to leave instead of waiting for the first break of sunlight."

Grey looked toward the distant city.

The city remained eerily quiet beneath the morning sky.

The sunlight continued to stop at its boundary, leaving the interior shrouded in an unnatural darkness.

Grey stared at it for several seconds before finally turning away.

He didn’t want to stay anywhere near that place.

Without wasting any more time, Grey reached into his storage ring and took out a medicinal bottle.

The bottle was filled with medicinal pills.

Grey opened it and poured out a pill before carefully feeding it to Iria.

After making sure she had swallowed it, Grey took out another bottle.

Unlike the previous one, this bottle was empty.

He opened the bottle slightly and brought it closer to Iria’s nose.

A faint medicinal fragrance drifted out.

For several seconds, there was no reaction.

Then—

"Achoo!"

Iria sneezed softly.

Her eyelashes trembled.

A moment later, her eyes slowly opened.

Grey’s expression changed slightly when he saw this.

"Iria?"

The girl slowly blinked her eyes, seemingly still confused about her surroundings.

Grey quietly watched her.

For the first time since leaving that terrifying city, he felt a faint sense of relief.

At least...

She was still alive.