Void Cultivation

The second Grey left the room with Iria, he quietly scattered a fine layer of powder across the bed and the exact spot where he had been cultivating moments earlier. The powder was colorless and almost impossible to notice unless one inspected it carefully.

Grey had no idea how that bizarre existence had managed to track him. He had briefly considered that the creature might have somehow latched onto his shadow, using it as a medium to locate him. After all, the attack had originated from his shadow in the first place. However, there was no point dwelling on endless speculation. Whether his guess was correct or not, his priority remained the same.

Escape.

Only by leaving this place alive could he investigate the matter further.

In this world, encountering bizarre existences was neither uncommon nor particularly surprising. Any cultivator who lived long enough would eventually cross paths with one. Some met them within Corroded Zones, while others encountered them in forgotten ruins or abandoned settlements consumed by strange phenomena.

However, seeing one inside a populated city was an entirely different matter.

Such incidents were extraordinarily rare. The reason was simple. Cities were fundamentally different from Corroded Zones.

Corroded Zones were lands polluted by an unknown force that had spread across the world after the era known as God’s Descent. They possessed unique laws and characteristics unlike anywhere else. Some regions were shrouded in eternal darkness, others constantly rained corrosive blood, while certain zones twisted both space and perception. Since every Corroded Zone possessed its own defining traits, the bizarre existences born within them naturally inherited those characteristics.

Some were capable of manipulating shadows. Others fed on dreams, memories, or emotions.

There were even horrors that existed beyond mortal comprehension, creatures whose very appearance could drive ordinary people into madness. However, most bizarre existences exuded cold auras that was enough to freeze the surroundings. This was an almost innate characteristic that belonged to all of them.

Yet despite their countless forms, one truth had remained unchanged throughout history.

Bizarre existences disliked leaving the Corroded Zones.

It was not because they feared the outside world, nor because they would instantly perish the moment they crossed the boundary separating corruption from normal land.

Rather, their very existence was drawn toward decay, corruption, and death.

Corroded Zones were their natural habitat, saturated with the corrosive substance that nourished them. Outside those regions, the environment became far less suitable for their survival.

Naturally, there were exceptions.

Every now and then, bizarre existences or twisted abominations would leave the Corroded Zones and wander into the outside world.

Although such cases were not unheard of, neither were they common.

Cities were filled with countless ordinary people and cultivators alike. The moment a strange creature appeared, it rarely remained hidden for long. Patrols, sect disciples, mercenary groups, and city authorities would quickly detect its presence before organizing an extermination force.

Furthermore, bizarre existences that ventured beyond the Corroded Zones were usually far weaker than they should have been.

Whether it was because the outside world lacked sufficient corrosive substance or due to some unknown law, no one truly knew.

What everyone did know was that most bizarre existences experienced a noticeable decline in strength once they left their birthplace.

But the creature pursuing Grey... It was completely different.

The pressure it emitted felt incomparably terrifying.

It had effortlessly shredded his shadow into pieces before nearly claiming his life in a single exchange.

Even more frightening was the fact that it had ignored distance altogether, attacking him directly through an unknown method. Had it not been for the mysterious purple crystal residing within his heart... a treasure capable of suppressing countless lifeforms, Grey would already be on the brink of death.

Even now, recalling that overwhelming killing intent caused a chill to run down his spine.

"This situation is far too strange..." Grey muttered inwardly while speeding through the city’s streets.

"Why would a bizarre existence suddenly appear here? And why would it attack us without any warning?"

His expression gradually became more solemn.

"More importantly... why haven’t the city’s authorities responded?"

Such an existence should never have been allowed to roam freely inside the city.

Even if the cultivators stationed here were unable to kill it immediately, there should at least have been signs of battle.

There should have been alarms.There should have been panic.

Yet everything remained eerily quiet.

The night continued as though nothing unusual had happened.

That abnormal silence unsettled Grey even more than the bizarre existence itself.

He suppressed the urge to fly and instead continued rushing through the streets on foot.

Flying would undoubtedly be faster, but it would also expose him to everyone within the city. At a time when he understood nothing about the current situation, attracting unnecessary attention would only create additional dangers.

His only objective now was reaching the city gate.

Once outside the city, he could decide his next course of action.

One careless move now could cost both him and Iria their lives.

Holding the unconscious Iria securely in one arm, Grey transformed into a blur that darted through the streets with astonishing speed.

Before leaving the room, he had secretly released a sleeping powder capable of rendering an ordinary cultivator unconscious.

The powder posed no threat to him.

The purple crystal within his heart continuously circulated a mysterious energy through his body, effortlessly neutralizing any trace of the medicine before it could affect him.

Iria, however, knew nothing about it.

Completely caught off guard, she had inhaled enough of the powder to fall into a deep sleep.

Grey estimated that she would remain unconscious for roughly an hour before naturally waking up.

"I don’t have that much time." His gaze sharpened.

"I need to leave this city immediately."

Without another moment of hesitation, Grey released the full strength of his cultivation.

Boom!

A deep, muffled explosion echoed from within his body.

Another followed. Then another.

The sounds resembled countless seals shattering one after another as compressed spiritual power erupted violently through every meridian. His aura rose in successive waves, each stronger than the last, causing the surrounding air to tremble faintly.

At the same time, Grey activated his Special Brilliance Form.

His pupils contracted instantly.

The chaotic world around him suddenly became incomparably clear.

Every fluctuation of spiritual energy...

Even the faint currents of wind flowing between buildings became astonishingly vivid within his perception.

Time itself seemed to slow.

An overwhelming sense of strength surged through every inch of his body, tempting him to release his cultivation completely.

But Grey forcefully suppressed that impulse.

Now was not the time.

His objective was escape, not battle.

From their current location, reaching the city’s main gate would normally require less than ten minutes at his current speed.

Now...

With his Special Brilliance Form fully activated...

Even Grey himself could no longer estimate how quickly he would arrive. But he was sure that he would be there in no time.