Void Cultivation

Her eyes shone with a strange and eerie glint as thick black mist flowed out from her body. The mist carried a sharp, metallic aura that resembled the piercing intent of a spear. It twisted and churned in the air before gradually transforming into a bizarre and grotesque creature.

The creature’s appearance was extremely unsettling.

Its head was unnaturally large and square-shaped, making it seem far too heavy for its tiny, shrunken body. It possessed two pairs of legs, each differing greatly in size, giving it a twisted and disproportionate appearance. Three eyes were embedded on its face—two large, bulging eyes and a much smaller third eye positioned between them.

A sinister smile stretched across its face.

The moment the strange creature appeared, Violet’s figure flickered repeatedly. Her body blurred as though it had become an illusion. Before anyone could fully comprehend what was happening, her body began to distort, and several shadowy figures started to peel away from her.

Those figures looked exactly like her.

However, every single one of them wore a sinister smile that made one’s skin crawl. Their eyes were filled with malice as they stared at the aged man.

The atmosphere instantly became heavy and oppressive.

The old man’s expression darkened.

Without uttering a single word, he raised his hand and brought out a small black pearl. The pearl was completely dark and seemed to absorb the surrounding light. The moment it appeared, an eerie chill spread throughout the area.

Whoosh!

The black pearl shot forward like a bolt of lightning, heading directly toward Violet.

Its target was not only her, but also the distorted figures that were trying to separate from her body and the creepy shadow lurking behind her.

However, just as the pearl was about to make contact—

"Hmph!"

A cold snort suddenly echoed from above.

The sound was neither loud nor explosive, yet it carried an indescribable authority and coldness. It was as though the heavens themselves had uttered that snort.

Grey immediately froze.

The several distorted figures surrounding Violet also stopped struggling to detach from her body.

Even the grotesque creature behind her became motionless.

Almost simultaneously, everyone present looked toward the sky.

There, standing calmly in the air, was a middle-aged man.

He wore simple robes, and his hands were clasped behind his back. His expression was stern and indifferent, but his eyes carried a frightening coldness.

With a casual wave of his hand, a powerful gust of wind swept through the area.

The black pearl that had been rushing toward Violet was instantly blown away as though it were nothing more than a leaf in the wind. It flew back at an even greater speed toward the old man.

The middle-aged man’s gaze fell upon the aged expert below.

Then, he spoke.

His voice was dark and stern, carrying a hint of suppressed fury.

"Fellow Daoist from the Sects Alliance... were you about to use your Soul-Capturing Pearl on a disciple of Sky Mist?"

His voice was not loud.

Yet every single word echoed in the hearts of everyone present.

The anger and restraint hidden within that calm tone were palpable. It was as if he was doing everything in his power to suppress the fury raging inside him.

Although he did not intentionally release his cultivation base, Grey and Violet could still sense the terrifying pressure emanating from him.

It was an indescribable feeling.

The mere presence of this man made them feel as though their souls were being drawn out of their bodies and toward him.

Grey’s heart trembled violently.

He had once fought against an expert in the Spirit Core Formation Realm and was somewhat familiar with that level of power.

However, the aura of this middle-aged man was far beyond that.

There was an enormous gap between the two, one so vast that it could not be measured.

A single thought emerged in Grey’s mind.

This person...

was definitely an existence that had surpassed the Spirit Core Formation Realm.

He was most likely in the Nascent Soul Transformation Realm.

In the entirety of Sky Mist City, only cultivators of that realm could stand and fly freely in the air without relying on any treasures or techniques. And among those experts, there was only one group—the elders of Sky Mist City.

Grey’s eyes narrowed.

When he noticed the yellow robes the middle-aged man was wearing, his pupils immediately contracted.

Those robes represented the Fourth Sequence of Sky Mist City.

This person...

was an elder!

A genuine elder of Sky Mist City had personally appeared.

Upon hearing the middle-aged man’s words, the old man casually raised his hand and caught the black pearl that had been blown back toward him. His expression remained completely blank, as though nothing in the world could stir his emotions.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the middle-aged man standing in mid-air.

His eyes then rolled backward, revealing only the whites of his eyes.

The sight was incredibly eerie.

After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"I want... my grandson..."

His voice was cold and hoarse, carrying a chilling aura that seemed capable of freezing one’s soul. The moment those words left his mouth, an invisible force surged toward the middle-aged man.

However, just as it was about to reach him, the surrounding air suddenly distorted.

Ripples spread through space as though an invisible barrier had appeared before the elder.

The chilling force instantly dissipated.

The old man clearly had not expected this.

For the first time since his arrival, genuine shock appeared on his expressionless face.

But that shock lasted for only an instant.

Soon, it was replaced by a cold and callous smile.

"Heh..."

The strange laughter that escaped his lips caused the hearts of everyone present to shiver.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man’s stern expression became even colder.

A terrifying killing intent flashed through his eyes.

The atmosphere immediately turned tense.

The gazes of the two experts collided in mid-air.

Neither of them released their cultivation base, yet the pressure between them was enough to make the surrounding cultivators struggle to breathe.

Even Grey felt as though a mountain had been placed upon his shoulders.

For a moment, it seemed as though the two of them would attack at any second.

The very air became heavy and suffocating.

Then, the middle-aged man slowly opened his mouth.

"Fellow Daoist... are you trying to start a fight within a populated area of Sky Mist City?"

His words sounded calm and questioning.

However, everyone present could hear the hidden threat within them.

If the old man dared to make a move, then the elder would not hesitate to strike.

Silence descended upon the area.

The old man did not reply immediately.

He merely stood there with his blank expression, his pale eyes staring unblinkingly at the elder.

Several seconds passed.

The atmosphere became increasingly oppressive.

Then, in a cold and lifeless voice, he repeated the same words he had already spoken several times.

"I want... my grandson..."

"I want... My grandson!"

After saying those words, the tension between the two parties gradually dissolved.

The old man no longer paid attention to the middle-aged elder. Instead, he slowly turned toward another direction and briskly began walking away.

With every step he took, the ground beneath his feet cracked and melted slightly, as though it could not withstand the strange power contained within his body.

No one dared to stop him.

Even after his figure had already traveled a considerable distance, the lingering pressure he had left behind still weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.

Only then did Grey and Violet, who had witnessed everything from the very beginning, heave a long sigh of relief.

Grey felt as though a huge mountain had been lifted from his shoulders.

It was only now that he truly realized the identity and strength of the middle-aged man in yellow robes standing in the sky.

A Nascent Soul Transformation Realm expert.

An existence that stood at the peak of Sky Mist City.

And since the old man had been able to face him directly without showing the slightest sign of fear or retreat, it meant that he was also a cultivator of the same realm, or at the very least, someone whose strength was not much weaker.

The thought alone caused a cold chill to run down Grey’s spine.

They had almost fought against a Nascent Soul Transformation Realm expert!

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.

With their current strength, not to mention fighting such an expert, even surviving a casual wave of his hand would have been nothing short of a miracle.

As if she had also realized the severity of the situation, Violet’s expression became somewhat solemn.

The malicious black shadow that had appeared in the form of mist had already drilled back into her body.

At the same time, the several distorted figures that had almost detached from her also slowly fused back into her main body.

However, as they disappeared, their eyes still shone with a dangerous and sinister glint, causing one’s scalp to tingle.

Cautiously, both Grey and Violet deactivated their Special Brilliance Forms.

Although they had not actually exchanged blows with the old man, the mere release of their powers had already begun affecting their surroundings. The ground nearby had cracked, and the air still carried traces of violent spiritual fluctuations.

Grey then turned his gaze toward the middle-aged man floating in mid-air.

A hint of gratitude appeared in his eyes.

Without the elder’s intervention, the situation would have undoubtedly developed into a disaster.

Therefore, he slightly bowed his back in respect.

However, just as he was about to raise his head, the cold voice of the middle-aged man suddenly echoed through the area.

"You two have quite the courage, huh?"

His stern eyes swept over the pair of them.

"If you had truly fought with him, did you think you would have survived?"

The elder’s voice was neither loud nor soft, but every word contained a trace of anger.

Grey quickly raised his head and was immediately greeted by the livid expression on the middle-aged man’s face.

However, to his surprise, the elder’s gaze was directed entirely at Violet.

Violet, on the other hand, showed no signs of fear.

Instead, she smiled sheepishly before replying.

"Fourth Elder, he was going to destroy my Detective Agency Department. How could I simply stand by and watch him do that? I had to do something."

Her tone sounded exceptionally innocent.

As though she had been forced into acting.

Hearing her explanation, the Fourth Elder immediately fell silent.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

After a long moment, he raised a finger and pointed directly at Grey.

"So, you wanted to throw your life away before your time, and you even invited your Junior Brother to accompany you?"

His tone was full of reproach.

Violet blinked several times before revealing an embarrassed smile.

"Hehe..."

Seeing her reaction, Grey could not help but stare blankly.

This was the first time he had ever seen Violet act this way.

The usually mysterious and dangerous Senior Sister was now smiling like a child who had been caught doing something wrong.

For a moment, he was completely stunned.

However, he quickly suppressed his expression.

At the same time, realization dawned upon him.

Violet must know this elder personally for her to be speaking to him so casually.

Ordinary disciples would probably be trembling in fear under the gaze of a Nascent Soul Transformation Realm expert.

Yet Violet appeared completely relaxed.

Then, Grey suddenly remembered something.

She was a secret Core Disciple of Sky Mist Sect.

A disciple personally nurtured by the sect’s upper echelons.

With that identity, it was only natural for her to know the elders of the sect.

Thinking this, the shock in Grey’s heart gradually subsided.

However, his gaze toward Violet became even more curious.

Just how many secrets was this Captain of his hiding?

As if feeling his gaze, the middle-aged man turned to look at Grey.

"And you... you’re even more reckless than she is."

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