Void Cultivation

While Grey was standing with a pensive expression on his face, the shadow suddenly transmitted a thought into his mind.

Somewhere in the distance, the shadow had sensed something.

Something that smelled incredibly delicious.

The sensation was so intense that the shadow did not hesitate to inform Grey immediately. In fact, through their connection, Grey could clearly sense the shadow’s excitement. It was almost as though the shadow had discovered an irresistible delicacy after being starved for countless years.

It even conveyed its desire for Grey to release it so that it could leave his body and devour whatever had produced that delicious scent.

Hearing this, Grey couldn’t help but frown slightly.

The shadow was rather reclusive and rarely communicated with him unless it had something important to convey. Even then, it restrained itself from speaking in human language and usually preferred transmitting its thoughts directly into his mind.

Grey didn’t particularly dislike this method of communication. In fact, it was much more convenient than listening to the shadow speak.

However, he was always wary of it.

The shadow was not a loyal subordinate.

It was a mysterious existence that could potentially turn against him at any given moment. Although it was afraid of the suppression exerted by the purple crystal and couldn’t act recklessly within his body, that suppression was not enough to completely conceal the deep-seated contempt it held toward him.

Grey had sensed that contempt several times.

The shadow had never truly regarded him as its master.At best, their relationship was one of mutual benefit and restraint.

That was why its current behavior was so strange. The shadow had never been this excited before.

It had never eagerly requested permission to leave his body just to devour something it had sensed in the distance.

More importantly, Grey could clearly feel the anxiety and eagerness coursing through their connection.

The shadow wanted whatever was over there. And it wanted it badly.

Grey narrowed his eyes. When he asked the shadow where it had sensed the delicious aroma, the direction it pointed toward was exactly the same direction Violet had indicated earlier.

The depths.

More precisely, the area near the enormous barrier of darkness that separated the peripheral region from the deeper parts of the Corroded Zone.

Seeing this coincidence, Grey couldn’t help but reconsider his original decision.

He had already decided not to venture into the depths.

But now...

Both Violet and the shadow had sensed something unusual in the exact same direction.

"Both the shadow and Violet have sensed that there is something extremely valuable in that direction. Although the danger is high... the value of whatever is hidden there should be equally high."

Grey’s eyes flickered as he silently contemplated the situation.

In this cruel world, survival was important.

But resources were equally important.Cultivators were willing to risk their lives for spirit stones, medicinal herbs, treasures, inheritances, and countless other resources. After God Descended, obtaining these things had become even more difficult than before.

The world had changed.

The resources that once existed in abundance had either been destroyed, hidden, or claimed by powerful cultivators and major factions.

Even the resources that could still be found were usually controlled by cultivators with higher realms of cultivation or by powerful organizations that dominated entire regions.

Grey was no stranger to this reality. In this world, stealing and plundering from one’s fellow cultivators was as natural as breathing.

People killed for resources.

People were killed because others wanted their resources. Some cultivators would even massacre entire groups simply because they discovered a valuable treasure in their possession.

Human life had become cheap.

Sometimes, it was no more valuable than the stones scattered beneath one’s feet.

Grey had already witnessed enough death to understand this principle. Moreover, he had done this several times in the past. The Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird was an example of his pilfering.

Therefore, he had never believed that opportunities would simply wait for him to take them.

If he wanted something, he had to be willing to fight for it.

"I can give up on this opportunity..." Grey muttered softly, his eyes becoming increasingly determined. "Or I can take the risk and venture into the depths to find out what has attracted both the Captain and the shadow."

His expression gradually hardened. He had already made his decision. He was going.

After all, there was no risk without reward.

However, there was still one major problem.

Iria.

If Grey entered the depths alone, Iria would be left behind.

Although they were currently in the peripheral region, Grey couldn’t guarantee her safety in his absence. He also couldn’t guarantee that he would be able to return in time if something unexpected happened.

If he hadn’t been sent here by her master who was an elder with a high status, Grey wouldn’t have cared about Iria’s life or death.

Within the Corroded Zone, her survival had nothing to do with him.

But that was no longer the case.

Her master had personally instructed him to protect her.

As long as he remained responsible for that task, Grey couldn’t allow anything to happen to her.

Even if he had to risk entering the depths, he had to make sure that Iria could safely return.

Grey remained silent for several seconds.

His gaze lingered on the depths, where the enormous curtain of darkness stood like an eternal wall separating two completely different worlds.

Eventually, he withdrew his gaze. He turned toward the swaying blue flower and stared at it calmly.

"If I agree to go, can you guarantee her safety while I’m gone?"

His voice was low and composed. He was asking Violet.

A few seconds passed in silence before Violet’s voice rang through his ears.

"This is only the peripheral region of the Corroded Zone. The possibility of a truly dangerous existence suddenly discovering her and attacking is very small."

Her tone was calm and analytical.

"Besides... do you really think her master would send her here without giving her any form of protection?"

Grey’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"There must be protective talismans on her body whose strength far surpasses the ones she has displayed to you so far."

Grey’s expression remained unchanged. He had already considered that possibility.

Violet continued.

"I can guess that those protective items will only activate when she’s in genuine danger of death. But regarding your question..."

Her voice paused briefly.

"I think she can survive if you leave for a few hours."

Another pause.

"Perhaps even a few days."

Violet’s voice remained calm and collected, as though she had already calculated the situation before Grey even asked.

Grey’s gaze flickered.

The statement about Iria possessing protection far more powerful than what she had shown him immediately caught his attention.

It indirectly gave him a clue regarding how long the Captain had been watching them.

If Violet knew that Iria possessed stronger protective measures, then she must have been observing their movements for far longer than Grey had initially assumed.

However, rather than becoming angry, Grey merely nodded.

He had actually suspected something similar. He simply hadn’t possessed enough evidence to confirm it.

"Alright."

Grey’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Do you know where the thing actually is? If you do, tell me. That way, I won’t waste too much time searching in the wrong direction."

His tone was casual, as though he genuinely didn’t know where the item was.

But internally, Grey was already prepared for the possibility that Violet might deceive him.

Even if she deliberately led him toward the wrong location, he still had the shadow.

The shadow had already sensed the strange aroma. As long as it remained with him, Grey could rely on it to determine the correct direction.

Therefore, he wasn’t particularly worried about Violet using him as bait. A soft chuckle echoed inside his mind.

"If I didn’t know where it was, I wouldn’t have told you about it."

Violet’s amused voice followed.

"I would have simply ignored it."

There was a brief pause before she continued.

"I suggest we start moving now. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can return."

There was a noticeable trace of haste in the final part of her sentence.

Grey caught it immediately and his eyes flickered with a strange gleam. So even Violet was eager to reach that place.

Interesting.

Without saying anything else, Grey nodded.

He turned around and looked toward Iria. Coincidentally, she had just opened her eyes and tnheir gazes met.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

A faint blush immediately appeared on Iria’s cheeks.

She hurriedly shifted her gaze away, seemingly embarrassed that Grey had caught her staring at him.

"Senior Grey..."

She began speaking. However, before she could finish, Grey’s calm voice interrupted her.

"Iria, I’m going into the depths of the Corroded Zone to investigate something."

Iria’s expression changed. Grey continued without giving her a chance to interrupt.

"If I’m not out within eight days, leave the Corroded Zone and wait for me outside."

His expression was unusually serious.

"If I’m still not out after three days, forget about me and return to the sect."

Iria stared at him blankly.

For several seconds, she seemed unable to understand what he had just said.

"Huh?"

Her eyes widened.

"I... I don’t understand."

She was genuinely confused. The reason she had spent so much time recovering her spirit energy wasn’t merely because she wanted to restore her strength.

She had been thinking.

She had been trying to find a way to get closer to Grey.

This place was dangerous, and both of them were constantly tense and wary. There was barely any opportunity for them to relax or lower their guards.

Iria had been hoping that the circumstances would eventually provide her with an opportunity to become closer to him.

But Grey’s sudden decision to venture into the depths had completely disrupted her plans.

She had not expected this at all.

There was no way Grey had planned this before entering the Corroded Zone. So why had he suddenly decided to enter the depths?

"Wait!"

Iria’s expression became anxious.

"Are you sure, Senior Grey?"

She stared at him.

"The depths are extremely dangerous. I’ve heard about many people disappearing after entering that place. Some of them died without even realizing what attacked them."

Her voice became increasingly urgent.

"Almost everyone who ventured into the depths never returned."

She took a small step forward.

"Are you really sure you want to go inside just to search for the Crimson Moon Blossom flowers?"

Grey calmly shook his head.

"My reason for entering the depths has nothing to do with the Crimson Moon Blossom flowers." His voice was firm.

"I have my own agenda."

Iria opened her mouth. She wanted to persuade him into not going.

She wanted to tell him that the danger inside was something even he might not be able to handle.

But before she could say anything, Grey spoke again.

"I have something I need to do."

There was no hesitation in his voice.

"If you don’t see me within the designated time, leave the Corroded Zone and return to Sky Mist City."

Grey paused. His eyes looked into the distance.

"Forget about me by then."

His words were simple, but they carried a finality that made Iria’s heart sink. She stared at his back, unable to find the words to respond.

Grey, meanwhile, turned his attention toward the enormous curtain of darkness in the distance.

It stood several kilometers away. From their current position, it looked like an endless wall stretching across the horizon.

The darkness was so dense that it seemed to swallow everything that approached it.

The Corroded Zone was far larger than an ordinary cultivator could imagine. A single Corroded Zone could be larger than entire cities.

Some could even stretch across vast forests and mountains, covering countless kilometers of land.

The area they had explored so far was merely the peripheral region. Compared to the depths, it was nothing.

Grey stared at that darkness for a long moment. His eyes gradually became cold.

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