Void Cultivation

And the one chasing them was far more terrifying than they were.

Grey did not chase after the remaining creatures.

He simply watched them disappear into the ruins before turning his gaze forward.

Killing too many mutated creatures would only create unnecessary trouble.

The scent of blood was already spreading through the surrounding area.

If he continued slaughtering them, the smell would inevitably attract a much more dangerous mutated creature.

At that point, he might have no choice but to fight.

And there was no guarantee that he would be able to defeat whatever came without sustaining injuries.

The Corroded Zone was already dangerous enough.

Grey had no intention of becoming careless simply because the creatures he had encountered so far were weak.

His eyes swept across the ruined city.

The broken buildings stretched endlessly into the distance, their skeletal remains covered by strange vegetation and traces of corrosion.

As Grey ran through the Corroded Zone, he gradually noticed that something was amiss.

The strange cries and roars that he would normally hear in the distance had become increasingly scarce. Even the mutated creatures that usually wandered through the ruined landscape seemed to have disappeared one after another. If this had happened at any other time, Grey probably would not have paid too much attention to it.

But this was the depths of the Corroded Zone.

Vigilance had been engraved into his mind after everything he had experienced since entering this place. He had learned that even the slightest change in his surroundings could be a warning of something far more dangerous lurking nearby.

The sudden disappearance of mutated creatures was one such change.

As Grey continued forward, his eyes constantly swept across the surrounding darkness. The depths were perpetually covered by the black veil that separated them from the peripheral region, making it impossible for him to determine the exact time of day.

He could not see the sky and he could not see the sun. For all he knew, night could have already fallen in the outside world.

After thinking for a moment, Grey decided to ask Violet.

"Violet, what time do you think it is in the outside world? And why are the mutated creatures becoming more scarce?" Grey asked calmly.

Although the Violet he was speaking to was merely a blue flower, Grey did not believe that she lacked the means to observe what was happening outside.

Otherwise, how had she been able to tell him about the changes that had been occurring within the sect after he left?

"Oh, you mean whether it’s nighttime or still daytime?" Violet replied. "The sun is setting, and everywhere is gradually becoming dark." She paused briefly before continuing.

"But you don’t have to be afraid of the lack of mutated creatures. In this Corroded Zone, that is normal. When night approaches, many mutated creatures and abominations go into hiding or fall asleep."

Hearing her words, Grey became curious. That was because, in other Corroded Zones and in the outside world as a whole, night was usually the time when mutated creatures and abominations became most active.

They would emerge from their hiding places, wandering through the darkness in search of prey. Their strength would usually increase during the night, while their moans, cries, and horrifying roars would become even more frequent.

But this Corroded Zone was clearly different. Instead of becoming more active when night arrived, the mutated creatures here actually went into hiding.

As Grey thought about it, a look of understanding slowly appeared in his eyes.

’This Corroded Zone is very unique. Instead of the mutated creatures taking over at night, they also run and hide like normal people when darkness approaches.’

His expression gradually became serious.

’But perhaps this is normal for a Corroded Zone that has existed for nearly a hundred years. Corroded Zones that have existed for even longer periods of time are bound to develop their own strange characteristics.’

Just as Grey was thinking about this, Violet continued speaking.

"Of course, their reason for going into hiding is because the true dangers of the Corroded Zone are about to come out."

Grey’s footsteps abruptly stopped.

"I suggest we find a place and hide quickly before they start waking up."

The moment Violet finished speaking, Grey froze.

’The true dangers...’

Those words immediately caused a chill to run through his heart. It meant that all the bizarre existences and mutated creatures they had encountered so far were not the strongest beings within the depths.

In fact, they were merely creatures that wandered around during the day. And when night came, even those terrifying creatures would hide.

Then what exactly was coming out? What kind of existence could make the creatures of the Corroded Zone retreat in fear?

As if she could read his thoughts, Violet quickly spoke again.

"You don’t have to worry too much, though. This only happens within the veil. The peripheral region still behaves like a normal Corroded Zone."

She paused.

"And that is precisely why many people who enter this place never come back alive."

Grey’s expression became solemn.

"They didn’t know about this change that usually happens at night. They remained within the depths after darkness arrived and eventually encountered unknown entities they should never have come across."

As soon as Violet finished speaking, Grey immediately felt an intense urge to leave the place. He did not know what those unknown entities were.

And he had no intention of finding out. Without waiting for even a second, Grey increased his speed and sprinted toward one of the largest trees in the distance.

He did not decide to search for a building that could still be used as a temporary shelter.

The possibility of mutated creatures or bizarre existences inhabiting such a place was simply too high. A building could provide protection from the outside, but it could just as easily become a cage.

If something powerful was already living inside, Grey might not even have the chance to escape.

Therefore, he believed that his highest chance of surviving the night was to climb a tree.

Although many of the trees within the depths were grotesque and possessed strange characteristics, some could move, while others could attack anything that came near them not every tree was alive.

Grey had already observed this during his journey.

The tree he had chosen was particularly large, towering several dozen feet above the ground. Its trunk was only a few feet wide, yet its appearance was bizarre enough to make an ordinary person instinctively avoid it.

Its bark was twisted and uneven, with several strange holes scattered across its surface.

However, when Grey approached it, nothing happened.

No vines suddenly lashed toward him.

No strange insects emerged from the holes.

And none of the bizarre creatures that occasionally lived within the trees attacked him.

Grey remained cautious.

He carefully observed the tree for several seconds before finally making his decision.

With a powerful leap, he jumped onto the tree and quickly climbed upward.

The higher he went, the more clearly he could see the surrounding area.

When Grey eventually reached the top, he could see a small portion of the surrounding landscape. From that height, the grotesque trees and distant darkness stretched endlessly in every direction.

However, Grey did not choose to remain at the very top.

Being too exposed was dangerous.

If some powerful existence emerged from the darkness, standing at the highest point would only make him an obvious target.

Instead, he carefully climbed back down.

He continued descending until he reached the middle section of the tree.

From there, Grey could clearly see both the top of the tree and the ground below.

If something approached from above, he would be able to notice it.

If something appeared on the ground, he would also have enough time to react.

After finding a relatively stable position between several thick branches, Grey stopped moving.

At that moment, the last traces of sunlight that had briefly illuminated the world disappeared beyond the horizon.

The darkness became deeper.

The temperature also began to fall.

The Corroded Zone suddenly became much colder than before.

Grey tightened his clothes around his body as a faint chill spread through him.

Because the black veil covered the depths, he could not tell whether the sun had truly set or whether the darkness around him was simply caused by the veil.

But he could feel the change.

Something had happened.

The world had become different.

The cries and roars that had accompanied him throughout his journey gradually disappeared.

One after another.

Until there was nothing left.

Grey’s breathing became extremely slow.

He remained completely still.

Then—

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The depths of the Corroded Zone became completely quiet.

There were no distant roars.

No strange cries.

No sounds of mutated creatures moving through the darkness.

Not even the faint noises of insects could be heard.

Grey’s eyes narrowed.

He held his breath.

For some reason, the silence felt far more terrifying than the countless screams and roars he had heard earlier.

It was as though the entire Corroded Zone was holding its breath.

Waiting.

Waiting for something to emerge.

And Grey suddenly realized that the night had truly arrived.

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