Void Cultivation-Chapter 218- Chubby Fiend (3)

With a deafening bang, Bao was sent flying through the air like a ragdoll. His mouth flew open, and he coughed up mouthfuls of blood. His face had lost all color, and he instinctively reached for his chest, only to see it caved in. The sheer force of the impact had left him utterly defenseless.

A flicker of fear slowly crept across his features.

’How... how is he so strong?’ Bao’s mind raced, disbelief and terror mixing in a cold, heavy knot in his chest.

’I’ve already opened more than fifteen spirit perforations. I’m on the brink of manifesting my first ball of Spirit Fire. By rights... he should have barely broken through to Foundation Establishment. Yet... yet how is he this strong?’

A creeping regret began to seep in, tainting Bao’s thoughts. Months ago, he had provoked Grey, thinking it would be a minor annoyance, an opportunity to test his own progress. The last time they had clashed, Bao had nearly lost his life. It was only through his paper substitutes, a desperate trick, that he had managed to escape.

Since then, Bao had poured himself into cultivation with a single-minded obsession. He had broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm, his spirit perforations meticulously opened, his energy honed to a sharp point. Every day, he had labored to bring himself closer to forming his first ball of Spirit Fire. In his mind, that single spark of power would be enough to make Grey no match for him. After all, the difference between someone who had manifested Spirit Fire and someone who had not was vast, practically insurmountable.

"Wait—wait! We can talk about this!" Bao spat out another mouthful of blood as he hurtled through the air, his voice ragged and desperate. But Grey did not even glance in his direction. Not a word, not a flicker of acknowledgment. He advanced relentlessly, his steps unhurried but inexorably closing the distance.

A strange, almost primal compulsion gripped Grey. For reasons he could not entirely name, he felt that Bao had to die. There was no room for negotiation, no tolerance for hesitation.

Seeing that Grey ignored his words, Bao’s panic flared into desperation. With trembling hands, he pulled out a small talisman and crushed it under his palm. Immediately, an oppressive presence surged outward, filling the area with a heavy, suffocating weight.

The pressure was immense, unlike anything Grey had ever encountered. His movements slowed involuntarily, his chest tightening as if the air itself had turned to lead.

Bao seized this moment of respite, gasping for breath. But the strain was immense, even as he pushed out the oppressive aura, more blood poured from his mouth. His skin had turned a ghastly white, and sweat slicked his forehead. It was clear that even his own power was harming him.

As the overwhelming force bore down on Grey, he closed his eyes. When they opened again, a shadowy phantom shimmered in the depths of his gaze.

The Life Demon materialized instantly. Unlike Grey, it was unaffected by the oppressive presence. It did not have flesh to weigh it down; it was an extension of his will, a spectral manifestation of pure menace. In the blink of an eye, it appeared mere feet from Bao, its form flickering like smoke in the wind.

The phantom’s back was hunched slightly, long, disheveled hair falling across its face. Its hands dragged against the ground, leaving faint streaks of shadow in their wake. A hot, almost tangible gust of heat followed its movement, distorting the very air around it.

Bao gritted his teeth as his body trembled. He spat another mouthful of blood, this time, an unnatural green, but his expression betrayed a deeper terror. The green blood sizzled slightly in the air, and his energy seemed to drain with it, leaving him paler and weaker by the second.

As the green blood arced toward the ground, the faint silhouette of the female statue Bao had summoned earlier began to crumble into dust. The fragments swirled upward, drawn toward the blood like moths to flame.

A deafening bang echoed as the Life Demon swung its spectral hand at the airborne Bao. But before the strike could connect, a swarm of small, green insects materialized, intercepting the blow.

At the same time, the dust from the crumbling statue coalesced into a single, massive black beetle. Its beady eyes gleamed with malevolence as it lunged at the Life Demon. Yet, with just a single swing from the phantom, the beetle was flung backward, its body battered by the spectral force.

Watching this unfold, a flicker of understanding passed through Grey. The workings of the Life Demon were slowly becoming clear to him. A faint, calculating light appeared in his eyes.

By now, the oppressive aura that Bao had summoned had dissipated. Grey could move freely once more, his speed returning in full. With a single step, he closed the wide distance between them, appearing in front of Bao before the latter could react.

One of Grey’s specialties, inherited in part from the Wind Monarch, was speed. Even in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment, his velocity was unparalleled, capable of outpacing nearly any opponent.

Bao’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had expected Grey to falter, to be slowed by the pressure. Yet here he was, seemingly unphased. Bao’s own fear began to settle into cold clarity. He could now see, with terrifying precision, just how insurmountable Grey’s power had become.

’Fuck! Which kind of demon possessed me to provoke this other demon.’

In a bid to slow Grey down, Bao began executing strange arts and techniques. But Grey’s phantom would always break through it with one swing of it’s hand. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

However, it’s purple-tinged form would flicker in and out. Like it was soon close to disappearing. During this time, Grey had not spoken a single word.

Usually, Grey did not like to speak whenever he was fighting. He felt that it would distract him and led to death. Besides, words only served to plant thoughts into his mind.

Unless if it was necessary, Grey would not talk when in a battle. However, even though Grey remained silent, his killing intent spoke louder than his words ever could.