Void Cultivation-Chapter 252-

Coincidentally, the very place that had drawn the captain’s attention was also where Grey found himself, deep within the tunnel of flesh.

At this moment, the entire passageway was bathed in an intense violet glow. The surrounding flesh quivered violently, pulsing and squirming as if alive, as though it were screaming in silent agony under the pressure of an unseen force.

Grey’s shadow suddenly let out a muffled, distorted cry.

It tore itself away from his feet, peeling off the ground like a living thing. Although it was not the direct target of the suppression, merely being connected to Grey was enough to subject it to unbearable torment. As the full suppressive power of the purple crystal erupted outward, the shadow was dragged into the storm of power and crushed mercilessly.

The suppression descended in waves.

Just the first wave alone was enough to push the shadow beyond its limits. Its form shattered instantly, scattering into fragments before painfully gathering itself together once more.

Again and again, it scattered, then reformed.

Each time it reassembled, its shape grew fainter, thinner, and far more unstable, as though it were on the verge of dissipating entirely. Yet this was still only the first wave of suppression.

And this...

This was the first time Grey had pushed the suppressive force of the purple crystal to its absolute limit.

In that instant, his hair was completely dyed violet, every strand glowing faintly with purple light. His eyes ignited with a cold, muted violet radiance, devoid of warmth or emotion. A powerful suppressive aura radiated from his body, carrying with it an overwhelming, domineering force that pressed down on everything around him.

Grey’s gaze was empty and detached, as if he were staring not at a living being, but at a lifeless slab of meat.

Even his clothes could not withstand the influence. They rippled briefly before being dyed purple as well, threads shimmering as the transformation completed itself. All of these changes occurred simultaneously, the very instant Grey unleashed the full power of the purple crystal.

At the same time, an illusion manifested behind him.

A vast purple moon emerged, half-concealed behind drifting clouds. Yet the clouds were utterly insufficient to restrain it. Its purple intent spilled freely into the world, suffusing everything with an indescribable pressure.

The moment the purple moon appeared, Grey’s suppressive aura surged again, rising without restraint. A faint, illusory purple halo began to form above his head.

However, this halo was incomplete.

It possessed no true form, no authority to sustain itself. Before it could fully take shape, it shattered silently into nothingness.

Grey did not notice this at all.

What he did notice was the terrifying cost.

Just to reach this state, just to allow the purple crystal to release even the first wave of its power, the spirit energy within all of his Spirit Perforations had been completely drained.

Dry. Empty.

He knew instinctively that this state would not last.

In just a few moments, the suppressive force would vanish, and he would return to normal, likely far worse than before.

’Since my time is limited... it’s best to act now!’

Grey spoke inwardly, his expression unwavering as he raised his hand and clenched the air.

This time, his motion did not fail.

A sword hilt appeared out of thin air, gripped firmly in his hand. In the same breath, the rest of the sword rapidly took shape, purple light condensing into a solid, razor-sharp blade.

At the same time, a massive purple sword materialized above Grey’s head.

It was identical to the sword in his hand, perfect in form, flawless in structure. Yet the power it carried was entirely different. The aura surrounding it was terrifyingly pure, as though it embodied a single, absolute concept.

A Dao.

A Dao that contained only one thing.

A single sword slash.

Without the slightest hesitation, Grey slashed downward.

The moment his sword fell, time itself seemed to pause for a breath.

Grey already knew the truth, he had never believed that a single sword slash could kill such a strange, terrifying existence. The moment the slash was released, he let go of the sword entirely and lightly pinched the air once more.

Immediately, brilliant purple light erupted from his body and descended upon the massive face, which was still struggling desperately under the suppression of the purple crystal.

The instant the purple light made contact,

Grey’s expression changed violently.

His face drained of all color, turning deathly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood. In that same moment, the power of the purple crystal within him was abruptly severed, as if forcibly cut off by an external force.

The suppressive light vanished.

His hair rapidly returned to its original color, and the violet glow in his eyes faded completely. The purple moon behind him trembled, as though it had lost its source of power, before dissolving into nothingness moments later.

Everything that had just occurred...

All of it.

Had only managed to buy Grey a brief window of time.

In the end... he was simply too weak.

The sword slash he had unleashed traveled no more than ten meters before striking the massive face. Even then, it only carved a shallow wound into its grotesque surface.

Still, that alone was nothing short of a miracle.

After all, the creature’s power was most likely at the Nascent Soul Transformation Realm. How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, with only a single ball of Spirit Fire, possibly hope to injure it?

The fact that Grey had managed to tear its skin at all defied reason.

As the massive face recovered, its rage erupted instantly. Yet buried deep within that fury was something else.

Fear.

The power Grey had summoned earlier had been overwhelmingly oppressive, so much so that it had rendered the creature nearly incapable of resistance.

’ROAR!!!’

The massive face bellowed in rage as it surged toward Grey at breakneck speed. This time, its movement was even faster than before, so fast that it appeared before Grey almost instantly.

’It didn’t work...’

Grey smiled bitterly in his heart.

’Am I really going to die?’

The purple crystal had been his ultimate trump card. It was supposed to suppress the massive face long enough for him to escape. Instead, he had attempted to suppress its entire existence, and the backlash had nearly destroyed him.

Blood continued to spill from his mouth. The spirit energy within his Spirit Perforations refused to respond, and several of them trembled violently, fine cracks spreading across their surfaces.

The severity of the situation was undeniable.

Grey thought desperately, but no solution came to mind.

He wanted to activate the teleportation talisman the captain had given him, but it required several breaths to take effect.

Several breaths he did not have.

Death was inevitable.

Grey closed his eyes and resigned himself to fate.

But,

Just before the massive face could crash into him...

A small hand emerged silently from the void.

The hand stretched forward, its palm facing outward.

Its motion was unremarkable, almost trivial.

Yet the power behind it was anything but.

The massive face slammed directly into the small palm, and stopped.

Completely.

Its enormous body shook violently, as though it had collided with an immovable divine wall.

For the first time, shock appeared on its grotesque features. The usual malevolent grin vanished entirely, replaced by sheer, unmistakable terror.

When Grey had unleashed the purple crystal, the creature had only shown fear.

This time,

What it revealed was horror.

"Divine prisoner! You are a divine prisoner!"

The massive face screamed in terror, its voice trembling uncontrollably.

"How could you leave your cell and wander here!? How are you not discovered, divine prisoner!?"

The shift was so abrupt it left Grey momentarily stunned.

The massive face attempted to flee, but escape was impossible. How could it run from a being capable of suppressing even a god?

Although it possessed a trace of divinity, it lacked any divine authority. Perhaps it was merely borrowing power from another divine existence.

Seeing its attempt to flee, the small black figure did not permit it.

It stepped out from the purple moon that resided within Grey’s Sea of Consciousness and emerged fully into the world.

The moment it appeared, nothing visibly changed.

And yet,

Grey felt it clearly.

A strange, absolute power descended, subduing everything around him. The world remained quiet, unchanged on the surface, but something fundamental had been forced into submission.

Grey stared at the small figure in shock.

He knew what it was.

The divine guard of the existence behind the door.

As for why it had chosen to help him now, he had no idea.

But Grey would never waste such an opportunity.

The small figure did not even glance at him once. Calm and unhurried, it stepped forward, chasing after the fleeing massive face.

Its movements were casual, almost relaxed.

Yet the pressure it emitted was indescribable.

With a single step, its form blurred, and vanished from Grey’s sight.

"Whether I like it or not, this is an opportunity," Grey muttered hoarsely, gritting his teeth as he spat out more blood.

"Why it helped me doesn’t matter right now. I need to get out of here first."

His face was as pale as death. The backlash he had suffered was brutal.

His Cold Yin Core had developed visible cracks. His Spirit Perforations were damaged throughout. Beneath his clothes, his body was torn open, blood soaking through the fabric.

Yet despite everything...

Grey’s expression remained indifferent.

Suppressing the pain, he rushed forward, deeper into the tunnel.

With the massive face gone, both entrances opened simultaneously. Even the flesh tunnel, an entity that behaved like a living creature, seemed unwilling to involve itself further.

Its malevolent intent completely retracted, and it reverted into what appeared to be an ordinary tunnel.

Grey observed this coldly.

He knew better than anyone that there was nothing he could do about it now.