Void Cultivation

Chapter 320 - 319-

The moment Grey stepped onto the fourteenth step, he felt his connection to the laws abruptly sever.

Or rather, it wasn’t truly severed, it was more accurate to say that Grey could no longer maintain that connection after the essence of the array completely dissipated.

His spirit energy was instantly drained.

At the same time, Grey felt an overwhelming pressure about to descend upon him and crush him into nothingness.

It was like a curtain that had been holding back the great waters of heaven had finally been torn open, and the boundless torrent was now crashing down toward him.

If Grey had still been on the thirteenth step when that happened, he would have died instantly.

But fortunately, at the exact moment his connection collapsed, his foot landed firmly on the fourteenth step.

And the terrifying pressure that was enough to flatten him into meat paste was forcefully held at bay.

At that same instant, a blinding light erupted and engulfed his entire body. A sensation of distortion swept through him, and Grey realized he was about to be teleported away from this place.

But instead of relief, a sharp sense of crisis gripped his heart.

A crisis that could determine life or death in a single instant.

Then suddenly, the invisible gaze that had been silently locked onto Grey for some time shifted.

It had sensed his disappearance.

Even as Grey’s figure began to blur and fade, he felt as though the speed of his disappearance was unnaturally slow.

Almost as if something was interfering with his teleportation.

He quickly realized what it was. The invisible gaze.

It had locked onto him completely and was no longer staring at him from the distance. And it was drawing closer with an intent he could not comprehend.

Caught in the midst of teleportation, Grey froze as that intent closed in.

In the next instant, his thoughts and movements completely halted.

Even the process of his disappearance slowed drastically.

In fact, his fading figure seemed as though it might even reverse.

Yet... it did not.

Grey remained frozen as that presence arrived before him.

Then, suddenly...

The clouds high above darkened.

They began to churn and roll violently toward him, as if summoned by an unseen force. Streaks of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the heavens in jagged flashes.

Moments later, a massive black form began to emerge within the storm.

At first, it was indistinct... seemingly hidden behind countless layers of dark clouds.

But through the shifting gaps, Grey caught glimpses of long, black, curly hair and atches of yellow pus.

As well as clusters of greenish white feathers clinging unnaturally to its surface. It’s form was very grotesque, yet filled with unimaginable power

Then... a single eye appeared and it looked directly at him with an icy, cold intent.

Even though Grey was already frozen, it felt as though an additional layer of frost covered his entire being. Had he not already been immobilized, that gaze alone would have locked him in place.

As the eye focused on him, the clouds parted slightly, revealing more.

And this time, Grey saw it clearly.

What loomed behind the storm... was a massive being.

Its skin was pitch black, yet covered in countless tiny green feathers. Long, tangled hair draped down its body, and its flesh was marred by patches of rotting yellow pus oozing from decayed sections of its skin.

Just looking at it nearly caused Grey’s head to explode.

His blood vessels ruptured. His eyes turned completely bloodshot, as if submerged in blood.

The sensation was similar to gazing upon a divine being.

Yet Grey could tell that his entity had not yet reached that level. Otherwise, he would have already died just from looking at it.

Even so, its presence was overwhelming close to that of a divine being.

At the same time, the entity seemed to be doing two things at once, trying to halt Grey’s teleportation, while also preventing the descending laws from crushing him into nothingness in his current state.

As if it did not want him to die.

Because of this, it kept most of its body concealed behind the clouds. Only its forehead, face, and those cold, observing eyes remained visible.

"T-this... th-is is... a—"

Grey couldn’t finish his sentence.

The sheer fear coursing through him nearly caused his body to collapse into fragments.

At that exact moment, the world trembled.

The force that was meant to teleport Grey surged back to life.

This time, its power erupted violently.

The speed of his disappearance increased drastically, and it became clear that even the massive entity in the clouds could no longer stop it.

All it could do was watch.

Its expression though barely visible, seemed filled with confusion... and something close to loss.

As if it were trying desperately to remember Grey’s appearance.

The light from the fourteenth step intensified further.

Grey’s figure was on the verge of vanishing completely.

But just before he disappeared, a strand of intent shot out from the massive being.

It pierced through everything and drilled directly into Grey’s head, entering his sea of consciousness without causing even the slightest pain.

It was far too fast to resist.

Even if Grey had been able to react, it would have made no difference.

Then a voice echoed coldly within his mind.

"Who are you?!"

Grey was stunned. The voice was filled with confusion... and unmistakable anxiety. It was as though the being was urgently waiting for an answer.

But before Grey could respond, his figure vanished completely and the world was left empty, desolate and silent.

The laws that had been preparing to descend withdrew.

The fourteen steps disappeared as well, as though they had never existed and were nothing more than an illusion.

Only the dark clouds remained.

And within them, the massive figure lingered, staring at the exact spot where Grey had vanished.

It remained there for a long time.

Watching.

Waiting.

Before, at last, its eyes slowly closed. And its enormous form faded into nothingness.

As it disappeared, the cold, pale world returned to its original state. And its slow, inevitable deterioration resumed once more.