Void Cultivation

Chapter 337: Chapter 336- Acute senses

"Wonderful..."

The middle-aged man could not help but mutter in admiration as he witnessed Grey’s glorious transformation. A strange excitement surged within his heart, causing the corners of his lips to curl upward into an elated smile.

His eyes gleamed with undisguised anticipation as he stared at the transformed young man.

"Simply wonderful! He’s saving us the trouble of provoking him into attacking."

"Fool. Let’s kill him."

"Hahaha..."

Several voices spoke at the same time, their tones varying from excitement to murderous intent. Yet despite the chaotic chatter echoing within his mind, the middle-aged man’s expression remained calm and composed.

Meanwhile, Grey observed the incoming arc of energy rapidly increasing in speed.

The moment he sensed it drawing closer, he knew he had successfully accomplished his objective.

Now came the difficult part.

He would have to entertain the Spirit Core Formation cultivator and prevent him from killing him immediately.

More importantly, Grey had to make it appear as though he intended to fight desperately for his life. The slightest mistake could expose his true intentions.

Once he chose this path, there would be no turning back.

There would be no retreat.

Only forward.

Fortunately, Grey had always been a decisive person. Once he made a decision, he rarely questioned himself afterward. Doubt was meaningless once a choice had already been made. Instead of hesitating, he preferred to commit himself fully until the matter was settled.

Without another moment of hesitation, Grey tightened his grip around the purple scythe before abruptly hurling it toward the middle-aged man.

The sentient spirit residing within the weapon wanted to protest.

Unfortunately, before it could voice its complaints, the scythe had already been launched through the air and sent hurtling toward the approaching Spirit Core Formation expert.

The middle-aged man frowned slightly.

"Throwing away your weapon before the battle has even begun?" he said. "That is incredibly stupid."

The purple scythe sliced through the air with astonishing speed and appeared before him in the blink of an eye. Its curved blade descended toward his neck with enough force to split a mountain apart.

Yet the middle-aged man remained completely unfazed.

With nothing more than a casual sway of his body, he effortlessly avoided the attack. The blade passed harmlessly beside him, unable to leave even the faintest scratch on his skin.

His expression became even more disdainful.

"You should really think about your actions before making such reckless decisions, brat."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised a hand and tapped several points across his body.

A strange spiritual fluctuation spread outward.

The next moment, he opened his mouth and spat out a bronze-green bead.

The bead floated silently before him, radiating an eerie and sinister aura.

Carved upon its surface was the twisted face of a malicious spirit.

The face appeared alive and its eyes slowly opened.

Its lips stretched into a horrifying grin.

Grey pretended to be afraid, allowing his expression to turn visibly pale. However, despite the fear he displayed on the surface, his determination did not waver in the slightest.

Even when the scythe failed to inflict any damage on the middle-aged man, Grey did not flinch. There was no hesitation in his movements, nor was there any trace of panic in his eyes.

Instead, he immediately sent a command to the phantom lurking beside him.

The shadow that had remained attached beneath his feet suddenly detached itself and surged forward. In an instant, it transformed into a ferocious beast.

Its eyes glowed with a blood-red light, radiating a savage and malevolent aura. The creature’s twisted features, coupled with the foul corrosive substance that constantly dripped from its body, made it resemble an abomination that had crawled straight out of the deepest pits of hell.

Three tree-like horns protruded from its head. They curved unnaturally before piercing back into its own forehead, creating an eerie and grotesque appearance.

Heeding Grey’s command, the beast released a terrifying roar and launched itself toward the malicious spirit rushing through the air.

At the same time, the purple phantom moved as well.

The two spectral entities collided with the spirit from the bead, and a brutal battle erupted instantly.

Boom!

Violent shockwaves spread across the surroundings.

The malicious spirit unleashed streams of dark energy while the shadow beast retaliated with savage claws and corrosive mist. Meanwhile, the purple phantom darted around the battlefield like a streak of violet lightning, striking repeatedly with relentless force.

The clash was so fierce that the surrounding air trembled violently.

Grey had originally intended to join the battle himself.

However, the moment the thought crossed his mind, his instincts screamed in warning.

Without hesitation, his figure disappeared from where he stood and reappeared several meters away.

Yet even after teleporting, he immediately bent backward.

Swoosh!

The sound of air being sliced apart echoed softly.

As Grey leaned back, he felt an extremely sharp force pass by him with only a hair’s breadth to spare. The attack was so fast that he barely managed to react in time.

Several strands of his purple hair drifted through the air.

Shock flashed across Grey’s face.

If he had been even slightly slower, his head might have been severed from his shoulders.

Not daring to remain stationary, Grey performed several backward somersaults, rapidly widening the distance between himself and the unseen attacker.

Only after retreating did he stabilize himself and scan his surroundings.

High above in the air, the middle-aged man stared at him with an unusually serious expression.

The man’s gaze swept over Grey’s shadow beast before settling on the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird that had transformed into an emperor’s robe draped over Grey’s body.

His eyes narrowed.

A strange glint appeared within them.

Even more surprising, the countless mouths that had manifested across his body had all fallen silent.

The incessant whispers, laughter, and muttering that had filled the air moments ago vanished completely.

For the first time since their battle had begun, the middle-aged man seemed genuinely focused.

"Why do your arts feel so familiar to me...?"

His low voice carried through the battlefield.

There was confusion within it.

As well as suspicion.

Slowly, he stretched out a hand toward Grey.

The vast greyish-black fog churning behind him immediately responded.

It surged forward like a living creature.

The fog twisted and condensed before transforming into a foul-smelling gale that swept toward Grey with terrifying speed.

The very space it passed through seemed to darken.

The ground below withered and decayed merely from coming into contact with its aura.

Seeing the incoming fog, Grey’s heart sank.

The attack carried a level of danger far beyond the previous ones.

At that moment, he became certain of one thing.

His earlier display of abilities had successfully caught the middle-aged man’s attention.

No.

It had done far more than that.

The seriousness in the man’s eyes told Grey that his curiosity had been completely piqued.

And whenever a monster like this became interested in someone, it was rarely a good thing.

However, for this plan to succeed, Grey first had to capture the interest of this freakish powerhouse. Only then would he have a chance of surviving.

The moment he saw the greyish-black fog surging toward him like an endless sea of miasma and death, Grey immediately turned and fled without hesitation.

His objective had already been accomplished.

Now, the only thing left was to escape.

Without wasting a single second, Grey sent a silent command to both the shadow and the purple scythe, calling them back to his side. At the same time, he recalled the purple phantom. The Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird, which had been soaring through the sky in all its majestic glory, transformed back into a streak of violet flames before shooting directly into his body.

The instant the middle-aged man caught sight of the bird’s true form once more, his eyes narrowed.

A strange glint flickered deep within them.

"That bird..." he muttered under his breath. "Where have I seen that bird before?"

His gaze remained fixed on Grey as fragments of long-forgotten memories surfaced from the depths of his mind.

For a brief moment, he stood motionless.

Then, suddenly, his pupils constricted.

A legend.

A legend that had nearly vanished from the annals of history.

It spoke of a lost Emperor-level cultivation art that once belonged to the younger son of the Human Emperor himself. Countless generations had searched for traces of it, yet none had ever succeeded.

The symbol of that legendary inheritance was said to be an ancient divine beast capable of devouring souls and eternal spirits alike.

The middle-aged man’s breathing grew heavier. As well as the countless mouths all over his body.

Their voices suddenly returned in a cacophony of mutterings, ravings, and utter nonsense.

His eyes widened in disbelief as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"Soul Devourer!"

"That bird... it looks exactly like the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird!"