Void Cultivation

Chapter 340: Chapter 339- A scam!

On a magic ship several hundred kilometers away, a lone vessel swayed gently as it cut through the dark waters of the Dead Sea.

Sitting cross-legged upon the deck was a young girl dressed in flowing dark-blue robes. Her face was exceptionally beautiful, possessing soft and delicate features that could easily stir the hearts of many men.

Combined with her gentle and innocent appearance, she resembled a young flower slowly blooming amidst a sea of black snow.

The dark-blue robes she wore were the signature attire of cultivators belonging to the Second Sequence of Sky Mist City.

With her eyes closed, the young girl sat in a state of deep meditation, completely focused on absorbing the spirit energy drifting through the air.

Unlike many cultivators who preferred remaining within the safety of the sect, members of the Second Sequence often chose to cultivate upon the Dead Sea. Many of them enjoyed hunting sea creatures more than performing the various duties assigned within Sky Mist City.

This was also the reason for the young girl’s presence here.

Although she appeared youthful, she had already stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm and successfully opened ten spirit perforations. Such an achievement at her age was enough to place her among the more talented disciples of the Second Sequence.

What she was most renowned for, however, was her speed.

Her mastery over movement techniques was extraordinary, allowing her to travel at speeds far beyond most cultivators of the same realm. Because of this, her master cherished her greatly and had gifted her numerous treasures and cultivation resources to aid her progress.

Yet despite receiving such support, the young girl remained unsatisfied.

She wished to cultivate even faster.

In her eyes, true growth could not be achieved by relying solely on resources and secluded meditation. Real progress came through danger and battle.

By hunting powerful sea creatures, she could place herself under immense pressure. Such pressure would stimulate her spirit perforations, increasing the chances of opening new ones and accelerating her cultivation.

Thus, she had decided to venture into the Dead Sea.

Unfortunately, she had only left the sect yesterday.

The distance she had traveled was still relatively short, and the number of sea creatures she had encountered could be counted on one hand.

As a result, she planned to travel farther into the Dead Sea before beginning her hunt.

The young girl continued cultivating peacefully.

Spirit energy flowed through her meridians as the surrounding world gradually faded from her awareness.

Then suddenly—

A sharp sound of tearing air echoed across the sky.

Her eyes snapped open.

A streak of brilliant flame was racing across the heavens.

The blazing arc cut through the sky with unmatched elegance and supremacy, leaving a trail of fiery light in its wake.

For a brief moment, the young girl was stunned.

When she focused her gaze, she realized that the flaming arc was not a spell or a magical phenomenon.

It was a person.

A young man was soaring through the sky at an astonishing speed while three brilliantly burning balls of Spirit Fire revolved around his body.

The flames burned with overwhelming brilliance.

They moved gracefully around him like celestial stars orbiting a sun.

The moment her eyes lingered on them, a painful stinging sensation assaulted her vision, forcing her to look away.

Her stunned expression quickly transformed into shock.

"Three Spirit Fires..."

Her voice escaped as a whisper.

The young girl stared in disbelief.

The person flying through the sky was clearly a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Yet he had already manifested three Spirit Fires.

Three!

Within the Foundation Establishment Realm, reaching such a level was considered extremely close to the peak.

Only those who had manifested four Spirit Fires could confidently surpass him.

As she observed him more carefully, her shock deepened even further.

The person appeared to be a handsome young man with pale skin and Grey hair. And he was around her age.

Someone so young yet possessing such cultivation was incredibly rare.

No.

Rare wasn’t enough to describe it.

Such a person could only be called a genius among geniuses.

"Where is he going?"

"Why is he flying so fast?"

"Doesn’t he know that recklessly flying over the Dead Sea could attract extremely dangerous creatures?"

The questions surfaced in her mind almost immediately.

However, at that very moment, the young man also noticed her presence.

Their gazes met briefly across the vast distance.

The young girl instinctively became cautious.

Yet the reaction she expected never came.

Instead of surprise or apprehension, a look of delight appeared on the young man’s face.

Grey’s heart immediately filled with excitement.

With a single glance, he could tell that the girl had yet to manifest her first Spirit Fire. In terms of strength, she posed no threat whatsoever.

However, that wasn’t the reason for his happiness.

What truly excited him was the magic ship beneath her.

Its appearance confirmed several important things.

First, it meant that he had finally reached the vicinity of Sky Mist City.

Second, if there was a disciple from Sky Mist City here, then the sect itself could not be too far away.

And most importantly, he had finally found a way to slow down the middle-aged man’s relentless pursuit.

"Finally."

Grey’s lips curved into a faint smile as he stared at the distant magic ship.

"I have the means to distract this man before I reach the sect."

His grey eyes flickered with thought.

"He must have already figured out my intentions by now. If he realizes that Sky Mist City is my destination, he’ll undoubtedly try to stop me before I get there."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Grey adjusted his trajectory and dove toward the magic ship below.

Boom!

The air exploded around him.

His body became a streak of flame that tore through the heavens with terrifying speed. Sonic booms echoed repeatedly behind him as he crossed thousands of meters in the span of a few breaths.

The distance between him and the ship rapidly shrank.

Ten thousand meters.

Five thousand.

One thousand.

Then...

He arrived.

Only a second ago, he had been a distant figure in the sky.

Now, he stood directly before the magic ship.

The abrupt transition left the young girl stunned.

Her pupils contracted violently.

Fast.

Far too fast.

The speed she had always taken pride in was completely insignificant compared to what she had just witnessed.

For a brief moment, panic threatened to overwhelm her.

However, she quickly suppressed it.

She had chosen to venture into the Dead Sea despite knowing its dangers. Before leaving the sect, she had mentally prepared herself for countless unexpected situations.

Without hesitation, she activated the defensive formations embedded within the ship.

Buzz!

A pale-blue barrier immediately emerged.

Streams of spirit energy surged through the runic formations carved into the vessel as a translucent shield expanded outward, covering the entire ship.

Yet before the barrier could fully stabilize, Grey moved.

Or rather, he seemed to disappear.

The young girl’s eyes widened. One moment he was outside.

The next moment, he was standing inside the barrier.

It was as though the protective formation had never existed.

His expression remained calm and indifferent.

His grey eyes were devoid of emotion as they swept across the ship.

"W-What?!"

The young girl instinctively retreated several steps.

"Damn it! Who are you?"

"Get off my ship!"

Fear rose within her heart, but she refused to let it show on her face.

Instead, spirit power surged through her meridians.

Cold air spread outward.

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

Frost rapidly formed around her arms as a chilling aura engulfed the surrounding area.

With a swift movement, a pale-blue spear condensed in her hand.

The ice spear was beautifully crafted and razor-sharp.

The moment it fully formed, she hurled it at Grey with all her strength.

At the same time, she charged forward.

Her other hand moved toward a protective talisman hanging from her waist.

The talisman had been personally given to her by her master before she departed from the sect.

As long as she crushed it, her master would immediately be alerted and she would be teleported away from here. However, her destination would be random not be too far away from here.

Everything happened almost simultaneously.

The spear flew forward.

The young girl rushed ahead.

Her fingers tightened around the talisman.

To an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, her reactions would have appeared swift and decisive.

Unfortunately... her opponent was Grey.

To Grey, every single movement looked unbearably slow.

His seventy-plus spirit perforations granted him perception and physical capabilities that far surpassed cultivators of the same realm.

Furthermore, he possessed three Spirit Fires instead of two or one. Or none.

The difference between them was simply too great.

He took a small step forward.

The distance separating them instantly vanished.

Then his body tilted slightly.

Whoosh!

The spear of ice flew past him, brushing against the edge of his robe before continuing harmlessly into the distance.

Before the young girl could react, Grey’s hand moved.

His motion was so fast that she couldn’t even see it clearly.

One moment the talisman was in her grasp.

The next, it was gone.

Grey calmly held it between two fingers.

The young girl’s entire body froze.

Her charge came to an abrupt halt.

"W-What..."

Disbelief filled her voice. Her strongest reaction speed.

Her quickest attack. Her emergency talisman.

Everything had been neutralized in less than a second.

And throughout the entire exchange, Grey’s expression hadn’t changed even once.

He looked as relaxed as someone taking a casual stroll.

The young girl felt a chill run down her spine.

’Is this...’

Her breathing became uneven.

’Is this the power of someone with three Spirit Fires?’

She knew there was a gap between them.

But she had never imagined the difference would be this absurd.

She felt like a child facing a seasoned cultivator.

There was no room to resist.

No room to fight back.

No room to escape.

Even so, she forced herself to remain calm.

Her muscles tightened as she prepared for Grey’s next move.

If he attacked, she would still resist.

However, what happened next completely exceeded her expectations.

Grey didn’t strike her.

Instead, he stepped forward.

The distance between them disappeared instantly.

The young girl’s eyes widened.

Only then did she realize that the three blazing Spirit Fires surrounding Grey had vanished.

His Special Brilliance form had been deactivated.

Before she could understand why, Grey reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

"W-What?!"

Her entire body stiffened.

Her mind instantly went blank.

She could feel his arm around her waist.

Feel his breath near her neck.

Feel the overwhelming aura emanating from his body.

The young girl was completely dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Grey’s expression remained calm.

He leaned closer and whispered softly into her ear.

At that exact moment...

Boom!

The sky exploded.

Space itself twisted and distorted.

A terrifying pressure descended upon the surrounding area.

The sea below churned violently as massive waves rose into the air.

Then a furious roar echoed across the heavens.

"Where the fuck are you, you lowly dog?!"

The voice carried boundless rage.

A blur shot across the sky at terrifying speed.

The middle-aged man had finally arrived.