Void Cultivation

Chapter 346: Chapter 345- Return from the dead sea (3)

Violet looked at Grey with a somewhat doubtful expression. However, after observing him for a few moments and seeing that his expression did not change even once, she ultimately chose to believe him.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she let out a soft sigh and began to explain.

"The threads you saw stretching out from the world and leading toward the sky were most likely the fates of all living creatures converging upward. As for the intense corruption you witnessed, that should be the corrosive substance left behind by God’s Hand as it slowly infiltrates everything around it."

She paused for a moment, as though carefully organizing her thoughts.

"As for the entire world appearing black, that is actually an accurate representation of how the world looks through the eyes of fate. Fate itself is colorless. It lacks vitality, warmth, and liveliness. Everything is reduced to its most fundamental state."

Her gaze drifted toward the horizon.

"But those countless threads all leading into the sky can only mean one thing..." A faint smile appeared on her face. "The fates of every living creature in this world are connected to a single existence above."

Grey immediately understood what she was implying.

The only existence in the sky capable of fitting such a description was God’s Hand.

Ever since its descent, the lives of all living beings had been irreversibly altered. Countless destinies had changed because of its arrival. Therefore, it was not entirely inaccurate to say that it was the source from which all their fates ultimately converged.

Grey had arrived at a similar conclusion himself and silently approved of her reasoning. Even though he had not told her where the threads led, nor mentioned that he had actually seen God’s Hand, she had still managed to deduce the answer on her own.

However, Violet was not finished.

She took another bite of the apple before turning to look directly at Grey.

"You should be grateful that you only looked at the world for a single second," she said. "Had you continued staring for even a little longer, you might have attracted the attention of some gods, or perhaps even God Himself. Heck, you could have become a vessel for one of them to possess right this moment."

A faint smile remained on her face, but it did not quite reach her eyes.

"However, even if you did look directly at some gods or some other existence you weren’t meant to perceive, you wouldn’t have died immediately."

"Hmm? Why is that?" Grey asked, raising an eyebrow.

Violet chuckled softly. Pulling her leg down, she casually devoured the remainder of the apple until only the core remained in her hand.

"You are not the true owner of the Eye of Fate yet," she explained. "Moreover, you’re nowhere near the level of Soul Ascendancy. Naturally, there are layers of protection and screening built into the Eye itself. Those safeguards prevent you from witnessing the true horrors of this world."

The moment she said those words, something clicked in Grey’s mind.

’She’s right.’

If he had truly seen the world as it really was, there was no way he would still be standing here unharmed.

Furthermore, he had witnessed the true form of God’s Hand and had escaped with nothing more than a nosebleed. Such a result was absurd when compared to the magnitude of what he had observed.

The level of protection provided by the Eye of Fate must be extraordinarily powerful.

Yet even then...

Something still felt wrong.

’I escaped far too easily for what should have been certain death,’ Grey thought.

The more he reflected on it, the stranger it seemed.

There had to be something else involved... some unknown factor that had protected him at the crucial moment.

Unfortunately, he had no idea what that factor was.

As for Violet, he doubted she would know the answer either.

Therefore, he kept those thoughts to himself and allowed the matter to remain buried within his heart.

Several seconds passed in silence between them.

Neither of them spoke. The only sounds that could be heard were the distant crashing of waves and the occasional whistle of the wind. Although they were inside, these sounds were heard clearly by the two of them.

As the silence stretched on, the atmosphere gradually became somewhat awkward.

Violet was the first to break.

Clearing her throat, she casually reached into her storage bag and pulled out another fruit. It was bright red and slightly larger than the previous apples she had been eating.

However, unlike before, she did not offer one to Grey.

Instead, she immediately took a bite herself.

Grey naturally noticed this, but pretended not to. He simply sat where he was and maintained his silence as though nothing had happened.

The two continued sitting quietly.

Only after Violet had taken several bites did Grey finally move.

Reaching into his own storage bag, he retrieved a small metallic box.

The box was unremarkable on the outside, but both of them knew what was sealed within.

It was the Eye of Fate.

The very treasure that had nearly cost them their lives.

"Oh?"

Violet’s eyes immediately landed on the box.

"What’s that? Is it something edible?" she asked curiously.

Grey opened his mouth, intending to explain.

However, before he could say a word, realization flashed across Violet’s face.

"Oh. The Eye of Fate."

Grey nodded.

The reason he had taken it out was simple.

The mission was over.

The Eye of Fate was a treasure meant for those who had reached the Soul Ascendancy Realm, a realm that Grey was nowhere near touching.

At his current level, the item was little more than a disaster waiting to happen.

He could not use it, he could not openly display it. And he certainly could not sell it.

If news spread that he possessed such a treasure, countless experts would hunt him down without hesitation.

Rather than keeping such a dangerous object, Grey felt it would be better to hand it over to Violet.

Perhaps she could make use of it.

Or perhaps she would know someone capable of doing so. And if she didn’t - with her self-destructive tendencies, she would bring harm to herself rather than Grey.

Either way, it seemed far more valuable in her hands than in his.

Yet Violet merely glanced at the box before waving her hand dismissively.

"Huh? Why are you giving that to me?" she asked.

She took another bite of her fruit.

"Do I look like someone with the potential to reach the Soul Ascendancy Realm?"

Grey stared at her. Violet pointed at the box.

"Take it away. I already have something better."

Grey froze and for a brief moment, he wondered if he had misheard her.

Something better?

The Eye of Fate was one of the rarest treasures in existence.

Forget ordinary cultivators.

Even peak experts standing at the summit of the cultivation world would be willing to wage bloody wars over an item like this.

If news of its existence spread throughout the continent, countless factions would descend upon this region overnight.

Entire kingdoms might collapse from the ensuing conflict.

Yet Violet had just rejected it as though it were some worthless trinket.

"I’ve already got something better than a stinky old eye," she continued casually.

"Besides, the fact that you can use it means it was destined to belong to you. Fate chose you, not me."

A mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"So keep it."

Grey’s expression became increasingly strange.

There were only two possibilities.

Either Violet had completely lost her mind...

Or she possessed something so valuable that even the Eye of Fate seemed insignificant by comparison.

Unfortunately, Grey had no way of determining which answer was correct.

After staring at her for a few moments, he quietly returned the metal box to his storage bag.

Since she did not want it, he would keep it.

At the very least, he could consider it additional compensation for the nightmare they had just survived.

Seeing him put the box away, a satisfied smile appeared on Violet’s face.

It was the smile of someone whose scheme had succeeded.

Then she casually spoke.

"Since you’ve received your full commission, I guess that means you’ll be joining me on the next mission too."

Grey’s body immediately stiffened.

His expression nearly cracked.

For a brief moment, terrifying memories flashed through his mind.

The red world. The giant’s head.

The Eye of Fate.

The giant headless corpse.

The endless corruption, nearly dying multiple times. And the multitude of entities he had encountered in that place.

Yet despite all those thoughts, Grey’s face remained perfectly calm.

After a short pause, he slowly nodded.

"I see."

Violet’s smile widened.

She appeared extremely pleased with his response.

Meanwhile, Grey silently made a decision in his heart.

’If she ever comes looking for me again...’

His gaze seemingly drifted toward the distant horizon.

’I’m running.’

Heavens knew that if Violet invited him on another mission, he would disappear so quickly that even his shadow would struggle to keep up.

One mission with her had already been enough to shorten his lifespan by several years.

There was absolutely no way he would willingly experience a second one.