Void Cultivation

Chapter 362: Chapter 361- Humiliation

Grey quietly reasoned through all of this as he sat alone in his office. Although his eyes remained closed, his divine sense had already spread throughout the surrounding area, allowing him to perceive his environment with remarkable clarity.

It had only been four days since the seventeen colossal magic vessels descended upon Sky Mist City. Yet, in that short span of time, the number of incidents that had erupted across the city had already exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Almost every single day, another young genius from the Sect Alliance would step forward to issue a challenge to the various Sequences of the Sky Mist Sect, hoping to prove their strength and reputation before the gathered cultivators. Meanwhile, the sect elders, peak experts, and mysterious ancestors who had accompanied them remained within Sky Mist Mountain, seemingly unconcerned with the commotion taking place below.

For a brief period after their arrival, the city’s crime rate had dropped dramatically. However, that peace proved to be short-lived.

Before long, criminal activity surged to an unprecedented level.

As a result, reports flooded into the Detective Agency almost every hour. Theft, assaults, disputes between cultivators, and even murders became increasingly common as countless outsiders filled the city.

The cold and baleful members of the Detective Agency maintained their usual indifferent expressions as they accepted one mission after another, swiftly leaving to suppress the disturbances occurring throughout Sky Mist City.

Occasionally, particularly severe cases involving Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators would arise. Whenever that happened, the agency members would immediately request their Vice Captain’s assistance to help subdue the criminals.

Yet, before Grey could even leave his office, he would inevitably discover that the situation had already been resolved.

The one who handled every single one of those dangerous incidents was none other than the captain herself—Violet.

Grey couldn’t help but find the entire situation rather suspicious. Despite being the captain, Violet seemed to appear at every critical scene with almost unnatural speed, as though she had known about each incident before anyone else.

Still, Grey chose not to voice his suspicions.

Instead, he silently observed, allowing the situation to unfold naturally while keeping his thoughts to himself.

Just as Grey was deep in thought, a cold, domineering male voice suddenly echoed across the heavens, reverberating through every corner of Sky Mist City.

"I, Vance Eher of the Summit Sand Sect, have come to challenge the various Sequences of the Sky Mist Sect!"

"The Sequences I wish to challenge are Sequences One, Six, and Nine. Of course, anyone from the other Sequences is also welcome to take part in my challenge. I, Vance Eher of the Summit Sand Sect, will gladly accept all challengers!"

The cold, domineering voice echoed throughout the heavens, overflowing with arrogance and absolute confidence.

It was as though the voice carried an invisible force with it. Every cultivator within Sky Mist City heard those words as clearly as if the speaker were standing right beside them.

At the same moment, countless disciples belonging to the various Sequences couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

This scene had already repeated itself every day for the past four days.

At first, one disciple from each of the seventeen sects would step forward and openly issue a challenge to the disciples of the Sky Mist Sect. Their voices would reverberate across the city, ensuring that everyone heard every single word.

To make the challenge even more enticing, they would publicly announce that anyone capable of defeating them in a friendly spar would receive valuable cultivation resources and treasures as a reward.

Initially, however, not a single disciple stepped forward.

After all, their opponents all hailed from the prestigious Sect Alliance. Every one of them was an outstanding genius carefully nurtured by a powerful sect.

Even the weakest among them possessed a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation with at least three radiant Balls of Spirit Fire.

Although three Balls of Spirit Fire might not sound particularly impressive to outsiders, the reality within Sky Mist City was entirely different.

The vast majority of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the city had only ignited one or two Balls of Spirit Fire. As for those who had successfully condensed three, they were already considered exceptionally talented.

Many cultivators had not even ignited a single Ball of Spirit Fire despite entering the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Under such circumstances, who would willingly accept a challenge they were almost guaranteed to lose?

Furthermore, the so-called rewards offered by the disciples of the Sect Alliance were far from extraordinary. They consisted mostly of ordinary cultivation resources that could be purchased in almost any major marketplace.

That alone discouraged even more people from participating.

Yet the disciples from the seventeen sects seemed completely unconcerned by whether their rewards were attractive or not.

Every day, they continued issuing challenge after challenge with expressions full of confidence, as though they had already determined that no one in Sky Mist City was worthy of facing them.

When several days passed without a single person responding, their arrogance only continued to grow.

Eventually, they stopped waiting for challengers altogether.

Instead, they actively sought out cultivators to provoke.

Some openly mocked Foundation Establishment cultivators in the streets, while others deliberately humiliated Qi Accumulation cultivators who were far weaker than themselves. A few even went so far as to harass ordinary mortals simply because they found amusement in watching them panic.

Their actions gradually became more excessive with each passing day.

For the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Sky Mist City, such blatant humiliation became increasingly difficult to endure.

Eventually, someone stepped forward.

The first person to accept a challenge was not a famous elder, nor a disciple from one of the Sequences.

Instead, it was an ordinary middle-aged shop owner who specialized in selling magic artifacts.

His cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, and he had ignited two Balls of Spirit Fire.

Within Sky Mist City, such cultivation was already enough to command respect. Even among the younger generation, many looked up to him with admiration.

Unfortunately...

His opponent belonged to an entirely different world.

She had opened well over one hundred Spirit Perforations and possessed four radiant Balls of Spirit Fire blazing within her dantian.

Compared to her, the middle-aged man’s cultivation seemed insignificant.

The challenger was a young woman with an elegant figure and delicate, beautiful features. However, the coldness within her eyes completely overshadowed her appearance.

She looked upon everyone around her with naked contempt.

The moment the middle-aged man agreed to fight, she merely raised her chin slightly before letting out a mocking snort, as though accepting his challenge was beneath her dignity.

Seeing her expression, the shop owner could only smile bitterly.

During the past several days, she had repeatedly appeared outside his shop.

Every time customers approached his entrance, she would deliberately stop them, mock them, or provoke them into accepting her challenge.

It made no difference whether they possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation or were merely Qi Accumulation cultivators.

As long as they attempted to enter his shop, she would harass them without restraint.

Many customers had already complained to him.

Some even warned that if the harassment continued, they would simply stop visiting his store altogether.

The middle-aged man naturally understood her intentions.

She was not interested in his customers.

From the very beginning, her true target had been him.

She wanted to force him into accepting her challenge.

If he continued refusing, she would simply remain outside his shop indefinitely, driving away every customer who wished to do business with him.

Sooner or later, his business would collapse.

Left with no alternative, the middle-aged man slowly pushed open the wooden doors of his shop and walked outside.

The young woman didn’t even spare him a glance.

She simply stood there with her hands behind her back, as though he did not exist.

The middle-aged man coughed lightly before speaking in the most respectful tone he could manage.

"Young lady, could you please stop disturbing my customers? If you wish to challenge someone, there are many other places you can go."

Despite being decades older than her, his posture remained humble.

However, the young woman continued staring into the distance, completely ignoring him.

Not even a flicker of acknowledgment appeared in her eyes.

Seeing that words alone would accomplish nothing, the middle-aged man sighed helplessly.

"If I accept your challenge," he asked calmly, "will you finally stop harassing my customers?"

Only then did the young woman slowly turn her gaze toward him.

Her expression remained as cold as ever.

"I couldn’t care less about your shop," she replied indifferently. "Nor do I care whether my actions affect your business."

Her voice was icy and emotionless, causing the surrounding temperature to seem as though it had dropped several degrees.

Hearing her response, the middle-aged man merely shook his head with another helpless sigh.

"In that case..."

He stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and looked directly into her eyes.

"I accept your challenge, young lady."