Void Cultivation

Chapter 368: Chapter 367- Provocation (2)

After Juan Ren left, no one came to challenge the Detective Agency Department again.

It was not because the department’s members had displayed overwhelming strength.

Rather, it was because of the complete lack of attention the challengers received.

Instead of reacting with shock, anger, or even curiosity, every detective had simply looked at them with cold, unreadable expressions before returning to their duties as though they had never been there.

To the challengers, it was an indescribably frustrating experience.

One could tolerate defeat.

One could even tolerate humiliation.

But being completely ignored...

That was another matter entirely.

Soon, word of the Detective Agency Department’s attitude spread among the disciples of the Sect Alliance.

Surprisingly, it was not an isolated incident.

Several Detective Agency branches throughout Sky Mist City had behaved in exactly the same manner.

Regardless of which branch a challenger visited, they were met with the same blank expressions, the same silent gazes, and the same complete indifference.

It was almost as though every detective in the city had received a single order.

Do not engage with the challengers from the Sect Alliance.

As a result, the challengers gradually lost interest in provoking the Detective Agency altogether.

...

Time slowly flowed onward.

Before anyone realized it, an entire week had passed since the Sect Alliance’s fleet had arrived above Sky Mist City.

On that very day, Grey slowly opened his eyes for the first time since entering closed-door cultivation.

Although only two weeks had passed in the outside world, Grey had immersed himself so completely in searching for hidden spirit perforations and breaking them open that he had completely lost track of time.

Inside cultivation, every day had blended into the next.

His entire focus had revolved around sensing his body, circulating spiritual energy, and searching for the faintest imperfections hidden within his meridians.

By the time he finally emerged from his cultivation, two weeks had already slipped by unnoticed.

Grey let out a long breath before stretching his slightly stiff body.

Only then did he remember something.

"My ship..."

He had almost forgotten that it was finally time to retrieve his magic ship from Bao.

Several days ago, Bao had already informed him of the final price required to upgrade the vessel.

The amount had reached several thousand spirit stones.

Such a figure would have made Grey hesitate in the past.

However, after obtaining an enormous amount of spirit stones from Violet after their last trip, he no longer needed to worry about money for the time being.

His current wealth was sufficient not only to pay for the upgraded ship but also to purchase cultivation resources, rare poisons, precious herbs, and even powerful techniques sold throughout Sky Mist City.

For once...

Spirit stones were no longer his greatest concern.

Before leaving his room, Grey picked up his jade slip and infused a trace of spiritual energy into it.

Immediately, numerous notifications appeared.

Several messages had come from Ange.

Others were from Bao.

Violet had also attempted to contact him multiple times.

Apart from them, there were several unfamiliar identities that Grey did not recognize in the slightest.

He simply ignored those.

His gaze eventually stopped on Bao’s most recent message.

It had been sent only yesterday.

The contents were simple.

"The modifications are complete. Your magic ship is ready for collection."

Seeing those words, Grey nodded to himself. He could almost hear the fatigue and relief in Bao’s voice.

"Earlier than expected..."

It seemed Bao had completed the work ahead of schedule.

Putting away the jade slip, Grey silently reflected on the results of his recent cultivation.

A moment later, he couldn’t help but sigh.

"The spirit perforations are becoming increasingly difficult to find..."

The deeper he progressed into the Foundation Establishment Realm, the more hidden and stubborn each remaining perforation became.

Even locating one demanded an enormous amount of concentration.

Breaking it open afterward required even greater effort.

During the past two weeks of uninterrupted cultivation, he had only managed to open five additional spirit perforations.

His total had now reached eighty-three.

Objectively speaking, that number was already astonishing.

He was only seventeen perforations away from reaching one hundred.

Yet Grey felt no satisfaction whatsoever.

Instead, a faint sense of urgency lingered in his heart.

His thoughts instinctively drifted toward Violet.

She already possessed four Spirit Fire spheres and stood only a short distance away from entering the Spirit Core Formation Realm.

Comparing himself to her, Grey couldn’t help but feel as though he was gradually falling behind.

Every additional spirit perforation now demanded significantly more time than the last.

At this rate...

How long would it take him to ignite his third Spirit Fire?

The thought made him frown.

However, if anyone else learned of Grey’s cultivation speed, they would undoubtedly think he had gone mad for feeling dissatisfied.

To ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, his progress was nothing short of monstrous.

What had taken Grey only a few months would normally require others several years of painstaking cultivation.

Some cultivators spent decades painstakingly searching for spirit perforations, only to remain trapped in the Foundation Establishment Realm for the rest of their lives.

Many never even reached one hundred spirit perforations before exhausting their lifespan or giving up entirely.

Compared to them, Grey’s progress was almost unbelievable.

Unfortunately...

Grey himself had no frame of reference.

The only people he constantly compared himself to were monsters like Violet and the Heaven’s Chosen from the Sect Alliance.

Against such individuals, his own achievements seemed ordinary.

"If this continues..."

Grey slowly clenched his fist.

"It’ll probably take me at least another year just to officially condense my third Spirit Fire."

That estimate assumed the remaining perforations did not become even harder to locate.

Knowing his luck...

Grey doubted it would be that simple.

Even so, there was little he could do about it.

Cultivation had never been something that could be rushed. Since the day he had stepped onto this path, Grey had understood that persistence was just as important as talent.

If one step was all he could take today, then he would simply take another tomorrow.