Void Cultivation

Chapter 370: Chapter 369- Provocation (4)

After observing himself carefully and confirming that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, Grey quietly left his office before making his way out of the Detective Agency headquarters.

If he wished, no one below his level of cultivation would be capable of sensing his presence. His aura could be concealed so thoroughly that he might as well have become a passing breeze. As a result, not a single person noticed Grey leaving the Detective Agency.

Likewise, no one paid any attention to the office door opening and closing behind him. To everyone present, it was nothing more than an ordinary occurrence that hardly deserved a second glance.

Stepping outside, Grey paused for a brief moment before turning back to peer through the entrance.

Inside, the members of the Detective Agency continued carrying out their duties as though nothing had happened. Some hurried from one room to another with stacks of documents in their hands, while others discussed ongoing investigations or sorted through reports gathered from every corner of Sky Mist City.

The atmosphere remained as lively and busy as ever.

Not a single one of them realized that their Vice-Captain had already left the building without anyone noticing.

However, Grey could hardly blame them.

The majority of those currently stationed inside the headquarters were merely cultivators in the Qi Accumulation Realm. As for the Foundation Establishment cultivators, almost all of them preferred to patrol their own assigned districts or guard different areas of the city against criminal activity.

Because of that, only a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators remained inside the headquarters at this time of day.

Even so, Grey felt no concern for the Detective Agency’s safety.

The first reason was because every single member of the Detective Agency, regardless of whether they were weak or strong, possessed extraordinary courage and unwavering resolve.

None of them were cowards.

Even the weakest cultivator among them was prepared to risk their life if it meant accomplishing their mission or protecting the innocent and delivering justice with the law.

And when they had to protect themselves, they were even more a menace. They had all experienced countless battles, and each person had learned to fight desperately when cornered.

As for the stronger cultivators, they possessed even more hidden techniques and methods that could turn the tide of battle when used at the right moment.

Secondly, Grey had gradually realized that nearly everyone who had survived for a long time within the Detective Agency carried several hidden trump cards.

These life-saving methods were never displayed casually.

Instead, they remained hidden until the very moment one’s life hung by a thread.

Only then would such trump cards reveal themselves.

Grey understood this better than anyone because he had once been exactly like them.

Back when he had only been in the Qi Accumulation Realm after first joining the Detective Agency, he had been incredibly cautious.

He constantly observed his surroundings, remained vigilant of every unfamiliar face, and rarely allowed himself to lower his guard.

It was precisely that level of caution and awareness that had kept him alive during his earliest days in Sky Mist City.

However, as time passed and he encountered increasingly cunning, ruthless, and experienced opponents, Grey slowly discovered another truth.

Someone who openly displayed excessive caution often became an easier target.

To a seasoned and well prepared enemy, visible nervousness suggested weakness.

Such opponents would attack without hesitation.

On the other hand, someone who appeared completely relaxed, walked leisurely through the streets, and carried themselves without fear often caused others to hesitate.

An enemy might wonder whether that person possessed an unknown trump card or whether they were simply far stronger than they appeared.

That single moment of hesitation could determine the outcome of an entire battle.

Although Grey had no concrete proof that this line of thinking was always correct, he suspected it had unknowingly saved his life on several occasions throughout the years.

Only now did he begin noticing patterns that had previously escaped his attention.

After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, it felt as though his eyes had opened to a much broader view of the world.

Many things that once appeared vague or coincidental had gradually become clearer.

The more he observed, the more he realized that countless invisible factors influenced every battle and every decision.

Perhaps, when he reached an even higher realm of cultivation, his understanding of the world would once again broaden far beyond what it was now.

Perhaps what he currently believed to be the complete truth was merely another small piece of a much larger picture.

With those thoughts lingering in his mind, Grey turned around and slowly walked away.

Behind him, the entrance to the Detective Agency gradually swung shut.

To everyone else, his departure had gone completely unnoticed.

Yet hidden within the shadows of a distant corner stood a solitary figure huddled in darkness.

This individual had remained perfectly still from beginning to end, almost as though Grey’s presence was both a shock to their system, and a source of their fear.

The instant they witnessed Grey leaving the building, their entire body trembled ever so slightly.

---

Grey walked down the lively streets of Sky Mist City with both hands tucked into his pockets. Several strands of his grey hair fluttered across his face as the gentle breeze drifted through the streets. He casually brushed them aside before continuing forward with calm, unhurried steps.

The bustling streets were filled with ordinary people and low-level cultivators going about their daily lives. Merchants loudly advertised their goods while customers bargained without restraint. Carriages rolled across the stone roads, and children could occasionally be seen chasing one another through the crowd.

It appeared that everyone had already forgotten about the arrival of the Sects Alliance.

After discovering that the visiting geniuses from the various sects had only come to challenge and intimidate Foundation Establishment cultivators, the ordinary citizens and weaker cultivators quickly realized that the matter had nothing to do with them.

Their lives still had to continue.

If they remained hidden in fear every day simply because the Sects Alliance had arrived, they would never earn enough to survive.

Especially since Sky Mist City’s laws required every resident to pay a daily living fee just to remain within the city.

If they neglected their businesses or jobs, where would they obtain the money to pay those daily fees?

Life, after all, would not stop simply because powerful cultivators had decided to settle their disputes.

As Grey walked along the sidewalk, none of the ordinary people or low-level cultivators noticed his existence.

Yet, whenever someone unknowingly walked toward him and was about to bump into him, they would subconsciously step aside or unexpectedly pause for a brief moment, naturally creating a path for him to pass through.

Everything happened instinctively.

None of them realized they had moved out of the way.

Even if someone did happen to notice the strange occurrence, Grey would have already disappeared into the bustling crowd long before they could give it another thought.

Nearly ten minutes later, Grey arrived at the Transport Warehouse where Bao usually worked.

After entering the warehouse, he instinctively made his way toward the rear, where he had last spoken with Bao.

However, the scene that greeted him was rather peculiar.

Violet was comfortably sitting atop a large wooden barrel while casually swinging one of her legs. An apple rested in one hand while the other enthusiastically pointed toward a nearby magic ship.

She appeared to be explaining something with great excitement.

Standing beside her, Bao stared at the magic ship with equally bright eyes.

His expression became more animated the longer Violet spoke, and by the time she finished explaining, he enthusiastically clapped both hands together.

Grey had no idea what Violet had told him to make him so excited.

However, as he approached, he finally overheard Bao speaking with obvious enthusiasm.

"You’re right! You’re absolutely right!" Bao exclaimed excitedly.

"You’re a genius! Simply adding another Divinity Core into the Spirit Arrays can give the magic ship an actual sense of divinity. It’ll feel incomparably more real, and the entire structure will become far more immersive..."

His voice suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

Only then did he notice Grey approaching.

His eyes immediately lit up.

"Grey!"

He waved energetically before repeatedly beckoning for him to come over faster.

Curious about what the two had been discussing, Grey lengthened his stride and arrived before them in only a few steps.

"Grey!" Bao said once again, unable to suppress the excitement in his voice.

"I have excellent news! With Violet’s idea, I can improve your magic ship even further!"

His eyes sparkled with an almost fanatical light, causing Grey to remain silent for a brief moment.

He slowly turned toward Violet.

"What exactly did you tell him?" he asked in a calm, low voice.

Upon hearing Grey’s question, Violet immediately wore an exaggerated expression of grievance.

She dramatically clutched her chest with one hand as though she had just suffered a devastating emotional blow.

Even so, she leisurely continued chewing the apple in her mouth before swallowing.

"I merely gave him a groundbreaking idea that could completely change magic ships as a whole," she replied sweetly.

Then she smiled before turning toward Bao.

"And, of course... if the idea sells, we’ll make lots and lots of money."

Bao nodded vigorously in complete agreement.

"Exactly!"

Any trace of exhaustion that should have remained on his face had completely vanished.

It was as though Violet’s proposal had filled him with endless motivation.

At that moment, he looked ready to begin working immediately.

The only thing stopping him was Grey’s approval.

Grey raised an eyebrow before shifting his gaze back toward Violet.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

His voice was neither cold nor particularly gentle.

It was simply indifferent.

Violet looked even more aggrieved.

She placed a hand over her heart once more before speaking in an overly dramatic tone.

"Can’t a lady come to collect her magic ship anymore?"

She paused before narrowing her eyes slightly at Grey.

"Or..." she continued with a teasing smile,

"...should I ask for your permission first?"