Void Cultivation

Chapter 382: Chapter 381- Strange things

The deeper they ventured underground, the colder the surrounding air became. The faint light filtering in from the trapdoor above gradually disappeared until darkness swallowed everything behind them. Only the echo of their footsteps reverberated through the massive underground passage as they advanced cautiously into the unknown, uncertain of what awaited them in the darkness ahead.

Although the tunnel was dark, damp, and filled with the earthy scent of moisture, it was surprisingly spacious. It was wide enough for two or even three people to walk side by side comfortably, with enough room left to move freely. After informing the other Captains of their discovery, Grey and Violet wasted no time. The two of them moved through the underground passage like silent phantoms, their footsteps producing almost no sound as they rapidly traversed the long tunnel.

Although the passage stretched for what seemed like a considerable distance, the journey took them less than three minutes. Their speed was naturally beyond that of ordinary cultivators. However, the moment they reached the other end of the tunnel, both of them instinctively slowed to a stop.

The scene before them was completely different from what they had expected.

Instead of emerging into a vast underground chamber or another hidden cellar, they found themselves outside the city walls, standing near the harbor and the bustling port district.

To be more precise, they had arrived at Port 33.

Grey and Violet exchanged surprised glances.

Neither of them had expected the tunnel to extend this far beneath Sky Mist City. Even more astonishing was the fact that it connected one of the busiest districts in the city directly to the harbor.

However, the surprises did not end there.

The ground outside the tunnel entrance was soaked with moisture from the nearby sea, leaving patches of wet mud scattered across the area. Imprinted clearly upon the muddy ground were several fresh footprints.

The owner of those footprints had evidently been in a hurry. Perhaps they had been too focused on escaping to bother concealing the trail they left behind.

Grey crouched slightly and examined the footprints for a brief moment before exchanging another glance with Violet.

Both of them immediately arrived at the same conclusion.

"A secret tunnel leading from the market district all the way to Port 33’s harbor..." Violet muttered with a faint smile. "Now that’s interesting."

Grey looked at her with slight confusion. He did not immediately understand what she was implying, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that this discovery was far more significant than it initially appeared.

The clues they had gathered had first led them to the abandoned tavern. Hidden beneath that seemingly ordinary building was a concealed cellar, and beneath the cellar was this underground tunnel. Now the tunnel had brought them outside the market district and directly into Port 33.

None of it could possibly be a coincidence.

Someone had deliberately constructed this hidden passage.

Whether it had existed for decades or had been built recently, Grey could not tell. However, one thing was certain.

It was the perfect route for smugglers, murderers, and fugitives.

Anyone using this tunnel could quietly leave the market district, avoid the city guards entirely, and disappear through the harbor before anyone realized they were gone.

Perhaps even the upper echelon of Sky Mist City had no knowledge of its existence.

If that was truly the case, then whoever controlled this passage possessed both remarkable influence and meticulous planning.

"Want to know what else is strange?" Violet suddenly asked, a mysterious smile appearing on her face as she turned toward Grey.

Having already learned that Violet rarely asked pointless questions, Grey allowed his curiosity to show.

"What is it?" he asked.

Seeing his reaction, Violet’s smile widened even further.

"Port 33 and its harbor fall under the influence of one of the Seventeen Sects within the Sect Alliance."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"The Underworld Nether Sect."

Grey’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He naturally knew of the Underworld Nether Sect.

Among the Seventeen Sects, they possessed one of the darkest reputations.

Rumors claimed that their cultivation techniques required fresh human corpses to accelerate one’s cultivation speed. Others claimed they used living sacrifices, fresh blood, and countless souls to nourish their sinister cultivation arts.

No one knew how much of those stories was true.

However, one fact remained undeniable.

The Underworld Nether Sect cultivated methods that countless righteous cultivators considered cruel, bizarre, and inhumane.

Grey himself knew very little about them. The sect rarely interacted with outsiders and preferred to isolate themselves from the rest of the cultivation world. Their members seldom appeared in public, and whenever they did, they concealed both their identities and intentions.

An air of mystery constantly surrounded the entire sect.

Grey slowly looked back toward the tunnel entrance.

The missing civilians...

The hidden underground passage...

The route leading directly into Port 33...

And now, the Underworld Nether Sect.

One clue by itself proved nothing.

But when every clue pointed in the same direction...

The pieces fit together almost too perfectly.

It was enough to make even Grey suspect that the recent disappearances were somehow connected to the Underworld Nether Sect.

Grey’s eyes narrowed into thin slits, a cold glint flashing across them as his expression turned solemn. His voice carried a chilling calm as he spoke.

"Let’s investigate the port before dawn arrives. There could still be some clues left behind. The other captains will be here soon."

Violet nodded in agreement without hesitation. Neither of them wasted another second as they exited the hidden tunnel and immediately began circling the vast port, carefully searching every corner for anything unusual.

The harbor was eerily quiet.

The sea breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean, while the sound of gentle waves repeatedly crashed against the wooden docks. Cargo crates were stacked neatly along the piers, abandoned fishing boats swayed with the tide, and countless shadows stretched across the ground beneath the faint moonlight.

Despite searching carefully, neither of them discovered anything suspicious.

After running for nearly two minutes, Violet suddenly slowed down before turning towards Grey.

"We’ll cover more ground if we split up."

Grey remained silent for a brief moment before giving a slight nod. Without exchanging another word, the two immediately headed in different directions, each disappearing into the darkness as they searched separate sections of the port.

Grey continued moving at a steady pace, his expression remaining calm and indifferent.

Only after Violet had completely vanished from his sight and her presence could no longer be sensed did Grey lower his gaze toward the shadow beneath his feet.

A second later, the pitch-black shadow faithfully mirroring his every movement suddenly stopped.

It no longer followed Grey’s footsteps.

Instead, it slowly detached itself from the ground before rising upright like a living creature.

The mass of darkness expanded before contracting several times, continuously twisting and reshaping itself. Moments later, the shifting shadows condensed into the figure of a young man with a gloomy and indifferent temperament.

His hair was as black as the deepest abyss, while his eyes resembled two bottomless pools of darkness that contained not the slightest trace of emotion. His expression remained calm and detached, making him appear almost inhuman.

He possessed strikingly handsome features and looked almost identical to Grey.

The only noticeable differences were his pitch-black hair, his dark eyes, and the gloomy, emotionless aura surrounding him.

Ever since Grey’s shadow had awakened its consciousness and inherited a fragment of his soul, it had gained the ability to assume a human form.

However, Grey had never liked seeing his shadow wear his own appearance.

Perhaps it was because looking at another version of himself felt strangely unsettling.

Because of that, whenever the shadow manifested itself, it usually remained in its leafless tree form rather than taking on a human appearance.

Only at moments like this, when Grey required greater precision and communication, would he allow it to assume this form.

Grey looked directly into the shadow’s pale, dark eyes.

"Do you still smell the scent from before?" he asked, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

The shadow remained silent.

After several seconds, it simply gave a small nod.

"Lead the way."

Without uttering a single word, the shadow’s body dissolved once more into a flowing pool of darkness. Like living ink spreading across the ground, it swiftly surged forward in a particular direction.

Grey immediately followed behind it, matching its pace without the slightest hesitation, his sharp eyes carefully observing everything around him as both man and shadow disappeared deeper into the silent port.

Although Grey and the shadow didn’t run too fast to avoid being noticed by the experts on the Magic vessel, they saw a peculiar scene after a few minutes.

Swaying gently on the pitch black waters was a small canoe. It’s mast were spread out and the wind gently rocked the canoe on the sea.

Standing on the canoe was a person standing with his back facing the port. His face was towards the dead sea.