Void Cultivation

Chapter 384: Chapter 383- Sudden Horror (2)

Still within the silent confines of Port Thirty-Three, Grey stared at the scene before him with widened eyes.

The rusty nail had pierced into something invisible.

Although he could not see what it had struck, he knew with absolute certainty that it had stabbed into the mysterious being responsible for the horrifying massacre moments ago.

The moment the nail embedded itself, boundless madness and insatiable hunger erupted from its tiny body without the slightest restraint.

The aura was terrifying beyond words.

It did not merely radiate power.

It radiated insanity.

Grey felt a shiver run through his soul.

He had no doubt that if even a fraction of that madness and hunger had been directed toward him instead of the unseen existence, his mind, soul, and body would have collapsed long ago, leaving nothing behind.

The gap between him and the rusty nail was simply too great.

Fortunately, all of its malice was focused elsewhere.

The invisible force gripping Grey immediately came to a halt.

The enormous unseen hand that had been preparing to tear him apart suddenly released him without warning.

Grey dropped several feet before crashing onto the wooden harbor with a heavy thud.

He immediately rolled several times before forcing himself to a stop.

Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, he hurriedly looked upward.

Nothing could be seen.

The space above him remained completely empty.

Yet Grey could clearly sense that an intense struggle was unfolding there.

Although invisible to his eyes, it felt as though countless unseen hands were desperately grabbing at the rusty nail, attempting to wrench it free from whatever it had pierced.

The struggle became increasingly violent.

The surrounding space rippled continuously, as though two terrifying existences were wrestling beyond the limits of ordinary perception.

However...

The invisible being seemed completely unable to pull the nail free.

The rusty nail remained firmly embedded in place.

Its ancient body trembled faintly as endless waves of madness and hunger continued pouring from it like a volcano that had remained dormant for countless ages before finally erupting.

The longer it remained exposed, the more terrifying its aura became.

Then...

A deafening hum echoed through the harbor.

An overwhelming devouring force suddenly burst from the rusty nail.

A massive vortex rapidly formed around it, twisting the surrounding air and even distorting space itself.

The black vortex rotated faster and faster, releasing an irresistible suction that seemed determined to swallow the unseen existence whole.

The invisible being resisted desperately.

The surrounding space shook violently.

Yet the vortex continued pulling relentlessly, refusing to release its prey.

At that very moment...

Far away, aboard the colossal flying vessel occupying the center of Port Thirty-Three, the middle-aged man who had remained seated cross-legged throughout the entire incident suddenly opened his eyes.

His expression changed dramatically.

He drew in a sharp breath as though sensing something unimaginable.

Without wasting a single moment, both of his hands began forming one seal after another at astonishing speed.

His fingers moved so quickly that they left behind numerous afterimages.

Brilliant inscriptions rapidly emerged around him.

Golden runes floated into existence one after another before intertwining to form several profound arrays.

The arrays revolved around his body before finally converging upon his right arm.

Layer after layer of glowing inscriptions wrapped around his sleeve like countless chains, radiating an ancient and mysterious aura.

Only then did the man suddenly thrust his arm forward.

It looked as though he was grabbing onto something invisible.

The muscles throughout his body bulged as he pulled backward with all his strength, seemingly attempting to drag something out of his own chest.

His expression twisted with effort.

Veins bulged across his forehead.

Even his breathing became noticeably heavier.

Yet despite employing several profound formations and inscriptions, his efforts produced very little effect.

Meanwhile, the rusty nail showed no intention of retreating.

How could it?

This rusty nail was no ordinary treasure.

It was a direct manifestation of the ancient Imperial Art that Grey had inherited from the mysterious old man within the crimson world.

Its existence far exceeded Grey’s current understanding.

From the very beginning, Grey had never truly understood how to activate this bizarre technique.

He had attempted countless times to summon the rusty nail through his own will.

Every attempt had ended in failure.

No matter how hard he tried, the nail remained hidden deep within his Sea of Consciousness, completely unresponsive to his commands, as though it did not acknowledge him at all.

Because of that, Grey had gradually come to believe that the nail possessed a will of its own.

Perhaps...

It would only reveal itself when it encountered something capable of awakening it.

Or perhaps only certain existences were worthy of drawing out its power.

Whatever the truth was, Grey still knew almost nothing about it.

What he had never expected, however, was for the rusty nail to awaken entirely on its own.

Not only had it emerged without his command, but it had immediately attacked the invisible being and was now attempting to devour it with a terrifying hunger that seemed capable of consuming everything in existence.

There came another mournful, soul-piercing cry from the invisible being.

This time, however, the cry carried far more panic than before.

The rusty nail trembled violently as an even more overwhelming aura erupted from its ancient body. Boundless madness surged outward like a tidal wave, while its insatiable hunger seemed capable of devouring the heavens themselves.

The surrounding space distorted violently.

Invisible ripples spread across the harbor as if reality itself could no longer withstand the nail’s terrifying presence.

Grey’s eyes widened in complete shock.

The pressure radiating from the rusty nail was so terrifying that, for a brief moment, he completely forgot about his own situation.

He even forgot that one of his arms had nearly been torn from his body only moments ago.

His mind became entirely focused on the unbelievable scene unfolding before him.

The invisible existence seemed to realize something as well.

It understood that the rusty nail had no intention of releasing it.

It would continue pursuing it relentlessly until it had completely devoured it.

The instant that realization dawned upon it...

It chose to flee.

Rather than continuing to struggle against the nail, the unseen being abruptly abandoned the confrontation and attempted to escape into the surrounding space.

Although Grey couldn’t see the invisible battle taking place, his connection to the rusty nail allowed him to vaguely sense its emotions.

He felt...

Reluctance.

Frustration.

And an overwhelming unwillingness to allow its prey to escape.

Almost instantly, Grey understood what was happening.

The invisible being was trying to run.

His heartbeat accelerated.

A thought flashed through his mind.

This...

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Ever since obtaining the ancient Imperial Art from the mysterious old man within the crimson world, he had never been able to consciously activate it.

No matter what methods he tried, the rusty nail had always remained dormant.

Yet now, for the first time, it had awakened of its own accord.

If he allowed this opportunity to slip away...

Who knew when the nail would reveal itself again?

Suppressing the agonizing pain spreading through his body, Grey gritted his teeth and raised his remaining strength.

His spiritual energy erupted.

Dark purple light gathered around his outstretched hand.

Within a single breath, countless wisps of violet aura converged before condensing into the shape of a translucent purple sword.

The blade appeared ethereal, almost as though it had been carved from pure crystal.

Its hilt was a deep royal purple, while countless strands of black aura drifted around it like living serpents, radiating an indescribable sense of domination.

The moment the sword appeared...

A mysterious suppressive aura spread across the harbor.

The sea beneath them suddenly became restless.

The surrounding spiritual energy seemed to freeze.

High above Grey, the purple aura condensed once again.

An enormous illusory figure gradually materialized in the sky.

The phantom stood like an ancient sovereign overlooking the world.

Within its enormous hands rested an identical purple sword.

Although its features remained blurred and indistinct, the pressure emanating from it caused the surrounding space to tremble continuously.

Grey did not hesitate.

He had no idea whether his attack could truly injure the invisible existence.

Perhaps it would accomplish nothing.

Perhaps it would only slightly interfere.

But regardless...

This was the fastest and strongest attack he could unleash at this moment.

Without wasting another heartbeat, he slashed downward.

The enormous phantom mirrored his movement perfectly.

Its colossal sword descended from the heavens, carrying with it the mysterious suppressive aura born from the purple crystal.

The moment both swords fell...

The sky itself seemed to split apart.

---

Far away, aboard the gigantic flying vessel that now rocked violently atop the dark sea, the young man seated cross-legged wore a completely dazed expression.

His mind had descended into utter chaos.

He could not understand what had gone wrong.

Everything had proceeded exactly according to plan.

Just moments earlier, he had been on the verge of dismembering the intruder through the invisible being hidden within his body.

Victory had already been within reach.

Then...

Without warning...

A nearly transparent rusty nail had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

It pierced directly into the invisible being before erupting with a terrifying aura of madness and endless hunger.

The invisible existence, something that had accompanied him for years and had never once shown fear...

Was now panicking.

The young man’s breathing became increasingly ragged.

His heart pounded violently.

Barely had the intruder fallen back onto the harbor before he stood up once again.

Dark purple aura condensed into a sword within his hand.

At the same time, an enormous phantom appeared above him, holding an identical blade.

The young man’s pupils shrank violently.

He could feel an overwhelming aura of death descending upon him.

Every instinct within his body screamed the same warning.

Run!

Yet he knew...

He was already too late. The phantom raised its sword.

Grey raised his own.

Both blades descended toward the same stretch of empty space.

Although the young man was separated from the battlefield by a considerable distance and was not directly participating in the confrontation, the invisible existence within him was deeply connected to his life.

The instant the swords fell...

He felt death approaching, and without thinking. Without hesitation.

Without even understanding why... He acted on pure instinct.

A flash of cold light swept across the deck.

Slash!

He severed both of his own arms.

Fresh blood sprayed across the rocking ship. His face instantly turned deathly pale. The unbearable pain almost caused him to lose consciousness.

Yet before he could even comprehend what he had done... A blinding flash of violet light exploded across the dark sea.

For a brief instant, the black waters surrounding Port Thirty-Three were illuminated as brightly as daylight, and an earth-shaking shockwave rolled across the harbor like the wrath of the heavens descending upon the mortal world.