Void Cultivation

Chapter 319 - 318-

For the first time, the piece of cloth hesitated, as if it were contemplating whether to believe Grey’s words. Its form contorted and stretched slightly, as though it were genuinely trying to make a decision. But Grey’s gaze remained calm and unwavering, even as his grip on the cloth tightened just a little.

After what could only be described as an eternity-like moment, Grey heard a faint sigh resonate within his mind. At the same time, a childish voice spoke directly to him.

"Is what you’re saying the truth? Will you truly give me my freedom when we leave this hidden world?" the small, childish voice asked in a calm and patient tone.

Although its tone and demeanor were composed and controlled, Grey could still sense a clear trace of naivety within its words, as though it were a newly born existence still trying to understand the world around it.

The voice did not seem to pass through the air. Instead, it felt as though the thoughts were being transmitted directly into his mind without the need for spoken words. Still, Grey was familiar with this method of communication. He and the Captain had done something similar before.

However, he was slightly stunned by what the childish voice had said.

It reminds me of what the sentient spirit inside the purple scythe said when I first claimed ownership of it... the same with the shadow. It’s almost like I’m imprisoning these existences, Grey thought inwardly in a self-deprecating tone, though his expression remained unchanged.

"Yes, I’ll keep my word. But we’ll discuss that after we leave this place. For now, help me increase my speed so I can reach the top of these steps before the array completely dissipates."

After speaking, Grey immediately focused his senses on both his body and the piece of cloth.

If it attempted anything suspicious, he would not hesitate to suppress it and seal it with the purple crystal. The memory of that invasive, anomalous substance flooding his body and nearly making him explode was still fresh in his mind.

If the cloth tried something similar while he was distracted, the consequences could be disastrous. As such, he remained fully alert, refusing to relax even for a single moment.

However, the piece of cloth seemed to accept Grey’s terms and did not display any immediate ulterior motives. Although it remained silent, Grey could sense that it was still considering his proposal. Regardless, it was already too late for it to change its mind.

A moment later, the golden light from the piece of cloth began to shine brighter and brighter.

Grey’s wrist and hand were soon painted in a deep golden hue, emanating an intense and sacred sense of divinity. Although he remained cautious and ready to intervene if anything changed, his pupils could not help but dilate at the overwhelming power that surged around him.

It was not as though his body had been filled with divine power. Rather, it felt as if the divinity from the cloth had transferred outward, forming a layer that enveloped him.

As the cloth shone more brilliantly, the divine aura surrounding it gradually weakened, as though it were relinquishing everything it had. Slowly, it began to resemble an ordinary piece of cloth once more.

Grey, on the other hand, felt as if his entire body had been reinforced by an indescribable energy. Although the divinity remained outside his body, it significantly enhanced his combat strength and bolstered his natural defenses to an astonishing degree.

The moment his foot landed on the next step, a strange stretching sensation overtook him. In a single heartbeat, he crossed two steps.

Space itself seemed to warp around him.

When Grey regained his bearings, he found himself standing on the twelfth step. Just ahead of him, Violet stood on the thirteenth step. The distance between them was now only a few meters.

Violet turned to look at Grey, her expression clearly one of surprise. However, her gaze quickly softened, shifting into one of encouragement. Without hesitation, she stepped onto the fourteenth step.

Meanwhile, Roxanne appeared in a flash of crimson light. She materialized on the twelfth step beside Grey, her expression calm and indifferent. However, her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed the strain of whatever method she had used to cross the distance almost instantaneously.

She glanced at Grey with a complicated expression before stepping onto the thirteenth step.

At the same time, Violet stepped onto the fourteenth step and disappeared from the icy-blue stairs. Her figure flickered once before vanishing completely.

Roxanne soon followed. However, before she left, she turned to look at Grey once more, her gaze lingering for the briefest moment before she too disappeared in a flash of light.

Although Grey was slightly surprised by how quickly they had chosen to leave, he was not offended in the slightest. If anything, he understood their decision. After all, he was the one with the lowest cultivation base, and they might not have another opportunity like this.

It was also at that moment that the small, childish voice echoed weakly in his ears once more.

"I’ve done my best to augment you with divinity without damaging your body. Please... keep your word!" the voice said hurriedly.

Grey did not respond verbally. He simply gave a curt nod.

He could already feel the essence of the array rapidly dissipating. Within moments, it would likely vanish completely, along with the support of spirit energy that had sustained him until now.

At the same time, the piece of cloth began to twist and contort, as though it were attempting to form an image. However, lacking sufficient divinity, it failed, reverting once again to its formless state.

I don’t have much time left. I need to leave this place now, Grey thought as he steadied his right foot on the thirteenth step.

Everything that had transpired from the negotiation to the surge of power had taken only a few breaths. And with the cloth expending its divinity to support him, the time it could maintain the array had shortened drastically.

Grey could also feel the laws within his body struggling violently to resist the crushing pressure. It took the combined strength of all his purple stars just to barely hold it at bay.

Even then, the faint power of the laws he possessed was steadily receding.

As for the invisible gaze that had been locked onto him, its intent was gradually fading, as though the mysterious existence behind it was slowly closing its eyes.

By the time Grey’s second foot touched the thirteenth step, the sensation intensified.

At the same time, a powerful feeling of rejection surged through him, as though the world itself was trying to expel his presence. Grey had only experienced such a sensation once before, on the stairs where he had attempted to conquer the black stars.

But just as he was on the verge of being ejected by the laws and crushed by the overwhelming pressure...

Grey stepped onto the fourteenth step.