Void Cultivation

Chapter 314 - 313

"W-what did you just say?!"

The sentient spirit was stunned for a moment before blurting out those words in disbelief.

Grey watched as its facial expressions shifted drastically, shock giving way to rapid contemplation. However, after processing Grey’s words, it gradually calmed down.

"Even divinity could not leave or enter this place freely..."

The sentient spirit let out a long sigh of relief. Yet, almost immediately, its gaze drifted toward the piece of cloth lying on the ground.

"How is that possible? I did not sense any change..." the spirit muttered, its voice laced with confusion.

Grey remained silent, offering only a slight nod in acknowledgment. He then moved to store the scythe inside his storage ring, but before he could do so, the sentient spirit spoke again.

"W-wait! Before you seal me... make sure you seal that piece of cloth as well after you’re done using it. If it could hide its consciousness from me, then it is definitely something extraordinary."

Grey paused for a moment, considering the spirit’s words, before gently nodding his head. He shared the same suspicion.

After placing the scythe into his storage ring, Grey turned his attention back to the piece of cloth, which radiated a faint yet profound divine intent.

A frown slowly formed on his face as he reached out and attempted to touch it.

Yet... nothing happened.

No reaction. No resistance. No change.

Grey’s frown deepened.

"I’m certain you’re conscious... and that you can hear me," Grey said quietly, his voice steady.

Still, there was no response.

After waiting for a few seconds, Grey lost interest and resumed his cultivation.

It was only after several minutes had passed that he picked up the piece of cloth once more.

"I’m going to use your divinity..."

He trailed off, unsure of what else to say. In the end, he simply closed his mouth and shut his eyes.

Silence.

Then...

A violent surge of divine intent erupted from the piece of cloth.

The moment it did, Grey’s surroundings began to tremble and distort, as if reality itself was being twisted by an unseen force.

Within a few breaths, the world reacted.

A chilling wave of cold air surged outward, sweeping through the surroundings like a silent storm. Yet, as if restrained by an overwhelming power, everything was forcibly suppressed and brought back under control.

At the center of it all stood Grey.

His body trembled violently.

From nowhere... no, from within, a strange, corrosive substance began to manifest inside his body.

In mere moments, it spread throughout him completely.

His skin blackened and swelled grotesquely.

Boils erupted across his flesh, bubbling and distorting his once smooth complexion.

His face twisted, turning a sickly mix of green and black as his features grew gaunt and hollow.

In only a few seconds, Grey no longer resembled a human.

He looked like a being on the verge of mutating into an abomination.

A creature corroded from within.

When this transformation occurred, Grey’s expression changed drastically.

But before anything worse could happen, his shadow that had become silent suddenly paused before it moved and erupted with a hungry intent.

It surged forward with overwhelming eagerness and began devouring the corrosive substance within his body.

If it possessed physical form, its eyes would have shone with unrestrained delight.

This was the first time since entering this world that it had encountered such an abundance of corrosive substance.

In this strange realm, corrosive energy did not exist naturally. The shadow had been starving, surviving only on faint traces, barely suppressing its hunger.

But now, this was a feast.

A banquet.

Within seconds, the shadow consumed everything.

Every trace of corrosive substance within Grey’s body was completely devoured.

Just like that, Grey’s body returned to normal.

Yet the shock in his eyes remained.

Slowly, he released the piece of cloth, letting it fall to the ground as he sank into deep thought.

’Divinity... created corrosive substance?’

The thought lingered in his mind.

After finishing its feast, the shadow grew quiet once more. However, Grey could still feel its lingering desire and its craving for more.

It was almost as if it was urging him... begging him to draw upon the cloth’s divinity again.

Grey ignored it despite it’s pleading look.

’That doesn’t make sense... Divinity creating something so corrupt...’

His thoughts began to spiral.

Then, he recalled something.

The transformation of the world.

After God descended... corrosive substance appeared.

And only after both God and the corrosive substance emerged... did divinity and gods begin to manifest...

Grey’s eyes narrowed.

’Could their existence be tied together?’

The more he thought about it, the more the pieces aligned.

When he attempted to draw out the divinity from the cloth, what filled his body was not divine energy, but corrosive substance.

If not for the shadow, he would have mutated and died within seconds.

There was no doubt about it.

Yet, after a while, Grey exhaled slowly.

This isn’t a new discovery... countless experts must have realized this long ago.

His theory, while insightful, was not unique.

Even so, it did not solve his problem.

He needed a way to use divinity to counteract the consumption of his spirit energy.

But instead of empowering him, the divinity had nearly destroyed him.

"It seems... divinity cannot be used directly on the human body," Grey muttered. "At least, not without severe consequences."

A hint of frustration flashed across his eyes.

At that moment, he found himself wishing the captain were present.

If she were here, she would undoubtedly have a solution.

After all, she had once used her own body to create an avatar capable of hosting a divine being nearing the level of a god.

Such a method...

Grey currently could not replicate it.

Despite everything, he made no attempt to use the piece of cloth again.

Even if the shadow could cleanse the corrosive substance, the risk was too great.

For now, he would wait and observe before making any further moves.

Recklessness, especially when dealing with something tied to divinity, was no different from courting death.

However, as Grey remained still, his gaze subtly lingered on the piece of cloth.

Despite the violent surge of divine intent from earlier, it now lay quietly on the ground, completely motionless. To any ordinary observer, it would appear no different from an unremarkable piece of fabric, silent, inert, and devoid of any will.

It simply existed... as though nothing had ever happened.

Yet Grey was not fooled.

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

At the very moment the divinity had erupted earlier, he had noticed something extremely subtle, yet deeply unsettling.

The cloth... had begun to change.

It was not an obvious transformation. There was no blinding light, no dramatic distortion of form. Instead, it was as though its very nature had begun to shift. The surface of the cloth had rippled faintly, like still water disturbed by an unseen force, and for the briefest of moments, it had seemed as though it was about to become something else entirely.

Something unknown and far more dangerous.

But just as quickly as that change began, it ended.

No... not just stopped.

It reversed.

The transformation collapsed inward in an instant, retreating as though it had never existed, leaving behind nothing but the same dull, unassuming piece of cloth.

At the time, it would have been easy to dismiss it as an illusion.

But Grey knew better.

That reaction... it had not been random.

It had only occurred after one thing became clear...

He had not died.

A faint glint flickered deep within Grey’s eyes.

’It is also observing me and evaluating me... just like I’m evaluating it...’

Outwardly, Grey showed no reaction.

His expression remained calm, thoughtful, even slightly distant, as though he were still immersed in his earlier line of reasoning.

But in truth, his entire focus had shifted.

Every ounce of his attention was now locked onto the piece of cloth.

He would not make the mistake of underestimating it.

Anything capable of concealing its presence from the six-eyed spirit... anything that could react to divinity in such a deliberate manner... was, without question, far beyond ordinary comprehension.

This was no mere artifact.

And it was certainly not harmless.

Grey slowly exhaled, his expression unchanged.

For now, he would not act, neither would he relax his guard.

Because deep down he was certain of one thing.

That piece of cloth... was not as simple as it appeared.

And whatever it truly was, it was watching him just as closely as he was watching it.