Void Cultivation-Chapter 164- Deity Statue
The devouring pull unleashed by the Bizarre Spirit did not falter. Its endless inhalation rumbled across the desert, sucking in sand, bones, and shredded pieces of ancient debris buried beneath the dunes. Yet the moment Grey’s right hand blurred and dissolved into a hazy silhouette of that same ancient sword, the Bizarre Spirit abruptly faltered, as though struck by an emotion it had long forgotten.
For an instant, its breathless inhalation ceased.
The low moans it had been producing warped into ragged gasps of terror.
Its distorted, shifting face, always a chaotic smear of features, twisted further, but now with unmistakable shock and primal fear. The black fog that composed its form trembled violently as it attempted to retreat, drifting backward like a shadow desperately fleeing the light.
But Grey did not give it the chance.
His arm descended.
A resounding buzz split the air as the immense purple sword above him released a ten-meter arc of radiant sword light. The blade of light, dense with ancient might, tore through the air so swiftly that the wind itself seemed to scream.
The instant it appeared, it was already upon the immobilized Bizarre Spirit.
A thunderous detonation followed.
The purple sword light cleaved through the black fog, scattering it in all directions like ashes caught in a storm. The Spirit’s body disintegrated into drifting fragments of darkness, but only briefly. As soon as the sword light faded, the scattered fog began to churn, writhing violently as it tried to reassemble itself.
Within moments, its form was restored.
But now its expression was different... far more twisted.
Malevolence seeped through its features, layered with hatred, fear, and something even more deranged.
Then it screamed.
It was a shrill, razor-edged cry unlike anything it had unleashed before, a sound that felt sharp enough to slice through flesh. Grey staggered as blood erupted from his ears and nose. His eardrums ruptured instantly, and his eyes flushed crimson from the immense pressure. Pain lanced through his skull like countless needles.
But Grey did not spare the Spirit a single glance.
The moment the sword light left the blade, he had already turned and burst into a desperate sprint, the ground cracking beneath his feet. Blood streamed from all seven orifices, soaking his face and robes until he looked as though he had clawed his way out of a blood-filled pit. Yet his expression showed no sign of agony. Only a narrow, icy gleam remained in his eyes, one filled with cold displeasure and a killing intent so sharp it felt as though even the air recoiled from it.
High above in the sky, the Foundation Establishment cultivator finally reacted.
His expression had been careless, almost bored, but now surprise flared across his face as he watched Grey’s strike.
"A sword art from the Ancient Era?" he murmured, pupils contracting. "But it’s incomplete... and he hasn’t fully mastered it either. If he had, that Spirit of mine would have been completely obliterated after some resistance."
A feverish gleam lit his gaze. Greed, excitement, and madness intermingled in his eyes until they became indistinguishable.
"To comprehend even a fragment of an Ancient Sword Art..." he whispered, licking his lips slowly. "Someone like that is definitely hiding unimaginable treasures. His killing intent is terrifying as well. If I refine him into a malicious ghost, the resentment he would release... mmh, it might even be enough for me to break through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment."
His voice grew darker, like a serpent coiling through the air.
"The Death and Soul Refinement Art requires an endless supply of death aura and dense resentment from corpses, spirits, anything that once lived." His smile widened grotesquely. "And once I refine his corpse... the resulting servant would be exceptionally powerful."
In that moment, he no longer looked at Grey as a person.
Not even as an enemy.
Only as raw material he needed to make an ingredient. A stepping stone to further his cultivation.
A vessel brimming with resentment and killing intent ripe for harvest.
Had Grey been able to hear his thoughts, his eyes would have gone frost-cold. But that would have only made th Foundation Establishment expert more excited.
"You can run..." the cultivator’s voice boomed arrogantly and coldly across the desert."But you cannot hide. As long as you remain in this boundless wasteland, escape is impossible! Allow me to show you what it means to face a Foundation Establishment expert!"
Grey heard the distant shout, but he only snorted coldly in his heart.
He had no time for that lunatic.
Because the Bizarre Spirit, now fully reformed and more enraged than before, was rapidly closing in. Its maw stretched grotesquely wide, darker and more horrifying than ever, and it inhaled with a force strong enough to strip flesh from bone.
But in Grey’s eyes was a strange calmness that it almost seemed cold. He raised his foot before stomping it down loudly.
’BOOM’
A loud boom was heard and a wave of cold energy erupted and flew out in all directions. The Bizarre Spirit that was very close to Grey did not even have time to react before it was hit by Grey’s Forbidden Stream Technique.
Suddenly, the distorted and gasoeus outline of the Spirit began to turn solid as frost and ice began to cover it’s body.
As soon as this occured, Grey punched out and another loud boom erupted before a fist sized ’Air Cannon’ was shot out.
The Bizarre Spirit was pushed back by Seventeen feet due to the force generated by the ’Air Cannon’. But that didn’t stop it from letting out a loud shrill and lunging at him again. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
The moment he saw that his punch has almost no effect, a chilling gaze appeared in Grey’s eyes. But he continued to retreat while punching out six consecutive times.
’BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!’
The Bizarre Spirit was pushed by several dozens of feet backwards while Grey continued running forward. His expression remained the same, cold-calm eyes, a dead-pan expression, and a suffocating killing intent that threatened to consume the world.
But Grey did not look at the Bizarre Spirit that kept on chasing him relentlessly, instead, he casted his gaze to the flying middle-aged man in red robes in the sky. When the Foundation Establishment realm cultivator met his gaze, he couldn’t help but snort coldly.
But inwardly, he trembled when he met with Grey’s gaze. ’Those are the eyes of... Someone who has experienced a lot.’ The Foundation Establishment realm expert thought inwardly.
Even though his level of cultivation was higher than Grey’s, he felt a sudden urge to look away from his detached gaze. As if he was the one looking at his superior. When this happened to him, the Foundation Establishment expert closed his eyes tightly. ’Impossible! Why do I feel small under his gaze? He’s just a weak Qi Accumulation realm cultivator.’ The Foundation Establishment expert shouted internally.
He then made up his mind without hesitation and opened his eyes. But he found that Grey was no longer looking at him, he had turned his gaze back to the Bizarre Spirit that was chasing after him while sucking deeply.
As the middle-aged man in red robes flew after them from above, a complicated expression appeared on his face. ’Why do I feel small when I meet his gaze? He’s only in the Qi Accumulation realm while I am in the Peak of the Initial stages of Foundation Establishment, he should be the one shivering and recoiling in fear whenever he looks at me!’ After saying that, the man snapped his fingers before spitting out black blood. That black blood formed to become a single drop of blood that floated in the air.
The moment this single drop of blood appeared, the man’s expression turned slightly pale. But on his face was excitement as he shouted. "You’ve been a pest for too long." After saying that, the drop of black blood turned into a black statue that was over thirty meters tall.
This statue depicted a man strangling a strange slithering animal in one hand while he held the head of a spirit in the other. If one looked closely, they would be able to see that this statue bore some similarity to the middle-aged man in red robes.
"Here... I’ve decided to use one of my powerful techniques on you. So die!" The moment he said that, the black statue materialized in mid air.
After it materialized, it seemed to have gained a hint of life as it moved it’s gaze over to Grey coldly. The strangled animal in its hand also moved as if it was alive. Struggling just like the way a real creature would.
And the head of the malicious spirit in it’s other hand revealed expressions of aggression as well as hatred as it gazed at Grey. It seemed to have transferred it’s anger and hatred from the statue that seemingly beheaded it unto Grey.
The moment the beheaded head of the Spirit looked at Grey, he felt a strong pressure fall upon him. That pressure was not too strong, but it was very sudden that Grey couldn’t react to it in time and nearly staggered. But as he staggered, his speed was reduced drastically as the Bizarre Spirit quickly caught up to him.
**☺️😉**
