Void Cultivation-Chapter 256-

In the snowy meadow, time passed slowly and quietly.

Grey sat cross-legged upon the icy grass, snowflakes drifting lazily around him as though the world itself had slowed its breathing. His eyes were closed, his expression pale and drawn, yet steady. His mind was submerged deep within cultivation. He was recovering.

The captain had said that the snow meadow could only be maintained for four days. After that, the sacrifices sustaining it would fully turn into ice, and the entire meadow would retract like a dream melting at dawn.

Four days sounded like a long time.

But in truth, it was not.

If Grey’s injuries had only been physical or internal, he would not have been too worried. With the aid of the purple crystal, he could have healed completely within that time.

But this was different.

His body was wounded. His mind was fractured.

And even his soul had been shaken to its core.

Simply restoring the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird would take close to two weeks under normal circumstances. As for the Life Demon Art, its foundation had nearly crumbled during the battle. The near collapse had severely weakened Grey’s comprehension of it, leaving its phantom unstable and trembling like a shadow on disturbed water.

Yet even amidst these disadvantages, there were advantages that could not be ignored.

The most important of them was his cultivation.

Previously, Grey had opened only thirty-something spirit perforations. But the relentless stimulation from repeated brushes with death had pushed his body beyond its former limits. Under that extreme pressure, new pathways were forced open.

Now he had opened forty-three spirit perforations.

Only seven more remained before he could unlock his second ball of Spirit Fire.

Seven.

On the surface, that number seemed insignificant. But Grey knew better. After opening the first twenty-five perforations, each additional one became exponentially harder to break through. The body resisted. The meridians strained. The spirit energy demanded far greater control and precision.

He had only managed to open so many because of the continuous life-and-death stimulation forcing evolution upon him.

’Cultivating in the Foundation Establishment Realm is far from easy,’ Grey thought inwardly as he examined his body. ’After twenty-five perforations, every single one becomes a mountain.’

His internal organs were still bleeding subtly, small ruptures spreading through his meridians. The damage slowed his recovery considerably. If he did not stabilize his foundation first, attempting to repair his arts would be reckless.

So he made a decision.

First, his body.

Grey activated the purple crystal.

A faint violet glow seeped from within him, spreading through his veins like liquid moonlight. The energy was gentle but authoritative, suppressing chaos and knitting damaged tissue together. Slowly, steadily, the bleeding stopped. The torn internal structures repaired themselves under the crystal’s guidance.

A full day passed.

When Grey finally opened his eyes, his breathing was steady. The deathly pallor on his face had lessened. Though he was still weak, the suffocating pain that had once gripped his organs was gone.

His expression, however, remained gloomy and silent.

Only after confirming that his body was stable did Grey close his eyes once more.

"Now that my body is healed... it’s time to recover the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird and the Life Demon Art."

His consciousness descended.

---

The next moment, Grey stood within his sea of consciousness.

Towering waves of spirit energy, thousands of feet high, stood frozen in tranquil stillness. The surface of the vast sea did not ripple in the slightest. It was eerily calm, as though something had forcibly suppressed even the concept of movement.

Above it all hung a purple moon.

Its cold light bathed the sea, tinting everything in faint violet. The atmosphere was solemn, heavy, ancient.

The Mosasaur swam beneath the surface, its massive body gliding soundlessly through the spirit sea. When it sensed Grey’s gaze, it paused, its enormous eyes turning toward him.

Grey watched it silently.

Even after using the Mosasaur to break through and increase his cultivation, its form had not vanished. It remained rooted within his sea of consciousness, as though it had become something more permanent.

This stirred questions within him.

But not now the Mosasaur was not his priority.

His gaze shifted.

Not far away stood a strange totem.

Others would not recognize it, but Grey knew what it represented. It was the manifestation of the tattoo formed when the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird became bound to him.

With a thought, he appeared before it.

Up close, he could clearly see that the edges of the totem were slowly burning. The flames were faint, subtle, but relentless. If left unattended, the totem would eventually erode.

And once it burned completely...

Advancing the Emperor-level cultivation art further would become nearly impossible.

The physical form of the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird had already been crushed and destroyed. If he failed to restore its essence before the inheritance degraded further, even if it remained partially his, its future potential would be crippled.

He could not allow that.

The Life Demon Art could endure a little longer.

The Bird could not.

Grey slowly raised his hand and placed it against the totem.

The moment his palm touched it, a weak yet familiar aura flowed into him. It was the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird... diminished, fragile, like an ember about to fade.

He felt its weakness clearly.

It needed nourishment.

Without hesitation, Grey began channeling spirit energy into the totem. His vast sea trembled as currents flowed upward, pouring into the burning edges. Slowly, the flames weakened. The erosion halted.

This was not a quick process.

It required control. Precision. Endurance.

Grey focused completely, guiding spirit energy carefully so as not to overwhelm the fragile inheritance. Time passed silently within the sea of consciousness.

Then,

In the outside world, Grey’s eyes snapped open.

A sharp aura burst from his body like a blade unsheathed.

At that same instant, a piercing cry of a bird resounded from within him, echoing across the snowy meadow. Purple and black light flashed within his irises.

A bizarre totem emerged on his arm, glowing fiercely.

From his body, a small bird composed entirely of black and purple flames flew outward.

The moment it emerged, it let out a wild cry filled with joy and liberation. It circled Grey several times, its flaming wings leaving streaks of violet fire in the air, before finally landing lightly on his shoulder.

Grey examined it carefully.

Six tails trailed behind the Soul Devouring Everlasting Bird.

But only two were bright, vivid, alive, brimming with vitality.

The other four tails were dim, lifeless, like extinguished flames waiting to be reignited.

Grey’s eyes shone brightly as he revealed a light smile as the Soul Devouring Bird hovered around him.

It’s recovery had begun, but it was far from complete.