Chapter 500 - 499- Breakthrough

Within the teleportation area of the Sky Mist Sect, one of the rune-carved teleportation arrays suddenly lit up with a blinding radiance.

The intricate runes engraved into the ground began to glow one after another, illuminating the surrounding area with dazzling light. The attendants stationed nearby immediately understood what was happening.

Someone was arriving from the other side.

The expressions of the attendants remained mostly blank and indifferent. They had witnessed this scene countless times before and had long since grown accustomed to the sight of cultivators arriving through the teleportation arrays.

They simply waited for the people to step out.

Once their identities were confirmed, they would continue scanning the other users passing through the teleportation area.

After several seconds, two silhouettes gradually materialized within the blinding light.

As the radiance slowly faded, their appearances became clearer.

One was a young man with gray hair and gray eyes. His expression was gloomy, and an unmistakable indifference could be seen within his eyes. His features remained calm despite the long journey, as though nothing that had happened along the way was enough to disturb his emotions.

The other figure was a young girl with delicate features and a graceful appearance.

As soon as the two stepped out of the teleportation array, the young girl instinctively reached out and held the young man’s hand.

However, it lasted for only a brief moment.

She quickly released it.

The young girl was Iria.

They had returned to the Sky Mist Sect far sooner than she had originally expected.

When they had first embarked on the mission, Iria had possessed a clear plan.

She wanted to get closer to Grey.

More importantly, she wanted to make Grey gradually fall for her.

At the time, she had believed that the mission would provide her with enough opportunities to spend time with him and slowly develop their relationship.

However, the series of events they had experienced had completely exhausted her.

There had been far too many dangers, unexpected situations, and moments where she had been forced to fight for her life. By the end of it, even the carefully prepared plan she had made before leaving the sect had been pushed to the back of her mind.

Although she still harbored feelings for Grey, Iria had gradually come to understand something.

If she wanted to stand beside him, she first needed to become strong enough.

Only when her strength reached a level where she could truly stand alongside him would she have the courage to express her feelings.

If she confessed her feelings now, she already knew what the outcome would probably be.

Grey would likely have no reaction.

He might simply nod with that indifferent expression of his before casually disregarding the matter.

The thought caused Iria’s lips to twitch slightly.

She had no intention of allowing that to happen.

After the two emerged from the teleportation array, they immediately went through the necessary process of confirming their identities as disciples of the Sky Mist Sect.

Although disciples of the sect were allowed direct entry through the teleportation arrays without undergoing the probing process that outsiders were subjected to, their identities still had to be verified once they arrived.

Iria stepped forward first.

She retrieved her jade slip and handed it to one of the attendants.

The jade slip contained information about her identity within the sect, including her name, status, and other details. The attendant placed it into a specialized device, and a faint light immediately flashed across its surface.

After a brief moment, the device confirmed her identity.

The attendant nodded and returned the jade slip.

Iria then stepped aside.

Grey calmly walked forward.

He took out his own jade slip and handed it to the attendant.

The attendant responsible for checking their identities was a middle-aged man with an aloof expression. His temples had already begun to gray, and his eyes carried the detached indifference of someone who had spent countless years performing the same monotonous task.

He casually glanced at the information displayed by the device.

His gaze swept over Grey’s name.

Then, without paying much attention to it, he returned the jade slip.

"You’re clear."

The middle-aged attendant gestured for Grey to leave.

Grey nodded slightly and turned around.

However, at that exact moment, the second attendant standing nearby casually glanced toward the device.

His eyes passed over the information displayed on it.

At first, he paid it no attention. Then his gaze suddenly froze as his pupils contracted. A trace of shock appeared on his previously indifferent face.

He hurriedly leaned closer and looked at the information again, as though he had somehow misread it. His companion noticed the strange reaction.

"What is it?"

The second attendant didn’t immediately answer. Instead, he stared at the name displayed on the device.

Grey Reynolds.

That name had become increasingly familiar within the Sky Mist Sect over the past period of time. In fact, it had been resounding throughout the sect.

The attendant’s expression became strange.

He had expected to see an ordinary disciple returning from a mission.

He had never expected that the person standing before him would actually be that Grey Reynolds.

His companion also took another look at the name.

His expression changed slightly.

Neither of them spoke.

By then, however, Grey had already walked away with Iria.

After confirming their identities, Grey followed Iria toward the foot of Sky Mist Mountain.

During the journey, Grey deliberately avoided the main road. Instead, he walked along the narrow path beside Iria.

The two didn’t speak much.

Their surroundings gradually became quieter as they moved farther away from the teleportation area.

Within less than thirty minutes, they arrived at the foot of Sky Mist Mountain.

Iria stopped. She needed to report her return to her elder and inform her master about everything that had happened during the mission.

Unfortunately, she had failed to find the strange flowers her master had instructed her to search for.

However, Grey had managed to obtain one. After exchanging a few words with him, Iria turned and began ascending the mountain.

Grey remained at the foot. He couldn’t casually enter Sky Mist Mountain without permission, so there was no point in following her.

He stood there for a moment and watched Iria’s figure gradually disappear into the distance.

Then he slowly turned around. His destination was the ports and harbors of the Sky Mist Sect.

As he walked through the winding paths, Grey noticed that many of the harbors were still occupied by the enormous magic vessels belonging to the Sects Alliance.

However, the cultivators of the Sky Mist Sect had clearly grown accustomed to their presence.

Rather than allowing the vessels to interfere with the normal operation of the harbor, the sect had established a temporary system.

Cultivators with medium-sized and smaller magic ships were permitted to dock at certain areas throughout the night.

During the day, ships carrying goods and resources would depart from the harbor, while cultivators who normally lived aboard their magic vessels were allowed to remain docked during the night.

It was already evening and the sky was gradually darkening, and the final traces of sunlight were beginning to disappear beyond the horizon.

Grey glanced toward the vast sea and a thought surfaced in his mind. The sea would be the safest place for him to break through.

There were far fewer cultivators there during the night, and the vastness of the ocean would make it much more difficult for anyone to notice the fluctuations caused by his breakthrough.

More importantly, Grey could sense something stirring within his shadow. His shadow was also approaching a critical point in its evolution.

If everything went according to plan, tonight might be an excellent opportunity to allow both himself and his shadow to undergo a transformation.

Grey eventually found a suitable location and set up his magic ship on the swaying black waters.

The vessel rocked gently with the movement of the waves. Once everything was settled, Grey raised his hand.

A dense layer of spirit energy immediately spread outward from his body, forming a barrier around the entire magic ship.

But he wasn’t satisfied with that. Grey entered the ship and activated its natural defensive formation.

A second barrier immediately emerged. The two barriers overlapped, creating multiple layers of protection around the vessel.

Grey had done this for one reason. To prevent too much aura and spirit energy fluctuation from escaping into the surrounding area.

A breakthrough would inevitably produce enormous fluctuations.

If another cultivator sensed those fluctuations, there was always the possibility that someone with malicious intentions would attempt to interfere. Grey wasn’t willing to take that risk.

After completing all his preparations, Grey sat down inside the magic ship.

He reached into his storage device and brought out a small pill. The pill rested quietly in the palm of his hand.

Its surface was smooth and faintly glossy, while a subtle medicinal fragrance escaped from it.

Grey stared at it silently. He didn’t immediately consume it.

Instead, he closed his eyes and entered a state of tranquility.

His breathing gradually slowed and his mind became completely still.

Time passed silently until the sky outside gradually darkened. The final traces of sunlight disappeared, leaving the world beneath the night sky.

The sea became almost indistinguishable from the darkness above it.

Black waters stretched endlessly in every direction, reflecting almost nothing beneath the night sky.

Only then did Grey slowly open his eyes. His gray pupils appeared unusually calm.

He had reached the perfect state. It was now time.

Without hesitation, Grey brought the pill to his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp. The pill dissolved almost immediately after entering his stomach.

A strange heat suddenly spread through his body. Grey’s skin became slightly flushed, and his cheeks carried a faint reddish hue.

At the same time, his spirit essence began rising at an astonishing speed. The energy within his body surged like a rapidly expanding tide.

His meridians trembled under the pressure and his muscles tightened.

His breathing became heavier, and in less than thirty breaths, Grey had already recovered seventy percent of the spirit energy he had previously expended.

But that was only the beginning.bDeep within his body, countless booming sounds suddenly erupted.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The sounds resembled the deafening explosions of cannons being fired one after another. Yet despite their intensity, they were strangely muffled.

It was as though an invisible force was suppressing the explosions and preventing their sound from escaping Grey’s body.

His internal organs trembled. His meridians shook.

His spirit energy surged through every corner of his body. Grey’s consciousness gradually became hazy.

He entered a strange semi-conscious state.

He could still sense everything happening within his body, but his connection to the outside world had become increasingly distant. His entire attention was focused inward.

Within the depths of his body, the spirit perforations continued to tremble violently.

One after another, the existing perforations shone brightly. Only two remained. Two final spirit perforations stood between Grey and the manifestation of his Fourth Ball of Spirit Fire.

Grey’s breathing became increasingly steady. His mind became completely empty. Then, without hesitation, he directed the surging spirit essence toward the two remaining spirit perforations.

He was going to break through. Tonight, he would attempt to manifest his Fourth Ball of Spirit Fire.