As Grey emerged, he immediately felt the faint sizzling of his flesh.
It was subtle at first, like oil touching a hot pan, but he knew exactly what it meant. The decay point was drawing closer. With every passing moment, more of the corrosive substance seeped into his body. Before long, the concentration would reach a critical level, and when that happened, the chances of mutation would rise exponentially.
Yet even as Grey sensed all of this with frightening clarity, he could do nothing to stop it.
The sizzling grew louder. A sharp, biting pain suddenly tore through his body, causing his steps to falter. Without hesitation, Grey reached into his storage ring and produced a small jade bottle.
He uncorked it and flicked a pill into his mouth.
The effect was immediate. The sizzling sound weakened, retreating into a dull hiss, and the stabbing pain gnawing at his flesh finally subsided into something barely tolerable.
"The corrosive substance in the Corroded Zone is extremely lethal," Grey muttered under his breath.
"If a non-cultivator were to stay here for just a few hours, their body would be completely saturated. Mutation would follow soon after."
He paused, his breath slightly uneven.
"Cultivators can endure it for longer," he continued, "but once the concentration surpasses a certain threshold, even they won't survive."
With that, he let out a quiet sigh.
It was already a miracle that he had lasted this long.
For several days, Grey had remained within the Corroded Zone, alternating between desperately searching for an exit and cultivating whenever he could find a moment of reprieve. By all logic, the amount of corrosive substance in his body should have long since surpassed the point of no return.
Even three medicinal pills should not have been enough to sustain a cultivator for days under these conditions.
And yet, he was still alive.
Grey did not realize this, but if he had examined his condition more closely, he would have noticed something strange. The purple crystal embedded within his body had been quietly neutralizing most of the corrosive substance that entered him. Not all of it, but enough to keep him teetering on the edge rather than plunging into death.
In silence, Grey's body suddenly swayed.
The space around him distorted, and he vanished from where he stood.
When he reappeared, he was several meters away. Dirt smeared his face, and his slightly long gray hair fluttered wildly behind him as he continued to move. His eyes were clear and sharp, carrying no trace of panic, only cold focus. His expression was distant, almost aloof, as he ran unhesitatingly in a single direction.
---
Meanwhile...
Five figures could be seen approaching the outskirts of the Corroded Zone, their expressions cautious and alert. The moment the thick red clouds hanging over the land entered their sight, their faces turned solemn.
At the front stood a young man with a calm and composed demeanor. His gaze lingered briefly on the Corroded Zone before he stepped forward without hesitation. The four behind him followed closely.
The instant their feet touched the corroded ground, each of them produced a medicinal pill and swallowed it.
Despite this, the solemnity on their faces did not fade.
Although every one of them exuded an outstanding aura, the moment they entered the zone, they retracted it completely, sealing their presence tightly within their bodies.
The young man glanced calmly at the others.
At his signal, the only woman in the group stepped forward.
As she did, a faint ripple spread outward through the air. She closed her eyes, her expression turning serious. After several breaths, she opened them again—this time, a blue glow shone from her pupils.
Without a word, she began leading them through the eerie forest.
At times, she abruptly changed direction, forcing the group into sudden turns. At other moments, she instructed them to place their hands on specific trees, waiting silently until exactly three breaths had passed before moving again.
No one questioned her actions.
After traveling for some time, the woman fell back, switching places with a burly man.
The man carried a massive axe that emanated a thick, bloody stench. Yet the innocent, almost childlike smile on his face formed a stark contrast to the brutal weapon in his hands.
He let out a crude laugh and charged forward.
As he ran, small flower-shaped creatures burst from the ground, shrieking as they attacked. Each one was cleaved apart by his axe before it could get close. Green blood splattered across his body, sizzling faintly as it landed, but the burly man only laughed louder and continued onward without slowing.
Under his lead, they covered far more distance than before.
When they reached a particular point, the burly man stepped aside, switching positions with the calm young man once more.
The young man moved to the front.
His expression remained unchanged, tranquil, unreadable.
Without speaking, he raised his hands and began forming a series of complex hand seals.
As he did, the gazes of the others shifted. What had once been respect deepened into reverence, and awe.
Mist began to spread from his body, rolling outward like a living thing. At the same time, dozens of ice blades materialized behind him, hovering silently in the air.
With a simple motion of his hand, the ice blades dispersed and formed a rotating formation around the group.
Only then did the young man step forward.
The others followed without the slightest hesitation, their faces filled with unquestioning trust.
**☺️😉**