Chapter 260: Chapter 260 Grey heaved a silent sigh.
Forcefully strengthening his body was not something that could be done overnight. It would require time, discipline, and an immense amount of effort. But if he succeeded... if he could truly temper his flesh to its limits, then in terms of raw speed alone, he would far surpass ordinary cultivators within the same realm.
That advantage alone could mean the difference between life and death.
Just as he was contemplating how to further increase his speed, the red fog blanketing the sky suddenly churned violently. It twisted and coiled like a living thing disturbed from slumber.
Grey’s eyes narrowed.
The fog thickened... condensed... and then, faint silhouettes began to take shape within it.
Moments later, figures emerged.
Their eyes glowed with a sinister red light, and a foul stench of blood and decay rolled off them in suffocating waves. Their bodies seemed half-formed, unstable—like coagulated mist given shape through hatred alone.
Grey’s expression shifted immediately.
In the next second, countless red figures burst forth from the fog and charged at him in a frenzy, their glowing eyes filled with unrestrained malice.
He could only raise his arms to block as the first wave descended upon him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Heavy impacts rained down on his defenses. Each punch carried a strange corrosive force that vibrated through his bones. Grey retreated step by step, his boots carving trenches into the ground as he endured the assault.
But then—
The fog behind him churned as well.
More red figures emerged, cutting off his path of retreat.
Grey’s heart sank slightly, but before he could react further, the captain’s voice echoed in his mind.
"These things are the red mist that floats in the sky. They didn’t appear earlier because they were afraid of the two halberds that descended from the spatial crack... but now that the halberds’ aura has completely dissipated, they’ve come out."
There was no panic in her voice.
Only cold clarity.
"Try to keep up, Grey!"
The moment she finished speaking, her figure exploded forward with terrifying speed. She became a streak of light tearing through the battlefield. Wherever she passed, red figures were shredded apart, their bodies bursting back into dispersing mist.
Yet the scattered red fog did not vanish.
It gathered again.
Reformed.
And then their hateful gazes locked onto Grey instead.
He gritted his teeth.
If she was the blazing spear, then he was the exposed flank.
Grey drew in a deep breath and released the full power of his cultivation base.
From his chest, a small ball of Spirit Fire flickered into existence.
Though it was no larger than a clenched fist, it radiated dense heat and blinding light, illuminating the surrounding area like a miniature sun. The air around him distorted, shimmering from the intense temperature.
The moment the Spirit Fire appeared, Grey felt as though a furnace had ignited inside his body.
His blood boiled.
His muscles swelled with strength.
His speed sharpened to its absolute peak.
Even his spells felt more responsive, more obedient—like soldiers invigorated by a war drum.
Grey’s eyes burned with cold determination as he stepped forward instead of retreating.
He threw a punch at the nearest red figure.
The creature roared soundlessly, its arm lashing out to meet his.
Bang!
A shockwave erupted from the collision. The red figure’s body cracked apart and exploded into fragments of mist, while Grey was forced a single step backward. The ground beneath his heel fractured from the recoil.
But this time, he did not feel overwhelmed.
His gaze only grew sharper.
"Come on," he muttered under his breath.
He moved at his maximum speed, his body swaying and weaving like a phantom. In an instant, he appeared beside another red figure and struck again.
Another collision.
Another explosion.
This time, Grey did not retreat at all.
The red figure burst apart like shattered glass, unable to withstand the full force of his empowered strike.
Yet the battlefield showed no sign of thinning.