Unfortunately, the man’s neck had been twisted into an unnatural angle.
His mouth could barely open, making it impossible for him to swallow the pills unless his neck was first forced back into its proper position.
However, by this point, his condition had deteriorated even further.
His breathing had become incredibly weak.
His eyes slowly rolled backward until only the whites remained visible, making it seem as though the last traces of life were rapidly slipping away from his body.
The man died shortly afterward.
Although Grey did not know what kind of creature had nearly killed both him and his shadow, he knew it was undoubtedly a bizarre existence.
Ever since God descended upon the world, countless creatures had undergone horrifying mutations, transforming into strange and unrecognizable monstrosities. This invisible being was most likely one of those bizarre existences born from that catastrophe.
Grey did not wish to dwell too much on the cultivator’s death, but one particular detail continued to linger in his mind.
When he had slashed downward with the transparent purple sword, he distinctly felt as though his attack had not only struck the invisible force before him but had also cut into another existence located far away.
The strange sensation caused Grey’s eyes to narrow into a sharp glint.
That could only mean one thing.
The invisible being had most likely been controlled by someone else.
Although it was not common to see cultivators assassinate others through bizarre existences or mutated creatures, it was by no means unheard of. Certain sects specialized in such sinister arts, treating horrifying monsters and strange beings as extensions of their own strength.
Coincidentally—or perhaps not—the port where Grey and the others had arrived was one of the territories controlled by the Sect Alliance.
Because of that, Grey was almost certain that the mastermind behind this attack was a cultivator from one of those sects.
Without wasting another second, Grey immediately gave his shadow an order.
The dark figure detached itself from beneath his feet and rapidly spread across the ground in every direction like flowing ink, silently searching every corner of the surrounding port for traces of life or spiritual fluctuations.
His shadow was just as furious as he was.
Moments earlier, it had been utterly defeated and torn apart with almost no ability to resist. Never before had it suffered such humiliation.
What made the situation even worse was what happened afterward.
The rusty nail had emerged from Grey’s sea of consciousness and effortlessly devoured the invisible existence that had nearly destroyed it.
To the proud shadow, that felt less like being rescued and more like being ridiculed.
It felt weak.
Powerless.
Humiliated.
As a result, it did not complain or hesitate. Instead, it spread out with even greater speed, almost frantically sweeping through the surroundings as though it wished to personally tear apart the being responsible for its disgrace.
When Violet saw Grey’s shadow separating itself from his feet before disappearing into the darkness, her eyebrows rose in surprise.
"What did you discover?" she asked as she lightly leaped from the small canoe and landed beside him.
As a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm, such movements were effortless. If she wished, she could simply fly through the air, making the distance between the canoe and the shore insignificant.
Grey’s gaze remained fixed on the darkness ahead.
"The real enemy may still be nearby," he replied calmly, although an unmistakable chill filled his voice.
If the rusty nail had not reacted at that critical moment and devoured the invisible being, both he and his shadow would have suffered a miserable fate.
His arm would likely have been severed.
His body would have been ripped apart.
He might even have died before realizing what had happened.
Just thinking about that possibility caused a cold light to flash across his eyes.
For that reason alone, Grey had no intention of allowing this matter to end here.
Someone had attempted to kill him.
Whether that person belonged to a powerful sect or possessed an extraordinary background was irrelevant.
As long as they remained alive, they would continue to pose a threat to him.
And Grey had never been the type to leave behind enemies capable of striking him from the shadows.
Several seconds passed in complete silence.
Then, a familiar connection stirred within Grey’s mind.
His shadow had found something.
A torrent of emotions immediately flowed through their mental link.
Anger.
Hatred.
Resentment.
The emotions were so intense that even Grey could clearly sense the shadow’s desire to tear the enemy apart with its own hands.
At the same time, another piece of information arrived.
The target’s location.
Near the shore of Port Thirty-Three.
The cultivator was currently fleeing, attempting to escape Sky Mist City before anyone could discover his identity.