Almost at the same time.
Throughout the Spirit Ruins, every expert seeking opportunities or secretly confronting one another sensed this upheaval in heaven and earth!
In a secluded valley, Jiang Tuo abruptly raised his head and looked toward the terrifying vortex in the northwestern sky, which stretched from heaven to earth. For the first time, his usually composed face revealed gravity and confusion.
Beside him, the two Nine Refinements elders of the Taiyi Supreme Sect had gone pale.
"This... this Spirit Eye Storm is far larger than any record!" the black-robed elder said gravely.
Jiang Tuo's brows knit tightly, as though he were calculating at great speed. After a moment, he said in a low voice, "The storm is devouring all free-floating spirit liquid and residual vital energy... The source of the Spirit Ruins is being forcibly disturbed! Go, head for a safe area first!"
Atop a stone forest not far away, Lin Haiqing, clad in black, stood alone upon a jagged boulder.
As he watched that world-ending scene, his expression was exceedingly grave as well.
"Hai Qing, we can't stay here any longer!" Cui Lin said urgently.
Jia Haiyue's expression was equally unpleasant.
"Go!"
Lin Haiqing drew a deep breath and swiftly departed with the two of them.
On a low peak farther away, Xin Nishang's robes fluttered as she stared at the storm.
At her side, a Xuantian Supreme Sect disciple had already spread his protective True Essence to withstand the increasingly powerful pull.
"The storm is plundering all the spirit liquid?!"
The disciple said in horror, "Th-this... what is going on?"
"Perhaps some mechanism unknown to us has been triggered." Xin Nishang gave a soft sigh. "Let us avoid its edge first. A storm of this scale—once drawn in, no one below the Grandmaster realm will have