Even before the matter was explained, Ji Jue had already sensed its gravity.
After all, he found it hard to imagine what could leave the Grand Elder so weary and distressed. In fact, he had even prepared for the worst-case scenario—manifesting his Sin Corruption form and knifing Xu Chao Xian in the night.
But that was not it.
This was even more troublesome.
More than a month ago, the unrest triggered by the Sacrificial Temple had not merely been confined to the worldwide purge and suppression of the Evil Transformation Cult.
Instead, it had been more like a fuse.
Adding fuel to the flames.
Coupled with the chain reaction caused by the Empire's Emperor being severely injured and hospitalized in the ICU, the entire world had been thrown into upheaval.
The sheer scale and terror of Celestial Origin were plain to see.
Even an insignificant ripple, after being endlessly amplified, could become a devastating tsunami. And when the dust of an era fell somewhere, it became a calamity that shattered heaven and split earth.
The Empire had carried out its fourth large-scale troop deployment to Central Earth, while a new Garrison Base on the Endless Sea had already begun construction. Once completed, its brand-new long-range missile launch base would place Central City squarely within its maximum strike range. In retaliation,
the Federation had dispatched the Leviathan Fleet to begin patrols, while its aerial Giant strike formations had started deploying.
Both sides sharpened their weapons and drew their swords, as though the situation might explode at a touch. Yet fuel, grain,
medicine, rubber, and the prices of countless other materials on the international market continued to soar, while the prices of vast quantities of goods on the futures market began to plunge.
After a round of distant posturing, neither side showed