"This is bad!!!"
"That vortex—it's going to pull the Ruyi Ancient Castle in."
Seeing the Ruyi Ancient Castle drift toward the black vortex, both Grandmaster Tang Chen and Fairy Muzhi's first thought was that the castle was being sucked in.
Without a moment's hesitation, the two of them sprang into action almost simultaneously, unleashing their respective techniques in an attempt to yank the Ruyi Ancient Castle back.
But to their dismay…
Even with the two of them joining forces, they couldn't so much as budge the Ruyi Ancient Castle.
They couldn't slow it down in the slightest. Even with their combined power, the speed at which the castle was being drawn into the vortex hadn't decreased by even a fraction.
This only panicked Grandmaster Tang Chen and Fairy Muzhi even further.
They could feel the gap in power now.
Even they were far, far outmatched by the force behind that vortex.
"Old geezer, are you going to stand there and help or not?!"
In his desperation, Grandmaster Tang Chen shouted at the bull-nosed old Taoist.
After all, Chu Feng was still inside the Ruyi Ancient Castle, and Chu Feng was the bull-nosed old Taoist's own disciple. Fairy Muzhi was this worried about Chu Feng's safety, yet the old Taoist was just standing there watching the spectacle like it was entertainment.
It made Grandmaster Tang Chen's blood boil.
"What are you two doing? Just come down already."
The bull-nosed old Taoist not only had no intention of stepping in—he actually told Tang Chen and the others to back off.
"What are we doing?"
"We're saving Chu Feng, obviously. What kind of nonsense is coming out of your mouth?"
"Old geezer, have you lost your mind? Can't you see how dangerous that vortex is?!"
Grandmaster Tang Chen was so furious he was gnashing his teeth, and he roared his words in towering rage.
But who could have expected that at that very moment, the voice of the Ruyi Elder drifted out from within the Ruyi Ancient Castle.
"Do not worry, everyone. I'm taking Chu Feng to handle a small matter. We'll be back shortly."
Hearing that voice, everyone froze in shock.
A terrible realization dawned on them.
"What… what's going on?"
"Could it be… that the vortex was created by the Ruyi Elder?"
Fairy Muzhi watched helplessly as the Ruyi Ancient Castle plunged into the vortex, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Even Grandmaster Tang Chen stood there dumbstruck.
"Isn't it obvious? He did it," the bull-nosed old Taoist said flatly.
"Oh my god—the Ruyi Elder really did create it."
"The Ruyi Elder… he possesses such power?"
"We underestimated him. He's actually a being of terrifying strength."
Though people had already begun to suspect as much, the bull-nosed old Taoist's words confirmed it beyond doubt.
But for everyone present, this was earth-shattering news.
Clearly, none of them had truly understood who the Ruyi Elder was. His strength had reached a level that defied description.
He was a hidden powerhouse.
"Old geezer—so you knew all along that the Ruyi Elder was the one behind this?"
At that moment, Grandmaster Tang Chen flew down to the bull-nosed old Taoist and demanded an answer.
"Of course. Who else here could possibly do something like that? He is the successor of the Ruyi Ancient Castle," the bull-nosed old Taoist replied.
"You already knew the Ruyi Elder had been hiding his strength?" Tang Chen pressed.
"He never hid anything. He simply never revealed everything," the bull-nosed old Taoist said.
"This…" Grandmaster Tang Chen suddenly realized just how shallow his understanding of the Ruyi Elder had been.
But it wasn't his fault alone. In truth, the entire Sacred Light Galaxy—aside from the bull-nosed old Taoist—had failed to notice that the Ruyi Elder was such a terrifying existence.
Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, the Ruyi Ancient Castle vanished completely behind the colossal barrier gate.
"So it was the Ruyi Elder."
"Then the hidden powerhouse is him," Fumo Xin'er said.
"No, it isn't him," Lord Gusu said.
"Lord Gusu, it's not the old man?" Fumo Xin'er asked in surprise.
"It really isn't. Because that person's aura is still here—which means he remained and has not left," Lord Gusu said.
"That means… apart from the Ruyi Elder, there's still another powerhouse?"
"Is it the master of the Ancient Spirit Domain? The one who passed down his legacy to Chu Feng?"