Arkon's scream was not human; it was a terrifying metallic resonance caused by the tearing of fiber optics within the (Eye of Insight). Ether's icy blade hadn't just cut flesh; it had injected an "Icy Virus" directly into the optic nerve connected to Arkon's energy core.
"When the source collapses, the entire system follows," Ether thought, retreating with agility, watching the golden blood begin to boil as it touched the cold air.
Arkon lost control. A "Peak Rank 2" cultivator possesses massive energy, but it is energy that relies on "direction." Without his eye, Arkon became like a nuclear reactor with a broken safety valve. Waves of searing golden light began exploding from his body randomly, shattering the mine's stone support pillars as if they were dry twigs.
"My eye! I will annihilate you all! I will turn this mine into a mass grave!" Arkon roared, firing random energy blasts that carved deep trenches into the ground.
Kai fell to the floor, bleeding from his ears due to the high atmospheric pressure. "Ether... help me... the place is collapsing!"
Ether looked at the cracking ceiling, then at Kai, and finally at Arkon, who was burning with his own energy. Through the (Spiritual Microscope), Ether saw that the mine's structure had reached its "critical resonance point." One more rock falling in the wrong place, and everyone would be buried under thousands of tons of stone.
"A stupid cultivator sees death in a collapse; an alchemist sees a 'change in physical state'," Ether thought coldly. "Arkon's death here will be recorded as a 'mining accident.' No one will claim his blood, and the Raven family won't launch an investigation over a dead slave."
Ether approached Kai, not to save him, but to ensure the "Lens" was still functional.
"Kai, stand up. If you want to live, you must follow the path of rock vibrations I draw for you. You are not a human right now; you are a 'seismic sensor'."
Ether used the Frost Raven's energy to trace faint blue lines on the ground. These lines represented "Zero Points" where no rocks would fall. Meanwhile, he watched Arkon consume himself.
"The third rule of Spectral Alchemy: Wait for the prey to eat itself. Wasted energy is a crime, but energy that destroys its owner is a 'gift from fate'."
The ceiling began its final descent. Ether let out a pale laugh amidst the dust and smoke. To him, this destruction was not chaos; it was a "natural laboratory" to reshape his destiny.