The instant the ice cracked, that withered hand had already seized the edge. Blood-red eyes fixed on them, and its mouth split into a grin, revealing ghastly white teeth.
Chen Wuya yanked Bai Zhi behind him, Misaligned Force gathering in his palm. Mo Feng swiftly drew a mechanical case from his waist, and metal spiders began arranging themselves into formation. Bai Zhi drew her sword again. Its blade trembled faintly, reflecting her pale face.
The young lord of the snow demons lay sprawled across the back of another ice beast, his breathing weak, yet his fingers suddenly twitched.
"Go," he said in a low voice. "We can't fight."
Before his words had faded, the ground jolted violently. A massive fissure spread out from beneath their feet, racing straight toward the depths of the ruins. The sky began to collapse. Chunks of ice rock crashed down, the inverted palace in the distance shook violently, and runes emerged in the air, lighting up one after another.
System vibration: [Self-destruct sequence initiated. Countdown: ten minutes.]
Chen Wuya's pupils contracted. He hesitated no longer, scooping Bai Zhi up and vaulting onto the ice beast's back. He roared at Mo Feng, "Move! The system says this whole place will blow into ashes in ten minutes!"
Mo Feng kicked off the mechanical clasp. The ice beast's four limbs unfolded, ice crystals forming beneath its hooves. He glanced back at the young lord of the snow demons, reached out to haul him onto the second ice beast, then leapt up after him.
The two ice beasts exerted themselves at once, streaking over the ice.
They had barely charged a hundred zhang when a thunderous explosion erupted behind them. The spot where they had stood collapsed completely. Flames and black mist burst upward, shards of ice