The wind swept around the street corner, lifting a wisp of incense ash. Chen Wuya stood where he was, breathing slowly, every part of his body growing heavy. He could feel that the true qi within him was nearly exhausted, while his sea of consciousness felt dry and scorched, as if fire had burned through it.
Bai Zhi's hand still rested on his arm, not letting go. Looking ahead, she spoke softly. "Can you still stand?"
"I can still walk." He moved his feet. The force with which he stepped onto the bluestone pavement was weak, but he did not fall.
Just then, the ground jolted violently.
They both looked up. A tear split open in the distant sky, as though something were collapsing within it. Dark red light shone from the depths of the rift before swiftly turning black, as if the entire space had been ripped apart and forcibly stitched back together.
Mo Feng's voice came from beside them. "Move! The cauldron is about to be completely destroyed!"
Chen Wuya turned and saw that Mo Feng had already taken out a mechanism boat. It was shaped like a shuttle, its surface carved with patterns, with a faintly glowing metal core set into its underside. One hand pressed against the hull, while his other hand beckoned them over.
"Get on! This is the only way out!"
Bai Zhi helped Chen Wuya hurry forward. The instant the three of them leaped onto the prow, the earth beneath their feet collapsed with a thunderous roar. The once-solid street cracked apart in an instant, bricks and stones flying as fractures spread outward like a spiderweb.
"Hold tight!" Mo Feng shouted, shoving the steering lever hard with both hands. A ring of blue light flared beneath the mechanism boat, and it slowly lifted