Sha Wujing held the thin sheet of writing paper, his hands trembling and his eyes bloodshot.
There was a way!
There really was a way to survive!
The city lord trusted him!
Sha Wujing folded the letter and tucked it inside his robes, pressed tight against his chest.
He drew a deep breath, abruptly stepped back half a pace, and pressed his palms together, bowing to the constable.
"Please tell City Lord Tie!"
"I'll find the Divine Vessel and save Iron Transformation City!"
Before his words had faded, he had lifted his treasure staff, summoned a cloud, and shot straight toward Great Black Mountain north of the city.
The constable stood where he was, head tilted back, watching that dark silhouette disappear into the night and thick clouds.
His face was expressionless, showing neither wonder nor fear.
He merely lowered his gaze slowly, turned, and waved his hand, leading his men at a run toward the city lord's residence.
The night wind lashed Sha Wujing's cheeks.
He lowered his gaze, looking down over Iron Transformation City.
Peaceful. Secure.
This was his only chance.
As long as he found that Divine Vessel, these thirteen thousand people could be saved.
He drew his gaze back and looked up.
The summit of Great Black Mountain lay overhead, hidden in a mass of death-gray mist that wrapped it tightly.
A trace of urgency crept onto Sha Wujing's face, and his cloud accelerated further, rushing toward the summit within that thick, death-gray mist.
A hundred zhang.
Fifty zhang.
Ten zhang.
Just as he was about to touch the edge of the thick, death-gray mist-
"Humm!"
A sudden change erupted.
Dense ranks of dark-red runes abruptly appeared across the surface of the entire black-iron mountain, flowing like magma and linking end to end.
They spread