The might radiating from the huge hand reaching out of Bone City had already made everyone understand.
Only by transforming into its Heaven-Opening Giant Axe form would Mechanical City have a chance of escaping.
Otherwise, if that huge hand dragged it into the black mist deep within Bone City, the whole of Mechanical City would fall.
By then, everything would be too late.
Seeing that Yang Yong still showed no response, Grand Elder Liu Yijun turned his gaze toward the metal sphere that City Lord Servien had become after falling asleep.
The metal sphere hovered above the raised platform, gently swaying without conscious intent.
Its metallic sheen was dull, showing... no sign whatsoever of waking.
Liu Yijun remained silent for a long time.
Then he did something none of them had expected.
He gently pointed a finger at the metal sphere.
With that single gesture, Liu Yijun turned as pale as paper, as though every drop of blood had been drained from his body.
Immediately afterward, copious amounts of blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all at once.
Blood gushed out, soaking his Grand Elder's robes dark red.
The amount of blood was so staggering... that everyone present cried out in shock.
"Grand Elder!"
Everyone's expression changed.
Someone tried to step forward to support him, but Liu Yijun stopped them with one hand.
His body swayed violently twice, like an old tree battered by a storm, liable to collapse at any moment.
But... he held on.
Everyone understood at once.
It was not that Liu Yijun had no way of waking the City Lord. It was just that the cost was enormous.
So enormous that this single gesture had nearly cost him half his life.
An old man with graying hair, a loyal follower who had accompanied