Castle of Black Iron

The abyss hurricane was still raging above the boiling magma sea. It was the January of the 903rd year of Black Iron Calendar...

Since the human teams left the hieron ruins two years ago, this place had become a depopulated zone. Besides some people who would come here in a specific period each year, most of the time, nobody could be seen here at all.

An iron-skinned newt drilled out of a dark cave and sought for its food meticulously. After fumbling in the dark for almost 1 hour, it finally found its tasty food near the bank of the magma sea based on its specific smell.

The so-called tasty food was some totally dried flesh and watermelons. Beside these food, there was an empty wine bottle. Even though, those dried flesh and watermelons could still be eaten by iron-skinned newts.

In the underground world, all the living beings had their own talents. Strong living beings could catch sufficient preys by their sharp claws while weak living beings could develop more complex food chains and corresponding digestive capabilities. Undoubtedly, iron-skinned newts belonged to the latter ones.

Although being as hard as rocks, the newt could still swallow those dried flesh. After entering its stomach which was full of gastric acid, the dried flesh was gradually digested while providing the iron-skinned newt with the necessary nutrients and energy.

When the iron-skinned newt was eating food, it raised up its head and looked around time and then with vigilant eyes. The moment it heard something abnormal, it would immediately escape to the shadows of rocks and cliff at the fastest speed.

According to the impression of the iron-skinned newt, this magma sea and the abyss hurricane above it was a barrier that no living being could break through; therefore, it only paid attention to the other side.

Therefore, when a caliga moved out of the magma sea and walked towards the seaside step by step, the iron-skinned newt didn’t pay attention to it for the time being. However, when it caught sight of that man walking out of the magma sea, the iron-skinned newt was scared so much that it instantly bowed its body and sprung up from the ground like a flurried cat. Closely after that, it escaped to the shadow between two rocks in a very embarrassed way.

Perhaps, when this iron-skinned newt escaped away, its small head was still wondering about what kind of living being could live in the boiling magma sea. Undoubtedly, such a living being was very dangerous...

Zhang Tie saw the iron-skinned newt escaping away flurriedly.

It was like a lizard and a giant salamander. Its skin was highly toxic.

Of course, Zhang Tie ignored such a tiny underground living being.

When he walked out of the magama sea, Zhang Tie had put the shield into his portable space-teleportation space.

Strangely, Zhang Tie found a shield as same as that he gained from the demon general after searching over the Weapons Mountain these couple years. The two shields were both silver secret items in the same pattern and size. It reminded Zhang Tie that perhaps in the far-ancient times, these so-called silver secret items might be popular uniformed equipment that were produced in a large scale just like the weapons being equipped in the armies of Taixia Country.

Because of this discovery, Zhang Tie mocked himself that he had been too meticulous before. If he knew that there were so many such shields in the world, he would not worry about being doubted from gaining the shield from the demon baron.

Thieves would always have a guilty conscience.

Because of this shield, his protective battle qi as an earth knight and so many fiery-flame lotus roots that he had taken over the past month, Zhang Tie accomplished one thing that he could never imagine about before——swimming to the seaside from the underground space of the boiling magma sea.

This was how Zhao Yuan did when Zhao Yuan presented his power in front of Zhang Tie for the first time. At that moment, Zhang Tie had thought that Zhao Yuan was a celestial being. It was out of his imagination that Zhang Tie could also barely make it after so many years.

This indicated that Zhang Tie had made a great progress. A few years ago, even Zhang Tie himself could not imagine that he would swim in the magma sea one day.

At this moment, Zhang Tie had recovered his look as Cui Li. Being disheveled and bearded, plus his tower-like figure, Zhang Tie looked pretty terrifying and malicious.

When the iron-skinned newt hid in the dark, Zhang Tie came to the place where the iron-skinned newt stayed just now and stopped.

The empty bottle on the ground aroused Zhang Tie’s attention.

There was some dried food beside the empty bottle. In the gap of the rocks, there was some ash. Zhang Tie squatted down and took a look at it carefully. After rubbing the ash by fingers, Zhang Tie revealed a weird look.

The ash should be the residue of joss paper. The joss paper had been covered with gold powders. Therefore, the ash was different than that of common joss paper. When in Blackhot City, Zhang Tie burned such things with his parents. It seemed that someone had just offered a sacrifice here a few days ago.

’Sacrifice? Here?’

’But why? Who will come here to offer a sacrifice?’

Zhang Tie felt a bit strange as he shook his head and walked ahead. However, after a few footsteps, he caught sight of the large bloody characters on a cliff. It was an elegiac couplet, the characters were as handsome and amazing as dragons which were full of grief and indignation.

——That’s how heroes should behave! That’s how good men should die!

Above the elegiac couplet, there was a line——Wish you live forever, Brother Cui Li.

Below the elegiac couplet, there was also a line——Left by Mountain Lifting Hermit with tears.