Lu Chen stared at the pile of eggshells, countless thoughts racing through his mind.
This little snake was not the only one.
There had been at least one more, one that had hatched earlier and left earlier.
Where had that snake gone?
He crouched down and carefully examined the eggshells.
Besides the bloody patterns, the shells bore tiny etched marks. Those marks were not natural—they had been carved by human hands. They were runes, restriction runes.
They were exactly the same as the runes on that little snake's egg.
The person who had carved the restrictions was the same person.
Lu Chen picked up a fragment of eggshell and held it close for inspection.
The runes were exquisitely crafted, every stroke perfectly placed without the slightest excess. Whoever had carved them was deeply versed in the art of restrictions—at the very least, a grandmaster.
Did the Ten Thousand Gu Sect have anyone of that caliber?
Yes.
Corrupt Heart Old Monster was an expert in restrictions. Ghost Venerable was as well. And Shadow Kill, the elder who had died by his hand, had likewise been proficient in this art.
But those people had either fled or died.
Who could it be?
After pondering for a moment, Lu Chen put the eggshell fragment into his Sumeru Ring, rose to his feet, and left.
By the time he climbed out of the well, dawn was beginning to break.
He stood at the entrance of Willow Tree Gully, gazing at the sky slowly whitening on the horizon, his brow tightly furrowed.
This trip had yielded quite a lot, but it had also raised even more questions.
The first little snake had fled to the Southern Frontier.
The second little snake was nowhere to be found.
The person carving the restrictions was still lurking in