Luo Chen froze for a moment. The instant the bead sank into the metal core, every pattern on its surface lit up. Silver-gray light burst through the cave, illuminating every corner. It lasted about three seconds, then dimmed.
The metal core had changed. It no longer looked like a half-finished piece, but like a complete silver-gray bead the size of a fist, its surface smooth as a mirror. The Space Trace Bead had completely fused with it.
The new bead floated above Luo Chen's palm. It no longer felt cold, but warm, as if it were alive.
He probed inside with his spiritual power. The space within was several times larger than before. Its walls were no longer silver-gray, but transparent, like a hollowed-out crystal.
He could "see" the cave outside. Looking out from within the bead, he had a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view.
The Evil Emperor's voice carried a hint of complexity. "The Space God hid the divine trial in a hammer and a piece of iron, then had you dig them out from the bottom of a well. I can't make heads or tails of that approach."
Luo Chen put the bead away and turned to leave the cave.
Back at the inn, Luo Chen rested the new bead on his palm and studied it for a long time.
Its silver-gray surface was smooth as a mirror. It felt warm to the touch, like a stone that had been left in the sun. The Space Trace Bead had completely fused into it, leaving no visible trace, though he could still sense it. Something moved inside the bead—not a living creature, but space itself, slowly flowing.
He tried probing inside with his spiritual power.
The space inside the bead was far larger than he had expected. When he'd probed it