Before the offering table, Xu Jin took out the remnant alchemical-pattern stone.
The fragment shook more violently, the faint golden glimmer within its patterns flickering on and off as though urging him to his death.
What was the rush? He was about to find it its matching stone.
He took out the half of the Danding Inscription Stone Tablet from his robes as well.
Both stones shuddered at once.
"Pretty self-aware."
With a flick of his wrist, Xu Jin pressed the fragment against the gap.
Click.
A perfect fit.
The next instant, pale golden patterns lit up across the entire tablet, spreading from the break and crawling over its surface.
A three-legged alchemical cauldron crouched at its center. Patterns flowed windingly from its body like rivers, converging at the tablet's edge into a map.
River channels.
Ferry crossings.
Rocky Shoal.
Xu Jin knew that point at the end of the map better than anyone.
Green-Mud Ferry, river channel, Sunk Tomb.
There was another tiny point at the bottom of the tomb, beside it two minuscule seal-script characters.
Xu Jin narrowed his eyes and studied them for a long while before reading them aloud. "Alchemical... chamber."
Then he tucked the tablet back into his robes and clicked his tongue.
"WiFi connected."
"And it even downloaded an offline map automatically."
In the corner, Sun Wang lay sprawled there, making hoarse sounds in his throat.
Hearing the movement, Xu Jin walked over and looked down at him from above.
"Want to talk?"
"If you want to kill me, then kill me..." Sun Wang said, each word deliberate. "The Branch Master... will avenge me..."
"Your Branch Master won't let me off. I already knew that." Xu Jin crouched down. "Come on, tell me something new."
Sun Wang gave a miserable laugh. "Something new? Fine...