The rain outside the air-raid shelter had stopped.
Water dripped from the vine leaves on the old wall onto the concrete steps, one drop after another, making very little sound. Cold white light still shone from inside the iron door. The door on the fourth level had not closed, and light spilled through the gap, making the water on the ground look as though a thin layer of frost had formed over it.
When Xu Zhihan emerged from the passage, he was still clutching the broken pieces of the containment box.
The box had cracked, and the fourth divinity fragment was temporarily held between two layers of Sealing Patterns. Golden light leaked through the cracks bit by bit, pressing against the gaps between his fingers as though trying to burrow into his skin.
Song Zhixia reached out to take it.
Xu Zhihan did not let go.
Song Zhixia looked at him. "Give it to me."
Xu Zhihan lowered his eyes. "It'll escape."
"I can seal it."
"You can't hold it."
Song Zhixia gave an angry laugh that did not reach her eyes.
"In your current state, you still plan to carry it all the way back to Headquarters in your bare hands?"
Lu Wenchuan stood to one side. His shoulder had just received temporary treatment. A small section of his clothing had been cut away, and white gauze covered the wound. The old injury on his wrist had also been rebandaged, but the bleeding had not completely stopped. Pale red seeped through the edges of the Line-Sealing Patch.
He looked at the containment box in Xu Zhihan's hand.
"Give it to her first."
Xu Zhihan looked up. "You too?"
"She's the professional," Lu Wenchuan said quietly.
Song Zhixia said, "You're many chapters too late with that line."
Lu Wenchuan glanced