Floating life reflects two lotuses

"Li Heng..." Her voice trembled, a flicker of pain crossing her eyes, "I... I can't bear it..."

Li Heng's eyes narrowed; he knew this was the price of the seal. To seal the contract forever, an immense price had to be paid, and that price could very well be their souls.

"No, you can't stop." Li Heng gripped her hand tightly, his tone icy yet resolute. "There's no turning back now. Only by continuing can we completely break the Luo Yuan contract and lift the curse!"

Xiao Jinlian gritted her teeth. Although the excruciating pain in her soul was almost unbearable, she still did not give up. She connected herself even more closely with Li Heng's soul, trying her best to summon her last bit of strength.

“We…together,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes, yet filled with unwavering determination.

Their souls intertwined, the light from the rune fragments intensified, and the entire secret realm began to tremble violently, seemingly on the verge of collapse. At the same time, the last part of the energy in Luo Yuan's contract was suppressed, and the rune device emitted a final roar, as if the entire world was offering its last strength for this seal.

Suddenly, Xiao Jinlian felt a violent shockwave strike her, as if she were being torn to pieces. Her consciousness began to blur, and everything before her eyes gradually turned dark, but she knew that her and Li Heng's sacrifice had brought about balance.

In the darkness, Xiao Jinlian heard Li Heng's voice: "Everything will end, Chu Wanlian...everything will end."

This last sound brought a smile to Xiao Jinlian's face before her consciousness completely faded away.

In the modern-day laboratory, the rune device was nearing its final stage of operation, its energy fluctuations reaching their limit. Chu Wanlian stood before the control panel, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, her eyes fixed intently on the screen. She knew that only by completely destroying this device could she prevent the full opening of the soul portal.

"Li Chenyao, we don't have any more time!" Chu Wanlian's voice was filled with urgency. She had put all her strength into cracking the rune device, but she still couldn't completely shut it down.

Li Chenyao stood behind her, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes. "What do you plan to do?"

Chu Wanlian took a deep breath and stared at the rune device in front of her. Countless thoughts surged in her mind. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "I must enter the core of the rune device and directly interfere with its operation."

Li Chenyao's heart tightened suddenly. "Are you crazy? You'll lose your life doing this!"

“If we don’t do this, everyone will die.” A resolute glint flashed in Chu Wanlian’s eyes. “This is the only way.”

She didn't give Li Chenyao more time to react, quickly activating the last fragment of the rune assistant and launching an attack on the core area. The light from the rune device grew increasingly dazzling, and the energy fluctuations nearly caused the entire laboratory to collapse.

Just then, a shrill voice rang out: "Do you think you can stop me?"

Chu Wanlian turned her head sharply, her eyes filled with shock. She saw the leader of the laboratory's higher-ups approaching her with a sinister grin. "You had no right to interfere in this experiment from the very beginning."

Chu Wanlian felt a chill run down her spine, knowing that this battle had only just begun...

The moment the rune key in the center of the rune device was inserted, the entire secret realm seemed to be torn apart by a powerful force. Xiao Jinlian and Li Heng's bodies could barely withstand this surging energy fluctuation, and the surrounding air became extremely oppressive, as if every breath became difficult.

Guided by the rune fragments, Xiao Jinlian and Li Heng's souls began to subtly intertwine, their consciousnesses colliding intensely in that instant. Li Heng's memories, emotions, and even his unspoken thoughts swirled within Xiao Jinlian's consciousness. She sensed his pain, inner conflict, unwavering resolve, and his deep dependence and trust in her.

"Li Heng..." Xiao Jinlian called softly, as if trying to grasp this fading connection. Her voice appeared in his chaotic consciousness like a ray of light piercing the darkness.

Li Heng responded to her call, his voice deep and low: "Xiao Jinlian, remember, behind the seal, someone's soul must make a sacrifice. If I don't give up a part of my soul's power, the contract cannot be fully completed."

"You..." Xiao Jinlian's heart tightened suddenly, her eyes revealing endless reluctance and pain, "Li Heng, what are you going to do?"

Li Heng looked at her, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Only in this way can we ensure that Luo Yuan's power will no longer erode our world."

Xiao Jinlian's breathing quickened instantly; she could hardly believe her ears. She had never imagined she would have to make such a choice. At this crucial moment, her heart was filled with endless turmoil and pain.

“But… if you do this, you will lose too much, you might even lose a part of yourself!” She gripped Li Heng’s hand tightly, as if trying to tear apart the lines of fate.

Li Heng looked at her intently and slowly shook his head: "This is the only choice, Xiao Jinlian. I have no regrets, nor am I afraid. I know you will stop everything and allow our souls to finally find peace."

In that instant, Xiao Jinlian's tears fell uncontrollably. She understood that the "peace" Li Heng spoke of was not only for the future of this world, but also for herself, and even for the unspeakable bond between the two of them.

“Okay.” She raised her head, her eyes filled with determination. “We’ll complete this seal together, no matter the cost.”

As she finished speaking, Xiao Jinlian combined the rune fragments with Li Heng's power, and a powerful energy vortex began to form between them, almost tearing their bodies apart. That power was not just physical oppression, but more so a tearing apart of their souls.

"Li Heng..." Xiao Jinlian whispered, as if she wanted to use her last bit of strength to pull him back, but she knew that this was an inevitable sacrifice.

"Don't worry." Li Heng's eyes were firm. He merged all his power with Xiao Jinlian and began to seal Luo Yuan's power with their souls as the bond.

Within the glow of the runic device, Xiao Jinlian and Li Heng's souls almost intertwined, their powers continuously merging to form a massive sphere of light. Inside the sphere, Luo Yuan's runes, like black chains, were gradually bound by their power.

As the seal was gradually completed, the entire secret realm began to tremble violently, and the energy of the runes was completely sealed. Luo Yuan's aura gradually dissipated, as if held by an invisible hand, unable to spread further. With the end of the last fluctuation, everything returned to calm.

Xiao Jinlian and Li Heng's bodies almost lost their support, and they knelt on the ground, their breaths weak. Although the connection between their souls still existed, it was extremely fragile.

"Did we succeed?" Xiao Jinlian barely raised her head and looked at Li Heng, whose face was already pale and whose eyes were beginning to dim.

Li Heng smiled weakly and nodded slowly: "Yes. Luo Yuan's contract has broken, and our world will no longer be controlled by it."

But Xiao Jinlian knew clearly that behind this victory lay enormous sacrifices. Li Heng had already paid a heavier price than anyone else to complete the seal.

In the modern-day laboratory, Chu Wanlian and Li Chenyao stood before the rune device, facing imminent collapse. The entire laboratory's equipment had begun to destabilize, and the air was filled with fluctuations in electricity and energy.