Floating life reflects two lotuses

In the early morning, a thin mist enveloped the Taoist temple, dew dampened the stone steps, and a cool, refreshing scent of grass and trees filled the air. Xiao Jinlian, Li Heng, and Si Lan stepped into the side hall where the mural was located once again, their gazes falling on the scroll filled with mysterious runes.

Silan spoke first, her voice low and gentle yet respectful: "Princess, is there anything we missed in what we saw yesterday?"

Xiao Jinlian nodded slightly, her gaze solemn: "These runes are definitely not just simple records; they may very well contain core information about the Spirit Offering Secret Ground. Only by figuring out its true intention can we find a solution to the problem."

Beside him, the Taoist priest stood silently, his face calm, but his eyes held a deep meaning: "Esteemed benefactors, all I can do for you is provide this secluded place. As for the rest, that's up to your own fate." After he finished speaking, he slowly stepped aside, seemingly not intending to interfere.

Xiao Jinlian ignored the Taoist priest's indifference, raised her hand to touch the surface of the mural, her fingertips tracing the complex runes and patterns, her eyes becoming increasingly focused.

“Here…” she murmured, her finger pausing on a hidden symbol in the lower left corner of the mural. “This symbol seems to be connected to some kind of hidden information.”

Silan leaned closer to examine it, her brows furrowing slightly: "Princess, this symbol looks simple, but the lines around it are different from other runes. It might be some kind of hint."

Xiao Jinlian nodded slowly: "Silan, go find some lamp oil. We might need the angle of light to reveal the hidden content here."

Silan nodded in agreement and quickly turned to leave.

Li Heng stood to the side, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. He gripped the sword at his waist and said in a low voice, "The information contained in these runes is extraordinary. If Consort Yan finds out we are here, I'm afraid she won't let this go easily."

Xiao Jinlian chuckled softly, her gaze never leaving the mural: "If she really makes a move, it means we're closer to the truth."

Soon, Silan returned with lamp oil and carefully poured it into the lamp beside the mural. Xiao Jinlian lit the wick herself, and the flickering flame cast a faint golden glow on the runes. As the flame's brightness shifted, the runes on the mural gradually coalesced into a complete pattern.

"Here!" A glint flashed in Xiao Jinlian's eyes as she pointed to a complex symbol in the center of the mural. "These are the coordinates for the entrance to the Spirit Offering Secret Ground!"

Before the words were finished, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, mixed with the faint sounds of clashing weapons. Li Heng's expression changed instantly. He drew his sword and stood in front of Xiao Jinlian, his voice low but calm: "Someone's coming. Get ready."

Several assassins in black rushed in from outside the door. They were armed with sharp blades and moved with lightning speed, clearly well-trained assassins. The leader sneered and said in a sinister tone, "Miss Xiao, Consort Yan has ordered us to hand over the fragment of the ancient artifact, or... spare your life!"

Xiao Jinlian raised her eyes and looked at him coldly, a mocking smile curving her lips: "You think you're worthy of wanting the fragments?"

"How dare you!" the assassin leader roared, waving his hand to signal his companions to attack.

Li Heng snorted coldly, drew his sword, and rushed forward. His movements were swift and decisive, stopping the assassins' attack almost instantly. His sword flashed fiercely, each move carrying an overwhelming momentum, and he repelled two assassins in just a few moves.

Silan drew a dagger from her waist and swiftly joined the battle. Though petite, she was incredibly decisive and agile, deflecting her opponent's attacks with a few quick counter-attacks. Standing beside Xiao Jinlian, she said urgently, "Princess, leave this to us. You must quickly decipher the secret of the mural!"

Xiao Jinlian didn't turn around, focusing intently on the runes gradually appearing in the mural. Her fingers slid rapidly, piecing together clues according to the order of the runes, calmly muttering to herself: "Spiritual energy gathering... dual spirits annihilating... entrance coordinates... this is an array model! If I can activate it..."

Just then, an assassin attempted a surprise attack from the side. Li Heng caught a glimpse of his movement, swiftly turned, and blocked the attack with his sword, shouting angrily, "Don't let anyone get close to her!"

"Don't even think about it!" Silan nimbly flipped over, forcing the other assassin back a few steps.

Xiao Jinlian continued working without stopping, finally completing the deciphering of the last rune. She took a deep breath, pressed the mechanism next to the mural, and instantly, a bright beam of light shot out from the center of the mural, straight up to the ceiling, and the entire side hall was enveloped in golden light.

The assassins were momentarily blinded by the bright light and took several steps back.

Xiao Jinlian straightened up, looked coldly at the leader of the assassins, and said in a stern voice, "Go back and tell Consort Yan that if she wants these things, she should come and get them herself!"

The assassin leader glared at her through gritted teeth, then turned and retreated swiftly. Li Heng chased after them for a few steps, only sheathing his sword after confirming they were gone.

The hall returned to calm. Xiao Jinlian let out a long breath and looked at Li Heng and Si Lan: "We've found a clue to the entrance, but the enemy won't let us off easily. Next, we need to be fully prepared."

After the assassins retreated, the golden light in the side hall gradually dimmed, returning to silence. The air still held a tense, almost explosive atmosphere. Xiao Jinlian stood before the mural, her eyes gleaming, her fingers slowly tracing its surface.

“This is not the end.” Her voice was calm and firm. “The secrets hidden in this mural are more complex than we imagined.”

Li Heng stepped forward and whispered, "These assassins are probably just testing the waters. Consort Yan won't let this go easily. We must act quickly."

Xiao Jinlian nodded slightly, her fingertip hovering over the center of the mural, where a newly activated rune array had been set in motion. The runes emitted a faint glow, their lines intricate and complex, resembling a map, with the outline of a massive building vaguely depicted at its center.

Silan wiped the sweat from her forehead and asked softly, "Princess, what does this pattern mean? Is it the secret place of offering sacrifices?"

Xiao Jinlian frowned, her gaze fixed: "It doesn't seem to be a secret place for offering sacrifices, but it points to another key location—the imperial mausoleum."

"The imperial tomb?" Li Heng's gaze sharpened instantly, and his tone became even more cautious. "You mean, the secret of these runes is related to the imperial tomb?"

Xiao Jinlian nodded, tracing the lines of the array with her finger: "Look here, these runes are connected to each other, forming a complex energy circulation array. According to the records in the mural, the end point of this array is the imperial mausoleum. The Spirit Offering Secret Site may not be isolated; there must be some connection between it and the imperial mausoleum."

“The Imperial Mausoleum…” Silan’s voice held a hint of hesitation, “But the Imperial Mausoleum has always been considered a forbidden area, and ordinary people cannot even get close to it. Princess, how can we find this place?”

Xiao Jinlian did not answer immediately, but continued to stare at the mural, her eyes filled with thought: "Perhaps we need to decipher the core mechanism of the formation to obtain more clues."

Li Heng turned around and surveyed the side hall, his sharp gaze sweeping across every corner: "We don't have much time. What do we need to break this formation?"

Xiao Jinlian said in a deep voice, "This formation needs a guiding point, an energy medium—it could be a fragment of a rune, or it could be an ancient artifact we carry." She paused, then turned to the Taoist priest, "Taoist priest, are there any other clues hidden here?"

The Taoist priest stood in the corner, his expression complex, as if he had anticipated their questions. He pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, "Esteemed benefactors, regarding the imperial tomb, I know little. However, according to rumors, there are strange energy fluctuations near the imperial tomb, intricately connected to the runes. As for the deeper secrets, I'm afraid you'll have to discover them yourselves."

“Strange energy fluctuations?” Xiao Jinlian pondered, her gaze falling on the mural again. “The design of this formation might be a teleportation point that will guide us to a closer place—perhaps the entrance to the imperial mausoleum.”

Silan leaned closer to examine the mural, pointed to a node where runes were connected, and whispered, "Princess, there seems to be a mark here, like some kind of activation device."

Xiao Jinlian looked in the direction she was pointing and found that there was indeed a protruding stone below the mural. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pressed it down.

"Click——"

As the stone was pressed down, the entire side hall suddenly shook. The runes in the center of the mural instantly lit up with a dazzling golden light, and a virtual three-dimensional image was projected from the mural, floating in the air.

It was a complete array model, with the outline of a complex of buildings clearly displayed in the center. At the same time, the surrounding rune lines began to slowly rotate, emitting a low hum.

"This...this is the connection map between the Spirit Offering Secret Site and the Imperial Mausoleum!" Xiao Jinlian exclaimed in a low voice.

Li Heng walked to her side, his brows furrowed: "What does this mean?"

Xiao Jinlian stared intently at the model, her voice tinged with excitement: "This proves that the power of the Spirit Offering Secret Ground is not isolated; it is connected to the runic array of the Imperial Mausoleum. And the true entrance to the Spirit Offering Secret Ground may very well be hidden near the Imperial Mausoleum!"

"The entrance?" Silan's voice was filled with shock. "Doesn't that mean we need to enter the imperial tomb to unlock all this?"

“That’s right.” Xiao Jinlian nodded and turned to look at Li Heng. “We must go to the Imperial Mausoleum to find out its relationship with the Spirit Offering Secret Site. But we can’t be careless. Consort Yan’s forces may have already been eyeing that place for a while.”

Li Heng pondered for a moment, his gaze steady: "In that case, we must set off as soon as possible. We must find evidence that can prove these things before we reach the imperial mausoleum."

The Taoist priest stood aside and slowly said, "Esteemed benefactors, this is the only way I can escort you. The road ahead is fraught with danger. If anything unexpected happens, please proceed with caution."

"Thank you for your guidance, Daoist Master." Xiao Jinlian nodded slightly, her gaze fixed firmly on the light and shadow array. "No matter how dangerous it is, we must take this step."

As the runic light gradually faded, the patterns on the mural returned to their original state, while the virtual array model dissipated into specks of light in the air. The three exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unspoken determination.