Floating life reflects two lotuses

Night fell, but the laboratory lights remained bright. Chu Wanlian sat in front of the computer, staring at the fluctuating data stream on the screen, her brow furrowed. The energy graph of the runes showed a series of abnormal fluctuations, and the center of these fluctuations happened to fall on an area marked "Abandoned Ruins."

"Is there anything special about this area?" Chu Wanlian pointed at the screen and turned to ask Li Chenyao. He stood behind her, his gaze deep, holding a report in his hand.

“This site was originally thought to be an ordinary ancient Taoist temple ruin, and an archaeological team even came here a few years ago. But in recent months, energy fluctuations have begun to appear, and the laboratory has discovered that it may be related to the core of the runes,” Li Chenyao explained in a low voice, with a hint of barely perceptible vigilance in his tone.

"So, the lab knew about the anomaly all along?" Chu Wanlian raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone more probing.

Li Chenyao did not answer directly, but closed the report and said calmly, "The problem now is that we need to confirm it ourselves. These data indicate that there may be crucial clues hidden there."

Chu Wanlian was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll go prepare."

“We’ll go together.” Li Chenyao’s tone left no room for argument, his gaze fixed firmly on her. “This mission is risky, and I can’t let you act alone.”

Chu Wanlian's heart skipped a beat, but she did not refute it. She knew that investigating the ruins would indeed require assistance, and Li Chenyao was clearly the most reliable choice.

The following morning, the two disguised themselves as researchers, took their equipment, and drove to the ruins. Inside the car, Chu Wanlian flipped through the documents, but Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind.

"Do you really want to trust him?" Xiao Jinlian asked with a hint of doubt. "He clearly knows more about the lab than you do."

"I know, but now is not the time to question," Chu Wanlian thought to herself, her gaze fixed on the scenery rushing past the window.

Li Chenyao seemed to notice her deep thought and asked calmly, "Is this your first time going on a field survey?"

"Hmm," Chu Wanlian replied perfunctorily, her gaze lingering on his hands resting on the steering wheel. Those hands were well-defined, steady, and powerful, seemingly always in control.

The car stopped at the foot of the mountain, and the two men shouldered their gear and began hiking along a winding path. The deeper they went, the quieter the surrounding air became, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"This place is quite desolate," Chu Wanlian muttered to herself, glancing around.

Li Chenyao pointed ahead: "The center of the ruins is another 500 meters away. Be careful, there have been several small earthquakes in this area recently, so the terrain may be unstable."

Upon entering the ruins, the dilapidated remains of a Taoist temple come into view. Moss grows on the half-collapsed brick walls, and broken stone pillars lie scattered on the ground, as if telling the story of the vicissitudes of time.

Chu Wanlian opened the portable instrument, and the rapidly changing values ​​on the screen made her eyes widen: "The energy fluctuations here are too strong! They're even higher than the data recorded in the lab."

“As expected.” Li Chenyao’s expression showed little surprise. He approached a stone tablet covered with runes and gently touched it. “These runes… seem to be some kind of ancient array relic.”

"How did you know?" Chu Wanlian blurted out, her tone full of surprise.

Li Chenyao turned to look at her, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Because I'm also studying runes. But you know more than I do, don't you?"

Chu Wanlian was taken aback by his blunt tone, but quickly regained her composure: "These runes are indeed very similar to those I've seen before. But their arrangement is more complex, and they may be a more advanced energy array."

The two continued their exploration, and the closer they got to the center of the ruins, the more urgent the alarms on their instruments became. Chu Wanlian suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on a stone slab on the ground.

"This symbol... is the mark of an ancient secret site for offering sacrifices!" she exclaimed, then squatted down to examine it closely. "Could this place also be related to a secret site for offering sacrifices?"

“If that’s the case, then the connection between the two timelines becomes even clearer,” Li Chenyao said in a low voice, a complex emotion in his eyes.

As the two delved deeper into their exploration, the surrounding air suddenly became unusually heavy. Chu Wanlian glanced around warily, her hand unconsciously tightening its grip on the instrument.

"Someone is approaching," Li Chenyao whispered, his sharp gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

As soon as she finished speaking, several dark figures darted out from behind the ruins, weapons in hand, and charged straight at the two. Chu Wanlian reacted quickly, pulling Li Chenyao behind a collapsed stone pillar.

"People from the lab?" she asked in a low voice, glancing warily at the men in black.

“I’m not sure, but they clearly don’t want us to continue our investigation,” Li Chenyao said calmly, while taking a steel bar from his backpack, ready to fight at any moment.

The two exchanged a glance and quickly separated to draw the enemy's attention. While evading pursuit, Chu Wanlian hid the equipment in the ruins and simultaneously reported the situation to Li Chenyao using her communication device.

Li Chenyao engaged the men in black head-on, his movements swift and precise, dispatching one enemy in a few moves. But more men in black surged forward, and the battle intensified.

Finally, taking advantage of the chaos, Chu Wanlian found a hidden underground entrance. She turned on her flashlight, took a deep breath, and slowly walked in.

The walls at the entrance were covered with intricate runes, almost identical to those recorded in ancient sacrificial sites. She held her breath, using her instruments to record the arrangement of these runes, while silently memorizing every detail.

"Xiao Jinlian, come out quickly!" Li Chenyao's voice came through the communication device, his tone tense. "The enemy has reinforced us, we have to retreat!"

"Give me two more minutes!" Chu Wanlian responded quickly, while simultaneously transmitting the last set of data to the instrument.

Just then, a low humming sound came from deep within the underground passage, as if something was awakening. She paused for a moment, then decisively shut down the equipment and ran out of the passage.

Li Chenyao was already waiting for her at the exit. Seeing her run out safely, he immediately grabbed her and ran away from the ruins. The two jumped into the car, panting, and quickly drove away from the scene.

"What did you find?" Li Chenyao asked as he drove, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

“The runes here are exactly the same as those in the ancient spirit offering secret site,” Chu Wanlian said in a low voice, her tone full of shock. “Moreover… the energy fluctuations here may be related to the runes going out of control.”

"It seems our guess was correct." Li Chenyao nodded slightly, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Next, it's the lab people's turn to have a headache."

Chu Wanlian remained silent, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside the car window, but Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind: "You must quicken your pace, or it will be too late."

She gripped the instrument tightly, a determined glint in her eyes: "No matter what happens, I must find the truth."