Floating life reflects two lotuses

Just days before heading to the ruins, the laboratory lights were still bright. Chu Wanlian sat in front of a pile of data, typing on the keyboard, her eyes fixed on the screen. The fluctuations in the runic energy on the screen became clearer and clearer, the jumping values ​​like a silent scream.

"What's so special about this site? Why does the runic energy fluctuation reach its peak here?" she murmured to herself.

Li Chenyao's voice came from behind, deep and with a hint of teasing: "Xiao Jinlian, are you confessing your love to the screen?"

Chu Wanlian was startled and almost knocked over the water glass on the table. She looked up at Li Chenyao and saw that the corners of his mouth were raised and his eyes showed a teasing smile.

"When exactly did you arrive?" she asked, frowning, her tone slightly displeased.

"While you were muttering to yourself," Li Chenyao took a few steps closer, glanced down at the data on the screen, and his gaze gradually became serious, "this place is indeed worth a visit. The energy intensity of the runes far exceeds our previous records, and may hide important clues."

"Are you so sure?" Chu Wanlian raised an eyebrow, deliberately probing.

Li Chenyao straightened up, put his hands in his pockets, and said with certainty, "My intuition tells me this is an opportunity. Besides, I always felt that you are much more interested in these runes than the rest of us."

Chu Wanlian's heart tightened slightly, but she pretended to be calm on the surface: "I'm just doing my job, shouldn't I be more serious?"

Li Chenyao looked at her and smiled slightly: "Really? Then why don't we go all the way and go see this site together tomorrow?"

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, and a subtle tension filled the air.

Chu Wanlian deliberately turned her head away, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Whatever. Anyway, having someone lead the way is better than me getting lost alone."

Li Chenyao chuckled and nodded: "Okay, then you should get some rest. Don't complain about not having enough energy tomorrow."

"Hey, Director Li, isn't that backwards? Shouldn't it be 'Don't hold me back'?" Chu Wanlian retorted with a smile, her eyes carrying a hint of provocation.

Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening: "I'll be watching."

The next morning, the two set off on time. Li Chenyao drove himself, while Chu Wanlian sat in the passenger seat, carrying a pile of equipment in her arms, looking both professional and casual.

"Director Li, do you spend most of your time sitting in an office?" Chu Wanlian glanced at Li Chenyao and said deliberately, "Is this your first time conducting a field survey like this?"

Li Chenyao's lips curled into a smile, his eyes remaining impassive: "What, are you worried about me?"

“It’s not worry, it’s curiosity.” Chu Wanlian smiled innocently. “After all, you look more like the kind of elite who wears a suit and drinks coffee.”

"Is that so?" Li Chenyao glanced at her, his tone indifferent. "I think Miss Xiao is more suited to be a comedian. She's eloquent and can talk for three days and three nights straight."

Chu Wanlian couldn't help but laugh: "Director, this is the first time I've ever heard someone use 'comedian' to praise someone. But your taste is terrible, I'm clearly more capable in my work."

Li Chenyao smiled and lowered his head, then focused on driving without replying.

The car reached the foot of the mountain, and the two changed into lighter clothes before beginning their hike to the ruins. Chu Wanlian was in high spirits the whole way, looking left and right, seemingly full of curiosity about the scenery before her.

"Xiao Jinlian, is this your first time in a place like this?" Li Chenyao asked with a hint of concern.

“Of course.” Chu Wanlian pointed to the distant mountains. “This kind of place is much more interesting than the office. Look at those mountains, those trees, so natural, so…”

Before she could finish speaking, she slipped and fell to the ground with a thud, getting covered in dust.

Li Chenyao reached out and pulled her with a helpless expression: "Xiao Jinlian, next time you're praising the scenery, remember to watch where you're going."

Chu Wanlian helped him stand up, stubbornly saying, "That was just an accident, it will never happen again."

Li Chenyao glanced down at the mud on her trouser legs and couldn't help but chuckle softly, "An accident? Looks like your accident was pretty fatal."

"Director Li, your words are getting more and more cutting!" Chu Wanlian patted the dust off her pants and couldn't help but complain, "Have you been corrupted by spending so much time with me?"

Li Chenyao ignored her, simply strode forward, and said in a calm tone, "Let's go, don't fall behind."

Along the way, Chu Wanlian would often make some strange jokes, and Li Chenyao would occasionally retort. The two gradually developed a wonderful tacit understanding.

By the time they arrived at the ruins, the sun was already high in the sky, casting dappled light and shadows through the surrounding woods. Chu Wanlian turned on the instruments, and the data began to fluctuate rapidly.

“The energy fluctuations are very strong; there’s definitely something wrong with this place.” Chu Wanlian frowned, looking at the ruins ahead.

Li Chenyao nodded and gestured for her to follow: "Go in and take a look, be careful."

As the two stepped into the ruins, the dilapidated remains of a Taoist temple came into view. Chu Wanlian looked down at the bricks and tiles under her feet and couldn't help but sigh, "These things must be hundreds of years old."

“Perhaps longer.” Li Chenyao glanced around, his tone grave. “But the question is, why is there such high levels of runic energy here?”

Chu Wanlian squatted down and carefully examined a stone slab engraved with symbols, her brows furrowing slightly: "This symbol... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."

"Where?" Li Chenyao squatted down next to her, his tone tinged with urgency.

Chu Wanlian looked up at him and slowly said, "In the information about the Spirit Offering Secret Land... the arrangement of these symbols is exactly the same as there."

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a mixture of excitement and wariness.

"Looks like we've found the right place," Li Chenyao said in a low voice.

“But this is just the beginning.” Chu Wanlian stood up, dusted off her hands, and said with a firmer tone, “Next, we need to find out the secrets hidden here.”

Near the ruins —

"Can you be a little more natural?" Chu Wanlian muttered under her breath, glancing sideways at Li Chenyao beside her.

Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze still fixed on the dilapidated ruins in front of him, and said calmly, "Be natural? Do you think I'm acting in a spy drama?"

"Your expression is too cold! Even if you're an investigator, you don't need to act like you're here to investigate a case!" Chu Wanlian lowered her voice, trying to maintain a smile to hide her nervousness.

Li Chenyao stopped and turned to look at her, a faint smile playing on his lips: "I thought you wanted us to look like professionals."

"I mean professional expertise, not the kind of 'cold-faced judge' expertise you have." Chu Wanlian sighed helplessly. "Forget it, it's a waste of energy to talk to you about interpersonal relationships."

The two stepped over a pile of rubble and walked deeper into the ruins. The dilapidated architectural structure was still faintly visible, and the thick bluestone slabs were covered with moss from the years, as if whispering the story of this place's former glory.

Chu Wanlian stopped, took out a portable scanning device, and began recording data about her surroundings. Her gaze swept over the remnants of runes on the walls and floor, her brows gradually furrowing.

“Look at these symbols.” She reached out and gently touched a faint inscription on the wall, whispering, “The curves and the way the lines intersect… it’s exactly the same as the murals in the Sacrifice Site.”

Li Chenyao crouched down and carefully examined the rune remnants on the ground. He gently rubbed the indented marks with his fingers and analyzed in a low voice, "These runes have obviously carried powerful energy, but judging from these burn marks, they seem to have gone through some kind of loss of control."

Chu Wanlian frowned: "Energy out of control? Could this be related to the legend of the Spirit Offering Secret Land? The 'spiritual energy disorder' phenomenon mentioned in ancient times?"

Li Chenyao straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings, his voice low: "The layout of this place resembles the center of an energy array. Perhaps this was once part of the outer perimeter of the Spirit Offering Secret Ground."

Chu Wanlian nodded and continued examining the remaining runes around her. She muttered to herself, "Judging from this, there should be some important clues buried here."

The two ventured deeper into the ruins and arrived at a relatively intact stone chamber. The walls of the chamber were covered with mottled runes, and there was a noticeably sunken floor tile in the center.

"This brick seems movable." Chu Wanlian squatted down and gently tapped it with her finger, producing a dull sound.

Li Chenyao took out his portable tools and tried to pry open the floor tile. With a low "click," the tile loosened, revealing a plate inlaid with metal runes. The runes emitted a faint glow, like an ancient creature breathing in its slumber.

“These runes…” Chu Wanlian’s gaze was drawn to them, and she said softly, “They are exactly the same as the mural runes in the Spirit Offering Secret Land.”

Li Chenyao crouched down and carefully examined the arrangement of the runes, his tone revealing a hint of solemnity: "This seems to be the center of an unfinished array. If the energy of the Spirit Offering Secret Land once extended here, then these runes may be the key nodes for energy transmission."

“But they’re not reacting at all right now.” Chu Wanlian frowned and reached out to lightly touch one of the runes.

The moment her fingers touched the runes, the ground suddenly trembled. The remnants of runes on the walls glowed faintly, and the entire stone chamber seemed to be ablaze, filled with a powerful energy fluctuation.

"Chu Wanlian, don't move!" Li Chenyao quickly grabbed her and pulled her aside.

"I didn't do anything!" Chu Wanlian shook off his hand and pointed to the rune plate on the ground. "It moved by itself!"

The runes glowed brighter and brighter, and the central panel of the floor began to slowly rotate, accompanied by a deep hum. On the surrounding walls, blurry symbols gradually emerged, intertwining into intricate patterns.

"This is... the formation being activated?" Li Chenyao's eyes changed slightly, his voice low.

Chu Wanlian stared at the rotating plate, feeling both excited and nervous: "No, this is not activation, but the residual energy reacting. The energy here has not completely disappeared; it is still maintaining the array structure to some extent."

As the runes flashed, a blurry image appeared on the wall. It was a huge runic array diagram, with a towering building clearly marked in the center.

Chu Wanlian stared at the building, her voice trembling: "This is... an imperial mausoleum?"

"The imperial tomb?" Li Chenyao's gaze deepened. "The residual energy of the runes points in the direction of the imperial tomb."

Chu Wanlian nodded and murmured, "This means that the core of the Spirit Offering Secret Ground... is near the Imperial Mausoleum."

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with complex emotions. This discovery led them to a deeper mystery and made the intersection of the two timelines even clearer.

Li Chenyao said in a low voice, "Next, we need to plan how to continue investigating the clues about the imperial tomb."

Chu Wanlian nodded, a resolute glint in her eyes: "No matter what's hidden here, we must find the truth."