Floating life reflects two lotuses

Li Chenyao frowned slightly, staring at the rune plate in the center of the ruins. The patterns seemed to come alive, emitting a faint blue light and constantly spreading outwards in ripple-like circles.

“It’s responding.” His voice was low, with a hint of uncertainty.

"Reaction? It's not going to explode, is it?" Chu Wanlian took a step back nervously. Although she was joking, her heart was pounding.

"Don't move." Li Chenyao crouched down and reached out to touch the circle of light on the ground. The moment his fingertips touched the light, he recoiled as if burned. "The energy is flowing... it seems to be searching for some kind of target."

Chu Wanlian stared intently at the circle of light, her eyes filled with barely suppressed doubt: "This energy is very similar to the aura of the Spirit Offering Secret Ground. So, this might be part of an array?"

Li Chenyao looked up at her and nodded, saying, "Very likely. But the problem is that the energy is surging, which means that the formation has not completely failed, or rather, it still has residual activation conditions."

The sudden tremor interrupted their conversation. The ground shook violently, and the aura fluctuated wildly as if activated. On the surrounding stone walls, the previously blurred symbols began to glow, their shimmering patterns forming a complex design.

"Get back!" Li Chenyao shouted, grabbing Chu Wanlian and pulling her behind him.

"What happened?" Chu Wanlian stared wide-eyed as she watched the central rune device slowly rotate, and a faint blue light emanated from the rune cracks on the ground, like a stream of light flowing underground.

“It seems to be awakening.” Li Chenyao’s expression was solemn. “This formation seems to be trying to complete some unfinished task.”

Before the words were even finished, the surrounding air suddenly turned cold. An invisible energy surged out from the rune array, rushing straight towards the two of them.

"Damn! It's really going to explode!" Chu Wanlian instinctively covered her head and squatted down, only to find that the energy did not cause any damage, but instead enveloped them in a strange way.

The energy radiance penetrated her skin and reached the depths of her soul. Chu Wanlian's pupils contracted slightly, and in that instant, countless images seemed to flash through her mind.

"This is..." Chu Wanlian's voice trembled. She saw—another time and space.

It was an ancient sacrificial scene, the runic array of the spirit offering site clearly visible, and crimson light illuminating the entire sky. Faintly, she heard a familiar voice.

"Lian'er... watch your step!" That was Li Heng's voice.

Chu Wanlian was stunned. The images flashed through her mind, followed by Xiao Jinlian's voice in her mind.

"Chu Wanlian! What strange thing have you touched again?" Xiao Jinlian's tone was filled with anxiety and anger.

"I didn't touch it! It moved by itself!" Chu Wanlian retorted in her heart, her voice full of helplessness.

At the same time, Li Chenyao seemed to sense the unusual energy as well. His body stiffened slightly, and his brows furrowed: "This energy is affecting our consciousness... no, it should be said that it is connecting with our thoughts."

As Chu Wanlian listened to the conversation in her mind, she was speechless with shock at the sight before her. The runic light on the ground gradually converged into a huge vortex, as if turning the entire ruins into a center of energy.

“Xiao Jinlian, this energy is a channel connecting you to that ‘past.’ Are you hiding something?” Li Chenyao’s gaze held a hint of scrutiny.

"What can I hide? I know nothing!" Chu Wanlian gritted her teeth, trying to appear calm, but her heart was in turmoil.

The vortex grew faster and faster, and a strong sense of oppression filled the air, as if the entire space was being torn apart by some force.

"We have to find a way to shut it down!" Li Chenyao's voice suddenly rose.

"How do I turn it off? Should I unplug it?" Chu Wanlian asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.

"Calm down! Since it's an array, it should have a core point." Li Chenyao quickly looked around, his gaze landing on the central rune array. "There! That rune is the center of energy!"

"Are you sure? What if it explodes?" Chu Wanlian took a step back, but her eyes followed the direction he was pointing.

“We have no choice.” Li Chenyao said firmly, quickly taking a metal probe from his toolbox and handing it to Chu Wanlian. “Insert it.”

"Why me?" Chu Wanlian's eyes widened.

“Because your ‘intuition’ is very accurate.” Li Chenyao’s eyes flashed slightly, filled with an undeniable firmness.

Chu Wanlian gritted her teeth and took the probe, her heart pounding. She took a deep breath and carefully approached the center of the array, aiming the probe at the groove of the rune.

As soon as the probe entered the groove, a powerful surge of energy rushed into Chu Wanlian's body. Her vision went black, followed by a blinding white light. Her soul seemed to be pulled, passing through an invisible barrier.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw a face that was both strange and familiar—Xiao Jinlian!

Their eyes met in their minds, and they looked at each other, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

"You...this is..." Chu Wanlian was about to speak when Xiao Jinlian's voice rang out first: "Stop talking nonsense! Turn that thing off!"

Chu Wanlian suddenly awoke with a start and forcefully rotated the probe. The next second, the array's light abruptly went out, and the entire ruins fell silent.

Chu Wanlian slumped to the ground, panting heavily. Li Chenyao strode over, reached out to help her up, and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

"Still alive." Chu Wanlian glared at him, her tone full of reproach. "Why couldn't you do it yourself?"

“Because you are more suitable.” A faint smile appeared on Li Chenyao’s lips, but a deep thought was hidden in his eyes.

Chu Wanlian sighed helplessly, her gaze falling on the extinguished array, and she murmured to herself, "What exactly is going on... why can I see the past?"

Li Chenyao didn't answer, but patted her on the shoulder: "Rest for a bit first, we'll investigate the rest later."

The two returned to the laboratory with the data they found at the ruins, a tense atmosphere filling the air. Chu Wanlian stared intently at the computer screen, her fingers flying across the keyboard, the data charts on the screen scrolling by in waves. The flow of runic energy data was unusually intense, as if telling some long-hidden secret.

"Here!" Chu Wanlian slammed her hand on the table, her voice tinged with urgency. "Li Chenyao, look at this energy peak! Its fluctuation frequency is exactly the same as the energy residue from the ruins we discovered before!"

Li Chenyao stood to the side, arms crossed, his gaze fixed intently on the screen. His brow furrowed slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "What does this mean?"

"This means..." Chu Wanlian pointed at the screen, speaking rapidly, "It means the Land of Spirit Offering might be located in a specific area within this region! These runic energies aren't random remnants, but rather a precise coordinate system!"

Li Chenyao's brows furrowed slightly as he leaned down to examine the data on the screen more closely. After a moment of silence, he looked up at Chu Wanlian, his gaze now filled with inquiry: "How did you come up with this idea?"

Chu Wanlian paused slightly, her eyes flickering, before calmly replying, "It's the result of a combination of intuition and logic. After all, rune energy is not an ordinary phenomenon; there must be some kind of pattern behind it."

Li Chenyao stared into her eyes, seemingly trying to glean something from her expression. However, he ultimately just nodded slightly: "Continue investigating. If this direction is correct, we're not far from the answer."

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere in the laboratory grew increasingly tense. Chu Wanlian's gaze was fixed on the screen, her hand moving rapidly with the mouse, comparing the various data points with previous records of the ruins. After a moment, she stopped, a hint of excitement appearing on her face.

"We found it!" Chu Wanlian pointed at the screen, her voice filled with barely concealed excitement. "This area—the peak rune energy here is twice as high as in other places! The point where they overlap is the location of the Sacrifice Land in modern times!"

Li Chenyao quickly moved closer to the screen, his gaze landing on the red dot on the map. He nodded slightly and calmly said, "This is an abandoned industrial area on the outskirts of the city. The location is remote, making it quite suitable for hiding some kind of secret."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's set off right now!" Chu Wanlian grabbed her coat and said decisively.

Li Chenyao raised his hand, signaling her to calm down: "Don't rush. Since the energy fluctuations here are so obvious, the others in the lab have probably already noticed. If we go there rashly, we might be intercepted or even cause unnecessary trouble."

Chu Wanlian frowned, her tone revealing impatience: "So what do you mean?"

"Prepare to disguise yourself." Li Chenyao's tone was calm, yet carried an unyielding firmness.

The two changed into simple work clothes, disguised themselves as researchers from an investigation team, and quietly left the laboratory. However, they were stopped as soon as they stepped out of the laboratory building.

“Miss Xiao, Director Li, please wait.” A cold voice rang out.

Chu Wanlian looked up and saw Xu Ze, the deputy director of the laboratory. He stood at the exit, his gaze sharp, a faint sneer playing on his lips.

"Manager Xu, what is it?" Li Chenyao's voice was deep and steady, with a hint of alertness in his tone.

"The energy anomaly analysis report from the lab isn't finished yet, and you're already leaving?" Xu Ze said slowly, his gaze fixed on Chu Wanlian. "Dr. Chu, this data can't be taken out of here so easily."

Chu Wanlian's heart tightened, but she maintained a calm smile on her face: "Manager Xu, we are just going out for a routine inspection, so the data will naturally not be leaked."

"Is that so?" A cold glint flashed in Xu Ze's eyes, and his tone suddenly turned serious. "If it's a routine inspection, then why is it necessary to take the relevant equipment from the core of the energy anomaly area?"

Chu Wanlian's heart skipped a beat, but Li Chenyao calmly said, "Manager Xu, you're being too sensitive. As the director, I have the right to allocate resources; these devices are merely for auxiliary purposes."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ze's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked the two of them up and down a few times, then sneered, "Alright, I hope you don't do anything to disappoint the lab."

His words carried a clear threat, but Chu Wanlian pretended not to care and smiled slightly: "Manager Xu is overthinking it. We will definitely abide by the rules and regulations."

The two quickly left the laboratory building. Chu Wanlian whispered to Li Chenyao, "Does he know?"

"I've probably guessed that." Li Chenyao's voice was calm but tinged with coldness. "We don't have much time left, we must act quickly."

The two drove to the abandoned industrial area. On the way, Chu Wanlian was filled with complicated thoughts. Xu Ze's cold smile flashed through her mind, and she couldn't help but feel more vigilant.

Upon arriving at the industrial zone, abandoned factories and rusty equipment came into view, and the entire area was shrouded in an atmosphere of desolation.

Chu Wanlian looked around and said in a low voice, "This is indeed a good place to hide secrets."

Li Chenyao nodded and took out equipment from the car: "The energy detector shows that the energy fluctuations here are gradually increasing. The rune array of the Spirit Offering Land is very likely located underground in this area."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Chu Wanlian picked up the toolbox beside her and quickly walked towards the core area.

However, just as the two began probing for underground energy, they heard hurried footsteps behind them.

"Miss Xiao, Director Li, don't move." A familiar voice rang out, and Xu Ze appeared in front of the two with several researchers, holding equipment in his hands and looking cold.

Chu Wanlian's heart sank. Suppressing her unease, she forced a smile and said, "Manager Xu, what brings you here?"

"What? You can come, but I can't?" Xu Ze sneered. "The energy anomaly here has attracted the attention of the laboratory, and all related work must be managed by the laboratory."

"Unified management of the laboratory?" Li Chenyao looked up, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. "Director Xu, we were the first to discover this place. If you want to interfere, you'll probably have to give us a reason."

Xu Ze's gaze suddenly turned cold: "Director Li, don't forget your current position. No one can break the rules of the laboratory."

The atmosphere froze instantly, a sense of oppression filling the air. Chu Wanlian gripped the equipment in her hand tightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"It seems we have no choice but to force our way in," Li Chenyao said in a low voice, his tone carrying an undeniable decisiveness.

Chu Wanlian nodded, took a deep breath, and prepared to deal with the upcoming conflict at any time.