Floating life reflects two lotuses

Chu Wanlian gripped the equipment tightly; the fluctuations in the experimental data indicated the instability of the energy field. The surrounding noise gradually faded away, and she felt a wave of dizziness, as if the whole world was becoming blurred. In that instant, a faint voice entered her mind, clear and familiar.

“Xiao Jinlian…”

Chu Wanlian suddenly raised her head, but her vision was blurred by the flashing rune light before her. She subconsciously pressed her forehead, as if she heard a call from another time and space.

Meanwhile, inside the ancient Taoist temple, Xiao Jinlian was sitting at a stone table, finishing the final rune array. As her fingertips lightly traced the lines on the paper, she suddenly felt an indescribable stinging pain, as if something inside her was being pulled.

"Chu Wanlian?" she murmured softly, her brows furrowed.

At that moment, the distance between the two seemed to be shortened by some mysterious force. Their consciousness wavered between blurriness and clarity, and they seemed to see a bridge of light that briefly connected their respective spaces and times.

Chu Wanlian's consciousness was suddenly drawn into a beam of light. She saw an unfamiliar figure—a woman dressed in ancient attire standing beside a stone table in an ancient Taoist temple, holding a scroll of talismans in her hand. The woman's brows revealed a resolute look; it was Xiao Jinlian.

"This is...?" Chu Wanlian's voice echoed in her mind.

"You've finally arrived." Xiao Jinlian looked up, her tone tinged with surprise and helplessness. "It seems our connection has strengthened once again."

Chu Wanlian was taken aback: "Enhance? What do you mean? Why am I here?"

“Because of the power of the runes,” Xiao Jinlian explained calmly. “These rune arrays are not just symbols for recording energy; they also connect souls. The memories we share now are activated by the runes.”

"Does this mean... we can know about each other's experiences?" A complex emotion flashed in Chu Wanlian's eyes.

Xiao Jinlian nodded: "Not only that, every decision you make in the modern world will affect my world. Similarly, my actions will in turn affect you."

The image of the rune fluctuations in the laboratory, Xu Ze's cold laugh, and that unresolved energy fluctuation flashed through Chu Wanlian's mind in an instant.

"I need to know more about the Land of Spirit Offering," Chu Wanlian said anxiously. "How far have you progressed in your research?"

Xiao Jinlian paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The Land of Offering Spirits is the core of the runic power. It can not only connect to our souls, but also release some kind of out-of-control energy. I suspect that the Spirit Stream Organization is trying to use this power to open a forbidden entrance."

"A forbidden entrance?" Chu Wanlian was momentarily confused. "Then what does this have to do with our soul exchange?"

“The exchange of souls was not accidental.” Xiao Jinlian’s gaze was solemn. “Our connection is a side effect of the activation of the Spirit Stream’s power. Perhaps, the Land of Spirit Offering is the key to solving everything.”

In an instant, countless fragments flashed through Chu Wanlian's mind.

She saw Xiao Jinlian standing in front of the murals in the ancient Taoist temple, tracing the patterns of runes with her fingertips; she saw her hiding from assassins in the secret room; she even saw the tense scene of her studying runes with Li Heng. At the same time, Chu Wanlian's memories also flooded into Xiao Jinlian's mind.

She saw the cold, impersonal instruments in the laboratory; she saw Li Chenyao standing beside her, fighting alongside her; she even sensed Chu Wanlian's anxiety and unease as she was trapped by the experimental data.

"Is this your world?" Xiao Jinlian murmured to herself, her brows furrowing slightly. "Complex and cold."

"Isn't your world just the same? Full of dangers, you even have to be careful when you sleep." Chu Wanlian gave a bitter smile.

The two looked at each other, their eyes revealing a newfound understanding and tacit agreement. Though they lived in different times and spaces, their fates were inextricably linked.

Just then, the call of reality pulled Chu Wanlian back to the laboratory.

"Dr. Chu! The energy fluctuations are becoming increasingly severe. We need to evacuate immediately!" A researcher rushed in, his voice filled with panic.

Chu Wanlian snapped back to reality and looked at the data on the screen. The fluctuation of the rune energy had reached a dangerous level, and a red warning light was flashing continuously on the screen.

"We can't retreat!" Chu Wanlian grabbed the other person, her gaze resolute. "I must continue my research. This is the only way to find the place of offering spirits!"

"But the laboratory could collapse at any moment—"

"Let me handle this!" Li Chenyao's voice suddenly rang out. He quickly walked into the laboratory and took command. "Everyone, act according to Dr. Chu's instructions."

Chu Wanlian glanced at him gratefully and quickly returned to her work. However, Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind again.

"Chu Wanlian, you can't take the risk. The power of the runes is not only dangerous, but it could also completely destroy your soul."

"I know, but I have no other choice," Chu Wanlian replied softly, her hands continuing their work without pause.

The data on the screen finally stabilized, and Chu Wanlian's gaze settled on a flashing red dot on the map. She took a deep breath, looked up at Li Chenyao, and said, "I've found it—the location of the Land of Spirit Offering in modern times!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chenyao frowned slightly: "Are you sure?"

“I’m absolutely certain.” Chu Wanlian’s tone was incredibly firm. “However, we don’t have much time left. If the people in the lab discover our actions, all of this could be for nothing.”

Li Chenyao pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Then let's act immediately."

"Wait a minute." Chu Wanlian suddenly stopped, looking at the screen with a complicated expression. "What will happen if we fail?"

“Then we’ll just have to face the consequences.” Li Chenyao’s voice was deep and powerful.

Chu Wanlian pursed her lips, a resolute glint in her eyes: "Then, I hope it's all worth it."

Her finger lightly slid across the red dot on the screen, and Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind once more.

"Chu Wanlian, no matter what, don't give up."

"Don't worry, I won't," Chu Wanlian replied softly, her gaze fixed firmly ahead.

Chu Wanlian straightened up in front of the screen, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, her gaze fixed on the flashing red dot on the screen. She turned to look at Li Chenyao, her tone firm: "The Land of Offering Spirits is not just an ancient site; it is related to the core of our entire research."

Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow, his voice low: "Core? Dr. Chu, is there something else you haven't said?"

Chu Wanlian hesitated for a moment, then heard Xiao Jinlian's voice in her mind: "Tell him as little as possible. If modern people discover the true use of this power, it will probably only bring about a greater disaster."

She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calmer: "The laboratory's research direction is correct, but the Land of Sacrifice may contain power far beyond our imagination. If we are not careful, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Li Chenyao narrowed his eyes, took a step closer, and asked in a low voice, "What...what does this power have to do with you?"

Chu Wanlian lowered her eyelids and said in a low voice, "There are some things I can't say right now, but what I'm sure of is that we must enter the Land of Sacrifice before anyone else."

Li Chenyao stared at her for a few seconds, as if trying to read more information from her face, but in the end he said nothing, only nodded: "Okay, but if what you're hiding threatens the success of the operation, I hope you can tell me as soon as possible."

As the two remained silent, a powerful energy surge suddenly erupted in Chu Wanlian's mind. She felt a violent dizziness, and the scene before her eyes began to distort. At the same time, Xiao Jinlian sensed an indescribable power within the ancient Taoist temple, and the rune scroll in her hand suddenly emitted a bright light.

"What happened?" Chu Wanlian asked in a low voice, holding onto the table.

"Chu Wanlian, calm down!" Xiao Jinlian's voice rang in her mind, tinged with anxiety. "The resonance of the runes is deepening, and our soul connection is becoming stronger."

"What do you mean?" Chu Wanlian asked subconsciously.

“This means that our spacetime is undergoing a deeper overlap,” Xiao Jinlian explained in a deep voice. “The power of the Land of Sacrifice may be the key to triggering all of this.”

In her hazy state, Chu Wanlian's vision suddenly shifted. She saw an ancient palace, candlelight illuminating runes on the walls. Xiao Jinlian stood before the wall, her fingertips lightly touching the runes, her expression focused.

"You can see me?" Xiao Jinlian's voice was low but filled with shock.

"Yes." Chu Wanlian nodded, as if she were standing next to her in her mind.

“It seems our connection is deeper than I anticipated.” Xiao Jinlian pursed her lips. “If we can share this information, perhaps we can find a solution more quickly.”

Chu Wanlian snapped out of her reverie, swiping her finger across the screen to quickly access the laboratory's rune data. She compared the recently collected energy fluctuations with the rune mural she had just seen in her mind, finding that their characteristics were almost identical.

“These runes… are exactly the same as the murals in the ancient Taoist temple.” Chu Wanlian murmured softly, a hint of shock flashing in her eyes.

"What runes?" Li Chenyao's voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

Chu Wanlian turned her head and quickly organized her thoughts: "This is a set of symbols we found in the site. I suspect that they are not just ordinary ancient characters, but a medium for energy transmission."

Li Chenyao's eyes flickered slightly: "So, what do you think is the connection between the Spirit Offering Ground and these runes?"

Chu Wanlian nodded, her tone now more certain: "They are not only connected, they may be the key."

Her fingers flew across the screen, bringing up a map. The red dots gradually aligned with historical sites in the records. Finally, a striking mark appeared on the map before them—an imperial tomb.

"The imperial mausoleum?" Li Chenyao frowned even more. "You mean, the place for offering sacrifices to the spirits is near the imperial mausoleum?"

“That’s right.” Chu Wanlian’s voice was low but firm. “If both ancient and modern clues point to this place, then it must be the core of the answer.”

Just as Chu Wanlian was preparing to conduct further research, the laboratory alarm suddenly went off. She looked up sharply and saw a red warning flashing on the screen: "Access locked, external intrusion!"

"What's going on?" Li Chenyao quickly stepped forward and calmly looked at the control panel.

"Someone is trying to take over our system!" Chu Wanlian quickly operated the keyboard, but the screen went completely black as soon as her hand touched it.

"The lab's core data has been locked." Chu Wanlian's heart sank. "This is... an internal access operation."

Li Chenyao's expression instantly turned cold: "It seems we're not the only ones who know the importance of these runes."

"What do we do now?" Chu Wanlian looked at him, her eyes filled with anxiety.

"Let's leave here first," Li Chenyao said decisively. "Since the data has been locked, staying here will only expose more information."

Chu Wanlian nodded, quickly packed her documents, and left the laboratory with Li Chenyao. In her mind, Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed again.

"Chu Wanlian, don't underestimate the power of these runes." Xiao Jinlian's voice was calm but carried a hint of warning. "They can both connect us and destroy us."

“I know,” Chu Wanlian replied softly, her gaze fixed firmly ahead, “but I won’t let this get out of control.”

Li Chenyao glanced at her, seemingly puzzled by her whisper, but didn't ask any further questions. His footsteps were steady and powerful, providing her with a sense of security like a mountain.

The two walked out of the laboratory building, the moonlight casting long shadows on the ground.

"What do we do next?" Li Chenyao asked, his tone calm.

"To the imperial mausoleum." Chu Wanlian said without hesitation, "I need to confirm the location of the sacrificial site with my own eyes."

Li Chenyao was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Then let's begin preparations."

"You'll help me?" Chu Wanlian looked at him with some surprise.

Li Chenyao smiled faintly, his voice low but firm: "Now that I've already gotten involved, I won't back down. Besides, I'm also very curious about where all of this will lead."

Chu Wanlian was slightly taken aback, then smiled faintly: "Thank you, Director Li."

In her mind, Xiao Jinlian's voice whispered, "This man is indeed trustworthy."

Chu Wanlian nodded slightly, secretly vowing that no matter what awaited her ahead, she would not give up easily.

The two walked side by side into the distance, the moonlight illuminating their steps, and their fate was drawing ever closer to the place of sacrifice.