Floating life reflects two lotuses

Late at night, in the laboratory, the core of the rune device suddenly began to tremble slightly, emitting a low hum. Chu Wanlian stared at the screen, her brows furrowed. Her hands flew across the keyboard, trying to stabilize the fluctuating data, but everything seemed to be beyond her control.

"How could this be?" she muttered to herself, her fingers tapping more and more rapidly on the keyboard. The data curves before her eyes were jumping wildly, as if an uncontrollable force was awakening within the device.

Meanwhile, within the ancient site of the offering of spirits, Xiao Jinlian stood in the center of the rune array, her face as pale as paper. Her body was gradually weakening due to the power of the curse, and at this moment, the rune fragments emitted an eerie light, forming swirling ripples of energy that enveloped her.

"Li Heng... step back!" Xiao Jinlian gritted her teeth, her voice weak but firm.

Li Heng stood behind her, his eyes filled with worry: "Lian'er, something's wrong with these runes. We have to leave as soon as possible!"

“I know… but it’s the only clue right now.” Xiao Jinlian raised her head, her gaze resolute, and gently placed her palm over the rune fragment.

As the energy of the runes surged to its peak, a blinding white light burst forth from the two fragments of the runes. The equipment in the modern laboratory began to vibrate violently; the rune array seemed unable to withstand the pressure of the energy, and a slight cracking sound came from the surrounding walls.

Chu Wanlian felt a wave of dizziness, as if her consciousness was being dragged away by some force, and her body suddenly stiffened. At the same time, Xiao Jinlian also felt a tearing pain in her mind, and the scene before her eyes began to blur and distort.

Both of them simultaneously lost their sense of reality in their respective timelines, and their consciousness fell into chaos.

In the midst of nothingness, Chu Wanlian spoke first: "Where...is this?"

"It's you!" Xiao Jinlian's voice came from the void, tinged with shock. "Chu Wanlian, what are you doing here?"

“I was about to ask you the same thing!” Chu Wanlian rubbed her temples, her tone tinged with helplessness. “I was busy dealing with things in the lab when I was suddenly dragged here by this damn rune.”

Xiao Jinlian snorted coldly: "As expected, it's a problem with the runes. I knew this thing was definitely not simple."

"Stop talking nonsense." Chu Wanlian rolled her eyes. "Are we in...some kind of resonance state right now? What happened on your end?"

“The rune array in the Land of Offering Spirits has suddenly activated.” Xiao Jinlian’s voice was weary, but her tone remained clear and calm. “I’m trying to decipher it, but its energy is starting to get out of control. I suspect it’s connecting to some larger power.”

“It seems we’re facing the same problem.” Chu Wanlian frowned. “My lab is also researching runes, trying to open channels to the soul through them. And this power… is probably what caused our soul exchange.”

Xiao Jinlian was taken aback, then sneered: "It seems that no matter in any time or space, humanity is trying to control powers that do not belong to them."

"You talk like a philosopher," Chu Wanlian said, pursing her lips with a hint of teasing. "But seriously, what should we do now? If we let this power continue to get out of control, it could trigger a major catastrophe."

Xiao Jinlian pondered for a moment, her tone becoming more serious: "Since our soul resonance has reached this level, perhaps we can use this opportunity to find its core principles."

“That sounds good,” Chu Wanlian nodded. “But the problem is, I don’t know much about ancient runes. Could you explain it in simpler terms?”

Xiao Jinlian sighed softly: "The rune array is like a lock, and the place of offering spirits is the key. Your rune device may be mimicking the energy fluctuations of this lock."

"So... what if we shut down both formations at the same time?" A bold idea suddenly popped into Chu Wanlian's mind.

"Shut down simultaneously?" Xiao Jinlian frowned. "Are you confident?"

"No," Chu Wanlian said with a wry smile, "but rather than letting it get completely out of control, I'd rather take a gamble."

During their brief conversation, the two reached a preliminary consensus—the energy surge of the runes in both timelines must be stopped simultaneously.

Chu Wanlian took a deep breath: "Can ancient formations be turned off?"

“I will try.” Xiao Jinlian’s tone was calm, but her eyes gleamed with determination. “However, if I fail… the consequences will be unimaginable.”

“Then we can only work together.” Chu Wanlian’s voice was firm. “If you need my help, call me using this resonance.”

“That’s unnecessary.” Xiao Jinlian chuckled. “You might need the help more than I do at that time.”

Their conversation gradually faded, and Chu Wanlian's consciousness returned to the laboratory. She immediately began inputting commands into the equipment, attempting to adjust the energy output of the rune device. The device emitted a sharp buzzing sound, and the alarm lights flashed incessantly.

"Miss Chu, what are you doing?" the lab assistant exclaimed.

"I'll help you avoid a disaster," Chu Wanlian replied calmly, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jinlian, struggling to maintain her weakened state at the Spirit Offering Ground, pressed her hands against the core of the rune array, attempting to control the rampaging energy with her own power.

Li Heng stood to the side, his face full of anxiety: "Lian'er, your body can't hold up for much longer, don't push yourself too hard!"

Xiao Jinlian gritted her teeth: "Don't worry, I won't let myself die here."

As the runes' light gradually dimmed, both of them realized that although the energy had temporarily stabilized, the rune array had not truly shut down. The crisis between the two timelines still loomed over them.

"It seems that only by finding the true core of the Land of Offering Spirits can this problem be completely solved," Xiao Jinlian said in a low voice.

Chu Wanlian stared at the rune device through the screen, her gaze resolute: "No matter where the answer is hidden, I will find it."

Chu Wanlian stared at the flickering data curves on the laboratory screen, her unease growing stronger. The fluctuations of the rune device showed no signs of abating; instead, they continued to oscillate at an inexplicable frequency, as if attempting to break through some kind of constraint.

She rubbed her temples, and just as she was about to input a new command, a familiar voice came to her mind.

“Chu Wanlian,” Xiao Jinlian’s voice was clear and calm, yet tinged with urgency, “Listen, we don’t have much time left.”

Chu Wanlian was startled, then muttered under her breath, "Your appearance is so sudden, always so frightening."

"Stop talking nonsense," Xiao Jinlian said, clearly not in the mood to joke. "I've found some truths about the Land of Sacrifice, and I must tell you immediately."

“I found a record in the runes of the Spirit Offering Site,” Xiao Jinlian’s tone became solemn. “It mentions that the purpose of the Spirit Offering Ritual is to seal the curse, but the root of the curse is related to the soul.”

"Soul?" Chu Wanlian frowned. "Be more specific, stop with these vague concepts."

Xiao Jinlian paused for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts: "The curse was caused by a part of the power of the Luo Yuan Contract. This power can tear through space and time, imprisoning the soul in the Land of Offering. In other words, the Land of Offering is not only the place where the curse is sealed, but also the source of the curse's power."

"Wait a minute," Chu Wanlian suddenly realized, "You mean, the power of the curse is related to our current soul exchange?"

“Very likely.” Xiao Jinlian’s tone was calm, but with a hint of barely concealed tension. “If the rune array of the Spirit Offering Land is destroyed, the power of the curse may completely spiral out of control. At that time, not only you and me, but the balance of the entire spacetime will be disrupted.”

Chu Wanlian gasped and muttered under her breath, "It sounds even scarier than a Hollywood disaster movie."

“This is no joke.” Xiao Jinlian’s voice suddenly turned cold. “What are you doing in your lab? I can sense that their goal is far more than just researching runes.”

Chu Wanlian remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: "The laboratory's goal is to open soul channels through rune energy in order to control human souls... and it may even involve controlling the rules of spacetime."

Information transmission

"As expected." Xiao Jinlian sighed softly, "The rune array at my place of offering spirits is fluctuating more intensely. The runes on both sides have clearly begun to interact."

"So what should we do now?" Chu Wanlian asked with a hint of helplessness. "We can't just watch all this fall apart."

“You need to find the key control point in the lab,” Xiao Jinlian said decisively, “to stop them from activating the rune channels. Otherwise, the power of the curse will spread into the modern world through the channels.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Chu Wanlian said with a wry smile. “This is a heavily guarded laboratory. I’d have a hard time even getting close to the core area.”

“I don’t care what method you use, you must stop it.” Xiao Jinlian’s tone was unquestionable. “Moreover, you also need to help me find something.”

"What is it?" Chu Wanlian raised an eyebrow, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart.

“The Luo Yuan Contract.” Xiao Jinlian’s voice was deep yet clear. “According to the records, this contract records the source of the curse and the method to lift it. If you can find it, you can unravel the truth behind the curse.”

Chu Wanlian frowned: "You think the lab would hide an ancient contract? That doesn't sound very realistic."

“Reality is sometimes stranger than imagination,” Xiao Jinlian said firmly. “I believe the clues to the contract are with you. After all, the power of runes has long transcended time.”

Chu Wanlian took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down: "Alright, I'll try my best to look. But you have to be careful too. Now that the cursed power of the Land of Offering Spirits has started to fluctuate, Consort Yan definitely won't let this go."

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Xiao Jinlian chuckled, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Li Heng has already made a plan with me. If she dares to come, we’ll make sure she doesn’t leave alive.”

"Tsk tsk," Chu Wanlian shook her head with a smile, "Judging from your tone, princesses in ancient times were really not to be trifled with."

“Aren’t you the same?” Xiao Jinlian retorted without any politeness. “The modern you is much more cunning than I imagined.”

During their brief conversation, a strange sense of mutual understanding arose between them. Although they lived in different times and spaces, they were both striving to fight against the torrent of fate in their own ways.

As consciousness gradually returned to reality, Chu Wanlian suddenly opened her eyes and found herself still sitting at the table in the laboratory. The data on the screen kept fluctuating, and the hum of the rune device became increasingly piercing.

She murmured to herself, "The Luo Yuan Contract... the Land of Sacrifice... I will definitely find the truth."

At the same time, Xiao Jinlian stood beside the rune array at the place of offering spirits, gazing at the faintly flickering light, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

“Chu Wanlian,” she murmured softly, a hint of expectation in her voice, “I hope you won’t disappoint me.”