Floating life reflects two lotuses

Before the ancient Taoist temple, night fell, a cold wind howled, and the swaying shadows of the trees seemed to conceal countless prying eyes. Xiao Jinlian stood under the eaves, watching the cold moon gradually emerge on the horizon, her brows furrowed.

"Princess, are you really going to the Land of Offering Souls?" Silan's voice, tinged with worry, came from behind her.

“We have no choice but to go.” Xiao Jinlian turned around, her eyes filled with determination. “The power of the curse is spiraling out of control. If we don’t take action, the royal family and the people will be doomed.”

Li Heng stepped out from the side and said in a deep voice, "But Consort Yan's actions are becoming more and more frequent. We cannot ignore her conspiracy."

Xiao Jinlian sighed softly, her gaze fixed on the dark mountains in the distance: "She wants to use the power of the curse to control the royal family. All of this must end."

At the same time, deep inside the palace.

Consort Yan stood in the candlelit hall, a sorcerer in black robes beside her. Her face was still beautiful, but the coldness in her eyes sent chills down one's spine.

"Warlock, can this cursed power really help me control the spirit offering ritual?" Yan Fei's voice was soft, yet it concealed a sharp edge.

The black-robed sorcerer nodded, his voice hoarse: "Your Majesty, the power of the runes has been integrated into the spirit offering ritual, but to fully control it, one more thing is needed—the rune fragment in the Princess's possession."

Consort Yan's gaze turned cold, and she sneered, "It seems she is destined to be unable to escape my control."

She waved her hand, and several assassins in black emerged from the shadows and knelt on one knee.

"Set off immediately and bring back the rune fragment. Remember, I want her alive."

The assassins obeyed and vanished from the hall in an instant, as if they had never existed.

Xiao Jinlian and her group hurried along the mountain path, the moonlight casting long shadows behind them. Li Heng walked ahead, long sword in hand, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

“Princess, have you noticed?” Silan asked in a low voice.

"It's very quiet around here, abnormally quiet." Xiao Jinlian nodded, her tone tinged with wariness.

As they were talking, a rustling sound came from the woods in the distance. Li Heng suddenly stopped and whispered, "Someone's lying in ambush."

Before the words were finished, several dark figures darted out from all directions, their blades flashing in the moonlight. The leader of the men in black said coldly, "Princess, please come with us."

Li Heng drew his longsword, his gaze sharp as a knife: "If you want to take her away, you'll have to get past me first!"

The man in black sneered, "General, what arrogance! Today, I'll show you the power of curses."

Having said that, he took out a fragment of rune from his hand, and with a gentle squeeze, the fragment emitted a strange purple light that instantly enveloped the surroundings. The earth seemed to tremble, and a sense of oppression enveloped everyone.

Xiao Jinlian's expression changed, and she whispered, "This is the power of a curse, be careful!"

The man in black charged forward, and Li Heng met him head-on, sparks flying as their swords clashed. Each of his sword strikes was steady and powerful, but his opponent's speed was unusually fast, as if he were blessed by a curse.

"Silan, protect the princess!" Li Heng commanded in a deep voice.

Silan nodded, shielding Xiao Jinlian behind her, and at the same time, she swung her knife to block the attack of another assassin.

Xiao Jinlian stepped aside, her gaze fixed on the fragment shimmering with purple light, her mind racing.

"Li Heng, knock that shard down!" she suddenly shouted.

Li Heng glanced at her and nodded in acceptance. He quickly adjusted his pace, engaging the lead assassin in a fierce exchange, his longsword drawing a sharp arc as it aimed directly at the assassin's wrist.

The man in black reacted quickly, dodging to the side, but Li Heng's sword tip grazed his hand holding the shard, sending it flying.

The fragments fell to the ground, and the purple light dimmed instantly. The man in black was stunned, his movements a beat too slow. Li Heng seized the opportunity, sweeping his sword horizontally and knocking the man's longsword to the ground.

"Retreat!" The man in black decisively ordered, seeing the situation was dire.

The assassins quickly retreated, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.

The battle ended, and silence returned, but an aura of curse still lingered in the air.

"Princess, are you alright?" Li Heng quickly walked to Xiao Jinlian's side, his eyes full of concern.

Xiao Jinlian shook her head, but her face was unusually pale: "The power of the curse seems to be intensifying... Li Heng, my body may not be able to hold on for much longer."

Li Heng frowned and said in a deep voice, "There must be a way. We will find a solution."

Xiao Jinlian smiled bitterly: "The solution is to uncover the true secret of the spirit offering ritual. Only in this way can all this be put to an end."

"No matter the cost, I will be with you." Li Heng's voice was firm and deep, like an unshakable rock.

Xiao Jinlian looked up at him, a complex emotion welling up inside her. She nodded gently, "Okay, then let's walk to the end together."

Back at the camp, Xiao Jinlian took out the rune fragment she had just retrieved and carefully examined its patterns. Li Heng and Si Lan sat beside her, waiting quietly.

“These runes… describe a step in the spirit offering ritual,” Xiao Jinlian said in a low voice, “but the information on them is incomplete; we need more fragments.”

Silan frowned: "Where are the remaining fragments?"

“Consort Yan must have already obtained some of it,” Li Heng said in a deep voice. “We need to be careful and not let her people get there first.”

Xiao Jinlian nodded, her eyes filled with determination: "No matter what, I must stop her. The power of the curse must not fall into her hands."

The campfire illuminated the three faces, each with an unwavering resolve in their eyes. Tomorrow, they would embark on a new journey; the struggle against Consort Yan had only just begun.