Floating life reflects two lotuses

The runic array at the Land of Offering Spirits emitted a deep rumble amidst the interplay of blue light and black energy. Xiao Jinlian stood in the center of the array, rune fragments hovering above her head, radiating intense light. The array's energy gradually exceeded her control, and the black energy spread outwards as if it were alive.

"Lian'er, be careful!" Li Heng rushed forward with his sword, cleaving through the black aura approaching Xiao Jinlian and shielding her behind him.

Xiao Jinlian looked up, her forehead covered in cold sweat, but her tone was extremely calm: "This power is beyond expectations, the formation is out of control."

Before she could finish speaking, the ground suddenly trembled, black smoke billowed from the stone pillars around the formation, the blue light was completely swallowed up, and everything around seemed to be shrouded in endless darkness.

“If this continues, the entire Land of Spirit Offering will be destroyed!” Silan shouted from the side, clutching the rune book tightly and anxiously flipping through it.

Xiao Jinlian closed her eyes, gently stroking the floating fragments with both hands, attempting to channel energy into the core of the formation. Suddenly, an unfamiliar fluctuation surged into her consciousness, and her body trembled violently.

At this moment, Chu Wanlian stood in front of the rune corridor in the laboratory, the equipment around her emitting piercing alarms. The fluctuation index of rune energy on the screen rose sharply, and the lights in the entire laboratory flickered, as if it were about to completely go out of control at any moment.

"Xiao Jinlian! Step back!" Li Chenyao rushed over, grabbed Chu Wanlian's arm, and tried to pull her away from the passage.

"Don't touch me!" Chu Wanlian shouted sharply, breaking free from his grasp. "This energy resonance is related to the other side, I can't stop!"

Li Chenyao paused for a moment, his gaze filled with complexity: "What are you talking about?"

Chu Wanlian ignored him, her mind a jumble of thoughts as she stared intently at the runic device in the passage. At that moment, a massive surge of energy rushed towards her, instantly pulling her consciousness into an unfamiliar space.

Chu Wanlian and Xiao Jinlian stood in a void of white light, looking at each other with shock and confusion in their eyes.

"It's you again?" Chu Wanlian spoke first, her tone tinged with helplessness. "What big move are you up to?"

“The modern energy channels have caused the ancient runes to go out of control.” Xiao Jinlian frowned, her tone revealing a hint of coldness. “If the energy is unstable, both worlds will collapse.”

Chu Wanlian took a deep breath and spread her hands: "Alright, so what should we do? I'm not a rune expert, are you proficient in ancient spells?"

Xiao Jinlian's gaze was calm as she pointed to the two rune trails that appeared in the void: "The core issue is the balance of energy. In ancient times, it was necessary to seal the curse; in modern times, it is necessary to close the passage. They must be done simultaneously."

"Synchronize?" Chu Wanlian frowned. "How can we do it at the same time? These are two different timelines."

Xiao Jinlian sneered: "Now is not the time to discuss these things. You must adjust the fluctuation frequency of the channel to reduce the rune energy below the critical point."

"You make it sound so easy," Chu Wanlian raised an eyebrow, her tone revealing displeasure. "Do you know how complex modern equipment is?"

“The complex equipment is far simpler than the curse I’m facing.” Xiao Jinlian’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness. “Stop complaining, get started.”

The two looked at each other for a moment, then nodded simultaneously.

Xiao Jinlian regained consciousness and immediately sat cross-legged, concentrating all her mental energy on the rune fragments. Seeing this, Li Heng held his sword in front of her, blocking the surging black energy.

"Lian'er, I will protect you." His voice was deep and firm, with an unquestionable tone.

Xiao Jinlian did not respond; she was completely absorbed in controlling the formation. Blue light gradually gathered, the rune fragments began to rotate, and complex energy patterns gradually appeared.

"Hurry up!" Silan's voice rang out from not far away, "The black aura has already spread outside. If we delay any longer, the entire imperial mausoleum will be destroyed!"

Xiao Jinlian gritted her teeth and channeled energy into the core of the formation. Blue light instantly burst forth, and the black energy was gradually suppressed.

Chu Wanlian suddenly opened her eyes and her hands flew across the keyboard, typing commands to adjust the parameters of the rune device. Li Chenyao stood behind her, his gaze fixed intently on her back.

"Do you need any help?" His voice was deep and calm.

"If you can keep the equipment running, you'll be a huge help." Chu Wanlian didn't even look up, continuing to type on the keyboard.

Li Chenyao remained silent for a moment, then walked to the control panel, his fingers flying across the screen to monitor the energy output of the channel.

"Adjust to the mid-frequency band!" Chu Wanlian shouted. "The energy fluctuations must match the frequency of the ancient lines!"

Li Chenyao looked up at her, his brows furrowing slightly: "Ancient time and space? What are you talking about?"

Chu Wanlian did not answer. The energy fluctuations on the screen gradually stabilized, but it was still not completely back to normal.

“It will take time for the passage to close,” Li Chenyao said calmly. “But you’d better tell me what this has to do with your so-called ‘ancient time and space’.”

"We'll talk about it later!" Chu Wanlian's tone revealed a hint of impatience. "Focus on your work!"

Xiao Jinlian sealed the final rune of the ancient sealing formation, while Chu Wanlian shut down the main control switch of the rune channel in the modern era.

In the void, the two runic trajectories gradually converged, and a dazzling blue light shone forth. The black energy was instantly swallowed up, and the runic energies of the two worlds simultaneously returned to balance.

Xiao Jinlian released her grip, the rune fragments returned to calm, and the light of the array gradually faded. She slumped to the ground, her face filled with exhaustion.

Chu Wanlian turned off the last switch, turned around and leaned against the equipment table, panting heavily, her forehead covered in cold sweat.

"This is just the beginning..." they whispered almost simultaneously, their voices filled with the same determination and anticipation.