Floating life reflects two lotuses

Night fell, and the place of offering sacrifices was so silent that it seemed as if time had stopped.

A crescent moon hung like a hook, its cold light casting a shadow on the ravaged altar of spirit offerings. The faint ripples of the runic power still lingered in the air; in the deathly silence, only a strange, eerie wind swept by.

Just days after Li Heng and Xiao Jinlian left, a dilapidated and hunched figure slowly stepped onto this land. The figure wore a black cloak, the edges of which were tattered and worn by the wind, revealing a pale and distorted face.

Consort Yan—the Consort Yan who should have been dead, is still alive.

Her eyes were sinister and crazed, like a vengeful ghost crawling back from hell to earth, and a strange smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

"Hmph... How dare you ruin everything I have, Xiao Jinlian..." Her voice was hoarse and gloomy, like dry wood rubbing together, filled with gritted teeth and hatred.

That day, Consort Yan thought her plan was flawless, but the power erupting from the Land of Offering Spirits took her by surprise. At the last moment, she used all her strength to unleash a forbidden escape technique, using the aftershocks of the runes to temporarily seal her remnant soul in a secret artifact.

"I lost?" She laughed mockingly, her voice tinged with resentment. "How could I, Consort Yan, willingly die at the hands of that little slut?"

Yan Fei slowly opened her palm, revealing a small fragment of a rune. Although the fragment did not shine as brightly as the complete rune, it emitted an unstable energy fluctuation, as if it concealed great danger.

She looked up at the place of offering sacrifice before her, her eyes gleaming with greed and madness: "As long as I can reassemble these remaining powers, I can complete the final ritual. Then... the entire Great Chu will bow down to me, Consort Yan!"

With that, she abruptly waved her hand, and a cloud of black mist spread from her palm, quickly covering the dilapidated altar. Within the black mist, the patterns of runes and arrays faintly appeared, emitting a dark red light.

Consort Yan sat cross-legged in the center of the altar, slowly closed her eyes, and began to chant a string of ancient and obscure incantations. As the incantations rang out, the remaining power of the runes was slowly absorbed, and the patterns on the altar regained their faint glow.

At the same time, in the palace.

Xiao Jinlian stood in front of the desk, holding a secret report that had been secretly sent from the shadows, her brows furrowed.

“Princess, look,” Silan said softly, handing her a strange piece of jade. “This piece of jade was found near the Land of Offering Spirits yesterday. The runes on the jade are a bit unusual.”

Xiao Jinlian took the jade and examined it carefully. Familiar runes faintly appeared on the surface of the jade, but these marks seemed to be distorted by some force, exuding an ominous aura.

“This is…” Her brows furrowed slightly, and she gripped the jade tightly with a little force.

“This power… is not right.” She muttered to herself, her gaze gradually becoming serious. “These are traces of magic, exactly the same as the runic power that Consort Yan used before.”

“But Consort Yan has already…” Si Lan was stopped by Xiao Jinlian’s gaze before she could finish speaking.

“It seems she is not dead.” Xiao Jinlian’s voice was icy, her gaze as sharp as a blade. “She must have escaped by using some kind of forbidden technique.”

Silan gasped, her voice filled with shock: "What do we do now? If she really returns to the Land of Sacrifices, it will surely be another catastrophe."

Xiao Jinlian remained silent for a moment, then put down the jade stone and said with a firm expression, "Consort Yan is not immortal; she is clinging to life by relying on the power of runes. If she is indeed planning a new magical ritual, I must find a way to break it as soon as possible."

"But, Princess, how can we stop her?" Silan asked anxiously.

Xiao Jinlian slowly sat down, her gaze thoughtful: "We are not absolutely certain of success if we confront her head-on. Her magic must be even more insane, and if she succeeds, the consequences will be unimaginable."

She placed the jade into a brocade box, stood up, and said, "I need to go to the Supreme Secret Realm. Only there can I find clues to the solution."

“The Supreme Secret Realm?” Silan hesitated. “That’s a legendary place, said to be extremely dangerous, and no one has ever been able to actually reach it.”

Xiao Jinlian's gaze was firm: "This is the only way to stop Consort Yan."

Evening, Imperial Study.

"Father, please allow me to leave the palace for a period of time to travel to the highest secret realm in the south to find a way to break the curse." Xiao Jinlian knelt on one knee, her tone resolute.

Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned, gently set down his teacup, and said in a low voice, "The matter of the secret realm is nothing but legend. Your journey is fraught with danger; how can you treat it lightly?"

“Father, Consort Yan is not dead. She has returned to the Land of Offering Spirits, intending to use the power of runes to complete an even greater spell.” Xiao Jinlian looked up, a hint of anxiety in her eyes. “If we do not stop her soon, this disaster will sweep across the entire Great Chu.”

The emperor's expression shifted slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes: "Consort Yan is not dead?"

"Yes, Father." Xiao Jinlian nodded, her tone steady. "I must go to the secret realm to find a way to break the spell. Otherwise, the Land of Spirit Offering will erupt again, and we will be unable to stop it."

The emperor remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and waving his hand, saying, "Very well, I grant you permission to go. But you must be careful on this trip and avoid any mishaps."

"Thank you, Father Emperor." Xiao Jinlian rose and withdrew with a resolute expression.

Night fell in Li Heng's residence.

Li Heng watched Xiao Jinlian pack her things, his brows furrowing slightly: "Are you really planning to take only a few people? This secret realm is fraught with danger, why take such a risk?"

“If Consort Yan’s plan succeeds, the world will be plunged into chaos. Li Heng, I cannot sit idly by and wait for my doom.” Xiao Jinlian turned to look at him, her gaze resolute. “This is what I must do.”

Li Heng was silent for a moment, then stepped forward and said firmly, "Then I'll go with you."

“No.” Xiao Jinlian shook her head. “You stay here and guard the capital. If I fail, you will be Father Emperor’s last resort.”

"Nonsense!" Li Heng grabbed her wrist, his eyes filled with an unyielding determination. "Do you think I would let you face this danger alone? Don't forget, you said we would face it together."

Xiao Jinlian was slightly taken aback, then chuckled softly, "Alright, in that case, let's embark on this unknown journey together."

Consort Yan's insane magic has begun, and the path ahead for Xiao Jinlian and Li Heng is destined to be filled with unknowns and dangers. But in the darkness-shrouded future, their determination is the only light.