More unsettlingly, those Runes had already spread to Lin Ye's shoulders and part of his neck, seeming to sink deeper into his skin than before.
"Control your breathing and focus," Rayleigh said in a low, steady voice. "Try to establish a more stable connection, but don't go too deep. Remember the lesson from last time."
Lin Ye nodded, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. As his breathing settled into a regular rhythm, the glow of the Runes on his arms gradually stabilized, shifting from violent flickering to an even pulse.
"Can you feel anything?" Rayleigh asked.
"The boundary... has become thinner," Lin Ye said, his voice somewhat distant, as though his consciousness had partially left reality. "I can see more... Luffy... seems to be trying to send some kind of message..."
Ace clenched his fists, his heartbeat quickening. Luffy! They really did know something!
"Be careful. Don't go too deep," Rayleigh warned. "We still don't know whether the Five Elders can sense this kind of cross-dimensional connection. If they discover it..."
"I know the risks," Lin Ye replied, his voice gradually returning to normal. "But we need more information. Luffy says the Dimensional Barrier is weakening rapidly. When the Purple Moon is in the Sky, it will reach its weakest point. The Five Elders are already prepared to tear the barrier apart completely at that moment."
"This is worse than we expected," Rayleigh said with a frown. "At our current speed, we'll arrive at Laugh Tale just before the Purple Moon is in the Sky. There's almost no room for error."
"And Ace," Lin Ye said after a brief hesitation. "His dreams are becoming more frequent. I can feel the Flame Key responding to the Dawn Blade's energy, unintentionally strengthening the connection between him and Luffy. If this