Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 716

The silver light on the staff instantly smashed the man's head to pieces, then he leaped down and swung the staff in his hand.

He recited poems aloud.

"In my early years, I knew not the hardships of the world; gazing northwards towards the Central Plains, my spirit soared like a mountain."

As the poems were recited, the seemingly ordinary long stick in his hand began to shimmer with a dazzling silver light.

Talent swirled around Xiao Ran, transforming into countless articles, which, with each stroke of Xiao Ran's pen, resembled an inverted galaxy descending from the sky.

"Warships sail through the snowy night at Guazhou Ferry, iron horses gallop through the autumn wind at Dasanguan Pass."

Suddenly, the sky was covered by a brilliant silver light, so bright that even the two statues were blinded by it.

It was only at this point that the seven people below realized something was wrong.

They all stopped fighting, looked up, and their faces showed horror. They saw the brilliant silver light from the sky above pouring down like a raging flood.

"ah!!"

One of them roared as countless bone spikes erupted from his body, turning him into a hedgehog as he leaped into the air, spinning rapidly like a top, attempting to force his way out of the silvery light.

However, when the silver light fell, there was no strong collision as expected. Instead, it kept wrapping around the opponent, and then the starlight suddenly exploded, blasting the opponent into pieces.

The other person retreated hastily, but was swept away by the aftershocks of the starry river falling from the sky. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, and his flesh and blood rotted in mid-air.

As soon as Xiao Ran landed, the light from the writing staff in his hand had not yet faded, and he continued reciting poetry without stopping: "I vainly vowed to defend the Great Wall, but my temples have already turned gray in the mirror."

His talent surged once more, and the words around him billowed like raging waves, transforming into phantom swords that pierced down from the sky, filling the air with the fragrance of ink and a chilling aura.

This attack was like a historical iron cavalry sweeping down, overwhelming and leaving no place to hide.

The remaining five people were terrified when they saw this, but there was nowhere to hide. In their haste, they either formed shields with their own carapaces to block in front of them or dodged in a sorry state.

Before he could even utter a curse, he was swallowed up by the silver light.

In an instant, two died and one escaped. Only the figure whose entire body was encased in a carapace managed to hold on, but even that indestructible carapace was shattered.

Xiao Ran took a step forward, his fist still imbued with the remaining energy of his talent, and threw a punch.

With a loud "crack!!", the shell in front of him suddenly shattered, and the man's body flew backward and crashed heavily to the ground, blood streaming from his mouth. The black sphere in his arms also flew out of his arms.

Xiao Ran reached out and grabbed the black ball. Before the statue beside him could react, he moved with lightning speed, stepping on the surrounding stones and leaping onto the distant shrine. He grabbed the corpse on it and quickly disappeared.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that it was impossible to catch a sound. By the time the two statues came to their senses, Xiao Ranren had already run far away.

Xiao Ran carried the body for more than ten minutes, making sure she was completely far away before finding a secluded place to stop.

It's not that he couldn't defeat those two statues, but rather that it wasn't necessary. The talent of the literary staff is ultimately not inexhaustible; every bit used is a bit less. If it wasn't necessary, Xiao Ran didn't want to waste it here.

After tossing the corpse aside, Xiao Ran picked up the black sphere, which was the so-called "opportunity," and began to study it.

After the object landed in my hand, the black sheen on its surface gradually began to dissipate.

Inside is a diamond-shaped gemstone that looks like glass.

Xiao Ran held it in her hand and discovered that it emitted a black energy. This energy, once attached to her body, was neither absorbed nor dissipated, but instead formed a black membrane on her skin.

This membrane appears to have some kind of reinforcing ability.

Xiao Ran then studied it carefully and found that after this thing was placed on her body, her body seemed to be able to change shape at will.

That is, to make one's body like Luffy in One Piece, turning it into rubber and stretching it at will.

Xiao Ran tried it out, his palm changing shape at will, transforming into objects such as a broadsword, a sword, and a hammer according to his thoughts.

In the blink of an eye, his hand transformed into a fishing net, scattering outwards.

"So, this so-called opportunity is what grants a special ability."

However, Xiao Ran soon realized that the stone in her hand seemed to have a sinister power trying to penetrate her body through her skin.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran immediately threw the stone away, and at the same time, the strange energy on her body gradually subsided.

"No wonder they say that only those with superior aptitude can obtain three opportunities; now I understand why."

"Run! Run!!"

"If you go too late, you won't be able to keep up."

Just as Xiao Ran was pondering, she suddenly noticed a group of "examinees" hurrying towards the east in the distance.

The group urged each other on, seemingly eager to get somewhere.

"What are these guys going to do?"

As Xiao Ran watched the departing figures of these people, curiosity couldn't help but arise in her eyes.

After thinking for a moment, he found an inconspicuous spot and buried the body and the stone in his hand together.

Without the burden of the corpse, Xiao Ran could move around much more easily.

Following these guys discreetly, Xiao Ran initially thought it was just a small group gathering, but soon the number grew larger and larger. Hiding atop a shrine, Xiao Ran watched from afar as these guys converged in a valley.

The shrines here have been mostly destroyed, and broken statues are scattered on the ground.

It seems as if someone specifically created this safe area to provide them with a place to rest.

"They're all mid-grade root weapons?"

Looking at the strange and unusual examinees in the valley, Xiao Ran's face also showed a strange expression.

It seems that many candidates with inferior aptitude have already been eliminated.

Among these many mid-grade root talents, their strength is equivalent to that of a 3D-level beginner. Several of them have clearly obtained opportunities, and their physical condition is obviously different from the others.

"What are they doing gathered here? Could they be targeting me?"

Xiao Ran narrowed her eyes, but she wasn't worried about it.

I and Shao Hongzhang are still not on the same plane as them. As long as I don't use my staff to attack them, no matter how many of them there are, they can't do anything to me.

Moreover, even if we take a step back and push ourselves too far, we could simply squander all the talent we've accumulated over the past three hundred years and still manage to slaughter everyone.

Xiao Ran sat there and waited to see what these guys were planning to do.

The valley wasn't very big to begin with, and with so many people gathered together, the chaotic noise was making everyone's head spin.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the noisy commotion in the valley suddenly quieted down.

Xiao Ran opened her eyes and saw several figures walking out of a half-collapsed shrine at the end of the valley.

These people were noticeably taller and larger than the others in the valley.

Two of them, especially the ones in the back, were almost as big as the butcher.

The two people walking in front were Xiao Ran's old acquaintances, the two brothers from the Tan family who had escaped: Tan Shanyuan and Tan Shanming.

The two had changed a lot since then; their bodies had become noticeably more toned, and they were covered with a layer of bone armor that resembled regular armor.

Especially the second brother, Tan Shanyuan, whose thick arms were comparable to those of a gorilla, and whose fists were exaggeratedly large, like meteor hammers.

It seems that these two are now stronger than the original Danzanzai.

"These are all top-quality materials."

Looking at these guys' exaggerated physiques, Xiao Ran's eyes also couldn't help but burn with desire.

If these people's bodies are used as the base material, it would be enough to create another corpse slave whose strength is no less than that of the butcher.

Unfortunately, he couldn't use cursed items here, not even the [Gourd of Yin Soldiers] at his waist. Otherwise, Xiao Ran would probably already be considering turning these creatures, which had become neither human nor ghost, into his own resource library.

"Ok!"

At this moment, a strong sense of being watched came over Xiao Ran, making her heart tighten. She glanced to the side and saw another figure behind the shrine.

The other person hadn't come out yet, but their gaze was already fixed on him.

"who is it?"

Xiao Ran became alert. He was so far away and hidden behind the shrine, yet the other party had been able to pinpoint his location at a glance, which showed that their strength was extraordinary.

Now that she had been discovered, Xiao Ran made no attempt to hide it. She simply sat up, leaned against the shrine, and stood there swaggeringly.

"It's him!"

When the Tan brothers saw Xiao Ran, their expressions immediately changed. They stared at Xiao Ran, no longer as fearful as before, but with unfriendly and fierce eyes.

The two had gained considerable confidence in their improved strength during this period, but after seeing the staff in Xiao Ran's hand, they ultimately did not dare to act.

As treasure hunters, they were well aware of the significance of this item; if it came to a fight to the death, they had little chance of winning.

"Your skills are divine. You have reached this level and there is not a single change in your body. We are truly impressed."

At this moment, a slender figure emerged from the shrine. The figure moved with a light gait, unlike the heavy gait of the Tan brothers, and instead possessed a mysterious agility.

As he emerged completely from the shadows, a slightly hunched figure was revealed, who appeared to be an elderly man.

His skin was an unhealthy waxy yellow, covered with dark brown lines that crisscrossed like roots.

He exuded a strange and sinister aura.

Most importantly, this person had three different colored stones strung on their neck with fascia from some unfortunate soul.

Clearly, the other party has already gathered enough opportunities, but it's unknown what abilities the three stones around their necks possess.

Seeing that Xiao Ran remained silent, the other party did not continue to ask questions, and then ignored Xiao Ran's presence, addressing the crowd in front of them:

"I've gathered everyone here just to tell you two things. The first thing is that I've found a way to leave."

"The second thing is that we have three days, at most three more days. If you cannot leave this place within three days, then death awaits you all..."

(End of this chapter)