Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 719 Hanging Lanterns to Guide the Way
"Wu Man?"

Xiao Ran's heart skipped a beat. Of the four of them, all of them had been located by now, except for Wu Man.

As for Xiao Ran's concerns, given Wu Man's abilities, there's really no reason for her to worry.

But to say I'm not worried... I always feel uncertain when I think about it.

"How did this guy know about Wu Man's whereabouts?"

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran pretended to be hesitant: "Let's go take a look first."

He neither agreed immediately nor refused right away, but decided to go and see what the situation was first.

If the damage is too great, Xiao Ran would rather shake off these people and travel alone than waste the talent in her walking stick.

After all, this thing is now my lifeline, and every bit I use is a bit less, so I shouldn't waste it if I don't have to use it.

As for Wu Man...

Whether or not I know about him is not that important to me.

Upon reaching the front of the group, they found themselves at the end of the line, with a deep valley stretching across the ground like an insurmountable chasm.

There were also various shrines and caves on both sides of the deep valley, but Xiao Ran could not see what the statues in the shrines looked like.

Further down, it was too dark, like a black hole swallowing all light, and even Xiao Ran couldn't see what was below.

"The only way out is below this valley."

Chen Cheng pointed to the valley in front of him and said with great certainty.

Xiao Ran didn't speak, but stood aside and observed quietly.

At this point, some people couldn't wait any longer and tried to climb down using their tentacles. At first, it went very smoothly, but as they went deeper, the darkness gradually engulfed their figures.

Soon a scream came from the deep valley, and the people who had just gone down there immediately fell silent.

At this point, everyone dared not act rashly anymore. Clearly, this was not just a matter of being able to lie down.

Xiao Ran frowned and looked at Chen Cheng: "What do you want me to do?"

"It's simple, you just need to use your staff to clear a path."

"no!!"

Before Xiao Ran could speak, Shao Hongzhang, who was lying on the tiger demon, immediately rejected Chen Cheng's suggestion: "With so many of you, how much talent would it take to send you down? No way, absolutely not."

"Shao Jianzheng!!"

Seeing that Shao Hongzhang refused, Chen Cheng's facial muscles twitched, and he pointed to the valley in front of him and said, "This valley is pitch black day and night, and the shrines on both sides are full of dangers. If we cannot work together, we will all face certain death."

After saying that, Chen Cheng looked at Xiao Ran and said, "Although you have the staff of literature in your hand, you can't expect to cross this abyss safely by yourself."

Xiao Ran remained silent, her gaze fixed on the abyss before her, as if deep in thought.

"That's alarmist!" Shao Hongzhang scoffed at Chen Cheng's words, and Chen Cheng immediately darkened his face and started arguing with him.

"stop fighting!"

At this moment, Xiao Ran turned around and interrupted the two's argument, then looked at Chen Cheng: "I've always had a question: how do you foresee the future? Is it because of... a stroke of luck you have?"

Xiao Ran's gaze was focused on the three diamond-shaped stones on Chen Cheng's chest.

Faced with Xiao Ran's questioning, Chen Cheng did not hide anything: "Not entirely. I am proficient in the art of Qimen divination, and with the help of this object, I was able to glimpse a corner of it."

After saying that, Chen Cheng continued, "Of course, what we glimpse is only a reference. The future is full of uncertainties. Even with the blessing of good fortune, I dare not say that I can foresee the future. But if we remain indifferent, the future will surely lead to our demise."

"I see."

Xiao Ran nodded. This statement was similar to what Jin Chanzi had said. It seemed that Chen Cheng was not senile after all.

"I can help you." As soon as Xiao Ran finished speaking, Shao Hongzhang, who was standing to the side, was eager to jump off the tiger demon.

"No, we can't waste it like that. That's all the talent accumulated over three hundred years of this dynasty. If we squander it all, it'll be gone forever."

Xiao Ran waved her hand to signal Shao Hongzhang to calm down, and continued, "But it's not with a writing staff."

"Without a walking stick?"

Now it was Chen Cheng's turn to feel puzzled. He looked at Xiao Ran, wondering what she was up to.

"The things in those shrines below are just using the darkness of the abyss as cover; they are not actually very strong. Once this matter is resolved, the difficulties will be easily solved."

As Xiao Ran spoke, she took out a piece of yellow paper from her spatial storage, folded it several times in her hand, and then folded it into the shape of a lotus flower.

Immediately, with a thought, the lotus flower floated in the air, and a wisp of fire bloomed on the lotus flower.

This is one of the eight core techniques in the Zhou family's inherited "Crossing the Spirit Scripture".

Paper flower heart lamps, also known as paper life lamps, are a means of self-protection and life preservation, just like one's own half of the Yin-Yang system. Once lit, they will burn one's own life force.

Suddenly, the lotus flower burst into flames, illuminating the surrounding area.

"This technique is called 'Hanging Lantern Road Guide.' It only requires a wisp of spirit to ignite, and once lit, it illuminates the surroundings and also provides self-defense. I can teach you this technique and provide enough yellow paper. With this technique, you can be guaranteed to pass through the valley smoothly."

As she spoke, Xiao Ran took down the lantern hanging above her head and handed it to Chen Cheng, who looked on with curiosity.

Chen Cheng was taken aback by the flickering flames above him. As a master of Qimen Dunjia, he was considered one of the best in the art of magic.

Seeing the flame on the hanging lantern, a storm of shock surged in his heart: "In this world... there really is such a mysterious and wondrous technique?"

The art of magic is scorned by the righteous path, and Chen Cheng has not been valued by the righteous path for many years. Some people even regard his art of magic as a crooked and evil path. As a result, Chen Cheng only dares to say that he is proficient in Qimen Dunjia and dares not mention magic.

He thought he was already an ancestor in this art of magic, but Xiao Ran's small display of skill had already shocked Chen Cheng beyond measure.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly simple nature of this technique; its intricacies are not something that can be explained to outsiders.

"Good, good. With this miraculous technique protecting us, we can descend even without the staff. Please grant us your divine power, fellow Daoist. We will be eternally grateful."

After Chen Cheng finished speaking, he knelt on one knee, made a gesture of respect with his hands, and his humble demeanor surprised Shao Hongzhang, who was standing to the side.

Xiao Ran took out a piece of yellow paper and quickly wrote down the technique.

This technique is not difficult; in fact, Xiao Ran has made some simplifications. Although its effects are slightly less than the original, it is still quite effective and has the same self-defense capabilities.

After Chen Cheng received the spellbook and studied it carefully for a while, he was immediately captivated and slapped his thigh, saying, "Wonderful, wonderful! The art of magic is profound and infinitely varied, yet it has revealed its mysteries in just a few simple strokes."

After speaking, Chen Cheng bowed to Xiao Ran again, saying from the bottom of his heart, "The world of magic is as dark as night, but seeing you today is like seeing a guiding light. Please accept my bow."

"It doesn't have to be this way."

Faced with Chen Cheng's praise, even Xiao Ran, who was thick-skinned, couldn't help but blush a little.

After all, this technique wasn't invented by Xiao Ran; it was all thanks to Plum Blossom Taoist.

But then he thought, "Am I not the modern-day Plum Blossom Taoist?" With that thought, he immediately felt at ease again.

Then Xiao Ran took out two large cardboard boxes from her spatial storage. The boxes were filled with yellow paper that Xiao Ran used. There was enough paper for Chen Cheng and the others to use, and there was even some left over.

Xiao Ran need not worry about the rest. Chen Cheng's ability to transmit the vision of the future to everyone last night is enough to quickly teach this technique to others in a short time.

Of course, Xiao Ran could also use Chen Cheng's method, since it only involves compressing one's own mental energy into a piece of information and then directly transmitting it to others, without involving the use of mental abilities.

However, doing so would inevitably cause a huge drain on one's own mental strength, and Xiao Ran would not help with such a self-destructive and altruistic thing.

Chen Cheng acted swiftly. He first gathered a large number of elites around him and taught them how to learn this technique orally.

These people are all of good aptitude, with intermediate and advanced potential. Like the Tan family brothers, they already have some basic knowledge and can learn quickly.

Even if the other candidates are less perceptive, they are all of average ability and have strong foundations, so they can learn more efficiently.

As for the remaining weaker ones, Chen Cheng would use his mental power to directly implant the technique into their minds.

Can it be used? Of course it can. The method is right in my mind, and it's not difficult to use at all.

However, if one cannot truly comprehend it, it is difficult to fully grasp the essence of this technique.

Seeing that many people in the valley were succeeding, Shao Hongzhang naturally became tempted as well.

Following the principle of "sour grapes," Shao Hongzhang approached Xiao Ran and began to tease her:

"You're really generous, passing on such a secret family skill so easily?"

"Unparalleled skill..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran raised an eyebrow and then shook her head: "It doesn't count. If this is also a supreme technique, then the way of magic has reached its end at this point."

"Besides..."

Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes. He was no saint. Since he had learned his skills, it wasn't unreasonable for him to charge a tuition fee.

Of course, Xiao Ran wouldn't say this out loud. She smiled mysteriously, leaving Shao Hongzhang, who was standing to the side, completely baffled, wondering what Xiao Ran was up to.

Before long, one by one, faint lights began to appear below.

Unlike ordinary people, the flames lit by these examinees were blood-red, and the blood-red flames intertwined with each other, dyeing the entire sky with a layer of scarlet luster.

With the protection of this magic, everyone felt much more at ease. Chen Cheng immediately began to organize people and started climbing down the cliff.

Before long, the blinding red light illuminated the entire abyss, and no further accidents occurred in the area covered by the red light.

The statues, which had been hiding inside the shrine, were now completely still, their camouflage gone.

(End of this chapter)