Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 726 Breaking into the Forbidden Palace

Before entering the Ghost City, Xiao Ran had thought about many things.

Just as he imagined, the ghost town was full of demons and monsters, and every step was fraught with danger. Only after their group fought desperately would Huang Chao, the big boss, calmly walk out.

However, the result was completely different from what Xiao Ran had expected.

This place is more like a pre-designed script, where everyone is forced to take different paths, but without exception, they are all like manipulated puppets, moving step by step toward a predetermined ending.

Even though he had escaped from the Li family early on, in the end, it was he who released these bloodthirsty demons from the examination hall.

The person who started all of this hasn't even shown their face yet.

Since you're not showing yourself, I might as well go in and see for myself.

"Charge in!!"

Gu Xintang looked up at Xiao Ran, then glanced at the direction of the Forbidden Palace ahead. Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he stood up, opened his hand, and the longsword that Xiao Ran had knocked away seemed to sense his presence and quickly flew back into Gu Xintang's palm. He put away the longsword, stood up silently, and walked to Xiao Ran's side: "Count me in. What do you want to do?"

Xiao Ran turned to look at the tiger demon behind her: "Let's find that insane guy first!"

The guy Xiao Ran was referring to was Shao Hongzhang. Although Enke was wrong about the matter, Xiao Ran still needed to use him.

…………

It was getting later and later.

The wailing and screams within the city gradually faded away, leaving only blood and mangled corpses on the streets.

Occasionally, one could see four or five demons in the shade, hugging corpses and feasting on the flesh and blood.

As for whether the blood and flesh in their hands were their own relatives or not, it no longer mattered. All they knew now was that the taste of this flesh and blood could make them stronger and advance them from the intermediate to the advanced level.

They have even sensed the existence of super-roots, and there is more than one.

As night fell, deep red lights gradually illuminated the distant, hazy palace gates.

The deep lights dispelled the hazy white mist surrounding the Forbidden City.

"Om..."

The tightly closed door was slowly opened with a low, scraping sound.

Those demons, who had drunk their fill of blood and whose strength had greatly increased, arrived one after another from all directions of the city.

Their hazy consciousness had long since erased their humanity, but they still vaguely remembered that they still had to enter the palace and meet the emperor.

It was as if this was an imprint etched into their minds, urging them to converge towards the palace gate. Before long, a dense mass of demons had gathered outside the palace gate.

This number is significantly less than before, but it is still several hundred, and each one of them is of superior talent.

Just then, a low growl came from among these demons.

The ground then trembled slightly. When they turned around, they saw two giants, each about five meters tall, approaching from behind.

Their bodies, as large as small mountains, were covered with thick scabs and armor. Grotesque bone spurs, like battering rams, extended from their joints. Each heavy breath was accompanied by a hissing sound like a broken bellows, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression, as if they were two gatekeepers crawling out of hell.

Even though they were both demons, and even those with superior spiritual abilities, they felt breathless in front of these two giants.

This made the phrase "superb root talent" involuntarily come to mind.

I never expected that someone would actually break through to this level.

How much flesh and blood would it take to reach this level?

"Huh!!" The two little giants looked around but couldn't see Chen Cheng anywhere, and their faces showed a bit of surprise.

In their view, Chen Cheng, that old guy, should have already reached this threshold and should have advanced to the level of a super-genius long before them.

But he was nowhere to be seen here.

"Strange, has that old guy Chen Cheng given up?"

Tan Shanyuan looked puzzled, but his younger brother Tan Shanming said dismissively, "Hey, wouldn't it be better if he didn't come? Let's seize this opportunity to get the Imperial Seal of the State. Then, this world might just be ours!"

Tan Shanming clenched his fists, never before feeling his strength so abundant.

Unlike other demons, they did not lose their self-awareness. On the contrary, after advancing to the Super Grade Root, their thoughts became clearer.

The things that my elders taught me in the past, which I could never understand, now seem so simple when I think back on them.

Originally, the five brothers did not come for the Imperial Seal of the State.

No way, how could they possibly steal what Huang Chao has?

The five brothers came only to steal the treasures in Chang'an that hadn't yet been taken by anyone else.

But now they've changed their minds. Since so many people outside want the Imperial Seal, why can't they give it a try?

“You can’t say that. That old guy Chen Cheng is no pushover. Don’t forget, he’s a fortune teller himself. I always feel uneasy if he doesn’t come,” Tan Shanyuan said.

"Um?!"

At this moment, Tan Shanyuan's bulging eyes rolled and suddenly locked onto two figures slowly walking towards the end of the road.

"This kid still dares to come!"

Upon seeing Xiao Ran and Gu Xintang's figures at the end of the street, Tan Shanyuan's eyes suddenly turned fierce.

"Hmph! You ignorant fool! You dare to come here to die?" Tan Shanming let out a cold laugh that sounded like metal scraping.

In the past, when they saw Xiao Ran, they had to be wary of his strength.

But things are different now.

After becoming a transcendent being, his strength had increased immeasurably. Since Xiao Ran dared to come, he could use Xiao Ran's head to avenge his elder brother Tan Shancai and the other brothers.

Tan Shanming took a heavy step forward, his massive foot, covered in thick, blood-scarred armor, shattering the stone slab. A violent aura, a mixture of blood and sulfur, pressed down on Xiao Ran and Gu Xintang as they slowly approached. The aura was so strong that even the demons with superior spiritual cultivation instinctively retreated a circle.

Gu Xintang's face suddenly turned cold, his knuckles gripping the sword turned white, and the grief in his eyes had not yet dissipated. However, this fierce aura only stirred up the murderous intent and malice in his heart, and the gold and silver swords at his waist emitted a faint hum.

Xiao Ran, however, seemed not to feel any pressure at all, and continued to walk steadily.

He raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable, like a frozen pool, devoid of anger, only a chilling calm.

"Hey, you bastard, you killed my brother! If you kneel down now, I'll give you a quick death later!"

Tan Shanming glared fiercely at Xiao Ran, his huge fist making a "crackling" sound.

However, Xiao Ran's response was very strange; his gaze swept over the Tan brothers.

Looking them up and down, Xiao Ran's gaze was like a knife, carefully dissecting every detail of the Tan brothers' bodies, a hint of anticipation and eagerness flashing in his eyes.

That look... it was like someone choosing their prey, instantly enraging Tanzan.

"Damn it, you're asking for it!!"

Tan Shanming could no longer suppress his savage nature. The power of his newly acquired super-talent gave him an unprecedented sense of expansion. He roared, and his massive body unleashed an astonishing speed disproportionate to its size, covering dozens of meters in the blink of an eye. Like a meteorite falling from the sky, he struck directly at Xiao Ran's head! This blow was enough to smash an iron fortress into dust!
Xiao Ran did not dodge. He held the [Decapitation Blade] in one hand, the black blade pointing diagonally at the ground. Just as the bone spikes were about to hit him, he suddenly slashed upwards!

The movements may seem slow, but they possess a natural, precise charm.

This strike produced a muffled, sinister howl as Xiao Ran concentrated his spiritual power onto the blade.

It is both swordsmanship and magic.

"Qiang——!!!"

A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out, and blinding sparks exploded like fireworks! A violent shockwave suddenly spread out in a ring, whipping up clouds of dust and debris.

An astonishing scene unfolded! The enormous bone spike, comparable to a battering ram, was actually held firmly by the seemingly unremarkable [Decapitation Blade]!
The ground beneath Xiao Ran's feet suddenly collapsed, creating a deep pit, but he himself remained as still as a rock rooted to the mountain! A faint aura of death permeated his body, forcefully dissipating the terrifying impact.

Tan Shanming's bloodshot eyes froze, filled with disbelief and astonishment. He felt as if his immense strength had crashed into a bottomless vortex, or as if he had struck an invisible yet indestructible barrier.

"That little strength?"

Xiao Ran's lips curled into a cold smile, and she suddenly exerted force on her wrist.

"Buzz!"

The [Decapitation Blade] erupted with jet-black blade energy, no longer a simple block, but an unstoppable counterattack!
"Boom!" Tan Shanming's huge body was struck head-on by an invisible giant hammer, and he uncontrollably staggered back several steps, each step leaving a half-meter-deep crack in the ground!
He steadied himself, both shocked and furious, letting out a roar like a wounded beast. The recoil traveled along his bone-spurred arm, causing tiny cracks to appear in his sturdy scab-covered armor.

"Good fate!" Tan Shanyuan could see clearly from behind that Xiao Ran's strength was simply superhuman, but he was not as strong as Tan Shanming, and in fact, he was definitely not stronger than his younger brother.

But the power it unleashed was utterly baffling.

What Tan Shanyuan didn't know was that Xiao Ran, possessing a Hundred Attributes Body with all four attributes exceeding one hundred, was no less powerful than Tan Shanming. Moreover, without the suppression of the examination hall, Xiao Ran unleashed his full strength, his spiritual power covering his broadsword, unleashing a power that Tan Shanming couldn't withstand. After Xiao Ran shook off Tan Shanming, the tip of his blade pierced the ground, instantly causing a surge of corpse energy. In a flash, the ground beneath Xiao Ran and Gu Xintang's feet became as sticky as mud.

Almost at the same time the pool of corpses appeared, Tan Shanming roared and charged again, his huge bone spikes creating a sky full of afterimages, sealing off all of Xiao Ran's escape space!
"Qi Sha - Ling Guan Zhen!"

Xiao Ran merely twitched her brow slightly. Under her feet, the area covered by the corpse pool was filled with coffins that rose up one after another, enveloping Tan Shanming tightly. As the coffins piled up one after another, a mountain of coffins was formed.

"Boom!!"

Tan Shanming was trapped in the coffin and felt a sense of foreboding. He desperately pounded his fists against the coffin.

He kept throwing punches, and with a huge roar, he managed to force a crack open in the coffin.

But the next second, Xiao Ran raised his hand, clasped his hands together and bowed forward, performing one of the Zhou family's secret techniques, Yama Knocking on the Door.

In an instant, the immense spiritual power struck Tan Shanming's head like a heavy hammer.

With Xiao Ran's terrifying mental strength and the enhancement of the Zhou family's secret technique, even Tan Shanming, with his extraordinary talent, felt his head buzz and his mind go blank.

"Ugh!" Tan Shanming's forward momentum suddenly froze, his eyes instantly went unfocused, and he spat out a mouthful of dark green blood. It felt as if a steel needle had pierced his brain, and the excruciating pain brought his frenzied movements to an abrupt halt.

“Good destiny!!!”

In a daze, as Tan Shanming's consciousness, which had been shattered by the impact, gradually refocused, he vaguely heard his second brother's shouts in his ears.

But as her vision cleared, she was met with a sudden, sharp blow from Xiao Ran.

Tan Shanyuan's eyes widened in fury as he lunged forward, but the next moment, two sword beams, one gold and one silver, made him suddenly sense a deadly danger, forcing him to change course and narrowly dodge the two sword beams.

"Gu Xin Tang!!"

Only then did Tan Shanyuan belatedly recognize that the unfamiliar face was actually Gu Xintang from the Qiankun Alliance.

"Gu Xintang, what's wrong with you? We're in cahoots, in cahoots!!"

Tan Shanyuan was furious. It was one thing for Gu Xintang to disappear without a trace before, but how come this guy is now hanging out with this Xiao guy? They should be the ones together.

"Who is with you beasts?"

Gu Xintang snorted coldly, and the Sun and Moon Twin Swords emitted a piercing buzz. Suddenly, a dense barrage of sword energy attacked, forcing Tan Shanyuan to retreat.

Having barely gained his footing, the next second caused Tan Shanyuan's heart to tremble, his tiger eyes widening: "Good Deeds!!"

Xiao Ran's broadsword had already fallen, its blade shimmering with the glow of activated runes, and its edge covered with a layer of silver light—the barber's professional skill, "Spirit Blade."

The two combined, and the next moment, the head of Tanzen, who had just experienced the meaning of power, fell off his neck.

With a dizzying spin, Tan Shanyuan's head rolled on the bluestone slab, his eyes staring blankly at the sky, seemingly still not understanding how he had lost.

"good destiny"

A heart-wrenching roar pierced the night. Tan Shanyuan's bloodshot eyes were fixed on Xiao Ran, his hatred surging like magma, almost devouring his last remaining reason.

However, just as that rage was about to transform into a devastating attack, a cold rationality, like a venomous snake, emerged from the depths of his heart.

The fate of my younger brother, Tanshanming, is right before my eyes! The gruesome state of the corpses of Tanshancai and his two other brothers is still vivid in my mind!

"Kill, kill, kill them!!"

Tan Shanyuan let out a wild howl that sounded inhuman, shouting as he quickly retreated.

As someone with extraordinary innate talent, he possessed an extremely strong ability to control those with superior innate talent. With intense spiritual encouragement, he instantly ignited the ferocity of these already inhuman and muddled individuals.

"boom!"

A dozen or so people with superior roots, like powder kegs that had been lit, were stimulated by Tan Shanyuan's command and let out a deafening howl, rushing towards Xiao Ran and Gu Xintang like a tidal wave!

In an instant, black scales and claws, sharp bone spurs, spitting venom, twisting tentacles... all kinds of attacks converged into a death storm, threatening to engulf the two.

Tan Shanyuan, however, rushed into the palace gates without looking back.

Gu Xintang's killing intent surged, his golden and silver swords humming and vibrating as he prepared to meet the bloodthirsty demonic tide. Only by slaughtering these beasts could he appease the spirits of his entire family in heaven!
"Lord chicken and dog!"

Faced with this siege that would make even C-level professionals pale, Xiao Ran's eyes showed no fear, but instead flashed a cold sneer.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Ran flipped his wrist, and a jet-black token radiating an ominous chill instantly appeared in his palm—the [Suppressing Calamity Token].

As the cursed thief and the cursed talisman became entangled.

Xiao Ran exuded an indescribable chilling aura, and then the [Suppressing Calamity Token] vibrated violently, and the intricate engraved runes on its surface suddenly lit up with a deep, dark light.

The next moment, the space behind Xiao Ran seemed to distort and collapse violently like water ripples, and an extremely huge, blurry yet indescribably majestic phantom instantly solidified!

A three-zhang-tall Yin God Dharma Image appeared, and its large hand slammed down, carrying terrifying spiritual power, instantly creating a terrifying shockwave on the ground.

"boom!!"

In an instant, the top-tier cultivators who rushed forward were shattered by the shockwave, their internal organs destroyed and their consciousness went blank.

Before they could land, Gu Xintang's swords had already struck, the golden and silver swords leaving afterimages in the void.

"Shhhhh..."

The interplay of gold and silver sword shadows created a dazzling rainbow of light, and in the next moment, these top-tier swordsmen were chopped into pieces and minced meat.

A strong smell of blood wafted through the air, but this did not seem to stop Gu Xintang; instead, it fueled the murderous rage within him.

Such actions clearly provoked the other high-level cultivators who had not yet made a move. In an instant, all the high-level cultivators began to stir, and more and more of them roared and attacked Gu Xintang.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Ran frowned. Before Gu Xintang could make another move, Xiao Ran, carrying the Dharma Image, suddenly punched the void. The immense power caused the surrounding space to pause, followed by a visible shockwave surging out from the fist.

In an instant, the superior talents blocking their way were blown away by the violent force, but even more superior talents separated to the left and right, flanking Xiao Ran and Gu Xintang from both sides.

However, this was exactly the effect Xiao Ran wanted. He quickly sheathed the [Decapitation Blade] and simultaneously used the Nameless Footwork, his figure moving at an unbelievable speed in an instant.

He went to Gu Xintang's side, grabbed Gu Xintang's arm and shouted, "These beasts have no brains at all. Killing them is a waste of time. Come with me and storm the palace!!"

Hearing Xiao Ran's words, Gu Xintang felt indignant, but he also understood the truth of what Xiao Ran said.

Suppressing his murderous intent, he rushed toward the palace gate.

With Xiao Ran's Yin Spirit Dharma Image clearing the way, and the swords of Gu Xintang clashing, even with thousands of superior cultivators, none could stop the two.

After breaking through the encirclement of these superior beings, Xiao Ran looked at the three open doors in front of him, but did not choose to go through the central main door.

He remembered that Dai Long had told him never to enter the palace through the main gate. Although Xiao Ran did not know the reason, he still led Gu Xintang and rushed in through the left side gate.

After rushing through the palace gates, instead of the magnificent halls one might expect, there was a dark, deep, and seemingly endless narrow passageway.

Dark red palace lanterns hung intermittently on the walls on both sides of the passageway. The firelight cast the shadows of the two people, making them appear to be of varying lengths, and projected onto the walls covered with eerie reliefs, like distorted ghostly figures.

Neither of them were new to the imperial city. During the last sword evaluation, they had turned the palace upside down, so they were quite familiar with the place.

When they rushed through the palace gates, they were shocked to find that behind the magnificent and solemn palace walls lay a scene of devastation.

The palace in the distance had long been burned to the ground, leaving only ruins.

In many places, the brackets and beams of the corridor ceiling have collapsed completely, exposing rafters blackened by smoke or simply large gaps in the ceiling.
"This……"

Seeing this scene, Xiao Ran and Gu Xintang also had strange expressions. When they made a scene at the Sword Evaluation, although they set fires all over the palace, they only created a little chaos.

At most, it would only burn down a few side halls.

But now they can't see a single complete building in front of them.

"This should be what the palace looked like after Huang Chao burned it down. It seems that Huang Chao did not restore it."

Gu Xintang looked at the ruins in front of him and frowned as he spoke.

Just as Xiao Ran was about to say something, before she could even open her mouth, blood-red text suddenly appeared before her eyes.

"Triggering Main Quest 2: The Forbidden Palace"

Mission Description: Enter the depths of the Forbidden City and find out the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal of the State.

Mission Difficulty:? ?

Task reward: ?

[Warning: The Forbidden Palace has become a forbidden area for ghost stories. Please find a plausible identity as soon as possible, or you will be ostracized by the ghost stories within the Forbidden Palace!]

(End of this chapter)