Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 730 Seizing the Body
The burning marks on her arm felt like flames that threatened to engulf Xiao Ran. In an instant, memories of the Li family's salt shop began to surface before her.

However, these memories are completely different from the memories Xiao Ran first saw.

"A mere salt merchant, a lowly household!"

"If your salt tax is even a penny less this year, your shop will be shut down."

"What?! The son of a salt merchant?! Hahaha, that's hilarious! What's the use of a salt merchant's son studying? Does he even know what the words of the sages are?"

"I am from the Cui family of Hexi. Who do you think you are? The lives of your entire family combined are not as precious as one of my toes. You've dirtied my shoes, and your whole family will pay with their lives!"

Scene after scene, story after story—once these memories are stripped of their disguise, what is revealed are painful chapters of life.

It is the struggle of someone born into poverty who cannot change their fate, and also the initial intention of turning around, picking up a blade, and unleashing a catastrophe.

These memories do not belong to the ancestors of the Li family, but to one person...

"Yellow tide!!"

Xiao Ran was absolutely certain he heard that voice. He suddenly opened his eyes, and Huang Chao's figure was reflected in his pupils.

It's not outside, but inside your own body.

Xiao Ran could feel a terrifying spiritual force instantly filling her consciousness.

This force rapidly coalesced in Xiao Ran's mind into the shape of a yellow tide, while simultaneously carrying an irresistible power.

It was as if not only Huang Chao's consciousness was rushing into Xiao Ran's mind, but also the will of this world, and even the entire Lost City, all surging into Xiao Ran's body at this moment along with Huang Chao's spiritual power.

In just a moment, Huang Chao's figure solidified into a physical form.

His face was full of a lazy expression, but his eyes were filled with an indescribable pleasure.

It's like a hunter who has been waiting for a long time in the freezing cold, finally catching the prey he has been longing for.

"It's really you!!"

Xiao Ran's face was filled with horror, even fear. Her features began to contort as she screamed and rushed towards Huang Chao: "Get out of here!"

Faced with Xiao Ran's raised fist, Huang Chao simply raised his finger disdainfully, pressing down with one finger, his immense spiritual power becoming as majestic as Mount Tai in an instant.

In that instant, Xiao Ran's spiritual avatar was like a tiny ant, gently but forcefully pressed down by Huang Chao's enormous spiritual power condensed into a single finger.

It was as if the entire space of consciousness was bowing down to this finger. Xiao Ran felt as if he was about to be crushed and erased! He struggled desperately, but all his thoughts of resistance were frozen and crushed by the supreme pressure carried by that finger, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The figure of Huang Chao before him grew ever larger and more solid within this spiritual space, like a towering Mount Tai piercing the heavens and earth, radiating a chilling sense of oppression. His massive body slowly slumped back, and from the depths of his ethereal consciousness, a nine-dragon throne, engraved with dragon patterns and gleaming with golden light, materialized out of thin air!

Huang Chao sat comfortably on the illusory dragon throne made entirely of spiritual energy, his posture languid yet domineering. He looked down at Xiao Ran, who was pinned beneath him, her figure as insignificant as dust. His massive face was lowered, his deep, star-like eyes filled with utter mockery and an all-powerful contempt, gazing down upon her. A slow smile curved his lips, a smile like a poppy blooming on ice, carrying a deadly pleasure that deepened with each passing moment.

“Actually, I didn’t have high hopes at first,” Huang Chao’s voice was like a booming bell, yet with a touch of cold magnetism. Every word struck Xiao Ran’s fragile consciousness like a heavy hammer. “After all, time… is very limited.”

He tilted his head slightly, as if recalling something amusing: "If you keep hiding like a coward in a safe corner..." Huang Chao's tone carried a hint of playful mockery, "Heh, it might not be long before this trap I've meticulously prepared for you... is about to be destroyed along with this labyrinthine city..."

He paused, then his enormous finger applied slightly more force, causing Xiao Ran's spiritual avatar to emit a silent wail, its form becoming even more ethereal and indistinct.

"It's all gone."

Looking at the struggling, tiny shadow beneath his feet, Huang Chao's smile finally reached its peak—a tremendous sense of satisfaction from a successful scheme and the prey caught in his trap. He lightly flicked the finger that was suppressing Xiao Ran, and invisible ripples of power spread out, carrying an aura of absolute control:
"Thankfully, you finally came!!"

"It's...those marks!! Those aren't the Li family's memories, those...are all your memories."

Only now did Xiao Ran belatedly realize where Huang Chao's trap lay.

The moment he stepped into the Ghost City and assumed the identity of Li Xiao, he had already stepped into a trap.

The marks on his arm were clearly the result of Huang Chao's careful manipulation of his soul. The deeper he went into contact with the soul, the smoother the possession would be.

"It seems too late for you to realize this now."

Huang Chao gently flicked his fingers, as if he were teasing a poor little insect.

Xiao Ran was tossed about by Huang Chao's fingers, unable to resist despite her efforts. Her resentful gaze fixed on Huang Chao: "I have a question I don't understand. This method of possession doesn't seem like your doing at all. Who is helping you?"

If it came to a head-on confrontation with Huang Chao, Xiao Ran knew that even ten of him couldn't defeat him. The best way to deal with Huang Chao was to summon the Plum Blossom Taoist before he could make a move.

However, Huang Chao attacked him in a way he never dreamed of.

He's dead?
Dividing one's spiritual imprint into five parts and gradually guiding oneself to complete the possession—this kind of cunning and treacherous method was something Huang Chao would never have imagined, nor did he possess such a method.

Even the design of this ghost city reveals a strange style and a targeted approach, including the isolation of Wu Man, Jin Chanzi, and Dai Long, all to prevent them from interfering with the plan.

To get things done this far, one needs not only a thorough understanding of Xiao Ran, but also intelligence on Xiao Ran and her entire team.

and……

This information was probably gathered a long time ago, otherwise, why did the tiger demon not become a deity when the golden toad was transformed into a statue?
The tiger demon was a mount they subdued on their way back to the Lost City.

These things could not have been Huang Chao's doing, nor did he have such means.

Faced with Xiao Ran's question, Huang Chao showed no intention of answering. With a flick of his finger, he sent Xiao Ran flying.

"I'll show you something!"

Huang Chao gently flicked his palm, and with his movement, the scene before him suddenly distorted and magnified, instantly pulling Xiao Ran's consciousness completely into a new world.

That was outside the city gates of Ghost City. At this moment, Xiao Ran and Huang Chao felt as if they had arrived on the city walls of Ghost City.

The ancient and majestic city wall silhouetted against the distant, gloomy horizon, creating a somber and oppressive scene.

Outside the city walls, the vast wilderness stretching for miles had now been transformed into a living hell.

"kill!!!"

The deafening shouts of battle, the screams of the dying, and the violent clanging of metal converged into a heart-wrenching sound wave that soared into the sky, as if to tear the leaden sky apart!
Upon hearing the deafening shouts of battle, Xiao Ran was immediately startled, and an ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

He strode to the city wall and looked down, only to see that the scene before him had become a battlefield, with the rebel kings' armies surging down like a torrent.

They were not attacking the city, but rather targeting Lu Cheng's army.

It was a heavy infantry regiment of about three thousand men. This regiment was close to the city wall, like a cold reef standing in a sea of ​​blood, forming a tight and huge, stern square formation.

Each soldier was clad in heavy, dark lamellar armor, the plates reflecting a chilling glint in the dim light.

However, at this moment, the coldness of the steel had already been covered by something much hotter and more viscous—layer after layer of dark red blood shells cast from the flesh and blood of countless enemies! Congealed, undried bloodstains flowed through the gaps in the armor, dripped down the leg guards, and gathered into small, scarlet pools at their feet.

The armies of various rebel kings completely surrounded this legion.

At the same time, Lu Cheng's heavy cavalry charged down from the other side, like an unstoppable sword cutting a bloody path through the rebel king's army.

The twelve-foot-long Mo Dao, with its blade taller than a person and a wide edge, transformed into streaks of deathly light as the soldiers swung it with the precision of steel machines!
Where the blade slices through, you can clearly hear the sound of flesh and bone being split open. If you only listened to the sound, you would think this was a real slaughterhouse.

"Are they crazy? Have they gone mad?"

Seeing this, Xiao Ran was immediately shocked, thinking that these rebel kings had gone completely mad. Lu Cheng's army was armed to the teeth, with heavy cavalry and heavily armored soldiers. In an era without artillery, they were human tanks.

Even if the soldiers who charged forward fought desperately, they might not be able to leave a mark on the armor with a single blow. These rebel kings wouldn't have fought so recklessly if they had any sense.

As they were speaking, another wave of ragtag troops, whose origins were unknown, surged forward like a burst dam, howling as they rushed up.

Their equipment was a motley crew, and their faces were a mixture of madness, fear, and a last-ditch ferocity. At the forefront were the ragged light infantry, followed by a mix of foot soldiers in leather armor and rusted iron armor, and some light cavalry riding warhorses who appeared panicked.

What awaited them was that cold, heavily armored jungle that strangled everything.

Huang Chao, standing to the side, was not surprised by the result. Hearing Xiao Ran's complaints, he smiled calmly.
"You're right, but what if I told you that what you're looking for is down below?"

Huang Chao pointed to the figure firmly protected by the heavily armored soldiers at the foot of the city wall. This person was only wearing ordinary armor, but was tightly clutching a box in his arms. That box was exactly the same as the one Xiao Ran had just taken from the dragon's claw. Inside it was the very thing that Xiao Ran and his group had come for: the Imperial Seal of the State...

(End of this chapter)