Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 746 He fought for an opportunity

Ruzhou City.

A week has passed since our trip to Ghost City.

The ghosts sank, turning that area into a sealed-off chaos.

As for where it landed and what it became, they have no idea for the time being.

The various rebel kings suffered heavy casualties and fled in panic with their armies.

However, Lu Cheng's side also suffered heavy losses, and since the main army could not return in time, he first sent Liu Mu, Qing Hai Lao Mo, Huang Le, and Qing He to take Xiao Ran back to Ruzhou.

After returning to Ruzhou, they tried their best to wake Xiao Ran, but the results were unsatisfactory.

Wu Man, dragging her crippled body, limped into the room with the help of several servants.

The room was filled with steam and huge blocks of ice. The moment you entered, you felt the biting cold. Xiao Ran was placed on an ice bed made of ice blocks. Liu Mu and Qing Hai Lao Mo shook their heads helplessly when they saw Wu Man enter.

"What, there's still no solution?"

Six eyes, filled with sorrow, lowered their gaze as they looked at Xiao Ran, whose eyes were tightly closed, on the ice bed.

The old demon Qinghai's withered throat bobbed, his voice hoarse: "There's nothing we can do. We don't understand his physical condition right now. He's in a daze. We've tried to communicate with his consciousness, but we can't get in at all."

"Could he have been possessed by a demon god?" Wu Man expressed her concern.

“No, if it were a case of possession, this guy would have woken up long ago.” The one who spoke was the spirit fairy Qinghao.

As a spirit fairy kept by the Zhao family, it should have been the most skilled at treating such injuries to the soul, but even with all its might, it was unable to enter Xiao Ran's sea of ​​consciousness.

"But that's not the most troublesome thing; it's his health!"

Qinghao pointed to Xiao Ran's palm, where blood was seeping from the wound from time to time.

Seeing this, Wu Man hurriedly came over, took Xiao Ran's arm and looked at her carefully, and was shocked: "How could this be?"

"His body is like a furnace, disintegrating itself. If we can't find a way to wake him up, he won't last more than two days before his body is destroyed."

At this point, Qinghao suddenly remembered something: "Wait!!"

Seeing the blue raccoon suddenly fall into deep thought, the three people in the room turned to look at it.

Qinghao sat on Xiao Ran's chest, her little head seemingly thinking of something, but she wasn't sure.

"What, what have you thought of? Tell me."

Seeing this, Liu Mu couldn't help but urge them on.

"This……"

After hesitating for a moment, Qinghao said, "You guys think his situation is somewhat like... a 'dissolving immortal'."

"The Immortal Who Dissolves His Soldier??"

As soon as Qinghao uttered these words, Liumu and Qinghai Laomo were both taken aback.

But the more I think about it, the more likely it seems.

"Hiss... You know what! You really don't know, how come I didn't think of that??" Liu Mu slapped his forehead, as if he had suddenly figured out all his confusion.

"I understand, I understand. We need to find someone to handle this; he definitely knows what's going on."

"Who?"

“Plum Blossom Taoist!” Six Eyes said, revealing the name of Plum Blossom Taoist. He explained, “His current state does resemble that of a self-dissolving immortal, but a self-dissolving immortal doesn’t look like this. How could someone suddenly fall into self-dissolution? But his current state reminds me of Plum Blossom Taoist.”

Liu Mu entered Plum Blossom Manor with Xiao Ran. He had personally witnessed the true form of Plum Blossom Daoist. Liu Mu had never been able to understand why Plum Blossom Daoist had buried himself in that coffin.

But at this moment, upon hearing Qinghao's reminder and considering Xiao Ran's condition, Liu Mu suddenly thought of Plum Blossom Taoist.

This gave Liu Mu a bold idea: he suspected that Xiao Ran's current state was related to Plum Blossom Taoist.

The reason for this conjecture was not something he imagined out of thin air. Rather, it was because Xiao Ran's current state, although not quite a "disintegration of immortality," was close. Once his physical body decayed, his primordial spirit would leave his body, and at that time, he would probably be not much different from the Plum Blossom Taoist.

"Who is the Plum Blossom Taoist?"

Just then, a figure strode into the door; it was none other than Gao Yuting, who had just received the news.

She rushed over as soon as she received the news, and just as she reached the door, she heard Liu Mu's words.

Upon entering the room, Gao Yuting's pupils constricted when she saw Xiao Ran lying on the ice bed. She quickly walked to Xiao Ran's side, but was stopped by Liu Mu: "No, his current physical condition is very delicate. Any contact with flesh and blood will accelerate the decomposition of his body."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuting's hand, which was raised in mid-air, suddenly froze in place.

She turned to look at Liu Mu: "Who is this Plum Blossom Taoist you just mentioned? I'm going to find him."

"No need to trouble yourself, the painting is right here in my hands."

Wu Man took out the scroll and handed it to Liu Mu. Liu Mu carefully took the scroll and, without hesitation, gestured for everyone to step back. He then walked to the side and opened the scroll.

Liu Mu hung the scroll on the wall and then unrolled it.

As the scroll unfurled, a blank painting appeared before everyone's eyes. In the painting, beneath a plum tree, on the left, lay a black cat with one green and one red eye, a bronze bell around its neck. In the painting, it appeared plump and endearingly憨厚 (honest and simple).

There was also a chubby little boy next to him, but strangely, this boy only had an upper half and no lower half.

This boy was someone that Six Eyes and the Green Skeleton Demon had both seen before. He was the evil spirit that the Jade Thief had controlled back in the Fifth Hospital. He was taken in as a boy by Plum Blossom Taoist, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.

At least he wasn't easily killed by Plum Blossom Taoist. He served tea and water to Plum Blossom Taoist afterward, which can be considered as receiving Plum Blossom Taoist's protection.

Soon, a sigh came from the painting.

This time, Plum Blossom Taoist did not appear. He said with a hint of melancholy, "When I taught him the Soul Cultivation Technique, I originally thought that this kid would not be able to touch the fourth level until at least after three openings. I did not expect it to come so hastily."

Liu Mu's eyes lit up. Since Plum Blossom Taoist could say such a thing, it meant that he knew what was going on with Xiao Ran. If he knew what was going on, then Xiao Ran might be saved.

Liu Mu walked up to the portrait, carefully asking the blank space on the scroll, "Master Dao, what exactly is Xiao Ran's situation...?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than everyone felt a sudden tension in their bodies, and then the voice of Plum Blossom Taoist came from behind Liu Mu: "What, can't you see it?"

Liu Mu was startled by the voice of Plum Blossom Taoist and quickly turned around, glancing cautiously at Plum Blossom Taoist out of the corner of his eye.

This mighty demon god of the underworld was now as humble as a palace eunuch before the Plum Blossom Taoist.

But so what? Even the Six-Eyed Demon wouldn't dare to provoke the Plum Blossom Taoist. Don't forget how the Plum Blossom Taoist slew evil gods like Xing Xie.

"This... to us, looks like a 'Bingjie Xian' (a legendary immortal)."

Liu Mu whispered their judgment.

"That's it."

Plum Blossom Taoist nodded, confirming the six-eyed theory.

The Plum Blossom Taoist made some calculations with his fingers, but then looked outside for a moment.

He then walked up to Xiao Ran, examined him carefully, and said, "He can last for at most three more days, but after tonight his physical body will be basically destroyed."

Upon hearing Plum Blossom Taoist's words, everyone's expression changed drastically; this was even earlier than they had anticipated.

"Fairy!"

Gao Yuting disregarded all formalities and strode up to the Plum Blossom Taoist, kneeling down with a thud. "Immortal, please save him! Since you've taught him magic, you must have a way to save him, right?"

Plum Blossom Taoist turned around, his gaze scrutinizing Gao Yuting, and reached out to help her up.

"Hahaha, young lady, there's no need for that. Although his physical body is destroyed, he is not dead. On the contrary, it is a great opportunity. From now on, he can roam freely in the world, escape the Five Elements, and not fall into the cycle of reincarnation. He can go up to the blue sky and down to the yellow springs. Isn't that wonderful?"

Upon hearing Plum Blossom Taoist's words, everyone was immediately speechless.

Liu Mu and Qing Hai Lao Mo looked at each other, not daring to utter a single word of dissent.

They both understood perfectly well how great the difference was between having a physical body and not having one.

Without a physical body, they were destined to be among the first to be eliminated in this great upheaval of the world.

Otherwise, why would those demon gods and demon kings necessarily descend to earth by possessing a physical body?

Besides... Plum Blossom Taoist makes it sound so easy, but isn't he still hiding in his coffin? Doesn't he want to come out?
It's likely that his true self won't be able to get out at all; the drawbacks here are far too complex to explain in just a few words.

But neither of them dared to speak up; to say it in front of Plum Blossom Taoist would be tantamount to courting death. As for Lingxian Qinghao, he dared not utter a word.

Wu Man naturally sensed that there was something wrong with Plum Blossom Taoist's words, but he didn't understand the reason and couldn't explain it for the time being.

But Gao Yuting raised her head and looked straight at Plum Blossom Taoist.

"May I ask, Immortal, is it truly so carefree? Or is it that you, Immortal, can achieve the carefree life you speak of?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression immediately changed.

Six Eyes and the Green Skeleton Demon were even more horrified. Where did this little girl get such audacity to use her ultimate skill so close to Plum Blossom Taoist?

Liu Mu quickly reached out and tugged at Gao Yuting's sleeve.

But Gao Yuting remained unmoved, her gaze fixed on the eyes of the Plum Blossom Taoist in front of her: "I apologize for my abruptness, but I would like to ask you a question, since you have said that you have transcended the Five Elements and are not subject to reincarnation, do you mean that you are rejected by Heaven and Earth, rejected by the Underworld, have no way to enter Heaven, and are a lonely ghost?"

After these words were spoken, the room fell into a deathly silence.

A coldness gradually crept onto Plum Blossom Taoist's face as he fixed his gaze on Gao Yuting. Instantly, beads of sweat appeared on Gao Yuting's forehead, and her face turned deathly pale.

For a moment, Plum Blossom Taoist still carried a touch of the transcendence of a hermit, speaking leisurely about the so-called "wandering freely in the world and escaping the Five Elements."

But at this moment——

The air in the entire study suddenly froze!
The sunlight seemed to be extinguished instantly by an invisible hand; it didn't just dim, it vanished completely. What shone through the window was no longer sunlight, but a chilling, deep gray nothingness.

"Om-!"

An indescribable, terrifying aura suddenly erupted from the center of Plum Blossom Taoist.

That was not a shockwave of energy, but some higher level of anger and pressure originating from the "Tao"! It was formless and intangible, yet it was ten thousand times heavier than Mount Tai pressing down on you.

"thump!!"

The two demon gods, Six Eyes and Green Skeleton Old Demon, who had roamed the Netherworld for many years and whose true forms were incomparably powerful, were struck in the spine as if by an invisible, massive hammer the moment their auras descended! Without any hesitation, or rather, their physical instincts completely overwhelmed any resistance, Six Eyes' six legs buckled, and Green Skeleton Old Demon's skeleton clattered as he knelt heavily on the ground, prostrating himself completely.

"Woo..."

The Spirit Immortal Green Badger let out a short, mournful cry. Its small body was pressed tightly against the ice on Xiao Ran's chest, unable to move. Its clear beast eyes were filled with the fear of impending death.

Wu Man groaned, her body slumped to the ground, unable to move.

Gao Yuting, who provoked Plum Blossom Taoist's anger, was the first to bear the brunt.

She felt as if countless invisible mountains had suddenly pressed down on her, her blood seemed to freeze instantly, and her heartbeat was heavy like a drum, each beat extremely painful.

The biting cold didn't affect her body; it seemed to freeze her mind and soul directly! Her beautiful and stubborn face drained of color, turning as pale as paper. Fine beads of sweat, just as they seeped from her pores, immediately froze into ice crystals covering them.

However, to Plum Blossom Taoist's surprise, under his pressure, Gao Yuting possessed a stubbornness like a rock and a hidden, unleashed thunderous power.

"So it was destined all along..."

Seeing this, Plum Blossom Taoist sighed helplessly in his heart, squinting at Gao Yuting: "Then I will give you a choice: save him and you will die, or let him get rid of his physical body as I said, so that the two of you can still live happily ever after for a hundred years, or even a thousand or ten thousand years."

"save him!"

Without thinking, without weighing the pros and cons, and without even a second of hesitation, Gao Yuting directly stated her answer.

This decisiveness astonished even Plum Blossom Taoist, who said with a hint of annoyance, "Can't you do math? Or did you not understand? If you don't save him, you can still..."

"I am willing!"

Gao Yuting interrupted Plum Blossom Taoist, and those three simple words caused a look of surprise to appear on his face for the first time.

Amidst the incomprehension of Plum Blossom Taoist, Gao Yuting walked to Xiao Ran's side. Looking at Xiao Ran's not-so-handsome face, she seemed to recall something.

"Back then, when I learned that Huang Chao was coming to kill me, I was so scared that I hid under the covers and cried. I knew that even if I trained for another ten years, I would never be a match for Huang Chao. In front of a master like him, I couldn't even withstand a single move back then. I am not afraid of death, but I cannot tolerate falling into Huang Chao's hands."

Gao Yuting recounted that past period.

After learning from her master, Shuangfei, that Huangchao was about to unleash a great calamity, she secretly went to Ruzhou to see just how terrifying this locust plague army was.

But when she actually witnessed the brutality of the locust plague army, she was almost scared out of her wits.

That was a level of brutality beyond imagination; they treated people as provisions, leaving nothing but desolation in their wake.

Even seeing the former heiress treated like a pig or a dog by Huang Chao, naked and writhing at his feet, deeply pierced her soul.

After fleeing back in a panic, Gao Yuting could still maintain her usual aloofness on the surface, but in her heart, she already regarded Huang Chao as a lingering nightmare.

Even at night, I would often wake up in fright.

Until he met Xiao Ran.

The two weren't in love at first sight; it was just that Xiao Ran's displayed strength gave them hope.

So that night in Zishan, she gave herself to Xiao Ran.

Perhaps it was sudden, or perhaps it seemed illogical or even incomprehensible to outsiders.

But when Huang Chao is about to lead his locust plague army to attack, what is there for me to cherish?

She had nothing better to offer than to give her most precious possession, her body, to Xiao Ran in exchange for a promise from him.

A promise that he would never fall into Huang Chao's hands, even if Xiao Ran stabbed him to death and burned him to ashes after his defeat.

Xiao Ran lived up to expectations and even led her out of a desperate situation.

It was from that moment that Gao Yuting truly found a sense of belonging in Xiao Ran.

"Back then, he didn't let me become a pig or dog that Huang Chao bullied at will. Now, I don't want him to become a lonely ghost in this world either."

Gao Yuting turned her head and looked directly at Plum Blossom Taoist: "Immortal, there is no such thing as a perfect solution in this world. I dare not hope for thousands or thousands of years, but I am willing to fight for him a chance. As for whether he is willing to be like you in the end, that is his business. I beg you to grant my request!"

Looking at the resolute look in Gao Yuting's eyes, Plum Blossom Taoist turned to look at Xiao Ran lying on the ice bed: "This kid, what did he do to deserve such a good wife? Alas... I hope that when he wakes up, he won't hate me."

Plum Blossom Taoist sighed, "The method is very simple. As long as you are willing to advance to the level of a Celestial, you can use the power of a Celestial to give him a helping hand and pull him out of his dazed state."

"So simple?"

Hearing the method suggested by Plum Blossom Taoist, Gao Yuting and the others were very surprised. Advancing to the Celestial Realm was not difficult for Gao Yuting, as she had the essence of Frost Consort's inheritance and had already reached the Profound Realm.

The transition from heaven to immortality is just the final step; it's just a matter of timing.

"It's that simple, but think it through. Now is not a good time to advance to the Celestial Realm."

After emerging from the painting, Plum Blossom Taoist calculated with his fingers and then looked at the fate of this labyrinthine city outside.

He knew very well that the fortune of this lost city had declined to its lowest point, and that ascending to the Celestial Realm at this juncture was impossible...

What's that saying again...? He joined the National Revolutionary Army in 49, that's roughly what it means.

"I thought I was going to have to tear out my heart and lungs, but it turns out it's so simple. It seems that God has been kind to me."

Gao Yuting actually breathed a sigh of relief; at least she could live a few more days, right?

"All right!"

Plum Blossom Taoist thought for a moment: "If you're going to help someone out completely, I'll give you another hand."

After speaking, Plum Blossom Taoist reached out and grabbed at the void.

"Om-!"

An invisible, unimaginably vast power suddenly erupted!
It wasn't an energy surge, but rather like an invisible hand forcefully plunging into a turbulent river of fate.

In an instant, the entire city of Ruzhou, no, the entire spacetime of the entire labyrinthine city, trembled violently!
The sky was no longer a gray, lifeless expanse, but under the tyrannical power of the Taoist of Meishan, it displayed eerie interplay of light and shadow. The thick clouds were stirred and torn apart by an invisible force, churning like boiling water, sometimes letting in a dim ray of light, and sometimes being swallowed up by an even denser chaos.

All the fortune of this lost city is rapidly surging towards Ruzhou.

Feeling something, Gao Yuting turned around and bowed deeply to the Plum Blossom Taoist: "Thank you, Immortal. I was abrupt just now. Please forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Plum Blossom Taoist remained silent, only giving Xiao Ran a meaningful look, thinking to himself, "I hope you don't try to lift the lid off my coffin."

He then returned to the painting without looking back, and his figure gradually disappeared into the painting.

With the disappearance of the Plum Blossom Taoist, the scroll suddenly cracked open, and a wisp of ghostly fire instantly burned it to ashes. This means that from this day forward, the Plum Blossom Taoist will no longer appear in this world...

(End of this chapter)