Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 777 Fellow Daoist, it's been a long time
As the chanting began, the vast power of the writing staff was unleashed, causing a silvery frost to cover the ground. Everyone felt a sudden gust of wind rise from the ground, and then they saw a silver light emerge from the inconspicuous iron rod in Xiao Ran's hand.

The silver light shot into the heavens and earth, crashing into the void, like a divine pillar reaching to the sky, piercing through the heavens and earth.

Xiao Ran closed her eyes, and the entire Ghost Capital's operational diagram appeared in her mind.

He was the one who sealed off Ghost City in the first place, and now it wouldn't be difficult to reopen it. However, he wasn't just thinking about opening Ghost City; he was thinking about preserving its current capabilities.

It can seal cursed objects and spaces, even for beginners and professionals.

These two items are extremely important.

Without cursed objects and spatial abilities, even professionals' strength will be greatly reduced.

At that time, the security level here will be extremely high, making it a very suitable place for ordinary people, and even administrative units, to live.

It's like you automatically go through a security check as soon as you enter the ghost town.

The preservation of professional skills ensures that people can make a living here by relying on their exceptional skills, which is a win-win situation.

"Kakakaka!!"

As Xiao Ran gently turned her palm to the left.

"Boom..." Instantly, the entire ghost city seemed to spin along with his palm.

This scene surprised everyone.

At this moment, it seemed as if Xiao Ran had the entire Ghost City under his control.

"Kaka!"

As Xiao Ran turned, the entire ghost seemed to be shaken by an earthquake, swaying left and right, and the three spaces of past, present and future gradually separated again.

"Heaven!!"

When everyone looked up, they saw an upside-down city overhead. Although it was also devastated, this city had preserved the style of ancient architecture.

This is the past. Xiao Ran continued to turn the cane in his hand, and another future time and space appeared in everyone's sight, one on the left and one on the right, past and future.

The three spaces form a trapezoidal shape that intersects with each other, but they are not interconnected.

Entering is not difficult; Xiao Ran simply needs to preserve a few entrances to the space in several locations throughout the city.

In this way, the actual area of ​​the entire Ghost City has been expanded three times, enough to transform it into a super metropolis.

"Crack!"

Xiao Ran turned the writing staff again. This time there was no vibration, but the previously sealed gates gradually opened. All four city gates could now be freely entered and exited.

After doing all this, Xiao Ran slowly removed her hand from the writing staff.

He let out a long sigh, looked up at Ren Haoran, and waved to them.

Seeing this, Ren Haoran quickly ran to Xiao Ran's side.

Xiao Ran casually pulled the writing staff from the ground and tossed it to Ren Haoran.

"Let's hand this over to the company. The four city gates have been opened, and people can come and go freely. However, once inside, whether you're a professional or a beginner, your space will be sealed and cursed. So when the company delivers supplies, it's best to unload them outside."

Upon hearing this, Ren Haoran's mind raced for a moment, and he quickly realized something. He looked up at the two other spaces above him: "These are..."

"The past and future spaces, though illusory, coexist within the Ghost City. You can enter directly from the four towers in the east, west, south, and north. There are no living people inside anymore. You can decide how to use them."

Xiao Ran's words immediately stirred up a storm in Ren Haoran's heart. As a key member of the company, he immediately realized the importance of Ghost City.

His expression changed repeatedly. When he looked at the pillar that Xiao Ran had thrown to him and the small hole on the ground, he immediately understood the importance of this place and the heavy weight of the iron rod in his hand.

"understood."

Ren Haoran turned around and quickly walked to the group of city leaders. He didn't explain much, only saying that they could now come and go freely.

Then he quickly left with his people to contact the company as soon as possible.

It's foreseeable that once the company receives the news, this place will soon become lively.

However, none of this has anything to do with Xiao Ran.

According to what Ren Haoran and the others had said, Xiao Ran headed straight towards the northwest corner of Ghost City.

As he ventured deeper, the surrounding landscape gradually became desolate. The ruins of the original city buildings diminished, replaced by more crooked and varied shrines.

Many shrines have been broken, with fragments scattered all over the ground, and many are in a state of half-tipping or half-overturning.

The air was filled with a musty, dusty smell, and a faint, strange aroma.

Xiao Ran's spiritual power swept across the entire stone forest like an invisible tide.

The stone forest was still filled with all sorts of eerie whispers, but Xiao Ran's mental strength was now strong enough that these whispers could no longer bother him.

In just a moment, Xiao Ran caught the familiar scent.

He flashed by, leaving a blurry afterimage in his wake, and nimbly moved among the overturned shrine and jagged rocks.

In just a few breaths, an exceptionally large shrine with a relatively intact base appeared before Xiao Ran.

Unlike the other dilapidated ones, this shrine was relatively intact overall, though it was covered in cracks, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

On the platform at the top of the shrine sits a tall stone statue.

The stone statue is not a ferocious demon, but rather has a peaceful and serene expression, with its eyes half-closed, as if it is dozing or looking down upon all living beings. It can be clearly seen that the left arm of the statue is missing.

Beneath the stone statue, the original talisman lines are still preserved, with traces of pale gold blood remaining inside.

"Ugh!"

Xiao Ran stretched out her palm and gently placed it on the stone statue.

The battle of that day couldn't help but come to mind.

Wu Man was almost shattered, Dai Long died on the spot, and Jin Chanzi almost bled out all his golden blood.

Even Yuting, in order to save herself, became a celestial being ahead of schedule.

I lost too much in this battle.

Thinking about these things, Xiao Ran felt extremely irritable, and his terrifying mental power began to run rampant involuntarily, causing the surrounding void to distort visibly.

After about a minute, Xiao Ran slowly broke free from this frenzied emotion. He recited the Great Freedom Sutra and forcibly drove away the anger in his heart.

Until my vision cleared again.

"Brother, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Xiao Ran took two steps back and then took out a small box from her spatial storage.

The box was opened, and inside lay a lotus seed, white and smooth as jade.

"The cicada sings in summer, shedding its mortal cage; the jade toad lies on the moon, guarding its crimson hue. The wisdom of Zen and the spirit of Tao are originally the same; the heart of clouds and water is always the same."

Xiao Ran recited the poem that Di Ting had recited before leaving.

Although Di Ting didn't explicitly say so, it seems that this lotus seed was meant to save the golden toad.

But how do you use this thing?

Xiao Ran picked up a lotus seed with her fingers and began to worry again.

To be honest, he doesn't like dealing with those so-called experts, precisely because these so-called experts only tell you half of what they mean.

The remaining half is for you to guess.

It's like these lotus seeds; you've already given them to yourself, why didn't you include an instruction manual?

Just as Xiao Ran was wondering whether to cook this thing into porridge or grind it into powder...

The lotus seed in her hand suddenly flashed and then broke free from Xiao Ran's grasp.

Seeing the lotus seed shimmering with a luminous glow before Xiao Ran, it then burrowed straight into the stone statue. With a crisp "crack!", a noticeable crack appeared in the hard stone statue's chest.

The crack did not stop, but spread and expanded rapidly like a living thing, making a series of fine "crackling" sounds!

Soon, a slender, vibrant green root stubbornly emerged from the crack in the heart of the stone statue!

It seems to possess an abundant life force, ignoring the obstruction of the stone, and stretches outward and thickens at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Xiao Ran stared intently at the root in front of her, discovering that its shape was exceptionally mysterious. It did not grow wildly and haphazardly, but rather coiled and twisted naturally during its growth, as if following some ancient rhythm.

As it grows stronger, its emerald green color becomes more intense, and its surface even faintly flows with a gentle, jade-like luster.

In just a few breaths, the root was no longer a vine, but gradually formed a complex, Taoist-inspired structural prototype, like a naturally formed skeleton!

"Crash..."

Cracks instantly spread across the entire stone statue, accompanied by a series of muffled thuds and the crashing sound of falling rocks. Large chunks of rock peeled off, shattered, and flew away from the main body!
In an instant, rubble piled up on the shrine platform, and smoke and dust filled the air.

Where the original stone statue once stood, only a crystal-clear, lush, and uniquely structured "skeleton" formed from that root now stands on the broken base.

It stood quietly, its entire body radiating a soft green light.

At this moment, Xiao Ran pricked up his ears and heard a series of strong heartbeats. He looked in the direction of the sound.

A huge lotus bud was slowly gathering and extending from the center of the vibrant green frame, presenting a texture as warm and smooth as jade.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The firm, powerful heartbeats emanated from the core of the flower bud, clear and distinct, striking Xiao Ran's heartstrings like a drumbeat.

Xiao Ran stood still, holding her breath, her eyes fixed on the flower bud.

As the heartbeat grew stronger and more powerful, the enormous lotus bud began to emit a soft light, while the surrounding roots withered rapidly, as if transferring all their energy into the bud.

Under Xiao Ran's breathless gaze, the huge, smooth and jade-like flower bud trembled slightly.

"His-"

A soft yet distinct cracking sound rang out. At the top of the flower bud, a tiny fissure split open, revealing a purer, more subtle emerald green radiance than the surrounding area.

This radiance, brimming with vitality, instantly dispelled the stale dust and eerie atmosphere that permeated the air.

In the light, sat a small, chubby-cheeked figure.

"The stone spirit swallows the star, awaiting the toad's molting; the jade lotus conceives a heartbeat, the sound of spring. Suddenly, emerald bones rise to the sky, half transformed into golden body, half mortal."

The little figure in the golden light gradually became clear, and a familiar face appeared in front of Xiao Ran. Its eyes were like stars, and it smiled at Xiao Ran: "Fellow Daoist, it's been a long time."

(End of this chapter)