Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 898 Treasure Chest
Paper flower heart lamp, also known as paper life lamp.

Like his own half-mastery of Yin and Yang, it was a means of protecting himself and preserving his life.

Once ignited, it will burn its own life force to ignite.

When lit, it emits a bright light and can protect the body from the harm of evil spirits and demons.

Xiao Ran used her own energy and spirit as a lamp, lighting dozens of paper flowers in one go, immediately surrounding everyone in light.

Although the group could no longer hear any sound, they felt much more at ease knowing they were enveloped in light.

As the treasure ship sailed completely into the core area of ​​the Forgotten Void, a suffocating stillness suddenly enveloped everyone.

The air grew thick and sticky, a hazy, decaying aura of death spreading silently, like countless cold tentacles, wrapping around and permeating the bodies of everyone on board.

It felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on my soul, making even breathing difficult.

However, under the overhead lights, although everyone felt very uncomfortable, it was just that—uncomfortable.

Looking ahead, all you see is complete darkness, an absolute darkness where nothing can be seen. Time, space, direction, and even any matter seem to have lost all meaning here.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!

The dozens of paper lanterns surrounding the crowd suddenly began to sway violently without warning!

It felt as if countless unseen hands were tearing and squeezing it madly. The firelight flickered, sometimes bright like a candle in the wind, sometimes almost extinguished.

At the same time, countless thoughts arose in Xiao Ran's mind. These thoughts included a variety of things, such as worrying about how her Amazing Pavilion was operating, and also thinking about her grandfather and others. In a flash, Xiao Ran's heart tightened, and she involuntarily thought of her.

Gao Yuting!
Once this thought surfaced in her mind, it was as if she couldn't control herself from digging up every little detail of the past and placing it in Xiao Ran's consciousness.

In any art, the most taboo thing is having impure thoughts.

If one's thoughts are not pure, one's spirit will not be focused; if one's spirit is not fearful, one's skills will not be refined.

At this moment, distracting thoughts arose, and the paper lantern that Xiao Ran released began to sway precariously.

Fortunately, Xiao Ran quickly realized what was happening. He clasped his hands together and silently recited the "Great Freedom Mara Sutra".

"Thus have I heard, seeing one's true nature as emptiness, neither clinging nor delusion, neither evil nor good, neither demon nor Buddha, clearly discerning one's true nature, one will not fall into hell, nor be tainted by the emptiness of eons. Namo Amitabha Buddha, Paramita..."

As the chanting of sutras filled the air, Xiao Ran's heart gradually calmed down, becoming peaceful and serene.

The human heart is filled with a thousand illusions, and in a single moment, thousands of thoughts arise.

Although this scripture is considered heretical, it can instantly extinguish many distracting thoughts and preserve one's true self.

As the chanting of scriptures echoed in her heart, Xiao Ran's thoughts became increasingly pure, no longer disturbed by distracting thoughts.

Without the influence of distracting thoughts, the paper lanterns floating beside everyone immediately shone brightly again.

However, while the light protected everyone inside, it could not illuminate the surrounding area.

Xiao Ran and the others don't know where the ship is now.

Just then, Jin Chanzi suddenly remembered something, patted Xiao Ran on the shoulder, turned around and went to the center of the deck, in front of the golden disc.

Looking up, one could see streaks of starlight flowing on the disc. The Golden Toad, comparing the flowing starlight to the disc, immediately turned pale. He used a secret technique to transmit his voice to Xiao Ran, saying, "It seems we haven't moved. We've been trapped in this place and haven't been able to move forward."

"They didn't continue walking?"

"Yes, the ship should be hovering right now."

Jin Chanzi dared not make a sound, but only told Xiao Ran alone: ​​"I suspect there must be something special about this place. Let's try to find it."

"Let's look for it..."

Xiao Ran took a deep breath and tried to release his mental energy, but his mental energy seemed to sink into the sea as if it had been thrown into the surrounding area.

If Xiao Ran's spiritual power is water, then the surrounding darkness is a sponge. No matter how strong Xiao Ran's spiritual power is, as long as it spreads out, it will be immediately swallowed up and absorbed by the darkness, leaving not a single drop.

In this situation, it would be nothing short of a pipe dream for Xiao Ran to try to see her surroundings clearly.

If we get stuck here for too long, even if I can hold on, the others will probably go crazy.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran rummaged through her space and took out the oil lamp that Li Ji had given her before, trying to use it to light the way ahead.

However, the oil lamps that would normally illuminate the fog were of no use here.

Seeing Xiao Ran's actions, Wu Man and Lu Da also began searching through their own spaces.

Lu Da took out a Buddhist lamp and tried to activate its light.

As a result, it could not be activated at all.

Da looked at Wu Man, who took out the lamp she had been holding, waved it, and then took out a brush and wrote at the foot of her feet:

"No, it tells me this is a special zone, and I can't use it unless it's a special cursed item."

"Special Zone!"

Upon hearing these four words, Xiao Ran raised an eyebrow and casually took out a cursed item to try it out.

[Warning: You are in a special zone where, except for specially cursed items, other cursed items cannot be used.]

Looking at the prompt in front of her, Xiao Ran thought of something else.

Since it's a special area, this thing should come in handy.

Xiao Ran held the lamp in his palm, and a strange lamp quietly appeared.

The lampshade, made of an unknown material, is based on mutton-fat white jade, yet it appears more lustrous and translucent than ordinary jade vases. The base of the lamp is covered with a layer of red gold mesh, with gold threads as fine as hair yet clearly defined, interwoven into a continuous lotus scroll pattern, with each lotus heart inlaid with a pigeon-blood ruby ​​the size of a grain of rice.

This was a reward Xiao Ran gave himself when all his attributes broke through 400.

【The Crimson Gold Lamp】

I tried to activate it after I got my hands on it, but I was told that it could only be activated in a special area.

We're in a special area right now.

Xiao Ran tried to integrate the runes into the lamp, and as the runes were integrated into the lamp, a flame was actually lit up inside the lampshade.

Special Cursed Item: [Crimson Gold Lamp - Paper Craftsman]

Privilege 1: Crimson Divine Light

Once activated, it will unleash a crimson divine light, illuminating the unique environment of a special area and guiding a passable route.

Duration: ?
During the activation period, the lamp needs to be continuously fed with ordinary cursed items. The stronger the cursed item, the longer the activation period will last!

Privilege 2: Golden Road

Each time you devour an ordinary cursed item, you will accumulate a wisp of divine fire. Once the divine fire accumulates to a certain level, this privilege can be activated.

Once activated, it consumes all divine fire, allowing the holder to teleport in a specified direction. (Note: The more divine fire consumed, the longer the teleportation distance.)
Looking at the crimson-gold lamp in his hand, Xiao Ran's face lit up with joy. It seemed that this item was specially prepared for a place like Changbai Mountain.

Xiao Ran took out a few sheets of joss paper, which were also cursed items, and Xiao Ran had no shortage of these things.

He casually tossed it into the lamp, and instantly the joss paper was engulfed by pale golden flames, followed by a wisp of divine fire lighting up in the crimson-gold lamp.

Xiao Ran raised the divine lamp high, and its crimson divine light was activated.

Suddenly, strands of light, like silk threads, emerged from the lamplight. This light was as soft as brocade, appearing crooked and uneven, unlike ordinary light that shines straight and direct.

But the light kept extending into the darkness, and as more and more light threads poured into the darkness, the surrounding darkness was gradually illuminated.

call!
Almost the instant the darkness was dispelled, an invisible pressure suddenly vanished.

Lu Da took a deep breath, like a drowning man surfacing, his chest heaving violently, emitting a muffled, thunderous gasp. The maddening silence was shattered!
"Ha! I can hear you!" Lu Da's voice, rough with the spur of a life-or-death experience, shook the deck slightly.

"The sound is back!"

Jin Chanzi let out a long breath, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead: "Amitabha, I really can't stand staying in this place for long."

Xiao Ran herself felt a sense of lightness, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and her mind instantly became clear again.

He stared intently ahead, where the light from the magic lamp shone, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

The light dispelled the darkness, revealing not the expected emptiness, but a scene that sent chills down your spine.

Before me lay a vast, lifeless void, like a forgotten graveyard in the universe.

The wreckage of countless treasure ships, densely packed like the corpses of insects, hovered silently in this eerie void.

They come in various shapes and sizes, and some can be vaguely identified as being made of different materials such as gold, silver, jade, and iron, shimmering with residual light.

Some were completely decayed, their hulls twisted and broken, covered with jagged cracks and impact marks.

The sails of a treasure ship were tattered like rags, and the four characters "福、禄、寿、喜" were embroidered on them, but the characters had faded and become blurred.

These dilapidated ship hulls floated in mid-air, like the stark white skeletons of prehistoric behemoths, casting distorted and grotesque shadows under the light of the crimson lamp.

"Oh my God..."

Lu Da gasped, his eyes wide with shock. Even though he was used to seeing great storms and killing countless people, he was deeply shocked by the scene before him, which resembled a graveyard. "This...this is...how many treasure ships have been lost here?!"

"Look down there!"

At this moment, Wu Man pointed to the area below the ship, and everyone walked to the edge and looked down. They saw two dilapidated treasure ships standing in mid-air, their positions intersected.

It just so happened that their ship's hull got stuck in the middle.

"No wonder the ship wasn't moving, now I understand!"

Upon seeing this, Jin Chanzi suddenly realized what was happening.

Seeing this, Lu Da was also relieved. Fortunately, they had the magic lamp in Xiao Ran's hand, otherwise they would have been trapped here and died in a daze.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran casually stretched out a palm, gathering his spiritual power in his palm and urging it downwards.

With a loud "bang!", the two treasure ships below were pushed aside by the force of the palm. Without the drag of these two treasure ships, the treasure ship beneath their feet finally started moving again.

Xiao Ran held the magic lamp high and stood at the bow of the ship. As one dilapidated treasure ship after another flew past them, the group saw many skeletonized corpses in the ruins.

Unfortunately, most of the treasures on these ships are now empty.

The corpses had already decayed and lost their value. Otherwise, these corpses alone would have been a huge treasure for Xiao Ran.

Guided by the golden lamp, the treasure ship slowly sailed away from the graveyard.

The ship's hull became crystal clear again, and the flowing starlight and molten gold-like luster once more covered the deck.

The tension in everyone eased slightly, and Wu Man suddenly remembered something: "Didn't we say there would be treasure in every place we went? Is that all?"

It was only then that everyone remembered this matter, and Xiao Ran and the others looked at Jin Chanzi.

Jin Chanzi was also taken aback, scratching his head: "This seems to be something we've overlooked?"

Jin Chanzi couldn't explain it either, and didn't know what the problem was.

So Jin Chanzi walked to the huge golden disc in the center of the deck, staring intently at the flowing starlight on the disc, when suddenly the disc began to rotate layer by layer.

"Click...click click...click click click..."

As the machine rotated, the star map on the golden disk began to show a new arrangement.

This is……

Looking at the rearranged star chart, Jin Chanzi couldn't help but raise his head. At this moment, he could already faintly see the stars in the sky.

Just as Jin Chanzi was about to compare the differences...

Suddenly, the golden plate began to shimmer with golden light. Upon seeing this, the golden toad seemed to understand something, and its eyes lit up.

"I think I understand!"

As he spoke, Jin Chanzi stretched out his fingers and placed them on the golden plate, gently turning the plate with all ten fingers.

As the star charts on the golden discs were gently moved layer by layer, the starlight gradually converged into a dazzling beam of light that suddenly burst forth from the center of the discs!
The golden light did not shoot straight into the sky, but rather into the deep, dark sky above everyone's heads!

Wherever the golden light shone, the void seemed to ripple and distort violently, as if a stone had been thrown into the water.

"Sure enough!"

Jin Chanzi grinned, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

He said to everyone, "This treasure is actually hidden in the sky. By rotating the golden disc in a specific location, corresponding to the constellations in the sky, you can retrieve the treasure."

As they spoke, the starlight began to twinkle as it filled the illuminated sky, and countless stars seemed to be drawn together as if they were being pulled together.

"One, two, three..." The golden toad subconsciously counted the number of flashes.

When the flashing reaches the seventh time—

Boom!

A meteor, far more dazzling than golden light and trailing a fiery white tail, suddenly emerged from the depths of that flickering sky!

The meteor, trailing a long tail, ignored the distance in space and, with the force to tear everything apart, fell towards the treasure ship along the trajectory guided by the golden light!
"No!" Upon seeing this, Lu Da's expression changed drastically. He shouted and instinctively drew his staff to intercept the attack.

"Don't move!" Xiao Ran and Jin Chanzi shouted almost simultaneously to stop them.

In that instant, the starlight suddenly accelerated and crashed into the golden disc.

puff!
The imagined impact and explosion did not occur.

The moment the meteor touched the golden light of the golden disk, it seemed as if ice and snow were merging into a warm current. Its size shrank rapidly, and its light quickly subsided. Finally, it transformed into a fist-sized, crystal-clear star core, which landed steadily and lightly in the very center of the disk!
The moment the star core settled, the star charts on the disk, which had been flickering like breathing, began to swirl and recombine wildly, emitting a denser and louder "click-clack" sound, as if countless gears were operating at their limit.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the central area of ​​the disk containing the star core began to rotate and rise layer by layer and circle by circle!
Like an ancient lotus throne in full bloom.

Finally, when the lifting stopped, a treasure chest, about a foot square, also made of gold and unknown jade, with even more intricate and mysterious star chart runes engraved on its surface, appeared in the center of the original disc.

"Good heavens...this is what you call a treasure!"

Lu Da grinned, drool almost dripping from his mouth. He slammed his staff on the ground and rubbed it between his hands, but this time, he forced himself not to go forward immediately.

Because Wu Man was standing right next to him, staring intently at him, if he tried to be forceful, he would probably be attacked by Xiao Ran and Wu Man together immediately.

Jin Chanzi walked around the raised disc for a short distance, ignoring the treasure chest. Instead, he muttered to himself about the disc: "The star core is the key, the golden disc is the guide! Wonderful! Incredibly wonderful! The contents of this box must be an extraordinary treasure!"

Xiao Ran slowly lowered the hand that had been holding the crimson lamp and walked to the box.

He looked up at Wu Man, Lu Da, and Jin Chanzi and said, "There will definitely be more treasures like this later. To be fair, let's draw lots among the four of us. Whoever draws the box gets it, but that person will not participate in the next draw in the private room. What do you say?"

“There are three of you and only one of me. That’s not fair,” Lu Da said, clearly dissatisfied.

"It's fair. Everyone has a chance to contribute. If it weren't for Jin Chanzi, who could have cracked the golden plate? Could you?"

Xiao Ran countered with a question.

Now Lu Da was at a loss for words. To be honest, since boarding the ship, he hadn't done much, and had been winning almost effortlessly.

Seeing that Lu Da didn't speak, Xiao Ran continued, "Everyone will have a chance later. After four rounds, we'll split the contents of the treasure chest equally. Whoever wants it can exchange it for something of equal value, so no one will lose out."

"Hmm, that's a good idea. Alright, I'll go with your suggestion. Let's draw lots."

Xiao Ran raised her hand, and four crumpled pieces of paper appeared in her hand. She casually tossed them into the air, and the four people grabbed them at the same time, each of them catching a crumpled piece of paper.

Xiao Ran opened it and saw that it was empty.

"I do not have."

Jin Chanzi shook his head: "Neither do I."

Lu Da unfolded the slip of paper, glanced at it closely, and found it empty.

Looking up, I saw a red dot on Wu Man's note.

Clearly, this box belongs to Wu Man.

"Haha, when luck comes, no one can stop it."

Wu Man laughed and stepped forward, taking the box down. As he gently touched the box, a prompt appeared before his eyes.

[You have obtained a special cursed item, the Well Constellation Treasure Chest.]

"By opening the treasure chest, you can choose to obtain a cursed item, as well as the type and form of the cursed item. Once selected, the item will be blessed by the power of the constellation Jing and become a special constellation cursed item."

"Wow, this thing isn't random, you can actually pick it."

Wu Man turned to Xiao Ran and asked, "Which one should I choose?"

“Look at you, but since the constellation Jing belongs to fire, this thing should also be of the fire element,” Xiao Ran added.

"Fire attribute."

Wu Man thought for a moment and then exclaimed, "I've got it!"

He closed his eyes, silently imagining the shape of an object, and slowly placed his hand on the box.

With Wu Man's mind made up, he took a deep breath, placed his hands on the lid of the Well Constellation Treasure Chest, which was engraved with an intricate star map, and suddenly lifted it upwards!

"Om-!"

In an instant, a strange, scorching heat emanated from the box.

boom!
Two distinct yet complementary beams of dazzling light shot up from inside the box!

One was a fiery, surging crimson gold, like molten lava; the other was a pure, warm, moon-like silver.

Two beams of light intertwined and swirled, soaring straight into the sky, and bursting forth with a clear and melodious phoenix cry.

"Qiang!"

With this phoenix cry, at the core of the two intertwined beams of light, a huge and majestic phoenix phantom suddenly appeared!

It is not a physical entity, but is composed purely of extremely pure fire-attribute energy, with feathers clearly visible, making it exceptionally beautiful.

The phoenix phantom spread its fiery wings, which blotted out the sky, and gracefully circled once. With each flap of its wings, it scattered specks of golden-red sparks, which surrounded the treasure ship as if a sacred fire rain had fallen.

The phoenix phantom lasted only a few breaths before dissipating into nothingness as the precious light receded.

As the light faded, the treasure chest was empty except for two objects lying quietly at the bottom.

Xiao Ran and the others couldn't wait to crowd around and take a closer look.

"Hey, you're even a cook? With all this commotion, this is all you've come up with?" Lu Da rubbed his teeth in disbelief.

Xiao Ran and Jin Chanzi both smiled helplessly. Sure enough, cooking was Wu Man's greatest passion.

The only things inside the private room were a shovel and a ladle.

Although it shimmered with a crimson light, making it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item, it didn't seem particularly powerful by any standard.

"Wasn't it supposed to be one selection? Why are there two?"

"I asked curiously."

"Regardless of the item itself, but by the set, a set of cursed items is counted as one item."

Wu Man explained that shovels and spoons have been inseparable since ancient times, so these two items are a set.

Wu Man reached out and took them out, holding them in her hand, and named the two items "Phoenix Wings" and "Phoenix Nest".

As the runes merged into it, the spatula began to flash with an unusual light.

Wu Man couldn't hide her joy: "Good darlings! These two items can be used to cook special ingredients from special regions. The spatula can enhance the quality of the ingredients during preparation, and the ladle can improve the freshness of the special ingredients when used."

Wu Man hugged the things to his chest with a happy expression, feeling even happier than if he were hugging a stunningly beautiful woman.

Upon hearing that he could cook special ingredients, Lu Da felt relieved. Changbai Mountain had many treasures of ingredients, and eating them could greatly enhance his strength.

However, these things require special cursed items to process, otherwise they are highly poisonous.

Even if it doesn't kill you, it'll make you have diarrhea for three days and three nights.

Now that we have kitchenware, even if I don't get any benefits myself, it's not bad to freeload off them.

(End of this chapter)