Chapter 220: Immortal Forbidden Pine Forest Maze

Chapter 220: Immortal Forbidden Pine Forest Maze

Chapter 220: Immortal Forbidden Pine Forest Maze
The old man seemed to have a look of reminiscence in his eyes, and he began to tell the story quietly.

"Do you think I'm a local of this village? Haha, I only stayed here because I had no choice.

That was thirty years ago. I was still very young at that time and had some fame in the world. I traveled the world with my abilities and accomplished many great things.

Later, he accidentally heard that Konglao Mountain was the place where immortals practiced Taoism in ancient times, and that there were immortal treasures hidden in the mountain. So he gathered a group of brothers and was determined to take action.

My brothers and I climbed mountains and crossed ridges, cleared roads when we encountered mountains, built bridges when we encountered rivers, and subdued demons and killed monsters when we encountered them. It took us more than half a month to find the legendary Konglao Mountain. We thought we were going to become rich, but we were trapped in a small forest at the foot of the mountain and couldn't get out. "

Xiao Jie thought, "A small forest?" That sea of ​​pine trees was as vast as the horizon. How could this old man say it so lightly?

But he didn't say anything, just kept this doubt in his mind.

The old man continued to talk about his past.

"We had eaten all our food and supplies, but we still couldn't get out of the forest. We had no choice but to cut wood to build a house, pick pine mushrooms for food, and collect dew in the morning. We were trapped here for more than 30 years, trying to find a way to escape day and night.

But I have never been able to succeed. Over the past thirty years, my old brothers have gradually died of old age and illness. Now I am the only one left, trapped here, waiting for the day to set out on the journey. "

Xiao Jie felt inexplicably moved after hearing this, Oh my god, it's so miserable.

"So you had a name before? But I don't know what to call you, Senior?"

The old man sighed, "It's been more than 30 years. I have already forgotten it."

Although the old man refused to say, Xiao Jie believed most of it. A mysterious old man at level 28 must have been a martial arts master when he was young.

But I didn't encounter any obstacles when I came here. I ran here easily. The pine forest didn't look complicated or dangerous. It seemed that it was easy to pass through. Is it really as amazing as the old man said?

“Old man, it’s not that I don’t believe you, but it’s just that such a bizarre thing is really puzzling. No matter how strange this pine forest is, to put it bluntly, they have climbed out in 30 years.

At worst, if we cut down one tree every day, we can cut down all the trees in 30 years."

"Haha." The old man didn't get angry after hearing this. Instead, he laughed as if he was watching a joke.

"It's rare that you think this way. I haven't seen such a hopeful reaction from you in a long time. My old brothers have been trapped for a few years and have become lifeless. They just sigh all day long. It's annoying to watch them. When they all died, I missed them a little. Now I finally have someone to talk to.

Alas, it’s only a few days, after a few days you won’t be able to laugh anymore.”

Xiao Jie really didn't believe it, it sounded so mysterious.

He speculated that there must be some secret behind this forest, perhaps it was a restriction left by an immortal, which was why these NPCs were trapped. However, as a master of gaming, he played at the high end and had completed all kinds of missions and solved all kinds of puzzles. Now that he had an immortal connection with him, it was probably not difficult for him.

Thinking in his mind, Xiao Jie simply pushed the door and walked out.

At this time, the sun had already set, leaving only the last ray of afterglow that was gradually submerged in the sea of ​​forest. There was only an endless pine forest around, which became pitch black as the sunlight faded, and the shadows carried an inexplicable sense of threat.

Looking at the dark forest, Xiao Jie didn't dare to enter rashly. It was already dark, so it was better not to take any risks. He would wait until tomorrow to see how powerful this immortal's ban was.

He turned around and went back to the house. "Don't worry, old man. Just wait and see how I solve this pine forest maze tomorrow. I've been tired all day, so I'm going to sleep first. See you tomorrow."

After saying that, he lay down on a simple wooden bed and went offline.

The next morning, Xiao Jie went online early, but unexpectedly the old man got up even earlier and had already started eating breakfast. He was eating steamed buns, roast chicken and drinking old wine, with a very happy expression on his face.

"Oh, I haven't tasted this fine wine for thirty years. I almost forgot its taste. Little brother, just for this bottle of fine wine, I will definitely take good care of you in the future. Later, I will teach you the ways to survive here one by one, how to pick mushrooms, how to find pine cones, and how to collect dew. This pine forest is very strange. There is not even a living thing. Fortunately, as long as you are diligent, you will not starve to death or die of thirst.

The dry food you have will be eaten up sooner or later. If you learn these skills from me, you will be able to survive for a few more years after I die."

The old man spoke in a dejected and calm manner, but Xiao Jie smiled, "Haha, forget it, it's just a piece of forest, I can walk out of it in a minute, do you believe it?"

The old man seemed to have heard a huge joke, "Ha, boy, if you can get out of this, how about I take your last name from now on?"

"You don't have to take my last name. If you have any unique martial arts or family secrets, you can teach me later."

"Don't even mention one move, ten moves will do. If you can really take me away from this damn place, you can choose from my limited skills."

"Haha, that's a deal." Xiao Jie thought that this old friend was also a martial arts master and must have some skills. It would be nice to complete a heritage mission and learn some martial arts at the same time.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jie directly summoned his mount and galloped towards the northwest direction of the pine forest.

No matter how outrageous the maze design is, don’t be afraid, you have a small map and the direction cannot be changed, so you just have to keep running northwest.

Not long after running into the pine forest, Xiao Jie discovered something unusual. When he looked down from the mountain yesterday, the pine forest was clearly growing on a flat land, and the woodland he passed by when he came here was also flat. But now there are many strange rocks and hills, ditches and canyons around it. The terrain is staggered and crisscrossed, and the pine trees are intertwined. It is simply a different world.

Fortunately, Xiao Jie is a very good horseman. He knew when to jump and when to dodge, so he avoided a car accident.

However, it was impossible to keep a straight line in this direction, and he had to take a detour from time to time. However, Xiao Jie always kept the overall direction to the northwest.

However, after running for a few minutes, Xiao Jie suddenly felt something was wrong. Why couldn't he see any trace of Konglao Mountain?
Logically speaking, the mountain is very high. Although the pine forest is dense, you should be able to see it if you get a little closer.

Yes, maybe it is farther away than it looks.

He quickened his pace again, and suddenly the view in front of him became clear, and a small, dilapidated village appeared in front of Xiao Jie.

Hey, he came back again!
Xiao Jie opened the map and took a look. Yes, he really had taken a big detour and arrived late.

The old man was drying mushrooms on a rack made of pine branches, and he didn't seem surprised to see Xiao Jie come back.

"How's it going, little brother? You've found a way out. Come pick me up."

Facing the old man's sarcasm, Xiao Jie also responded with a teasing tone.

"Isn't it? I also had breakfast and took a bath. I was afraid that you might have a hard time walking, so I hired a carriage. Someone will come to pick you up soon."

The old man burst into laughter, and seemed really amused by this not-so-funny joke.

Xiao Jie thought to himself, I don’t believe it, so he turned his horse around and rushed towards the northwest again.

This time he learned his lesson. The terrain was so complicated that it was probably a deliberate design to create some kind of visual dislocation, or a maze arranged in a similar way to induce himself to deviate from the direction.

It’s just like the winding road of Zhujiazhuang in Water Margin.

So why not just keep walking in a straight line, no matter whether it is a mountain or a ditch, just fly over it.

After running not far, they encountered a dirt hill. Xiao Jie got off the horse directly, and soared into the sky like a flying cloud chasing the moon. After crossing the dirt hill, there was another dangerous ditch. Xiao Jie soared into the sky again, and the scene in front of him really changed.

Turning around and looking at the complicated terrain behind him, Xiao Jie felt slightly proud. You still want to trick me, but now let me see how you can trap me.

When you encounter rocks on the hillside, you can just dismount and use light skills to climb over them. When you encounter flat terrain, you can just gallop on your horse. Anyway, the mount can be summoned at any time, and there is no need to worry about whether the horse can pass like in the real world.

This time, Xiao Jie was very sure that he was walking in a straight line, and he had to open the mini map from time to time to confirm his direction.

But fifteen minutes later—

There was a sound of horse hooves in the woods. Xiao Jie reined in his horse suddenly and looked at the familiar village in front of him with a confused look on his face. Damn it! Why are you back again?

That’s not right. I walked in a straight line this time, but I ended up running back like this?

Is there some kind of teleportation mechanism in this pine forest? Once you reach the edge, you will be teleported back?
That would be fatal.

No! If you teleport, there will be a magic light effect. After checking the battle records again, Xiao Jie was sure that he had not been teleported.

That’s the problem with the map itself. It seems that this immortal’s restriction is not just an ordinary maze.

"How is it? How do you feel?" the old man asked with a gloating smile, as if he was very happy to see others suffer.

"Haha, quite interesting." Xiao Jie also laughed.

Xiao Jie got off his horse, stood in front of the woods, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and ran southeast. He decided to see if he could leave the pine forest the same way he came. If possible, he would make a big circle and go from the other side of the mountain. However, he speculated that there was a high probability that he would not be able to escape, and it would most likely be the same as before.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later—

Xiao Jie looked at the familiar little village in front of him and sighed. Well, it seems that the old man was not exaggerating.

This pine forest is a bit difficult to deal with.

However, although Xiao Jie was a little surprised, he was not panicked.

When it comes to games, as long as there is difficulty, there is always a way to solve it. The system will not give the player an impossible task, let alone an unsolvable puzzle. In fact, this has aroused his interest. He loves solving puzzles and exploring mysteries.

Moreover, although the restrictions left by this immortal were a bit difficult, there was no danger at all. There was not even a monster. He could boldly try to break it. And if it really didn't work, he could also use the escape talisman to run away, so there was no need to panic at all.

Just trying hard to think of a way to crack it.

Xiao Jie soon thought of several plans. Although he was not very sure, he might as well try them one by one.

Plan 1: Mark. Xiao Jie took out a hatchet from his bag, walked to a pine tree, and chopped down a branch.

Looking at the gap on the branch, he nodded with satisfaction.

He walked twenty steps forward and chopped down again.

Another twenty steps, another blow.

Hehe, now that I have the mark, I don’t believe you can still make me go around in circles.

He didn't dare to drop anything as a mark, because things dropped on the ground would be refreshed after a period of time.

There is no such problem when cutting down trees. If I remember correctly, environmental resources are refreshed only once every 24 hours, and tree branches are also considered environmental resources.

Bang! After the chop, Xiao Jie continued to move forward. Damn, why did he come back again? Looking at the village in front of him, Xiao Jie was stunned.

Looking back, Xiao Jie looked at the mark on the tree behind him and suddenly realized that he had made a mistake.

What he was facing now was not a maze, but some kind of illusion that could not be understood by common sense.

Xiao Jie doubted very much that even if he chopped all the way through, he would eventually return to the starting point, because there was no way to observe the marks he left behind from a macro perspective.

I have no way of verifying whether these marks will form a circle or suddenly disappear somewhere.

That means it loses its meaning.

Okay, change tactics.

Plan 2: Fire attack!
Pine trees are very flammable. You can just light the tree on fire and burn a path.

Looking at the backpack, he realized that although plan one had failed, it left him with resources to carry out plan two - three bundles of firewood, all of which he had chopped along the way.

Xiao Jie found a relatively tall pine tree and placed the bundles of dry firewood under the pine tree one by one. The pine forest was very dense, and as long as the pine tree was ignited and a big fire started, a chain reaction would be created, and all the trees could be burned cleanly. If they could not be burned cleanly, he could just set a few more fires.

Moreover, the smoke column caused by the flame can be used as a reference. Just run in the opposite direction of the smoke column.

Xiao Jie took out a torch and lit it on the bundle of firewood. The flame started in the blink of an eye.

Haha, let’s see how you can trap me now. The branches and leaves of the pine tree formed a tower shape, which is very suitable for burning. A fire started in the blink of an eye.

However, at this moment, it suddenly became dark above my head.

Xiao Jie raised his head suddenly and saw dark clouds gathering above his head - boom! There was even a roar of thunder.

Damn, what the hell is this?

Dark clouds gathered above the flames, forming a black rain cloud with a diameter of only a few dozen meters, and heavy rain began to fall.

The magical thing is that this cloud is not only only tens of meters in diameter, but also only tens of meters from the ground. It doesn't look like a natural phenomenon at all, but rather like the effect of some kind of spell. It is truly magical.

It rained heavily and the flames were extinguished in the blink of an eye. When the flames were extinguished, the clouds dispersed on their own.

Xiao Jie was speechless for a moment as he looked at the blue sky above his head. The old man came over with a cane and sighed, "It's useless. There is a magic spell left by the immortals in this pine forest. If you set a fire, it will bring heavy rain. The trees you cut down today will grow again tomorrow."

Do you think that we brothers are all fools? We have never used a trick like fire attack?

Let me tell you, we tried everything we could, and it didn't work.

This pine forest is clearly under the spell of a Taoist magician. I don’t think it’s possible to get out unless someone with great powers gives guidance.”

Xiao Jie laughed, "Master? Haha, what a coincidence, I actually know one."

"It's no use knowing him. You're trapped here, so where can you find someone to help you?"

"Well, it's not convenient to talk about this. You can have fun, old man. I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm going to go back and catch up on some sleep."

Xiao Jie didn't plan to keep trying. If it was just a puzzle in the physical sense, he could still try to solve it. But now that the effects of the spell have been figured out, it certainly can't be solved by common sense.

It was most likely some kind of formation. The scene in front of him reminded Xiao Jie of the illusion formation he encountered in Chen Tianwen's mansion. At that time, he was amazed that the clouds and mist in the formation could also have the effect of water vapor. However, the rain clouds in front of him were obviously more advanced and could even extinguish a fire.

This kind of thing must be asked to a professional.

After exiting the game, Xiao Jie logged into QQ.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: Brother Chen, are you there?

Wentian Wuji: Yes, I am here. Do you have something to talk to me about?

Yin Yue Sui Feng: I need you to help me break a formation.

Wen Tian Wu Ji: Again? Okay, show me the layout of your magic circle, and I will break it for you.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: Uh, this one may be a little different.

As Xiao Jie spoke, he sent over a few photos.

Wen Tian Wu Ji: What is this? A pine forest? Where is the formation?
Yin Yue Sui Feng: This piece of forest should be the formation.

Then he posted another photo of dark clouds and rain.

Wen Tian Wu Ji: This is... the Rain Calling Technique, right? The skill of the Immortal Magician. Have you encountered an enemy?

Yin Yue Sui Feng: No, this is the effect of the magic circle.

Wentian Wuji: Impossible, the weather effects in the magic circle are all illusions. Yours is obviously a normal spell, and it looks like it’s of a high level.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: It is indeed a magic circle, but it is a magic circle left by an immortal.

Wen Tian Wu Ji: What! Immortal Formation? How did you encounter this thing?

Xiao Jie gave a brief account of what had happened, omitting the details about the ancient Qi-refiner.

Chen Tianwen was also helpless after hearing this.

Wentian Wuji: If this is a magic circle left by an immortal, it may not be so easy to break. I'm afraid I have no way to break it.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: Brother Chen, please don't be so modest. You are a great master. It's just a magic array. You are not an immortal in person. Besides, there must be a way to break this kind of magic array. Since such a thing is arranged in the game, there must be a way to break the array, and it must be nearby. Please help me figure it out.

Wentian Wuji: There is some truth in what you said, but I couldn’t see it with my own eyes, so I can’t give you any effective advice. I can only tell you the principles of this magic circle and how to break it under normal circumstances.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: Okay, then just tell me about it.

Wentian Wuji: There are usually only two ways to break a magic array, literary and military. The literary method is more complicated but relatively safer. A magic array requires array symbols and array eyes to construct, so as long as enough array symbols are destroyed, the magic array can be destroyed.

The method of breaking the formation is to find the positions of the formation symbols and the formation eyes through understanding and observing the formation.

Not only that, magic circles usually have a life gate, which is equivalent to the back door of the system program. If you can see through the magic circle, you can walk out directly from the life gate.

Xiao Jie thought that was difficult. He looked at the woods on the screen. The pine forest was so vast that it would be impossible to find the hidden talisman.

We can't just cut down the trees one by one.

This is not as simple as moving a few boxes or pushing a few statues in an ancient tomb.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: What about Wu Po?
Wentian Wuji: Wu Po means to break through by force. After all, the effect of the magic circle has its limit. If it releases thunder, you have to withstand it. If it rains, you have to clear the clouds to see the sun. If it confuses you with the terrain, you have to cut a path with your sword energy, or fly out directly, and it will naturally break.

Xiao Jie thought to himself, are you reliable at all? If I had this ability, would I need to ask you for help?

Yin Yue Sui Feng: This martial art break may be a little difficult, so I'd better consider literary break. Can you explain to me in detail the operating logic of this magic circle?

Wentian Wuji: Magic arrays are ever-changing, and different magic arrays have different effects. You can roughly understand them as computer programs. Each program has its own function, and the array master is the programmer. Some array masters will build different functions into one magic array... Ordinary magic arrays are just illusion effects, but the magic arrays of immortals are obviously different. They can really change the weather environment. This is equivalent to a more advanced program, which a junior programmer like me cannot do...

As Xiao Jie listened, suddenly an idea flashed in his mind.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: Wait a minute, you said that the various effects in the magic circle are like programs?
Wentian Wuji: That’s right.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: When this magic array is running, will it also be like a computer program, with bugs, freezes, frame drops, and program crashes?

Wentian Wuji: Uh...theoretically yes.

Yin Yue Sui Feng: Haha, that’s no problem.

(End of this chapter)