Paper money flew about.
White lanterns swayed in the eerie wind, casting a pallid glow all around.
On the banquet table, paper figures densely packed. Their smiling faces turned to weeping, and they began to wail like ghosts and wolves.
The wedding turned into a funeral.
The feast of joy turned into a feast of mourning.
"Zhang Moli, run with Master Xiang, and Iron Maiden, cover him. The rest, stay behind and cover their retreat!"
Lu Fei, gripping the thunder-struck jujube wood stick, resolutely turned around.
Master Xiang is their hope for survival; he absolutely cannot die.
Zhang Moli handed a bunch of water spirit talismans to Lu Fei, carried Master Xiang on his back, and ran wildly forward with Tie Shenglan.
Jing Jian and Ku Deng went to Lu Fei's sides, already gripping their magical instruments tightly in hand.
The deathly pale paper figures stared at them uniformly.
The mourner, dressed in mourning clothes, carrying a pitch-black coffin, was stepping towards Lu Fei.
Sparks burst with every step he took.
"Where else do you think you can go? The funeral has already started; how can the coffin be left empty..."
Countless paper figures were ignited, flying towards the three with scorching flames.
Tian Yuan suddenly awoke in intense pain, his entire body engulfed in yin fire.
"Ah! Ah! Help! Help me!"
He was like a man on fire, stumbling among the paper figures, crying out for help in anguish.
"Master Tianyuan!"
Kudeng was extremely anxious, borrowing a water spirit talisman from Lu Fei, and launched a Vajra Palm towards the dense crowd of paper figures, desperately throwing the water spirit talisman toward Tianyuan.
Being possessed was not Tianyuan's fault. He had known Tianyuan for a long time and considered him a friend; he could not bear to see him die here.
Under the cover of the water spirit talisman, Lu Fei and Jing Jian shattered one paper figure after another.
Two fists are no match for four hands. Even though they had done their utmost, many paper figures still managed to escape from them and flew towards Zhang Molin.
"You just find the way, I'll take care of the rest!"
Tie Shenglan, with a grim expression, swung her twin maces, intercepting the paper figures.
At this point, what else was there to fear?
Zhang Molin gritted his teeth, ruthlessly carrying Master Xiang forward, dashing past rows of white curtains.
Master Xiang's complexion was even worse than that of a corpse, his eyes fixed intently ahead, and suddenly he pointed with his hand.
"Up ahead...that's it..."
After saying this, he could no longer hold on.
Three copper coins fell to the ground, and his head drooped limply.
"Master Xiang!"
Zhang Molin's heart skipped a beat, and he dashed forward, indeed seeing a heavy door ahead.
"Master Xiang, Master Xiang..."
He placed Master Xiang on the ground and nervously checked his breathing.
His breath was faint, as thin as a thread.
"He still has a breath left!" He steadied himself and pushed the heavy door with all his might.
The gate was as heavy as a thousand catties; no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't budge.
"Open the door! Can anyone outside hear me? Open the door!" His heart was on fire as he pounded frantically on the door.
Creak—
Suddenly, the gate opened a tiny crack.
A dim yellow light fell on Zhang MoLin's anxious face. Filled with joy, he shouted desperately towards the outside.
"Help! Someone, help!"
The gate fully opened, revealing a group of people standing outside, led by Xu Bei.
"Ye Bing, quickly!"
Without asking what had happened, Xu Bei immediately carried out Master Xiang, who had fainted, and handed him over to Ye Bing for treatment.
When others saw Master Xiang's charred legs, they gasped in shock.
What on earth happened in there?
Many people were relieved that they had come out early.
"Aren't you coming out?" Seeing Zhang Molin standing inside the door, Xu Bei was a bit surprised.
"They are still in there, I can't just think about myself!"
After saying that, Zhang Molin turned and ran back into the darkness.
Sparks floated everywhere in the sky.
Burning paper figures and their severed limbs were scattered all around.
"Miss Tie, how are you?"
Zhang Molin helped Tie Shenglan, who had fallen to the ground, to her feet.
"Thanks to you, I'm not dead yet."
Tie Shenglan heaved a heavy breath, the Water Spirit Talisman in her hand now only half its original size.
"Miss Tie, the door is already open, you should leave quickly!" Zhang Molin said with concern.
"Are you going to say again that I, as a girl, am not as good as you boys?"
Tie Shenglan snorted coldly. Her heroic face, blackened by smoke and fire, showed signs of fatigue, but her eyes shone brightly.
"Let me tell you, women are just as chivalrous!"
With that, she lifted her pair of maces and, despite her aching legs, ran toward Lu Fei.
"That's not what I meant..." Zhang Molin hurried to catch up.
When they arrived, Lu Fei and the others were fighting while retreating.
The one in mourning clothes, Dian, was steadily advancing toward them, leaving a trail of raging flames in his wake.
This place was about to become a world of fire.
They were barely holding on and clearly couldn't last much longer.
"Manager Lu, the door is open, we can go out now!" Zhang Molin and Tie Shenglan joined the fight.
"What are we waiting for? Run!"
Lu Fei made an immediate decision, not lingering in the battle at all, and took off running.
It was only because of his lightning-repellent wood that they hesitated; otherwise, they would have already crazily pounced on them and turned them to ashes.
His magical power was about to be exhausted, and if he didn't run, he would just be waiting here to die, wouldn't he?
Everyone fled desperately.
Ku Deng supported the severely injured Tian Yuan, staggering, but fortunately, with everyone helping each other, they did not fall behind.
"Wah wah wah... my groom, where are you going..."
"The funeral has begun, where do you still plan to run?"
Red and White Calamity sat on the coffin, crying and laughing, with the characters for 'double happiness' and 'tribute' flashing back and forth on its face.
The flames on its body merged with the flames of the building into one.
Everything was burning fiercely, like a scene from hell.
The fires of resentment surged from all directions, sweeping in like a flood.
Everyone ran for their lives.
The exit was right in front of them; they could even see the gray sky outside the door.
"Dawn is about to break!"
Hope sprouted in Lu Fei's eyes.
Rushing to the door, he suddenly stopped and threw all the remaining water talismans at the dark fire rushing towards them from behind.
Puff!
A large mass of Yin Fire extinguished in front of Lu Fei.
"Lu Fei, aren't you going out?" Jing Jian was utterly shocked.
The others also stopped one after another and looked at Lu Fei in confusion.
The Yin Fire could come back at any moment.
What was he waiting for?
"It's almost dawn," Lu Fei gritted his teeth.
After a night of arduous fighting, he was loath to give up just before the final push.
"But it's just an entry qualification; we don't need to risk our lives for it," Jing Jian grabbed his shoulder forcefully.
"There will be another chance."
Lu Fei fixed his gaze on the red and white evil in the flames, took out the black umbrella, and poured all the remaining mana into the lightning-struck jujube wood staff.
"If you don't leave, I won't leave either!"
Jing Jian brandished his sword and stood beside Lu Fei without hesitation.
The Red and White Fiend, separated by the flames, stared at Lu Fei from a distance.
For some reason, Lu Fei saw a hint of surprise on its non-existent face.
Yin fire rapidly gathered on the Red and White Fiend, piling higher and higher until it burst forth like a flash flood.
The scorching air blew up the hem of Lu Fei's clothes.
"I won't leave either!"
Tie Shenglan stood beside Lu Fei, her expression resolute.
"Since this is the case, how could this poor monk leave first?"
Ku Deng suddenly chuckled with a carefree smile, retracting the foot he was about to step out, and gestured to the heavily injured Tian Yuan.
"Elder Tianyuan, you are seriously injured, please leave quickly,"
"I can't leave! I must join the association!" Tianyuan's voice was hoarse, and his eyes revealed an endless desire.
"You all..." Zhang Molin was visibly shocked, "It's just a qualification to join. If not this year, there's always next year. You all..."