Sending the God Back to the Yin Residence

Just as Ye Qianfan had expected...

The main hall was already a complete mess!

The four cultivators who had rushed into the main hall to snatch the Red Headscarf had vanished, with neither living bodies nor corpses to be found. All that remained were bloodstains from their struggles.

The Evil God had probably eaten them all!

Only...

The Red Headscarf they had fought so desperately to seize lay all alone on the floor.

No one fought for it, and no one tried to snatch it.

Ye Qianfan walked over and picked up the Red Headscarf with ease!

There was no resistance whatsoever.

"Quick!"

Seeing that Ye Qianfan had obtained the Red Headscarf, the Daoist hurriedly urged him, "You have to act before the Evil God discovers the offering is fake. Once the Evil God flies into a rage, it'll be too late!"

When Ye Qianfan rushed out of the main hall...

He saw that the Evil God statue had already floated over to the offering, its face brimming with delight. It seemed very pleased with the roast suckling pig!

After all, who would want raw meat when there was roast pork to eat?

The Evil God wasn't stupid!

"Hungry..."

The Evil God reached out its chubby little hand and grabbed at the roast suckling pig through the air!

While the Evil God's attention was focused on the roast suckling pig, Ye Qianfan climbed straight up the tree. Using the angle of its sloping trunk, he had Ye Fu wrap his tentacles around the red bridal veil and position it above the Evil God's head!

"Crunch!"

The Evil God picked up the roast suckling pig and impatiently bit into its body!

Naturally, the paper framework couldn't withstand such treatment.

The Evil God crushed it with a single bite, then discovered that it wasn't real meat at all, but something made to deceive it.

It instantly flew into a rage!

"Die!!!"

But before the Evil God's fury could fully erupt...

A red headscarf drifted down from the tree and landed squarely over the Evil God's head.

At that instant...

The Evil God's furious expression abruptly froze.

It was like an image with the pause button pressed, an eerie stillness settling over everything!

"Is it over?"

Ye Qianfan stared in disbelief at the Evil God frozen below him. If the corpses on the other side hadn't still been crackling as they burned...

He would have thought the barrier had frozen up!

But just as he was about to climb down, everything before his eyes suddenly spun!

The next second.

Ye Qianfan found himself back where he had first entered the barrier!

He was near the Passage Well, far from the village. It turned out that they had never entered the village at all, let alone the temple!

And whether they had died under the Evil Tree's attacks, been grabbed by the Evil God to serve as snacks with its wine, or even died after being turned into Human-Skin Lanterns...

They were all standing blankly before the Passage Well now.

It was as though everything they had just experienced had been nothing more than a dream!

Those who had died in the illusion stared at their hands in disbelief, then pinched their faces, seemingly unable to believe they were still alive!

"Those who died in the illusion are eliminated!"

Eunuch He's voice suddenly rang in everyone's ears.

Only then did their pupils contract as they realized that what they had entered earlier had merely been an illusion!

It seemed...

The Demon-Quelling Office's assessment wasn't as cruel as they had imagined!

Ye Qianfan had thought the Demon-Quelling Office's assessment really was that brutal. Fortunately, it had all been an illusion. Most of them were alive and had merely been eliminated.

However...

After those who had died in the illusion were escorted out of the barrier one by one...

Eunuch He clasped his hands behind his back, swept his gaze over those remaining, and said, "That weeds out some of the fools. Next comes the Demon-Quelling Office's real assessment!"

"But let me make this clear first: from here on, your lives will truly be in danger!"

"Because I'm going to release the real Evil God!"

"You've already seen that Evil God in the illusion. It poses no small threat. If any of you wish to withdraw, I'll give you one chance now to leave the barrier!"

"If you still want to continue, then don't complain, whether you live or die!"

"I withdraw!"

A young man dressed like a wealthy young master, presumably frightened by his experience in the illusion, raised his hand to signal that he wanted to withdraw!

With him taking the lead, quite a few others followed him out!

Before long, a third of the people had left. Ye Qianfan did a rough count; fifteen remained.

What surprised Ye Qianfan, however, was that neither Rich Merchant nor Shen Lang had left!

Shen Lang was one thing, but Ye Qianfan couldn't understand Rich Merchant. The man clearly wasn't short of money, so why had he come to risk his life alongside them?

"Since you've all chosen to stay of your own free will..."

Eunuch He smiled and said, "Then all I can do is wish you good luck!"

With that...

Eunuch He turned and walked toward the Passage Well, then jumped into it and left the barrier.

Only Ye Qianfan and the others remained. They exchanged looks, asking, "Does anyone know what we're supposed to do next? Do we look for the Evil God again?"

"Enter the temple and worship the god."

Ye Qianfan discovered that the slip of paper bearing the clue had vanished from his hand.

But his memory of its contents remained deeply etched in his mind...

One person enters the temple, to send the god back to the Yin Residence!

The temple was easy to find.

The hard part was getting through the countless wandering souls and wild ghosts to reach its entrance.

Shen Lang took out his bone flute and played a mournful melody, while the others, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displayed their own powers and used their respective methods to repel the ghosts.

The others were manageable, but every time the group of Daoists from the Soul-Snatching Bell lineage rang their bells, Ye Qianfan's head felt ready to split!

Yet he couldn't show the slightest sign of discomfort.

Fortunately...

The temple wasn't far from the Passage Well!

When everyone reached the temple entrance, not a single person dared push the door open, perhaps because they all knew there was a murderous Evil Tree inside.

After all, by the time Ye Qianfan had obtained the Evil God's avatar through his spear-and-shield contradiction, nearly everyone in the temple had died. Most of them therefore had no idea who had actually slain the Evil Tree.

Now they all stared at one another, waiting for someone to be the first to push the door open!

"Creeeak!"

In the end...

Ye Qianfan was still the first to step forward and push open the door.

He knew perfectly well what that clue slip had said. Besides, there was no reason to repeat a stage they had already cleared. The people of the Demon-Quelling Office weren't that bored.

"Impressive, young brother!"

"Since you were the first to open the door, young brother, we naturally shouldn't fight you for the lead. Please, go ahead!"

"Don't listen to them. They just want you to scout ahead!" Shen Lang stepped forward and blocked Ye Qianfan. "Brother Ye, I'll go in with you! If anything happens, we can watch each other's backs!"

"Don't you remember what was written on the slip?"

Ye Qianfan looked at Shen Lang in puzzlement, because the clue slip had clearly said...

One person enters the temple, to send the god back to the Yin Residence.

In other words...

The rule for this stage was that only one person could enter the temple!

Surely Shen Lang wouldn't make such a basic mistake?