Chapter Fifty: On the Run Again

As they approached the Hall of Three Pure Ones, Qi Guanbei suddenly raised a hand and whispered, "Be careful! There seems to be something inside." Xiao Zhang felt a nervous tension and was about to speak when Qi Guanbei pointed ahead and said quietly, "Look!"

The hall abruptly became ablaze with light, and the lively sounds of children playing echoed from within. Qi Guanbei’s finger aimed directly at the hall, which had fallen into ruin and barely resembled its former grandeur. Xiao Zhang hadn’t seen clearly at first, but as he squinted to peer inside, a chill swept over him, making his hair stand on end. The brightly lit hall fell back into silence.

"Could there be ghosts?" Zhao Bai muttered, sticking a handful of talisman papers to his forehead.

The decrepit site was indeed unsettling, but Qi Guanbei stood there as if stunned, only sighing softly after a minute. "This scenario is likely far more difficult than we expected." He turned to Xiao Zhang, "We mustn't split up from now on. This scenario is probably ghost-type."

Xiao Zhang gazed at Qi Guanbei in confusion. "Is there something strange about this scenario?"

He sniffed. "What’s that smell? What are those things?"

Zhao Bai, seeing the sudden appearance of devil’s arum ahead, quickly ducked behind the other two. "Is that a man-eating flower?"

Qi Guanbei looked out at the sea of blossoms. "Yes—and no. These are corpse-scented devil’s arum."

Corpse-scented devil’s arum? The name alone spelled trouble.

"The scent induces hallucinations. Gas masks are useless, and the effect lasts a long time. They usually grow in ancient tombs, preventing corpses from rotting and emitting a fragrance. Legend says they are the devil’s flowers guarding Solomon’s treasure. Anyone who approaches suffers hallucinations and turns on their companions."

Qi Guanbei spoke, blowing out a breath and glancing at Xiao Zhang. "I just don't know why so many are growing here."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhang and Zhao Bai hurriedly covered their noses and mouths. Hallucinations? Had Qi Guanbei come prepared?

Xiao Zhang looked at Qi Guanbei. "What do we do?"

"Move forward." Qi Guanbei inhaled sharply. "As long as we don’t touch them, they won’t release their scent."

Even so, the sea of flowers stretched for over a hundred meters.

They were almost past the blossom field when a sound came from behind.

The sea of flowers behind them suddenly caught fire, clearly set ablaze deliberately. Qi Guanbei’s expression changed and he cursed under his breath. "Damn it! Those idiots don’t realize that burning these spreads the scent even farther?"

He shouted to Xiao Zhang and Zhao Bai, "Quick! We have to get out of here—they’ll get us killed!"

But it was already too late. The fire spread too quickly, and the scent drifted everywhere.

Moreover, the flames seemed to awaken something within the blossom field. Xiao Zhang grabbed Zhao Bai and prepared to bolt.

Just then, the arsonists appeared behind them, riding several electric tricycles. Seeing the three ahead, they slowed down. At the head of one tricycle, a burly man wearing a gas mask bellowed, "Qi Guan?"

Xiao Zhang was dumbfounded—electric tricycles, really?

The leader spoke with an odd accent—clearly a foreigner.

"These clueless foreigners," Qi Guanbei cursed, ignoring them and dragging the groggy Zhao Bai, who had inhaled some scent, along with Xiao Zhang.

"Qi Guan, why aren’t you speaking?"

The blond foreigner was obviously arrogant. "Qi Guan, do you look down on me, Roncis Tang Lei?"

"Fuck you! If you want to die, don’t drag me in!" Qi Guanbei sneered, hoisting Zhao Bai onto his shoulder.

"Hahaha! Qi Guanbei, looks like you weren’t prepared. Want a gas mask? I can lend you one," Tang Lei jeered.

As Xiao Zhang ran, he glanced back and was horrified to see dozens of shadows growing rapidly in the fiery sea, moving toward their group—one shadow already wrapped around a tricycle.

Xiao Zhang hesitated to warn them, but Qi Guanbei shouted, "Run!"

Suddenly, a shadow lashed out at Tang Lei’s head. Tang Lei reacted swiftly, grabbing it, but a scream rang out.

It was a vine—covered in poisonous thorns. The consequences were obvious.

The vine swiftly wrapped around his arm, squeezing tight. Before their eyes, his arm turned black, dark energy spreading upward. His exposed arm shriveled rapidly, as if some force was devouring his flesh and bone.

Xiao Zhang shivered in fear, then snatched Zhao Bai off Qi Guanbei’s shoulder and ran for his life.

Behind them, screams echoed endlessly as more vines emerged from the inferno.

Xiao Zhang and Qi Guanbei ran desperately, Zhao Bai unconscious after inhaling too much scent.

Tang Lei showed no hesitation and hacked off his own arm.

But this blood seemed to summon something even larger—something enormous.

"Run! They’ve awakened a monster," Qi Guanbei cursed. "This isn’t corpse-scented devil’s arum—it’s ghost vine, highly sensitive to blood. Once it smells blood, more will come!"

Boom! A thunderous crash sounded behind them.

Xiao Zhang glanced back and saw several awakened ones wielding flamethrowers, attacking the vines frantically.

But once a vine wrapped around an awakened one, he exploded into a spray of blood without even a cry.

"Damn!" Xiao Zhang felt his hair stand on end.

Drawn by the scent of blood, countless smaller vines sealed off their path, and behind them, huge vines swept toward the trio.

"Damn it! These idiots got their own team killed—and now they’re coming for us!"

…

The unlucky ones behind were wiped out completely.

But Xiao Zhang had no time for curses—the giant vine was almost upon them.

As they were about to be overtaken, Qi Guanbei spun around and tossed a grenade, leaving Xiao Zhang momentarily stunned.

"Why are you stopping? Run!" Qi Guanbei roared, drawing his greatsword and slashing through all the blocking vines.

Xiao Zhang sprinted madly ahead, Zhao Bai still unconscious.

If you don’t want to die… run!