A few brief sentences recounted the long years of her life in a rush, and Madam Hua appeared weary from excessive thought.
Yan Jiaojiao could understand the helplessness of a strong woman pretending to be strong, and a trace of sympathy appeared in her eyes as she looked at Madam Hua, hoping that perhaps she had guessed wrong.
Madam Hua quickly perked up and said to them, "That's all in the past, and there's nothing more to say. You can just consider it a story you've heard. Eat something. I don't know if the food of ordinary people will suit your tastes."
Yan Jiaojiao and the other two also picked up their chopsticks and started eating. However, the demonic energy lingered here, and the three, who weren't hungry in the first place, didn't have much appetite. After eating a little hastily, they proposed to go and set up the formation.
The place chosen to capture the night demon was the street where Hua Mansion was located. Jiang Yiling dipped his brush in heavenly water infused with spiritual energy and drew the Eight Trigrams formation, while Sheng Mobai carefully placed talismans on the lines to strengthen the formation's efficacy.
Afterward, Jiang Yiling leaped onto the rooftop and took out a spiritual net from his Qiankun bag. With a casual toss, he unfurled it, covering half the street from above, leaving only an opening on the left side for the night demon to enter.
Sheng Mobai waved his hand again, and all these arrangements disappeared without a trace, only to manifest when they activated the formation.
This was the true net of heaven and earth. The two exchanged a glance. With their protection, they would surely be able to protect Yan Jiaojiao safely and capture the night demon!
Yan Jiaojiao's current abilities were insufficient, and she could only stand aside and watch them act. She thought that using such means to deal with a night demon was indeed enough, and she felt that she was one step closer to the Mingzhu Pill, naturally feeling happy.
Madam Hua also stood by and looked at Yan Jiaojiao's smiling face. She couldn't help but say, "I don't know why, but I always feel you are very much like me."
"Like?" Yan Jiaojiao snapped back to attention and instinctively touched her face. She thought she should be a little more beautiful than Madam Hua, given that she had been known as the most beautiful woman in the Four Seas and Eight Desolations in her previous life.
"I'm not talking about looks," Madam Hua pointed to Yan Jiaojiao's eyes. "Open ambition is hidden right here."
Yan Jiaojiao did not deny this. If she had no ambition, she would not have cultivated to become a thousand-year-old ancestor.
Madam Hua looked at Sheng Mobai, who was walking towards them, and suddenly said, "Technically, you are still a young girl, and it might be too early for me to say these things to you. But I still want to remind you that on the path to your goal, don't be too soft-hearted. Sometimes companions are just hindrances that drag you down, especially love."
Yan Jiaojiao turned her head to look at Madam Hua. Indeed, there was some similarity. In her previous life, she had severed all romantic ties and reached the pinnacle. But...
Before Yan Jiaojiao could utter what she wanted to say, Sheng Mobai had already walked up to the two of them. "Madam Hua, we have made all the arrangements. We hope you will instruct the villagers to avoid passing through here as much as possible from now on."
Madam Hua readily agreed, and they all left together.
That night, the villagers had received Madam Hua's notice. After the hour of Xu (7 PM - 9 PM), no one went out anymore. However, it was still early, so Yan Jiaojiao and the other two sat in Hua Mansion, waiting.
With no human voices, and it being autumn, the chirping of insects had also lessened. The night seemed even quieter.
Sheng Mobai finished the tea in front of him and, with nothing else to do, chatted casually to ease the atmosphere before the big battle. He looked at Yan Jiaojiao and said, "By the way, Jiaojiao, in two months, there will be the sect assessment. Are you participating?"
New students were actually not required to participate, but Yan Jiaojiao had not found an opportunity to retrieve the key from Tang Xiye. Instead, she had angered her. This annual sect assessment, Yan Jiaojiao was determined to participate, and she had to win first place to have the chance to explore the Scripture Repository.
However, becoming the number one in the sect was not an easy task.
Yan Jiaojiao nodded thoughtfully.
Sheng Mobai said, "It's good that you're participating. It's a chance to gain experience and train."
Jiang Yiling also nodded in agreement.
Yan Jiaojiao suddenly had an idea and asked, "Have you both won first place in the sect before?"
"Of course," Sheng Mobai nodded proudly. "I joined early. Since I was ten years old, I've been first place for five sessions."
Jiang Yiling smiled slightly. "Six sessions of first place."
Sheng Mobai immediately raised his eyebrows. "What's so great about that? You're older than me. Just wait, this year it will be me who is first."
Jiang Yiling did not argue with him, only smiling.
Yan Jiaojiao smiled even more gently and asked, "Then you must have been to the Scripture Repository. What treasures are really inside? I heard someone broke in last night, which makes me want to see it too."
Sheng Mobai said without thinking, "The ancient books on the first floor still have many moves that can be learned, but it depends on individual comprehension. If you don't have comprehension, you can't open the next ancient book. If you achieve mastery, you can continue. Every time I go, I can at most comprehend one move."
Yan Jiaojiao didn't care about this. She had too many killing moves and ultimate techniques in her mind. The problem was simply that she didn't have enough spiritual energy and a strong enough body to support her in using these moves. Therefore, the key was to find a treasure that could hold her spiritual energy!
"What else? Are there really Azure-grade treasures inside?" Yan Jiaojiao asked eagerly.
Sheng Mobai stroked his chin. "According to past accounts, there should be an Azure-grade treasure inside. It seems to be called... the Demon-Locking Bell."
Jiang Yiling also nodded. "I have sensed it with my spiritual energy. Although I dare not confirm it is the Demon-Locking Bell, there is at least an Azure-grade treasure."
Yan Jiaojiao's eyes lit up. It was indeed as the original owner's memory suggested, that the Ge Nan Academy had an Azure-grade divine artifact capable of containing spiritual energy!
This Demon-Locking Bell could imprison any demons or ghosts, so it could naturally hold vast amounts of spiritual energy without any leakage, which was perfect for solving Yan Jiaojiao's problem of having nowhere to store her spiritual energy and thus being unable to absorb it.
"Jiaojiao," Sheng Mobai seemed to see Yan Jiaojiao's excitement and pretended to remind her solemnly, "Even the Sect Leader and the others find it difficult to retrieve and use an Azure-grade treasure even once. You, as a disciple, shouldn't covet it."
Yan Jiaojiao's smile vanished, and she glared at him. "What harm is there in me thinking about it? You live by the sea, why are you so meddlesome?"
Sheng Mobai sheepishly rubbed his nose. His future little wife was indeed too fierce.
Just as the atmosphere had relaxed, Jiang Yiling suddenly straightened his back, his smile disappearing from his face. He said guardedly, "It seems demonic energy is approaching this way."
Sheng Mobai also became serious and said to Yan Jiaojiao, "You need to go to the street."
The distance was still too far, and Yan Jiaojiao didn't detect anything unusual. However, she still trusted them and, without a word, leaped over the wall and landed on the street.