The night ghost demon raged and charged at Yan Jiaojiao, only to be tightly bound by the water spirit orb, unable to move. Yan Jiaojiao instinctively took a step back.
Jiang Yiling also returned at this moment, his eyes widening in stunned disbelief at the scene before him, "That, that's a water spirit!"
Yan Jiaojiao said, "Now is not the time to discuss this. Hurry and seal the night ghost demon."
"Alright." Jiang Yiling, understanding the urgency, immediately took out a sealing talisman, chanted incantations, and formed hand seals. A crimson-gold light traced through the air, and with a final shout, "Chi!", Jiang Yiling exclaimed.
The sealing talisman, glowing with golden light, flew directly onto the water spirit orb and attached itself. With a flash of golden light, the orb, enveloping the night ghost demon, rapidly shrank.
Jiang Yiling heaved a sigh of relief, his tense muscles about to relax, when he saw that before the seal could be completed, the water spirit orb exploded with a "boom"! The night ghost demon had forcefully broken free!
Yan Jiaojiao felt a pang of discomfort. As expected, Jiang Yiling's cultivation was still insufficient; he was completely unable to seal the night ghost demon.
The water spirit was also startled by the scene. Just as it was about to release another water spirit orb, a black shadow flew swiftly towards it. Before it could even react, it was forcibly thrown to the ground. Dense demonic threads surged upwards, completely wrapping and trapping it.
One branch of the night ghost demon, like a hand, clamped onto the water spirit, while another branch transformed into a myriad of demonic threads, once again attacking Yan Jiaojiao and Jiang Yiling.
It was consumed by rage, intent on a swift and fatal strike, offering them no chance to resist. Both were violently struck to the ground. Yan Jiaojiao, already exhausted, spat out a mouthful of blood the moment she landed.
Jiang Yiling, enduring the pain, forced himself to stand, and with difficulty, channeled spiritual energy to block the incoming demonic threads. However, he was being pushed back step by step, his shield on the verge of being breached. Their lives hung in the balance.
At this critical juncture, a small, agile black shadow flashed past. The moment it landed, a demonic thread recoiled as if scalded by fire. Each thread trembled instantly, and the night ghost demon let out a pained cry as the demonic threads retracted.
The pressure in front of Jiang Yiling suddenly lessened. He staggered forward, and when he regained his balance, he saw a majestic little black dog standing before them.
"Xiao Hei," Yan Jiaojiao called out joyfully. In their moment of crisis, it was him who had to come through!
Dongfang Cangwu turned his head and glared at Yan Jiaojiao. This damned woman never knew her own limits!
Especially now, facing death, she couldn't even cast a summoning spell. If he hadn't overheard Wei Congling casually mentioning she was hunting a night demon, and being worried, he wouldn't have tracked her here. A moment later, and she might have perished.
However, in Yan Jiaojiao's eyes, this translated into Xiao Hei's intense, overwhelming concern for her, even in the face of mortal danger, he still had the presence of mind to check if she was alright.
Immediately, Yan Jiaojiao touched the bloodstain at the corner of her lips, moved, and coaxed him like a child, "I knew we had a telepathic connection. I'm fine, Xiao Hei, you came at the perfect time. Now, help me get revenge!"
Dongfang Cangwu wished he could blind himself.
The night ghost demon had recovered by now. Knowing Dongfang Cangwu was not to be trifled with, in the blink of an eye, ten thousand demonic threads erupted from beneath their feet, instantly entangling their bodies.
Jiang Yiling and Yan Jiaojiao were powerless to resist as the threads began to bore into their skin.
Dongfang Cangwu was furious. How dare it launch a sneak attack right under his nose, and attack his people!
The little black dog leaped towards the night ghost demon's main body. The immense threat forced the night ghost demon to cease its attack on Yan Jiaojiao and divert demonic threads to block the little black dog. However, before the threads could even touch the dog, they shattered inch by inch, and even spread upwards, cracking into the night ghost demon's main body.
When the little black dog landed on the night ghost demon's head and brought down its sturdy paw, the night ghost demon's form faltered. The demonic threads that had been entwined around Yan Jiaojiao and the others completely withdrew. Then, the constantly wriggling demonic threads also ceased their movement, as if frozen in place.
Yan Jiaojiao and Jiang Yiling had narrowly escaped death. Shaken, they watched as layers of purple light erupted from within the night ghost demon. Its body began to crack like shattered ice, falling to the ground in pieces, forming a pile of debris. The broken demonic threads writhed, resembling a heap of black maggots.
Immediately, a surge of purple flames shot into the sky, engulfing the pile of black debris in a fierce blaze. All that could be heard was the night ghost demon's agonizing wail.
"It's you! It's you! Such a cruel heart, you bitch with such a cruel heart!"
A strand of demonic thread condensed, struggling to extend towards the corner of the wall, but weakly fell to the ground.
Yan Jiaojiao and the others turned to look. Standing in the corner was Madam Hua. She was wearing a nightgown, her hair disheveled, devoid of her usual grace. Her face was a mixture of shock and fear. As the night ghost demon's wails gradually subsided, her trembling body steadied slightly.
The night ghost demon finally fell silent, turning to ash in the purple flames within moments, then evaporating, leaving behind only a black core.
Yan Jiaojiao raised her hand, and the black core flew into her palm. With this, her Mingzhu Pill was assured. Moreover, a Mingzhu Pill refined by a night ghost demon would be even more potent – an unexpected bonus!
The little black dog returned to Yan Jiaojiao's side, its dark eyes fixed on her.
Yan Jiaojiao bent down and picked him up, praising, "Xiao Hei, you did very well."
Did well?
Dongfang Cangwu narrowed his eyes. That was clearly the Purple Star Array's annihilation.
Before he could kill the night ghost demon, the Purple Star Array had already activated. No wonder she hadn't summoned him; she had already planted the array within the night ghost demon's body. Even if he hadn't appeared, the night ghost demon was destined to die.
The only difference was that if he had been a moment later, Yan Jiaojiao would have been half-dead before obtaining this core.
However, Yan Jiaojiao seemed unwilling to let others know it was her doing, and thus attributed the credit to the little black dog.
Jiang Yiling naturally cast a look of admiration towards the little black dog.
Yan Jiaojiao seized the opportunity and discreetly recalled the water spirit. She then said to Jiang Yiling, "Senior Brother, that night ghost demon seems to have a deep connection with Madam Hua. Should we go and ask her?"
Originally, Jiang Yiling had a gut full of questions for Yan Jiaojiao. Upon hearing this, he looked at Madam Hua. Her complexion was ashen, and her eyes were fixed on the scorched earth.
"Madam Hua, you were the one who lured this night ghost demon here, weren't you?" Jiang Yiling asked.
Madam Hua seemed to awaken from a dream. She shivered and looked up at Yan Jiaojiao and the others. Her lips trembled a few times before she responded with a bitter smile, "Yes."
Jiang Yiling angrily demanded, "Why would you do this? Did the villagers wrong you?"