Mo Tiange had no time to concern herself with Wei Jiasi's thoughts. She already had an inkling of where the lightning flashes were coming from.
Her right hand reached out, and the white silk handkerchief that had formed a brick wall returned to her grasp. She seemed to be intently observing the surroundings, while her other hand quietly unleashed the Flying Sky Shuttle.
A golden light flashed and vanished. Wei Jiasi suddenly heard a "boom" and whipped her head around to see Mo Tiange sneeringly retract the Flying Sky Shuttle, saying disdainfully, "Trying to show off such a low-level formation in front of me!"
Before Wei Jiasi could say anything, she saw the Flying Sky Shuttle shoot out, and in an instant, several locations were breached one after another. Then, a bolt of lightning shot forth, seemingly carrying immense fury and a terrifying presence.
Mo Tiange flicked her wrist, and the white silk handkerchief flew out again. Wei Jiasi also twisted her body sideways, unleashing both talismans and magical tools simultaneously.
One defended, one attacked. With a "boom," the sound of a formation shattering echoed.
Seeing what was inside the formation, Mo Tiange and Wei Jiasi exchanged a glance, both seeing incredulity in each other's eyes.
They had indeed found the enemy. But this enemy... was actually just two demon beasts!
Both demon beasts were wolf-shaped, one carrying the other on its back. The one standing on the ground was a fourth-rank demon beast with a fierce glare. The one lying on its back had short forelegs and couldn't walk, yet its eyes held a cunning glint.
The two wolves and two humans faced off. Mo Tiange heard Wei Jiasi's low voice: "This is the Wolf and Bei Demon Duo."
Mo Tiange was startled. The Wolf and Bei Demon Duo referred to two demon beasts that always acted together. In the mortal world, there was a saying: "like a wolf and a bei in cahoots," describing wolves and beis cooperating to do evil. This Wolf and Bei Demon Duo were also a wolf and a bei, but they were already demon beasts.
Mo Tiange understood. Other demon beasts might need to reach the eighth rank or above to possess the intelligence to use formations, but the bei demon beast was innately intelligent. It relied on the wolf's strength while providing the brains. The two demons depended on each other to hunt for food and advance in cultivation.
Currently, these two demon beasts: the wolf was fourth-rank, while the bei was only second-rank. Yet, this bei demon could actually use formations. Although it was an extremely simple Spirit Concealment Formation, it was something other demon beasts could only achieve at the eighth rank.
So, had these two Wolf and Bei demons been the ones laying false trails these past days? With their strength, they shouldn't be provoking like this...
No time to think further. The wolf demon before them suddenly leaped into the air. Mo Tiange and Wei Jiasi each flung out their magical tools.
The Flying Sky Shuttle transformed into a streak of golden light, while the Ruyi Ring emitted a cold silver radiance. In an instant, they clashed with the lightning.
Golden light, silver light, and lightning intertwined, emitting a brilliance so dazzling it was almost blinding.
This wolf demon's cultivation was at the fourth rank, equivalent to late Foundation Establishment. Mo Tiange and Wei Jiasi were both mid Foundation Establishment and had outstanding magical tools in hand, so their chances of victory were not small.
Wei Jiasi flicked her wrist at this moment, releasing a handful of talismans.
The wolf demon glared at her viciously, leaped back with the bei on its back, and retreated. The golden and silver lights suddenly flared brightly, suppressing the lightning until it gradually diminished and finally vanished.
Mo Tiange breathed a sigh of relief. Although the bei demon was not a concern, the wolf demon's strength was not to be underestimated.
The bei demon now let out a few soft cries, clearly telling the wolf something, but Mo Tiange and Wei Jiasi couldn't understand and could only remain vigilant and cautious.
"Senior Martial Sister Wei?"
Wei Jiasi's gaze shifted, and she finally made a decision. "Strike first to gain the upper hand!"
Mo Tiange understood her meaning. She shook her arm and summoned the white silk handkerchief. At the same time, Wei Jiasi summoned several magical tools and talismans, which flew toward the Wolf and Bei demons together with Mo Tiange's Flying Sky Shuttle.
In haste, the wolf demon howled, opened its mouth, and spat out several bolts of lightning.
By the time all the spiritual energy fluctuations stabilized, the two demons had fallen to the ground.
Mo Tiange patted the dust off her clothes and approached the corpses of the two demons. "Huh!"
Wei Jiasi, who had sustained minor injuries, asked, "What is it?"
Mo Tiange flipped over the two corpses. "So they were injured." No wonder these two demons had been laying false trails here. They must have been abandoned by other demon beasts in this place, so they created the illusion of many demon beasts being here to secretly heal their wounds.
Wei Jiasi checked her own injuries. "Search them. This bei demon isn't like other demon beasts. Since it can use formations, it might have some treasures."
"Mm."
Mo Tiange indeed found several wooden-looking objects. These were the items the bei demon had used to set up the formation earlier. She didn't know what they were, but they could actually substitute for formation disks and flags. There were also several crystalline minerals and spirit herbs. And one palm-sized, thin jade piece. It was like a mirror, crystal clear and translucent. She didn't know what it was, but when stood upright, it could reflect a shadow, and the shadow seemed alive.
"Senior Martial Sister Wei, look." Mo Tiange brought these items back and handed them to Wei Jiasi.
Wei Jiasi, having lived nearly a century longer than her, naturally had far greater knowledge. She took the items, inspected them, and said, "This is Seven-Phoenix Wood. These are Moon Qiong Stones. These spirit herbs are all for healing wounds. As for this..." She lifted the jade piece, puzzled. "I can't identify it."
"Oh..." The world was full of strange spiritual objects; who could recognize them all? Mo Tiange thought for a moment and said, "Senior Martial Sister Wei, this Seven-Phoenix Wood can be used to set up formations. Can I have it? I don't want any of the other things." According to the names Wei Jiasi mentioned, the other minerals and spirit herbs were quite valuable. Although the Seven-Phoenix Wood was rare, it was useless to those who couldn't set up formations.
Wei Jiasi didn't refuse and nodded. "Since you want it, it's yours."
Mo Tiange happily accepted it.
"As for this item..." Wei Jiasi lifted the thin jade piece, frowning deeply. "It doesn't look ordinary. Let's take it back for my master to identify."
"Mm."
The two were about to get up when suddenly the jade piece flashed with a bright light.
Wei Jiasi was stunned. Puzzled, she lifted the jade piece again but couldn't see any light no matter how she looked. She muttered, "What's going on?"
Mo Tiange naturally couldn't answer; she couldn't even identify the object.
Both saw confusion in each other's eyes.
Suddenly, the jade piece erupted with intense light. There was no time to react. In an instant, it swallowed the shocked pair.
Mo Tiange felt she was dreaming, but she couldn't remember the dream's content. She only vaguely heard voices.
"Husband, what's wrong with Tian Ge?" It was a gentle woman's voice. At the same time, a pair of hands gently wiped her forehead.
"It's nothing," a man's voice, also gentle, said softly. "Tian Ge is too tired. She'll be fine when she wakes up."
"Mm."
Again, a confused dream. Many strange thoughts surfaced in her mind. One moment she was flying; the next, she remembered nothing.
Finally, she opened her eyes.
"Tian Ge, you're finally awake!" A woman sat by her bed, showing a joyful smile, then called out, "Husband, husband!"
A scholarly-looking man around thirty years old entered the room, smiling. "Wife, I told you Tian Ge would be fine once she woke up. See, what were you worried about?"
Mo Tiange looked at the man and woman before her, seeming somewhat dazed, but still obediently called out, "Dad, Mom, what happened to me?"
The woman held her hand, smiling. "It's nothing. You, from now on, you can't be so mischievous, climbing trees to catch birds! That kind of thing, boys can do, but why are you following Tian Jun's mischief?"
"Mom, don't be angry. I won't do it again."
The woman tapped her forehead reproachfully. "Alright, Mom will go cook a bowl of noodles to fill your stomach. Let your dad teach you a lesson!"
Her mother smiled and went out. Her father approached, picked her up, and pressed his forehead against hers. "Mm, the fever's gone. You should be fine."
She looked down at herself—a thin body, small arms. Standing on the bed, she was still much shorter than her dad.
"Dad, are you going to scold me?"
"Of course not," her dad patted her head, then turned and crouched down. "Come, Dad will take you. What's so fun about climbing trees? If you want a little bird, Dad will catch one for you!"
"Mm, Dad is the best, better than Uncle and the others!"
"Of course. Sit tight! Moo, moo..." Her dad imitated a cow's call, carrying her on his back as he ran out of the room.
Before leaving the courtyard gate, she heard her mother's shout: "You two, don't run around!"
Her dad turned his head, mooed twice, then carried her and dashed out of the courtyard.
Mo Tiange clapped her hands, laughing loudly. "Dad, faster!"
After a short run, they reached the small river east of the village. Her dad put her down. "Tian Ge, stand here properly."
"Mm!" She nodded vigorously.
Her dad climbed the village's oldest tree, scaling it deftly, and found the little bird in the tree.
"Tian Ge!"
Mo Tiange looked up and saw her dad holding the little bird, raising his hand toward her.
Her little face flushed with excitement, she cried, "Dad, I want it, I want it!"
Her dad gently climbed down the tree and handed the little bird to her. "Be careful. Don't squeeze the little bird to death. Take good care of it from now on. Since we've caught it, the parent birds won't want it anymore!"
She opened her eyes, not understanding. "Why?"
"Because the little bird now has human scent on it. The parent birds won't recognize it."
"Ah?" She was stunned for a moment, then cried, "Dad, send it back. I don't want the little bird anymore..."
"That won't do," her dad gently stroked her head. His expression was caring, yet it made her feel afraid. "You've already caught it. The parent birds already don't want it..."
"Chirp chirp!" She heard bird cries, looked up, and saw two parent birds angrily calling at her, as if they knew their child had been taken.
"No, no!" she shouted loudly, opening her hands that held the little bird. "I... I'll give the little bird back to you..."
The parent birds still cried angrily but never flew down. They flapped their wings and flew away.
Holding the little bird, her whole body trembled. She turned her head—her dad was gone too.
The vast Mo Family Village was empty and deserted. Not a single person remained. It seemed even the wind had stopped.
She looked down at the little bird. They had both been abandoned.
The little bird couldn't even chirp. It opened its tender beak, stood up unsteadily in her palm, then tilted its head to look at her.
Its gaze was weak, pitiful, angry, fierce.
Suddenly, the little bird, which couldn't even spread its wings, flew up and pecked viciously at her eyes.