When Fan Yuqing was musing that Ye Jing would be courting her own death if she dared to come to the Ancient Ascension Sect, she and Gong Nanyan were already hiding out of sight from everyone as they quietly observed those that had entered the banquet hall.
Ye Jing was smiling weakly, "There are so many celestial experts that have gathered here. I guess that we don't even need to show up and the Devil Isle will be promptly defeated."
Gong Nanyan corrected softly, "There is still the Golden Mask Devil Goddess. We don't know who she is and what her purpose is yet. She has been rampaging through the Nine Celestial Fraternity and causing a lot of troubles in recent months. Maybe she was sent by the Devil Isle to create havoc."
Ye Jing smiled bitterly as she thought, "It is better that I don't tell her who the Devil Goddess really is."
She knew that Fan Yuqing was the Devil Goddess. It seemed like she was the one that had provoked Fan Yuqing to become the Devil Goddess after she had stormed the Heavenly Fragrance Villa.
They had already been at the Ancient Ascension Sect for several days now. It was all too easy for them to sneak inside with Xuan Danfeng's protection. There were simply too many celestial practitioners that were visiting the Ancient Ascension Sect and it was impossible to check every carriage.
Once they had got in, Xuan Danfeng had secretly arranged a few rooms for them by registering them as 'leadership' of the Sky Sword Pavilion. There were four rooms that they had taken. The Celestial Liege and the Confession Lady shared a room, Luo Bihua and Li'Er shared a room, Xiaofang and Chu Yunfeng shared a room while Gong Nanyan and Ye Jing shared a room.
With Xuan Danfang's amicable personality, the stewards of the Ancient Ascension Sect was only too eager to please her every request.
In the past few days alone, Ye Jing was secretly startled at the astonishing number of highly attained celestials that she could sense with her divine sense. Because of that, she did not even dare to step out of her room.
Now that there was a banquet that was being held in honor of all the important leaders of the righteous celestial clans, Ye Jing felt that this was a golden opportunity for her to take note of the possible celestial experts that were making their appearances here.
Fan Yuqing was the last person to enter the banquet hall. Before she had entered the banquet hall, she had titled her head with a faint smile in the direction that Ye Jing and Gong Nanyan were hiding. This little act had startled them for they had thought that they were seen by her.
But Ye Jing quickly shook her head, "At our distance, it is impossible for her to see us. This is supposed to be the best position to spy without getting seen."
Gong Nanyan whispered, "She may not see us but she may know that our direction may be the best position to watch the banquet hall. Some people have this type of innate ability to find the best position. This Fan Yuqing, she is really beautiful. I doubt that there will be any men that can reject her advances."
Ye Jing laughed softly, "Well there is. Our Xiaofang has previously rejected her advances."
Gong Nanyan: ….
As they continued to watch the banquet hall for some time, Xiaofang had also leapt next to them as he bended over on the tree top.
He asked as he squeezed between the two of them, "I wonder what they are discussing in the hall?"
Ye Jing could feel the warm that was from Xiaofang as he grabbed onto her waist to keep his balance. Ye Jing was flushing lightly as she snorted lightly, "Stop squeezing. There isn't space for you here."
She was not the only one that Xiaofang had grabbed. He also had his other hand on Gong Nanyan's waist as he tried to balance himself. This caused Gong Nanyan to flush lightly as well.
This tree was tall, almost 20m in height. Xiaofang's lightless skills were not as good as Gong Nanyan or Ye Jing. If he had not attained the Traverse Divinity or practiced the Floating Snowfall which was the lightless skill of the Lofty Snow Palace, he probably could not even climb up this tall tree that had little branches except for the top.
Xiaofang innocently replied, "I can squeeze in. I'm thin enough."
Ye Jing sighed softly, "That isn't the point…"
Even Gong Nanyan was nodding lightly but either of the two maidens had the heart to actually tell Xiaofang to shoo off.
Xiaofang asked again, "Hmm, what do you think that they are discussing?"
Ye Jing replied softly, "Nothing good for sure. Probably how to deal with the Devil Isle, us or the Devil Goddess. What else."
She then asked, "How about the formation arrays here? Have you found a way to break it?"
Xiaofang smiled bitterly, "It is exactly as you've said. Many of the defensive and offensive arrays here are etched within the palace premises. Even if I can reach the array core, I don't think I can break it without causing a lot of disturbances. Moreover these places are all heavily guarded. I was almost discovered. Luckily, I move away quickly enough."
Ye Jing smiled faintly, "You don't need to break the array core. You can try to dismantle the spirit array with some skillful manipulation."
Xiaofang grinned, "Jing'Er, I am not a master of arrays. Even if I am a master, this won't be easy. Also studies of arrays may take decades and I am young. Why don't you do it? You have better spirit sense than me."
Ye Jing laughed softly. That was actually a tease from her. Of course she knew that it was impossible for Xiaofang to dismantle the formidable large sect arrays of the Ancient Ascension Sect. Even if a grandmaster of array was here, it was certainly impossible for him to do so. It was because the sect arrays of the Ancient Ascension Sect were the result of the improvements and accumulations of all the most powerful celestials over the thousands of years.
Xiaofang knew that Ye Jing was only teasing him and that was why he was grinning.
Ye Jing rebuked him with a smile, "Waaa, you even know how to talk back to me nowadays. Where did you learn it from? Don't tell me you've picked up all these badass behavior at the Lofty Snow Palace?"
Gong Nanyan had a slight flush as she whispered, "Sister Jing, you are teasing your sister again. He…he is already a badass guy even before he had come to the Lofty Snow Palace."
Xiaofang protested weakly, "I am not…"
Ye Jing laughed softly, "He is a badass even before I've met him. Sister Nanyan, be sure you don't get cheated by him in the future. I've already dug myself a hole with him."
Gong Nanyan: ….
Xiaofang: …
Xiaofang tried to change the topic, "It seems that this time round it won't be easy for the Devil Isle. No matter how I see it, there is no way for them to handle such overwhelming odds. I've heard that even the two reclusive guardians of the Ancient Ascension Sect have also returned to lend a helping hand."
Ye Jing nodded, "Yes, they are indeed formidable. There are many renowned legends about them. Even Fan Yuqing is also in the banquet hall. It won't be easy to handle them."
Xiaofang asked curiously, "She is also here? Where is she?"
All of a sudden he froze for he noticed that Ye Jing and Gong Nanyan were looking at him with a weird look.
Gong Nanyan said icily, "You seem particularly interested in knowing where she is. Your ex-lover is inside the hall now. She is indeed lovely. I've heard that you have rejected her advances in the past."
Xiaofang immediately protested, "No, that is not what I mean…" But before he could finish, he was kicked down from the tree by both Ye Jing and Gong Nanyan.
Ye Jing could be heard saying as he fell down with a hard crash, "Men are like animals…"
Gong Nanyan agreed heartily, "Especially young men that aren't eighteen."
Just as Xiaofang was about to climb up the tree again, Ye Jing remarked. "He is going to climb up like a monkey again."
Gong Nanyan sighed, "His hands are more like flurry spiders to me…"
Xiaofang had a weak smile on his countenance as he whispered desperately, "Let me up alright? If I am caught then I will pinpoint them to you…."
"No honor at all…"
"Despicable…"
"You are not allowed to come to our room tonight…"
Xiaofang: …