Yan Jiaojiao was not surprised by this.
Ge Nan Academy was founded by Xuan Chen, and it flourished because of him, becoming the top academy.
To everyone in Ge Nan Academy, Xuan Chen was the god of Ge Nan Academy.
The appearance of A Ruoxi earlier had already caused great surprise, and his almost identical appearance to Xuan Chen had instilled ominous premonitions in people's hearts.
But Xuan Chen had disappeared without a trace ever since.
Even if the crowd wanted to ask questions, it was now difficult to speak, and they didn't know who to ask.
The disciples of Ge Nan Academy were certainly curious, but they were too distant from Xuan Chen. Their master was a figure who only existed in words to them, and some had never even met Xuan Chen face-to-face.
But for Shangguan Yuan and the others, Xuan Chen was different. Xuan Chen was their master, the one who had taught them and nurtured them into the leaders of Ge Nan Academy.
Even if they were to die, they wanted an explanation, to confirm from Xuan Chen's own mouth what these people, and Ge Nan Academy, truly meant to him.
"You all go, I will take care of the disciples here."
Although Yan Jiaojiao was only at the Green Rank, everyone had seen her tear apart the demoness Tang Xiye at that time. They knew that Yan Jiaojiao had many life-saving methods and could kill opponents above her rank. Everyone's trust in Yan Jiaojiao was genuine.
Shangguan Yuan was surprised that Yan Jiaojiao had spoken his intended words. He was stunned for a moment, then stood up and bowed deeply to Yan Jiaojiao.
Yan Jiaojiao was so startled that she jumped up from her seat, "Master, what are you doing?"
Shangguan Yuan was her master, after all. How could a master bow to his disciple?
Unconsciously, Yan Jiaojiao had long forgotten the dignity she possessed as a thousand-year-old ancestor. Her heart was now filled with these people whom she had once considered ants but now considered friends and elders.
Perhaps people do change, and Yan Jiaojiao was satisfied. She did not feel that she had lowered her status. On the contrary, she no longer felt the loneliness of being at the top.
With the companionship of so many people, she was no longer the lonely thousand-year-old ancestor she once was.
"Jiaojiao, taking you as my disciple is truly the most correct thing I have ever done in my life," Shangguan Yuan said with great emotion.
Yan Jiaojiao was stunned. After a while, she smiled, "Everyone says the Water Faction leader is always dashing. It seems to be true. If you keep being so emotional, Master, I'll start spreading rumors that you're not dashing but sentimental."
"Hahaha, you little rascal! Alright, I won't say any more. We'll set off now. The third round is not far away. Just give it your all, and most importantly, protect yourselves. The academy's ranking doesn't matter."
They didn't necessarily have to be first place. All they needed was to ensure that the academy would not be disbanded on the spot.
After all, Ge Nan Academy was already in such a state, and they couldn't ask too much of them.
"I understand."
"Be careful on your journey."
Shangguan Yuan nodded and left with the others.
Yan Jiaojiao looked at the room that had suddenly become empty and sighed.
Indeed, even a thousand-year-old ancestor feared parting.
"Fortunately, I still have Xiao Hei."
Yan Jiaojiao couldn't help but feel fortunate, "As my summoned beast, Xiao Hei will never leave me."
Thinking this, Yan Jiaojiao felt much happier. Thinking that there was still time, she decided to return to her room to meditate and cultivate.
At this moment, in a certain corner of Wangliang Mountain.
"Are all preparations complete?"
The elder of Sheng Bei Academy had a hint of anxiety in his eyes.
Sheng Bei Academy had been suppressed by Ge Nan Academy for too long.
They couldn't defeat Ge Nan Academy when it was at its peak, and even now, with Ge Nan Academy in its current state, they still couldn't defeat them.
The elders of Sheng Bei Academy were so worried that their hair was turning white.
"Everything is ready, look." The person meeting with the elder was wearing a black robe, the hood completely covering his face, revealing no features and making it impossible to discern his gender.
But his voice was very deep, suggesting he was an elderly male.
"What is this?" The Sheng Bei elder looked at the black bead in the black-robed man's hand. The bead was about the size of a normal luminous pearl, with a wisp of black mist flowing inside, making it impossible to tell what it was.
The black-robed man let out a strange laugh, "This is the demon silk of the demon race."
"If it enters the body, the demon silk will, like a parasitic spirit beast, quickly burrow into the person's meridians, continuously absorbing their cultivation until the person is drained dry before breaking out of the body!"
"What is the demon silk made of?"
The Sheng Bei elder was cautious. He did not touch the black bead directly and instead asked other questions.
"The demon silk is made from the souls of the demon race, but their memories have been erased. They no longer know who they are, and they will only act on instinct, burrowing into the cultivator's meridians until the person is completely drained."
The Sheng Bei academy elder found the item somewhat disgusting. There was a hint of disgust in his eyes, "Since it cannot be controlled, how can we confirm that it won't harm our own people?"
The black-robed man clearly became impatient. He put away the black bead and said, "Take it or leave it."
"We killed quite a few demons to refine this little bit of demon silk. If you don't want it, there are plenty of people who will buy it."
When had the elder ever been treated like this?
His expression turned cold, and he instinctively wanted to make a move. However, the black-robed man seemed to sense his thoughts, quickly stepped back, and said irritably, "Are you trying to forget the rules of our Yao Mo Guild!"
With that, he threw out a black bead, and the demon silk rapidly attacked the elder.
The elder was reminded of the "Yao Mo Guild" and realized something. He didn't expect the other party to launch a surprise attack at the slightest disagreement. He quickly activated his spiritual energy shield to block the demon silk, but the invasion of the demon silk required no time, while the spiritual energy shield was not instantaneous. He felt the tendrils of the demon silk penetrating his skin, on the verge of burrowing in.
"Take it back! Quickly take it back! I was wrong, alright!"
As an elder of Sheng Bei Academy, he admitted defeat quickly and directly.
The black-robed man let out a couple of strange laughs and, with a wave of his hand, retracted the demon silk into a brand-new black bead. The black-robed man said, "The Yao Mo Guild does not accept objections. Since you have sought our help, you must accept our rules."
"I'll tell you the truth, although this demon silk is difficult to control, it is the only item you can bring into the secret realm through the committee's inspection. You can try if you don't believe me."
"If you carry anything else on you, it will definitely be discovered, and then you will be considered cheating. At that time, your academy will be greatly humiliated."
The Sheng Bei academy elder's face changed.
If it weren't for the desire to ensure victory this time, he wouldn't have taken such a risk to buy something from the Yao Mo Guild.
The people of the Yao Mo Guild were indeed as their name suggested; they were a group of demonic individuals. They could no longer be called human!