The Patriarch of the Jian family, who was seeing off a guest at his gate, had just bid farewell to an old friend when a black shadow flew overhead.
His smile instantly froze upon realizing what the shadow was.
"What is going on?"
"Father, was that just now..." The head of the Jian family twitched an eye.
The Jian family Patriarch whispered, "Go and find out what happened inside."
"Yes."
When the Jian family Patriarch learned the reason and consequences, he was amused.
Where had Zhan Fei found such a reckless expert?
"Fellow Daoist Xu, you have waited a long time."
As the Jian family Patriarch entered the reception hall, Xu Yi, Wang Yang, and Xiao Yi were sitting in a row, nibbling on spirit fruits.
Upon seeing him enter, the three of them quickly put down their spirit fruits and stood up to bow, their actions identical. "Patriarch Jian."
"No need for such formalities." The Jian family Patriarch sat down directly, with a genial smile.
He gestured for the three to sit down, then looked at Xu Yi and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I observe your demeanor to be extraordinary. May I presume to ask which sect you hail from?"
The Jian family Patriarch already had some suspicions about Xu Yi's identity, and his question was intended to confirm his thoughts.
"I haven't had a chance to introduce myself. I am Xu Yi of the Xuanji Sect."
Xu Yi had no intention of hiding her identity.
Ever since she killed Qiu Yuanfeng at the formation convention of the Formation Alliance, her identity had been completely exposed and was widely rumored.
With the Jian family's influence, they would likely discover her identity within a couple of days, so it was better to disclose it proactively.
"It is indeed you." The Jian family Patriarch's eyes brightened. "I have long heard of Fellow Daoist Xu's reputation. It is a pleasure to meet you today."
"You are too kind."
Wang Yang and Xiao Yi watched with great interest as the Jian family Patriarch and Xu Yi engaged in polite exchanges.
After a few more pleasantries, the Jian family Patriarch finally revealed his purpose. "Fellow Daoist Xu, I have invited you to stay because I have something to ask of you."
"I am eager to hear it."
Given the two treasures she had obtained for free, Xu Yi did not refuse.
The smile on the Jian family Patriarch's face faded, replaced by a look of gravity.
With a wave of his sleeve, a square box, one foot high and one foot wide, landed before Xu Yi.
"I obtained this box by chance from a secret realm. It appears ordinary at first glance, with no discernible mechanisms, so I did not pay it much attention. I stored some important items within it, only to find one day that the box could no longer be opened.
I tried every method imaginable but could not open it. Later, I discovered that the box was inscribed with a peculiar formation, and the items inside could only be retrieved by breaking the formation.
The Jian family Patriarch sighed and continued, "I invited several highly respected masters from the Formation Alliance, but they all waved their hands and refused upon seeing this box, stating they were unable to help. The items within this box have been sealed for nearly three hundred years."
"So, you want me to help you open this square box?" Xu Yi asked.
"Precisely. The contents of this box are not precious, but they hold great significance for me. I have heard that Fellow Daoist Xu has profound attainments in formations, so I implore you to give it a try. Whether successful or not, I would be eternally grateful."
Xu Yi did not agree immediately but said cautiously, "Let me examine it first."
A box that even a cultivator in the Integration Stage could not open, Xu Yi dared not be overconfident.
"Please."
Xu Yi walked up to the box and carefully examined the patterns with her divine sense.
The more she looked, the tighter her brow furrowed.
No wonder several masters from the Formation Alliance could not decipher this formation. It was an ancient array pattern, formed by the interplay of two sets of patterns, one overt and one covert.
What appeared to be a single formation was, in reality, two closely connected formations.
As the saying goes, pulling one thread affects the entire fabric. To break the formation, both the overt and covert formations had to be deciphered simultaneously, hence this formation was also known as the Yin-Yang Array.
Fortunately, Xu Yi had encountered similar formations before, so she was not entirely without ideas.
She extended a finger and slowly traced the patterns on the square box, simultaneously sketching the same array patterns in her sea of consciousness with her soul power.
Once all the array patterns were sketched, Xu Yi closed her eyes and began to deduce the method to break the formation in her mind.
The Jian family Patriarch, Wang Yang, and Xiao Yi, realizing Xu Yi was in deep thought, dared not disturb her and sat quietly on the side, waiting.
The Jian family Patriarch's eyes occasionally flashed with anticipation.
The previous masters had left immediately after seeing his square box, without the slightest hesitation.
He had initially planned to go to the Formation Alliance himself after some time to ask the new Alliance Leader Bai for help. Now, it seemed he might not have to make that extra trip.
As time ticked by, Xu Yi's forehead began to bead with large drops of sweat, and wisps of white mist rose from the top of her head.
Xiao Yi's eyes widened in surprise as she pointed at Xu Yi and whispered, "Sister, Sister... you're burning."
Wang Yang also gaped, looking at the strange scene before him in shock.
The Jian family Patriarch's expression was tense; success or failure hinged on this moment.
Just then, Xu Yi abruptly opened her eyes, using her right hand as a brush and spiritual power as ink, she swiftly drew the runes to break the formation above the square box.
The surrounding spiritual energy rapidly converged towards this spot, with Xu Yi at the center.
The Jian family Patriarch, filled with anxiety, directly took out the exquisite spirit stone dragon statue to provide Xu Yi with ample spiritual power.
A moment later, Xu Yi retrieved an unassuming black pebble from her storage ring with her left hand, slammed it against the square box, and shouted, "Break!"
On the square box, the two distinct array patterns, one overt and one covert, flashed simultaneously. Then, the box began to vibrate violently.
Xu Yi's gaze sharpened, and with her right hand, she drew the final stroke. "Break again!"
A sound like metal colliding seemed to echo in the air.
*Bang!*
The lid of the square box sprang open.
Xu Yi's mind relaxed, and she suddenly felt drained, as if she had just been pulled out of water.
"It's open, it's really open!" the Jian family Patriarch exclaimed excitedly.
Yet, even in this moment, he did not lose his composure due to excitement. He did not examine the contents of the box but first concerned himself with Xu Yi. "Fellow Daoist Xu, please sit down and rest! Thank you so much for this."
Wang Yang stepped forward to help Xu Yi back to her seat.
Xu Yi first gulped down a bowl of tea, and once her spiritual power had recovered somewhat, she waved her hand. "I'm just a bit exhausted, but thankfully, I did not fail my task."
The Jian family Patriarch bowed again before quickly walking to the opened square box. He took out a few jade fragments, on which faint petal patterns could still be seen, his eyes filled with a complex expression.
Xu Yi almost dropped her teacup. "Why are they broken? Did my control over my spiritual power go awry?"
Although she had opened the box, she had damaged the contents, and Xu Yi's head suddenly felt as large as a bucket.
The Jian family Patriarch shook his head repeatedly. "Fellow Daoist Xu, do not worry. The items inside were originally like this. This was my mistake from back then."
The Jian family Patriarch did not elaborate further, but Xu Yi and Wang Yang could tell there was an untold story behind this.
Neither of them were people to pry into matters, and seeing the Jian family Patriarch fall into recollection again, they silently reached for the spirit fruits on the table.