Huang Feifei had already learned that Ji Zhu was likely the mastermind. She pretended to fall into his trap and followed Ji Zhu out of the city.
Ji Zhu intended to lure Huang Feifei outside the city and continue deceiving her, aiming to bring her to a city controlled by the Ji clan.
If deception failed, he planned to resort to forceful measures and abduct her.
He would then imprison her in a dark room, implant a restriction, and make her serve the Ji clan from then on.
In the eyes of all powerful factions, all valuable resources in the world, whether they fell from the sky, grew from the ground, or were born from parents, should rightfully belong to them.
Meanwhile, Huang Feifei harbored her own intentions.
Ji Zhu had dared to harm Xiao Fei, and he was already on her kill list.
Considering it inconvenient to act within Tiantong City, she followed Ji Zhu out, seeking a suitable place to strike.
Thus, along the way, Huang Feifei feigned being deceived. When the two reached a desolate area, Huang Feifei suddenly launched a surprise attack.
However, as a core disciple of the Ji clan, Ji Zhu wore a defensive treasure armor that successfully blocked Huang Feifei's fatal surprise strike.
The two then engaged in a fierce battle. Huang Feifei's laws could heal injuries and protect her life, but in terms of combat power, it was not her forte.
For a time, although Huang Feifei gained the advantage with her surprise attack, she could only fight Ji Zhu to a draw.
Ji Zhu possessed powerful magical treasures and divine abilities, giving him superior combat power to Huang Feifei.
But Huang Feifei's comprehension of the Law of Life made her unkillable; any injuries sustained would be healed in moments.
The two fought to a stalemate, both sides resorting to sending out communication talismans to call for reinforcements.
However, Ji Zhu's Nascent Soul subordinates had already been killed by Xiao Lan, and some of his companions had gone to Tiantong City to await the arrival of two Void Refining powerhouses.
Therefore, when Xiao Lan arrived, Ji Zhu, after just one round of engagement and realizing he was outmatched, decisively fled.
Ji Zhu's escape greatly annoyed Huang Feifei, and she vowed to kill him in the future.
The two recounted their respective experiences.
Xiao Fei also mentioned his raid on the warehouse, but he kept silent about the treasure he obtained in the sinkhole.
This was because the item was of immense significance, and many major powers were already involved.
The cultivation world was filled with strange divine abilities, and even mentioning something tens of thousands of miles away could potentially leave traces that could be detected.
It was better not to speak of it.
"What do we do next? Do we have to move again?" Huang Feifei asked.
"Not this time,"
Xiao Fei shook his head and stated firmly.
He had stirred up too much trouble this time. Moving immediately would appear as if he had something to hide and could easily expose him and invite suspicion.
In the cultivation world, a place where the strong prey on the weak, once suspected, one could face utter destruction without any evidence.
This was similar to the two Ji clan cultivators who were currently fleeing for their lives.
As Void Refining realm powerhouses with the backing of the Ji clan, simply being suspected of obtaining that treasure.
They were now being pursued relentlessly.
If Xiao Fei were to be suspected in the same way, he lacked their strength. Even if he could find a way to escape, Huang Feifei and Xiao Lan would find it difficult to escape a deadly fate.
Therefore, it was best to remain still and observe the situation, staying in Tiantong City to watch the unfolding events.
Xiao Fei's shop continued its normal operations.
Xiao Fei continued to take on requests for alchemy.
Huang Feifei continued to heal others, five per day.
Xiao Lan had nothing to do for the moment and acted as a shop assistant.
Xiao Fei took the opportunity to enter his spatial dimension.
The large piece of ore he had stored in the dimension lay there quietly.
This piece of ore was different from other Jianmu ore.
It was cylindrical, three zhang long, with a diameter of about three feet.
A faint green treasure light emanated from within the cylinder.
Xiao Fei placed a hand on the cylinder and activated his Law of Gathering and Dispersion, attempting to decompose it by breaking it down.
However, after circulating the Law of Gathering and Dispersion for a long time, the cylinder remained motionless and unresponsive.
This was a rare occurrence since he had comprehended the Law of Gathering and Dispersion.
After trying for a while longer, he finally concluded that with his current mastery of the law, he could not decompose this ore.
He then tried other methods such as chopping with a knife, burning with fire, and soaking in water, but none could harm the cylindrical object.
He had obtained a treasure, but he was powerless against it.
He could only temporarily store the cylinder in his dimension and deal with it when his strength increased.
Next, he went to inspect the Jianmu ore stolen from the warehouse.
Picking up a fist-sized piece of Jianmu ore and holding it in his palm, he circulated his laws, and in a moment, it was completely decomposed.
A green light the size of a peanut flew out and merged into the land within his dimension.
After this green light merged with the land, Xiao Fei noticed something different from before.
The green light merged into the soil, then flowed out of the ground in another form, heading towards the cylinder that he could not affect.
He walked back to the cylinder to check it again and found that it still showed no reaction.
However, he felt that this might be a turning point.
He then picked up several more pieces of ore and decomposed them into green light spots.
These light spots, like before, merged into the soil and then transformed into another form of energy before flowing into the cylinder.
Although he didn't know the outcome yet, he decided to try.
As more and more ore was decomposed, and the cylinder absorbed more light spots through the dimension, it finally showed subtle changes.
The green within the cylinder became increasingly dense, flowing like water.
The outer layer of the cylinder, which initially could not be broken even by magical treasures, began to show fine cracks.
"This is promising!"
Xiao Fei was excited. He continuously picked up ore pieces and decomposed them. Countless green light spots merged into the ground and then flowed into the cylinder.
Sustained circulation of laws was also a tiring task.
When Xiao Fei felt tired, he would drink a large pot of Spirit Nourishing Tea and another large pot of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Wine to restore his spiritual power.
The cracks on the cylinder became more numerous and larger, sometimes emitting cracking sounds.
"Crack, crack..."
Finally, the outer layer of the cylinder completely shattered, revealing a large mass of jade-like substance within.
Just as Xiao Fei was about to step closer to examine it, this green unknown object shot into the soil with a "whoosh."
However, this green object did not disappear but was deeply buried in the earth.
Xiao Fei extended his divine sense to carefully observe this unknown object. It was only three feet nine inches long and about six inches in diameter. He felt its shape was like a seed.
"Could this be the seed of the Jianmu?"
A guess arose in his heart.
As this thought emerged, his heart pounded violently, almost leaping out of his throat.
The legendary divine tree that could connect heaven and earth had been successfully planted in his dimension. He wondered what it would grow into, and whether it would truly connect heaven and earth.