Xiao Fei had not had much interaction with the Thousand Crane Sect in the West Sea before, with the only notable connection being He Ling.
However, He Ling was a wolf in sheep's clothing, feigning friendship while secretly plotting to ambush him. After being captured, Xiao Fei imprisoned him in his space and drained the spiritual energy from his cell.
He had almost forgotten about it, but when reminded, he entered his space to check.
He discovered that He Ling had died at some point, leaving only a withered skeleton in the cell.
He also took a look at the other prisoners he had confined in his spatial prison, finding that they had all succumbed to the passage of time.
"Esteemed fellow Daoist of the Thousand Crane Sect, you must not speak carelessly. I bear no enmity towards your son, nor would I plot to harm him.
Furthermore, your son is immensely powerful, while I am merely an alchemist, unskilled in combat. How could I possibly be a match for him?"
Although He Ling died in his space, it was not by his hand, and Xiao Fei would not admit to it.
He recalled learning that He Ling was the grandson of an elder from the Thousand Crane Sect. He hadn't expected him to still have a father alive.
"Save your silver tongue. This old man knows you killed my son; I need no proof."
He Ling's father had no intention of arguing or reasoning with Xiao Fei. In the cultivation world, power and strength were paramount.
Who would bother with logic when they had might?
Immediately, his beard and hair bristled, his aura surged like a rainbow, and he prepared to strike Xiao Fei down then and there.
"You must die today!"
"Stop! Old He Gao, this is within our Ji clan's encampment. Do you think this is your Thousand Crane Sect's territory?"
Just then, a cultivator from the Ji clan finally appeared, shouting to halt He Gao.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao is an honored guest elder of our Ji clan. Not just anyone can make a move against him."
"So it is you, Fellow Daoist Ji. This man murdered my son, and I have a deep blood feud with him. This should be considered a personal matter, unrelated to the Ji clan or the Thousand Crane Sect.
I only hope the Ji clan can grant me a fair opportunity to duel him."
The Ji clan cultivator pondered for a moment and actually nodded in agreement.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, this is a private grievance between the two of you. It is indeed inconvenient for us to intervene on behalf of the Ji clan."
"Rest assured, you can duel him. This old man will watch from the side; he will absolutely not dare to harm your life."
Xiao Fei had no prior dealings with this Ji clan cultivator; they were not well acquainted.
Now, facing He Gao's pursuit of vengeance, this individual wished only to remain uninvolved, and Xiao Fei had no intention of seeking his help.
"If you wish to challenge our young master, you must first get past me!"
Huang Feifei stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Xiao Fei. Although the opponent was a Void Refining expert, she wielded the Law of Life, which should allow her to deplete some of his magical power, creating an opportunity for the young master.
"Feifei, no need! I'll handle this myself!"
Xiao Fei placed a hand on Huang Feifei's shoulder, pulling her behind him, and strode forward to face He Gao.
He recalled learning that He Ling's grandfather was an elder of the Thousand Crane Sect. Having dealt with the son, now the father appeared. It seemed this would be a never-ending cycle.
Xiao Fei's current cultivation was at the middle stage of the Soul Transformation realm, easily discernible through techniques like Qi Observation.
However, his "Wind Thunder Battle Body" had reached the seventh level, equivalent to Void Refining, though this level of cultivation was not outwardly apparent.
Furthermore, his comprehension of the laws far surpassed even that of Void Refining cultivators.
They all seemed to believe that a mere Void Refining expert could easily subdue him.
"Make your move!"
Xiao Fei walked up to He Gao, releasing his Law power, preparing to envelop him.
"Stop!"
"Stop!"
At this moment, Wei Feng of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect and Ouyang Yu of the Sacred Pill Sect arrived upon hearing the commotion.
"Old He Gao, Fellow Daoist Xiao is an honored guest elder of our Thousand Mechanisms Sect. Try moving against him!"
"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Xiao is also an honored guest elder of our Sacred Pill Sect. Moving against Fellow Daoist Xiao is moving against our Sacred Pill Sect."
Wei Feng and Ouyang Yu, with great loyalty, stood before Xiao Fei, blocking He Gao.
"Fellow Daoists, this is merely a personal grievance between myself and Xiao Fei. Are you certain you wish to represent your sects in this matter?
Are you sure you want to instigate conflict between the sects?"
Although the Thousand Crane Sect did not hold a prominent position in Tianyuan City, its strength was comparable to these seven major powers, ranking within the top ten in the entire Tianyuan Realm.
Generally, major sects and powers would strive to avoid direct confrontation with each other.
This was because neither side would benefit from such an occurrence.
However, at this critical juncture, the Sacred Pill Sect and the Thousand Mechanisms Sect resolutely stood behind Xiao Fei.
Soon, Void Refining cultivators from the other four major forces in Tianyuan City also arrived, all of them firmly standing behind Xiao Fei.
"Very well! You win this round! He remembers this."
Seeing that his plan was thwarted, He Gao uttered a harsh threat and departed with a flick of his sleeve.
The remaining Void Refining cultivator from the Ji clan felt somewhat awkward. He walked over, cupped his fists towards Xiao Fei, and attempted to find words.
Xiao Fei waved his hand, took out a medicinal bottle containing three low-grade pills, and handed it to him.
"These are the pills that Patriarch Ji commissioned me to refine. Please deliver them."
Xiao Fei then produced two spiritual herbs and returned them as well.
"I do not accept rewards for no effort. Since I was unable to refine high-grade pills this time, I cannot accept these two spiritual herbs gifted by Patriarch Ji."
His attitude clearly indicated that he was distancing himself from the Ji clan, making it difficult for them to obtain high-grade pills from him in the future.
"Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your timely intervention. I shall host a drink for all of you!"
"Good!"
"Let's go!"
Xiao Fei, surrounded by a group of Void Refining cultivators, headed towards the exit.
In a secret chamber within the encampment, the Ji clan ancestor's expression was grim.
"Useless!"
Just then, a surge of dark, deathly energy arose and crept onto his face, giving his expression a sinister and eerie cast.
He quickly took out a pill and swallowed it. As the pill dissolved, the dark, deathly energy was gradually suppressed, and his complexion returned to its ruddy state.
…………
As the overlord of the Southern Wilderness Continent, Patriarch Howling Moon could not remain hidden when various cultivators came to reinforce. As the host, he naturally had to step forward.
At this moment, he had led a group of local cultivators to the encampment where the external reinforcements were stationed.
Patriarch Howling Moon first met with the three Integration stage powerhouses who had come to assist, meeting them individually and exchanging views thoroughly.
Following the formal meetings, a grand banquet was held.
The Southern Wilderness cultivators had prepared a large quantity of rare ingredients to entertain the powerful guests from various regions who had come to help.
Xiao Fei and Huang Feifei were naturally invited as well.
Due to their special status, they were seated with a group of Void Refining powerhouses, making them appear somewhat conspicuous and drawing sideways glances from many who were unaware of their background.
"Who are these two Soul Transformation cultivators? They are seated as equals with a group of Void Refining powerhouses!"
"Just two individuals who don't know their place," a cultivator from the Thousand Crane Sect nearby sneered sourly.