Xiao Fei found Xiao Lan and the other two near the teleportation array in the Southern Wilderness Continent.
After they left that day, the three of them had been watching the developments from afar, waiting for Xiao Fei's return.
However, as time passed, their hope for Xiao Fei's successful escape grew dimmer.
Though they were burning with anxiety, they knew their strength was insufficient. Returning again would be of no use, merely a futile sacrifice of their lives.
If Xiao Fei truly met with misfortune, they could only preserve their own lives and grit their teeth to seek revenge for him in the future.
The cultivation world had always been this cruel; anyone could die along the way.
Later, they heard that the giant had fled into the Absolute Spirit Locking Heaven Great Array under the pursuit of Patriarch Xiao Yue.
They waited for another year, but Xiao Fei still hadn't returned. In such a situation, it was highly probable that he was dead.
Just as the three were about to leave, Xiao Fei descended from the sky and found them.
The four of them took a long-distance teleportation array back to Tianyuan City.
"Fellow Daoists, last time we passed through Tianyuan City, I didn't have the chance to show you around. Now that we have nothing else to do, how about we spend a few days here?"
Xing Wuming invited them warmly. Xiao Fei glanced at his second sister; seeing that she hadn't spoken, neither in approval nor objection, he cupped his hands and said, "Then we shall trouble Daoist Xing."
"Not at all. It is my honor to guide you and fulfill my duty as a host."
As Xing Wuming spoke, his gaze kept shifting towards Xiao Lan, clearly indicating that these words were not meant for Xiao Fei.
He had recently started fanning his feather fan again, stirring a gentle breeze as he spoke, doing his utmost to appear more graceful.
"Let's go to the Drunken Immortal Tower first! It's the most famous restaurant in Tianyuan City!"
The three had no objections and followed behind Xing Wuming.
"Little brother, I was still thinking about how to refuse him, and you already agreed?" Xiao Lan secretly transmitted her voice to Xiao Fei.
"Second sister, I think this kid is not bad. Why don't you just make do?"
"What do you mean 'make do'? Am I that kind of casual person?"
Xiao Lan rolled her eyes at him. "Besides, I'm a ghost cultivator now, and he's human. Humans and ghosts are from different paths; it's not suitable."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fei looked ahead at Xing Wuming, who was fanning himself ostentatiously, a hint of killing intent in his eyes.
"That's easily solved. I'll just kill him, and then let him cultivate the path of ghost cultivation. You'll be fellow practitioners then."
"Little brother, don't be reckless! Dispel those abnormal thoughts of yours."
Xiao Lan quickly stopped him, afraid that Xiao Fei would actually do something of the sort.
Ghost cultivators were not tolerated by heaven and earth; she understood this deeply. Being a ghost cultivator was incredibly difficult.
It was only later, after obtaining the complete bloodline, that she gained a relatively normal flesh-and-blood body, and her situation improved slightly.
Xing Wuming, leading the way, suddenly felt a chill down his spine and couldn't help but quicken his pace.
When they had come to Tianyuan City last time, they had flown through the air on flying beasts. This time, walking on the streets, they saw a different scene.
As expected of the largest human immortal cultivation city on the entire Tianyuan Continent, Tianyuan City's streets were bustling. The pedestrians coming and going were all cultivators.
The welcoming attendants or maids at the entrances of the shops on both sides of the street were also individuals with cultivation.
The Drunken Immortal Tower stood tall in the center of Tianyuan City. As they approached, Huang Feifei and Xiao Lan couldn't help but let out exclamations of surprise.
The tower was a hundred zhang tall, at least several dozen stories high.
"There is a sect in the Tianyuan Realm called the Spirit Chef Sect. Have you heard of it?"
Xing Wuming walked to the entrance of the Drunken Immortal Tower. Seeing the surprised looks on Xiao Lan and Huang Feifei's faces, he deliberately played coy.
"I have heard of this sect; they are skilled in making various spirit foods."
"Could it be that this Drunken Immortal Tower is run by the Spirit Chef Sect?"
"Indeed. This Drunken Immortal Tower is the headquarters of the Spirit Chef Sect in Tianyuan City.
The Grand Elder of the Spirit Chef Sect at the Void Refining stage personally cooks every day, producing at most ten tables of delicacies.
The price is exorbitant, and one cannot afford it without a certain status and position."
As they spoke, the four had already reached the entrance, and two beautiful maids immediately came forward to greet them.
"Welcome, Young Master Xing!"
Xing Wuming was a frequent visitor here, and all the maids and attendants knew him, treating him with exceptional warmth.
"Take me to the Sky-class room!"
As Xing Wuming spoke, he produced a black VIP token.
The VIP tokens of the Drunken Immortal Tower were divided into many levels. The black one was already the highest level, allowing one to book a Sky-class room and taste the spirit food personally prepared by the Void Refining Grand Elder.
"Yes, please follow us!"
At one corner of the roof, there was a small teleportation array that led directly to the uppermost floor of the Drunken Immortal Tower.
There were only a few hundred-zhang-tall buildings in the entire Tianyuan City. Sitting in a private room on the rooftop offered a panoramic view of Tianyuan City.
Soon, a table of delicacies was served, including West Sea fish maw, the tongue of a Red Feather Spirit Bird, the top two tender leaves of a Thousand-Year Spirit Sprout...
The spirit food personally prepared by a Void Refining expert, with precious ingredients and meticulous preparation, had an exquisite taste that made Xiao Fei and the other two, who had not experienced the upper circles of the Tianyuan Realm, full of praise.
"Young Master Xing, you cannot go in!"
"Bang!"
Just as the four were savoring the delicacies, a fierce argument erupted from outside, followed by a bang as the private room door was kicked open.
Three Nascent Soul cultivators strode in from outside, looking fierce.
This was the headquarters of the Spirit Chef Sect, with a Void Refining expert stationed here. Ordinary cultivators would not dare to act presumptuously.
But these newcomers were not ordinary people. They belonged to the Xing family, the same as Xing Wuming, and held considerable status within the clan.
The Xing family was one of the four great families of Tianyuan City, the most top-tier power among the human race in the entire Tianyuan Realm.
"Xing Wuji! I am entertaining friends, why are you here causing trouble?"
Xing Wuming asked with a frown. They were of the same generation and had been rivals.
Seeing Xing Wuji's arrogant demeanor after his own failure in Tongcheng, it was likely that Xing Wuji had emerged victorious.
He had already anticipated this and was not surprised. He just hadn't expected Xing Wuji to be so impatient to find trouble with him.
In such large families, there were numerous members, and a large number of outstanding talents emerged from each generation.
Everyone wanted to climb higher and obtain more resources; the competition was fierce, and familial affection was thin.
Xing Wuji sneered and produced a family enforcement token.
"Xing Wuming, you were stationed in Tongcheng and committed a grave dereliction of duty, losing a precious family treasure. Your crime is punishable by death to serve as a warning!
However, considering your difficult cultivation journey, the family elders have decided to deal with you leniently.
All your personal belongings will be confiscated, your family support for the next thousand years will be deducted, and you will be sentenced to a thousand years of hard labor for the clan to atone for your sins."
After hearing Xing Wuji's pronouncement, Xing Wuming slumped powerlessly into his chair.
He knew there would be punishment from the family, but he hadn't expected them to be so ruthless, leaving him no room for maneuver.
At this moment, the two individuals brought by Xing Wuji acted in unison, stripping Xing Wuming of all his storage magical artifacts.
Xing Wuming's robes were also publicly stripped off, leaving him with only the innermost set of clothes.
"Everything on him belongs to the family. Strip off his inner robes as well."
Xing Wuji, having gained the upper hand, ordered his two subordinates to continue stripping clothes, intending to humiliate Xing Wuming in front of his friends.
"Enough! Fellow Daoist, could you give me some face? I'll buy this piece of clothing with spirit stones!"
At this moment, Xiao Fei could no longer stand it and rose from his chair.
Before, it was the Xing family's internal affairs, and he couldn't interfere. But now, this was going too far.
Moreover, Xing Wuming's successive failures and punishment from the family were largely due to Xiao Fei.
At the very least, the lost treasures of the Xing family had all fallen into his hands.
He could have ignored it before, but now, for his second sister's sake, they could be considered friends.
"Who do you think you are! Asking for face in front of the Xing family?"
Xing Wuji looked at Xiao Fei with disdain. In front of the Xing family, only the disciples of other major families or sects had the right to speak to him as an equal.
But the person before him was clearly nothing, just an insignificant figure without any background.
Xing Wuji's two subordinates, disregarding everything, moved to strip Xing Wuming's last piece of clothing.
But at this moment, no matter how they moved forward, they could no longer approach Xing Wuming, always maintaining a distance of one foot, not an inch closer.
Unbeknownst to them, this private room had already been enveloped by Xiao Fei's domain of laws.