Xiao Fei learned through inquiries that Shui Ruoyun and the other four had seen the great efficacy of the Lotus King in an ancient text.
Then, by asking around, they discovered that the Nine Yang Cave within the Yingyue Cave Heaven grew Skyfire Golden Lotuses, and one was about to sprout a Lotus King.
Thus, the five of them found an opportunity and were captured by the Yingyue Cave Heaven and brought into the Nine Yang Cave, waiting for the Lotus King to emerge.
Xiao Fei couldn't guess the specific reason now and could only wait and see. Perhaps the Lotus King was different and could indeed be bitten.
If it were as Shui Ruoyun said, he could use this opportunity to escape and leave the Nine Yang Cave.
Upon learning that there would be a Lotus King emerging in the future, Xiao Fei stopped digging for lotus roots. If he dug them all up, the Lotus King would have no way to emerge.
Anyway, he had already dug up quite a few lotus roots in his space, enough for one of his clones to cultivate from the Mahayana realm to immortality.
For the next period, Xiao Fei hid in the underground secret chamber every day to avoid the fire poison and did not go out.
He also kept his promise and gave Shui Ruoyun detoxification pills.
Thanks to the fire poison detoxification pills he provided, the fire poison in their bodies had been cleared.
From then on, they no longer needed to pick Skyfire Golden Lotuses in exchange for antidotes, and they were no longer controlled by the cultivators of Yingyue Cave Heaven in this regard.
Several more years passed like this, and finally, a Skyfire Golden Lotus bloomed. Xiao Fei picked a few petals, which he collected into his space.
Afterward, he continued to pick petals and lotus seeds.
Xiao Fei had already experimented with these items. The petals and lotus seeds, like the lotus roots, were as hard as iron in the Nine Yang Cave and could not be bitten.
However, if they were exposed to the sky fire, they would be incinerated in at most three breaths.
After these petals and lotus seeds were picked, they needed to be immediately sealed with immortal power and stored close to the body to be preserved.
Xiao Fei directly collected these items into his space.
After being cooled in his space, they would become like ordinary lotus flowers and seeds, and could be eaten.
Through this experiment, he guessed that the yet-to-emerge Lotus King should be similar to this.
It could not be eaten in this Nine Yang Cave.
Time flew by, and sixty years passed. It was time to return to the stone chamber to recuperate.
Everyone returned to the stone chamber and handed over the petals and lotus seeds they had collected over the years to the Nine Yang True Immortal guarding the Nine Yang Cave, in exchange for fire poison detoxification pills.
To avoid appearing too special, Xiao Fei also exchanged a few petals for a detoxification immortal pill.
When Shui Ruoyun went to exchange for the pill, the Shouyang True Immortal specifically looked at her for a moment before asking.
"Why are you the only one left?"
"The fire poison acted up a few days ago, and they all died!"
The Shouyang True Immortal said nothing and continued to exchange detoxification immortal pills for everyone.
The exchange was soon completed, and the Shouyang True Immortal left. Everyone took the rare opportunity to sit in the stone chamber and recuperate. This was an opportunity that only came once every sixty years.
Xiao Fei, having no fire poison in his body, was not in a hurry to take the pill and instead stored it in his space.
The clone in his space, having cultivated by consuming lotus roots over the years, had already reached the Earth Immortal realm.
There were still many lotus roots left, which he sent into the Jianmu small world.
Huang Feifei, his second sister, and many other friends lived there.
To prevent their lifespans from being rapidly depleted, he adjusted the time flow in the Jianmu small world to be the same as the outside world.
Xiao Fei's clone also often went to the Jianmu small world to play.
The giants he had gathered lived very well there, with everyone having enough to eat, and sometimes even meat.
These giants still called him Master Xiao and held morning and evening gatherings for worship.
"Feifei, you should be about to cultivate into an Earth Immortal, right?"
"Yes, just a little bit more."
Huang Feifei nodded in response.
Xiao Fei had collected all the lotus roots he had dug up into his space in previous years. Besides his clone consuming them, the rest were sent to the Jianmu small world for everyone to consume.
The portion each person received was not particularly large. Everyone had cultivated immortal energy within their bodies, but they had not yet become Earth Immortals.
Xiao Fei took out a jade box from his embrace, which contained a few petals of Skyfire Golden Lotus.
"If you consume these few petals, you should be able to break through to the Earth Immortal realm."
"Thank you, Young Master."
Huang Feifei took the jade box, thanked Xiao Fei, and then returned to her secluded cultivation.
Afterward, Xiao Fei found Xiao Lan, Ji Wudi, and others, and gave each of them some petals or lotus seeds.
After this clone finished these matters, he quietly slipped out of his space and appeared in a certain place in the lower realm.
Over the years, through continuous exploration, he had already found many cross-realm passages and traveled to many worlds.
Every so often, he would let his clone show himself and cause some commotion, making those who were looking for him excited.
When the forces arrived, he had already vanished without a trace.
Xiao Fei was now like a fickle lover, keeping those pursuing him on tenterhooks, making them feel that with just a little more effort, they could have her.
However, she always remained elusive, maintaining a certain distance.
Making them anxious and frustrated, yet unable to obtain her.
When they were completely disheartened and about to give up, she would actively appear before them, giving them hope, and letting them revive with full energy to pursue her again.
At this moment, she would become cold and distant, keeping them a thousand miles away.
Making them always think this was the final test.
Xiao Fei's clone was currently operating in this manner, driving various Earth Immortal powerhouses into a frenzy, yet they could never obtain him.
They did not know that Xiao Fei had long since sneaked into the Immortal Realm and was captured and thrown into the Nine Yang Cave as a herb-picking slave.
...
Xiao Fei was still holed up in the Nine Yang Cave, waiting for the Lotus King to emerge.
This was the only possible variable within his knowledge, the key to his escape from the Nine Yang Cave.
In the following period, the Shouyang True Immortal threw several more Earth Immortals into the Nine Yang Cave.
These newcomers were well-behaved and had no intention of challenging Xiao Fei's status. The Nine Yang Cave remained as usual, with no changes.
Another hundred years passed like this. During this time, new people kept joining, and old ones died from fire poison.
One day, as Xiao Fei was recuperating in the underground secret chamber, Song Yao suddenly rushed in in a panic.
"It's bad, all the Skyfire Golden Lotuses in the Nine Yang Cave have withered."
"This is indeed the case!"
Xiao Fei quickly sprang to his feet like a carp and exchanged a look with Shui Ruoyun, a gleam in both their eyes.
"How could that be false? You can see for yourself outside!"
Song Yao inadvertently glared at Shui Ruoyun, secretly cursing her as a vixen, always flirting and seducing men.
When Xiao Fei emerged from his hiding place, he saw all the Skyfire Golden Lotuses rapidly withering and turning into ashes.
There were also the wails of other cultivators, who were all counting on these Skyfire Golden Lotuses to exchange for detoxification pills. Now they were all gone.