Zhu Yu led a large group of people, likely drawn by the demonic beast and the small tree, sacrificing over twenty lives as bait for them.
Seeing Xiao Fei squatting beside the small tree, he quickly shouted,
"You up there, this young master does not intend to kill you. If you throw down the three red fruits now, our grievances will be settled.
I can even recommend you to my master to take you as a disciple. From now on, we will be fellow disciples, learning immortal arts together, transcending the mundane. Wouldn't that be delightful!"
Xiao Fei remained unmoved by Zhu Yu's persuasion, responding only by throwing a stone down, which narrowly missed a burly man, causing the man to jump and curse loudly.
Since Zhu Yu valued these fruits so highly, Xiao Fei was even less inclined to give them to him.
He had overheard Zhu Yu and others chatting earlier, and it seemed these items were of great help to cultivators.
Xiao Fei did not understand much about cultivation yet, but he possessed a copy of the "Evergreen Technique," which described rather mystical matters and even recorded spells. It might very well be a genuine cultivation manual.
With this thought, he plucked all three red fruits. The green ones were likely not ripe yet, but he wouldn't waste them. Drawing his black saber, he dug up the entire small tree and transplanted it into his spatial dimension.
Below, Zhu Yu and his men cursed furiously upon witnessing this, but it was to no avail. Xiao Fei had occupied the cave on the cliff face. As long as Xiao Fei guarded the entrance, they could not reach him.
While Zhu Yu ordered his subordinates to take turns shouting insults from below the cliff, he dispatched two groups of men to quietly climb up from the sides. Once they reached the top, they would circle back to a position diagonally above the cave entrance, rendering Xiao Fei's stone-throwing ineffective.
He also instructed a group of men to transport stones and firewood. Taking advantage of the demonic beast's slumber, they began building a thick stone wall around it, leaving channels for fire between the stones and piling dry firewood.
The plan was to construct a stone kiln and resort to fire attacks if their blades couldn't penetrate.
It was truly humiliating to have a slumbering demonic beast before them yet be unable to do anything about it.
Xiao Fei did not notice the burly men climbing up from the sides, only observing the construction of the fire kiln below, and paid it little attention.
He had just climbed up from the bottom of the cliff and was injured, his body severely depleted. He truly wished he could lie down like a dead dog for three days and nights without moving if conditions allowed.
However, he was still in danger and could not afford to rest.
Not to mention the danger posed by Zhu Yu, there was also the demonic beast. If it awoke and Zhu Yu could not kill it, and it discovered him hiding in its lair after stealing its fruit, it would surely not let him off.
He needed to leave this cave as soon as possible, but he was utterly exhausted. His limbs trembled uncontrollably with the slightest exertion.
At this moment, he took out one of the red fruits he had just picked and examined it.
The fruit was entirely red, comparable to a ripe tomato. It was oval-shaped, about the size of an egg, slightly smaller.
The fruit emitted a tantalizing aroma, piquing Xiao Fei's appetite.
"Since this fruit is beneficial to cultivators, it's probably not poisonous."
Xiao Fei found a reason to eat it and tentatively took a bite.
To his surprise, the moment he bit into it, the flesh dissolved into juice and flowed into his mouth.
He had intended to take only a small bite to test it, but he ended up consuming the entire fruit.
After eating this single fruit, a warmth rose in his abdomen and spread throughout his body along his meridians. With each surge of this warmth, the fatigue in his body vanished completely.
Xiao Fei stood up and moved his limbs, feeling replenished and revitalized.
Even the knife wound on his back no longer hurt as much.
A good thing! This item was indeed of great use!
He even entered his spatial dimension to take another look at the small tree he had just transplanted.
Furthermore, after the fatigue disappeared, the flow of warmth did not cease. Xiao Fei thought of the "Evergreen Technique."
He attempted to cultivate according to the incantations of the "Evergreen Technique."
Upon cultivating, he discovered it was vastly different from before. The warmth from the fruit, guided by the "Evergreen Technique," circulated within his body according to a specific pattern.
With each cleansing by the warmth, he could feel his strength increasing, his overall physical condition improving, and his senses becoming sharper.
Just then, he suddenly sensed numerous colored light spots in the surrounding world, filling him with joy!
According to the description in the "Evergreen Technique," the first step in cultivating this technique was to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and then to draw it into the body.
These colored light spots he sensed should be the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Next, he tried to guide these light spots into his body using his consciousness.
However, these light spots seemed disobedient. No matter how gently he persuaded or carefully guided them, they acted like rebellious teenagers, refusing to listen.
They resisted, refused to cooperate, ignored him, and sometimes even acted contrary to his intentions.
After much effort, not a single light spot was willing to enter his body.
"Hmph, you think you're the only one with a temper!"
After so much futile effort, Xiao Fei's temper flared. Since gentle guidance was not working, he decided to force his way.
Having spent so much time tilling and working in his spatial dimension using his consciousness, it had become strong and resilient through prolonged training.
Immediately, he enveloped a green light spot with his consciousness. The spot tried to escape, but Xiao Fei's consciousness forcefully pulled it into his body.
Then, he used the "Evergreen Technique" to refine the light spot along with the internal warmth.
Having successfully drawn spiritual energy into his body, he had finally entered the first level of cultivation for the "Evergreen Technique."
Further cultivation would involve refining this spiritual energy into true qi and magic power, requiring gradual accumulation.
After successfully capturing one light spot into his body, Xiao Fei continued to use his consciousness to capture spiritual energy light spots, forcefully sending them into his body to be refined along with the internal warmth.
As Xiao Fei was fully engaged in capturing the light spots, having a great time, he suddenly heard a rustling sound that startled him from his cultivation.
He slowly withdrew his cultivation and listened intently. The sound was coming from the cave entrance, specifically from the positions above and to the left and right.
Xiao Fei quietly approached the cave entrance. He dared not poke his head out to check; if someone was in those positions, his head would be the first to be severed by a saber.
He glanced at the large saber on the ground. The saber he had pulled from his back gleamed cold and bright, reflecting light like a mirror, perfect for his purpose.
He quietly extended the saber's surface out of the cave entrance. With the faint reflection from the saber's surface, he clearly saw two burly men clinging to the rock face outside, preparing to sneak into the cave.
How dangerous! They almost succeeded.
Xiao Fei, holding the saber, quietly hid behind the cave entrance, patiently waiting.
A moment later, half of the bodies of two burly men appeared from the left and right sides. Without hesitation, Xiao Fei struck with his saber.
"Ah!"
He quickly drew the saber and stabbed the other burly man.
"Ah ah ah..."
Seeing that they were not dead and were still screaming, he delivered a left-side stab and a right-side stab, distributing the blows fairly.
Finally, the two men fell off the cliff with their pained cries.
After dispatching the two, Xiao Fei listened intently. There was no further sound.
However, he remained cautious. He wiped the bloodstains from the saber and extended it outside again to scout the entire area around the cave entrance, above, below, left, and right. Only when he was sure no one was there did he dare to poke his head out to observe the situation outside.
Below, Zhu Yu was directing his men to build a thick stone wall around the demonic beast. It was nearing completion, and they were adding dry firewood.
He wondered if their method would succeed in killing the demonic beast. If not, it would surely enrage the beast, and he would be in danger hiding in the cave.
He needed to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible.
He could not go down. He possessed something Zhu Yu desperately wanted, and Zhu Yu was waiting for him to walk into a trap.
He looked up at the cliff face. The top was unclear, and he could only vaguely see some trees in the distance.
If he could climb up from here, he would enter the Qiyun Mountain Range and be completely free from Zhu Yu's pursuit.
Having made his decision, he took out some dry rations and flatbread from his spatial dimension and ate them. He then tore some strips of cloth from his new clothes and wrapped them around his palms, leaving only his fingertips exposed.
His fingers had been scraped raw from climbing into the cave barehanded. A slight wrapping should help.
After making his preparations, Xiao Fei emerged from the cave again and began climbing towards the top of the cliff.
Although he was still injured, he felt much lighter climbing the cliff this time, and his limbs were more powerful.
Especially the flow of warmth within his body had not disappeared. It continuously circulated, constantly eliminating muscle fatigue.
During this process, a lot of the warmth also flowed into his muscles and bones, continuously nourishing and strengthening them.
Therefore, as Xiao Fei climbed up the cliff, he initially felt tired, but as he climbed higher, he found himself becoming stronger, his limbs more agile, and he gained more confidence with each upward movement.
Now, Xiao Fei felt that climbing the cliff was no longer a painful ordeal but a dual enjoyment of both spirit and body.
Gradually, he could see the trees extending from the top of the cliff.
At this moment, Xiao Fei moved nimbly between the cliff faces like a monkey. In a short while, he had climbed to the top of the cliff.
Standing at the cliff top, Xiao Fei looked around. Below was a flat expanse of land, and in the distance, mountains surrounded him. He was currently at the foot of the mountain range.
"This is Qiyun Mountain!"
Xiao Fei sat on a rock, slowly munching on a piece of flatbread, contemplating his next move.
He had heard that there were many demonic beasts in Qiyun Mountain and dared not venture around carelessly.
Even though his strength had improved significantly, he was still no match for the demonic beast below the cliff.
Its tough, scaly armor alone had left him helpless.
He planned to find a place to hide for a few days until Zhu Yu and his men left, then he would sneak down the cliff.
The flow of warmth within his body had been completely consumed during his climb up the cliff. Now, only a very faint trace of magic power remained.
This trace of magic power should be the origin magic power he had refined, the foundation for his cultivation of the "Evergreen Technique." Accumulating a certain amount of origin magic power would allow him to enter the second level of the "Evergreen Technique."
He still had two red fruits left, which he planned to eat in the coming days, expecting his strength to improve considerably.
The experiences of the past two days had taught him that to survive in this world, one needed not only money but also corresponding strength, coupled with twelve parts caution and vigilance.