The green-robed cultivator rubbed his contorted face, baring his teeth in pain.
"Apologies, I was too hasty."
"My apologies! It was I who acted rashly!"
The two men clasped their hands in apology simultaneously, then exchanged a smile, finding the situation amusing.
"I saw you rushing, where are you headed in such a hurry?" the green-robed cultivator asked casually.
"Alas! I encountered a formidable enemy in this realm and wish to find a place to hide."
Xiao Fei did not conceal his intentions, speaking truthfully. Since they were strangers with no conflict of interest, it didn't matter.
Emperor Guiyi had placed tracking marks on Fei Xin and the others. In truth, he wasn't confident he could evade Emperor Guiyi's pursuit.
Even if he left this world through the black vortex, it was only a matter of time before Emperor Guiyi found him.
Emperor Guiyi's strength far surpassed that of Dao Venerable Xuantian. He also commanded three Supremes and over a hundred Golden Immortals. Xiao Fei could not defeat them in a direct confrontation.
Furthermore, he had discovered something, perhaps due to the fragments of the Jade Plate of Creation in Emperor Guiyi's possession.
Many of Emperor Guiyi's powerful subordinates possessed Dao artifacts.
For instance, the scepter he had seized from General Digou, while not comparable to Dao Venerable Xuantian's Seven-Colored Lotus Platform, was more than sufficient for a Golden Immortal.
Additionally, many of the Tiangang and Disha generals also wielded Dao artifacts.
In such circumstances, Xiao Fei's Golden Immortals would be at an even greater disadvantage in any engagement.
The green-robed cultivator seemed to perceive Xiao Fei's lack of confidence.
"I might know a good place, perhaps it could be of help to you, fellow Daoist?"
"Thank you, fellow Daoist, but the person I have offended is too powerful. Not only will I be unable to hide, but I would also implicate you."
Xiao Fei politely declined the green-robed cultivator's offer.
The other party did not know he had offended Emperor Guiyi. Once they found out, they would likely be terrified.
Moreover, this was their first meeting, and the other party was too enthusiastic. Xiao Fei could not fully trust him yet.
Xiao Fei bowed to the green-robed cultivator and took his leave, continuing to fly forward.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the black vortex, he was forced to retreat stealthily.
The reason was simple: the path was blocked. Currently, the two Supreme experts, Tian Kui and Tian Gang, were guarding the entrance to the black vortex.
Even if Xiao Fei summoned Dao Venerable Xuantian and Shi Xue, he could not break through their defenses immediately.
Being trapped in the Guiyi Realm with nowhere to go, Xiao Fei felt a sense of unease.
In the following days, Xiao Fei encountered Emperor Guiyi's lackeys several more times.
He had to employ all his skills to escape their pursuit.
However, unable to remove the tracking mark within him, he could not truly escape. He could only flee from place to place, living in constant fear.
He did not fear encountering just two or three Golden Immortals. He could still use the Yellow Gourd to capture them, providing fertilizer for the Jianmu tree.
But Emperor Guiyi was not foolish. His Tiangang and Disha generals operated in groups of ten, never alone.
These ten individuals could also combine their forces to form a formation, capable of holding off even Supreme experts for a short while.
As long as they held out for a brief period, reinforcements would arrive.
Xiao Fei was becoming increasingly annoyed by Emperor Guiyi's tactics.
One day, after narrowly escaping pursuit, he entered a celestial city. For him, blending in with the crowd was better than hiding in desolate wilderness.
Xiao Fei entered a small tavern in the city and chose a seat by the window.
He ordered a few small dishes from the innkeeper and took out his own pot of ten-thousand-year immortal brew.
At their level of cultivation, they no longer needed to eat. They could go ten thousand years without food or drink and be fine.
However, enjoying good food was also a great pleasure, allowing one to relax mentally.
This ingrained habit from birth was not something that needed to be deliberately abandoned.
Xiao Fei poured a cup of the ten-thousand-year immortal brew. Instantly, the aroma filled the air, astonishing everyone present, who extended their noses to greedily inhale the scent.
"What excellent wine!"
"Just smelling this immortal brew makes me feel invigorated."
Xiao Fei raised his cup. The wine within was orange-yellow, like celestial nectar. He brought it to his nose, took a deep breath, and felt a surge of energy from the alluring fragrance.
He drank the cup in one gulp. The sweet, mellow flavor spread through his limbs, and a sense of effortless comfort washed away the tension and fatigue of the past few days.
During this period of being chased and fleeing, even when he hid in his spatial realm, he could be located from the void.
In his helplessness, he could only constantly change his location.
While he was on the run, several of his clones in the spatial realm gathered around the Extreme Dao Sacred Bamboo.
After years of growth, the Extreme Dao Sacred Bamboo had reached a height of nine feet and seemed to have stopped growing.
At its base, a young bamboo shoot had sprouted.
Since it could no longer grow, Xiao Fei intended to cut down the mature bamboo to refine a Dao artifact.
A group of his clones had been working on this bamboo for a long time, but they had not managed to sever it.
This bamboo was known as the hardest item in the immortal realm, and it lived up to its reputation.
They had tried every method, and after several months, they had only managed to leave a grain-sized wound at the base of the bamboo.
At this moment, one of his clones had transformed the Southern Bright Flame into a serrated saw blade and was sawing back and forth at the bamboo's base.
As long as they persisted, like water dripping on stone, they would eventually cut down the bamboo.
Meanwhile, back in the small tavern, not long after Xiao Fei had sat down, he saw a green-robed cultivator enter the establishment.
Upon entering, the green-robed cultivator spotted Xiao Fei seated by the window and approached him with a look of pleasant surprise.
"Fellow Daoist, it is quite a coincidence that we meet again here!"
Xiao Fei frowned at this sight.
Once could be a coincidence, but twice or thrice was certainly not.
"Will you not invite me to share a drink, fellow Daoist?"
"Please, sit!"
Xiao Fei casually gestured to the seat opposite him and poured the other man a cup of wine.
"What excellent wine!"
The green-robed cultivator raised the immortal brew, drank it in one gulp, and praised it loudly.
"What is your purpose in following me?" Xiao Fei asked directly, pouring another cup of immortal brew for the other man.
"If I said I merely wished to befriend you, would you believe me?"
"No!"
Xiao Fei shook his head. He never believed in friendships that appeared without reason.
"However, the truth is, I genuinely wish to befriend you."