When Feifei was very young, it was captured by Elder Qingmiao while hunting sea beasts as it left the island. It only had a vague impression of the island where its entire clan lived, and most of these Feifei didn't remember it either.
Confirming that Feifei was indeed the little Feifei that had gone missing all those years ago, the clan leader warmly invited it into the resting cave.
"I never expected you, after being lost for so long, to actually advance to the Seventh Rank. It's truly astonishing."
Feifei glanced at the little Feifei hiding behind its kin and slowly said, "I... am already a human's spirit beast."
"Ah..." The clan leader was stunned.
Feifei didn't continue. A dazzling golden light slowly emanated from its body, forcing all the Feifei in the cave to close their eyes. When the golden light faded, it had already transformed into human form.
Looking at the human youth Feifei had become, the clan leader raised a forepaw in surprise, pointing at it. "You, you..."
Feifei said, "My master is a cultivator with profound fortune. That's why I advanced to the Seventh Rank and achieved Human Transformation early."
After its initial surprise, the clan leader fell silent for a long time before finally speaking. "Why are you telling us all this? What do you want?"
Feifei smiled. "Our Feifei clan is the bloodline of an Ancient Divine Beast left behind in the mortal world, with unique innate gifts, unlike ordinary demonic beasts." It looked at the clan leader. "Would you be willing to be like me?"
"No!" the clan leader's eldest son, another Feifei, cried out loudly. "We cannot become spirit beasts for humans!"
Feifei gently shook its head. "I only hope our entire clan will follow my master. You wouldn't have to become spirit beasts."
The clan leader was puzzled. "If we're following her, how is that not becoming spirit beasts?"
Feifei explained, "You don't understand my master. I believe she is the best master in this world. When I first formed the spirit beast contract with her, I was of no use to her at all. Yet she was willing to feed me the most precious spirit herbs, which is how I advanced to the Seventh Rank. If our entire clan is willing to follow her, I believe the fate that prevents us from breaking through the Fourth Rank will be rewritten."
"Then what would we need to do?" the clan leader asked. "Human cultivators wouldn't adopt spirit beasts that are completely useless, would they?"
Feifei fell into thought upon hearing this. Fighting? They were Feifei; they didn't fight. Guarding the mountain gate? They probably didn't need that many. Mounts? A joke—they were Divine Beasts; how could they possibly serve as mounts for humans? Growing spirit herbs? Hmm...
After thinking for a long time, Feifei realized that aside from being pets, Feifei seemed to have no other use. But did one need over a hundred pets?
"Never mind," Feifei said with a carefree attitude. "If she's unwilling, we'll just stick to her first and figure it out later."
"Huh?"
Feifei continued, "Clan Leader, in the Ancient Era, we also served as spirit beasts for human cultivators. Now, it's just following one person. It's not a big deal."
The clan leader said, "How can the Ancient Era compare to now? We are Divine Beasts. Our masters were either immortals who had already Ascended or great Supernatural Cultivators. But now..."
"Now there are no more great Supernatural Cultivators, and we Feifei are no longer as powerful as we were in the Ancient Era. Divine Beasts? What kind of Divine Beast is one that cannot break through the Fourth Rank or achieve Ascension?"
"This..." The clan leader hesitated.
"Moreover," Feifei said solemnly, looking at the clan leader, "don't you want to recover our ancestors' memories, Ascend to the Spirit Realm, and return to our family?"
"Ancestors' memories?"
Feifei said, "When I advanced to the Fifth Rank, I found the memories passed down through our generations. I don't want to be abandoned by our ancestors in this world like this. I want to seek out the Spirit Realm and return to the Feifei clan."
The clan leader fell silent, and the other Feifei fell silent too. All along, they only knew they were descendants of the Divine Beast Feifei, left behind in this world, but they didn't know why or how to find their way back.
Return to the family? It was a thought that made their blood boil, but was it really possible?
"Your master... has that kind of power? Are you sure?" the clan leader asked doubtfully.
Feifei shook its head. "I cannot be sure we will find the Spirit Realm. I can only say that my master is the cultivator in this world most likely to reach the Deity Transformation stage."
"..." The clan leader turned to look at the other Feifei.
One Feifei timidly said, "How about... we try?"
Another said, "But... what if it doesn't work? We live freely and happily here now. If it fails, our clan might be wiped out."
"But look at it..."
"It is it..."
Feifei stood up. "Discuss it properly among yourselves. Tell me once you've decided."
Leaving the cave, Feifei slowly walked toward the beach.
On the beach, the little Feifei were still playing and frolicking. It had once been one of them. But now, it was the only Feifei in this world that could truly be considered a Divine Beast. Its fate had changed the moment it secretly left the island.
After truly awakening its spiritual intelligence, it often felt lonely. In this world, Divine Beasts no longer existed. The Feifei, with a lineage of millions of years, only had a little over a hundred left. And it was the only one that had advanced to the Seventh Rank and inherited its ancestors' memories. Strictly speaking, in this world, it had no kin. Little Huo wasn't, Xiao Fan wasn't, and these Feifei weren't either. It alone carried the memories of the Feifei race spanning millions of years, bearing a loneliness no Divine Beast since antiquity had ever experienced. It wanted to find its kind. It wanted to go to the Spirit Realm. But all of this seemed so distant, so uncertain. It felt lost. It didn't even know how to take the first step.
In a way, it relied on Mo Tiange. Though on the surface it always acted aloof, she was such a vibrant person, persistent and passionate, making its heart feel hope.
So it thought, just follow her. Perhaps it really could find the path to the Spirit Realm. Even if it couldn't, it wouldn't feel so terribly alone.
"Who are you..."
A frightened voice sounded by its ear. The playing little Feifei had seen its human form. Feifei found it amusing inwardly. If it were truly human, it wouldn't understand beast language.
It transformed with a shake, reverting to its golden-furred Feifei form. Among a group of snow-white Feifei, it stood out conspicuously.
"It's you!" Several little Feifei exclaimed in surprise, crowding around and chattering questions.
"How are you a person?"
"Mom said you can only turn into a person after achieving Human Transformation!"
"No wonder your fur is golden."
An hour later, the clan leader finally came over and found Feifei playing with a group of little Feifei.
Feifei, still in human form, was sitting on the beach with a bunch of Feifei.
"Decided?"
The clan leader nodded its head seriously. "Yes, we have decided to go with you." It paused, then said, "We are Divine Beasts. We cannot forget our ancestors' memories."
Feifei smiled. Though this outcome was not unexpected.
It said, "Call all the Feifei over."
The Feifei around the clan leader scattered to find the Feifei living scattered across the island. It took half an hour to gather them all.
The clan leader took roll call. Before leaving, Feifei used its own spiritual sense to sweep the island once more, confirming no Feifei had been left behind. Then, using a boat-shaped treasure it had secretly taken from Mo Tiange, it carried the world's only remaining hundred-plus Feifei away from the island.
When they reached the Demon City, the dolphin came out to greet them again but showed no suspicion, even inviting them to visit the Demon City.
Feifei declined, subtly noting the Demon City's defensive measures before flying back to Bixuan Pavilion.
The thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators still practicing the Ten Directions Formation in the sea watched, dumbfounded, as it flew back with a boatload of Feifei.
The three team leaders quickly flew up and bowed. "Uncle-Master."
Feifei casually waved a hand. "Have you finished practicing?"
"Uh... not quite yet," the three said hesitantly. This Uncle-Master didn't seem like an easy person to talk to.
Unexpectedly, Feifei didn't mind at all. "It can't be mastered in a day. Return to the mountain gate first."
Overjoyed, the three quickly said, "Yes."
Watching the thirty human cultivators following behind, the Feifei felt both fear and curiosity. Even humans listened to Feifei.
Feifei grandly led the thirty cultivators and over a hundred Feifei to the mountain gate, causing an immediate sensation.
By the time Mo Tiange heard the commotion and arrived, the mountain gate was densely packed with people inside and out. Seeing her approach, Tang Shen quickly shouted, "Everyone, step back!"
Mo Tiange looked at the Feifei behind Feifei, too shocked for words. "You..."
Feifei said, "Aren't you going to let us in?"
Mo Tiange let out a breath and waved her hand. "Let them in."
Following the order, Tang Shen opened the mountain-protecting formation.
A quarter of an hour later, over a hundred Feifei stood neatly in the Sect Leader Hall, nearly making Qin Xi's jaw drop.
Mo Tiange had already gotten over her initial shock. She slowly sat down, glancing sideways at Feifei. "What's going on?"
Feifei sat down nonchalantly, crossing its legs. "I brought all the Feifei in the world."
The corner of Mo Tiange's mouth twitched. She continued asking, "I mean, what's your purpose in bringing them back?"
Feifei picked up a cup of tea, pausing at its lips. After a moment's thought, it said, "Keep me company."
Mo Tiange's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
"Keep me company," Feifei repeated, word by word.
Mo Tiange threw her head back, covering her eyes with her right hand as if talking to herself. "I must be hallucinating."
"You're not hallucinating," Qin Xi said. "I really do see over a hundred Feifei."
Mo Tiange jumped up, glaring angrily at Feifei. "Over a hundred Feifei! Do you think I'm a professional spirit beast keeper? The Xuanqing Sect isn't a Spirit Beast Sect. You've got the wrong person!"
Feifei said lightly, "The Void Heaven Realm is very large."
"..." Mo Tiange forcefully suppressed the urge to explode. What karma—she had just infuriated Feng Ning, and now Feifei was infuriating her.
Just as she thought of Feng Ning, Feng Ning appeared at the doorway. Once again leaning against the doorframe, she exclaimed with delight, "Wow, so adorable! Qingwei, give me one!"
Mo Tiange turned her head to look at her. "No."
Feng Ning's smile vanished instantly. She glared. "Mo Qingwei, do you have to be so stingy? There are so many of them. You won't even give me one?"
Mo Tiange said calmly, "Though they are spirit beasts, they have their own will. I have no right to give them away as gifts."
Feng Ning was taken aback and fell silent.
Ignoring her, Mo Tiange glared at Feifei again. "Is there a spirit beast like you? Over a hundred of them! Do you want to eat me into poverty?"