The Heavenly Phoenix Clan was a great clan in the demon realm, with countless powerful individuals. Even a mere gatekeeper possessed Nascent Soul cultivation.
Any junior from the clan walking in the demon realm was respected and dared not be offended.
Many merchant caravans spent a fortune to obtain a Heavenly Phoenix City token, which granted them unimpeded passage throughout the demon realm.
If a treasure-hunting cultivator accidentally seized an item bearing the Heavenly Phoenix Clan's mark, they would respectfully return it, even if separated by tens of thousands of miles.
As for the consequences of offending the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, the Phoenix Clan would trace their family lineage and hunt them down one by one, even exhuming ancestors who had been dead for tens of thousands of years for posthumous punishment.
The eighth and ninth layers of Heavenly Phoenix City were strictly forbidden to outsiders, unless one possessed a special pass issued by the Heavenly Phoenix Clan to enter the eighth layer.
On this day, Xiao Fei, using a special pass acquired at a high price, had entered the eighth layer.
Currently, he was using his water law's transformation ability to disguise himself as a demon wolf at the Soul Transformation stage, following behind an elder from the Heavenly Phoenix Clan.
This elder was a minor steward of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, responsible for some logistical matters of the caravan that traveled to the Azure Thunder Realm to trade.
Yang Chen and the Heavenly Wind Wolf had paid a hefty sum for Xiao Fei to pose as this elder's attendant and infiltrate the Azure Thunder Realm.
"Be careful and cautious. Don't reveal any flaws, or both of us will be in trouble."
The elder gave Xiao Fei a few more instructions, telling him to pretend to be the elder's pet, before leading him towards the Heavenly Phoenix Clan's cross-realm caravan.
Indeed, after approaching the caravan, the elder was questioned several times before being allowed to bring Xiao Fei along.
The caravan was located within a building on the eighth layer. After several layers of formations were activated, the entrance to the cross-realm passage was revealed.
As the elder's pet, Xiao Fei was inevitably tasked with menial labor, helping to carry heavy items and being bossed around.
If he hadn't been afraid of exposing his identity, he would have loved to annihilate this entire Heavenly Phoenix Clan caravan.
After traveling with the caravan through the passage for over five months, they finally emerged from the exit on the other side.
This Azure Thunder Realm was indeed as its name suggested; the entire world was permeated with thunder. A constant rumbling filled the air, and lightning bolts as thick as an arm could be seen falling everywhere.
As they walked on the ground, a tingling sensation of electricity coursed through their feet.
All the creatures in this world seemed to have undergone mutations, capable of withstanding the power of lightning.
Xiao Fei noticed a small ant by his feet; even the collision of its antennae generated crackling electricity.
Furthermore, the plants and trees also carried varying degrees of electricity, making one's entire body tingle upon stepping on them.
Those with weaker willpower would directly lose control of their bladder.
Once he adapted to this level of electrical stimulation, Xiao Fei found the sensation quite exhilarating.
Not long after their group entered the Azure Thunder Realm, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan elder found an excuse to lead Xiao Fei away from the caravan.
Xiao Fei, naturally understanding, followed him. They walked a considerable distance until the elder stopped, ensuring the caravan was no longer in sight.
"Alright, we'll part ways here."
"Thank you. I bid you farewell!"
Xiao Fei cupped his fists and prepared to leave.
"Heh heh!"
"Trying to leave? Not so easy!"
The Heavenly Phoenix Clan elder sneered, producing a phoenix feather that transformed into a long sword and slashed towards Xiao Fei.
Xiao Fei dodged backward, successfully evading the fatal blow.
"Fellow Daoist, since you have accepted my benefits and the task is accomplished, why must you seek to eliminate me?"
"Heh heh... Our Heavenly Phoenix Clan controls this passage; how can we allow outsiders to use it so easily? Moreover, if this matter were to leak out in the future, and the clan investigated, I would be unable to bear the responsibility. It's better to kill you here and now to eliminate any future trouble."
As the elder spoke, he unleashed the phoenix feather again, striking towards Xiao Fei.
"Since you are seeking death, I shall oblige."
Xiao Fei no longer concealed his strength, directly revealing his Integration stage cultivation. His law domain expanded, instantly engulfing the Phoenix Clan elder.
"You... Who exactly are you?"
The Heavenly Phoenix Clan elder now realized he had provoked someone he shouldn't have, kicking a hard iron plate.
He was now trapped within Xiao Fei's law domain, suppressed to the point of immobility.
"Who I am is not important!"
As Xiao Fei spoke, a large hand was placed upon the Heavenly Phoenix Clan elder's head.
Instantly, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan elder's body trembled like a sieve. The scenes from his memory rapidly replayed in his mind in reverse.
Xiao Fei was using soul-searching techniques to read the Heavenly Phoenix Clan elder's entire memory.
This elder was only at the late Void Refinement stage. For a cultivator at the Mahayana stage like himself, soul-searching was effortless.
After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he had learned seventy to eighty percent of the elder's life information.
The elder's name was Feng Zhengyang, an unremarkable ordinary disciple of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan...
...
Time passed, and after about another incense stick's worth of time, Feng Zhengyang returned to the Heavenly Phoenix Clan caravan alone.
"Zhengyang, where is your spirit beast?"
A middle-aged cultivator in the caravan asked curiously. He had clearly seen Feng Zhengyang leave with his spirit beast earlier.
"Alas! Look at my bad luck. This spirit beast was just struck by a lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket and died on the spot!"
Feng Zhengyang sighed, lamenting his misfortune.
"It's just a Soul Transformation demon wolf, not very expensive. We can get another one when we return."
"Besides, there's too much lightning here. It's perfectly normal to be struck by lightning."
...
Feng Zhengyang's corpse was that of a giant Heavenly Phoenix, now shattered into several pieces, all of which Xiao Fei collected into his spatial dimension.
No matter how noble the Heavenly Phoenix Clan was described, or how lofty their status in the demon realm, in Xiao Fei's eyes, they were still demonic beasts and a source of food.
During the great battle in the Giant Realm that day, Han Yi and Han Er suffered severe injuries, with comminuted fractures all over their bodies. Xiao Fei had taken them into his spatial dimension to heal.
After years of care and consuming many rare spiritual medicines, they had finally recovered.
This Void Refinement stage Heavenly Phoenix was perfect for nourishing these two simpletons.
Besides these two, Huang Feifei and the others had been in seclusion within his spatial dimension. With the dense spiritual energy and the 100x time acceleration, their cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds.
However, 100x time was a boon for those with good aptitude but a death sentence for those with poor aptitude.
Fortunately, Xiao Fei had accumulated quite a few Marrow Cleansing Pills, so he distributed them to improve their cultivation aptitude.
Xiao Fei tossed the Heavenly Phoenix corpse to the two simpletons, letting them figure out their culinary skills, and paid them no further mind.
The entire Azure Thunder Realm was filled with lightning. The creatures here were scarce, but each possessed lightning talent and was very powerful.
At this moment, he was walking alone in the Azure Thunder Realm. After only a few steps, he saw a forest.
Good heavens, this was the Thunder Spirit Wood, which was very expensive in the demon realm, and here it was, an entire forest, completely worthless.