The small fish in the lake underwent tremendous changes after entering the space.
First, their bodies grew rapidly, soon reaching a foot long, then two feet long...
Moreover, Xiao Fei discovered that these creatures were also demonic beasts. Previously, they couldn't absorb spiritual energy in the canyon lake, but upon entering the space, their limitations were removed, and they absorbed the spatial spiritual energy with all their might.
In just over a year, they matured into first-tier demonic beasts.
Xiao Fei had released over a hundred small fish into the pond. As they grew, they not only absorbed spiritual energy but also their appetites increased dramatically.
These fish quickly devoured most of his beautiful five-colored spirit lotuses, leaving only a few.
Xiao Fei had to urgently move the remaining few. He had almost been killed by the Lin family for a single five-colored spirit lotus, and he couldn't let these fish cause its extinction.
After consuming his five-colored spirit lotuses, these over a hundred fish grew significantly stronger, their bodies reaching six to seven feet long.
They often leaped out of the water, swimming in the air for extended periods before falling back into the water.
These flying fish would sometimes fly into his spirit fields to steal spirit herbs.
A large area of spirit herbs around the pond had already been ravaged beyond recognition.
Helpless, Xiao Fei had to set up a formation around the pond.
He confined these flying fish to an area of about five to six mu, centered on the pond, as their activity zone.
The pond occupied one mu, with four to five mu of surrounding spirit fields. Xiao Fei planted some faster-growing spirit herbs for these flying fish to feed on.
As the flying fish grew larger and their appetites increased, they often uprooted the spirit herbs before they could mature.
Xiao Fei had to dig up spirit herbs from elsewhere to feed the flying fish.
These fish were his hope of leaving the canyon, and feeding them with various rare spirit herbs, even if it bankrupted him, was worthwhile.
However, Xiao Fei's original plan was to kill the fish for their swim bladders, then refine them into flying spirit artifacts to break through the natural formations in the canyon.
Now, seeing the growth potential of the flying fish, he felt that perhaps, without resorting to killing them, their own strength might be enough to fly out of the canyon.
With this thought, Xiao Fei quickly took the opportunity to establish a master-servant bond with all the fish before they grew too powerful.
Once demonic beasts formed a master-servant bond, they could communicate telepathically with their master, and the master could even control their life and death through pre-established soul restrictions.
Therefore, the more powerful the demonic beast, the harder it was to form a bond. Once bonded, they lost their freedom and were forever under the control of another.
Currently, these flying fish were only first-tier demonic beasts, making it relatively easier.
Xiao Fei spent over 30 days in the space to complete the master-servant bond with all these flying fish.
Since forming the bond, these flying fish constantly sent thoughts to Xiao Fei.
"Hungry!"
"Hungry!"
"Eat!"
"Eat!"
"..."
It's said that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Annoyed by these flying fish, Xiao Fei simply threw them back into the lake.
Find your own food!
The lake bottom was covered with many water weeds, and these fish originally subsisted on them.
However, having grown accustomed to eating spirit herbs in the space, eating water weeds now felt like chewing wax.
Imagine someone accustomed to delicacies suddenly having to eat coarse grains; who could bear it?
Thus, these flying fish set their sights on the smaller individuals in the lake.
The lake originally teemed with many small fish less than five inches long, which were difficult to catch. Xiao Fei had gone to great lengths to capture these over a hundred fish.
But these flying fish, raised in the space, were like tigers entering a flock of sheep upon returning to the lake, chasing the small fish in the lake everywhere.
In just a few months, the small fish in the lake were completely wiped out by the flying fish Xiao Fei raised.
Helpless, he had to bring the over a hundred flying fish back into the space for breeding.
Perhaps having tasted the flesh of their own kind, these flying fish spent their days fighting and devouring each other in the pond.
At first, Xiao Fei tried to stop them, but forcefully intervening only made the fish more agitated, so he eventually stopped interfering.
After a year of fighting and devouring, only one of the over a hundred flying fish remained.
However, this flying fish, while consuming the flesh and blood of the others, also inherited the bloodline potential of all the flying fish.
This flying fish had now grown to over ten feet long. A single flip in the small pond could stir up waves.
The flying fish had a slender body, covered in a layer of silvery-white scales. Its fins on both sides were quite broad, somewhat resembling bird wings.
Xiao Fei released this flying fish outside the space. After struggling for a while, the flying fish actually wobbled into the air from the ground.
Although it only flew about ten feet high and lasted for a short while before falling, this already filled Xiao Fei with immense joy.
Previously, even Golden Core stage evil cultivators could not fly at the bottom of this valley, yet this flying fish had achieved it.
The flying fish was currently only a first-tier demonic beast. When it matured to second-tier, it should be able to fly higher and farther.
After Xiao Fei brought the flying fish back into the space, he continued to feed it well every day. Most of the spirit herbs produced in the space went into its belly.
Another ten years passed in this manner within the space.
One day, the flying fish became exceptionally energetic, its aura suddenly surged, and it broke through the first-tier realm, finally becoming a second-tier demonic beast.
Upon entering the second-tier demonic beast realm, Xiao Fei released the flying fish into the canyon. It immediately soared over ten feet high and remained in the air for half an hour before its strength gave out.
Thus, the flying fish were cultivated in the space for another 30 years.
One day, Xiao Fei packed all his belongings, mounted the flying fish, and gradually lifted off the ground.
The scenery at the bottom of the canyon grew smaller and smaller in his eyes, becoming increasingly blurred, until finally, nothing could be seen.
When he flew out of the canyon on the flying fish, he was stunned by the sight before him.
When he first entered, this secret realm had just been discovered, with rich spiritual energy and lush green mountains and clear waters everywhere.
He had been trapped in the canyon for no more than 40 years, and now the landscape before him was desolate.
There were large craters everywhere, blasted by combat, the ground looking as if it had been plowed.
Xiao Fei circled the secret realm, not seeing a single person. Everywhere was similarly barren.
None of these evil cultivators understood environmental protection; wherever they went, it was like a locust swarm, leaving not a single fresh leaf behind.
He found the exit to the secret realm, which was also unguarded. The area outside the secret realm was equally desolate.
Xiao Fei circulated the "Hun Yuan Wu Xing Gong," and a sinister corpse aura swirled around him.
He then found a human bone spirit artifact from the space and summoned it. Stepping on it, his entire demeanor immediately turned evil.
Now, it was as if he had "I am an evil cultivator, I am a bad person" written all over his face.
In the world of evil cultivators, if someone called you kind, they were definitely calling you foolish.
Xiao Fei flew on his artifact for dozens of miles without seeing anyone. The Eagle Mountain Kingdom was already sparsely populated, and now it seemed as if everyone had vanished.
It wasn't until a day later that he encountered a group of evil cultivators.
This group of evil cultivators all had Foundation Establishment cultivation and wore the uniform robes of the White Bone Sect.
The White Bone Sect was one of the three major sects in the Eagle Mountain Kingdom, possessing great overall strength and a revered status in the evil cultivator community.
"Who goes there?"
Upon seeing Xiao Fei, this group of evil cultivators immediately surrounded him, forming a containment.
"I am merely a rogue cultivator. I have just emerged from seclusion after 40 years. May I ask what has transpired?"
Xiao Fei explained, secretly on guard. There were five of them, and he was not afraid if a fight broke out.
However, he absolutely could not leave any witnesses alive, as offending the White Bone Sect would bring endless trouble.
"So, you are a rogue cultivator who just emerged from seclusion. We shall spare you this time.
The Eagle Mountain Kingdom has already launched a large-scale offensive against the Lv Kingdom. You are to proceed immediately to Black Wind Shore to rendezvous. Do not delay."
Uncharacteristically, this group of White Bone Sect cultivators did not trouble Xiao Fei but instead ordered him to rendezvous and participate in the battle.
The leading cultivator held a magic artifact and shot a light spot at Xiao Fei, which landed on him.
This light spot had tracking capabilities to prevent escape.
There were no honest people among evil cultivators; they all loved to play tricks. Without some means, people might just flee halfway.