Thunder Clouds Sect - Feast Hall

"Before we begin," Zou Xiaosi said with a smirk on his face, "I heard you escaped an assassination attempt by members of the Nine Demons Assassin Hall. May I ask how did you do it?"

The Nine Demons Assassin Hall is, as their name says, a group of assassins. They are an old group, having existed since the beginning of the current martial era billions of years ago.

They specialized in assassinating high level targets, be they simple Transcendent Mortality Sages or True Immortals. If it offered them a large enough sum. After all, the higher the target's power, the more preparation is necessary, both for the assassination and the fallout.

But if you paid enough spirit stones to them, they would kill whoever you wanted them to kill, no matter the consequences. After all, they had already made many attempts to extinguish them from both the Immortal and Mortal realms, but no attempt was successful. They were simply to dig in the martial world to vanish like that.

"I have my ways," Xue Tengfei answered with no small amount of venom in his voice, "Though I want to see the one who contacted them after all, only a true evildoer would have the courage to contact the Nine Demons"

The 'Nine Demons' part of their name was actually literal. The members of the Hall bound nine different demons to their souls and bodies, granting them their powers and nine different lives in case they suffered a mortal wound.

The dangers of such techniques were obvious and was the case why the Hall did not have many members compared to the other powers of the Immortal realm. But they had high quality. After all, anyone that could successfully bind nine demons to themselves was obviously a genius.

Xue Tengfei couldn't confirm it, but he was sure that the one that the one responsible for the attempt at his life was the man in front of him. Both of them are in low stages of the Core Formation Realm. And given their sects, they were natural rivals, always seeking to surpass the other, but all of their fights had always ended in a stalemate, with neither winning.

In his previous life, after he had lost his cultivation Xue Tengfei had tried to fight against Zou Xiaosi using several artifacts he had refined to his own uses in the past, and even if he had lost his cultivation, he still had a connection to them even if it was very faint. He had lost. Badly, in fact.

Zou Xiaosi had utterly trashed him, and if it wasn't for him restraining himself just to watch Tengfei grovel before him he would have been dead, for even if Tengfei's body was naturally stronger for having been born in the Immortal realm it was still weak compared to an actual cultivator.

To further rub salt in the wound, Zou Xiaosi had taken all of his artifacts with him, saying that such treasures shouldn't belong to such a weakling that couldn't even cultivate.

But that life would now never exist, or at least Tengfei hoped so. In this life, the event that took his cultivation was substituted by an assassination attempt, though both were realized by the Nine Demons Assassin Hall. But their orders had been changed. Instead of 'cripple', they had been ordered to 'kill'.

"If Brother Zou Xiaosi excuse me, I have my own question," Tengfei did not wait for Zou Xiaosi to answer "How did you enter our sect grounds?"

"I have my ways," Zou Xiaosi answered with an ironic echo in his voice

The two combatants did not speak anymore. Instead, their attention was solely focused on the other, waiting to see what their opponent move would be.

'Originally his cultivation level would be same as mine, but...' Xue Tengfei though with a smirk, his rival was in for a surprise. Gathering his Qi, he prepared his first move in this battle. He had enough strength to end this battle quickly, but the humiliation he suffered in that Dark Timeline was still fresh in his soul, if he didn't deal with it now then there was the chance he may develop an inner demon, something that could spell the end of both his cultivation realm and his life.

That is why he will drag his fight with Zou Xiaosi, to make his rival slowly realize the difference between them and suffer the humiliation for it, after all their sects both competed at every aspect and having their own young master being beaten by the young master of the Thunder Clouds Sect would surely make the Sect Master and The Elders of the Heavenly Thunder Sect puke blood from sheer anger.

"Lighting Cloak" Xue Tengfei whispered. His body starting emitting sparks before they fully covered it in purple lighting. This was one of the most base techniques of the Thunder Clouds Sect, but still highly useful, as it granted the user immense speed and defense, an all rounded technique that every disciple of the sect knows.

Zou Xiaosi smirked before saying, "Lighting Cloak," just like Xue Tengfei. His body started emitted sparks before it was covered in lighting, but instead of purple, his was blue. That Zou Xiaosi possessed the same technique as Xue Tengfei came to no surprise to those that were watching the fight between the two. The founder of the Heavenly Thunder Sect stole several techniques and cultivation manuals of the Thunder Clouds Sect before he officially left the sect, to the great ire of the founder of the Thunder Clouds Sect.

The two then moved at lighting speeds. The lighting cloak already granted them a higher level of speed, but coupled with their Core Realm cultivation to those that had inferior cultivation, it looked like they had become flashes of light. The two fought with fists and palms, not weapons, but even with them each time their hands met there was a shock wave and the ground where they met had cracked and splintered.

It was a good thing the Elders of the Thunder Clouds Sect had made a formation that kept the damage in an isolated space, if not with the aura that the clashes between two geniuses of the rival sects made would have already destroyed much of the hall they were all present in. After it was a place for feasts, not battles, and so it could never handle the power that the two gave off.

"I-I can't see them"

"Likewise, and I am near the breakthrough to the Core Realm"

"It isn't surprising, the differences between cultivation levels are like heaven and earth. Even if you are close to the Core Realm, that doesn't mean you are a Core Realm cultivator. But I must say, those two are strong. I am in same cultivation level as them and I can barely follow their movements!"

"As expected of the pride of our sect!"

As he continued to fight with his rival, Zou Xiaosi sensed that something was wrong. Every time his fist or open calm collided with Xue Tengfei's own, his rival did not even flinch. In a fight between cultivators of both realms, the contest would be intense with each blow being felt by the other party who, if they had a good foundation and not a cracked or weak one, was, by all intents and purposes, their equal. But the blows did not bother Xue Tengfei, instead it was Zou Xiaosi that was slowly becoming more defensive in his stance.

'Did he make a breakthrough?' Zou Xiaosi thought as his palm collided with his rival's fist which sent minor shivers up his arm, which momentarily alarmed him before he remembered something that calmed him down 'Wait, no that is impossible if he had passed through one of the minor tribulations then the sect spies would have reported to father who would have told me about it'

'Then how' Zou Xiaosi stopped his barrage of blows and retreated from Xue Tengfei who did the same thing, they were now separated by a distance of roughly one li, he started studying his rival this level of strength was not something that a normal Core Realm cultivator should have, even if he belonged to the Immortal Realm which possessed purer Qi through not at the level of the God Realm.

'There are treasures that can increase the power of a cultivator by making so that their strength rose by at least a minor realm' Zou Xiaosi felt that, that was the most likely reason Xue Tengfei had rose his strength overnight Zou Xiaosi would be lying if he said that if he didn't feel disappointed 'Is he really that desperate to surpass me, that he would result to such methods? Ah, Tengfei, I had such hopes for you after I heard you survived the members of the Nine Demons Assassin Hall my father sent against you' He though feeling very much disappointed by the actions of his rival 'Truly you do not understand the immensity of heaven and earth, I will shall show you it takes far more than a simple treasure to defeat me'

Zou Xiaosi closed his eyes and reached deep inside himself, before opening them, causing lighting to spark out of his eyes, and the sound of thunder was heard. Zou Xiaosi had liberated the power hidden inside him, opening his spiritual veins, which were of the same grade and element of Tengfei. An Earth Grade Thunder Vein. His lighting cloak become denser and powerful, the whips of lighting that it now generated would have been enough to reduce weaker cultivators to smoking corpses. Yet Tengfei was not afraid, instead he had an air of supreme calm, which caused Zou Xiaosi to frown.

"Aren't you going to open your veins?" Zou Xiaosi asked.

"I do not need them to defeat you"

"Very well them" Zou Xiaosi mentally frowned at Tengfei's tone, but it was dashed at the prime opportunity of utterly humiliating Tengfei in front of his entire sect. He tightly closed his fist and uttered two words "Thunder Fist.", those that were watching heard thunder as his fist was encased in a blue energy field. This was another technique that had previously belonged to the Thunder Clouds Sect.

The technique granted immense offensive power, being capable of wounding even those that were above the user by one cultivator realm, which might not sound impressive but each time a person advanced by even a small minor realm within their personal cultivation it was usually a major change in their power, which is why the Thunder Fist is considered a high-level technique by both sects.

Zou Xiaosi moved at lighting speeds towards his enemy, his fist raised to strike at Tengfei's chest. He had been practicing the Thunder Fist since he entered the Core Real a few years back, so he fairly sure that Tengfei, who was on the same level of cultivation as him, could not protect himself from a technique that was solely created to fight against cultivators that were above one minor realm. Zou Xiaosi could already see the fallen and humiliated Tengfei and himself triumphant while the members of the Thunder Clouds Sect watched it anger and hatred in their eyes.

So imagine his surprise when, instead of being utterly destroyed by his attack, Tengfei caught it with no visible strain in his face. "I see. So that was your plan. I must admit opening your Spiritual Veins and using the Thunder Fist would have been enough to finish me. After all, I was in the early stage of the Core Realm just like you, but that is no longer the case"

Tengfei released a heavy aura that sent Zou Xiaosi flying as well as dispersing his Lightning Cloak and causing his blood to flow in reverse. A cultivator could release an aura, its power being corresponded to the cultivator's level of power, and as the one that received first hand, there were no doubts in his mind what was Tengfei's level of power. He looked at his rival, that had somehow surpassed him with blood leaking from his mouth, pure hatred and envy in his eyes.

"HOW?!" Zou Xiaosi shouted "How did you enter the peak of the Core Realm in such a short time?!"

Truth be told, it wasn't just Zou Xiaosi that was surprised by the sudden revelation, in fact even Xue Fuyi, the sect master of the Thunder Clouds Sect and father of Xue Tengfei, was not aware that his son had reach the peak stage of the Core Realm in fact Tengfei had told him he had reach the late stage of the Core Realm after he left the sect for a few weeks to temper himself. His son never lied to him and his spiritual sense told him that what he said was true. Which meant that Tengfei only had broken through recently.

"Isn't it obvious, my 'rival'?" Tengfei said in a mocking tone. "I am just better at cultivating than you"

"NO! NO! THIS CANNOT BE!" Zou Xiaosi seemed to believe what Tengfei was saying and was busy having a mental breakdown. "I am better than you! I have always been than you! How could you, of all worthless cultivators, gain twice the success with half the effort!? No, I won't accept it!"

Tengfei snorted at Zou Xiaosi's words, though he was still cautious. For even if he surpassed Zou Xiaosi in terms of cultivation, there were other ways, he couldn't confirm it but he was pretty sure that the one who had sent members of the Nine Demons Assassin Hall was Zou Xiaosi, or a high-ranking member of the sect.

His head did not have that much value anyway, so the spirit stones necessary to contract them would not have been very high. So he must teach him a lesson to not confront him again. He can't kill him in such a public space, as that would be technically an act of war against the Heavenly Thunder Sect, but he can utterly humiliate him. Even if it was a very petty action.

"If you will not make a move, then I will. Thunder Fist!" The crackling purple energy field in Tengfei right fist promised death to any foolish enough to challenge it. Zou Xiaosi started feeling actual fear. He was sure that if that fist connected itself to him, he would die without a single doubt.

'Wait, he can't kill me! At least not in such a public space where my death would have been seen by all of his sect disciples and mine Elders!' Zou Xiaosi clenched his fists 'Xue Tengfei! Even if I lose today, I will not bow down to you like some obeying dog. Thunder Fist!'

Just like the rival that had unexpectedly surpassed him, Zou Xiaosi used the same technique and moved towards Tengfei with speed worthy of Core Realm cultivator. He knew he didn't a single chance of winning. The difference between the two was like heaven and earth. But at least he could go out with a howl in his lips and not with a whimper.

Tengfei moved liked he had become the very manifestation of lightning upon the Immortal Realm, arriving in front of Zou Xiaosi in the mere blink of an eye. The two fists collided. The ground between the two shattered like glass and a dense dust cloud arose, and even if the Elders contained the shock wave within the area where the duel was taking place, all could still somehow feel it.

There was an enormous sound of something being flown towards the wall of the barrier at immensely high speeds, through only those at the Nascent Soul Realm and above could see what actually had happened. When the dust settled, it gave way to the downed body of the number genius of the Heavenly Thunder Sect and the triumphant and standing number one genius of the Thunder Clouds Sect.

There was silence for a single breath of time, before the entire hall erupted in cheers coming from all but a few.

"Young Master!" The two Elders that had accompanied Zou Xiaosi to this 'visit' quickly went towards their charge. They didn't need to destroy the formation as the Elders of their rival sect had already done so. Checking on his body with their spiritual sense, they grimaced at the damage.

Xue Tengfei fist had collided with Zou Xiaosi own, resulting in the latter entire arm being completely shattered, with their meridians being thankfully unharmed. Then there was the damage to his internal organs, which had received severe damage. It was only thanks to his cultivation base and the fact that he was born in the Immortal Realm that Zou Xiaosi was even alive.

"Esteemed Elders. Brother Zou Xiaosi gave his word that your sect would not interfere with any of mine sect's affairs for five years. Can I trust that the promise he made will be kept?"

'This junior dares!' But no matter how much they both wanted to rip off the head of Tengfei they had more pressive matters to attend, so with that in mind one of the two Elders spoke "Yes the Heavenly Thunder Sect shall keep the promise made by our young master"

"Good." Tengfei nodded and with that the two Elders and their heavily injured young master were off back to their Sect.

As Tengfei returned to the high table, he was met with cheers from fellow disciples and even Elders, but the one that looked more proud than ever was his father Xue Fuyi. But his gaze was not on them but on the two most important guests, the Ninth Prince Feng Cai, and one of the Grand Imperial Elders, Zeng Xiang. Their gaze held visible interest and Tengfei felt that this was the best chance he had of helping his sister awaken her true potential.

"My Prince, Elder Zheng, can this one ask you for a private conversation with my sister alongside me?" He asked with word transmission, a minor trick for secret talks. Elder Zeng was about to say something before the prince interjected, "You may"

"This one thanks you for this chance," Tengfei said before sitting and making small talk with his fellow disciples and sect Elders.

"My prince, may I ask you why did you do this?" Elder Zeng asked through word transmission. After all, he wouldn't want to be seen like he was questioning the young prince's decisions.

"Call it a feeling but, I feel like he is going to surprise us"

Elder Zeng frowned. While Xue Tengfei certainly did something impossible by jumping through several minor realms in the matter of months with the resources available to him, it wasn't heaven defying, jumping through several realms were not the most absurd things he had seen in his long life.

Truly, what were the chances that Xue Tengfei had an unfathomable secret?