C142 The Thunder Tribulation That Could Speak

Observing the concerned expressions around her, Azure offered words of reassurance, "My life is bound to the Master's. Should he face any peril, I would sense it."

"Judging by the current situation, even though there's been no response from the Master, he's certainly not in life-threatening danger."

With Azure's words, the weighty atmosphere in the room noticeably lightened.

Lan Wenhao then addressed the crowd, "Everyone, please return to your duties."

Once the room had cleared, only Lan Wenhao, Azure, and Great Immortal Huang remained.

Lan Wenhao stepped closer to Azure and inquired, "Is Mr. Qin truly safe from harm?"

Azure assured him, "Patriarch Lan, please be at ease. The Master is surely not in danger."

Relieved, Lan Wenhao exhaled deeply and repeated, "That's a relief, truly a relief."

Qin Buyi was the cornerstone of the Lan family. Any misfortune befalling him would strike a devastating blow to them all.

Having ascertained Qin Buyi's safety, Lan Wenhao departed to oversee operations in Area One.

After his departure, Azure turned to Great Immortal Huang and remarked, "Huang, with the Master absent, lingering in this area serves no purpose."

"I'm heading back to the Small Chiliocosm. Will you join me?"

Without a moment's pause, Great Immortal Huang responded, "Of course, I'll return. Should the Master extricate himself from his troubles, he'll surely make his way to the Small Chiliocosm at the first opportunity."

And so, Azure and Great Immortal Huang stepped through the portal left by Qin Buyi in Area One and re-entered the Small Chiliocosm.

The Small Chiliocosm, deserted since the Lan family's migration to the outer world, lay silent and empty.

Their arrival breathed a new whisper of vitality into the desolate realm.

Now palm-sized once more, the two creatures made their way to the heart of the Little Thousand World Center, silently awaiting news from Qin Buyi.

Following the ingestion of Qin Buyi, the Azure Phoenix soared northward.

Inside the belly of the Azure Phoenix, Qin Buyi remained unharmed amidst the thick thunderous energies, dispelling his Law of Heaven and Earth to meditate in the creature's stomach.

Time marched on, and after what Qin Buyi estimated to be three days, the Azure Phoenix's flight finally came to a halt.

A surge of powerful force erupted from within the Azure Phoenix, propelling Qin Buyi out of its belly.

The long-missed sunlight bathed Qin Buyi's face in warmth.

Regaining his balance, Qin Buyi eyed the Azure Phoenix, which showed no signs of aggression, leaving him with a sense of bewilderment.

Suddenly, the Azure Phoenix uttered four words: "Little... Thousand... World..."

Struck by the weight of these words, Qin Buyi stood frozen, as if hit by a bolt of lightning.

Firstly, the fact that the Azure Phoenix, a creature of pure lightning, could speak was astonishing.

Should such a tale spread, most would likely dismiss Qin Buyi as delusional, a concoction of pure fantasy.

Yet, even more shocking to Qin Buyi were the words the Azure Phoenix had revealed.

Only the Lan family, Azure, Great Immortal Huang, and a few others within the Small Chiliocosm were privy to its existence.

How could the Azure Phoenix, a being of thunderous might, be aware of the Small Chiliocosm?

Confronted with two unfathomable occurrences, Qin Buyi realized that the Azure Phoenix was at the heart of these mysteries.

With caution, Qin Buyi addressed the creature, "Who are you? How do you know of the Small Chiliocosm?"

Emotions akin to humanity flickered in the Azure Phoenix's eyes as it responded, "Let's not delve into that now. I'm... struggling... to... contain... it..."

The Azure Phoenix's gaze was torn between struggle and change.

One moment it was a cold, heartless entity radiating fierce malice toward Qin Buyi.

The next, it was imbued with a human touch, devoid of any hostility, even showing a trace of benevolence.

After oscillating between these states numerous times, the Azure Phoenix managed to briefly quell its ruthless side and spoke rapidly to Qin Buyi:

"Qin Buyi, I am aware of your origins. All your questions will be answered in time. For now, permit me entry into the Small Chiliocosm."

"If we don't act now, it'll be too late!"

Seeing Qin Buyi's hesitation, Azure Phoenix quickly urged, "Had I not been holding back this lightning tribulation, your current level of cultivation would have been no match for the Mahayana Stage's Middle Period tribulation—you'd be reduced to ashes by now."

"Stop hesitating. If you delay any further and the tribulation spirals out of control, it could kill you in the blink of an eye."

Qin Buyi couldn't afford to waver any longer; the situation had surpassed anything he'd ever encountered.

First, the lightning tribulation had somehow spawned life, and then it unleashed a barrage of words that deeply shook Qin Buyi.

Inwardly, Qin Buyi reached out to the system, "System, what do I do?"

This time, the system refrained from any jests and, after a brief pause, advised, "Host, follow his instructions."

Qin Buyi expressed his concern, "If the Azure Phoenix enters the Small Chiliocosm and detonates, the fallout would be catastrophic. The realm isn't strong enough to endure such a self-destruction."

The system reassured him, "Relax, I'm here. It won't be able to stir up any significant trouble."

Comforted by the system's assurance, Qin Buyi's anxiety dissipated.

He had complete faith in the system's capabilities. If the system said there would be no issues, then there would be none.

His Divine Consciousness surrounded the Azure Phoenix, and in the next instant, both Qin Buyi and the colossal Azure Phoenix materialized within the Small Chiliocosm.

Upon arrival, a flicker of delight shone in the Azure Phoenix's eyes, "Just as I predicted... Qin Buyi, you truly are..."

But before the Azure Phoenix could finish, its body began to shudder violently.

Its aura turned wildly erratic, its eyes once again losing sentience, reverting to a purely instinctual and emotionless force of tribulation.

The lightning energy that constituted the Azure Phoenix's form started to swell ominously.

"Damn, I called it—it's going to self-destruct!" Qin Buyi inwardly swore.

As he was about to summon the system for assistance, countless chains materialized from thin air above the Small Chiliocosm.

The chains wove through the Azure Phoenix's body, anchoring it firmly in place, rendering it immobile.

Once the chains had taken full control, the Azure Phoenix's self-destruction was abruptly halted.

Roughly ten breaths later, the chains embedded in the Azure Phoenix's body began to fade and eventually vanished.

The Azure Phoenix's massive form rapidly diminished until it was no larger than the size of a palm.

At that moment, lightning burst forth from the Azure Phoenix's diminutive form, coalescing into an egg-shaped cocoon enveloping the creature.

Qin Buyi witnessed this transformation and felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Had this entity detonated within the Small Chiliocosm, the realm would have been obliterated in the blink of an eye.

Although Qin Buyi and the Azure Phoenix's journey into the Small Chiliocosm felt lengthy, it had transpired in the briefest of moments.

Once the Azure Phoenix had morphed into an egg, Azure and Great Immortal Huang approached Qin Buyi.

Azure, upon seeing Qin Buyi, nestled into his embrace and exclaimed, "Master, I feared you'd be struck down by lightning."

The sentiment touched Qin Buyi, yet something about Azure's words seemed amiss.

Great Immortal Huang, unlike Azure, refrained from plunging into Qin Buyi's arms, instead watching the bond between Qin Buyi and Azure with a hint of jealousy.