The most pressing issue now was that the Wutai Sect needed someone capable of facing Xiao Bieli, this sharp and undisguised blade!

Otherwise, they would lose the initiative in the contest for the position of Alliance Leader.

Yan Yaoyang had already been defeated, and it would be difficult for him to return to his peak condition any time soon.

Someone from the younger generation had to step up and become the sect’s backbone!

He Yuzhou summoned Sang Yanping and handed him the letter. "You’ve seen the invitation from Cold Jade Valley. Leng Qianqiu is setting up the fighting ring right on our doorstep."

Sang Yanping said gravely, "Xiao Bieli will return in two months. His momentum... I fear it will be even greater than before."

He Yuzhou nodded. "Therefore, the Sect needs someone to step forward and accept this battle! Not only must they accept it, they must do so spectacularly! The Wutai Sect has been quiet for too long. It’s time the fighting spirit of the younger generation was lured out by this ’bait’."

He paused, his gaze falling upon Sang Yanping. "When the time is right, gather the chief disciples. Tell them that the Sect has decided to offer the Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk. There will be no prerequisites, and past deeds will be ignored. Two months from now, whoever has the confidence to fight Xiao Bieli, win back our honor, and display the might of our Sect—regardless of victory or defeat, as long as their performance satisfies me and convinces everyone in the Sect... that treasure will be theirs!"

Sang Yanping was shaken to the core!

’The Sect Leader is really pulling out all the stops this time!’

’Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk... that’s a cornerstone treasure of our Sect, something even the Astral Force Elders covet!’

"A wise decision, Sect Leader!"

Sang Yanping bowed deeply. "Great rewards breed great courage! Once this bait is out, those with hidden talents will surely reveal themselves! Miss Nie... and the others, I’m afraid they won’t be able to sit still any longer!"

He Yuzhou gave a slight nod. "Go. Cast the bait. I want to see just how many koi in this pond dare to leap the Dragon Sect!"

After paying back the silver he owed to several people in installments, Chen Qing threw himself completely into his cultivation.

He wasn’t far from reaching the Tiger Elephant Realm of his Eight Extremes Vajra Body.

To speed up his progress, Chen Qing took out the Red-eyed Poison Python Essence Blood and the Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider Essence Blood that he had brought back from the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp.

He applied it to his skin daily during his cultivation.

The Red-eyed Poison Python Essence Blood was as scorching as fire, while the Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider Essence Blood was more chillingly cold and viscous.

This allowed his Eight Extremes Vajra Body to progress with extreme speed. Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

His Eight Extremes Vajra Body had reached the threshold of the Tiger Elephant Realm.

On this day, Chen Qing carefully poured out most of the Essence Blood, leaving only two drops for later use.

The moment the Essence Blood was smeared onto his bronze skin, he instantly sucked in a sharp breath.

First, it felt as if countless red-hot steel needles were viciously stabbing into his pores and skin.

An unbearable burning pain and tearing sensation radiated from his very bones and blood. The ultimate yang and ferocious power of the Red-eyed Poison Python tried frantically to incinerate everything.

Immediately after, a bone-chilling coldness followed, a characteristic of the Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider’s Essence Blood. It seeped deep into his flesh, which was already burned to the point of cracking, bringing another form of extreme agony.

It was cold and numbing, as if it would freeze his very flesh and bone solid.

The dual torment of ice and fire played out across his body.

At times, the surface of his skin would turn as red as a branding iron, emitting astonishing heat and a faint, sweet, metallic scent. At others, it would be covered in a layer of eerie, dark-red, bone-chilling frost.

Under the repeated scouring and tempering of these two incomparably tyrannical powers, his sinews, bones, and flesh felt as if they were being repeatedly forged and reshaped by an invisible, colossal force.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged, his face twisted in agony. Veins bulged on his temples, and his jaw was clenched tight.

He circulated the Eight Extremes Vajra Body with all his might. Each breath felt like he was inhaling and exhaling magma and arctic currents.

This inhuman torture lasted for a full day and night.

When the last trace of violent energy was completely absorbed by his body, the strange phenomena in the secret chamber abruptly subsided.

Chen Qing’s eyes snapped open, and two beams of light, so condensed they seemed tangible, flashed for an instant in the dim room before vanishing.

He slowly rose to his feet. A series of deep, explosive POPS and CRACKS, like rolling thunder, echoed from his bones and joints. The sound was deep and heavy, a far cry from the crisp sounds he made in the Golden Body Realm.

A vast and majestic sense of power filled his entire body. His skin had taken on a bronze hue with a metallic sheen, and his muscle definition was smooth and subtle, no longer appearing overtly bulging.

His body now emanated a heavy, oppressive aura from the inside out, as immovable as a mountain. He seemed like a towering peak, or an ancient tiger elephant. This was a qualitative leap.

"HUUUU..."

Chen Qing let out a long, turbid breath. The sound was long and drawn-out, echoing in the secret chamber like the roar of a dragon or the trumpet of an elephant.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence; success is inevitable.]

[Eight Extremes Vajra Body Tiger Elephant (1/5000)]

The Eight Extremes Vajra Body, Tiger Elephant Realm!

After reaching the Tiger Elephant Realm, not only were his flesh, sinews, and bones stronger and tougher, but he could also activate the Tiger Elephant Sound.

This was a Sound Wave Martial Art capable of seizing one’s Heart and Spirit.

If used suddenly when facing an enemy, it could catch them by surprise and strike when they were unprepared.

After briefly meditating to regulate his breath, Chen Qing picked up the latest issue of the Jianghu Anecdotes.

The front-page headline was emblazoned in eye-catching text: "Cold Jade Valley’s Sect Leader Leng Qianqiu to Personally Visit the Wutai Sect! The Four Sect Leaders to Meet, the Curtain Rises on the Yunlin Alliance!"

The article reported in detail that Sect Leader Leng Qianqiu of Cold Jade Valley had sent formal invitations to the Wutai Sect, the Xuanjia Sect, and Qixia Manor. It stated she would soon arrive in person at the gates of the Wutai Sect to discuss the grand plan for the four sects to form an alliance against the demonic threat.

At the same time, the news also confirmed that the champion of Cold Jade Valley’s younger generation, Xiao Bieli, would accompany her to the Wutai Sect to complete the final battle of his "Lifeng" challenge!

"The Four Sects Alliance..."

Chen Qing put down the paper and thought to himself, ’This Sect Leader Leng of Cold Jade Valley... such a grand play, such deep scheming. She’s riding the wave of Xiao Bieli’s successive victories over the top disciples of the Three Sects. She’s arriving with this display of power to cow the other leaders. I’m afraid she’s determined to become the Alliance Leader.’