"You don't have that much time, and I can control your words and actions at any moment, so no one will notice anything unusual."

"Master has misunderstood!" Lei Lie forced a smile through his pain, "I was just... thinking about how to discreetly divert the others..."

"It's best that way." The thunder patterns slightly loosened, "Go, and remember—"

"You only have one hour."

Lei Wuji's voice gradually faded, and Lei Lie swallowed hard again, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and hurriedly headed towards the abyss below.

"It's often said, 'better a friend dead than oneself,' Zhou Qing, I'm sorry!" Lei Lie murmured to himself as he searched quickly.

...

Beneath the abyss, figures swiftly flew by, mighty Divine Sense sweeping inch by inch over the scorched earth, afraid to miss any trace of corpse poison.

Zhou Qing's [Double Pupils] were fully operating, and even the faintest disturbances three meters underground were clearly visible.

But it was really draining on Spiritual Power.

There was no choice; given Sikong Yan's tactics, one could never be sure he hadn't done something sneaky with the corpse poison.

He had to ensure this area was completely clean, leaving no opportunity for anyone.

"Junior Brother Zhou! Wait a moment!"

Just then, Lei Lie's urgent shout came from behind.

Zhou Qing turned around to see the last disciple of the Golden Thunder Sect, his clothes tattered and body covered in blood, staggering towards him.

Looking at that youthful face, mixed with fear and resolve, Zhou Qing couldn't help but let out a slight sigh in his heart.

Actually, everyone understood that the decline of the Golden Thunder Sect was inevitable.

But it must be said, this guy has somewhat found his way back, especially injuring Lei Wuji at a crucial moment.

"Brother Lei, is there something you need?" Zhou Qing asked calmly.

Lei Lie stopped five steps away, suddenly bowing deeply, "There is something... I've been holding in my heart for a long time."

Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

Lei Lie's voice trembled, as if he had made a great decision.

"During the battle of Spirit Skull Mountain back then, Du Kui and Luo Xue from your sect's Golden Sun Peak fought to the death with Sima Demoness, I was actually hiding in the dark."

Zhou Qing's eyes involuntarily narrowed.

Lei Lie said with a sincere face, "To be honest, back then our Three Families Alliance joined forces to fight against the Cyan Feather Immortal Sect and the Phecda Sect, we should have helped each other, but the master here gave a secret order..."

"I know, besides you, Zhu He from the Cyan Feather Immortal Sect was there too!" Before Lei Lie could finish, Zhou Qing interrupted expressionlessly, "You two factions are quite in sync."

Lei Lie's entire body trembled, his eyes full of disbelief.

He didn't expect Zhou Qing to have known all along, and the prepared words got stuck in his throat.

"Different positions, I understand." Zhou Qing turned to leave, "But this apology is meaningless."

Lei Lie's eyes flashed with anxiety, and he quickly stepped forward two steps, "Wait, there is one more thing you might not know—"

Zhou Qing paused, slightly tilting his head.

Lei Lie gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he stepped forward, "This is something Luo Xue left for you before the end."

Zhou Qing was stunned.

Sister Luo Xue left something for me?

Even if he left something for Du Kui or Master Gao Xuan, it wouldn't be for him.

But he still looked over with curiosity, Lei Lie saw Zhou Qing approach, then slowly opened his palm.

"Crackle!"

The next moment, a purple-black arc of electricity suddenly erupted!

So fast that even the afterimage was indistinguishable, the cold energy instantly plunged into Zhou Qing's glabella.

Zhou Qing's body abruptly stiffened, and the light in his eyes solidified immediately.

Lei Lie let out a long breath of relief, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

He cautiously looked around, confirming no one was paying attention, then immediately retreated quickly.

"Zhou Qing, this is your fate..." Lei Lie muttered softly, a flash of guilt in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve, "And also my fate!"

Meanwhile, within Zhou Qing's sea of consciousness—

"Hahaha! It's done, it's done!"

The remaining soul of Lei Wuji laughed wildly as it took shape, the purple-black soul twisting and changing in the vast sea of consciousness.

Gazing at the vast space of the Primordial Spirit before him, he could no longer contain his excitement, turning into a bolt of lightning headed straight for the center of the sea of consciousness.

There, Zhou Qing's Primordial Spirit sat cross-legged, eyes closed.

"Such a perfect body!" Lei Wuji licked his lips greedily, "Once I..."

The words abruptly stopped.

Lei Wuji's remaining soul suddenly froze in midair, the purple-black soul trembling violently.

His eyes widened, unable to believe what he saw behind the Primordial Spirit—

A four-colored mystical flower quietly floated, each petal flowing with a uniquely different Dao rhythm.

The interwoven silver, red, blue, and gold radiance formed an insurmountable barrier around the Primordial Spirit.

Especially at the flower's heart, it seemed to float a golden Dao seed, its aura causing even his wisp of a remaining soul to shudder.

"Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown?!" Lei Wuji gasped in shock after a brief stupor, "So you were the one who caused the celestial phenomenon back then!"

"How is this possible!"

"You clearly swore a Heavenly Dao Oath, saying you were not the Three Flowers..."

Lei Wuji suddenly realized halfway through his words.

Indeed, Zhou Qing didn't lie; he wasn't Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown!

He was actually Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown!

Meanwhile, Zhou Qing's Primordial Spirit opened its eyes, a playful smile on its lips.

"Senior Lei, I have to say, you are the hardest to kill person I have ever met, even more so than the two Spirit Severing Realm cultivators of the Yan Family."

Though Lei Wuji didn't understand the deeper meaning of the words, he was soon overwhelmed with ecstasy.

"Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown, excellent! Unprecedented and unparalleled, by taking over this Dao body, I will surely—"

"Buzz—"

Before he could finish, the four-colored flower rooted in the sea of consciousness suddenly bloomed with dazzling brilliance.

The four-colored Dao rhymes interwove into a net, instantly dismembering the remaining soul into pieces.