He spoke while patting Lei Lie on the shoulder: "Don't worry, with me behind the Golden Thunder Sect, I will support you in becoming the Sect Leader."

"Thank you, Elder." Lei Lie bowed with gratitude.

Mo Xingjian stood silently aside.

He originally thought the internal line Sikong Yan placed in the Golden Thunder Sect was some Supreme Elder, but unexpectedly, it was Lei Lie.

Thinking back now, it should have been clear since Lei Lie used the flame rune to scheme against Lei Wuji.

At this moment, Sikong Yan turned his head towards Mo Xingjian: "Cao, no objections, right? I haven't taken a cent from Phecda Sect."

Mo Xingjian said indifferently: "Whatever. But my Taiqing Sect still has to take a look at Golden Thunder Sect to ensure no corpse-transformed people remain; we must completely eradicate the hidden dangers."

"Naturally." Sikong Yan agreed readily but added meaningfully, "However... Taiqing Sect seems to still have a desiccated corpse unhandled."

Cao Zhengyang's gaze darkened, firmly stating: "Once I return to the sect, I will personally deal with it."

Sikong Yan nodded with satisfaction, and with a flash, he vanished into the abyss.

Cao Zhengyang then briefly glanced at Lei Lie standing motionless in place, and immediately followed suit.

At this moment, Lei Lie stood at the edge of the ruins, gazing at the devastated abyss, with mixed feelings in his heart.

The upper echelons of the Golden Thunder Sect are all dead, and the Thunder Pool, with a legacy spanning thousands of years, is destroyed.

Even with Sikong Yan's support, with his mere Early Stage Divinity Transformation cultivation, how could he govern the ambitious Elders and Hall Masters?

All those sweet words, in the end, still cannot escape being annexed; the best outcome would be like the Cyan Feather Immortal Sect, becoming a tributary.

Rather than troubling himself with this mess, it's better to leave—

Thinking of this, Lei Lie's eyes gleamed.

In terms of talent, back then, he was on par with Zhu He and Ghost Mastiff, known as the three heroes of the Eastern Domain.

Now, Zhu He is restrained by the sect, while Ghost Mastiff enjoys freedom in the capital.

Since even Ghost Mastiff can break free from the shackles, why must he be bound to this shattered world?

Moreover—

Looking around, the Supreme Elder's words were correct. He hadn't stained his hands with blood, but he was indeed his master's true accomplice.

So many people tragically died; staying here would only be haunted by nightmares.

But upon departure, he must silently take away all kinds of heavenly materials, treasures, and Divine Techniques from various treasure vaults.

Because from now on, he couldn't rely on anyone but himself.

"Crackle!"

Just as Lei Lie was absorbed in his upcoming plan, a faint purple-black arc of electricity suddenly shot out from beneath the ground not far away.

With lightning speed, it drilled into Lei Lie's forehead!

"Ah!"

Lei Lie's body trembled violently, and just as he let out a scream, his eyes lost focus instantly.

In the depths of the sea of consciousness, purple-black thunder intertwined into a net, tightly imprisoning his primordial spirit.

The next moment, that familiar nightmare voice echoed in his mind.

"My dear disciple, do you know why every time I go hunting, I take you along?"

"Master, you... you're not dead?" Lei Lie's pupils shrank, filled with disbelief, he screamed.

"Dead?" Lei Wuji's remnant soul let out a piercing laugh, "Wasn't it almost being killed by you?"

Lei Lie forced himself to suppress his fear, trembling as he said: "Sorry, disciple... disciple didn't mean to..."

"Of course you didn't mean to—" Lei Wuji's voice suddenly turned cold, "You did it intentionally!"

The purple-black thunder suddenly tightened, and Lei Lie felt as if his primordial spirit was being torn apart, emitting a miserable howl.

"You think why would I allow your schemes? Even after absorbing two Supreme Elders, why haven't I touched you?"

Lei Wuji's voice carried a mocking inquiry.

Lei Lie suddenly realized, looking at the strange thunder patterns entwined around his primordial spirit, his face turned pale: "I... I'm the vessel you prepared for possession?"

"Smart," Lei Wuji sneered, "Worthy of being such a good disciple I raised over the years; you truly understand quickly!"

Lei Lie immediately showed despair, originally thinking he was about to embrace a new life, only to find everything already planned by his master.

He was still too naive!

But the next moment, Lei Wuji suddenly changed his tone: "However, considering our student-teacher relationship, I can spare your life."

Lei Lie raised his head in disbelief.

"This place is full of old geezers, with little remaining lifespan," Lei Wuji's remnant soul flickered, "Originally, you were the first choice, but now, there's a better option—"

"Zhou Qing?!" Lei Lie immediately thought of something and blurted out.

"Correct!" Lei Wuji's voice was filled with greed, "That boy reached Late Stage Divinity Transformation at such a young age, his Blood Qi is abundant, incomparable to ten of you!"

Lei Lie, rather than being angry, seemed to receive a reprieve: "Master is wise! Disciple... disciple will arrange it immediately, within three days, give disciple three days, and definitely—"

"At most one hour!" Lei Wuji interrupted sharply.

Lei Lie was taken aback; he hadn't expected his master to be so urgent.

In an instant, he seemed to understand something.

"Seems you figured it out." Lei Wuji's voice carried the fury of imminent death.

"Don't be afraid to tell you, this remnant soul of mine is incomplete; if I don't find a new host within an hour..."

The thunder patterns abruptly surged, transforming into countless fine needles that pierced Lei Lie's primordial spirit: "At worst, reverting to possess you isn't bad!"

"Disciple understands! Disciple understands!" Lei Lie twisted in pain, hastily saying: "Disciple will immediately find an opportunity to approach Zhou Qing!"

"Remember, you must make contact alone." Lei Wuji ordered, "His roots are excellent, a bit of cultivation and perhaps I could charge towards the Spirit Severing Realm again."

Lei Lie nodded repeatedly, but soon, his primordial spirit was overcome by a tearing pain.

"Life is yours; don't keep thinking about seeking help from others." Lei Wuji warned with a cold smile.