Chapter 208: The Trail of Lu Xiao!

At these words, everyone's gaze instantly snapped to Qin Lie.

This drunkard, who always carried a wine gourd and passed out wherever he went, had suddenly stepped forward to take the lead—truly catching everyone off guard.

"Oh? Is Qin Zhanglao so eager?"

Jiang Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, studying Qin Lie for a moment.

Since Luo Song burned his essence and fell back into slumber, Qin Lie had become a different person.

He no longer drank wine, no longer slumped, and even his eyes—long clouded by alcohol—had cleared again.

In terms of strength, he had always been the strongest among the Golden Core cultivators on Tianyangfeng.

As for talent, Zheng Feng had once mentioned that Qin Lie was once a promising seed Zhuo Song had high hopes for.

If he hadn't idled away for so many years, he would have entered the Gangqi realm long ago.

From any perspective, letting him take over Tianyangfeng was indeed a suitable choice.

Seeing all eyes fixed on him, Qin Lie's usually cheerful face showed rare tension.

He took a deep breath, his expression solemn, and declared firmly:

"I know that with my current strength, I'm not yet qualified to take over Tianyangfeng."

He clenched his fists, a look of resolve crossing his face:

"But I will enter the Gangqi realm as quickly as possible."

He had already unblocked ten of the twelve primary meridians.

Once he unblocked the remaining two, he could draw celestial and terrestrial spiritual energy into his body to refine Gangqi.

Before, he was lazy—he thought it unnecessary.

Now, things were different.

The old man lay there, Jiang Ye was heading to Linzhou's upper sect—Tianyangfeng needed someone to stand up, and he could no longer lie down.

Elders Wang and Li exchanged glances and nodded silently.

Their potential was exhausted; they had virtually no chance of entering the Gangqi realm.

Wen Yueyao and Zheng Feng would be accompanying Elder Jiang to Linzhou's upper sect.

Even if Zheng Feng stayed, he was too young and lacked seniority.

In that case, the most suitable person to assume the role of acting peak master was indeed Qin Lie.

Wen Yueyao and Zheng Feng also nodded in approval: "If Qin Zhanglao had made this decision sooner, it would've been better."

Hearing this, Qin Lie offered a bitter smile.

Yes, if only he'd made this decision sooner...

But how many "sooner" moments does life offer?

A man must be shoved hard by something before he rises from his lying-down state, brushes the dust off, and realizes he can stand tall.

Jiang Ye stepped forward and placed a hand on Qin Lie's shoulder.

He said no encouraging words, only delivered his trust with calm, weighty tone:

"Qin Zhanglao, from now on, Tianyangfeng is in your hands."

Seeing no objections from the others, Qin Lie fell silent for a moment, then drew a deep breath, his eyes slightly red, and bowed deeply to Jiang Ye:

"Thank you, Elder Jiang! And thank you all for your trust!"

When he straightened, the bloodshot eyes before him held not a trace of their former despair.

Linzhou Upper Sect.

Tianyunfeng, western slope.

The celestial and terrestrial spiritual energy atop the peak was so dense it felt almost viscous, yet slowly spun in a vortex centered on a dark red boulder, drawn by some invisible force.

A gray-haired old man clad in crimson robes sat cross-legged atop the massive stone.

His eyes were closed, his breath long and steady, radiating a scorching heat that seemed to burn away all things.

This man was none other than Cheng Yuan, the primordial cultivator of the Chiyan Sect.

Suddenly,

his breathing rhythm paused slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes—a deep crimson gleam flickered in his dark pupils.

A cold smirk curled his lips as his gaze pierced through the rising heat waves toward two figures speeding toward him:

"Tsk tsk, what brings you two to my western peak today?"

In the next instant,

a middle-aged man in pale blue robes and another in earth-yellow robes broke through the searing air and appeared before the old man.

The man in pale blue robes bowed slightly and smiled warmly: "Master Cheng, have you heard the news? We've got a new neighbor on Tianyunfeng."

The old man's eyes flickered with disdain. "Only those who can stay qualify as neighbors."

The man in earth-yellow robes nodded slightly, his tone calm but equally unyielding:

"Master Cheng speaks truly. Tianyunfeng is vast, but it cannot accommodate four sects."

The man in pale blue robes smiled again: "Then let's do as we did before..."

The old man's laughter grew colder, echoing across the scorching peak:

"As long as I'm here, the Tianqing Sect won't get a single thread of primordial energy from this peak."

Hearing this, the other two exchanged glances, each understanding the other's intent.

In just a few words, they had already decided the fate of the "new neighbor."

Meanwhile, a thousand li away, at Dingdingfeng of the Tianqing Sect.

Pei Pei Yunchuan sat on a stone bench in a quiet courtyard, eyes closed, resting.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard—he opened his eyes to see Zhou Zhou Yufeng stride in, his square face filled with gravity and barely contained excitement.

"What's so urgent..."

Pei Pei Yunchuan's brow twitched.

Zhou Zhou Yufeng was always composed; a message that could shake him like this must be significant.

Zhou Zhou Yufeng took a deep breath, his voice low and trembling with suppressed emotion: "Master, we've found Lu Xiao's trail!"