A Useless Person's Rise to Power

Chapter 31 The conspiracy is exposed, and the sect traitor harbors evil intentions.

Just as Qin Zhan was on high alert, ready to deal with the unknown and strange entity behind him at any moment, three figures slowly emerged from the shadows on the left.

It's neither a barbaric puppet nor a ferocious creature from the earth.

The leader, a man in flowing black robes with a sinister face, was none other than the Xuan Yin Old Monster from before; the burly man beside him still exuded a murderous aura, none other than Wang Meng, whose physical body was domineering; and beside the two of them, there was also an old man in gray robes who had never been seen before, with steady steps, eyes as sinister as an eagle, and unfathomable cultivation.

The orderly, heavy footsteps just now were deliberately sung by the old man in gray, intentionally creating an eerie atmosphere to intimidate people.

Qin Zhan's pupils contracted slightly, and a chill ran through his brows: "You didn't go into the middle lane? Was that roar from inside just now a deliberate act for me?"

The Mysterious Yin Old Monster grinned sinisterly, his eyes now completely undisguised, filled with ruthless calculation:

"Little one, you're quite clever. Did you really think we'd be foolish enough to plunge headlong into the ruins to scout the way for you? It was just for show."

Wang Meng crossed his arms and sneered, his brute force aura surging forth:

"The middle lane is fraught with hidden dangers. Wouldn't it be much safer to take you down first, then calmly head into the middle lane to search for treasure?"

The old man in gray stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over Qin Zhan with indifference, his tone aged yet carrying a condescending coldness:

"Young man, the moment you stepped into the misty realm, you ceased to belong to yourself."

Qin Zhan's gaze darkened as he stared intently at the gray-robed elder: "Who are you? You've been lurking in the shadows, plotting and scheming. What are you after?"

The old man in gray spoke calmly, unhurriedly, as composed as a cat catching a mouse:

"Who I am is not important. What is important is that someone spared no expense and made a solemn promise to have the three of us lie in wait here, just to take your life."

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhan's heart skipped a beat.

Was someone deliberately hired to ambush and kill him?

He had always been a loner and had never made such a deadly enemy of anyone before. Why would someone hire someone to ambush and kill him?

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Qin Zhan coldly questioned:

"I have no grudge against any wandering martial arts practitioners, so why would they go to such lengths to set up such a deadly trap against me?"

The Old Monster Xuan Yin chuckled, his tone tinged with mockery:

"You think it's just a feud between江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) members? You're too naive. The one who wants you dead isn't an outsider, but someone you trust most and who is also the most unexpected person in your life."

Wang Meng echoed gruffly, "That's right! That person holds a high position and appears respectable on the surface, but he is actually cunning and malicious. He has colluded with our foreign forces and is determined to kill you."

Qin Zhan's body stiffened slightly, and the images of the sect's elders flashed through his mind. His expression instantly became extremely solemn: "Could it be Zhao Canghai?"

The old man in gray slowly took a step forward, his voice tinged with amusement, completely tearing away layers of pretense to reveal a shocking secret:

"Why bother guessing anymore? It is Elder Zhao Canghai of your Qingxuan Sect."

boom!

These words struck Qin Zhan like a thunderbolt, causing him to be greatly shaken.

Normally, Zhao Canghai was kind and gentle in the sect, taking good care of the younger disciples and often guiding their cultivation. He had a very high reputation in the sect. However, because of Zhao Tianyou's matter, Qin Zhan was wary of him.

He never imagined that this elder of the sect would collude with forces from outside the realm to do something underhanded behind the scenes.

Qin Zhan's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of disbelief and solemnity: "Impossible! Elder Zhao, as a high-ranking official of the sect, is highly respected. Why would he secretly collude with evil cultivators from beyond the realm to ruthlessly kill a junior disciple like me? Is there some other conspiracy?"

The old monster Xuan Yin sneered, directly exposing the sordid scheme within:

"Why? It's all for this ancient ruin in the misty realm! For the unparalleled opportunities and priceless treasures within!"

Wang Meng picked up the conversation and spoke frankly:

"Elder Zhao has long known that ancient ruins are hidden deep within the Misty Domain and has coveted the opportunities within for many years. However, due to his sect's status, he was reluctant to risk venturing into the Misty Domain himself, and he was also afraid that the news would leak and be seized by other sects and forces."

The old man in gray slowly added, each word piercing the heart:

"By sheer chance, you stumbled into the Misty Domain, overcoming numerous challenges and displaying astonishing talent and cultivation. Elder Zhao knows that with your talent, once you seize the legacy, your cultivation will far surpass his, and may even shake his position in the sect."

"More importantly, he wants the treasures of the ruins and absolutely cannot let you get your hands on them first. Keeping you around is both a hidden danger and an obstacle. So he secretly sent someone to deliver a message, promising a huge amount of spirit stones and high-level cultivation techniques, and colluded with the three of us to ambush in the Misty Domain."

"First, we will intercept and kill you to eliminate any future troubles. Then, we will scout ahead and clear out the dangers before he secretly arrives to reap the benefits and monopolize the opportunity of the ruins."

His words peeled back the layers of the conspiracy, making Qin Zhan's eyes turn icy cold and his heart turn ice-cold.

From the moment he stepped into the misty domain, he had already fallen into the deadly trap set by Zhao Canghai.

Zhou Hu's pursuit, the three men's infiltration, and the trap set at the ruins were all part of a series of elaborate schemes, all aimed at seizing the treasure, killing people, and eliminating the threat.

The elder, who was usually gentle and kind, was actually a ruthless, selfish, and despicable person who betrayed the sect for personal gain.

Qin Zhan clenched his fists silently, his knuckles turning white, his eyes surging with anger and a chilling killing intent:

"For his own selfish desires, he didn't hesitate to collude with evil cultivators from beyond the realm, murder the sect's juniors, and betray the sect's interests... Zhao Canghai, what a hypocritical and sanctimonious man!"

The Mysterious Yin Old Monster said in a sinister tone:

"Now that things have come to this, you should understand your situation. Don't blame us for being ruthless; we take people's money and do their bidding. If you have to blame someone, blame your exceptional talent and the fact that you stumbled upon the opportunity of the ruins and blocked Elder Zhao's path."

Wang Meng's vital energy surged, and his fighting spirit soared:

"Enough with the nonsense. Take him down, seize the ancient map, and we can enter the ruins without worry. Elder Zhao's promised benefits will then be ours for sure."

The three men formed a triangle, slowly closing in, their chilling killing intent overwhelming, completely blocking all of Qin Zhan's escape routes.

The Xuan Yin Old Monster gathered dark, evil energy in his palm, while Wang Meng's physical strength was poised to be unleashed. The gray-robed old man had indifferent eyes, and mysterious runes flowed around his body, indicating that his cultivation was unfathomable and he was ready to suppress Wang Meng at any moment.

Facing three opponents, all of whom were veteran powerhouses at the King Realm, and who had premeditated and laid ambushes, the situation was extremely dangerous.

Qin Zhan took a deep breath, suppressing the surging anger and shock in his heart, his eyes gradually becoming as sharp as knives.

Traitors from the sect and wicked villains from beyond the borders all want to ambush and kill me today.

But he would never surrender easily, nor would he allow these villains to control his fate.

Just as Qin Zhan was preparing to go all out and fight his way out of the encirclement against three opponents—

The ground of the ruins suddenly trembled violently, the runes on the stone walls were all stained crimson, and the terrifying aura that had been dormant for thousands of years underground suddenly erupted. The entire ruins began to shake and crack, and rubble fell down in a flurry.

Even more terrifying, from the depths of the three passages at the crossroads, countless eerie roars echoed simultaneously, as if thousands of ancient puppets, which had been sleeping, were being awakened one by one and were closing in on the crossroads!

Is Elder Zhao still hiding in the shadows of the ruins, waiting for his chance to strike?

With thousands of puppets awakening simultaneously, can Qin Zhan fight against three opponents and resist the puppet tide once again?

Is this ancient ruin a treasure hunt orchestrated by Elder Zhao, or is there an even more terrifying ancient conspiracy at play?