A Useless Person's Rise to Power

Chapter 22 Fog Locks the Path to Despair, Heroes' Spirits Collapse

This poisonous fog is not the ordinary, shallow poisonous smoke found in the mountains and fields, but rather the soul-corroding and bone-destroying miasma that has accumulated over the years in the core of the secret realm.

It corrodes the physical body, seals the divine consciousness, disturbs the mind, and stagnates spiritual power. These four evil forces stack up one after another, gradually eroding the cultivator's foundation.

With his cultivation techniques protecting him, his mental state stable, and a high-level spiritual shield to isolate him from erosion, Qin Zhan walked around as if strolling in a garden.

However, as soon as Zhou Hu and his group stepped into the heart of the territory, they were instantly entangled by the poisonous fog.

Zhou Hu, with the highest cultivation level, barely managed to maintain the thick spiritual barrier, but he was still in extreme discomfort.

The pervasive miasma relentlessly gnawed at the protective aura, emitting a hissing, corrosive sound. The spiritual energy within his body suddenly increased by 30%. His divine sense, which could normally extend to a hundred feet, was now suppressed to less than three feet by the poisonous fog. The thick fog obscured his vision, and anything a little further away was just a blurry phantom. It was as if most of his detection ability had been completely destroyed.

Even more deadly is the manipulation of the mind and spirit.

A strange sense of irritability, violence, and suspicion crept into his soul with every breath, making him restless, impatient, and severely impairing his judgment. Zhou Hu could only grit his teeth and forcefully suppress it, yet a strange anger welled up inside him, and he felt an urge to explode in fury.

His core disciples behind him were in an even more miserable situation.

This group of people already had shallow cultivation and insufficient foundation, and the spiritual energy shield they erected was already weak. Under the corrosive influence of the poisonous fog, it was on the verge of collapse, and many of them had already developed faint bluish-black poisonous patterns on their skin.

Some people felt a metallic taste in their throat, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Every breath they took was filled with a putrid and pungent smell, which made them dizzy and nauseous.

Some people experience numbness in their limbs and a dull tingling in their veins, as if countless tiny insects are crawling between their skin and flesh.

Some people were so disturbed by the poisonous fog that their eyes darted around and they saw danger everywhere. Even the slightest sound of the fog moving could make their hearts pound.

"Cough cough... This poisonous fog is so torturous! My throat feels like it's being pricked with needles!"

"My spiritual energy is being depleted rapidly, and my protective shield is about to collapse. If I stay any longer, I'll definitely be infected by the poison!"

"Something's not right. My mind is a mess. I have this feeling that there are eyes watching us from the shadows. It's creepy!"

Several core disciples, while investigating, complained under their breath, their faces pale and their steps unsteady. They had originally come in aggressively to take Qin Zhan down, but now the poisonous fog had worn down their spirits, and their arrogance had been greatly diminished.

Toxic fog not only harms the body, but also excels at disrupting one's mind and spirit.

The group, who had initially been united, began to harbor suspicion, fear, and resentment under the subtle influence of the miasma. Some secretly regretted their rash pursuit into the deadly territory, some secretly blamed Zhou Hu for his impulsiveness, and others secretly became wary of their companions, fearing that they might be betrayed in the chaos.

A weasel-faced underling quickly stepped forward, his words both obsequious and flustered: "Brother Zhou, could it be that the kid is scared? Knowing we're chasing him, he's hiding deeper into the poisonous fog, too afraid to show his face? In my opinion, he's all bark and no bite. He's all talk and no action. If he really met us, he'd be scared out of his wits by now."

Another burly man chimed in, his tone betraying his unease: "That's definitely it! This poisonous fog is so potent; he's all alone, his consciousness suppressed, he wouldn't dare wander off. He's probably hiding in some nearby corner, trembling with fear! We'll spread out and search, dig three feet into the ground, we'll find him!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, rubbing their hands together in anticipation, still displaying an air of complete confidence in Qin Zhan, though the panic between their brows was impossible to conceal.

Hidden in the shadows of the poisonous fog, Qin Zhan took in everyone's conversation and disheveled appearance, secretly cursing in his heart while a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

These guys are blindly confident. Their combat power has been weakened, their minds thrown into disarray, and their consciousness sealed by the poisonous fog. They're all in terrible shape, yet they still treat me like a pushover. Little do they know, I've already transformed into a hunter lurking in the shadows, taking advantage of the terrain and the timing to make all of you my prey.

The poisonous fog is a natural cloaking barrier and a hunting paradise for me; for you, it is a shackle and a living hell. Before the battle has even begun, you have already lost more than half the battle.

Zhou Hu's face was grim. He raised his hand to suppress the violent rage rising within him from the poisonous fog, and said in a deep voice, "Don't be careless. Qin Zhan is a bit strange; his cultivation is not weak. Don't let him get caught off guard. Everyone, spread out and search the surroundings carefully in pairs. Pay attention to any movement. Once you find any trace, send a message immediately. Don't act rashly."

Although he was arrogant, he had suffered at Qin Zhan's hands before. In addition, he was shrouded in poisonous fog and his condition was declining, so he had already secretly developed some fear in his heart.

The core disciples responded to the order and immediately split into several teams, dispersing in different directions. However, at this moment, everyone was uneasy and on edge, relying on their suppressed divine sense to slowly explore, their steps extremely cautious, and their previous arrogance was long gone.

Little did they know, the real target had not fled or hidden at all. Instead, it was moving silently like a ghost in the poisonous fog beside them, observing their every move and every bit of panic.

Qin Zhan moved with light steps, stepping on the blackened, poisonous soil without making a sound. With the enhancement of the Shadow Concealment Technique, he blended perfectly with the poisonous mist. With each step, the mist flowed smoothly without any fluctuation or leakage.

He followed a lone disciple, keeping a respectful distance, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery. This group usually ran rampant in the sect, bullying the weak. Today, he would take advantage of this infernal fog to teach them a lesson, thus ridding the sect's disciples of a menace.

The black-clad disciple groped his way forward, muttering complaints under his breath: "What bad luck! Why did we have to chase after some kid to this godforsaken place? The place reeks of poison. If we're not careful, we'll get poisoned and die here..."

He was so agitated that he completely relaxed and didn't realize that death had already crept up behind him.

Qin Zhan's eyes narrowed, and he no longer hesitated.

In his stealth state, he moved with ghostly speed, silently closing in. A wisp of refined and sharp spiritual power condensed at his fingertips, without the slightest hint of malice, and precisely struck the disciple's vital point in the back.

The disciple didn't even feel the slightest sense of danger. He only felt a numbness in his back, and his spiritual power instantly dissipated. His meridians broke inch by inch. His mouth opened slightly, but he didn't even have time to let out a scream before his body went limp and he instantly stopped breathing.

The entire process was silent and completely concealed by the thick poisonous fog, leaving no trace to others in the distance.

Qin Zhan casually pushed the corpse aside behind a pile of dry bones to conceal his tracks. With another swift movement, he disappeared into the depths of the poisonous fog, heading towards his next target.

A moment later, a very faint muffled sound came from the other side, followed by silence.

Yet another disciple has fallen silently.

The inexplicable disappearances of two people in succession finally threw the already unsettled crowd into complete panic.

"Something's not right! Why haven't Zhao Wu and Zhao San made a sound all this time? Could something have happened to them?"

"This poisonous fog is too eerie. Could it be that they were secretly poisoned and passed out inside?"

"Impossible! We both took antidotes and circulated our spiritual energy to protect ourselves. This little bit of poisonous mist couldn't possibly have knocked us both out instantly!"

A chill ran through everyone, and their forced composure crumbled completely, their eyes filled with fear and unease.

Zhou Hu's face grew increasingly grim, his heart filled with a mixture of agitation and unease. He shouted sharply, "Don't scatter! Gather around here immediately! Something's wrong; there's a serious problem here!"

A strong sense of foreboding rose in his heart. He felt as if there were an invisible pair of eyes coldly watching them from within this poisonous fog. The chilling feeling of being targeted by prey grew stronger and stronger.

Upon hearing this, the remaining core disciples dared not hesitate any longer and quickly gathered around Zhou Hu. Everyone looked tense, glancing around nervously, wary of the surging poisonous fog.

"Brother Zhou, something's really wrong. The two people disappeared without a sound, without sending a message or calling for help. It's too strange!"

"Could it be that a powerful venomous beast is lurking in the poisonous domain, launching a sneak attack?"

"Even if a venomous beast were to make a move, there should be some noise. How can it be eerily silent?"

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, growing increasingly panicked. As they exchanged glances, suspicion spread throughout their hearts. Some suspected their comrade of sabotage, others feared the evil spirits of the Poison Domain, and many more couldn't help but guess that Qin Zhan hadn't escaped at all, but had been lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Zhou Hu frowned, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. Forcing himself to remain calm, he coldly shouted, "Don't scare yourselves! These evil spirits and poisonous beasts are all just the work of inner demons! Even if Qin Zhan is really hiding in the shadows, do you think he can stop us all by himself?"

Though his words were forceful, he knew better than anyone else what was going on. Qin Zhan was already quite strong, and now he was adept at concealment. In this poisonous fog where divine sense was sealed, vision was obstructed, and spiritual energy was depleted, he was like a fish in water, making him far too difficult and terrifying to deal with.

Hiding in the shadows, Qin Zhan listened to the chaotic, suspicious, and disorganized conversation of the crowd, and he was secretly delighted.

This is the nature of human nature: seemingly sticking together for warmth, but in reality, panicking when disaster strikes. Add to that the poisonous fog that sows discord and distrust, and they'll throw the army into disarray on their own without any effort on your part.

The pleasure of a high-level hunter is never a head-on confrontation, but watching the prey consume itself in panic, suspicion, and helplessness, and then calmly reaping the rewards.

Qin Zhan didn't rush to make a move. He remained hidden in the poisonous fog, slowly wandering around and quietly observing the panicked expressions of the group.

"Everyone, gather together, back to back, on high alert! No more scattering! Keep a close watch on any unusual movements around us!" Zhou Hu suppressed his inner panic and pretended to be calm as he gave the order, trying to barely keep the morale of his troops in check.

At this moment, everyone's nerves were already on edge, their minds were agitated by the poisonous fog, and even the slightest sound of the fog moving could send shivers down their spines.

Just then, Qin Zhan, not wanting to waste any more time, prepared to take action to eliminate one more person, completely shattering the group's psychological defenses and establishing his authority.

His figure moved like a ghost through the poisonous fog, instantly locking onto a disciple named Zhao Hongyu who looked panicked and stood on the outer edge. The man was looking around frantically, completely unprepared, and death was already upon him.

Qin Zhan flashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. His palm strike was sharp and decisive, carrying a murderous intent as he slashed out.

puff!

A deep, muffled thud exploded, and Zhao Hongyu didn't even have a chance to react. His head lolled to the side, and he died instantly, his body collapsing limply to the ground.

Only then did everyone realize that one person was missing, and an uproar instantly broke out.

"Gone! Another person is gone!"

"What the hell! What on earth was attacking us from the shadows?!"

"It's not a poisonous beast! It's definitely a person! It's Qin Zhan! It must be him!"

The timid Zhao Wei was so frightened that his voice trembled and he screamed in terror.

Upon hearing this, everyone's face turned deathly pale.

Apart from Qin Zhan, no one else possesses such uncanny stealth skills, silently reaping one by one, making it impossible to defend against, and even making it impossible to find where the opponent is.

Zhou Hu's pupils constricted, his muscles tensed, and he roared fiercely into the depths of the fog, "Qin Zhan! Show yourself if you dare! What kind of skill is it to hide and sneak up on others! What kind of hero am I, attacking from the shadows!"

His tone was furious, but he couldn't hide the deep-seated fear and guilt in his heart.

Hidden in the mist, Qin Zhan spoke calmly, his voice lazy and mocking, drifting in from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint his exact location: "Zhou Hu, you led your men in a relentless pursuit, relying on your superior numbers to try and ambush me. Now that you've lost men and are afraid, you accuse me of hiding and cowardly behavior?"

"The secret realm is dangerous, and the strong fight each other, each relying on their own methods. You are allowed to gang up and bully the few, but I am not allowed to use the terrain to conceal myself? What kind of unreasonable argument is this?"

Qin Zhan's voice was calm and composed, like that of a master in control of the entire situation, echoing in the eerie poisonous fog.

"Do you dare to show yourself and fight me head-on!" Zhou Hu roared through gritted teeth.

"A head-on battle?" Qin Zhan chuckled, his tone full of sarcasm. "You seven or eight of you banded together, trying to outnumber me and kill me. Now that your strength has been depleted by the poisonous fog and you've been secretly intimidated by me, you want to fight me one-on-one? Zhou Hu, your skin is a bit too thick."

"Furthermore, true hunters never adhere to rigid rules. Why waste time and energy fighting a bloody battle when you can take down your opponent with minimal losses?"

These blunt and hurtful words left Zhou Hu and his group looking pale and then red, filled with frustration and anger, yet utterly helpless.

They couldn't even catch a glimpse of Qin Zhan. Their opponent was lurking in the shadows and could launch a sneak attack at any moment. This feeling of not being able to see the enemy and being forced to passively take hits was simply the ultimate torture.

Zhao Wei completely broke down, trembling as he pleaded, "Brother Zhou, we...we should retreat! This Qin Zhan is too cunning, and with the poisonous fog aiding him, we can't defend ourselves at all. If we stay any longer, we'll all perish here!"

"Shut up!" Zhou Hu shouted sternly, but he couldn't hide the panic in his voice. "When have we core disciples ever deserted? If we just slink away like this, how will we ever have the face to stand in the sect again?"

They stubbornly maintained a facade of strength, but deep down they had already lost all confidence. One after another, their subordinates fell mysteriously, the poisonous fog continued to deplete their strength, and their opponents remained hidden. The fear of the unknown completely eroded their fighting spirit.

As Qin Zhan watched them struggle and fight amongst themselves, caught in a dilemma, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. He was too lazy to continue watching the show.

We've had enough of the show, and morale is low; it's time to close the net and reap the rewards.

Now that we have established our authority and deterred others, we will deal with these troublemakers who have come looking for trouble one by one.

His aura slightly hardened, and he continued to activate the Shadow Concealment Technique, his figure moving silently through the poisonous mist, his gaze calmly locking onto the remaining few people...