A Useless Person's Rise to Power

Chapter 29 Ancient Wall Destiny, Shadows Follow, Hiding Deadly Intent

Qin Zhan stood alone in place, first looking at the thick fog that had never appeared behind him, and then spoke softly:

"Thank you for your advice, young lady. Since we are both searching for historical sites, why not show yourself and travel together? That way, we can have each other for reference."

After a moment of silence in the thick fog, the woman's voice rang out again:

"No need. Our paths diverge, so there's no need for us to travel together. You have your own destiny and opportunities, and I have my own desires. Remember my advice: once you enter the ruins, do not touch the ancient paintings on the stone walls lightly, and do not recklessly activate your own bloodline energy, or you will bring about your annihilation."

As soon as the words were spoken, that ethereal aura vanished into the depths of the vast fog, clearly having already taken a detour and quietly approached the ruins from the other side.

Qin Zhan's heart skipped a beat.

Avoid ancient paintings? Don't disturb bloodlines?

These words were too strange, as if they were specifically directed at him.

Who exactly is this mysterious woman? How does she know her background, and why did she give her such a warning?

Countless questions flooded my mind.

He suppressed his emotions, stopped thinking about it, and slowly walked towards the ancient stone gate.

The moment you step into the entrance, a chilling, eerie air rushes towards you. The dark passage is so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face, except for the faint golden light emanating from the ancient runes scattered on the walls, illuminating the way ahead.

The air was filled with a mixture of decay, antiquity, and a faint, almost imperceptible stench of blood.

Qin Zhan activated his vital energy to protect himself, focused his mind on guard, and slowly ventured deeper into the territory.

But after taking only a few dozen steps, his gaze inadvertently swept over the ancient murals on the side wall of the passage, and he froze on the spot, his heart filled with turmoil!

On the stone wall, an ancient stone carving is vividly depicted, showing a young man in a blue robe standing in the center of the ruins. His posture and features are exactly the same as Qin Zhan's!

Even the aloof and detached aura surrounding him was exactly the same as his current self.

It's as if this isn't an ancient stone carving, but rather someone who carved his likeness here millions of years in advance.

He slowly approached, his fingertips gently brushing against the stone's texture. The cool touch revealed that the stone carvings were naturally formed, not forged in later generations, but truly ancient relics.

The incomplete seal script at the bottom of the mural was obscure and difficult to understand. Qin Zhan focused his attention and carefully deciphered it, but could only barely make out a few words: destiny, return to one's place, blood sacrifice, reincarnation.

These few words convey a chilling and eerie sense of destiny, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Could it be... that millions of years ago, someone exactly like me came here? Or is this a predetermined destiny, and I was destined to be the one this ruin was waiting for?"

Qin Zhan muttered to himself, his brows furrowed with seriousness.

He ventured into secret realms and cultivated martial arts, always believing only in his own strength and not in fate.

But the eerie mural before him, the mysterious woman's advance warning, and the terrifying aura that suddenly locked onto him from underground—each and every one of these things exuded an inexplicable eeriness.

Just as he was deep in thought, he faintly heard hushed conversation coming from ahead of the passage. It was Xuan Yin Old Monster and Wang Meng who had entered the ruins first.

"Brother Wang, this passage through the ruins looks unremarkable, but the chilling wind all around makes me feel uneasy." The old monster Xuan Yin's voice carried a hint of caution, no longer the arrogance he displayed on the outskirts. "We haven't found any treasures along the way, and the unusual quietness is too much. Do you think there might be some hidden restrictions or killing traps?"

Wang Meng walked steadily, his eyes scanning the surrounding stone walls warily, and replied in a gruff voice:

"What are you afraid of? We're both veteran cultivators at the King Realm; ordinary restrictions can't hold us back at all. The quieter it is deeper inside, the more it means the treasure is hidden there. Just keep exploring patiently. If there's real danger, we can always join forces and force our way through."

"But that boy came in too, so we need to be careful. We don't want him to get away with it after we've risked our lives to get through this dangerous situation."

The old monster Xuan Yin smiled sinisterly: "Don't worry, I've already planned this. If we encounter a fork in the road later, we'll deliberately choose the main road to divert attention, leaving him with a secluded path. Let him wander around in circles in the shadows and run into obstacles. Even if he manages to get forward by chance, he'll have to shield us from any hidden dangers first."

"You're so thoughtful." Wang Meng nodded in agreement. "Let's do it your way. We'll use him to scout ahead first, and once we find the core treasure, we'll eliminate him to prevent future troubles."

The two walked and whispered their plans, completely unaware that Qin Zhan, who was not far behind them, had already heard their conversation clearly.

A cold glint flashed in Qin Zhan's eyes.

As expected, old habits die hard. The two temporarily stopped their actions, but in their hearts, they still harbored the vicious plan of using him and then silencing him.

He didn't step forward to expose them, nor did he immediately give chase. Instead, he silently concealed his aura, slowed his pace, and followed the two at a distance.

Since the other party wants to use him as a pawn in their schemes, he might as well go with the flow and observe how things unfold.

While the two explored the path and braved the dangers, he remained hidden behind, avoiding overt restrictions and observing the changing situation.

Just then, that ethereal, cold female voice quietly rang in Qin Zhan's ear again, as if whispering beside him, yet the figure was nowhere to be seen: "Have you already seen that ancient mural that matches your appearance?"

Qin Zhan's heart skipped a beat. He spoke in a deep voice, his tone calm yet wary: "You've been secretly following me all this time, young lady? Who exactly are you? How did you know the secret of this mural, and why did you deliberately warn me beforehand?"

The woman sighed softly, her tone tinged with an unspeakable melancholy and helplessness: "Who I am, I cannot tell you right now. But I can give you a clear piece of advice: stop delving into the mystery of the murals, and stop sensing that awakening aura from the earth. The more you see, the stronger your senses become, the deeper the entanglements of your destiny will become, and sooner or later you will be completely entangled in this eternal cycle of reincarnation."

Qin Zhan frowned deeply: "Destiny and reincarnation? What secrets does this ruin hold? Is the boy on the stone wall really me from a past life?"

"It's neither a past life nor this life." The woman's voice was somewhat obscure. "It's a preordained plan, a game of chess, a scheme that has been laid out long ago. This ruin is not a place of opportunity, but a prison, an altar, specifically waiting for someone like you with a special bloodline to step into it."

"The Xuan Yin Old Monster and Wang Meng are only greedy for treasures; their vision is too short-sighted, and they cannot see the dangerous nature of the ruins. If you are like them and only focus on fortune, you will sooner or later fall into an abyss of no return."

Qin Zhan remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "I don't believe in any game of destiny; I only believe that my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven!"

"Even if this is a prison altar, now that I'm here, I will personally break through the fog and see the truth. Retreating and avoiding it has never been in my nature."

These words were powerful and resonant, revealing the stubbornness and pride inherent in the young man's character.

The woman paused for a moment, seemingly anticipating his response, and said softly, "I knew I couldn't dissuade you."

"Fine, if you insist on going ahead, I'll remind you one more time: a three-way fork will appear ahead. The left path is rife with poisonous miasma that devours the gods, the right path is filled with overwhelming killing formations, and only the middle path, which seems calm on the surface, actually hides a secret passage to destiny."

"The Mysterious Yin Old Monster will definitely try to lead you down dead ends on either side. Remember not to be provoked or tempted by them, guard your true self, and choose the middle path."

"Also, never use all your bloodline power in the ruins, otherwise the things sleeping underground will break free of their seal prematurely."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman's presence vanished without a trace.

Qin Zhan stood still, pondering these words carefully.

Three forks in the road, three dangerous paths, the middle path hides a secret, one must not rashly disturb one's bloodline... Every sentence is precise and detailed, not like a guess out of thin air, but rather like a personal experience.

The identity of this mysterious woman has become increasingly enigmatic.

He suppressed his thoughts and continued walking slowly forward.

Before long, the passage ahead suddenly opened up, and just as the woman had said, a three-way intersection appeared. The three passages led to the left, middle, and right respectively, and each passage was shrouded in black mist, making it impossible to see what was inside, exuding an inexplicable eeriness.

Xuan Yin Laoguai and Wang Meng had stopped at the crossroads and were discussing in hushed tones.

"Brother Wang, look at these three paths. The left path is filled with swirling black energy, exuding poisonous aura; the right path faintly vibrates with runes, like an ancient killing formation; only the middle path is unremarkable, with the gentlest aura. In my opinion, we should take the middle path directly and enter the game safely." The Xuan Yin Old Monster pretended to be serious in his analysis.

Wang Meng nodded: "That makes sense. The left and right routes are too dangerous, there's no need to take the risk. Taking the middle route is the easiest."

As he spoke, the Xuan Yin Old Monster deliberately glanced back, as if guessing that Qin Zhan was behind him, and raised his voice intentionally:

"Some people like to go it alone and show off, so let them be. If they try to take shortcuts and wander around aimlessly, and end up getting hurt, they can only blame their own arrogance and ignorance."

These words were clearly meant to entice and provoke Qin Zhan, hoping he would impulsively choose the left or right path and end up in a dead end.

Wang Meng also snorted coldly, "Those self-righteous brats always need to suffer a bit before they learn the rules. Let's ignore him and head straight for the middle path to find the treasure."

After they finished speaking, the two of them walked towards the middle passage.

Qin Zhan, hidden in the shadows, saw through their scheme perfectly.

On the surface, the middle lane seems the safest, but in reality, it hides a hidden danger; the left and right lanes look perilous, but they are actually ordinary dangerous places. The Mysterious Yin Old Monster seems to have chosen the middle lane, but in fact, he is deliberately doing it for himself, trying to provoke him into taking the wrong path with his words.

If it were an ordinary, proud young man, he might have been provoked by these words and, in a fit of pique, avoided the middle path, ending up in a dead end on either side.

Unfortunately, they encountered Qin Zhan.

Having experienced the trials of life, his mind was already as calm as a mountain; how could a few provocative words disturb his mind?

Qin Zhan gazed calmly at the three forks in the road, having already made his decision.

Just as he was about to take a step and choose a path, the terrifying aura from underground suddenly surged again, the entire ruins trembled slightly, and the stone runes on the inner walls of the three forks in the road lit up with a blood-red light at the same time!

Even more terrifying, from the depths of the passage behind him, came a faint, rhythmic sound of footsteps, neither human nor beast, dull and eerie, slowly approaching him step by step!

Who is behind him, making those strange, unknown footsteps? Three paths lead to a deadly crossroads; what choice will Qin Zhan make?

What earth-shattering secrets are hidden behind the ancient chess game and the prison of destiny mentioned by the mysterious woman?