Chapter 92

(Thank you for the support from 'Zui Yue Dang Ge'.)

For over a decade, Guan Qiu has been helping him improve the sect's martial arts techniques, taking credit for the improvements, and boosting his reputation within the sect. He even deliberately leaked information, leading to the previous sect leader Nie being ambushed and killed by the Tianquan Sect, and making it seem as if he had "timely arrived" to save the sect, thereby earning the qualifications to compete for the vacant position of sect leader. Later, Guan Qiu, under the guise of being Deputy Sect Leader Sha's right-hand man, secretly betrayed this competitor, ultimately helping Zuo Yang secure the position of sect leader.

During this period, Guan Qiu also had Zuo Yang propose to the sect that core disciples should not be involved in the struggle for the position of sect leader to avoid damaging the sect's foundation. This allowed Zuo Yang to build a wise and capable image within the sect, accumulating enough prestige to become the sect leader. This was also part of Guan Qiu's plan.

If it weren't for the schemes and plots orchestrated by Elder Guan step by step, even with Zuo Yang's extremely terrifying martial arts talent, his shallow foundation within the sect would have given him no chance to become the sect leader.

"For over a decade, you have been scheming to help me become the sect leader. I should thank you, but before that, wouldn't it be better to first remove the poison from my body?" Zuo Yang took several deep breaths, finally calming his emotions, and coldly asked the Stone Guardian.

Hearing this, Guan Qiu looked at Zuo Yang with a rather amused expression and then said, "If I hadn't poisoned you beforehand, you would probably have been the first to eliminate me after becoming the sect leader. I would have had no chance of survival. Do you think I would be stupid enough to do that?"

Then, Guan Qiu continued, "Zuo Yang, don't think I don't know what you've been doing all these years. Your attempts to find a way to remove the poison from your body haven't escaped my notice. But I can clearly tell you that the poison in your body was obtained from an ancient formula known only to me and has been concocted by me. Over the past decade, the poison has deeply penetrated your bone marrow. You need to take the antidote I have prepared at regular intervals. The pain from the poison's onset is something you wouldn't want to experience again, right?"

Zuo Yang looked at Guan Qiu, remaining silent for a long time, his face changing several times, looking very grim.

Guan Qiu was not bothered by Zuo Yang's silence. They had clearly had similar conversations many times before, and Guan Qiu was not concerned about Zuo Yang's current reaction.

Finally, Zuo Yang sighed deeply, not wanting to continue on this topic, and said, "Before we entered this underground palace, when we encountered those three bizarrely dead bodies in the Seven霞 Mountains, I already felt that something was wrong with this trip. If you had listened to me and stopped the exploration of the underground palace, our sect would not have encountered such a rare disaster. The experts we brought have almost all died in this underground palace..."

Hearing Zuo Yang mention this again, Guan Qiu's face turned grim.

The argument between the two started precisely because of this issue.

Before entering the underground palace, when the Qingyun Sect members encountered the three bodies of their sect disciples in the Seven霞 Mountains, Zuo Yang and Guan Qiu had a brief exchange of glances.

They had discussed this matter.

From what they are saying now, it seems that Zuo Yang had already decided to terminate the exploration plan at that time, but Guan Qiu rejected Zuo Yang's idea.

"Under no circumstances can our sect disciples explore this underground palace again. Tomorrow, I will have Guardian Qian focus all his efforts on finding a passage to the outside of the underground palace. You have seen the consequences of this matter; we cannot proceed as you wish," Zuo Yang looked at Guan Qiu resolutely and said.

Guan Qiu scrutinized Zuo Yang, as if trying to read something from his face, but ultimately shook his head, "No, you must understand that we need to have the disciples thoroughly investigate all areas of the maze ahead."

"Are you out of your mind? We have already sacrificed so many people in this operation. If we continue to investigate..." Zuo Yang glared at Guan Qiu, his face filled with anger.

Seeing Zuo Yang's angry expression, Guan Qiu remained silent for a moment, then frowned and slightly conceded, "Alright, as long as you follow my plan this time. After we leave the ruins, I will give you the true antidote that can completely remove the poison from your body. Is that acceptable?"

Guan Qiu's eyes flickered as he looked at Zuo Yang, and it seemed that this was the greatest concession he could make.

Guan Qiu's words clearly surprised Zuo Yang. He never expected that Guan Qiu would make such a concession to get him to continue exploring the underground palace, even offering him the true antidote for the poison in his body.

However, while Zuo Yang was secretly excited by Guan Qiu's unexpected move, he also became suspicious, "Guan Qiu, you are so focused on this underground palace. Do you know something about it?"

"Hmph, what could I possibly know about this underground palace? It's just that this place is so strange, and I am curious to understand it," Guan Qiu said coldly, seeing Zuo Yang's suspicious look.

Zuo Yang looked at Guan Qiu again, pondered for a moment, and sighed deeply, "Alright. Tomorrow, I will arrange for the disciples to thoroughly investigate the maze ahead. But regarding the antidote you mentioned, don't forget about it when we leave the underground palace."

Hearing Zuo Yang agree to his conditions, Guan Qiu's face showed a smile, and he said lightly, "Of course."

"Hmph, if my martial arts talent were a bit better... the position of Qingyun Sect leader would never have fallen to you," Guan Qiu thought to himself, a smile on his face as he faced Zuo Yang.

"But as long as I can obtain the elixirs left in these ruins, there must be a way to improve my martial arts talent..." Guan Qiu thought to himself, feeling secretly pleased.

Guan Qiu had once read in the Qingyun Sect's records about the sect's founding history and other related content. From these scattered and fragmented records of the sect's past, he was surprised to discover that two hundred years ago, the Qingyun Sect had an unusually large number of experts emerge during its founding.

When he saw this historical record, Guan Qiu, after connecting it with other content, speculated that the sect's founding ancestor might have had a miraculous elixir that could improve martial artists' physical conditions.

Only this could explain why the Qingyun Sect had an unusually large number of experts emerge during its founding.

When the map of the ruins left by the founding ancestor appeared in the sect recently, Guan Qiu immediately recalled his previous discovery and decided to thoroughly explore the ruins to find the elixir that could improve martial artists' physical conditions.

This is why Guan Qiu was so determined.

Guan Qiu was a person with extremely high aspirations and pride. He was confident that his cunning, wisdom, and martial arts talent were once-in-a-century geniuses.

Since entering the Qingyun Sect, Guan Qiu had indeed used his cunning, wisdom, and skills to continuously achieve great feats for the sect, rising from an ordinary inner sect disciple to a high-ranking member of the Qingyun Sect in just twenty years.

However, there was one thing that Guan Qiu could not overcome after joining the Qingyun Sect.

That was his very ordinary martial arts talent.

Even though he had continuously achieved great feats for the sect, his ordinary martial arts talent and mediocre skills meant that his development within the Qingyun Sect had reached its limit after becoming an elder.

In the martial world, the most important evaluation of a person always came from their martial arts strength. Even if Guan Qiu had achieved great feats for the sect, without exceptional martial arts achievements, he had no chance of advancing further.

This naturally frustrated the proud Guan Qiu, who could not tolerate being subordinate to others.

This is why, over a decade ago, Guan Qiu chose to collaborate with Zuo Yang, a person with extremely terrifying martial arts talent, to push him to the position of sect leader, using him as a puppet while he himself became the hidden "sect leader" of the Qingyun Sect.

However, after learning about the existence of the founding ancestor's ruins, Guan Qiu realized that the opportunity to improve his martial arts talent had arrived.

Guan Qiu believed that as long as he could find the elixir left by the founding ancestor that could improve martial artists' physical conditions, he could change his own physical condition, making his future martial arts training advance rapidly. He could then rely on his exceptional cunning and skills, as well as the many great feats he had achieved in the sect, to eventually replace Zuo Yang and become the true leader of the Qingyun Sect.

This time, Guan Qiu was determined to have Zuo Yang thoroughly search the underground palace to find the elixir that could improve martial artists' physical conditions.

In fact, Guan Qiu's thoughts were close to the truth.

The cultivator surnamed Feng had indeed used immortal techniques to refine a batch of elixirs, forcibly elevating a group of ordinary martial artists to experts.

This is why the Qingyun Sect was able to establish a firm foothold in Jingzhou in just a short time two hundred years ago.

Although Guan Qiu did not know, like Deputy Sect Leader Sha, that the underground palace was a legacy of cultivators, his superior intellect allowed him to deduce some facts.

From this perspective, Guan Qiu's intelligence and deductive abilities were indeed formidable. It is no wonder that he could use his schemes to push Zuo Yang, who had no hope of becoming the Qingyun Sect leader, to the position of sect leader.

As Guan Qiu secretly hoped to find the elixir he needed, he suddenly thought of something, frowned slightly, and looked at Zuo Yang with concern, saying, "You haven't been careless enough to let our Great Uncle Ancestor notice our affairs, have you?"

"Rest assured, I would never dare to let our Great Uncle Ancestor notice our affairs. If he found out, I would be the first to suffer."

Hearing Zuo Yang say this, Guan Qiu's face relaxed.

Clearly, both Zuo Yang and the cunning Guan Qiu were extremely afraid of their Great Uncle Ancestor.

The Great Uncle Ancestor they mentioned was, of course, the withered-faced old man who guarded the mountain path, whose identity was unknown to most members of the Qingyun Sect, and who had had several ribs broken by Ding Qi.

...

Listening to the conversation between Zuo Yang and Guan Qiu on the other side of the wall, Ding Qi, hidden on the other side, had a look of shock on his face that did not fade.

"I never thought that this seemingly profound and famous Sect Leader Zuo was actually... just a puppet," Ding Qi thought, a bitter smile on his face.

After understanding the content of their conversation, Ding Qi could only smile bitterly and helplessly.

This Zuo Yang had deceived everyone.

The profound and unfathomable image that Zuo Yang presented to everyone was just an act from beginning to end.

Even the improvement and optimization of the Qingyun Sect's martial arts techniques, which were not his doing, were actually the work of Elder Guan, who had been hidden behind Zuo Yang for over a decade.

Zuo Yang was not profound and resourceful, having subdued Guan Qiu. He was just a puppet manipulated by the cunning Guan Qiu from beginning to end.

Over a decade ago, Guan Qiu had already collaborated with Zuo Yang, using all sorts of schemes to help him seize the position of Qingyun Sect leader.

Guan Qiu had hidden so deeply behind Zuo Yang.

If it weren't for Ding Qi's accidental discovery, their relationship might never have been discovered.

Clearly, Deputy Sect Leader Sha had never known that the Elder Guan, whom he had always considered his right-hand man, was the true culprit behind his downfall.

Deputy Sect Leader Sha was still in the dark.

With Elder Guan secretly plotting against him, it was only natural that he could not become the Qingyun Sect leader and was defeated.

Ding Qi's face was a mix of shock and disbelief as he listened to their conversation. He never imagined that Zuo Yang and Guan Qiu had such deep secrets between them.

Just as Ding Qi stood by the wall, looking at the two people strangely, a loud rumbling sound suddenly came from around him.

This situation, which Ding Qi had encountered many times in the depths of the underground palace, was the sound of the maze's passages changing.

The wall where he was hiding, coincidentally, was retracted into the ground by the maze's mechanism.

Without any cover, Ding Qi's figure was exposed.

Guan Qiu and Zuo Yang, with awkward expressions, stared at Ding Qi. Because of this eavesdropper, they did not even have the energy to pay attention to the sudden and strange changes in the maze's passages, focusing all their attention on him.

Soon, Guan Qiu and Zuo Yang's faces turned abnormally cold.

(Sorry, this chapter was a bit difficult to write, but I finally managed to finish it.)

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