He could perceive it. It seemed that a dark, unseen hand was manipulating him from behind, and he had no choice but to accept his fate. He had no other options and couldn't find any trace of the manipulator! He could only clearly sense it: that undertow, constantly surging towards him, enveloping him, and getting closer and closer!

But the problem was, no matter who the enemy was, why would they kill the guardian of a state city for someone as insignificant as himself? Was there enough benefit or a reasonable motive for doing such a thing? After all, this was truly beyond comprehension!

To the extent that, any person, after hearing what Wang Zhan was thinking, as long as they were a normal person, would undoubtedly and immediately think that Wang Zhan was incurably ill. They would classify the delusion Wang Zhan had as a case of paranoia!

Of course, this did not include the girl who was video-calling him—Qin Ying.

Therefore, Wang Zhan quickly thought of another problem, causing his mind to tense suddenly and his expression to turn somewhat grim. Was it possible that although the target was indeed him, the true goal was the powers gathering around Wang Zhan?

One should know, although Wang Zhan had become an undeniable genius in the Federation, a genius is still just a genius. The importance of a genius itself, on the whole, is subjective and definitely not worth this much attention.

The problem was that the Wang Zhan of today, compared to the Wang Zhan of yesterday, had undergone a most significant change—a truly stark contrast. Around him had gathered incredibly powerful individuals or factions, who were, for his current level, essentially the pinnacle.

No matter which of them it was, even the seemingly weak Yang family, who could only remain in Jing State for a lifetime and, apart from relying on the strong, no longer had any prospects for development—so they were the first to respond to Wang Zhan's rise with great favor and support! That was also a formidable family and a massive force. Although the strength the Yang family demonstrated was not as terrifying as the tip of the iceberg, they indisputably had enough backup power that could be activated at a critical moment to help them quickly rebound and once again find a suitable foothold for the declining Yang family among the various factions in the Federation!

But obviously, now was not the time to ponder these concerns.

So, the preoccupied Wang Zhan, when Qin Ying finished speaking, immediately refocused his thoughts.

And then with his increasingly deep eyes, which reflected countless nebulae, he continued to ask Qin Ying, "So why hadn't you received any reliable news when the guardian of Quan State met with misfortune? This shouldn't have happened!"

As for assisting Quan State… when Qin Ying spoke of this, the urgency in Wang Zhan's heart gradually subsided. Obviously, the other party had clearly made thorough preparations. Even if he rushed over now, all he would probably face were countless indistinguishable traps. According to what Qin Ying said, the deeds done by those opponents' subordinates—deeds that even Wang Zhan found chillingly familiar—suggested that they were not joking! One misstep could cause a real Martial Emperor Realm expert to capsize in a gutter, leading to an irrevocable demise! So, how could Wang Zhan, who was only at a semi-proficient level in the Martial Emperor Realm, interfere? It would be better to first devise a thorough plan.

Right in front of him, Qin Ying also noticed that after Wang Zhan heard her warning and retelling, he indeed became quieter, and his mind gradually stabilized.

This proved that Wang Zhan was no longer the impulsive and clueless person he once was, unsure of how to handle the world. He had established his own principles and bottom line and was gradually learning how to become a responsible man!

Therefore, at this moment, the string that had always been taut in Qin Ying's heart finally relaxed slightly.

Then, Qin Ying explained to Wang Zhan, recounting everything she knew in detail.

And just as Wang Zhan predicted, the Federation was not indifferent to this incident. It was simply because another matter, which appeared more important than the life or death of the guardian of Quan State, had completely diverted the attention of the Federation's high-levels, resulting in an oversight that led to all of this.

And it all started…

"Both the incident about the guardian and the attack on the city by the Beast Clan in Quan State actually started two days ago, that is, on April 2nd…"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhan instantly grew serious. Because there was no evidence more startling than this concrete proof! The day Qin Ying had spoken of had once been marked clearly on Wang Zhan's schedule, and it was a turning point in Wang Zhan's Southwest plan.

Then, Qin Ying continued. Accompanying her narration, it was as if Wang Zhan was transported back to that day; the passage of time seemingly stretched out…

"April 2nd, Federation Calendar, afternoon. ...we received a tip-off. After detection, at a position a thousand meters beneath Quan State, we detected an unknown energy signature. Although the shockwave amplitude had weakened, it was still clearly the after-effects of a Martial Emperor Expert's powerful blast…"

And at noon that day, Wang Zhan had just left Quan State, having made prior appointments and arrangements. Then, smoothly outside Quan State City, he had shed his identity with Yang Zecheng and, at the great cost of forsaking his Family's shelter, met with the offspring of noble families he had rallied from Jing State, who had traveled from afar. Among them, there was even one person who left a vivid memory for Wang Zhan, with whom he continued to have contact afterwards. Later, under Wang Zhan's arrangement, this person was properly taken care of, following the preemptive withdrawal of Yao Yao and Martial King Ku Zhu!

Therefore, Wang Zhan continued to reminisce, his gaze growing more profound. He needed to find a key node!

"…On the night of that day, at nine o'clock Federation time, the Federal Special Operations Squad, after detecting the anomaly, confirmed that the flesh and blood of the guardian were in the deepest part of Quan State Underground City. However, no one had detected this battle before it happened…"

And at this time, Wang Zhan had already arranged his original plan. He had decided to take Quan State as the central point, radiating out to the various states in the Southwest to establish a preliminary network of influence! In order to successfully complete this strategic goal, Wang Zhan had directly severed all external communications from the start—a de facto confinement!

But what Wang Zhan truthfully did not expect was that while he was arranging all these matters, such an event that could easily shake the entire Federation had occurred beneath Quan State City.

And then, "…The Federal Special Operations Squad immediately began to investigate based on the clues obtained at the site and requested assistance from the major garrisons in the Southwest states! They quickly estimated that the time of the guardian's death was around 5:30 that afternoon…"

Wang Zhan closed his eyes, feeling the increasing gravity and unsettling nature of this matter. Five-thirty… If I remember correctly, it was at this exact time that I finally bid farewell to some people, left Quan State, and headed to Ming State City.

But now, this formerly insignificant moment had become the crucial point of the situation. In other words, once someone knew of this detail and connected this time to Wang Zhan's actions, then undoubtedly, the suspicion on Wang Zhan, even if not confirmed, would mean his actions might have to stop here for the time being, and he would temporarily lose all freedom. And it wouldn't be like the temporary loss of so-called freedom of that mad man currently held in the Federal Prison. It would be absolute: watched over by two experts above Martial Emperor level, closely surrounded, with no room to move at all.

Because, no matter the battle, whether it had taken place while Wang Zhan was still in Quan State or had just occurred as Wang Zhan was leaving Quan State, Wang Zhan could not clear the suspicion on himself and had no way to explain. After all, his existence was too sensitive. So sensitive that soon after he had learned the news of the guardian of Quan State, that powerful Martial Artist had vanished in the Underground City of Quan State, unnoticed and unsupported, leading to a gruesome death scene!

Clearly, someone had to be held responsible for this.

And at this moment, Wang Zhan finally realized the importance of this incident. Not to mention, it could be directly confirmed: there must be a powerful enemy near him, an enemy who had hidden all traces, lurking near Wang Zhan and conducting various probes. Only in this way could they have so accurately and quickly located the guardian of Quan State City and created such a situation where Wang Zhan was doomed to suffer in silence!

Thus, Wang Zhan was naturally clear: unless it was a complete coincidence, someone was definitely targeting him and setting him up!

So at this moment, a figure of a powerful Martial Artist silently emerged in Wang Zhan's mind, causing him to mutter inwardly, "Could it be him?"

As he thought about it, Wang Zhan's face grew cold, his gaze somewhat icy. No matter who it is, or for what kind of grudges. At least for now, their arrival is certainly not benign!

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