Vogue’s eyes shifted toward the stairway exit. He noted with cold clarity that Madam Violet had already moved to position herself directly in front of the stairs during the confrontation, blocking the only escape route.

If Vogue hadn’t been observant, he might have missed it. But he saw it clearly now, she was guarding the exit to prevent anyone from fleeing before the trap was fully sprung.

They never intended to let me leave this pavilion alive.

Vogue understood with absolute certainty. Whether I help them kill Marcus or refuse to participate, the outcome for me is the same. Once Marcus is dead, I’m next.

He felt no trust whatsoever toward Sir Collins’s friendly offer to join forces. If these people had been willing to include Vogue in their alliance from the beginning, they would have extended that invitation before the expedition started—just as they had done with their other co-conspirators.

The fact that they hadn’t approached him beforehand told Vogue everything he needed to know about his actual role in their plans.

He had been marked for death from the very beginning. The only question was whether he would die alongside Marcus or shortly after.

Vogue’s mind calculated rapidly. His best chance for survival was to let them focus entirely on killing Marcus first. During that chaotic battle, opportunities for escape might present themselves.

He absolutely couldn’t afford to side with Marcus and fight alongside him—that would just make Vogue an immediate high-priority target for elimination.

But he also couldn’t show any enthusiasm for joining the conspiracy against Marcus, because that would reveal he understood the danger and might prompt them to eliminate him preemptively to avoid complications.

His only viable strategy was to continue appearing neutral and uninvolved while desperately searching for any opportunity to flee.

So Vogue responded to Sir Collins’s offer with apparent thoughtful consideration, as though genuinely weighing the proposal. He spoke slowly:

"Help you eliminate Family Head Marcus? I suppose—"

But before Vogue could even finish formulating his deliberately ambiguous response, Family Head Marcus—still clutching his injured chest with one hand—suddenly scoffed loudly.

His voice cut through the tension like a blade, sharp with contempt and warning:

"Fellow Cultivator Vogue, you cannot honestly believe such a transparently shallow trick, can you? You’re an intelligent man—surely you can see through this obvious deception!"

Marcus continued speaking rapidly despite his injuries, his words tumbling out with urgent intensity:

"Although I don’t know precisely what methods Fellow Cultivator Collins used to entice this group of allies—including my so-called friend of a hundred years—I can tell you with absolute certainty what will happen next. If we allow them to eliminate us separately, we will both certainly meet our doom here today!"

His eyes locked onto Vogue’s with desperate conviction.

"But if you and I join hands and fight together, there is genuine hope for both of us to survive this trap! Think about it logically—they have overwhelming numbers and they’ve planned this ambush meticulously. Do you truly believe they intend to let you walk away alive after serving as their door key?"

As Family Head Marcus delivered this urgent warning, he casually brushed his hand across his injured chest. In a brief pulse of soft white light, the deep depression in his Azure Rhino Armor was mysteriously restored back to smooth, undamaged condition.

The observing cultivators were surprised by this display, but Mr. Yun calmly explained to his allies without any concern:

"There’s no need for worry. Marcus is merely using a secret technique to temporarily suppress and conceal his injuries. The underlying damage remains—he’s still gravely hurt internally. The technique just hides the visible effects for a short time."

Mr. Yun’s expression remained cold and analytical.

"However, I must acknowledge that he becomes significantly more troublesome if he manages to join forces with that young man Vogue. We should deal with one of them quickly to prevent effective coordination."

He turned to address the stern-faced cultivator:

"Brother Long, your task is to engage and occupy Vogue for the time being. You don’t need to actually kill him or even seriously injure him—just keep him tied down and unable to interfere. Once the rest of us finish eliminating Marcus, we’ll all turn our attention to the young man together and end him properly."

The dwarf formation master frowned slightly at this suggestion and felt the plan was unnecessarily risky. But before he could voice objections, the stern-faced cultivator—Brother Long—responded with a confident chuckle:

"Not a problem at all. I’ll handle Vogue with ease. After all, he’s only just recently entered the Stellar Realm correct? Holding down a newly advanced cultivator is a trivial matter compared to confronting someone at Marcus’s level. It’s far safer than trying to engage a mid-stage expert directly."

From Brother Long’s perspective, this assignment was actually the easiest and least dangerous role in the upcoming battle. Restraining a young, inexperienced Stellar cultivator posed minimal risk compared to fighting a cornered mid-stage powerhouse.

What Brother Long didn’t know—what none of them except Sean truly understood—was that Vogue’s actual combat capabilities bore absolutely no relationship to his apparent cultivation level.

Vogue stood completely still and made no response to the stern-faced cultivator’s confident assessment. He simply stared at Brother Long with an unreadable expression, his hand tightening slightly around the ancient treasure concealed in his sleeve.

’You think easy to deal with? ’Vogue thought with cold expression on his face. But you’ll find out soon enough.

At that moment, Family Head Marcus made a decisive move. He swept his sleeve with a grand gesture, and the three jade boxes sitting on the glacial bed suddenly vanished from sight—pulled directly into his storage space before anyone could react to stop him.

Then, without any hesitation whatsoever, Marcus tossed one of those jade boxes directly toward Vogue!

The box flew through the air in a gentle arc. None of the conspirators attempted to intercept it—the action was so unexpected and seemingly irrational that it caught everyone off guard.

Vogue caught the jade box reflexively with slight confusion showing on his face. He had no idea what Marcus was planning with this bizarre gesture.

Standing with both arms positioned behind his back in a posture of absolute confidence, Family Head Marcus explained his reasoning in a clear, authoritative voice:

"Since Vogue clearly isn’t participating in their wretched conspiracy, I’m giving this jade box to you as a gesture of good faith and alliance. According to the intelligence I’ve gathered, there’s credible evidence suggesting these boxes contain not just ordinary treasures, but potentially the actual method for safely entering Devilfall Valley—the legendary forbidden zone that has consumed countless lives."

His words caused dramatic changes in the expressions of everyone present. Eyes went wide with shock and greed.

Marcus continued smoothly:

"If you manage to survive today’s events and escape from this chamber alive, Fellow Cultivator Vogue, you may keep this box and whatever secrets it contains. Consider it a fated opportunity meant for you alone."

What?! Vogue’s mind spun.

The jade boxes didn’t just contain cultivation techniques or powerful artifacts. They potentially held the key to entering Devilfall Valley—one of the most mysterious and dangerous locations in the entire continent, rumored to contain another high Saint-level and even higher treasures for those capable of surviving its trials.

Information about safely navigating that deadly zone would be worth more than entire cities. Every major power in the region would kill to obtain such knowledge.

When Sir Collins and his allies heard this revelation, their faces transformed. Shock, desire, calculation, and barely controlled greed all flickered across their features in rapid succession.

Of course, Vogue realized with sudden clarity. This is why they were willing to betray a century of friendship and take such enormous risks. They’re not just after the treasures in this ruin. They’re after the ultimate prize—a way to claim the legendary inheritances of Devilfall Valley itself.

No wonder they planned this so meticulously. No wonder they were willing to commit such complete betrayal.

Marcus hadn’t given Vogue the jade box out of kindness or generosity. This was pure tactical manipulation—a brilliant strategic move designed to create division and chaos among his enemies.

By giving one of the three most valuable items directly to Vogue, Marcus had just made him an immediate high-priority target for Sir Collins’s entire group. They would now be desperately torn between wanting to kill Marcus first or trying to reclaim that jade box from Vogue before he could escape with it.

Vogue glanced down at the jade box now in his possession, then looked up at the assembled cultivators who were all staring at him with varying degrees of murderous intent.

Despite the insanity of the situation—or perhaps because of it—Vogue felt his lips curving into a faint, genuine smile.

Well, he thought with dark amusement, this has certainly become interesting. They wanted to use me as a disposable tool, and now I’m holding the one thing they want most in the entire world.

Let’s see how this plays out.

The item that every single cultivator in this chamber desperately desired had just fallen directly into Vogue’s hands through the chaotic machinations of desperate men.

And Vogue found it absolutely funny.