Chapter 576

Chapter 576: The Strange Secret Vault

Opening the Secret Vault wasn’t simple. Otherwise, the three major powers—the Great Qin Empire’s royal family, the Misty Sect, and the Divine Grace Palace—wouldn’t have spent a thousand years searching for the keys and unlocking sorcery.

This was why the three powers claimed 90% of the shares. Though other sects resented this, they grudgingly accepted the remaining 10%.

Now, hearing they could split 45% of the treasures, the sects roared with excitement.

The Secret Vault fully manifested in the air, its colossal beast form looming.

“Prince Jing, Sect Leaders—shall we begin?” Master Hei Xu pressed urgently. The Xuan Yuan Sect hadn’t been active in the Great Qin Empire’s cultivation world for decades. He desperately wanted gains from the Saint’s Secret Vault to revive his sect.

Prince Qin Cheng, Yu Qingzhi, and Hua Changchun exchanged nods.

A translucent crystal suddenly appeared in Prince Qin Cheng’s hand.

Yu Qingzhi produced a similar crystal, though hers glowed faintly blue.

Hua Changchun held nothing—only two keys were needed.

Prince Qin Cheng chanted incantations, channeling spiritual power into the white crystal. A beast-like aura flickered within it.

“Senior Brother, your turn,” said Divine Grace Palace Master Yu Qingzhi, glancing at Tian Yunzi.

Unlike the royals, who kept both keys and unlocking method under one person, the Divine Grace Palace split them: Yu Qingzhi held the key, Tian Yunzi the method.

Tian Yunzi stepped forward, infusing true qi into the blue crystal. Blue mist swirled upward, forming a hazy Phantom Beast.

Prince Qin Cheng and Tian Yunzi exchanged a look. With a shout, they poured spiritual energy into the crystals. The white and blue mists merged, creating a complete Phantom Beast mirroring the Secret Vault’s shape.

“Open!”

The phantom beast lunged at the vault.

A deafening crash shook the earth. The Secret Vault trembled violently for half an hour, reducing nearby mountains to rubble.

Finally, the Saint’s Secret Vault hovered clearly—a gargantuan beast spanning miles.

“It’s open! Open!”

The crowd below erupted in frenzy.

Golden light shot from the beast’s eyes, revealing two dark openings. Four more entrances appeared on its flanks—six passages in total.

“Golden Core disciples—enter now!” Hua Changchun’s thunderous voice rang out.

Disciples rushed forward. Though dangers lurked inside, each believed themselves favored by fate, destined to claim treasures and glory. With shares now nearly doubled, no sect wanted to lag.

Within moments, over a thousand Golden Core disciples flooded the vault. Their cultivation levels varied, but their fervor was the same.

Behind Hua Changchun, three hundred Golden Core disciples stood motionless, anxious but disciplined.

Prince Qin Cheng’s seventy Golden Core soldiers also waited silently. Without his order, they wouldn’t budge.

Divine Grace Palace Master Yu Qingzhi showed no signs of worry on his face. He smiled as he watched the Golden Core disciples flood into the Saint’s Secret Vault, making sure no disciples from the Divine Grace Palace entered.

After half an hour, all the Golden Core disciples from the various sects had rushed inside, leaving only a handful of Nascent Soul Ancestors clustered around the vault, their faces filled with anticipation.

“Prince Jing, they’ve all entered. When do we act?” Hua Changchun asked gruffly. He had brought three hundred disciples at the Fifth Level of the Golden Core stage, all meant to claim treasures.

Though Prince Qin Cheng had declared that no one should keep treasures privately after breaking the array, everyone knew secrets could be hidden. For Hua Changchun, this mattered little—he’d been stuck at the Nascent Soul stage’s pinnacle for over a decade. If he found the Saint’s cultivation insights, he might finally reach the Earth Immortal realm and transcend mortality entirely.

“Why rush?” Prince Qin Cheng gave him a cold look. Hua Changchun’s impatience was uncharacteristic for the Misty Sect’s leader.

Hua Changchun paused. His cultivation should have made him calm, but the stakes were too high. If the Saint’s insights were lost or destroyed after giving up half the vault’s rewards, all his efforts would be wasted.

“Brother Hua, relax,” Divine Grace Palace Master Yu Qingzhi said mildly. “Do you think Golden Core disciples can break the first layer quickly? Even if they do, how far can they go? If the Saint’s insights exist, we’ll share them.”

Hua Changchun frowned. This wasn’t the Yu Qingzhi he knew—the man who’d never give scraps to lesser sects.

“We waited a thousand years to find the key and unlock this vault,” Tian Yunzi interjected. “Can’t you wait a little longer?”

“True. I’ve grown impatient,” Hua Changchun admitted.

Prince Qin Cheng snorted. “You think a thousand Golden Core disciples can break the array? More likely, they’ll die trying. The Saint’s vault needs cannon fodder to wear down its restrictions.”

Understanding dawned on Hua Changchun. Yu Qingzhi had dangled rewards to make weaker sects charge in blindly. Once most died, the three major powers’ elites would sweep in and claim everything.

“Yu Qingzhi, your schemes run deep,” Hua Changchun said, smiling.

Yu Qingzhi merely clasped his hands behind his back.

Below, the other sects’ Nascent Soul experts remained oblivious, still hoping their disciples would succeed. Only Master Hei Xu overheard, his face pale. The Xuan Yuan Sect had sent all its Golden Core disciples—if they perished, his sect would collapse.

“Yu Qingzhi!” he shouted. “This is your plan?”

Yu Qingzhi glanced at him. “Since you spoke up, I’ll grant your sect two extra treasures after the vault opens. Know your place.”

Master Hei Xu trembled with rage but stayed silent. Against the three major powers’ leaders, he stood no chance.

“Fine!” He retreated, face dark.

Prince Qin Cheng and Yu Qingzhi exchanged amused looks.

Nearby, Ye Yun listened, hidden.

“So that’s their game,” he muttered. “These old men are vicious.”

“The scheme itself was simple, not intricate. Yet it preyed on human greed. Most believe they’re children chosen by destiny, divinely protected, assuming no harm would follow after entering the Secret Vault. Those Nascent Soul elders were too blinded by greed to see through such simplicity,” Murong Wuqing sneered, voice dripping with disdain.

Ye Yun chuckled. “Perhaps they noticed but chose selfishness. They knew Golden Core disciples might not return, yet didn’t care. Breaking the vault means claiming heavenly materials and earthly treasures. More deaths mean fewer to share with. To them, it’s a boon.”

Murong Wuqing’s pupils contracted as he studied Ye Yun silently.

“Cultivation defies the heavens. Advancing requires endless resources—precious and scarcer as one grows stronger. Sacrificing a whole sect for personal gain isn’t beneath them. You’re right, Ye Yun.” Murong Wuqing sounded faintly impressed.

Ye Yun stayed quiet, eyes fixed on the towering experts of the Great Qin Empire. He steeled himself—no illusions about their aid. If they discovered the Heart of Immortals and Demons or Ancestor of the Sword Path, he’d be dissected instantly. Secrets must stay buried, even from kin.

Three hours slipped by. None of the thousand Golden Core disciples returned from the Saint’s Secret Vault. The array remained unbroken.

“Our turn approaches,” said Divine Grace Palace Master Yu Qingzhi, glancing at Ye Yun’s group.

Tian Yunzi barked, “Golden Core disciples! Form six teams. Enter through the vault’s six passages. Survive above all.”

“Yes!” A hundred voices thundered.

Ye Yun noted his missing brothers—Shu Anshi’s absence was expected, but where were Zhuge Chong and Kun Huazi? Yin Suxin from Demon Suppression Peak was absent too, though Ding Qian stood among them. He stayed silent, nodding to Murong Wuqing before following the descending squad.

Dozens divided into six teams, vanishing into the vault’s passages.

Hua Changchun couldn’t wait. At Yu Qingzhi’s signal, his three hundred Fifth-Level Golden Core disciples split into six streaks of light, plunging inward. Prince Qin Cheng’s seventy soldiers followed suit.

Within moments, all three major powers’ disciples had entered.

Ye Yun lingered slightly at the threshold. As predicted, Murong Wuqing appeared beside him.

“Knew you’d join me,” Ye Yun grinned.

“This vault’s odd. We’ll talk inside,” Murong Wuqing muttered, eyeing the dark entrance.

Ye Yun smirked. He and Ancestor of the Sword Path had already discerned the anomaly—this wasn’t the Immortal Sword Sect’s work, yet Yu Qingzhi’s group remained oblivious. Clasping hands to avoid separation in potential spatial arrays, they jumped.

An irresistible force yanked them into blackness. Light returned to reveal a vast hall, Murong Wuqing still gripping Ye Yun’s hand.

“Together, as expected!” Ye Yun cheered. With Murong Wuqing’s steady prowess, their chances soared.

The hall stood bare except for four thick pillars and faintly glowing amber walls.

“Nothing here,” Ye Yun frowned.

“I warned of strangeness,” Murong Wuqing said. “Why would the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Saint—a peerless swordsman who moved like drifting clouds—create a vault shaped like a massive beast? It defies reason.”

Ye Yun furrowed his brows slightly and asked pointedly, "Brother Wuqing, are you implying this Secret Vault doesn’t belong to the Immortal Sword Sect’s Saint?"

Murong Wuqing nodded. "Absolutely not. We must stay vigilant."

As they spoke, the air rippled before them. Space twisted and a figure came tumbling down.

"Ding Qian?" Ye Yun blinked in surprise at the woman who landed.

"Ye Yun, Murong Wuqing." The Demon Suppression Peak disciple straightened her teal gown, shedding her usual seductive demeanor. "Fancy meeting you here."

Ding Qian scanned the empty hall. "What’s got you two so tense?"

"Nothing serious." Ye Yun gestured at the pale yellow walls and inky void above. "Just puzzling over this sealed chamber. My mental intent can’t penetrate the ceiling."

Ding Qian’s delicate brows knitted as she tested this. Her probing consciousness vanished into the darkness like stones dropped down a well.

"Two thousand Golden Core disciples entered," Murong Wuqing observed, "yet only three of us share this space. The spatial manipulation here defies belief."

"The vault squeezed through dimensional layers like dough." Ye Yun recalled his earlier conversation with the Ancestor of the Sword Path. "Imagine the power required."

Both listeners grew solemn despite their flickering excitement.

"True enough," Murong Wuqing conceded. "Shaping space into bestial forms surpasses ordinary Saints. Spatial laws are simple to touch but impossible to master – those who do could reshape reality itself."

Ding Qian’s eyes gleamed. "Dead Saints leave richer treasures. Their power becomes our gain."

The men exchanged amused glances. Her logic held – greater cultivation meant rarer artifacts and cultivation techniques within.

"Enough talk." Ye Yun clapped. "Let’s search for hidden exits. Every prison has a key."

As the others split left and right, Ye Yun approached the glowing walls. His fingers sank slightly into the warm surface – not crystal, but something flesh-like.

"Brother Jian?" he mentally reached into his soul’s depths. "Do you sense anything?"

The Ancestor’s voice rumbled, "No spatial arrays here except above. That darkness devours mental probes – the real path lies beyond."

Ye Yun’s gaze lifted. "If this isn’t the Immortal Sword Saint’s vault, maybe a Demon Race relic?"

"Impossible." The Ancestor’s tone sharpened. "No demonic taint. Yet… something here bears my mark."

"Your mark?" Ye Yun nearly blurted aloud. "From a millennium ago?"

"Stronger than mere familiarity," the Ancestor insisted. "Were my soul whole, I’d pinpoint it. This vault’s master once possessed my belongings."

Ye Yun’s pulse quickened. If true, the Ancestor’s past self rivaled late-stage Saints. "Then your aura can guide us deeper?"

"Without doubt." The Ancestor’s conviction rang clear. "First conquer this chamber."

A gasp interrupted them. "These walls!" Ding Qian pressed her palm against pulsing yellow veins. "They’re breathing!"

Murong Wuqing called from his side, "Mine too. Like blood vessels pumping."

The trio locked eyes, earlier excitement dissolving into wary silence. The chamber suddenly felt less like a room and more like a living throat.