Chapter 573

Chapter 573: Whose Secret Vault?

Tian Yunzi and Hua Changchun stood side by side, their eyes blazing like torches as they scanned the crowd.

The crowd buzzed with whispers, but when the two appeared, everyone froze. Silence fell instantly—you could hear a pin drop.

“You’ve all heard rumors. They’re true. We’ve gathered you because the Saint’s Secret Vault left by the Immortal Sword Sect’s Saint has shown signs of opening early. Prepare to enter it,” Hua Changchun’s calm voice rang out clearly across the square.

“Yes!”

A thunderous roar erupted as hundreds shouted in unison, loud enough to shake the heavens.

“You know the basics—only Golden Core disciples can enter the first layer. It’s filled with deadly arrays, restrictions, and spatial laws.” Hua Changchun’s face turned grave. “Only after you break the array’s core restrictions can Nascent Soul Ancestors follow.”

The disciples stared intently at him.

“This mission is perilous. But I promise this: anyone who breaks the restrictions and survives will earn the right to choose a Nascent Soul cultivation technique from the Martial Pavilion. You’ll also receive a mid-grade Immortal artifact… and one Xuan Ying Dan.” His words hung heavily in the air.

Hiss—

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Nascent Soul techniques mattered little now—disciples would get those anyway upon advancing. But mid-grade Immortal artifacts? Even low-quality ones were rare treasures for Golden Core cultivators. Mid-grade artifacts could dominate battles, items even Nascent Soul Ancestors struggled to obtain.

Yet when “Xuan Ying Dan” was mentioned, the crowd fell deathly silent before erupting in shocked whispers.

Xuan Ying Dan—the legendary pill for the Golden Core to Nascent Soul breakthrough. When the alchemy pill shatters to form the Nascent Soul, failure meant lost cultivation or death. This pill gathered the Dan Fluid during collapse, boosting success chances by 10%.

Ten percent mattered. Only one in a hundred peak Golden Core cultivators succeeded normally. With this pill? Two might survive. Those who formed Nascent Souls gained the right to pursue Earth Immortality—to touch cosmic laws.

Now the crowd burned with hunger, eyes locked on Hua Changchun.

Mid-grade artifacts and techniques paled next to this. Yet those were external tools—true power came from cultivation itself.

“What’s Xuan Ying Dan? Some Nascent Soul pill?” Ye Yun whispered.

Beside him, Murong Wuqing explained coldly, his face devoid of excitement. “Fools. They’d sell their souls for this bait. Do they think these rewards come freely?”

Ye Yun blinked, then understood.

Xuan Ying Dan, mid-grade artifacts, Nascent Soul techniques—all priceless. But three hundred Fifth Level Golden Core disciples stood here. If a hundred returned, could Misty Sect produce a hundred such prizes? Unlikely.

The lavish rewards only proved the vault’s deadliness. How many of these “elites” would truly survive?

"Out of over three hundred disciples at the Fifth Level of the Golden Core stage, I doubt even ten will return alive," Murong Wuqing’s cold voice carried suppressed anger.

Ye Yun glanced sideways at him. "Ten mid-grade Immortal artifacts and ten Xuan Ying Dans still seem too costly for Misty Sect."

A frosty gleam flashed through Murong Wuqing’s eyes.

"This mission’s too dangerous. Survival comes first – breaking the array matters less than returning alive."

Any previous enthusiasm Murong Wuqing held for the Saint’s Secret Vault had evaporated. No cultivation breakthrough or treasure could outweigh preserving one’s life.

Ye Yun nodded imperceptibly. He and Ancestor of the Sword Path had already planned – once inside the vault, Ye Yun’s grasp of spatial laws combined with the ancestor’s knowledge should let them bypass the great formation.

"Ye Yun, approach. Elder Tian will lead Misty Sect’s teams to the vault while Divine Grace Palace sends its own disciples. You’ll accompany me directly," Tian Yunzi summoned.

The young cultivator stepped forward with a shallow bow. "As you command, Master. But there’s something… better discussed elsewhere."

Tian Yunzi’s eyebrows rose. "Speak freely once we depart Misty Sect."

The ancient sect’s millennia-long dominance in the Great Qin Empire stemmed not just from combat power and royal ties, but ruthless efficiency. Within moments, three hundred golden-core disciples formed hundred trios under Nascent Soul elders, vanishing into cloud-wreathed horizons.

"Old Hua," Tian Yunzi addressed Hua Changchun while watching departing disciples, "We’ll drink another time. The vault awaits."

Hua Changchun’s gaze settled on Ye Yun. "Should this young fellow survive, I’ll reconsider your proposal."

A spark lit Tian Yunzi’s eyes. "Excellent. We depart."

As Ye Yun’s figure disappeared into clouds, Hua Changchun murmured, "That boy’s exotic spiritual energy… If he lives, proper guidance could seize this century’s opportunity."

Beyond Misty Sect’s borders, Tian Yunzi alighted on a peak. "What required such secrecy?"

Ye Yun smiled. "Master, I activated Thousand Mechanisms Guide… entered Burning Divine Platform."

The Divine Grace Palace’s stern punishment overseer startled. "What did you find?"

"Neither treasures nor oddities – just an array woven from spatial laws through light and shadow."

"Minor Cosmic Light Array?" Tian Yunzi’s whisper trembled.

"Uncertain. Its spatial patterns felt… infinite."

"Light-shadows of spatial laws? Ha! Definitely Minor Cosmic Light Array!" The master’s laughter echoed.

Ye Yun hid his surprise. Ancestor of the Sword Path had described this Immortal Realm formation as priceless – understanding its spatial shifts granted dominion over any spatial array. Yet Tian Yunzi recognized it instantly.

"Just as I hoped!" Tian Yunzi’s eyes blazed. "Absorbing those light-shadows could let me touch the realm of saints!"

"But the patterns…" Ye Yun frowned. "I glimpsed their structure yet couldn’t unravel them."

"Naturally." Tian Yunzi nodded. "This Earth Immortal realm formation requires late-stage saints. Your spatial knowledge’s a raindrop against its ocean."

Ye Yun squinted slightly. "So that’s how it was. What a pity."

Tian Yunzi paused. "Pity what?"

Ye Yun continued, "After entering the platform, I could only perceive the Minor Cosmic Light Array in my soul state. I tried studying it but grew dizzy, so I attempted to disrupt it instead."

Tian Yunzi chuckled. "That’s precisely why I obtained the Thousand Mechanisms Guide and brought you to Misty Sect – so your soul could uncover its secrets. You couldn’t possibly comprehend the Minor Cosmic Light Array. If not for your unique gifts, your soul might’ve dissolved entirely. Did you truly think you could meddle with such divine magic?"

Ye Yun scratched his head. "But when I touched it, countless light beams started darting about. If they’d been solid, I’d have been full of holes!"

Tian Yunzi’s eyes widened. "Then what?"

Shrugging, Ye Yun answered, "The lights collided and vanished. Then the Burning Divine Platform began shrinking. Nearly got trapped inside."

"You destroyed the array?!" Tian Yunzi stared incredulously.

Nodding innocently, Ye Yun watched as his master fell silent for several minutes. Finally, Tian Yunzi sighed. "Heaven’s will, I suppose. Did you memorize the patterns of those law-formed lights?"

"Somewhat."

Excitement flashed in Tian Yunzi’s eyes. "Recreate them! Even partial patterns could prove valuable."

Ye Yun’s fingers danced, weaving a glowing net of light strands. "This is roughly how it looked."

Tian Yunzi studied the projection intently. "Marvelous! The spatial configurations alone surpass anything I’ve conceived. Truly an immortal-grade array!"

Internally smirking, Ye Yun knew his replica contained crucial flaws. Though 90% accurate, the altered 10% ensured nobody could truly recreate the Minor Cosmic Light Array. Let Tian Yunzi study these fake patterns – it kept him from suspecting the truth.

"Master," Ye Yun ventured, "won’t Palace Master Yu notice the array’s destruction?"

Tian Yunzi waved dismissively. "Yu Qingzhi’s controlled the Burning Divine Platform for years without grasping its secrets. With the Saint’s Vault opening soon, she won’t investigate."

As they flew westward at thunderous speeds, Ye Yun asked why they didn’t use Misty Sect’s teleportation array.

"Old Hua’s friendship doesn’t extend to trusting his arrays," Tian Yunzi snorted. "Besides…" He tapped his temple. "The activation method resides here. Without me, no one opens the vault."

After day’s journey, they arrived at a crowded mountainside. Before them floated a translucent structure shimmering like heat haze.

"That’s it?" Ye Yun whispered. "Built within space itself?"

In his mind, Ancestor of the Sword Path rumbled, "No ordinary saint could achieve this. The creator must’ve neared Immortal Realm ascension."

Ye Yun’s eyes hardened. Whether this was truly the Immortal Sword Sect’s legacy mattered little. If it contained soul-healing methods, he’d claim them.