CHAPTER 396: CHAPTER 393: THE FATED ONE OBTAINS IT

"Stay here obediently and wait for me to come back."

Lin Fan instructed the little girl. Bringing her along wouldn’t be convenient, so leaving her here was better.

Outside the city.

The three of them were sneaky, making every effort to suppress their own aura. War King and the others were in the distance, and the three followed the trail of War King’s aura all the way.

"I have a method to conceal our aura completely. They absolutely won’t detect us; we can get closer."

Qin Yang pinched his fingers into a spell, forming three light barriers that enveloped them. Their aura was indeed entirely suppressed afterward.

"Strange... where on earth are they going?" Qin Yang murmured.

Even if he racked his brains, he couldn’t figure it out. Besides, they’d already flown far enough. If there was really something valuable, there wouldn’t be a need to leave the city.

Lin Fan said, "Just follow them. Based on my guess, they’ve probably discovered a treasure vault. Of course, only their three auras together can unlock it; it’s indispensable."

"How do you know?" Qin Yang asked, feeling it was improbable. Why did Lin Fan always seem so competent, as if he knew everything?

Lin Fan smirked mysteriously. "I’m just guessing."

He could only say he was guessing, naturally.

Otherwise, what could he say? If not this, would the three of them be out wandering or preparing for some sort of bizarre encounter?

Qin Yang felt Lin Fan was bragging again.

Forget it.

For the sake of the help from earlier, I won’t call him out.

"Pay attention—they’ve stopped moving. It might be the destination, or they might have detected us."

Xiang Fei focused on observing the situation in the distance. They were following acclaimed geniuses of the current era; a single mistake could lead to detection. Even though Qin Yang boasted about his exclusive secret technique, Xiang Fei still had his doubts.

"There’s no way they’d detect us. Do you really think my secret technique is a joke? A skill handed down from an Immortal Venerable Family can’t be so simple."

Qin Yang was supremely confident.

Other doubts might arise, but not about anything from his own family—and certainly not this.

In the distance.

War King, Wang Jun, and Dream Fairy stood above a mountain, surveying the surroundings with puzzled expressions.

"Is the Immortal Emperor’s Treasure Vault really here?" Wang Jun asked doubtfully.

This area had three mountains, picturesque and lush, but nothing particularly remarkable. An ordinary person passing through might simply praise the beauty of the scenery.

He had heard of treasure vaults’ locations before.

They were always perilous beyond measure.

And invariably in places ordinary people wouldn’t dare venture.

Dream Fairy replied, "It should be true. The key’s hints pointed to this place."

War King, who had been impatient all along, said, "Take out the key—we’ll know soon enough whether it’s real or not."

"Alright."

The three acted together. Three fragments floated into the air, joining into one key. Suddenly, the key burst out with a dazzling beam, piercing through the Void to create a rift—a pathway appeared in the emptiness.

Seeing the pathway, their eyes burned with anticipation, and they quickly charged inside without hesitation.

"Let’s move—follow them!"

Lin Fan and the others sprang into motion, chasing after them and stepping into the rift.

Qin Yang remarked, "What kind of genius hides a treasure vault’s pathway here? They’re daring—aren’t they worried ancient experts will notice?"

Maybe the most inconspicuous places are actually the safest.

Ancient experts who master spatial arts can easily detect spatial anomalies. Because of this, many people have set up treasure vaults, believing they were well-prepared, only to have those truly skilled in space rip it apart bare-handed, with no need for keys, and loot it clean.

In an instant.

The scenery before them vanished, replaced by a peculiar space.

Lin Fan hoped the Immortal Emperors wouldn’t play too many tricks. If it’s a treasure vault, let it all be treasures—please stop with the traps; they’re boring.

Take the stuff he’d acquired earlier as an example.

Were those things even humane?

They were downright beastly, designed purely to deceive. One Eternal Immortal Venerable, for instance, had made him so wary he hadn’t dared to refine the Eternal Divine Furnace yet.

War King and the others entered the vault, blissfully unaware that someone was tailing them.

Interestingly, the area they reached differed from where Lin Fan and his group emerged.

Very quickly.

Lin Fan and the others could clearly see their surroundings.

"Wow! Such a huge Immortal Stone! No wonder it’s a treasure vault," Qin Yang exclaimed. They hadn’t wandered far before spotting an Immortal Stone.

Xiang Fei was equally stunned—perhaps he’d underestimated how wealthy this place was.

"Stop gawking. Judging by the environment, this is clearly a vault belonging to an ancient expert. If this Immortal Stone amazes you, the treasures further ahead might be downright terrifying! Grab it quickly, then let’s push deeper inside. Don’t forget we’re not the first ones here; someone else is ahead."

Lin Fan waved his sleeve, swiftly collecting the Immortal Stone.

"Don’t bother with these trifles."

"These aren’t the true treasures; the real ones always lie deeper within."

From experience, he knew that greed for minor things often resulted in missing out on grand treasures. Better to ignore the small stuff and aim for the ultimate secret treasure.

Soon.

A stone door blocked their path.

"Hmm, strange... this stone door hasn’t been opened. So, how did they get through? Or perhaps everyone ended up in different places, entering through alternate entry points?"

Lin Fan pondered deeply but couldn’t grasp the logic.

Soon enough, though.

Understanding dawned on him.

"How did you lot get in here?"

War King’s face changed drastically upon seeing Lin Fan’s group—it was as if he hadn’t anticipated their presence. His gaze snapped to Dream Fairy and Wang Jun.

He seemed to suspect they might have secretly notified Lin Fan and the others, hoping for an advantage in gathering treasures from the Immortal Emperor’s Vault.

Lin Fan asked, "Don’t tell me you’ve been lagging because you’re looting all the treasures you encountered along the way?"

The way the three of them looked suggested that was highly likely.

To be fair, it made sense.

They probably assumed they were the sole entrants into the vault, so they took their sweet time exploring.

Qin Yang’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he said, "Brother Wang Jun, didn’t you say you’d stall them? How come they’re here so soon, and we haven’t gone inside yet?"

Swish!

War King shot a glare at Wang Jun, who erupted furiously. "Qin Yang, you scoundrel—stop slandering me with nonsense!"

"Oh, right—my mistake. We haven’t picked up any treasures yet; how could I be so mistaken?" Qin Yang feigned innocence.

"Enough!" War King roared angrily. "Qin Yang, don’t think someone can protect you forever. This vault was discovered by the three of us. You barged in uninvited—I’ll let this slide if you leave immediately."

Of course, he didn’t believe Qin Yang’s nonsense.

He simply had not realized they’d been tracked inside.

"Wow, War King, you’re shameless. This place happens to be my ancestral tomb, yet you trespassed. Aren’t you afraid my Immortal Venerable Family will make trouble for you?"

"Digging up our ancestral tomb is a death sentence."

Qin Yang cursed emphatically. Since they were already on bad terms, a little more antagonism wouldn’t hurt—especially with Lin Fan on his side for now. As for the future? Once he returned, replenished with Immortal Treasures, who could touch him?

"Qin Yang, this is indeed the Immortal Emperor’s Treasure Vault we three discovered—not your Qin Family’s ancestral tomb," Dream Fairy remarked.

Qin Yang’s tone shifted instantly upon seeing Dream Fairy. "If Dream Fairy says it isn’t, then it isn’t. How about joining us instead? Any treasures found in the vault will belong entirely to you—I won’t keep a single one."

"It’s for your safety, after all. Those two aren’t trustworthy. If you find something precious, they’ll surely act ruthlessly. If anything happens to you, it’d break my heart."

Qin Yang was desperate to join forces with Dream Fairy, dragging War King and Wang Jun through the mud in the process.

"I’d love to tear that mouth of yours apart," War King snarled furiously.

Lin Fan had initially planned to stealthily outpace the others and snatch up the treasures ahead of them, but clearly, that was no longer possible.

"Honored friends, treasures are destined for those with fate. Our ability to enter this vault proves we share a connection with it. If you insist on fighting us here, I won’t claim much else—but I can promise this: none of us will gain anything."

He spoke calmly, yet his tone carried unmistakable confidence.

War King and Dream Fairy exchanged glances.

"Quite the poetic sentiment about destiny. Fine, let’s compete fairly for the treasures. At least here we can avoid fighting among the six of us and focus solely on the treasure hunt."

They had worked tirelessly to acquire the Immortal Emperor’s Vault key.

Leaving empty-handed was not an option.

Fighting within the vault was folly.

In that case.

Let fate decide.

"Alright, everyone seeks their own Immortal destiny," Lin Fan agreed.

Though confident he could overpower War King, such feats wouldn’t be immediate. During their previous clash in the city, he had won due to War King’s complacency. If taken seriously, the outcome remained uncertain.

Fighting here could trigger restrictions, leaving everyone with nothing.

Rumble!

The moment the stone door swung open, War King and the others darted inside hastily.

"Such audacity! Lin Fan, let’s hurry—they’re running off!" Qin Yang shouted hatefully. It was downright shameless how swift they were—no time to react.

Lin Fan waved his hand. "No rush—speed doesn’t guarantee treasure. Based on my understanding of these ancient experts, they never make it easy to claim Immortal Treasures."

Though the vault belonged to an Immortal Emperor, its creator was definitely a cunning individual.

If not outright sinister.

At the very least, expect a bit of fun—a trial to spice things up.

The fact that the key had been split into three parts was proof enough. Surely, it was intended to spark conflict among the holders.

Qin Yang pondered it thoughtfully, finding Lin Fan’s explanation plausible. But how did he know all this? Recalling how Lin Fan had predicted the treasure vault earlier, Qin Yang felt Lin Fan possessed some mysterious foresight.

Otherwise, how could his guesses always hit the mark?

"Wow, it’s truly remarkable. Immortal Emperors indeed live up to their name—the craftsmanship here is astounding."

Lin Fan marveled.

The sight before them resembled a cosmic galaxy. Dim yet vast, the way ahead invisible amidst the black expanse. Starlight flickered, offering faint illumination. If trapped within, one might never find the way out.