Chapter 173: Awe-Struck Crowd—The Final Ancient Secret Key's Fate!
Silence!
A deathly stillness blanketed the plaza.
In the blink of an eye, the entire square had fallen into utter silence.
Everyone had been completely stunned by the shocking scene they had just witnessed.
Mountainbreaker Axe Jiang Shan and Beast Fist Mu Shou—two of the Four Overlords of the Northwest Region—were famed across the land, having earned their reputations through sheer strength.
Even elite figures like Liu Bai and Yan Sen couldn't claim to have absolute confidence against either of them.
Yet now, the two of them had joined forces… and still been obliterated by one strike from Lin Fan!
How could this not send shockwaves through the crowd?
Then—an uproar erupted!
"This… how is this even possible?!"
"Jiang Shan and Mu Shou were both at the peak of the Two Yuan Nirvana stage, already capable of challenging the third tribulation! And yet, they were no match for Lin Fan?"
"Just how strong is Lin Fan? Three Yuan Nirvana? Four? Even higher?!"
"And to think he came from a low-tier dynasty... for someone like that to rise to this level is absolutely insane!"
"Looks like we can forget about the Four Profound Sect legacies now…"
"But wait, Lin Fan's group only has three people—there's still one Ancient Secret Key unaccounted for. What will he do with it?"
…
Lin Fan, however, ignored the buzz. After killing Jiang Shan and Mu Shou, he calmly collected their spatial pouches.
Inside, there were nearly ten million Nirvana Pills combined, not to mention Earth-tier spirit treasures and other rare items—a tidy haul.
After inspecting them briefly, Lin Fan swept his gaze across the crowd and said mildly:
"Anyone else want to try and take my Ancient Secret Key?"
The expressions of the surrounding cultivators shifted. No one dared meet his eyes.
"Heh, Brother Lin Fan, you're truly extraordinary. In the Northwest Region, your strength is now undisputed. Without a doubt, your name will be on the Nirvana Rankings,"
Liu Bai said with a smile after a long silence.
Liu Bai had never shown any hostility toward Lin Fan. Lin Fan smiled back politely.
"Brother Liu Bai flatters me. The Ancient Battlefield is full of hidden experts—who knows what kind of monsters are still lurking."
"Perhaps…" Liu Bai chuckled, then paused briefly before continuing:
"Brother Lin Fan, since you have four Ancient Secret Keys but only three people… would you consider parting with one? We're willing to offer a fair price."
He quickly added,
"Of course, if you're not interested, just pretend I never said anything."
Even someone as proud as Liu Bai had to tread carefully with someone as dangerous as Lin Fan.
Shua!
Hearing Liu Bai's words, many cultivators suddenly perked up.
He was right—why fight for the extra key when they could try trading?
"Brother Lin Fan, I'd also be willing to trade for a key,"
came a voice from the crowd.
More and more people began to chime in, even Yan Sen stepped forward with a similar proposal.
After witnessing Lin Fan's brutal display of strength, no one dared to challenge him for the key.
Trading was the only logical choice.
Lin Fan thought for a moment, then looked at Lin Dong.
"Ask Xiao Diao if he needs the key."
"Tell Lin Fan, thanks for the thought, but no. I'm from the Heavenly Demon Marten Clan—we have our own legacy. This inheritance is useless to me,"
Xiao Diao replied in Lin Dong's mind.
Even though he declined, Xiao Diao was still moved by Lin Fan's consideration.
Lin Dong nodded and said aloud, "Xiao Diao says he doesn't need it."
No one else knew who "Xiao Diao" was, and they all grew tense, unsure how Lin Fan would respond.
But when Lin Dong spoke, they collectively let out a breath of relief.
Lin Fan's eyes swept the crowd again. With a smile, he said,
"There's only one key, and too many of you. So let's make it simple—highest bidder wins."
No one objected.
Thus, the bidding began. The plaza quickly turned into an open-air auction filled with competitive offers.
In the end, Liu Bai and his group—thanks to their deep resources—came out on top.
Pooling their resources, they offered fifteen million Nirvana Pills and three Earth-tier spirit treasures.
"Much appreciated, Brother Liu Bai," Lin Fan said with a smile, accepting the offered spatial pouch and handing over one Ancient Secret Key.
Liu Bai laughed, "No, no—thank you, Brother Lin Fan."
Mu Hongling fluttered her eyes and teased,
"Little Brother Lin Fan, you really never stop surprising us. This time, you even drained big sister dry."
Cough!
Lin Fan awkwardly rubbed his nose, "Miss Mu, those words… are a bit misleading."
"Ugh! All men are the same!"
Mu Hongling blinked, then realized the double meaning and shot him a glare before hiding behind Liu Bai.
"Let's get on with it, Brother Lin Fan,"
Liu Bai said with a smile, then raised his hand.
The key in his palm emitted beams of light.
As the key began to glow, the bronze door—long sealed despite countless efforts to open it—finally responded. Faint lines of energy shimmered across its surface.
Buzz!
The Ancient Secret Key slowly floated up from Liu Bai's hand, its light growing brighter. Finally, it formed a radiant rune that embedded itself into the door.
CRACK!
With a thunderous groan, the long-sealed bronze gate slowly opened.
"Heh, looks like my key matches this door. We'll be going in first. If fate allows, let's meet again inside,"
Liu Bai smiled, then activated the key once more. A glowing barrier enveloped his group, and with a whoosh, they vanished into the gate.
Creaaaak!
Once they entered, the gate slammed shut again, leaving the others behind with a mix of awe and disappointment.
"Let's go too,"
Lin Fan said to Lin Dong and Xiao Yan.
They nodded, each taking out an Ancient Secret Key.
All three keys began to glow as they activated, triggering their own bronze gates.
Buzz!
Light surrounded them, lifting their bodies and pulling them toward the respective gates.
But just as they began to ascend, dozens of cultivators—eyes red with greed—rushed toward the gates, unable to suppress their desire any longer.
BOOM!
Before they could get close, every one of them exploded into a mist of blood.
Seeing this, the rest of the crowd finally gave up any thoughts of sneaking in.
They could only watch as Lin Fan, Lin Dong, and Xiao Yan entered the bronze gates.
With a deep groan, the gates slowly sealed once more, ancient and unshakable… as though they had never opened.
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