After walking for another quarter of an hour, the group stopped in front of an inconspicuous black door. They had finally arrived at the Qin family's treasure vault.

Nie Yuan looked at it, feeling somewhat puzzled. The door to the Qin family's treasure vault seemed too shabby for the wealthiest family in the Great Zhou Divine Dynasty. Could it be that they had been tricked into coming to a fake vault?

"Senior Shi Meng, young friend, this is our Qin family's treasure vault," Qin Tianba said, pointing to the plain stone door in front of them. "Please follow me."

With that, Qin Tianba glanced at Qin Changshou, who immediately understood. He took out a token from his pocket, stepped forward, and inserted it into a slot on the wall.

Click! The sound of mechanisms turning and arrays activating echoed as the black door slowly rose, revealing a darker passage behind it.

Qin Tianba condensed energy in his hand and flicked a finger, sending a beam of light inside. Instantly, flames lit up on the walls, illuminating the dark passage.

It still looked rather unremarkable.

The group followed Qin Tianba for a while longer, stopping in front of another stone door—this one grand and imposing. Now, this looked more like the entrance to a treasure vault.

Qin Tianba formed a complex hand seal with one hand and then slapped it onto the stone door.

Click! Again, the sound of mechanisms and arrays activating filled the air as the stone door slowly opened, revealing the true appearance of the Qin family's treasure vault.

Nie Yuan was utterly stunned by what he saw. His jaw nearly dropped to the ground. This wasn't just a vault; it was more like a home built inside a mine. The space inside was enormous, almost as large as the Qin family's entire estate.

The interior was chaotic, not because of clutter, but because there were simply too many treasures to organize properly.

At a glance, Nie Yuan couldn't help but marvel and sigh. The Qin family's treasure vault was so extravagant that even the least valuable items were gold bricks. There wasn't a single piece of silver in sight.

Gold bricks, jade artifacts, magical weapons—everything was there. The opulence was beyond description. Nie Yuan had never seen so many treasures in one place before.

"Changshou, how many times have I told you? These bricks don't need to be kept in the vault. It's already messy enough without them getting in the way. Later, throw all these bricks out," Qin Tianba said with a look of disdain, casually kicking aside one of the bricks. The other Qin family members shared the same sentiment, also kicking the bricks at their feet.

These weren't ordinary bricks; they were made of pure gold, each weighing several dozen pounds.

The sheer extravagance was almost inhuman.

"Senior, follow me. The things at the entrance are just trivial items. The real treasures are further inside," Qin Tianba said, leading the group deeper into the vault.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Nie Yuan clicked his tongue in amazement as he walked, looking around at the so-called "trivial items" that the Qin family dismissed. If anyone else had said such things, they would have been accused of showing off and beaten to death.

Every single item here would be highly coveted if placed outside.

The vault was enormous, filled to the brim with all kinds of treasures. As they walked, Nie Yuan couldn't help but drool at the sight.

Meng Xian shot him a disdainful look, her face filled with undisguised contempt. She thought to herself, "So easily impressed by such trivial things. Back in my day, my treasure vault was… well, never mind. No need to boast about the past."

"Senior Shi Meng, young friend Xuanshou, this area contains the most precious treasures of our Qin family. Feel free to take whatever you like," Qin Tianba said generously.

Since even the Qin family considered these items precious, they must be extraordinary. Nie Yuan's eyes were nearly blinded by the dazzling golden light.

"I want… that thing," Nie Yuan said, eyeing a high-quality weapon. Just as he was about to claim it without hesitation, Meng Xian's voice echoed in his mind, instructing him to choose a different treasure.

"Young friend has a good eye. This blade was something I found in a demonic ruin when I was young. It's a human treasure, capable of splitting mountains and parting seas. When used correctly, it can significantly enhance one's combat power," Qin Tianba said with a hearty laugh. With a wave of his hand, a Demon-Slaying Blade floated out from among the pile of treasures.

"Senior, not this one. I want that one," Nie Yuan shook his head and said.

"This one?" Qin Tianba pulled out a longsword from beside the Demon-Slaying Blade. "This sword is also a rare treasure. Legend has it that it was forged by a powerful figure who reached the Heaven-Shattering Realm, using a strand of star power. It's even more powerful than the Demon-Slaying Blade."

"Senior, wrong again. I don't want this either. I want that," Nie Yuan shook his head again, pointing to a small, unremarkable lion statue next to the sword and blade.

"Hmm?" Qin Tianba followed Nie Yuan's finger and looked at the statue, his face showing a hint of confusion. He turned to Qin Changshou and said, "Son, have you lost your mind? Why is this piece of trash in here? The vault is already full, and you throw in this garbage? What's the meaning of this?"

Qin Changshou was equally baffled by his father's scolding. As the current head of the Qin family, he had a good grasp of the treasures in the vault, and he certainly hadn't ordered this piece of trash to be placed here.

Qin Tianba then turned back to Nie Yuan and laughed, "Young friend Xuanshou, let's not take this trash. If you like this style, I'll have someone make you ten or twenty thousand of them later. Let's continue picking out treasures."

"Thank you, senior, but I really want that small statue," Nie Yuan insisted.

This item was something Meng Xian had her eyes on, so it must be an extraordinary treasure, more valuable than anything else in the vault. Otherwise, why would Meng Xian choose this small statue over the Demon-Slaying Blade, the Star Sword, or any other treasure?

Qin Tianba's expression became troubled. Honestly, he didn't want to give it away, not because it was valuable, but because in his eyes, it was just a piece of trash—something he wouldn't even bother picking up if he dropped it on the street.

If word got out that the Qin family had given their benefactor a piece of trash, how could they ever show their faces in the imperial capital again?

"Young friend, how about we choose something else? The Qin family's vault has many treasures, some even more precious than the Demon-Slaying Blade and the Star Sword. Why don't you reconsider?" Qin Tianba suggested.

"Thank you for your kindness, senior, but I still want that statue," Nie Yuan replied firmly.

Seeing Nie Yuan's determination, Qin Tianba finally relented, "Since the young friend has taken a liking to it, this item is yours."

With that, Qin Tianba waved his hand, and the lion statue floated out from the pile of treasures, hovering in front of Nie Yuan.

Nie Yuan reached out and took it, carefully examining the statue that Meng Xian had chosen.

The statue was small, small enough to hold in one hand. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple carving made from ordinary stone.

But Nie Yuan was convinced it was a treasure because he trusted Meng Xian completely. Moreover, he knew one ironclad rule: the more powerful a treasure, the more unremarkable it looked. This was a lesson he had learned from years of treasure hunting.

After storing the statue in his spatial ring, Nie Yuan looked up and met Qin Tianba's deep, penetrating gaze.