Chapter 124: In Search of Wisteria (Part Two)

"Very well." Since Ling'er had spoken, Lin Yanghao could not refuse and had no choice but to agree. He knew Ling'er would never harm him, so he gritted his teeth and pressed forward. As he ventured deeper, a subtle sense of unease began to stir within him. Before long, he reached the depths of the Thousand Saint Swamp.

"Could this be the place?" He noticed several purple vines growing along the edge of a cliff. Lin Yanghao immediately associated them with the Wisteria.

"Of course not; those are just common weeds," Ling'er chuckled softly. Before Lin Yanghao could respond, she continued, "Although it is called Wisteria, its form is not that of a vine. The Wisteria is actually a flower that is entirely purple."

Lin Yanghao smiled awkwardly and resumed scanning his surroundings with his divine sense. To his surprise, while he did not find the Wisteria, he did detect a cultivator. It seemed highly likely that this person was also here for the treasure.

"Wait, he is a demonic cultivator." Upon closer inspection, Lin Yanghao realized this was no ordinary practitioner; the aura of demonic energy radiating from him was unmistakable. The demonic cultivator had naturally spotted Lin Yanghao as well.

"And here I thought who it might be—just a mere Foundation Establishment stage cultivator," the demonic cultivator laughed. His favorite pastime was killing others to seize their treasures, and Foundation Establishment cultivators were his primary targets. Seeing Lin Yanghao alone, he had no intention of letting him go.

"Boy, you're unlucky to have run into me. Any last words?" Lan Hui said bluntly, having no desire to waste breath on small talk. He had heard rumors of a treasure appearing here and had come to try his luck, hoping for a windfall.

"We are strangers; why do you say such things?" Lin Yanghao had already guessed the man's intent—it was clearly a case of murder for plunder. However, considering the man's Core Formation stage cultivation, Lin Yanghao did not act rashly. He had fought demonic practitioners before and knew they were significantly more formidable than righteous cultivators. While he could barely hold his own against a Nascent Soul practitioner, he was not confident in facing a Core Formation demonic cultivator.

"Hmph, don't play dumb. Hand over your storage ring, and I might just spare your life," Lan Hui said, glaring coldly.

It was clear there was no room for negotiation. Lin Yanghao was not one to shy away from trouble, and since this fellow harbored ill intent, who would emerge the victor remained to be seen.

Lin Yanghao invoked his Divine Strike Technique. Relying on the assistance of his Ghostly Wanderer Footwork, he was confident he would not be at a disadvantage. Lan Hui, unwilling to fall behind, charged forward with his sword. The blade flickered with chilling, murderous intent—a sign of the countless innocent lives he had claimed. *Today,* Lin Yanghao thought, *I shall act in the name of justice.*

Thanks to his Ghostly Wanderer Footwork, Lin Yanghao easily evaded Lan Hui’s initial strike. Before he could react, however, two more sword beams descended. Caught off guard, Lin Yanghao managed to draw his Red Spirit Sword in the nick of time, successfully blocking the attacks. He let out a sigh of relief; a high-grade spirit tool truly lived up to its reputation.

Lan Hui, meanwhile, stared at the Red Spirit Sword in Lin Yanghao’s hand with intense greed, itching to snatch it away.

"Hmph, are you done? Now it’s my turn." No sooner had he spoken than Lin Yanghao utilized his unique footwork to unleash dozens of fireballs in an instant. True to his Core Formation stage, Lan Hui intercepted most of them within moments. As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot; Lin Yanghao immediately lunged at Lan Hui with his sword.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!* Three loud echoes rang out as the Red Spirit Sword struck Lan Hui. The demonic cultivator was shocked—how could such a young man master sword control to this degree? "It seems I underestimated him," Lan Hui thought, finally discarding his arrogance. Having been struck three times, he had sustained minor injuries. Being toyed with by a Foundation Establishment cultivator infuriated him.

"A Core Formation demonic cultivator is nothing special," Lin Yanghao said with a sneer, pressing the attack.

"I did indeed underestimate you just now, but now you shall taste the power of my Thousand-Soul Banner!" Having lost face to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Lan Hui felt his reputation in the cultivation world was at stake. He was now determined to kill Lin Yanghao at any cost.

Soul Banners were crafted from the living souls of humans and were among the most common artifacts used by demonic practitioners. They were categorized into Hundred-Soul, Thousand-Soul, and Ten-Thousand-Soul Banners. The strength of a banner depended on the number of souls it contained. A Hundred-Soul Banner required the collection of hundreds of souls and was difficult to refine. The Thousand and Ten-Thousand-Soul Banners were even more demanding; beyond the raw quantity of souls, they required a "master soul"—a primary spirit of a powerful cultivator who had possessed at least Nascent Soul cultivation in life.

Lan Hui’s banner, despite its name, lacked a master soul, which significantly diminished its power. Most of the souls within it were merely from the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages, further diluting its potency. Even so, Lan Hui felt that using it against Lin Yanghao was overkill—it was an honor for the boy to become part of his banner.

*Woooo-hahaha! Woooo-hahahaha!* A series of eerie cackles echoed, making Lin Yanghao shiver. Chilling winds rose, and shadowy figures flickered before his eyes. This was the work of the Thousand-Soul Banner. Lin Yanghao felt a chill in his heart; the artifact was indeed formidable.

"Lin Yanghao, steady your mind! Do not let these souls bewitch you, or you will become one of them," Ling'er warned urgently.

"Don't worry, I won't be swayed by such things," Lin Yanghao replied with a cold laugh. "Disperse!" He swung his Red Spirit Sword, and with a single strike, the chilling winds and the phantoms vanished into thin air. The Thousand-Soul Banner had been shattered.

*Pfft!* Lan Hui spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Lin Yanghao in stunned, prolonged silence. *Is there really such a monstrous cultivator in the world? How have I never heard of him?*