Chapter 125: Seeking the Wisteria (Part Two)

The Thousand-Soul Banner was connected to Lan Hui’s mind; now that Lin Yanghao had shattered it, Lan Hui naturally suffered the consequences and was severely wounded.

At this moment, Lan Hui could not even spare a thought for the banner. He turned and prepared to flee. It was clear that he was no match for his opponent; staying would only lead to certain death.

How could Lin Yanghao let him leave so easily? With a wicked chuckle, he said, "Want to leave? It’s not that simple. You had better stay right where you are."

No sooner had he spoken than Lin Yanghao unleashed his "Ghostly Wanderer Steps" and gave chase at high speed. The result was predictable; Lan Hui had not run far before he was overtaken.

"You said it yourself—we have no grudges between us. Why don't you be the bigger person and let me go?" Looking at Lin Yanghao’s peculiar movement technique, Lan Hui knew his hope of escaping was gone. He simply stopped running and spoke to Lin Yanghao.

This boy wielded a high-grade spiritual weapon and possessed several strange and mysterious techniques. It seemed his background was extraordinary; he was likely from a major sect. At this thought, cold sweat drenched Lan Hui. Why was he so unlucky? Setting aside the fact that he had lost, even if he had successfully killed him and seized his treasures, what if the boy's sect elders found out? Wouldn't he face a miserable death? There were no walls without cracks in the world of cultivation, and cultivators possessed all sorts of bizarre abilities. It was highly probable he would not escape retribution. The thought terrified him, and he found himself in a dilemma, completely at a loss.

"Give me your storage ring," Lin Yanghao demanded. *He dared to try and rob me earlier? Now, I’ll let you taste what that feels like.*

Although Lan Hui had anticipated this, he still looked pained when the moment came to hand it over. "Hurry up. Don't drag your feet—do you want me to take it by force?"

With a heart full of regret, Lan Hui handed the storage ring to Lin Yanghao. It contained the accumulation of years of his work, filled with the spoils taken from countless other cultivators. Losing it felt like losing half his life; he stood there listless, as if his soul had left his body.

"Fellow Daoist, you have my ring now—can you let me go?" Lan Hui asked helplessly, fearing that Lin Yanghao might renege on his word. After all, killing people and seizing treasures was common in the cultivation world, especially since he had failed to do so and ended up being the one robbed.

Lin Yanghao smiled coldly. *Only a fool would let you go.* He understood the danger of sparing a tiger to let it return to the mountains.

Leaving the roots behind would only allow the spring breeze to bring them back to life. Lin Yanghao would not leave any hidden threats for himself. However, he decided to open the storage ring first to check its contents. If something were wrong, who would he complain to if Lan Hui were already dead? That would be truly tragic.

"Remove your mental imprint," Lin Yanghao said, realizing the ring was still bound to Lan Hui’s consciousness. Unless the man were dead, it would be difficult for him to open it with his current strength.

"Very well." With a resigned sigh, Lan Hui had no choice but to remove the imprint. After all, his life was in the other's hands.

Lin Yanghao took the ring and scanned it with his divine sense without hesitation. *Holy cow!* He exclaimed in surprise; this guy's wealth was almost on par with his own. He had only reached his current level of wealth by ransacking the Heavenly Martial Sect. How many cultivators had Lan Hui robbed to amass such a fortune? A wave of ecstasy washed over him. From this moment on, everything in this ring belonged to him. It was a windfall, and Lin Yanghao could not help but be thrilled. *Is killing and robbing really this profitable? No wonder everyone in the cultivation world wants to do it—it's a great way to make money.*

The ring contained over a hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones and a few high-grade ones. Besides those, there were several mid-grade spirit weapons and some common medicinal pills. While there were a few high-grade spirit weapons, they were of the most common variety. Spiritual artifacts varied in quality; a common high-grade one might cost a few thousand spirit stones, while precious ones could go for tens or even hundreds of thousands. These, unfortunately for the original owner, were all of the common sort. Still, Lin Yanghao was easily satisfied and was content with what he had gained.

Suddenly, a few purple flowers in the corner caught his attention. It felt as if some hidden force were guiding him; the flowers seemed incredibly familiar, though he couldn't recall where he had seen them.

Purple flowers... they were identical to the "Purple Vine" that Ling'er had described to him.

"Ling'er, look, what is this?" Lin Yanghao took the flowers out to show her, as she, being a spirit tool, could not perceive the contents of the ring directly.

When Lan Hui saw him pull out these purple flowers—something he himself had never understood—he was stunned. *Could these flowers actually be a treasure?*

It turned out that Lan Hui had stumbled upon a massive cave and, driven by curiosity, went inside to investigate. He was immediately swarmed by hundreds of spirit beasts, each possessing mid-grade strength. At the time, he had been in despair, thinking he was surely dead. However, he soon realized these beasts were weak for their level, possessing only the cultivation realm but none of the true power. He had assumed that since so many beasts were guarding the area, there must be an incredible treasure hidden within. He had searched the entire cave with great difficulty, only to find nothing but these purple flowers growing in the depths.

Thinking he couldn't leave empty-handed after such an ordeal, he had hastily plucked them. He had noticed at the time that the beasts became even more ferocious when the flowers were taken, but he hadn't cared, having fled in a panic. He had guessed that the flowers were what the beasts were protecting, but he had never heard of such a thing. He had tucked them into his storage ring, sensing they were something extraordinary.

"This is a Purple Vine. Where did you get it?" Ling'er asked in surprise. She had just seen him fighting; it wasn't as if the vine had fallen from the sky, was it?