Chapter Thirteen: Spiritual Herbs

“You needn’t worry about that, Brother Wu. Since we’re all here, it’s only natural that the treasures within the cave will go to those with the skill to claim them. Soon, we’ll see who truly has the ability,” Yang Xiao retorted without the slightest courtesy.

“Wu Li, it seems even your standing in the Giant Spirit Sect isn’t much to speak of—you can’t even keep two junior brothers in line,” a few disciples from the Hundred Marks Sect jeered, amused by Yang Xiao’s rebuttal.

Wu Li’s face darkened instantly, resentment boiling within him. “Yang Xiao, you brazenly undermine me and make me look like a fool. Just you wait—this isn’t the Giant Spirit Sect. When the time comes, I’ll make sure you pay for this,” he fumed to himself. Outwardly, however, he only forced a strained smile toward the Hundred Marks Sect disciples and said, “You’ve had your laugh, brothers. These two are indeed unruly, but I’ll deal with them once we return. For now, we’re at a critical moment in breaking this formation—let’s focus on that and not get distracted by other matters.”

A sharp-faced, monkey-like cultivator from the Hundred Marks Sect snickered. “Brother Wu is right—breaking the formation is what matters. It’s hard enough to unravel this Four-Quadrant Array with just one or two people. Only by joining forces can we dismantle it. Once it’s broken, we can divide the treasures within equally, can’t we?”

Clearly, this sharp-faced cultivator was the senior among them, and as soon as he spoke, the others echoed their agreement. The few rogue cultivators present also nodded in approval.

With over a dozen people attacking together, the cave’s grand array—already damaged—was now tottering on the verge of collapse.

“Brother He, pay no mind to the others. Just follow me when the time comes. I guarantee we’ll be the ones to claim the finest treasures inside,” Yang Xiao said, leaping toward one side of the cave. He Ming, though puzzled, followed closely at his heels.

Soon, the two of them circled around Wu Li and the others, arriving at the side of the formation. Yang Xiao observed the perimeter for a moment, quickly identifying a flaw, then slipped inside. He Ming, though mystified by Yang Xiao’s discovery, didn’t ask questions and followed him in.

The array guarding this ancient cultivator’s cave wasn’t particularly advanced—strictly speaking, it was merely a protective barrier. At some point, a hairline crack had appeared on one side, making entry easy if one found it. The crack was so fine that it would escape all but the most careful inspection—explaining why Wu Li and the others hadn’t noticed it.

With memories from his past life, Yang Xiao was intimately familiar with the cave’s restrictions. This was why he dared seek treasure here and openly defy Wu Li.

“How can this be? The formation is damaged on the side—you can walk right in! All our time and effort has been wasted. Damn it! How did Yang Xiao find out?” Wu Li raged, but there was no time to dwell; he hurried to the spot where Yang Xiao had entered and slipped in himself, fearing the best treasures would otherwise be taken.

“What should we do, Young Master?” one Hundred Marks Sect disciple asked the sharp-faced youth—who was in fact the sect’s young master, Huang Li.

Huang Li shot a venomous glare at the spot Yang Xiao and the others had entered, his tone grim. “Let’s go in through the crack as well—no way we let those Giant Spirit brats have all the luck.” He led the charge, the Hundred Marks Sect disciples close behind, followed by the rogue cultivators.

Once inside, Yang Xiao and He Ming twisted and turned through the array, soon finding their way into a cave hall.

Thanks to his past-life knowledge, Yang Xiao knew all the cave’s restrictions by heart. The outer barrier was only the first of several layers; along the path—and even within the cave—there were multiple traps. Only by following a narrow, winding trail could one pass safely. Stray off even slightly, and the restriction would be triggered, unleashing a sudden, deadly attack.

Yang Xiao and He Ming moved through unscathed, but those following weren’t so lucky. Before long, the screams of two unfortunates echoed behind them—victims of the array’s merciless defense.

Safely ahead, Yang Xiao and He Ming entered a spacious hall, dozens of yards wide, its floor thick with all manner of herbs.

“These plants—though I don’t recognize many—radiate the aura of rare spirit herbs. Brother, how did you know the way here?” He Ming’s delight quickly shifted to curiosity.

“Let’s talk later. Gather as many valuable ones as you can—we’ll take what we can carry, and I’ll explain everything once we’re out,” Yang Xiao replied, surveying the trove of herbs.

“Right, no need to think about anything else. With such fine spirit herbs, we’d be fools not to grab what we can,” He Ming said, grinning ear to ear as he took out his storage pouch and began gathering the oldest, most precious specimens.

“Cave Flute Flower, Resounding Tail Grass—just what I needed,” Yang Xiao thought, instantly recognizing two vital herbs. He too produced his storage pouch, carefully harvesting them.

However, their storage pouches were the basic ones issued by their sect—small and limited. It was impossible to take everything, so they could only pick out the most valuable.

Soon, both their pouches were filled to bursting.

“It’s a shame we don’t have better storage. We could have taken so much more,” He Ming lamented.

“We’ve already claimed most of it—let’s leave a little for the others. For now, we should hurry out; those following us will be here any minute,” Yang Xiao reminded him, not greedy for more.

“You’re right. Our strength is still lacking; getting out of here might be the real challenge,” He Ming muttered anxiously.

“Don’t worry, Brother—I have a way. Let’s head deeper into the cave. There should be more treasures further in,” Yang Xiao replied, full of confidence.