Xiao Bai listened to Jiang Chen’s words and chuckled. "Chen Shao, before I break through to the Celestial realm, I wouldn’t dare carelessly touch these crystals. Now, though? Gathering a little bit here and there is no problem. I still need them for cultivation here! If you like them, Chen Shao, I’ll collect some for you first. What colors do you prefer?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "All colors. The more, the better."
"You got it! Watch me!" Xiao Bai was thrilled. In that subterranean world, it darted about with leaps, and with each jump, its claws acted like a perfectly crafted excavation tool.
*Swish, swish, swish!* Colorful crystals were continuously excavated from the underground rock.
These crystals resonated with natural prohibitions. If Xiao Bai hadn’t known the proper methods for extraction, an ordinary person striking blindly would have been sliced to scraps by the faint, eerie glow.
Xiao Bai’s technique, however, was utterly practiced.
After about an hour, Xiao Bai already held several dozen crystals in its paws.
The scattered crystals in the surrounding area had been mostly mined clean.
"Chen Shao, without opening that earth vein, getting a large number of crystals is really difficult. Fortunately, this area had a relatively high yield." Xiao Bai handed all the crystals over to Jiang Chen. "Here, Chen Shao. These crystals are incredibly precious—promise you won’t just give them away as favors, okay?"
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Don’t worry. I’m using all of these myself."
This was a treasure trove for Jiang Chen. For him, these crystals were exactly what he needed. Right now, what he lacked most were resources for cultivating in the Celestial realm.
Now, with this batch, the problem of resources no longer seemed so pressing.
The human and the beast stood at the edge of that subterranean cold spring. The spring emitted a faint, cold light, and even from the bank, one could feel its bone-piercing chill.
"Chen Shao, this underground cold spring nourishes the landscape of this entire area. Beyond it lies that earth vein. But right now, I still don’t dare rashly venture into that vein."
Xiao Bai wasn’t being reckless.
"Still feel it’s dangerous?"
Xiao Bai nodded. "After I break through to the Celestial realm, I’ll definitely be fine going in. But mining that vein? Almost impossible. So, I plan to stay here for now. On one hand, waiting for the right opportunity, and on the other, guarding it. That vein must belong to us. Others absolutely cannot lay a hand on it. If it fell into someone else’s hands, it would be a waste!"
Xiao Bai was very confident. It didn’t believe the Yan family could make good use of this vein. Besides, this was a natural blessing of heaven and earth; its location just happened to be beneath Cloud Camel Mountain.
Cloud Camel Mountain might belong to the Yan family, but that didn’t mean its subterranean world did as well.
Even Jiang Chen didn’t think that way. Moreover, he saw the current state of the Yan family. Yan Wanjun had lost his influence there.
And Yan Qingsang’s clearer identity was now that of a disciple of the Eternal Sacred Ground.
As for Huang'er, she had never felt any sense of belonging to the Yan family.
Therefore, Jiang Chen naturally couldn’t consider the Yan family’s interests. If this were a year ago, he might have thought from their perspective.
But now? As long as it was an advantage he could take from the Yan family, he felt he’d be a fool not to.
"Xiao Bai, are you really planning to stay here and guard this earth vein?" Jiang Chen looked at Xiao Bai with a serious expression.
"Chen Shao, I’ve already made up my mind. You won’t oppose it, will you?" Xiao Bai blinked, looking at Jiang Chen with some worry, fearing he might object.
"Of course I won’t oppose it. With you here, I’ll be more at ease. However, you must be cautious. If things get too dangerous, don’t rashly step forward to block them," Jiang Chen cautioned.
"Heh heh, don’t worry, Chen Shao. I won’t show myself easily. If some random cat or dog stumbles in, the prohibitions emanating from those crystals will take care of them. Unless it’s a deity, any ordinary Celestial realm powerhouse entering this place without knowing the rules would be as good as dead!"
In this regard, Xiao Bai truly had a unique advantage.
Human cultivators, including Jiang Chen, were somewhat at a loss when it came to this underground crystal world. If Xiao Bai hadn’t taught him this knowledge, he wouldn’t have been able to enter at all.
For any other human cultivator to barge in here? They’d be lucky not to be blasted to smithereens.
Jiang Chen, however, couldn’t stay here. This place was suitable for Xiao Bai’s cultivation, but not his.
So, having obtained a batch of crystals, Jiang Chen felt the harvest was good. Besides, that earth vein was something even Xiao Bai couldn’t handle for now.
Since that was the case, Jiang Chen decided to leave first. Leaving Xiao Bai here to guard and cultivate was killing two birds with one stone.
"Chen Shao, I won’t be able to witness the Genius Sword Meet with my own eyes. Don’t let me down! That bastard Xiahou Zong—remember, beat him soundly!"
Xiao Bai was cheering Jiang Chen on.
"Relax. Xiahou Zong is just a minor nuisance, not worth worrying about. Xiao Bai, I hope the next time we meet, your cultivation will blow me away!"