"Xiao Bai, this earth vein suits your cultivation so perfectly. If I take it away now, won't that be unfair to you?" Jiang Chen asked.
The Taisui White Tiger flashed a grin. "Sure, I like the killing atmosphere here, but what I really need are cultivation crystals. As long as you give me a fair share, I can cultivate just as well anywhere else."
Jiang Chen thought about it for a moment and dropped his pretense of reluctance.
He knew that the powerful cultivators who had escaped from the Infinite Prison would not be sitting idle. Right now, they were surely scouring the world for every resource they could find. Once this place caught their attention, the earth vein would be lost regardless — and worse, it would drag the Taisui White Tiger down with it.
With the White Tiger's bloodline, it was exactly the kind of contracted beast those powerhouses coveted most. They would not hesitate to enslave it.
Jiang Chen had no intention of losing both the treasure and the beast.
Under the White Tiger's guidance, Jiang Chen and his companions set about harvesting the entire earth vein.
Roughly half a month later, the vein had been stripped completely bare — not a single scrap left behind.
Seeing so many crystals, the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast and Little Xuan were just as excited. Among the haul were crystals suited to their cultivation as well.
The red-rhombus crystals, for instance, were perfectly tailored to the Vermilion Bird. The green-rhombus crystals were an ideal match for Little Xuan's path.
With such a bountiful harvest, Jiang Chen was elated. "Finders keepers — we'll divide everything fairly later. But right now, we shouldn't linger. Our operation here was massive, and I'm worried we've already drawn attention. At least all the crystals are safely stored. Even if someone comes, they won't find a trace of what happened."
The other three True Spirits were equally delighted.
Jiang Chen and his party returned to the surface, ready to leave, when suddenly a powerful spiritual sense swept toward them from the distance.
Jiang Chen's heart stirred. "Just as I expected."
He had a premonition that their prolonged stay here would attract unwanted eyes — and sure enough, it had.
From the northern sky, a strange carriage burst through the clouds. Carriage was perhaps the wrong word — no horses pulled it. Instead, eight exotic beasts of fearsome appearance and overwhelming majesty hauled it forward, their sheer presence radiating savage power.
The carriage was adorned with golden canopies and silken awnings, exquisitely ornate. Its body was carved in elaborate, ancient patterns of grand design, projecting an air of extraordinary authority.
Seated within was a man of imperial bearing, his features stern and dignified, exuding an oppressive aura of wealth and power. Flanking the carriage were five attendants, each one no weaker than Feng Yi and the other Divine Servants.
This was clearly another Divine Path powerhouse, and every one of his attendants was a Demigod-level cultivator.
By now, leaving would be cutting it close. Still, Jiang Chen had no intention of staying. He glanced over and turned to go.
"Hold." A commanding voice rang out from the carriage.
Jiang Chen paused and asked coolly, "Are you speaking to me?"
"Is there anyone else here?" The Divine Path cultivator inside the carriage spoke in measured tones, yet his voice carried a soul-rattling force.
Even with Jiang Chen's Divine Ability, his mind wavered for a fraction of a heartbeat.
But the sensation vanished almost instantly.