LAVW – Chapter 34 Chipping In

A flash of silver streaked through the air—Long Ye was the first to notice.

He said, “Little Silver is here.”

Upon hearing the reminder, Shi Qian followed Long Ye’s gaze and saw the silver sword approaching. It seemed to be moving slower than before.

Then he realized—it wasn’t that the silver sword had slowed down, but that he had gotten stronger!

Indeed, becoming stronger did wonders for one’s sense of security.

“Squeak!” Shi Qian waved happily at Little Silver, beckoning it over.

As the silver sword neared, it immediately decelerated and hopped toward its naturally mobility-challenged companion in a heartwarming manner.

Shi Qian found it adorable and rewarded it with a piece of Star Silver Stone.

Upon seeing the treat, the silver sword eagerly devoured it, then shrank down and began circling Shi Qian affectionately.

Remembering how the silver sword shed silver dust, Shi Qian had a sudden idea—he rubbed his paws against Little Silver.

After a few scrubs, sure enough, silver powder flaked off.

This method of collecting silver dust was far more convenient than having Long Ye hammer at the sword. Although the loss was a bit high, there was an endless supply of Star Silver Stone ahead, so it didn’t matter.

Excited by the thought of gathering more Star Silver Stone powder while enjoying a sand-bath-like experience, Shi Qian immediately grabbed a chunk in each paw and continued feeding Little Silver.

The silver sword, delighted by the endless feast, felt that its companion was truly the best in the world.

So, despite the language barrier, the silver sword still tried every means possible to complain about its owner to Shi Qian.

However, its ability to express itself was too limited, and Shi Qian couldn’t understand its imaginative gestures.

Shi Qian turned to the elegant sister for help, “Squeak Squeak?”

Sister Lian Zhi, what is Little Silver saying?

After passing the message through Long Ye, the multi-species communication was successfully established.

Wang Lianzhi, who was in the middle of the final stitching for a small vest, paused her work and recalled, “It might be because my brother has been threatening to cut down Little Silver’s food supply lately?”

She added, “Little Silver also seems to have learned how to count.”

Shi Qian: …

Even a sword had to take math lessons?! The cultivation world was terrifying.

Turning his head, Shi Qian continued rubbing silver powder off the sword while voicing his sympathy.

“Squeak Squeak.”

Yeah, yeah, Wang Xingzhi is such a tyrant, making you learn to count.

“Squeak squeak!”

Wang Xingzhi, that’s too much!

Even though they didn’t share a common language, Shi Qian’s expressions and emotions were spot-on. His shared indignation deeply satisfied the silver sword.

When Wang Xingzhi arrived, he was greeted by the sight of Brother Qian happily rubbing silver powder off the sword while chatting animatedly with it.

Seeing the seemingly heated discussion between Shi Qian and Little Silver, Wang Xingzhi’s handsome face showed a hint of confusion.

Had he only been gone for a short while, and Little Silver could suddenly understand spirit beast language now?

Wang Xingzhi turned to look at Long Ye.

Long Ye tried to put it mildly, “Brother Qian just wanted some Star Silver Stone powder… so he’s playing with Little Silver.”

What else could young ones be doing if not playing?

Even though Brother Qian had an intelligence advantage, he was still small.

Long Ye felt he was already biased enough, but then he heard something even more outrageous from Wang Xingzhi—

“Brother Qian is really kind. It’s just that Little Silver doesn’t know any better. I’ll make it shed more Star Silver Stone powder.”

Long Ye: …

Impressive, Brother Qian.

Long Ye continued hammering away at the Star Silver Stone, then handed the semi-finished product to Wang Lianzhi. Together, they crafted a new vest for Shi Qian.

Once Wang Lianzhi finished, she called Shi Qian over to try it on. “Brother Qian, the robe is ready. Try it on.”

To keep it low-key, the vest’s shimmering Star Silver Stone glow was locked within the inner layer. The outer layer was covered with soft, light-yellow fabric, embroidered with tiny melon seeds. There were even small pockets on the front.

Shi Qian’s eyes sparkled as he eagerly put it on, feeling like he had transformed into an exquisite little Totoro.

He was unbearably cute—but at that moment, Long Ye suddenly had some regrets.

Why had he been in such a hurry to leave?

But partings were inevitable in life. Long Ye turned to Wang Xingzhi and asked, “Brother Wang, when will the secret realm reopen so we can leave?”

Wang Xingzhi replied, “The Heavenly Dao Pool is now empty, and the secret realm has been looted clean. It should be soon.”

These secret realms that had appeared this time were entirely new, never seen before, so rigid rules couldn’t be applied to them.

But generally, they followed a few patterns—

One type was a timed secret realm, and the other was an inheritance-based secret realm, which would expel the remaining people once the right inheritor was found.

Right now, all inheritances within the War Sect’s secret realm had been claimed, and the Heavenly Dao Pool, which enhanced one’s aptitude, had been fully utilized. Unless there were other undiscovered opportunities, the remaining pitifully few cultivators would likely be released soon.

Thinking about this, Wang Xingzhi sighed. “Seven hundred and twenty people entered, and fewer than ten survived. When we return, people outside won’t believe it.”

Long Ye added, “There will surely be great upheaval in the days to come.”

The Wang family, with Wang Xingzhi, had managed to protect a few members. But other families? Not a single one had more than two survivors.

With the elite heirs of this generation wiped out so early, the major clans would face a period of having no successors. This would undoubtedly lead to conflict and chaos in the near future.

Realizing that the secret realm would reopen soon, the group relaxed briefly before joining the mining effort again.

With Shi Qian helping to locate ore and good tools at their disposal, their haul was impressive.

But then another problem arose—day after day, Shi Qian and Long Ye filled every storage space they had with Star Silver Stone, yet the secret realm remained completely inactive.

On the outskirts of the mine, Long Ye picked a spot to practice his family’s martial techniques.

Shi Qian squatted nearby, using his spiritual power to form wind blades, casually striking the surface of the mine.

“Squeak Squeak?”

Has the secret realm opened today?

“Squeak.”

No.

The Silver Sword hovered nearby, picking up the Star Silver Stone shards that fell from Shi Qian’s wind blade strikes.

After swallowing another piece, Little Silver shuddered, as if it had eaten too much, then spat out half of it.

It couldn’t eat anymore.

Shi Qian couldn’t bear to watch this foolish glutton, so he took Silver Sword back to Wang Xingzhi, then returned to Long Ye.

With a serious expression, Shi Qian said, “Squeak Squeak.”

Brother Ye, let’s move somewhere else and secretly check the token.

There’s no way we can stay trapped here.

But there was a problem—everyone was gathered around the mine. If they suddenly disappeared, it would look suspicious. That was why Shi Qian had held back from taking out the token, afraid it might cause a disturbance and draw attention.

Long Ye continued his training, sweat dripping as he responded, “I already discussed it with Brother Wang. Soon, we’ll have everyone spread out to find a way to reopen the secret realm.”

Shi Qian: ?

“Squeak Squeak?”

When did you two discuss this?

“Probably when you were wearing that rabbit-ear cloak. I don’t really remember.”

Shi Qian: …

Shi Qian knew Long Ye had an impeccable memory—he never forgot anything.

Shi Qian loudly questioned the young man who had started spouting nonsense, “Squeak Squeak?”

Wasn’t I super cute in that rabbit-ear cloak?

The cloak was red, trimmed with a circle of white fur. The hood had two floppy rabbit ears. It was so adorable that when Shi Qian wore it, he refused to take it off and even refused to go mining.

Long Ye, unable to bring himself to deny its cuteness, forced himself to counter, “Wouldn’t a little spirit beast like you be cute in anything?”

This kind of truth was exactly what Shi Qian liked to hear. Overjoyed, he leaped onto Long Ye’s head.

Long Ye hadn’t finished his martial arts routine yet, so he continued training with a Totoro-like creature perched on his head, steam practically rising from the heat.

Not long after Long Ye finished his practice for the day, Wang Xingzhi gathered everyone together. After a brief discussion, the group agreed to split up and explore.

Though the other cultivators weren’t as efficient at mining as Wang Xingzhi or Long Ye, they, too, had grown sick of it.

From birth until now, these proud sons of heaven had never done such grueling labor.

They were exhausted. And fed up.

Long Ye blended in with the crowd, following the others as they scattered. He deliberately chose a direction opposite to Wang Lianzhi’s, which amused her.

But in reality, Shi Qian believed that Long Ye had thought things through much more carefully.

Perhaps due to his powerful bloodline, Long Ye was fundamentally a rational and composed person when dealing with people and situations.

Even as his cultivation soared, he remained diligent in his training, never slacking off. This alone proved just how disciplined he was. His occasional jokes were only reserved for Shi Qian.

There was no doubt that Wang Xingzhi was the strongest person in the secret realm. Ever since Wang Lianzhi had been injured, he had become even more protective of her, no longer as relaxed as before.

So, after splitting up from the group, even if Wang Xingzhi didn’t stick right by Wang Lianzhi, he wouldn’t be too far away.

Long Ye intentionally distanced himself from Wang Lianzhi to avoid Wang Xingzhi as well.

No matter how good their relationship was, Long Ye would never reveal all his secrets—especially the matter of the token.

Too many people had died in the War Sect’s secret realm. Even though Shi Qian and Long Ye hadn’t used the token for anything, if it were exposed and its significance discovered, the families who had suffered heavy casualties would surely hold Long Ye and Shi Qian responsible.

After traveling a good distance and making several turns, Long Ye confirmed their safety with Shi Qian before allowing him to take out the token.

Shi Qian, who was dizzy from all the turns, rummaged through his storage space full of Star Silver Stones and, after much effort, finally retrieved the token.

The moment it was taken out, red beads began to fall from it like crazy, silently merging into the ground. Only a few nearly fully-red beads remained, precariously hanging from the bottom of the token.

Shi Qian didn’t even dare to touch them with his claws, feeling that the slightest nudge might cause them all to fall off.

“Squeak Squeak?”

What should we do?

This wasn’t something that had happened in the storyline Shi Qian knew, most likely due to the massive changes caused by him picking up the token.

Long Ye stared at the token, his eyes fixed on the red beads. He felt a strange urge to rip them off.

But he knew that this impulse wasn’t coming from his own will—it was the token’s influence.

Because those remaining beads didn’t just represent the lives of fallen cultivators; they also included Wang Xingzhi and Wang Lianzhi.

Meanwhile, the little spirit beast beside him seemed completely unaffected. This stark contrast helped Long Ye clearly assess his own state of mind.

“This token is dangerous,” Long Ye stated simply, then frowned. “But right now, we don’t have any better way to leave. Hand me the token—I’ll try dripping some of my blood on it to see if I can control it.”

Shi Qian hesitated. “Squeak Squeak.”

Could it be dangerous?

Long Ye tapped Shi Qian’s head. “You didn’t sense any danger, did you?” Otherwise, he would’ve warned him earlier.

Hearing that, Shi Qian immediately handed over the token without hesitation.

Bleeding sounded painful.

So, this was the perfect opportunity to let the fearless man, Long Ye, take the lead.

Long Ye couldn’t help but feel that Shi Qian truly trusted him. The token was eerie, but it was undoubtedly a powerful artifact as well.

As for Wang Lianzhi and Wang Xingzhi—once they left the secret realm, they would part ways soon enough.

They were nothing more than passing acquaintances.

Long Ye cut his fingertip, forcing out a drop of his essence blood, and let it fall onto the token.

After the token absorbed Long Ye’s blood, he immediately gained a vague perception of the entire secret realm.

He could sense the vast space within the realm, the ruins of collapsed buildings, the devastated medicinal gardens, the few remaining cultivators’ auras, the mysterious battle platform standing high above… and, most importantly, a Dragon Blood Divine Stone beneath the Heavenly Dao Pool, tightly wrapped by the roots of a demonic plant.

No wonder the demonic plant refused to leave. If Long Ye were in its position, he wouldn’t leave either.

Though he had only learned the stone’s name through the token, it was obvious that it was the greatest fortune within this secret realm.

“Get ready to run.”

Long Ye suddenly said this to Shi Qian.

Then, he activated the token, forcibly retrieving the Dragon Blood Divine Stone, while simultaneously reopening the exit of the secret realm.

Apart from the commotion caused by the secret realm reopening, what truly drew attention was the furious rampage of the demonic plant near the Heavenly Dao Pool after losing its precious treasure.

No longer content to stay put, the demonic plant tore apart the ancient contract left by the War Sect, and its aura surged uncontrollably—from Nascent Soul stage to even higher realms.

The demonic plant uprooted itself, violently chasing toward the exit. As it moved, it ripped apart forests, crushed buildings into rubble, and even flattened mountains in its frenzied pursuit—

Brutal.

Shi Qian immediately grabbed Long Ye and sprinted madly toward the exit.

“Squeak Squeak?!”

Brother Ye, did you just steal the great demon’s child?!

Long Ye: “Run faster! I took a treasure that the demonic plant refused to let go of. I’ll show you later.”

Meanwhile—

Wang Xingzhi, carrying his sister Wang Lianzhi, also flew toward the exit. When he caught sight of the rampaging demonic plant, he was startled.

After its power surge, the demonic plant was no longer something he could handle—not even his master might be able to deal with it.

Luckily, the Heavenly Dao Pool was the farthest from the exit, whereas the Star Silver Mine, where most of the others were gathered, was much closer. Long Ye had chosen the most convenient exit for everyone to escape.

Wang Xingzhi was the first to reach the exit. He threw his sister out of the secret realm, then unleashed his full cultivation, despite the secret realm’s suppression of Foundation Establishment cultivators, in order to rescue as many of his Wang family members as possible before time ran out.

Shi Qian, carrying Long Ye, didn’t need Wang Xingzhi’s help and rushed out of the secret realm in second place—right alongside the cunning cultivators.

Outside the Secret Realm—

As soon as Wang Lianzhi emerged, she quickly warned the people stationed near Jiutian Peak about the severe casualties inside and the enraged great demon trying to escape.

At first, no one believed her.

“Only a few people left? How is that possible? So many went in.”

“A great demon? That’s impossible. Isn’t the Jiutian Peak secret realm meant to restrict cultivators to Foundation Establishment level? The trials should have been much milder.”

“That’s right. How could everyone have died? Did the Wang family orchestrate this? What are your true intentions?!”

In response, Wang Lianzhi threw back her cloak, revealing her severely injured left side, with one arm missing.

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

When Wang Xingzhi stepped out behind her, seeing Wang Lianzhi missing an arm left everyone utterly speechless.

Immediately after, the cunning cultivator and Long Ye also emerged from the secret realm.

Unlike Long Ye, who was a newcomer, the cunning cultivator was immediately surrounded and questioned upon stepping onto the Wang family’s territory.

“Almost everyone is dead? It’s true. The secret realm was far too dangerous.”

“A great demon went berserk and tried to escape? As I was fleeing, that great demon was chasing right behind me. Its aura was terrifyingly powerful. If it had caught up, I would’ve been crushed like an ant. Instead of wasting time questioning me, you should be figuring out how to deal with that demonic plant if it manages to break out.”

With that, the cunning cultivator quickly led his family members away.

Wang Lianzhi sent someone to notify her father while waiting for her brother to emerge.

At that moment, only a few bystanders remained outside the secret realm—no Golden Core cultivators were present. For Long Ye, this was the perfect opportunity to distance himself from the secret realm’s sudden reopening.

So, he bid farewell first.

“Sister Lianzhi, I have matters to attend to. I’ll take Brother Qian and leave first.”

“Then you and Brother Qian, take care.”

Wang Lianzhi pinched Shi Qian’s cheek and nodded in agreement.

No banquet lasts forever—each person has their own path. Not to mention, Shi Qian was Long Ye’s spirit beast.

As long as she remembered that a small, fluffy creature once braved danger to rescue her and kept her in his thoughts, their parting wouldn’t feel so final.

“Squeak Squeak!”

“One day, I’ll bring spiritual medicine back to find you! Very soon!”

Shi Qian waved his little paws at the beautiful sister, making a grand promise.

Long Ye, refusing to be the messenger, covered Shi Qian’s mouth and forcefully dragged him away.

He had completely forgotten to explain the ranking system of human cultivators to Shi Qian. Fortunately, only he could understand Shi Qian’s words—otherwise, it would’ve been embarrassing.

After leaving the crowd, Shi Qian led Long Ye into the river below, executing an unexpected maneuver. They traveled against the current and surfaced in the lake beneath Jiutian Peak.

Once the final cultivator from the secret realm escaped in a panic, Long Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately closed the secret realm’s exit, just in time to trap the rampaging great demon, which had already extended a branch outside.

With the secret realm sealed, Shi Qian and Long Ye fled to a safer distance.

Then, Shi Qian, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked:

“Squeak Squeak?”

“Brother Ye, what exactly is that treasure?”

Long Ye ignored the question and instead replied:

“There’s a turtle hiding nearby, watching us.”

It was an ancient turtle, old enough to have gained intelligence, yet weak in power. Normally, it should have been avoiding Long Ye and Shi Qian altogether. Upon closer inspection, the turtle was trembling—clearly afraid.

Shi Qian looked over and felt that it seemed familiar.

Meanwhile, the old turtle, who had just been reunited with its long-lost mate, was desperately trying to hide its partner under its shell, completely filled with questions.

“Why is it this spirit beast again?!”

“Why do some people and spirit beasts refuse to take the normal paths and insist on barging into the waterways?”

The old turtle didn’t understand—truly, it didn’t.

Shi Qian stared for a moment before recognizing it.

It was the same turtle whose tail he had once bitten.

With a splash, Shi Qian swam over, took out a piece of Star Silver Stone, and politely tossed it to the trembling old turtle.

“Squeak Squeak.”

“Hehe, consider this your transportation fee.”

The old turtle saw the shimmering silver light and immediately recognized it as something valuable. Though confused, it swiftly swam forward and bit down on the stone.

But in that very movement, it revealed a smaller turtle hidden beneath it—its old mate.

The female turtle stared at the departing male, who had eagerly bitten onto a random rock, her gaze filled with resentment—probably thinking that this old fool was still unreliable.

Shi Qian was momentarily stunned upon seeing the second turtle. Then, with a grin, he tossed another piece of Star Silver Stone.

“Squeak Squeak.”

“Consider this my contribution to the occasion.”

Long Ye, watching from the side, was thoroughly impressed—it seemed Brother Qian had friends everywhere.

After gifting the old turtles, Shi Qian finally noticed the direction Long Ye was leading him—toward Luofeng Town, the Long family’s territory.

It was happening.

The classic next step in a rise-to-power story had arrived.

But Shi Qian knew that standing in the way was the life of Long Ye’s father—this return home was inevitable.

Feeling a pang of sympathy for Long Ye’s tragic family ties, Shi Qian instinctively wanted to offer food. But all he could pull out were Star Silver Stones and clothing.

His stash of snacks had been pushed too deep inside his storage.

Frustrated, Shi Qian grumbled:

“Squeak Squeak!”

“It’s all Star Silver Stones—I can’t reach my sunflower seeds!”

Within the spiritual barrier, Long Ye took out a small handful of sunflower seeds.

“Leftovers from last time.”

Shi Qian: …

You know what? Just finish them yourself.