Da Ming: The system granted me immortality; I clock in every day.

The smoke from the battle at Wolong Ridge gradually dissipated under the mountain breeze.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, as well as the sweet, metallic scent emanating from the wounds of the two-headed python.

The enormous beast carcass lay between the rubble and broken wood, resembling a collapsed mountain of flesh.

A large number of Ming soldiers, armed with spears and blades, carefully formed a defensive line around this ancient remnant species.

Only after confirming that the beast had breathed its last breath did the ranks erupt in genuine cheers.

"Assassin Battalion, move forward and dismantle the animal carcasses! Supply Battalion, check the supplies!"

At the general's command, hundreds of bare-chested engineers, armed with boning knives and heavy axes, surged up the hillside.

These ferocious beasts, nourished by spiritual energy year-round, are treasures from head to toe.

Those dark golden scales, used to forge armor, are enough to withstand close-range barrages from ordinary muskets;

If the thick snake bones are ground into powder and mixed into molten iron, they can greatly increase the toughness of weapons.

Not to mention the venom glands and fire sacs inside those two enormous snake heads; if we take them back to the Qintian Pavilion, they will surely be treasures to the master craftsmen who study runes.

Old Zhao, along with several men from the Fuyuan, pulled two carts and approached the outer perimeter with a broad smile.

"Sir, sir, please forgive us! We are a merchant holding a certificate from the Imperial Coin Exchange, and we've come here to buy some scraps. Could you perhaps make an exception for those remaining scales on the snakeskin, and those bits of meat that have been trimmed off?"

Old Zhao familiarly slipped a ten-tael silver note into the hand of a centurion in charge of supervising the work.

The centurion calmly slipped the silver note into his sleeve and glanced sideways at Zhao Laolang.

"You lone wolves have quite the nerve. The battle just now was earth-shattering, weren't you afraid of being smashed into mincemeat by boulders? Go on, the main body's scales and fangs are to go into the national treasury, as for the shattered scales and less important snake meat, you can handle them with the engineering battalion yourselves, and they'll pay you by weight according to the rules."

Old Zhao thanked him profusely and hurriedly called his men forward.

Li Changqing was still wearing that worn-out blue cloth robe, holding an account book and a wolf-hair brush in his hand, following behind the cart at a leisurely pace.

He walked steadily, his black cloth shoes avoiding the bloodstains and pebbles on the ground, and his body remained completely unstained.

"Li, the accountant, hurry up and write this down!"

Old Wolf Zhao excitedly pointed to the few dark golden scales that his men had just dug out of the mud.

"Twelve remaining scales, valued at thirty taels!"

Li Changqing picked up his pen and steadily wrote ink marks on the rough paper ledger.

The tiny characters were written neatly and elegantly, with clear organization and a calm and composed air between the strokes.

"Master, although this snake meat contains spiritual energy, the left side of the snake's head is charred by the fire sac, and the right side is stained with venom."

When we buy it, we must make them cut off the cleanest middle section of meat, making sure it's not mixed with any rotten meat that might be contaminated with toxic substances. Otherwise, if people get sick after eating it back in the capital, Fuyuan Shipping could face legal trouble.

Li Changqing looked at the engineers who were sweating profusely as they chopped up snake meat and gently reminded them.

Old Wolf Zhao slapped his thigh and nodded repeatedly, "Right, right, right! Accountant Li is so thoughtful. You guys, did you hear that? Only pick the white meat from the middle section! We wouldn't take the poisoned or flammable parts even if they were given to us for free!"

While merchants and engineers were busily dismantling the beast's carcass, Shen You, a student of the Imperial Academy, was squatting on the ground beside the giant python's broken left head, his brows furrowed as he examined a reverse scale that had been blown to pieces.

This sore spot was the very one that Li Changqing had just smashed with a soybean.

"How strange..."

Shen You poked at the broken scales on the ground with a small wooden stick, his face full of doubt.

"The earth element energy residue on this reverse scale is the most concentrated, and it should be the hardest part of this beast's body."

Although the thunder cannon was powerful, the point of impact of the shell explosion seemed to be slightly off.

This Achilles' heel seems... as if it had already shattered before the shell exploded.

Shen You was completely baffled.

He scratched his hair, which was covered in black ash, and kept replaying in his mind the flow of the array patterns when the cannon was fired.

"Could it be that the 'gathering point' technique I added to the thunder and fire array a few days ago, by accident, has generated some kind of hidden penetrating power?"

After thinking for a long time, this is the only conclusion I can come to.

Shen You grinned and gave a silly laugh.

Regardless, the giant python ultimately died under the firepower of the Ming Dynasty's cannons.

The power of this new cannon far exceeded the initial plans of the Imperial Academy.

He stood up, carefully wrapped the small, broken piece of the reverse scale in his arms, and prepared to take it back for careful study.

With the beast carcasses in front mostly cleared, Wang Shouren led the central army and finally reached the mountainside of Wolong Ridge.

After the thick fog dissipated, the enormous cave was completely exposed to everyone's view.

The cave entrance is over three zhang high, and the surrounding rock walls are smooth as white jade, thanks to the powerful spiritual energy.

A clear, mellow breeze, seemingly able to open up every pore of one's body, slowly blew out from the depths of the cave.

"What a blessed and tranquil place!"

Wang Shouren took a deep breath, feeling all the fatigue from commanding the army for days vanish.

Although he had not delved deeply into the path of immortality, he could still sense the astonishing wonders contained within this cave.

"General, the scouts have already gone in and checked. There are no ferocious beasts lurking inside, and the walls are all exposed with spirit stones and associated minerals. The deeper we go, the better the quality of the spirit stones becomes."

The forward, Qian Zong, stepped forward excitedly to report.

"Pass down the order: the central army shall set up camp on the spot and seal off the cave. The engineering battalion shall immediately enter the cave to determine the direction of the ore vein. No one is to enter the depths without my personal order!"

Wang Shouren was extremely strict in disciplining his troops, and he knew very well that such a sacred and important place must be fraught with danger.

The Ming Dynasty needed a continuous supply of spiritual stones to support its massive industry and army, and it absolutely could not afford to lose manpower due to greed for quick success and recklessness.

The army set up camp on Wolong Ridge in a grand and spectacular fashion.

As night fell, bonfires rose in the mountains and forests.

The Fuyuan's camp was set up on the edge of the supply camp.

To reward his men, Zhao Laolang specially cut off a large piece of clean white meat from the snake meat he had bought, threw it into an iron pot, added some coarse salt and the star anise and cinnamon he had brought, and stewed a whole pot of it.

The snake meat doesn't fall apart even after long cooking; its texture is firm, and as it rolls in boiling water, it releases a unique meaty aroma.

"Come, come, everyone, try this legendary snake soup! It's imbued with divine energy; one bite might just add several years to your life!"

Old Zhao took a large iron ladle and scooped a full spoonful into each of the men's bowls.

Li Changqing was also holding a black pottery bowl, sitting on a piece of dead wood.

He picked up a piece of snake meat with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

The meat does indeed contain a trace of earth elemental energy, which has a remarkable effect on strengthening the body and clearing the meridians for mortals.

After eating the snake meat, the men felt their bodies heat up and their blood surge, expelling the chill from their days of marching.

Many people simply took off their shirts and, taking advantage of the heat, began practicing the "Initial Chapter of Breathing Exercises" on the sidelines.