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Chapter 126 Striving for Industrialized Talismans, New Recruits and Veterans (10,000 words, including 3 bonus chapters, please subscribe)
The convoy kicked up clouds of dust and slowly disappeared on the horizon.

Su Mingjin turned around and solemnly bowed to Master Chen and Master Zhou.

Behind her, Brigade Commander Man and Brigade Commander Fu, two soldiers who were decisive and ruthless on the battlefield, also had solemn expressions at this moment.

"Masters, we owe you a great debt of gratitude this time. On behalf of the frontline command and the soldiers who went into battle, I thank you both!"

Su Mingjin's voice was steady, yet it conveyed a deep sense of respect.

Master Zhou laughed like a fool, then glanced at his senior brother beside him and quickly suppressed his smile.

Master Chen's face was paler than paper, his lips were cracked, and he looked as if all his energy had been drained away. He was leaning half of his body against Master Zhou.

Drawing talismans overnight almost killed him.

But upon hearing this, his previously dim eyes instantly lit up with a sharp light.

He waved his hand, his breath weak but his words leaving no room for doubt: "Layman Su, you flatter me. Exorcising demons, protecting our homes and country, and expanding our territory are simply the duties of us Taoists."

He abruptly changed the subject, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, as if the person who had just been on the verge of falling apart wasn't him at all.

"Master Su, I believe that relying solely on the two of us old bones to make talismans is like a drop in the ocean. I've been compiling some insights into talisman making these past few days, and Wang Hu and the others are learning very quickly; they're quite talented..."

As Master Chen spoke, he glanced approvingly at Wang Hu and Teng Yanchen, who were not far away.

"I think we should appropriately expand the number of people involved in talisman creation and learning! Let more warriors with strong will and unwavering determination come and learn! In the future, on the battlefield, if the enemy has extraordinary magic, we will have talisman arrays! Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mingjin's face showed a look of relief, while the two brigade commanders pursed their lips.

In fact, they hadn't expected Master Chen to be so generous.

In Taoist traditions, passing on even one or two unique skills is already a huge favor. I never expected Master Chen to be so sensible, wanting to popularize it among the general public.
What a noble and virtuous character this is!

It's much better than those who stick to the old ways and hoard their treasures.

Su Mingjin was deeply moved and touched by the cooperation between the two Taoist priests.

However, she then thought of more practical issues.

"Master, the Taoist priests from other sects that headquarters has dispatched are currently studying confidentiality rules and regulations. Our talisman-making technique can't be learned overnight, can it?"

"That's really true!" Master Chen nodded.

“Master Su, the making of talismans needs to be systematized and made scientific! My junior brother and I are currently compiling teaching materials, and we plan to start with the theory! Those fellow practitioners from outside the secular world who are coming here also need to adapt, and they can’t be sent to the battlefield right away.”

“Master Su, I think they’ve never even touched a gun before. They need proper training and practice, otherwise they’ll just cause trouble.”

Master Chen emphasized that the training should be thorough and that no one should cause trouble.

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, a slight blush rising on his pale face due to excessive blood loss: "I believe it is essential to establish a training base in the rear! First, let those like-minded people undergo three months of ideological education and military-style management, followed by six months of professional training!"

"My junior brother and I will take care of the textbooks! Anyone who can't learn them or fails the exam is strictly forbidden from stepping into the other world!"

Master Zhou, listening from the side, was filled with enthusiasm and suddenly puffed out his chest: "Senior brother is right! We must be certified to practice!"

These words caused Su Mingjin and the other two to exchange glances.

The others had already discerned what everyone was thinking.

Although the two Taoist priests had their own ulterior motives, their awareness was truly high!

These two Taoist priests are willing to dedicate their lives, along with the inheritance of their sect, to the country!

Commander Man wanted to pat Master Chen's shoulder with his large, fan-like hand, but halfway up, he was afraid of breaking him. So he could only say emphatically, "Master, you have done a great service to our country. We can't thank you enough. We will definitely report this matter to the higher authorities and commend Wudang!"

Wang Hu and Teng Yanchen stood to the side and exchanged a silent glance.

To outsiders, their family's nominal master seems to be completely open and honest, even a little foolish, giving away his most treasured possessions.

But having followed their master around, how could they not understand the intricacies of the situation?

Wang Hu remembered that Master Zhou had said a couple of days ago that learning how to make talismans was quite important and that it required studying Taoist knowledge.

Master Chen's cooperation this time was clearly part of a grand strategy!
Wang Hu had already envisioned the future—once this set of teaching materials and training systems led by Wudang was established, all official Taoist forces entering the other world would have to recognize these two as their founding masters!
This influence is far greater than guarding the secret techniques of a single sect.

Su Mingjin chatted with the two Taoist priests with a smile, and her gentle words made the two priests smile from ear to ear!
Su Mingjin had long seen through the two Taoist priests' little schemes, but she didn't say anything.

Feeling much more at ease, she chatted with the two Taoist priests for a few more minutes about the details before taking her leave with Commander Man and the others, all satisfied.

After watching Su Mingjin and the other leaders leave, Master Chen's tense body finally relaxed, and he let out a long breath.

The Taoist priest next to him grinned and let out a silly "hehe" laugh.

We finally managed to deal with those leaders.

For the sake of the Wudang tradition, and for the sake of their fellow disciples to gain a foothold in this tremendous opportunity, they have truly racked their brains.

“Master,” Wang Hu stepped forward and said sincerely, “I just heard from General Manager Su that headquarters is going to send Taoist priests from other sects over. Will the monks come too?”

He was a frontline soldier, out of the loop, and unaware that the monk's arrival had been delayed; he was simply curious at the moment.

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Zhou's smile froze instantly. He subconsciously turned to look at Master Chen, his eyes full of questions.

Master Chen remained calm, gently stroking his beard, appearing confident and composed.

"Junior brothers, fellow lay Buddhists, please don't be anxious." His voice was calm. "I have already applied to General Manager Su to allow several outstanding disciples from the back mountain of Wudang to come. At that time, they will study and grow together with you, Lay Buddhist Wang Hu, and serve the country together!"

Upon hearing this, Master Zhou's tense nerves immediately relaxed by half.

Senior brother is so thoughtful!

This is to fill up all the pits on their own land first, so that it will be easier to lay out the layout later!

He smiled and said, "Young lay Buddhist Wang Hu, look at my senior brother, he's not fully recovered yet and he's already worrying about these things. Let me help him back to rest first. You've all had a long day, so you should get some rest too."

Wang Hu and Teng Yanchen nodded and watched the two Taoist priests return to their tents.

Once inside the tent, with no outsiders around, Master Zhou could no longer hold back.

"Senior brother! Those bald monks are the most shameless, they love to plagiarize our Taoist teachings! If they come here too, following us around and learning from us every day, what will become of us? Why don't we stop blocking those fellow practitioners? Let's quickly unite with our fellow disciples from Longhu Mountain and Quanzhen Sect, form an alliance, and squeeze those monks out!"

Master Chen poured himself a glass of water, took a slow sip, and then shook his head.

"Although there are many opportunists in Buddhism, there are also truly accomplished monks who cultivate diligently. Logically speaking, Mr. Su and his group would definitely have invited them."

Upon hearing this, Master Zhou's heart leaped into his throat once again.

Master Chen glanced at him, then changed the subject: "However, I overheard Commander Man mention that something seems to have gone wrong on the Buddhist side, and they've been temporarily excluded from the list of those allowed to enter the other world."

"Really?" Master Zhou's eyes lit up, and he felt completely relieved. "That's wonderful! It's truly the Buddha's fault... ugh, it's truly our ancestral master's blessing!"

Master Chen smiled and then said, "Rest well, but we can't let our guard down. We need to intensify our research on those powerful talismans and develop all the offensive spells like the Golden Light Spell, the Five Thunder Spell, and the Fire Spell. Let Layman Su see the true capabilities of our Taoist sect and make him completely dependent on us!"

"Senior brother, you've really thought this through."

Master Chen nodded with satisfaction: "Rest for a day and get plenty of rest. We'll start work tomorrow."

But Master Zhou's excitement didn't last long; his brows furrowed again, and he spoke with concern.

"Senior brother, there's something else that's been bothering me."

"Although Professor Deng is recuperating, his research team sends people around the talismans we drew every day, scanning them with all sorts of instruments, taking pictures and analyzing their components..."

He grew increasingly worried as he spoke: "These little tricks of ours are our livelihood. What if they really figure them out and create an 'industrialized talisman-making assembly line' where stacks of talismans come out with the push of a button? Wouldn't we, my fellow apprentice and I, be out of a job then?"

Upon hearing this, Master Chen showed no worry, but instead revealed a strange smile.

He looked at his junior brother and said slowly, "Junior brother, do you think that drawing this talisman is enough?"

"The key lies beyond the brush and ink. They can't learn it, and they'll never be able to replicate it."

"Senior brother's insight is brilliant!"

Master Chen laughed and then gestured for Master Zhou to come over.

Master Zhou, not understanding what was going on, went over to investigate.

"Snapped!"

Master Chen slapped him on the back of the head, neither too hard nor too soft.

"But you're such a fool! Your brain's full of mush!"

Master Chen lowered his voice and scolded with exasperation, "Actually, we don't need to worry about this. Industrialized talisman making is an even better thing!"

"Ah, industrialized talisman making is a good thing?" Master Zhou felt his brain couldn't process it all.

"Yes, it's a good thing. I ask you, what are you afraid of, you little brat? Where does their technology originate? It comes from us! Who is the founder of the theories they study? It comes from Wudang!"

"You're still thinking about that little bit of money you make from drawing talismans? How pathetic! You have no class at all! Do you even know the difference between having a full meal once and having a full meal every day?"

Master Chen, exasperated, poked his junior brother's forehead again. "What are we doing now? We're the pioneers of otherworldly talisman making, the founders of extraordinary power in this new era! In future history books, we'll be the founding ancestors! What's that called? That's orthodoxy, that's authority! It's more valuable than drawing ten thousand talismans!"

Master Zhou was stunned by the scolding, then suddenly realized what had happened and scratched his head sheepishly: "Senior brother, I... I've fallen into a trance! I'm guilty, I'm guilty!"

"Hmph, it's good that you know you're guilty!" Master Chen glared at him irritably. "You're punished to recite the Taoist Rules ten times tonight, and draw more purification talismans to cleanse your mind of that greed!"

"Alright, I'll do whatever you say, senior brother!" Master Zhou replied with a grin, then turned and slipped away.

Master Chen waved his hand, signaling him to get lost, as he needed to rest.

Once the door closed, the energy on his face instantly vanished, and he collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted.

Staring at the blinding flashlight on the ceiling, Master Chen bit his lip, his thoughts in turmoil.

What he feared was exactly what his junior brother worried about.

But he knew that he, the so-called "founding father," was actually a blind man who couldn't even figure out the lineage of his own sect.

Ironically, the Taoist priest, who is treated as an honored guest by Su Mingjin and others, still relies on a mysterious intuition and the scientific principles summarized by Professor Deng and his colleagues to determine whether his talisman drawing is successful.

He simply drew those talismans according to tradition, and then they were completed in a daze.

He was originally very proud of his ability to create talismans.

However, Wang Hu, that young man, had only been learning for a short time, but he was also able to frequently create talismans, which were completely different from what he had learned before.

Making talismans requires many procedures and preparatory work, as well as mastery of Taoist secret techniques.

However, Wang Hu and his group had almost no Taoist background, yet they were able to succeed easily.

This made Master Chen feel that he was not an exception.

With this idea in mind, he also put extra effort into teaching his students.

There was nothing he could do; he believed his success was all due to luck.

After a long while, Master Chen, who had regained some of his energy, suddenly sat up. Despite his exhaustion, he took a bath, changed his clothes, and put on a clean Taoist robe.

He then set up a simple altar in the corner of the room.

Three sticks of incense were lit, and wisps of smoke curled upwards.

"All the celestial ancestors and past masters... Chen Shixing, a disciple of Wudang, acted today with greed clouding his judgment. Fortunately, he has seen through it and hopes that the patriarchs will forgive him."

"However, there is one thing I do not understand, and I humbly request the patriarch to enlighten me."

"In this other world, the art of talismans has proven effective time and again, but I have yet to decipher its fundamental principles. I also do not know if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth here is sufficient for us to absorb, and my cultivation through breathing exercises has made no progress... May I ask, Ancestor, what is the secret to this extraordinary existence?"

"I humbly request the patriarch to grant me some guidance in a dream, so that I may truly carry forward and promote my Taoist lineage!"

He respectfully lit incense, arranged the offerings, and bowed deeply three times before tidying up and returning to his bed.

The secret of his extraordinary power was like an invisible mountain, suffocating him.

As for the most fundamental Taoist principles of guiding Qi into the body and refining Qi into spirit, he hadn't even scratched the surface.

On the contrary, the young soldiers like Wang Hu and Teng Yanchen were making rapid progress, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Master Chen recalled that Wang Hu had excitedly run to him yesterday.

"Master! I think I can hear the air moving! Not with my ears, but with my eyes closed, the sounds of the whole world seem different!"

The heartfelt joy and rapid progress he experienced filled Master Chen with envy, but also made him feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

Could it be that the great principles of this world only recognize these young people with pure minds, like blank sheets of paper?
These "elders" who carry on the tradition have become obstacles to spiritual practice.

"An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles, but I refuse to believe I can't comprehend this!"

Master Chen muttered to himself before falling asleep.

This time, in his dream, he seemed to see his senior disciples and the figures of some Taoist priests he had seen in the main hall before...
-

While Master Chen and others were quietly cultivating, Li Jing led a full-strength battalion toward the volcanic magic mineral mine area marked in the intelligence.

The sky overhead was so gloomy it looked like it was about to collapse, with thick clouds completely obscuring the sun, and a bone-chilling cold filled the air.

Fortunately, the electromagnetic interference was not strong.

In the sky, several drones hovered above the troops like loyal hunting dogs.

Several special drones powered by self-pulling suspended cables took off stably to an altitude of 300 meters. Working together, they stitched together the scenery within a radius of several kilometers into a panoramic view without blind spots, which was then transmitted to the command system in real time.

This tactic, which would make you a sitting duck on the battlefield of Earth, is surprisingly effective in another world.

With their wide-angle and multi-spectral reconnaissance lenses, these drones have become the most acute eyes in the sky.

Together with reconnaissance and strike drones hovering in higher altitudes, they form a comprehensive and effective early warning network.

Li Jing sat inside the armored vehicle at the front, his eyes fixed on the live feed on the screen. Every red dot that jumped on the screen represented a potential threat.

"Attention test team, falcon spotted at three o'clock. Execute air defense and interception."

Upon receiving the order, Qin Longlong and his team began to prepare several drones equipped with non-lethal electromagnetic guns, which then adjusted their attitudes and took off.

"call out!"

An inaudible sound wave ripped through the sky, and the strange bird that was trying to approach suddenly froze in mid-air, as if it had been grabbed by an invisible hand. It flapped its wings and fell erratically towards the distant snow.

"The enhanced sonic decoy device is working quite well. Record the data and prepare for mass production and deployment," Li Jingze instructed succinctly.

"Report: A small group of undead has been spotted ahead."

"Just blow them up!"

The convoy left two deep ruts in the thick snow, and the muffled roar of artillery fire could be heard from afar as the artillerymen cleared away the wandering dead on the road ahead.

An exceptionally lucky undead skeleton, having escaped the artillery barrage due to its cunning location, roared as it rose from the snow, brandishing its rusty bald head as it charged into the steel torrent.

However, it was not bullets that greeted it.

"boom!"

The lead armored vehicle didn't even slow down before smashing it to pieces, sending pale bone fragments flying everywhere.

The heavy vehicles following behind showed no mercy, their tracks and tires crushing the bone fragments deep into the snow, turning them into powder that could not be reconstituted.

Inside the cab of the construction vehicle at the rear, Ming Yufei skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel and gave the little skeleton another whack.

After a while, he glanced at the "new recruit" in the passenger seat out of the corner of his eye.

Jiang Ruixuan, who is said to be a new recruit, has been in the army for six years, longer than himself, who was just promoted to squad leader.

In this strange world, warriors who have never seen blood or killed undead are theoretically green recruits.

Looking at the fleeting skeletal remains of a bear outside the window, Jiang Ruixuan remained expressionless, only asking curiously, "Nervous?"

"Squad leader, don't be nervous! I was just wondering how many of these things there are on the road? If there are only a few here and there, can we just run them over with our wheels and save some bullets?"

He was gripping his weapon tightly as he spoke, clearly not speaking his mind.

“There aren’t many now, but it was really troublesome when we first arrived.” Ming Yufei lightly applied the brakes to maintain a safe distance from the car in front. “Back then, there were several waves almost every kilometer. We would just run over the small groups, and after that, there would be an incineration team following up to deal with them, to prevent them from reigniting.” Jiang Ruixuan nodded. So there was a dedicated incineration team; they had indeed thought things through thoroughly.

Seeing that he was adapting well and becoming more talkative, Ming Yufei pointed ahead: "What we really need to be careful of are the hordes of undead. Kid, you've never seen anything like it..."

His voice trailed off, and a flicker of lingering fear crossed his eyes.

"When the war first started, it was incredibly brutal. It was a dark mass, covering the mountains and fields. Shells were raining down like they were free, blasting open a gap and then immediately filling it in. Those things were tireless, fearless, with a bluish glow in their eyes, just staring at you intently. These guys would emerge from the snow, from cracks in the ground, from any corner you couldn't even imagine."

As Ming Yufei said this, he couldn't help but shudder.

"The most disgusting ones are necromancers, hiding in the back, chanting incantations, and those undead corpses that were clearly killed quickly come back to life..."

Jiang Ruixuan's expression turned serious as he imagined the scene of battle.

He may not be afraid of death, but he cannot accept sacrificing himself before destroying the enemy.

They could not accept being controlled by the enemy after their death and becoming a tool for slaughtering their compatriots.

This goes beyond the scope of war and is the most vicious trampling on the basic morality of civilization.

Just then, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded on the car radio, interrupting Ming Yufei's words.

"Warning! Warning! Large-scale energy reaction detected ahead! Undead are gathering, and their numbers are... skyrocketing, initially estimated to be close to four figures!"

Ming Yufei stopped the car, touched the cold barrel of the gun, and gestured with his lip towards Jiang Ruixuan, the new recruit beside him.

Jiang Ruixuan immediately gripped the automatic rifle in his hand, and sensing something was wrong, he grabbed the shotgun and loaded it with bullets.

His knuckles turned white from clenching his fists, and even the warmth inside the carriage seemed unable to dispel the chill in his heart.

He lowered his voice and asked nervously, "Is it... a large-scale undead attack?"

"I guess so." Ming Yufei's answer was calm, but his eyes sharply swept across the white snow outside the car window. "I don't understand who would come to suffer in this godforsaken place!"

"Comrade Jiang Ruixuan, take a deep breath, relax your body, and be on high alert."

Although Jiang Ruixuan had been in the army for six years, longer than I had served, military training and the real battlefield are two different things.

No matter how good your marksmanship or how strong your physical fitness, you're bound to shudder at first when you arrive in this hellish place filled with corpses and blood.

Only those who can withstand this tension, have experienced one or two wars, and have completely taken life and death lightly can be considered veterans.

Jiang Ruixuan took a deep breath and began training according to his friend's instructions.

He stared intently into the distance, but all he could see was the monotonous whiteness and the track marks left by the vehicles ahead.

Only the distant rumble of cannons, coming in waves like dull drumbeats, made his temples throb.

Time passed second by second, but the anticipated cataclysmic disaster did not occur.

Jiang Ruixuan's tense body stiffened.

Seeing his tense expression, Ming Yufei finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. He reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, Jiang Ruixuan, stop with that deadpan look. You're practically squeezing the gun until it's soaked with sweat."

"what?"

"The enemy has been wiped out by artillery fire, and the troops need a short rest," Ming Yufei said, taking out a cigarette case from his pocket and handing one over.

Thinking back to what had just happened, Jiang Ruixuan realized that he seemed to have been tricked by the class monitor.

He let out a long sigh of relief, his whole body slumped, his face full of embarrassment and frustration. He reached for the cigarette but didn't light it.

Ming Yufei lit one himself, took a deep drag, and the smoke he exhaled condensed into a cloud of white frost on the cold car window.

"Isn't this different from the battlefield you imagined?"

Jiang Ruixuan nodded sullenly: "Yeah... I was nervous for a long time, but I didn't even see a ghost."

“My old sergeant told me that’s how war is. Most of the time you’re doing nothing, but when something happens you suddenly have to march for days or even dozens of days. The real battle might only last a few minutes or even a few seconds.” Mingyu flicked his cigarette ash. “Most of the time, you’re just struggling with boredom and waiting.”

"I just feel so frustrated!" Jiang Ruixuan couldn't help but complain. "We're here to fight a war, not for a road trip."

He longed for a thrilling battle, not to sit in a warm engineering vehicle, listening to distant artillery fire while watching the snow.

Ming Yufei smiled, and was about to say something, but the words stopped in his throat.

His eyes narrowed as he looked out the window.

The sky, which had been overcast, suddenly became even darker. The wind picked up suddenly and the snowflakes were no longer falling, but instead, like countless tiny knives, they lashed against the armored vehicle's exterior, making a dense "crackling" sound.

The temperature inside the car seemed to drop a few degrees out of nowhere.

"Class monitor?" Jiang Ruixuan also sensed something was wrong.

Ming Yufei stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette at his feet, the smile vanishing from his face, replaced by a hunter's focused concentration.

“The opportunity to fight has arrived…” He picked up his weapon and released the safety.

"Those guys are here."
-

Another world, a life science research group.

Under the operating lights, all was silent except for the faint buzzing of the precision instruments.

Life scientist Wu Shengli, wearing special gloves, gazes intently as if admiring a masterpiece of art.

But what lay before him was the meticulously dissected brain of an elf.

Just a few dozen hours ago, these brains belonged to the elves that Xiao Zhou and his group had killed.

Today, their skin, bones, neural networks... all their tissues are ruthlessly and precisely separated by scalpels and displayed on temperature-controlled trays.

The doctoral student in charge of the dissection, Xiao Liu, had a steady hand like a machine. He reported softly: "Professor Wu, the iron-based magnetic crystal cluster structure in the pineal gland has been completely separated. The fractal structure is very clear. Preliminary calculations show that it can convert nerve signals into biological ultra-low frequency electromagnetic waves of at least 0.3 to 13 Hz."

Wu Shengli did not respond immediately. He gently picked up a small cluster of crystals with tweezers and examined it under the microscope lens for a long time.

Under strong light, the crystal cluster refracted an almost dreamlike luster.

"Beautiful, a perfect masterpiece of the Creator." Wu Shengli exclaimed sincerely, then frowned. "The energy supply for such a powerful organ is definitely a big problem. Otherwise, what's the difference between relying on the photosynthesis of hair and using a cell phone battery to power an aircraft carrier?"

Just as they were wondering, another researcher immediately handed over a report: "Teacher, there has been a breakthrough in hair research! The hair of female elves is also a highly efficient magical particle capturing antenna! Magic power is supplied directly to the elf's pineal gland through special conduits within the hair."

"I see!" Wu Shengli exclaimed in sudden realization, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The energy source is solved! This explains why they can still be so energetic despite having such an energy-consuming brain."

He put down the tweezers and looked around at the dazzling array of research materials in the laboratory.

The secrets to elves' longevity, their pluripotent stem cells capable of differentiating into almost any tissue, and their bones far more resilient than those of humans…

For ordinary people, this is a scene of hell.

But for life scientists like Wu Shengli, this is a mobile treasure trove of future technologies!

"If we could replicate the energy conversion mechanism of this hair and drive it with magical particles, we might be able to control biological clusters!" a young researcher said with a smile.

"I feel there might be a new approach to solving the problem of powering individual soldier exoskeletons!"

"Haha, you guys are too one-sided!" Wu Shengli's thinking became even more expansive. "We just need to mimic the pineal gland of elves to create a head-mounted brainwave sensor, a more precise and sensitive brain-computer interface device, a brainwave recognition device, and even be able to communicate directly with animals! In the future, battlefield reconnaissance and wilderness search and rescue industries will be completely revolutionized!"

The crowd listened with excitement, as if they could already see a future where human technology was leaping forward.

However, Wu Shengli's excitement was quickly dampened by reality.

He looked at the nearly depleted pineal gland tissue on the tray and sighed helplessly.

"It's a pity those guys on the front lines were too ruthless, they only targeted the head and torso. Such a precious specimen, all smashed to pieces." He said to his assistant, half-jokingly and half-complainingly, "Next time, remind the combat troops that the elf's body, especially the head, is a key protected artifact, and we should try our best to preserve its integrity."

The assistant nodded with a wry smile.

Wu Shengli's gaze finally settled on the elf's mangled torso, his eyes becoming deep and yearning.

"Also, send a top-priority request report to the command center and General Li, containing just one sentence..."

Wu Shengli paused, then said, word by word:

"We need living, more that can be dissected, preferably living spirits!"

If there are more elf captives, humans will have more research material. Not only can they bring them to the modern world, but they can also conduct more tests!

The elf is a treasure. Putting aside its most amazing longevity, it can also use the other's organs to create a magic particle absorber.

Besides this, we can also develop head-mounted brainwave sensors and exoskeleton power systems.

By the way, elves can sense special electromagnetic waves, and after mimicking the biological structure of others, they can also communicate with animals.

They are truly a treasure trove!

It's a pity that elves are even more precious than giant pandas, and they can't be dissected—how infuriating!

In the command center office, Su Mingjin looked at the latest report submitted by Wu Shengli's team, her brows furrowed in worry.

"We need living, more that can be dissected, preferably living spirits!"

The bold, blacked-out words at the end of the report almost jumped off the screen, making Su Mingjin's temples throb.

"What else is in this madman Wu's brain besides slices of flesh?" Su Mingjin muttered under her breath.

The other party's idea is good, but its value is immense.

The reality simply doesn't allow it.

There's only one elf captive in the base right now, and she's a female, so she's incredibly precious.

Forget about autopsies, even drawing an extra tube of blood will get you a barrage of complaints from the rear.

All the research department can obtain are naturally shed hair, saliva samples, and... excrement.

Thinking about this, Su Mingjin found it somewhat amusing.

In order to collect first-hand biological metabolic samples, the logistics department specially designed a toilet with a special collection module for that female elf. It was very expensive, costing as much as an entire house.

And what happened? The female elf has been imprisoned to this day, and she hasn't produced anything, not even a single child, let alone any adult.

That expensive collection device has now become the most expensive decoration in the prisoners' room.

"We've kept the method of using toilets, but the female elves don't. Could it be that elves decompose waste through photosynthesis?"

Su Mingjin shook her head self-deprecatingly, just as she was about to send the far-fetched report back, a sharp and urgent alarm suddenly rang out throughout the entire command center!

"Level One Combat Alert! Coordinates: Extinct volcano exploration area! Unidentified hostile target encountered in area C-3!"

Su Mingjin immediately got up and rushed out of the office.

Inside the command center, the huge holographic screen had been switched to the drone's aerial view.

In the scene, Li Jingze's combined arms battalion is deploying into battle formation in a scorched volcanic rock area.

"An extinct volcano?" Su Mingjin recognized the terrain at a glance. "Weren't all the undead over there cleared out? How come they've reappeared?"

As Su Mingjin was asking her questions, a sudden blizzard swept across the screen, drastically reducing visibility.

Immediately afterwards, one after another, withered corpses with blue glowing eyes crawled out from the wind, snow and black rock crevices, charging fearlessly toward humanity's steel defenses.

"The number is large, with an initial estimate of over eight hundred!"

"Fire!" Li Jingze's calm command came through the communication channel.

The next second, a terrifying metal storm instantly tore through the wind and snow.

The vehicle-mounted rapid-fire cannon spewed long tongues of fire, and the dense rain of bullets formed an invisible wall, turning the undead at the forefront into piles of broken bones and mangled flesh.

The guided rocket that followed, trailing a plume of flame, exploded in the area where the undead were most concentrated, instantly clearing out a large area with its intense heat and shockwave.

The battle started suddenly and ended even faster.

In less than ten minutes, the once relatively intact army of the undead was reduced to a pile of twitching remains.

Faced with the violent aesthetics of human industrial civilization, these monsters driven by primitive magic are incredibly vulnerable.

"Clean up the battlefield, collect samples, and incinerate the remaining debris." Li Jingze's voice rang out on the large screen, steady and reassuring.

As she watched the soldiers on the screen begin using flamethrowers to deal with the broken bones, Su Mingjin's expression grew increasingly serious.

She stepped forward and asked, "Commander Man, there seems to be a problem at the extinct volcano."

Professor Deng previously said that he saw two complete versions of the demonic dragon appear in his illusions and wantonly destroy the base.

The undead don't occupy a place for no reason, which makes Su Mingjin seriously suspect that the magic crystal mine below can still be activated.

Those guys are definitely after the mine.

"We will send our engineering colleagues over there to establish a permanent outpost and guard zone."

"it is good."

Having learned about Commander Man's arrangements, Su Mingjin returned to her quiet office, where the noise in the lobby seemed to be shut out from her into another world.

She sat down again, her gaze falling once more on the report from Wu Shengli.

The battle scene replayed in my mind. The undead were annoying, but they were ultimately just cannon fodder with little intelligence, easily overwhelmed by firepower.

But elves are different.

They possessed intelligence no less than that of humans, incredible magic, and may even have built a civilization.

Although Wu Shengli, that madman, was ruthless, the questions he raised were incredibly realistic.

To deal with cannon fodder, humanity needs stronger firepower.

But to deal with an intelligent race, the first thing needed is... understanding.

Su Mingjin tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her previously irritated eyes now becoming deep and thoughtful.

Instead of immediately rejecting the report, she prepared to escalate the matter further.
-

In the modern world, offices are brightly lit late at night.

The food in front of Li Weiguo had long since gone cold, but he didn't care at all. He ate a couple of bites and then put down his chopsticks, focusing intently on reviewing the latest daily report sent by Su Mingjin from another world.

When he saw Wu Shengli's "Application for Experimentation on Living Spirits", he frowned and tapped his index finger lightly on the table.

"Wu Shengli...it's Wu Shengli again."

He muttered to himself, his tone tinged with helplessness.

He understands that researchers only care about results and specimens.

But one's position determines one's perspective; sitting in this position, he has to consider the overall situation.

"What a nonsense!"

Li Weiguo picked up a red pen and drew a big X on the application report.

"The elves' morality is unclear, their racial potential is unknown, and they possess immense value in being recruited. To rashly conduct live dissections would be tantamount to cutting off our own escape route—pure foolishness! Unacceptable!"

He thought for a moment and then added another instruction.

"Only mild research on regenerative tissues such as saliva and hair is permitted without harming the target. Tell Wu Shengli to behave himself and stop thinking about disemboweling her. He should figure out why that female elf doesn't defecate or urinate first!"

Putting down the report, Li Weiguo picked up another document, which was Su Mingjin's application to expedite the construction of the frontline ammunition production line.

His expression instantly turned serious.

In modern warfare, logistics are key!
While transporting supplies and ammunition from the mainland is not expensive, it is inefficient due to secrecy requirements, and there is a risk of disruption if the portal closes.

Establishing self-sufficient production capacity at the front lines is crucial for the base to gain a foothold.

(End of this chapter)