After finding the little rhinoceros, Li Er went mad.

Chapter 29 The First Manifestation of Immortal Techniques

Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

The arrival of "The Immortal's Blessing: The Mineral Exploration Handbook, Volume One: Observing Mountains and Identifying Veins" was like adding oil to a raging fire, pushing the mineral exploration craze of the Tang Dynasty to a new climax.

That illustrated "Immortal Techniques," with its simple yet comprehensive and exquisite style, quickly spread throughout the country.

Officials studied the text by imperial decree, and the common people passed it down by word of mouth. Many experienced miners and hunters, comparing the descriptions in the "treasure trove," were astonished to find that the places described as having "mountains shaped like dragons," "water that is reddish-yellow," and "sparse vegetation" actually matched their past experiences!

Longyou Road, Minshan Mountain.

An elderly Qiang man, whose family has been collecting medicinal herbs for generations, only knows how to identify herbs in his daily life.

Holding a rubbing of the "Mineral Exploration Handbook," he pointed to a desolate mountain known locally as "Ghost Cry Slope," and said tremblingly to the county constable who had come to inspect it, "Sir, look at this mountain's shape; it resembles a dragon, its veins must be connected. The spring at the foot of the mountain has a rusty red hue. And the vegetation on the slope is sparse, with yellowish leaves—this, this handbook says, there might be a magical mineral here!"

The county magistrate was skeptical, but seeing the old man's confident words, he dared not disregard the "divine decree" and ordered his men to dig.

A few days later, they indeed dug out a layer of ore with a bluish-gray luster from the ground. When they cracked it open, they saw a faint black metallic luster inside.

When the news reached Chang'an, Li Shimin was overjoyed!

This is the best proof that "immortal magic" is showing its divine power for the first time!

He immediately issued an edict, offering a substantial reward to the discoverer, and ordered the Ministry of Works to dispatch an elite team to explore and mine the site.

At the same time, announcing this matter to the world would further solidify the sacred status of the "immortal" among the people and indirectly strengthen imperial power.

However, not everyone is as simple and honest as the Qiang elders.

The Cui family of Boling owned a family-run mine.

Cui Zhongda, a retainer sent by Cui Renshi, was secretly plotting with a minor official from the Ministry of Works whom he had bribed.

"This 'Mineral Exploration Handbook' is indeed quite mysterious." Cui Zhongda stroked his beard, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes. "But what the immortal said was all generalities. What is refined iron? What is rare metal?"

If we find what appears to be refined iron but is actually useless ore, and then report it in the name of the immortals, what can His Majesty do then?

The minor official understood immediately; he knew Cui's intentions.

This is a disguised form of outward compliance while inward defiance, which can both appease Li Shimin's orders and deplete the court's resources, and even allow for the private hoarding of truly valuable minerals.

"Your Excellency is brilliant!" the clerk flattered. "I have prepared a batch of iron ore that looks excellent but is actually full of impurities. In a few days, I will report it as a divine mine."

As Cui Renshi sat in Boling's study, listening to these feedbacks, his brows furrowed, yet a sense of satisfaction arose deep within him.

He knew this was just the beginning.

He wanted to let Li Shimin know that even with the help of an "immortal," the foundation of a noble family was not easily shaken!

He even began to devise how to use the ambiguity of "immortal magic" to secure more mining and smelting rights for the aristocratic families.

Li Shimin, far away in Chang'an, amidst his immense joy, also vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

Although the number of "celestial mines" reported from various places was large, their quality varied greatly, and very few could truly compare with the "extraordinary iron" offered by the Cui family.

He summoned Dai Zhou and Duan Lun, and asked in a deep voice, "Why are the iron ores offered from various places mostly ordinary iron ore? Is the celestial iron mentioned by the immortal so hard to find?"

Dai Zhou and Duan Lun exchanged bewildered glances, both drenched in sweat. They dared not say that the aristocratic families might have hidden treasures, much less question the ominous nature of the "immortal arts."

Li Shimin sighed inwardly. It seemed that although the "immortal magic" was wonderful, the human heart was treacherous, and its implementation still required meticulous attention to detail.

He decided to once again respectfully receive the "divine decree" and ask the "immortal" to bestow upon him an even more exquisite method for prospecting.

In the modern world, at a secret research center, two days later in Tang Dynasty time, Jiang He uses a VR simulation system to immerse himself in the mining frenzy of the Tang Dynasty.

He "personally" witnessed the discovery of the Qiang elder in Longyou Road, and after the system assessed the value of his energy points, they were automatically credited to his account. He also "saw" the conspiracy between Cui Renshi's retainer Cui Zhongda and a minor official, as well as Li Shimin's confusion.

The VR system's visuals are incredibly realistic, making Jianghe feel as if he were in the Tang Dynasty.

He could even feel the fervor and ambition permeating the air, as well as the cunning undercurrents of the powerful families.

"System, the efficiency and accuracy of the data from Datang are too low." Jiang He exited VR, frowned, and said to Professor Bai and Sun Li, "Although the 'Mineral Exploration Handbook' points out the direction, it is still too vague when it comes to identifying mineral types and judging quality."

Professor Bai nodded and handed him a report: "Mr. Jiang, this is the second immortal technique we have prepared for you, based on the mineral resources currently discovered throughout the Tang Dynasty and the list of things we urgently need."

This information is more concrete than the previous "Mineral Exploration Handbook".

"The Immortal's Blessing: A Treasure Trove for Mineral Exploration, Volume Two: Illustrated Guide to Immortal Stones and the True Secrets of Mineral Identification"

"This scroll contains a secret method bestowed by the immortals for distinguishing genuine from fake ores. Those who seek tungsten essence will find stones that are mostly dark gray or blackish-brown, very heavy, and warm to the touch. When struck with a hard object, they will shatter into pieces, with the fracture surface shimmering with a metallic luster. These stones are often hidden in secluded valleys in high mountains."

"Those who seek molybdenum concentrate should look for stones that are silvery-white or slightly bluish-gray in color, with a relatively soft texture that can be scratched with a fingernail. These stones are commonly found in volcanic craters or areas where lava erupts."

The data includes information on the appearance, color, hardness, specific gravity, and origin of rare minerals such as tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, nickel, and cobalt.

In addition to detailed descriptions of associated minerals and other characteristics, the book is also accompanied by a "Stone Illustrated Guide" with vibrant colors and meticulous brushwork.

They even explained some simple chemical and physical properties using the "immortal magic" language that the Tang Dynasty could understand.

For example, heavy minerals are described as "heavy immortal stones containing the universe within," while hard minerals are described as "tough immortal stones, fearless of weapons."

"This document combines our latest research findings with the exploration knowledge you requested last time," Sun Li said. "We've also included a guide to the Immortal Stones to help them identify them more intuitively."

"Great!" Jiang He looked at the detailed information, his eyes gleaming with excitement. This was exactly what he wanted!

He immediately picked up his tablet and uploaded "The Mineral Exploration Handbook, Volume Two: Immortal Stone Illustrated Guide and True Secrets of Mineral Identification" and the list of rare minerals (titled "The Immortal's Desire List") to the system.

"Host is transmitting 'The Mineral Exploration Handbook, Volume Two' and the Immortal's Desired List," consuming 5 energy points. Current energy points: 93.

A system notification sounded.

Jiang He took a deep breath and re-entered the VR system, ready to observe the Tang Dynasty's reaction.

He knew that this "divine decree" would be a huge test of the Tang Dynasty's mineral exploration capabilities and the resistance of the powerful families.

He will also use this test to further solidify his absolute authority as an "immortal" and gain more precious "sacrifices"!