What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

I took off my coat and placed the guitar case containing the black knife on the inside of the bed, within easy reach.

Then I pulled the blanket over myself, closed my eyes, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

I slept very soundly.

The next morning, I woke up precisely when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains and streamed into the room.

Full of energy and vitality.

After getting up and washing up, I slung my guitar bag over my shoulder, checked out of the hotel, and left.

The town of Qingshi in the early morning exudes a unique rustic charm, with steaming white vapor rising from the breakfast stalls lining both sides of the street.

I randomly picked a stall and ate a bowl of hot noodles to warm up my stomach.

Then he walked towards the secluded alley where Shi Cuishan was located.

Soon, I arrived at that familiar black lacquered wooden door.

The door was not locked at the time, but only slightly ajar.

I pushed open the door and went inside, and found Shi Cuishan sitting shirtless on a stone stool in the yard, smoking a pipe.

The slightly cool morning air seemed to have no effect on his thin but muscular upper body.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and glanced at me.

"You're here, and you look to be in good spirits."

Shi Cuishan tapped the ash from his pipe on the sole of his shoe, stood up, picked up a piece of draft paper from the stone table next to him, and handed it to me.

"This is a map of that place."

I reached out and took the map, examining it closely.

The map was drawn in a very simple way, with rough lines, but it clearly marked the route from the entrance of the back mountain of Qingshi Town all the way to the depths of the abandoned mine.

At the deepest part of the map, there is an area marked in red.

"The red areas are where the underground fire veins are located."

Shi Cuishan pointed to the map and said in a steady voice.

"That mine was used for coal mining in the early years. Later, the mine broke through the strata and caused a fire that burned many people to death, so it was abandoned."

The mine tunnels inside are interconnected, and there are many places where landslides have occurred.

"If you follow this main mine shaft I drew down, you'll find the volcanic vein."

I nodded, memorizing the route on the map, and then looked at Shi Cuishan, waiting for his next report.

"As for that fire-attribute beast that has become a spirit..."

At this point, Shi Cuishan's expression turned somewhat serious.

"That was a pangolin that had become a spirit."

Furthermore, because it spends most of its time cultivating by breathing in and out the earth's fire energy near the fire vein, its size is several times larger than that of an ordinary pangolin.

It was about... as big as an adult wild boar.

Upon hearing this, my heart stirred slightly.

A pangolin the size of a wild boar, its body covered in hard scales.

Just imagining this scene is thrilling.

"That beast has been rolling around in the fire veins for years, and its scales have long been tempered by the earth fire until they are as hard as iron, making it extremely resistant to fire."

If you know any fire-based spells, never use them on it.

That's like scratching an itch; it might even backfire.

Unaware of my thoughts, Shi Cuishan solemnly warned me.

"I understand," I replied calmly.

I specialize in Yin energy, which is inherently cold and yin, so I naturally wouldn't use any fire-related methods.

However, the rate at which Yin energy is consumed will definitely increase exponentially in the high-temperature environment of the Fire Vein.

This is a disadvantage I must be aware of.

"Its greatest strength lies in its defenses and the advantageous terrain of its fire veins."

Shi Cuishan continued.

However, everything has its flaws.

No matter how much a pangolin mutates, it cannot escape its own physiological structure.

Its weak point is in its abdomen.

Shi Cuishan gestured with his hand to his stomach:

"In the very center of its abdomen, there is a white reverse scale about the size of a palm."

That is where its scales are thinnest, and where its fire-attribute inner core is located.

"As long as you find the right opportunity to strike that white reverse scale, you can kill it with a single blow."

"The white reverse scale on the abdomen..." I repeated softly.

When faced with danger, the most instinctive reaction of pangolins is to curl their bodies into a ball, using their hard back scales to defend against attacks and tightly protecting their vulnerable abdomen inside.

Moreover, it was a strange beast that had become a spirit.

Exposing its abdominal weakness is definitely not an easy task.

This requires precise tactical planning and explosive power to strike with a single, decisive blow.

However, having this clear weakness is much better than facing an invincible iron turtle.

"Generally speaking, that beast will choose to stay around the fire vein to cultivate, and rarely goes far away."

"Once you get to that fire vein, you'll definitely find it."

After Shi Cuishan finished speaking, he gave me a deep look.

"Young man, I have told you everything that needs to be told."

The rest depends on your own abilities.

"Bring the inner elixir back alive, and I'll keep this furnace burning for you."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Shi."

I folded the map and casually put it in my pocket.

Without further pleasantries, I turned and walked out of the courtyard.

Less than two kilometers from Qingshi Town, the surrounding scenery underwent a dramatic change.

The mountains and forests at the border of Hunan and Hubei provinces retain a fairly pristine appearance.

The mountains are steep and the trees are towering.

There was no decent road underfoot.

There are only a few faint, winding paths trodden out by herb gatherers or hunters.

The dense thickets and thorny vines intertwined, almost blocking the way forward.

If an ordinary person who has never been to the mountains were to trek in such an environment, they would probably be out of breath after walking only a few hundred meters, and might even lose their way.

But for me, this is not an obstacle.

I maintained a steady pace, and the Mountain-Shaking Force within my body circulated silently.

Those thick vines blocking my way could be easily torn apart with a gentle push of my hand.

With a light touch of my toes, I can leap up the steep rock face.

We trekked through the deep mountains and forests for about an hour.

As I ventured deeper into the heart of the back mountain, I could clearly sense a subtle but profound change taking place in my surroundings.

The originally moist and cool mountain breeze gradually became somewhat dry.

The lush, broad-leaved plants around us began to decrease, and were replaced by shrubs with thick leaves that were drought- and heat-resistant.

The soil beneath our feet had also lost its moisture, and when we stepped on it, it made a dry, rustling sound.

A very faint, rotten egg-like sulfurous smell wafted through the air.

I know we're not far from our destination.

I slowed my pace and followed the route on the map in my mind as I wandered through a chaotic stone forest.

After walking for about ten minutes, a steep cliff face that was almost vertical appeared in front of us.