Using Red Ice Ants to search for ore veins was a method the War Emperor had learned from a peculiar race during his travels across the land.

After absorbing a specially concocted potion, the bodies of the Red Ice Ants would swell to several times their original size, and their color would also change.

But these were only minor changes.

The real transformation occurred inside the Red Ice Ants’ bodies.

Having absorbed a great deal of the potion’s medicinal power in a short time, the Red Ice Ants would, within a day, feel as if they had not eaten for a long time and were utterly starving.

Under these conditions, they would rapidly seek out and devour ore veins.

Furthermore, the potion would temporarily alter their sense of taste, making them feel disgusted by Low Tier Ore. No matter how much Low Tier Ore they ate, they would never be satisfied!

Thus, once released, these Red Ice Ants would madly scour the area for ore veins.

And they would only search for High Tier ore veins!

The Red Ice Ants were already highly sensitive to all kinds of ores, but under the potion’s stimulation, their Spiritual Sense would be amplified a hundredfold for a short period.

This allowed them to perceive the Spiritual Qi released by ore veins with extreme clarity.

After the Red Ice Ants found a vein and devoured a large amount of ore, they would all fall into a deep sleep for a short time.

While they slept, the potion in their bodies would react with the ore, causing it to evaporate and rise. It would then condense into a cloud, which would hang in the air for some time.

However, this method was not suitable for everyone.

Those who could use this technique to find ore veins either had exceptionally high Cultivation and could detect the abnormal Energy in the air...

...or they were people like Shen Lang, who possessed the Silver Eyes of Truth or other Pupil Techniques.

Only such individuals could see these strange clusters of energy floating in the sky.

So when Shen Lang looked into the distance and saw the sky filled with colorful clouds, revealing the locations of many enormous and rare ore veins, he couldn’t help but roar with laughter...

This method had been in his memory for a long time.

He just never had a chance to use it.

For one, the materials needed to concoct this potion were extremely precious and costly. In the past, the most Shen Lang had managed was making a small fortune from selling a batch of Giant Potions, which was nowhere near enough money for something like this.

On the other hand, an ore vein was no small matter. It wasn’t like a Thousand-leaf Fruit that you could just pick and run away with.

Once discovered, one needed considerable strength to develop and protect it.

Previously, in the Phoenix Mountain Range, Shen Lang had run into people from the Evil Wind Valley and found an ore vein. In the end, he could only become an Honored Elder of the Evil Wind Valley and let them develop it.

Then, he discovered a Demon Iron Vein on Celestial City Peak in Qingfeng Stronghold and handed it over to Illusion Mist City’s City Lord, An Fengrui, for development.

But things were different now. Although Shen Lang wasn’t directly managing their affairs, he had implicitly taken control of the Profound Dao Sect and the other Five Great Sects.

And right now, he was in dire need of a massive amount of resources.

So, he began using this method to search for ore veins without any reservations.

...

While Shen Lang was roaring with laughter, Qian Luo, who stood beside him, was utterly miserable.

He had no idea what Shen Lang was doing, let alone what he was laughing about.

He didn’t even know what he had been doing these past few days, dicing with death.

For an expert at the Xuanwu Realm Fifth Heaven, the Master of One Peak of the Holy Light Sect, this feeling was extremely humiliating.

’But losing face in front of Shen Lang... that makes it a little more bearable.’

As for Ying Huo, he was much calmer.

Ying Huo had already faintly guessed what was happening and knew that Shen Lang’s methods were extraordinary.

At this point, even if Shen Lang were to dig up a massive ore vein right under their feet, he wouldn’t be too surprised.

"Follow me!"

Having confirmed the locations of the ore veins, Shen Lang immediately took off at full speed, flying toward the strange clouds.

The first location was to the west, nearly 180 *li* from where Shen Lang had concocted the potion.

When Shen Lang stopped above the location, both Qian Luo and Ying Huo were puzzled.

Below their feet was a continuous range of bare, rocky mountains.

There were almost no trees on these mountains, only a few scattered weeds, a stark contrast to the rest of the Barbaric lands where trees grew hundreds of feet tall and grass grew taller than a man.

"My lord, the Spiritual Qi here is thin, even weaker than in the outside world. In the Barbaric lands, this place is practically a desert. How could there be an ore vein in a place like this? Could you have made a mistake?"

Qian Luo couldn’t help but ask as he watched Shen Lang carefully examine the rocky mountains below.

Aside from a few specific types of ore, the vast majority of ore veins were found in places rich with Spiritual Qi.

This place was a barren mountain range stretching for over a hundred *li*, with Spiritual Qi so thin it couldn’t even compare to the outside world. Logically, it was impossible for an ore vein to exist here.

Forget an ore vein; it would be a miracle to find even one or two Spirit Grass stalks here.

Shen Lang said nothing. He drew the Immortal Celestial Saber, infused it with his formidable Saber Intent, and slashed down violently!

The peerless Saber Qi, fused with Saber Intent, condensed into a single streak of light. It flashed through the air and vanished in an instant.

Immediately after, a deafening explosion echoed.

A fissure, no more than two meters wide, over ten meters long, but more than twenty meters deep, appeared on the rocky mountain.

"Saber... Saber Intent! What terrifying Saber Intent!"

Qian Luo felt the peerless Saber Intent carried in that slash, and his heart trembled. ’Holy crap! Saber Intent is something that can’t be improved with Spirit Stones or Elixir Pills. It’s so profound and mysterious. How could someone so young comprehend such a powerful Saber Intent?’

’This Saber Intent is so strong that even if he struck at me with his bare hands, I’d be split in two!’

’Comparisons are truly odious! I’m a Peak Xuanwu Realm Fifth Heaven expert, for god’s sake, and I haven’t even touched the basics of Sword and Saber Intent. Yet his Saber Intent has already reached the point where it can slice through anything...’

’I’m starting to feel that handing over my Soul Blood was the right decision after all. Damn it, I really am a genius!’

This fellow had completely forgotten that he had been forced to hand over his Soul Blood within ten seconds, not that he had chosen to do so voluntarily.

People always have a selective memory.

Before Qian Luo’s astonishment could fade, Shen Lang struck out with another slash.

This slash landed directly in the fissure, instantly more than doubling its twenty-meter depth to over forty meters.

A moment later, the dust and smoke below dissipated. With a flicker, Shen Lang descended.

Ying Huo and Qian Luo immediately followed, and the three of them landed together at the bottom of the fissure.

The moment he landed, Qian Luo cried out as if he’d seen a ghost. "Heavens, Red Heart Jade! There’s a Red Heart Jade vein under this mountain!"

Standing at the bottom of the fissure, the walls on both sides were as smooth as jade... No, they weren’t *like* jade—the walls on either side of them *were* jade!

Extremely rare Red Heart Jade!

Red Heart Jade was milky-white, but its surface was covered with what looked like countless blood vessels, through which fresh blood seemed to be flowing. It was an exceptionally rare type of ore.

This material contained Earth Spirit Qi. If refined into a Magical Treasure and worn, it would not only provide immense Defense Power, but the Earth Spirit Qi within could also be slowly absorbed by the body over time, enhancing a Martial Artist’s Cultivation.

Furthermore, if used to forge a Defensive Magical Treasure, it could even reflect attacks, making it an incredibly rare Top Grade material.

Many Profound Artifacts would see a great increase in both their grade and power if this material were added.

However, this material was usually found in spherical forms no larger than a pomelo and was extremely scarce.

The major Sects in the Celestial Profound Mountain Range had never seen a large vein of Red Heart Jade.

But now, where the three of them stood, they could see clearly that both sides were lined with vast quantities of Red Heart Jade!

’And Shen Lang’s slash seemed to have been aimed at a random spot on this mountain... Could it be that this entire mountain is made of Red Heart Jade?’

Seeing this, even Ying Huo was a little stunned.

Qian Luo could no longer contain himself. He took out his Longsword and, with all his might, dug out a large chunk of Red Heart Jade, holding it in his hands, unable to put it down.

Meanwhile, Shen Lang merely inspected the purity of the Red Heart Jade, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Collect a sample and record the location."

"Yes, sir!"

Ying Huo immediately took out a brush and paper and, with a few quick strokes, recorded the location and drew a detailed route map.

"Stop digging. We’re finding the next one," Shen Lang said, glancing at Qian Luo before flying out of the fissure.

Seeing this, Qian Luo reluctantly followed, staring down at the mountain with a look of bitter resentment.

He almost wanted to cough up blood at the thought of having to leave such a massive treasure mountain right after finding it.

But soon, he grew numb to this feeling.

Next, Shen Lang flew at full speed, leading Qian Luo and Ying Huo to a total of fifteen ore veins!

Black Iron Ore, Spirit Copper Ore, Secret Silver Ore, Silver Ore, Krypton Gold Ore... there was even a Bloodstone Ore vein that would drive a Spirit Copper Level Influence mad!

Any one of these fifteen veins, if obtained by a Profound Iron Level Influence, would make them rich overnight!

It would allow their overall strength to increase dramatically in a short period!

But in just a few days, Shen Lang had found a total of fifteen of them!

Each one was enormous, and the ore was so pure and abundant that it didn’t even need to be refined by Red Ice Ants; it could be used immediately after being mined!

And according to Qian Luo’s observations, Shen Lang seemed to have skipped over a few ore veins, looking as if he couldn’t be bothered to find them!

Throughout the entire journey, Qian Luo kept pinching his arm to make sure he wasn’t dreaming or trapped in someone’s Illusion Technique.

’If this isn’t a dream or an Illusion Technique...’

’...then this is too damn terrifying...’

In the end, his arm was black and blue from all the pinching.

In truth, it wasn’t just him. Even Ying Huo felt a sense of unreality as he looked at the map he had drawn with his own hands.

To find over a dozen huge and rare ore veins so easily... who would believe it if they hadn’t witnessed it themselves?

Standing on the edge of a cliff and looking at the large patch of Star Pattern Steel Ore exposed on the cliff face, Ying Huo couldn’t suppress the excitement in his eyes.

If word of this vein got out, the Imperial Dragon Sect and the other two major Spirit Copper Level Influences would probably go to war over it.

And now, it was laid out so simply before his very eyes...

’Thankfully, Shen Lang has a special status, so the Profound Dao Sect can use this to establish a firm foothold. Otherwise, even if we found such a treasure, we wouldn’t dare touch it!’

Ying Huo wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart filled with both shock and relief.