Chapter 609
Chapter 609
Nirvana Island.
The look in the eyes of those with the Blank Bloodline was enough to stir Grandmaster Nandao's heart. Such frightened, sensitive, and gentle eyes. But they were too weak. Nandao had lived in seclusion for so long that he knew nothing about the Nirvana Legion. When he heard about modifying bloodlines, he scoffed, thinking it was an utterly outlandish idea. When Li Qianqiu claimed to have witnessed it himself, Nandao retorted by calling him a fraud.
‘Li Qianqiu, didn't you swear you wouldn't tell anyone where I was hiding? And what happened? You brought people here yourself, kidnapped me, and violated my dignity!’
Shen Lang didn't mind his behavior. Don't they say that people become like children in their old age? Grandmaster Nandao was already seventy years old, and after becoming crippled, his personality had grown even more extreme. But this man had once been a true, righteous hero. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken on so many disciples in the past, nor would he have performed so many righteous deeds out of a sense of chivalry.
His gaze fell upon the three thousand nine hundred individuals with the Blank Bloodline. It had been several months since they were gathered. In truth, after finding and gathering over two thousand three hundred of them in the capital, Shen Lang had immediately dispatched his subordinates to search for individuals with the Blank Bloodline throughout the State of Yue. Unlike the first Nirvana Legion, they weren't conscripted on a large scale using lists and records. Instead, he used a highly secretive method, dispatching his subordinates to infiltrate various households and bring back the individuals as soon as they were found.
After the first Nirvana Legion had stunned the world, what would happen if he began a large-scale search for more people with the Blank Bloodline? It was obvious that others would try to snatch them away, and Shen Lang was not so foolish. He sent out several hundred men to find and gather individuals with the Blank Bloodline from all over the country in advance, then planted spies from the Hidden Yuan Society and Blackwater Terrace among them. The final act, where all three thousand seven hundred were 'stolen,' was nothing but a play.
But the play was so realistic that even the warriors of the Black Mirror Division and the Heaven's Path Society thought it was real. They went door-to-door according to the lists, searching for people, then spent a fortune in gold to conscript them. Shen Lang even injected a substance into the bodies of the three thousand seven hundred fake individuals to make the color of their blood serum appear identical to that of someone with a Blank Bloodline.
On the surface, their appearance was identical to those with the Blank Bloodline, but anyone who truly understood the condition would notice their distinct differences. Those with the Blank Bloodline, despite their social impairments and autistic traits, had sensitive minds, high concentration, and could even be called intelligent. In contrast, the fake ones were truly simple-minded, with genuine intellectual disabilities.
But did Shen Lang really need to stage this play? It was very, very, very necessary. Since the first Nirvana Legion had already stunned the world, the appearance of a second one could make them a target for all. A hidden dragon must lie coiled in the pond so that its ascent to the heavens will be all the more shocking. Therefore, everyone had to remain unaware of the second Nirvana Legion's existence, so that when they appeared on the battlefield, their effect would be maximized, catching the enemy off guard and securing victory.
* * *
The three thousand nine hundred individuals with the Blank Bloodline had spent two months building up their bodies with the best food, yet they remained frail and weak. However, they hadn't wasted those two months. They trained daily in battle formations and battlefield scenarios, and learned the theory and knowledge of archery. They had memorized concepts like parabolas, gravitational acceleration, and wind force until they were completely fluent. No words could describe their serious attitude toward learning. They even studied in their dreams while sleeping, to the point where only practical application remained. Before their bloodlines were modified, their physical strength was too low to draw even the lightest bow.
Why hadn't Shen Lang modified their bloodlines sooner? He had no choice. The supply of Gu worms with the lowest-grade Golden Bloodline energy was limited and required a long time to produce. At Shen Lang's gesture, his subordinates brought in several boxes one after another.
“Second Nirvana Legion, return to the barracks! Everyone, lie down on your bunks!”
The three thousand nine hundred men, divided into thirty-nine square formations by barrack, returned to their respective wooden quarters. Their movements were not the least bit disorderly. Their military bearing and posture were top-tier, and the three thousand nine hundred men moved as one. Grandmaster Nandao sighed as he watched them.
“What a waste, what a waste. Their bodies are too frail. If not for that, they would truly be the finest elite army!”
* * *
After the three thousand nine hundred men returned to their barracks, Shen Lang began to modify their bloodlines. This time, it wasn't Shen Lang working alone; a full hundred people administered the injections simultaneously. Shen Lang and his subordinates had become extremely proficient at the bloodline modification process, and just like the first Nirvana Legion, those with the Blank Bloodline offered no resistance. They were startled and trembled with fear, but they obeyed every command. Moreover, the entire process of the low-grade Golden Bloodline Gu worms entering their bodies was excruciatingly painful, yet they still neither screamed nor struggled.
An hour later, all three thousand nine hundred had received their injections. Although Grandmaster Nandao had repeatedly said he didn't believe in bloodline modification, he secretly yearned for such a miracle to occur and watched the entire process from beginning to end with an intense gaze.
Shen Lang smiled and said.
“Grandmaster, they will be in a deep sleep for the next three days. Now, it's your turn!”
Grandmaster Nandao cried out in alarm.
“My turn? What are you talking about?”
“It's time for your surgery!”
“I'm not having surgery. I won't do it.”
Grandmaster Nandao shouted in alarm and struggled desperately. According to Shen Lang's explanation, the surgery involved severing the tendons and meridians in his limbs section by section, then reconnecting and suturing them. Nandao had accepted his fate in recent years and didn't want to suffer again. He had already endured so many blows that the pain made him feel death would be a relief. But now, Shen Lang was talking about severing his tendons and meridians again, which brought back dreadful memories.
“I don't want surgery. Don't touch me, don't touch me! Being unable to move like this is actually quite fine. I have no desire to get better. I'm a cripple, have you ever been a cripple?”
Grandmaster Nandao was practically throwing a tantrum, and the Sword King's wife watched the scene in disbelief. Grandmaster Nandao was more than twenty years her senior. In her youth, she had greatly respected him and had even met him frequently.
‘What a great hero he once was. To think he's become like this now. What has life done to him? (She learned this phrase from Shen Lang. —Author's note)’
At that moment, Lady Qiu glanced at Li Qianqiu and said.
“If you become that pathetic when you're old, I'll kill you immediately.”
The Sword King grimaced. He felt that while he wasn't old, he was already pathetic enough. So, how does one deal with an old child throwing a tantrum? It was quite simple. Pin him to the bed with brute force and administer a potent anesthetic. A moment later, the old child quieted down, lying there without a twitch.
Shen Lang began the surgery. It wasn't a major operation, but it was incredibly difficult, something only a surgeon with exceptional skill could perform. Without a surgical microscope, Shen Lang would never have even attempted this surgery if not for his computer. But the combination of his eyes and the computer could produce a similar effect. He had two assistants, the master physician An Zaishi and the Sword King Li Qianqiu, and dozens of medications prepared. He also needed sufficient lighting, so Shen Lang used mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight. He took a deep breath.
‘Let's begin!’
* * *
A full five hours later, half of the surgery was complete. He operated on the two legs first; if it proved effective, he would then operate on Nandao's two hands. Shen Lang was so exhausted he was numb, but the results of the surgery wouldn't be as good as modern medicine. This was because in this world, the smallest nerves couldn't be sutured, and there were no suitable surgical materials. Fortunately, there was silk thread drawn from silkworm cocoons. Otherwise, where would Shen Lang have found nylon thread? The sutures used in modern medicine are originally made from the protein fibers of silkworm cocoons.
* * *
When Nandao awoke, he felt distinct pain but no longer screamed aloud. He was very quiet.
“How did it go?”
Shen Lang replied.
“It was relatively successful, but we won't know the specific effects until later.”
Even surgery to reattach a severed finger has a very long recovery process, let alone an operation to suture the tendons and meridians of both legs. Grandmaster Nandao was silent for a moment, then said.
“Shen Lang, thank you!”
There was no trace of his earlier childish tantrum. He was in a state where he could no longer hold onto hope, but he could see that Shen Lang had given it his all.
* * *
While the effects of Grandmaster Nandao's surgery did not appear quickly, the three thousand nine hundred individuals with the Blank Bloodline saw immediate results. Three days later, the three thousand nine hundred men regained consciousness one after another, and they were all astonishingly transformed. Everyone's strength, agility, and speed had increased to a shocking degree.
The three thousand nine hundred men had finally achieved their great nirvana!
* * *
Five days later, Grandmaster Nandao was still half-reclined in his wheelchair, watching the three thousand nine hundred men on the training grounds. He felt a thrill, finding it all hard to believe. Shen Lang had truly succeeded in changing their bloodlines. Just a few days ago, how frail they had been. But now, every one of them could easily lift a stone lock weighing over five hundred jin, draw a strongbow with a draw weight of one and a half dan, and run a hundred and fifty paces in the time it took to take ten breaths. No army in the world could match such feats. They were truly worthy of the name Nirvana Legion. An army reborn, having attained nirvana!
* * *
Although Grandmaster Nandao's body hadn't fully recovered from the surgery, the second Nirvana Legion needed an instructor. Unlike before their bloodline modification, they were now capable of learning basic archery. Of course, the most important things for them were still strength, speed, and agility. When they entered the Southern Gull Kingdom to fight the Savage Tribes, the geographical environment would be completely different. The warriors of the Savage Tribes were as fierce as beasts, as agile as monkeys, and unafraid of death. Their lean, small, and sturdy bodies seemed to possess endless strength.
Therefore, the second Nirvana Legion had to undergo two types of training every day. Training to march with heavy loads in extremely harsh environments, and training to constantly draw their bows for archery practice, relying on instinct to find enemies without specific targets. This Nirvana Island was roughly several hundred square kilometers in size. It was surrounded by primeval forests, most areas had no paths, and it was filled with sheer cliffs. The geographical conditions were extremely harsh, comparable to the environment of the Southern Gull Kingdom and the Savage Tribes. Moreover, the climate was currently very hot and humid, so the forests were teeming with poisonous snakes and insects.
“The first marching drill begins now. You will carry a two-hundred-jin pack and march three hundred and fifty li, round trip. You must complete it within two days. Two days from now, at this very hour, I will be waiting for you here. If you have not returned to the barracks by sunrise, you will be immediately expelled from the Nirvana Legion! Now, move out!”
As soon as the order was given, the three thousand nine hundred men shouldered their two-hundred-jin packs and headed north. They would march on foot to the northernmost tip of the island and then return. Completing a three-hundred-and-fifty-li round trip in forty-eight hours was an incredibly arduous task. Furthermore, there were no paths, so they had to cross rivers, thickets, and cliffs along the way. Everyone carried a bow, but they had not yet actually learned archery. For new recruits, this was nothing short of hellish training, but not a single one of the three thousand nine hundred men raised any objection.