Chapter 770
Chapter 770
“Come!”
At Shen Lang’s command, two people entered. One was a normal person, the other a member of the Nirvana Army; one was a woman, the other a man. Shen Lang took out a syringe and injected everyone with a defensive agent, then waited quietly. Both of their bodies reacted. After about thirty minutes of high fever, numerous pockmarks appeared on their skin. Parts of their skin even turned a strange purple color. An hour later, all these symptoms vanished.
“Hold out your hands.”
As the two held out their hands, Shen Lang dabbed a small amount of the Grade-2 Rotting Corpse Gu worm onto a glass slide and applied it to their palms. The dormant Gu worms instantly awoke and, following their instincts, burrowed through the crevices in the skin to enter the bloodstream. Simultaneously, the green light on their palms disappeared.
Normally, a grotesque scene should have followed. First, their hands would have corroded and rotted, then the symptoms would have spread rapidly throughout their bodies, completely decaying their internal organs and entire bodies, leading to a gruesome death. But the result was that nothing happened. As soon as the Grade-2 Rotting Corpse Gu worms entered their blood, they died instantly. The defensive agent Shen Lang had injected provided immunity to these worms. Although he had anticipated it, the actual success brought Shen Lang great joy.
With the experiment's success, Shen Lang injected the entire Nirvana Army with the Gu worm immunity drug, as well as all the sailors. However, a dozen of them had severe reactions; nine died, and six went blind or deaf. Of course, this result was better than imagined. After waiting a day, Shen Lang was certain the immunity agent had entered the Nirvana Army's bodies and spread to every corner of their blood, ensuring that the Xue Clan's Gu worms could not harm anyone. With that, Shen Lang gave the order.
“The Nirvana Army will land on South Continent Island and attack South Continent City, the true base of the Xue Clan!”
At Shen Lang’s command, the Nirvana Army set out for South Continent Island to attack the Xue Clan’s true stronghold, South Continent City.
The docks of South Continent City were not destroyed, so Shen Lang’s fleet docked there with ease. The anticipated amphibious assault did not occur. Over three thousand members of the Nirvana Army landed on South Continent Island effortlessly, formed orderly ranks, and advanced toward South Continent City. Throughout this entire process, not a single person could be seen on the wide, neat roads, nor were there any ambushes. It was as if Xue Che was simply waiting for Shen Lang's army to come and attack South Continent City.
Meeting no obstacles, Shen Lang’s Nirvana Army arrived at the foot of the city walls an hour later. This was South Continent City, the Xue Clan's ancient stronghold and the trading hub of the southern seas.
***
Xue Che did not stand on the city walls to command his troops. He felt there was no need; appearing on the walls himself would be beneath his dignity. In a battle that could be won in the blink of an eye, was there any need for him, the head of the Xue Clan, to personally command? Xue Che stood on a high place within the city, caressing a skull with his hand, silently watching for the arrival of Shen Lang’s army. The skull belonged to his son, Xue Pan.
“Shen Lang, you’ve come. Jin Mulan, you’ve come too.”
Jin Mulan was indeed a peerless beauty, just as the rumors said, incomparably beautiful. Her fiery figure, in particular, seemed almost inhuman. For a man who was not strong enough to possess such a beauty, it would be an overreach that would bring misfortune. Shen Lang, at least, was not worthy, nor did he have the capacity to enjoy her. Of course, Xue Che had no such intention either. He might inadvertently incur the wrath of some powerful figure in the future. If he couldn't enjoy such a stunning beauty, another option was to completely destroy her. By draining all her blood and marrow, completely ruining her, no one would have to worry about facing any consequences.
Xue Che took out a new carving knife and a new zitan wood bookshelf and waited quietly. After capturing Shen Lang and Jin Mulan and subjecting them to death by a thousand cuts, he would use their bright red blood to carve the scriptures.
‘Soon. It will all be over in less than fifteen minutes.’
Xue Che was absolutely certain.
***
The commander standing on the city wall was Xue Ding, the new heir of the Xue Clan and a disciple of Mount Budao. Upon confirming the appearance of Shen Lang’s Nirvana Army, Xue Ding immediately gestured, and in an instant, the city wall was densely packed with defenders. At the same time, five thousand disciples of the South Sea Sword Sect and over ten thousand of the Xue Clan's private soldiers appeared. The five thousand disciples of the South Sea Sword Sect all held composite longbows. Shen Lang’s eyes narrowed.
‘They plagiarized my bow.’
The bows of both armies looked identical. However, the arrows carried by the South Sea Sword Sect disciples were clearly different. Their special quivers held only five arrows, making them look quite empty. Inside those arrows were countless Grade-2 Rotting Corpse Gu worms, capable of killing any enemy within a few meters. Xue Ding, the new heir of the Xue Clan and a disciple of Mount Budao, stared down at Shen Lang with hawk-like eyes.
‘So that’s Shen Lang? And that’s Jin Mulan? That woman is indeed breathtakingly beautiful. Can I really not have her?’
Before the battle began, neither side exchanged any harsh words. Xue Ding only waited for Shen Lang's Nirvana Army to draw closer. As soon as the Nirvana Army came within three hundred meters, he would unleash a barrage of Gu-poisoned arrows. The battle would be over in just one minute, and Shen Lang’s army would be completely wiped out. When a battle could be won in the blink of an eye, what need was there for slogans? Besides, this was a battle where a transcendent power would instantly crush a secular army; shouting “kill them all” would be utterly embarrassing.
Xue Ding was filled with anticipation.
‘Didn't they say the Nirvana Army is the strongest army in the State of Yue, that they have never lost a battle? How shocked and astounded will the world be when I kill you all in ten seconds?’
***
South Continent City was different from Raging Tide City. Raging Tide City was an open city, a city of merchants, and Qiu Tianwei was merely a nominal city lord. In contrast, South Continent City was a fortress belonging entirely to the Xue Clan, with proper city walls that stretched for over twenty *li*. The entire city had a population of about one hundred thousand. However, it was different from a traditional city in the State of Yue. For one, it had many foreigners, from the people of the Southern Barbarian Empires to those of the Western Regions Empires, and a mix of various architectural styles. Even the Xue Clan's City Lord's Manor was not of an Eastern style but filled with a unique flair. In conclusion, it was an exceedingly beautiful city, overflowing with charm and lavishly ornate.
Shen Lang's army of over three thousand drew closer and closer to this magnificent city. The distance shortened until only one *li* remained. Xue Ding's eyes narrowed further, and he finally raised his hand. Once Shen Lang's army entered the range of one hundred *zhang* (about 333 meters), the South Sea Sword Sect disciples behind him would immediately fire their arrows.
“Ready!”
The five thousand disciples of the South Sea Sword Sect drew their long arrows filled with special Gu worms, nocked them, and drew their bowstrings, aiming down from their high position at Shen Lang's Nirvana Army below.
‘Shen Lang, I’ll be watching to see if your army stops or continues to advance.’
Despite the South Sea Sword Sect disciples aiming their Gu worm arrows, Shen Lang's army did not slow down, continuing to advance with orderly steps. However, with only three thousand men, they could only form about a dozen square formations. Xue Ding’s gaze turned cold.
‘Shen Lang, ignorance truly is bliss. Did you think you just needed to wrap your Nirvana Army up so tightly that not even the wind could get through? Did you really think that would stop the Gu worms from infiltrating?’
Before long, Shen Lang's Nirvana Army came within three hundred meters of the city wall, but Xue Ding still did not give the order to attack. He waited for Shen Lang's entire army to come within three hundred meters. The ideal situation would be for them to enter a two-hundred-fifty-meter range. What he sought now was not simply victory, but to crush the Nirvana Army in the shortest time possible.
‘I must win in less than ten seconds.’
Xue Ding was a perfectionist.
*Thud, thud.*
Shen Lang's army continued to march at its original pace and entered the area two hundred and fifty meters from the city wall. At that moment, without shouting a slogan like "Kill them all!" Xue Ding simply waved his hand. A ruthless commander needed few words.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.*
At his command, the five thousand warriors of the South Sea Sword Sect on the city wall unleashed a rain of arrows. In just seven or eight seconds, they had fired all five Gu worm-filled arrows from their quivers, loosing tens of thousands of arrows. For a brief moment, the rain of arrows poured down fiercely into Shen Lang's military formation like a torrential downpour.
*Pop, pop.*
Many arrows exploded in mid-air, while some struck the armor of the Nirvana Army soldiers and burst violently. Countless puffs of green smoke erupted, and the Grade-2 Rotting Corpse Gu worms spread unrestrainedly in all directions. The sky above Shen Lang’s Nirvana Army was completely covered in green smoke. Then, the warriors of the South Sea Sword Sect stopped firing and quietly awaited the results. From start to finish, it had taken exactly eight seconds.
***
The green smoke that spread from the exploding arrows seemed alive as it seeped through the gaps in the Nirvana Army's armor.
“Aaargh!”
Soon, utterly wretched screams erupted, and all three thousand members of Shen Lang's Nirvana Army fell to the ground, convulsing. Their bodies trembled violently, as if their lives were being reaped by demons. In a very short time, everything happened very quickly. The three thousand members of the Nirvana Army fell silent and stopped moving. A moment later, a green liquid began to flow from the gaps in their armor, a sight too gruesome to behold. Green smoke rose from the bodies of the entire Nirvana Army, but Shen Lang, Jin Mulan, and a few others were unharmed. However, they were stunned by the scene before them, frozen in shock, unable to react for a long time.
***
‘Satisfying! So satisfying! Everything is exactly as I imagined.’
The new heir of the Xue Clan felt a great sense of satisfaction as he watched the entire process. His father had demanded that he annihilate Shen Lang’s Nirvana Army in ten seconds, and now he had killed them all in just eight.
‘What so-called number one army under heaven? What elite legion? What invincibility? Truly laughable, frogs in a well. The Nirvana Army, which once rampaged across the land with its might, was completely wiped out by me in just eight seconds.’
When Xue Ding looked down at Shen Lang again, he looked as if he had been struck by lightning.
‘What near-demonic wisdom? What great ability? The height of absurdity. Though you may have some clever tricks, a person belonging to the secular world is still nothing but a worthless ant before my Mount Budao. A clever clown is still just a clown.’
After a long moment, Shen Lang finally screamed.
“Aaargh! How did it come to this? How?! Heavens! What have you done to my Nirvana Army?!”
Shen Lang rushed to one of the Nirvana Army soldiers and tried to wake him. But his hands were filled with nothing but green liquid; the body was as decayed as if it had been dead for months. Shen Lang cried tears of blood and shouted loudly.
“Xue Che, I cannot live under the same sky as you! You dared to use Gu poison, violating His Majesty the Emperor's decree! You will be torn to pieces!”
Xue Ding sneered at those words. At that moment, only four or five people remained by Shen Lang's side. As Xue Ding waved his hand, the city gates slowly opened, and thousands of South Sea Sword Sect disciples marched out in orderly formation, advancing to surround Shen Lang. They all carried fish oil with them, intending to completely dispose of the corrupted corpses. Although the lifespan of the Grade-2 Rotting Corpse Gu worms was extremely short, the bodies they killed remained highly corrosive. If not handled properly, they would severely contaminate the surroundings. Therefore, the bodies had to be completely incinerated. If not dealt with immediately, the wind could spread the contagion and cause a plague.