Chapter 211: Ink Bone

The man on the testing table was the practice target that Zuo Zhicheng found for Xu Hongfei.

He was preparing to transplant a second life grove. The second life grove was ‘Ink Bone.’ However, it was a coincidence that the person with Ink Bone was not found from the Shadow Corps data but from a relative of a target.

In this regard, Zuo Zhicheng’s luck was quite good.

This Ink Bone was, of course, one of the eighty-one life groves in the Ghost Eye Netherworld Heaven. Its main function was to change the structure of human bones. According to Zuo Zhicheng’s recent research and the records in the Daoist Canon, the life grove Ink Bone changed the bone remodeling process through a special secretion, possibly osteoblasts.

For normal people, the shape and density of bone tissue changed with biomechanical environment changes. This bone remodeling behavior was instinctive and uncontrollable. For example, in high-load areas, bone mass and density increased, while in low-load areas, bone mass and density decreased.

When bones were in unfavorable external force environments, their shape and density would change abnormally, such as osteoporosis caused by weightlessness.

The existence of Ink Bone made this bone remodeling behavior controllable.

Among the two hundred or so life groves, naturally, several others affected human bones. The reason Ink Bone was chosen in the life diagram of Ghost Eye Netherworld Heaven was that it was the most suitable.

For example, the existence of Earth Fiend caused a decrease in bone density and strength, which could be eliminated by Ink Bone.

Secondly, Ink Bone itself allowed bones to withstand maximum force with the least mass through structural changes, making the host’s bones very flexible.

Moreover, it could even control bones for rapid remodeling to form various attack and defense methods.

It could be said to combine speed, strength, lethality, and mystery.

However, the transplant process was very troublesome because the life grove was located on the human spine, requiring the replacement of a spinal section.

Even with Zuo Zhicheng’s control over his body, he was not fully confident of completing the entire transplant surgery alone, so he needed Xu Hongfei’s help.

Thus, besides the usual chores and practicing authentic transmission martial arts, Xu Hongfei now had the additional task of learning and practicing.

It was clear that Xu Hongfei had dark circles under his eyes. Whether from physical exhaustion or mental stress, he could not sleep well recently.

Looking at Xu Hongfei’s trembling hands, Zuo Zhicheng said coldly, “Young master, how much longer are you going to wait?”

As if sensing the chill in Zuo Zhicheng’s sarcastic tone, Xu Hongfei gritted his teeth and moved the tool in his hand toward the man’s arm.

“Anesthetic,” Zuo Zhicheng snapped coldly. “Are you trying to kill him by doing this directly?”

“S-sorry.”

Zuo Zhicheng’s tone carried a sinister edge. “He is just a death row inmate, already on borrowed time. Given his crimes, he totally deserves to die. Don’t feel burdened.”

Although Xu Hongfei had practiced his knife skills on many small animals before, this was his first time doing it on a human, and he felt extremely nervous.

“Relax,” Zuo Zhicheng said as he fed the anesthetic into the man’s mouth, while also reassuring Xu Hongfei. “Once he’s under anesthesia, he won’t feel anything. By the time he wakes up, the wound will be mostly healed, just like what you experienced. There’s no danger.”

“But if you can’t even handle such a simple task, then you are worthless.” Zuo Zhicheng gave him a cold glance, sending a chill down his spine, making his hair stand on end and giving him goosebumps all over.

“Last half hour. Complete the incision and suture within half an hour. If you can’t even manage such a small task, just jump into the snake pit and die.”

After saying this, Zuo Zhicheng fell silent, watching Xu Hongfei coldly, waiting for his choice.

Xu Hongfei took a deep breath, a flicker of calm appearing in his eyes. He gripped the tool tightly and moved closer to the man.

Fifteen minutes later, Zuo Zhicheng nodded, thinking to himself, “With my current body control and transplant skills, even for the spine, I have a sixty percent chance of success. But if this kid practices for another month, with his help, it will be almost foolproof.”

Indeed, with Zuo Zhicheng’s current body strength, flexibility, and accuracy, it was not impossible for him to perform surgery on his own back using a mirror reflection. However, since it involved the spine, which affected the whole body’s movement ability, he could not be too careful.

After finishing today’s practice and sending Xu Hongfei off to train in martial arts, Zuo Zhicheng began preparing for tomorrow’s mission.

As he stepped out, he felt his body had become lighter and faster recently. Sometimes, he would accidentally knock over tables and chairs.

This was probably because Night Sea had already covered his entire body, connecting the life grove network, which accelerated the growth of the Earth Fiend life grove.

However, Zuo Zhicheng’s mind was not focused on this. Recently, the Shadow Corps had mobilized all its forces, killing many Dìyù Gate members. Not long ago, they also destroyed a Dìyù Gate outpost located north of Southern Bay, near the Central Governance area.

Such an ordinary outpost would not require Zuo Zhicheng to go personally; not even the Four Kings would be dispatched.

But during the previous raid, a powerful Taoist Priest emerged from that outpost, using a weapon to eliminate the Shadow Corps team sent there, and then fled.

According to intelligence from Central Governance, the target had headed north into the Central Governance area and then attempted to escape to the Dìyù Gate headquarters. Zuo Zhicheng’s mission was naturally to pursue the target and retrieve that mysterious weapon.

Besides Zuo Zhicheng, several other martial sects, forces, and Imperial Court personnel from the Central Governance area had also mobilized, clearly interested in the mysterious weapon.

Zuo Zhicheng was not most interested in the mysterious weapon; instead, he considered the life grove on the target as already his.

Although Zuo Zhicheng was powerful and regarded as the leader of the Four Kings, he was not arrogant. So before the mission, as always, he meticulously prepared.

The Green Frost Sword, various bottles of potions, poisons, and a forearm crossbow—this was something Zuo Zhicheng prepared for himself after seeing Qingyue Yang in action. Unfortunately, although his shooting was accurate, he was not very skilled with crossbows.

In addition, some steel wires, ropes, flint, and other items were neatly arranged on the table.

After preparing these, Zuo Zhicheng flipped through a stack of documents on the table, reviewing the information collected by the Shadow Corps to ensure he had not missed anything in his preparations.

These preparation habits were from Zuo Zhicheng’s previous life because he understood well that killing was never a small matter. Especially when the opponent was stronger or greater in number, thorough preparation was essential to staying alive and avoiding being killed in return.