136: Chapter 136 Breaking the Spinal Cord

Lin Fan's voice was not loud, but in this quiet laboratory, every word was crystal clear.

Zhao Guoliang's eyes lit up suddenly, then dimmed again.

"How do we treat it?"

Lin Fan did not answer immediately; instead, he walked around the incubation tank, his left eye scanning the Qi Meridians within the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard without pause.

He watched extremely carefully; every broken meridian and every node congested with Qi was etched into his mind.

After completing the third lap, he stopped and turned around.

"Break its spine."

Zhao Guoliang's brows knitted into a knot.

"What did you say?"

Lin Fan pointed to the festering wound on the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's back.

"The issue between the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon's spine and the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's spine isn't just a simple rejection reaction; it's a fundamental conflict of Qi attributes."

"The Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard has Earth-Metal attributes, while the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon has pure Metal attributes. The pure Metal Qi is too sharp, and the Earth-Metal Qi is too heavy. Forcing them together is like stabbing a knife into a stone; the knife will break, and the stone will crack."

He paused.

"Therefore, the only solution is to break the original spinal connection of the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard, allowing the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon's spine and the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's body to regrow and fuse into one."

Zhao Guoliang's expression changed.

"Break the spine? In its current state, can it survive having its spine broken?"

Lin Fan nodded.

"It can survive. But it cannot be broken directly. I need to prepare a special spiritual fluid and soak the broken area with it. The fluid contains ingredients that neutralize Metal attributes, which can absorb the excess Metal-attribute Qi from the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon while stimulating the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's own regenerative abilities."

He paused. "This is called breaking in order to build."

Zhao Guoliang was silent for a long time.

He looked at President Ye Wenyuan.

President Ye Wenyuan did not express an opinion, only watching Lin Fan with undisguised appreciation in his eyes.

"What Materials do you need?"

Zhao Guoliang finally asked.

Lin Fan casually picked up a pen and paper and began to write.

"General, these are all auxiliary Materials; they are nothing rare. What is expensive is your Qi and your trust."

He handed over the list. Zhao Guoliang took it, glanced at it, and handed it to the officer behind him.

"Go prepare this. Deliver it within half an hour."

The officer took the list and left quickly.

The laboratory fell silent.

Zhao Guoliang stood in front of the incubation tank, looking at the dying Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard inside, and suddenly spoke.

"It has followed me for thirty years. It accompanied me all the way to the Armor Saint realm. I retired, but it hasn't. I originally wanted to help it take another step forward, but instead, I nearly killed it."

His voice was very low, not like he was speaking to Lin Fan, but more like he was talking to himself.

Lin Fan did not respond, simply rummaging through his backpack for a few bottles and jars to begin preparing the spiritual fluid.

Half an hour later, the officer walked in carrying a tray with the Materials Lin Fan had requested.

Lin Fan inspected them one by one, and after confirming everything was correct, he began the preparation.

He poured the Materials into a jade mortar in order and stirred them with Qi until everything fused into one, turning into a basin of pale golden, viscous liquid.

The spiritual fluid emitted a faint, fresh fragrance, like the scent of soil after rain.

"General, please come over."

Lin Fan stood in front of the incubation tank, pointing to the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's back.

"I will open the incubation tank in a moment, and you need to apply the spiritual fluid evenly onto its wound. Then, I will guide your Qi to flow along the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's Meridians until it reaches the location where the spine is broken."

"When I say 'break,' you need to use your Qi to shatter its spine. It cannot be too light, or it won't break, and it cannot be too heavy, or you will damage the spinal cord."

Zhao Guoliang took a deep breath. "And then?"

"Then, you need to use your Qi to push the medicinal power of the spiritual fluid into the broken area. The fluid will absorb the excess Metal-attribute Qi from the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon's spine while stimulating the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's regenerative abilities. A new spine will grow from the break, fusing the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon's spine and the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's body into one."

Lin Fan looked at Zhao Guoliang.

"This process requires you to continuously output Qi, without stopping for a moment. You must also follow my instructions; the magnitude, direction, and speed of the Qi must be precise to the millimeter. If one step is wrong, it may never stand up again."

Zhao Guoliang was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Let's begin."

Lin Fan opened the lid of the incubation tank.

The scent of the nutrient solution rushed out, carrying a faint, fishy odor.

He picked up the basin of spiritual fluid, dipped a soft brush into it, and applied it evenly onto the wound on the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's back.

The spiritual fluid touched the festering flesh, making a hissing sound, as if something were burning.

The Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's body shuddered violently and let out a low whimper, but it did not struggle.

"General, now, please place your right hand on its wound and input your Qi."

Zhao Guoliang extended his right hand and pressed it onto the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's back.

The spiritual fluid soaked his palm, freezing cold. He closed his eyes, and his Qi slowly surged into the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's body.

"Shift two inches to the left; the Qi is too concentrated."

Lin Fan's left eye grew slightly hot, and the flow of Qi within the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard was clearly visible in his field of vision.

Zhao Guoliang's palm moved slightly, and the direction of the Qi changed accordingly.

"Good, hold steady. Now slowly push forward, following the spine."

The spiritual fluid began to bubble on the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's wound, and the festering flesh fell away at a rate visible to the naked eye, revealing the dark red muscle tissue beneath.

The excess Metal-attribute Qi on the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon's spine was gradually absorbed by the spiritual fluid, turning into tiny golden specks of light that drifted out from the wound.

"We're there."

Lin Fan's voice tightened suddenly. "General, now. Break!"

Zhao Guoliang took a deep breath, and his Qi surged suddenly.

A crisp "crack" sound came from inside the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard, as if something had shattered.

The Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's body shook violently, letting out a pained hiss, but Zhao Guoliang did not let go, continuing to output Qi.

"Good. Now, push the medicinal power of the spiritual fluid into the broken area. Reduce your Qi by twenty percent and push forward slowly. Don't rush; take it slow."

Lin Fan's voice was like a taut string.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Zhao Guoliang's forehead.

Under Lin Fan's guidance, his Qi flowed like a gentle river, slowly into the broken part of the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's spine.

The spiritual fluid coalesced at the break, forming a thin, pale golden film that wrapped around the shattered bone fragments.

New bone tissue began to grow from the break, gradually wrapping around the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon's spine.

Time passed minute by minute.

The laboratory was so quiet that one could hear the sound of the nutrient solution dripping.

The Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's breathing went from rapid to steady, the wound on its back began to shrink, and the festering flesh was replaced by new tissue.

The color of the spiritual fluid turned from pale gold to transparent; all the medicinal power had been absorbed.

"General, add another ten percent Qi. It's almost over."

Lin Fan's voice carried a hint of exhaustion, but his left eye never left the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's back for a second.

Zhao Guoliang gritted his teeth, and his Qi increased once more.

His face was somewhat pale, but his hand was as steady as a rock.

The Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's back began to glow—not the dull gold from before, but a bright, heavy golden-brown.

The new spine had grown, firmly connecting the Golden-Armored Tyrant Dragon's spine to the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard's body.

"It's done."

Lin Fan finally spoke, his voice filled with undisguised exhaustion.

"General, you can stop now."

Zhao Guoliang withdrew his hand and let out a long breath. His shirt was soaked with sweat, sticking to his back.

He looked at the Silver-Armored Dragon Lizard in the incubation tank, which showed no signs of improvement, and was clearly a bit anxious.

"This…"