Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

Jiang Nian nodded slightly and pushed Han Dong forward in his hand.

"The target is here, in poor condition, but out of danger. Ling Que has a sprained ankle and needs immediate treatment."

"Understood!" The officer immediately waved his hand, and two accompanying medics quickly stepped forward.

One person carefully took the spirit bird from the ghost's hand, while the other began to check Han Dong's vital signs and perform necessary first aid and tighten the restraints.

"Board the plane immediately! This is no place to linger!"

The officer's voice was urgent: "We've received reports that there are still unidentified signals in this area, and the organization likely still has remnants lingering nearby!"

Without another word, the group quickly boarded the helicopter under the protection of the soldiers.

The cabin was much warmer, a stark contrast to the freezing cold outside, making it feel almost unreal.

As the cabin door closed, the helicopter quickly gained altitude, adjusted its direction, and accelerated southward.

Only then did the tension that had been building up finally ease slightly.

Lingque was placed on a stretcher, and a medic was treating her sprained ankle.

The ghost leaned against the bulkhead, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slightly, clearly indicating that the previous continuous battles and marching had exhausted him.

Jiang Nian sat next to Han Dong, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

However, he did not completely relax; his consciousness still maintained a certain range of perception of the outside world.

The officer who identified himself as the commander of the Snowy Owl Squadron arranged the security arrangements, then sat down next to Jiang Nian and handed him a thermos.

"Advisor Jiang, have some hot water to warm yourself up. I'm Wang Meng, the person in charge of this rendezvous operation."

"Thank you."

Jiang Nian took the kettle, thanked him, but did not drink it immediately. Instead, he held it in his hand, enjoying the warmth.

Wang Meng seemed to sense Jiang Nian's caution, but he didn't mind and lowered his voice.

"The base has received news of your successful evacuation and capture of key targets. Chief White is very pleased and has ordered us to spare no effort to ensure your safe return."

He paused, a hint of lingering fear showing on his face.

"We rushed here at full speed after receiving your last coordinates of the attack and your distress signal. Luckily we made it in time; if we had been any later..."

He glanced at the still raging wind and snow outside the window, and said nothing more, but his meaning was self-evident.

Jiang Nian nodded and asked, "How is the situation with the Bulwark Team? And what about the helicopter crew that picked us up earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Meng's expression darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "The fortress team has shaken off the enemy's entanglement and is on its way back to base. Two of them were injured, but their lives are not in danger."

“As for that helicopter from before,” he sighed.

"When we arrived near the crash site, we found only some wreckage and confirmed that there were no survivors. Comrade Ling Que was the only survivor."

A brief silence fell over the cabin, broken only by the roar of the engines and the howling of the wind and snow outside.

Although I was mentally prepared, hearing the confirmed news still left me feeling heavy-hearted.

Those were all comrades who fought side by side.

The ghost clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Lingque turned her head away on the stretcher, her shoulders twitching slightly.

Jiang Nian slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, a flash of cold light disappearing from his eyes.

This blood debt will be settled with the organization sooner or later!

"The data we brought back?"

Jiang Nian changed the subject, looking at the specially made storage device that Ling Que was holding tightly in her arms.

"rest assured!"

Wang Meng immediately assured, "We will provide the highest level of protection and encrypted transmission for the data storage devices. Once they arrive at the base, the technical department will immediately begin analysis."

"Chief Bai specifically instructed that this is one of the core achievements of this operation."

At this moment, Han Dong, who had been listless, suddenly let out a few low coughs, attracting everyone's attention.

He raised his head, his cloudy eyes sweeping over everyone in the cabin before finally settling on Jiang Nian, a strange, indescribable smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Do you think that by obtaining those cold, hard data you can understand the great achievements of Ice Marrow? Do you think you can glimpse even the tip of the iceberg of the Lord's plan?"

His voice was hoarse and weak, yet carried an unsettling mockery.

Wang Meng frowned, about to reprimand him.

Jiang Nian raised her hand to stop him, looking calmly at Han Dong: "Whether we can understand or not is our business. At least, they record your crimes and ambitions. As for the 'master' and 'schemes' you speak of..."

His tone turned cold. "We will dig it out layer by layer, completely."

Han Dong and Jiang Nian stared at each other. After a few seconds, Han Dong seemed to be intimidated by the unfathomable calmness and determination in Jiang Nian's eyes, or perhaps he had exhausted his last bit of strength, and he lowered his head in dejection.

He stopped speaking, but continued to mutter indistinct words unconsciously.

“Different… Zero… Key… Return to the Ruins…”

These fragmented words, like pebbles thrown into a lake, rippled across Jiang Nian's heart.

Zero naturally refers to zero.

key?

Does it refer to the identity or role of zero?
Return to the Ruins?

This word carries a strong Eastern mythological connotation, usually referring to the depths of the ocean or the end of the world, representing destiny and annihilation.

What does the organization use it to refer to?
A location?
A planning phase?
Or is it some kind of state?
Jiang Nian silently memorized these words and did not ask about them on the spot.

He knew that, given Han Dong's current mental state, he wouldn't get much of a valuable information out of him even if he pressed him for answers.

That might actually provoke him.

Professional interrogation needs to wait until we return to base and conduct it in a fully controlled environment.

The helicopter flew smoothly for several hours through the wind and snow.

During this time, Wang Meng maintained constant communication with the base to confirm the safety of the flight path and the arrival time.

Jiang Nian also took advantage of this relatively calm time to fully circulate his internal energy and regulate his breathing to recover his depleted vitality.

The powerful recovery ability of the Grandmaster realm began to show its effects. His pale face gradually regained a rosy hue, and the flow of internal energy within his body became smoother and more unrestricted.

Although he is still far from his peak condition, it is no longer a major concern.

Finally, the gray sky outside the porthole began to brighten, and the wind and snow gradually subsided.

Below, the monotonous white ice field was no longer visible; instead, deep blue seawater, floating icebergs, and the outlines of islands covered in tundra began to appear.

They have flown out of the core ice sheet of Greenland and entered the edge zone.

"We have entered a safe airspace and are expected to land at the base in one hour."

Wang Meng informed Jiang Nian.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, which truly meant they were out of the most dangerous area.

An hour later, the helicopter began to descend.

Below, a heavily guarded military base built on a natural fjord appeared.

The helicopter slowly landed on the designated helipad.

As the cabin door opened, Jiang Nian immediately saw Bai Yongxu and General Zhao, who were already waiting at the edge of the tarmac. Both of them wore expressions of barely concealed anticipation and a hint of nervousness.

When they saw Jiang Nian, You Hun, and Ling Que getting off the plane one after another, especially the familiar figure that Jiang Nian was carrying in his hand.

Bai Yongxu and General Zhao strode forward almost simultaneously.

"Jiang Nian! Ghost! Spirit Sparrow! Good! Good! Good! You've finally returned!"

Bai Yongxu gripped Jiang Nian's hand tightly and said "good" three times in a row.

His excitement was palpable. His gaze swept quickly over the three men, confirming that they were all still alive. Although they were injured and exhausted, the core members were unharmed!

General Zhao patted Youhun's shoulder heavily, then looked at Han Dong, who was being escorted down by soldiers, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"This is Han Dong? The core leader of Project Ice Marrow?"

"Great! We'll accept this wonderful gift!"

"Old Bai, General Zhao, I have not failed you in your mission."

Jiang Nian calmly handed Han Dong to the base security personnel who came forward to meet him.

"The person has been brought back, and the data is here too."

Lingque handed the crucial storage device to Bai Yongxu.

Bai Yongxu accepted it with both hands, as if holding a rare treasure, and solemnly handed it to a bespectacled head of the technical department beside him.

"Immediately assemble the highest-level team to analyze this! I need a preliminary report as soon as possible!"

"Yes! Chief!"

The technical officer stood at attention, saluted, and carefully placed the storage device into a specially made secure case before quickly leaving under the escort of a squad of soldiers.

"You have worked hard!"

Bai Yongxu then looked at Jiang Nian and the other two again, his tone filled with emotion and lingering fear.

"The base has prepared a medical room and rest area. Go and get yourselves checked out and rest to recover. We'll discuss the specific mission briefing after you've recovered!"

Jiang Nian nodded and did not refuse.

He knew his body needed systematic examination and treatment.

Especially in terms of meridians.

Although I felt fine, testing with professional equipment was more reliable.

The ghost and the sparrow also need treatment.

Accompanied by medical staff, Jiang Nian and his two companions left the helipad and headed to the medical center inside the base.

Han Dong was taken directly to a high-security interrogation and detention area, where he would undergo a thorough interrogation, like peeling away layers of an onion.

The base's medical center is quite well-equipped.

Jiang Nian underwent a series of meticulous examinations.

The result surprised the doctor in charge of the examination.

"Consultant Jiang, your recovery ability is truly amazing."

Looking at the examination report, the doctor said incredulously, "According to the combat data sent back by Captain Ghost, your internal energy consumption and meridian load were close to the danger threshold at that time."

"But the test results now show that your meridians only have minor strain and post-traumatic effects, and your internal energy circulation has basically returned to normal. This is simply a medical miracle!"

Jiang Nian was not surprised by this. The Grandmaster realm is beyond the mortal realm, and its control and repair capabilities are far beyond those of ordinary martial artists.

He was more concerned with something else.

"Doctor, have any abnormal substances or residual effects been detected in my body? For example, some kind of special biomarker, or traces of being affected by a specific frequency?"

He thought of the organization's bizarre environmental simulation devices and bioaerosols.

Although they managed to survive thanks to their strong internal strength and the resonance canceller, it's hard to say that no hidden dangers were left behind.

The doctor carefully reviewed the data and shook his head: "In all the tests so far, no abnormal substances were found that you mentioned. As for the frequency effect, your internal energy fluctuation spectrum is very pure. Apart from being slightly low due to excessive consumption, no characteristics of external interference were detected."

“Of course,” the doctor added, “some extremely subtle markers or long-lasting effects may require more specialized equipment and time to detect. We will retain your biological sample for further in-depth analysis.”

Jiang Nian nodded slightly; this result was within his expectations.

The organization's technology is bizarre.

However, his master-level physique is not so easily marked.

After the examination was completed, Jiang Nian was arranged to rest in a quiet and comfortable room.

He did not fall asleep immediately, but sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a state of introspection again.

Guiding the profound internal energy within the body, like a gentle stream, it nourishes the subtle damage to the meridians, while carefully sensing every change in the body.

After confirming that there were no further abnormalities, he slowly finished his practice and lay down to rest.

He slept very soundly.

The high-intensity combat in extreme environments, the intense mental strain, and the exhaustion of leading teammates to break through the encirclement at the last moment.

Even he felt deeply exhausted.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already deep night outside the window.

Looking at the time, he realized he had slept for almost ten hours.

He got up and stretched his limbs, feeling his internal energy surging and full, and his condition had recovered to about 70-80%.

The dull pain in my meridians has completely disappeared.

At that moment, the communicator in the room rang; it was Bai Yongxu.

"Jiang Nian, how was your rest? If you're feeling alright, come to the command center. There are some preliminary situations we need to discuss with you."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

Jiang Nian responded, quickly washed up, changed into a clean set of clothes, and walked out of the room looking refreshed.

The base command center was brightly lit.

Bai Yongxu and General Zhao were both present, along with several other senior officers primarily responsible for intelligence and technical analysis.

On the huge electronic screen, some complex data streams and structural diagrams are being displayed.

"You're here." Bai Yongxu greeted Jiang Nian when he saw him, "How are you feeling?"

"He's out of danger." Jiang Nian said succinctly, glancing at the screen. "Any discoveries?"

The technical lead immediately operated the screen and brought up several analysis reports marked as top secret.

"Advisor Jiang, the preliminary analysis results of the data you brought back are in."

The technical lead spoke with a mixture of excitement and seriousness.

"First, regarding the core of the Ice Marrow Project. Data confirms that the project does indeed aim to induce targeted mutations in human genes by simulating extreme environments."

"Their goal is an ancient gene sequence that they have named the Progenitor. They believe that this sequence lies dormant in a very small number of individuals and contains the potential to break through current physiological limits."

The screen displays a series of complex gene maps and energy field simulation data.

"The organization is attempting to use its developed overlay technology to gradually replace the natural ancestral sequence in the target's body with an artificially synthesized genetic marker, thereby creating a new human being under their control with extraordinary potential."

Jiang Nian's eyes turned icy cold. Just as I expected. (End of Chapter)