"Blowing smoke without drafting," Jinniu sneered at Lin Mo, disdain evident in his expression.
"Boss, why don't we just go in? We're armed with the latest equipment, we should be able to withstand the sands," Kuang Shi suggested.
"We'd better not take the risk; no one knows what's inside those sandstorms," Peacock cautioned with a steady temperament.
As Qiao Jianjun was about to speak, suddenly in the sky above, Weiwei contracted her gaze, focusing intently on the wall of wind and sand.
The others also focused their attention on the sandstorm, where they could vaguely make out two figures slowly walking out from within it.
The two who emerged were young men, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing majestic hats and long green robes, resembling handsome men from ancient times.
"Those who master Lobu Lake shall die," one of the men declared coldly.
"Who are they?" Jinniu's eyes bulged as he asked.
Qiao Jianjun knew some 'secrets' and said, "We're from the Iron Soul Special Forces, why can't we enter?"
Upon hearing Qiao Jianjun's words, the two young men exchanged glances.
"People from the military?" One of the men muttered to himself, "The Sect Leader instructed us not to conflict with military personnel for now."
"I don't care what special forces you're from, no one is allowed in Lobu Lake right now. Go on back," the other person said.
Jinniu, the most hot-tempered, gnashed his teeth and glared angrily, "Who are you?"
The two young men squinted slightly, looking at him with some disdain, as if they were staring at an ant.
"We are disciples of the Wind Thunder Sect; my name is Chen Xu," said the slightly taller young man.
"And I am Liu Er," the other added.
Qiao Jianjun clenched his fists, grinning coldly, "What Wind Thunder Sect? I've never heard of it."
All the way here, Qiao Jianjun had been holding back his anger, looking for someone to vent on.
Chen Xu and Liu Er furrowed their brows, showing a trace of coldness on their faces.
"Just an ignorant commoner, daring to spout nonsense here. Today, I'll make you suffer and face humiliation," Chen Xu declared, pinching a spell in his hand and flicking it lightly. A terracotta beam of light shot into the sand.
The sand began to move and astonishingly turned into two giants approximately three meters tall, yellow sand flowing down their bodies. They clenched their massive fists, eyeing Qiao Jianjun and his team.
"What kind of monsters are these?" Jinniu's eyes widened.
"No matter what they are, smash them to bits."
Clutching his fists, Qiao Jianjun suddenly transformed into a blur, appearing a few meters away, and struck a punch at the sandman.
"Bang!"
The giant sandman wobbled, a hole was smashed into its chest, but the yellow sand on the ground flowed together and repaired the hole, returning it to its original state.
Qiao Jianjun's eyes widened. His punch could knock out a tiger, yet when it hit the sandman, it was like striking steel; not only that, the creature could also regenerate.
In the moment Qiao Jianjun was stunned, the sandman moved, swinging its arms with speed that belied its size, as quick as lightning.
In a panic, Qiao Jianjun only managed to raise an arm in defense. He was sent flying backward by the immense force, carving two long terracotta streaks into the desert sand.
"Be careful," Qiao Jianjun said. He wasn't seriously injured, as the suit he wore dissipated the force across his body and then into the ground through his feet.
Jinniu, Kuang Shi, and Peacock also sprung into action, drawing their daggers and traps, rushing toward the sandmen.
"Brother-in-law, shall we help?" Long Mang clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with fighting spirit.
Despite their differences with the Iron Soul, seeing the dismissive attitude from the two from the Wind Thunder Sect irritated Long Mang. Besides, they were all from the Military Department; he couldn't just watch the Iron Soul being bullied.
"Wait a moment," Lin Mo said indifferently.
Lin Mo watched Qiao Jianjun and the others fight, curious to see the effectiveness and capability of the combat suits developed by the military.
As for the two from the Wind Thunder Sect, they were roughly at the peak of Qi Cultivation, hardly worth mentioning. They were able to use techniques normally available only at the Foundation Establishment Stage because they were harnessing some power from the Storm Formation behind them to use.
Qiao Jianjun, Jinniu, Kuang Shi, and Peacock, two against one sandman, weren't struggling much. But Chen Xu from the Wind Thunder Sect wasn't idle, hurling various types of magic like Wind Blade, Fireball, and Withering Curse at them, slowing down their movements.
This led to the four of them having some difficulty dealing with the two sandmen.
As for the other disciple from the Wind Thunder Sect, he was vigilantly eyeing Lin Mo and the others, wary they might intervene in the fight.
Lin Mo watched quietly, his Divine Sense carefully observing Qiao Jianjun and the others.
He finally discovered some secrets of the combat suits. The material and level of the suits were similar to soft clothing when worn, yet incredibly hard, similar to non-Newtonian fluids.
Yet, there was a more sophisticated aspect; inside was a special magnetic field that maintained cellular activity and even stimulated cells to enhance, allowing the soldiers to recover to peak fighting condition instantly to face battles.
Moreover, it significantly increased the soldiers' strength, speed, and even helped them perform unconventional movements to dodge attacks.
Jinniu, caught off guard, was struck by a Wind Blade from Chen Xu, stumbling back several steps to stabilize himself.
Chen Xu frowned slightly; his Wind Blade skill could sever ancient trees as thick as a man's leg, yet when it struck Jinniu's shoulder, it only left a mark, not even tearing the fabric, and the mark was healing.
At the same time, Kuang Shi was slapped away by a sandman, the blunt force hurling him over ten meters through the air and into a sand pit, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Lin Mo's Divine Sense could see that Kuang Shi's ribs were broken. While the special fabric of the combat suit could defend against 'sharp' attacks, it still offered too little defense against brute force impacts.
However, at the same time, the place where Kuang Shi was injured turned blue. Lin Mo could clearly see that something like the tip of a needle deep within the clothing had injected a blue liquid into Kuang Shi's wound.
The expression of pain on Kuang Shi's face slowly dissipated. This liquid was similar to a 'Cold Solidifier' that could quickly numb the pain, but further treatment would still be necessary afterward.
Through observation, Lin Mo was somewhat surprised. If these combat suits, developed through research, could become widespread, then the safety of those doing high-risk jobs would be greatly increased.
"Brother Chen, don't waste any more time. Kill these people," Liu Er suddenly spoke up, his hands crackling as he gathered lightning in his palms, resembling the Thunder God who commanded thunder and lightning.
Tang Suo, Long Mang, Huang Mu, and the others were already stupefied.
Because they had never seen the things that Liu Er and Chen Xu were using, and it was unlike any superpower user.
Only Sima Zining remained calm, after all, she had the closest relationship with Lin Mo and had even seen Lin Mo's great battle against Qing Xuan and others in Qinghai. The strength he had displayed far exceeded the imaginations of ordinary people.
"They are cultivators." Lin Mo spoke indifferently.
"Cultivators? What are cultivators?" Long Mang scratched his head, looking completely puzzled.
Liu Er used his Thunder and Lightning Technique while Chen Xu also increased his mana, controlling two sand men in their attack. Qiao Jianjun and the others were already struggling to keep up.
At this moment, Lin Mo walked towards them with his back and hands behind him, leaving footprints in his wake. If one looked closely, they would see that the distance between each footprint was exactly the same.
Qiao Jianjun and the others widened their eyes when they saw Lin Mo approaching.
What does this guy want to do?
If he wanted to help, why watch the fight for so long?
"I'll help too," Long Mang clenched his fist, flames burning in his pupils.
"No need. Lin Mo alone can handle it. If you go up, he might have to divide his attention to take care of you," Sima Zining shot Long Mang a glance.
Long Mang's face reddened, "I am, after all, your brother. You haven't even married into the family, and you're already belittling your brother's strength."
Although he said this, Long Mang, Tang Suo, and Huang Mu all knew very well that if they were in Qiao Jianjun and the others' shoes, the situation would be even worse, and they wouldn't be able to hold up for even ten minutes.
Seeing Lin Mo approaching, Liu Er and Chen Xu narrowed their eyes slightly, "Here comes another who's seeking death."
"Kid, if you don't want to die, get lost," Liu Er's hands gathered more and more lightning, with increasingly fierce thunderbolts, exuding a powerful force.
Lin Mo seemed as if he didn't hear his words at all.
"Seeking death."
Liu Er, seeing that Lin Mo dared to ignore him, swiftly threw the thunderball in his direction. A piercing sound filled the air as the silver thunderball nearly shattered the atmosphere itself.
Qiao Jianjun and the others widened their eyes; the power contained within the thunderball was terrifying to them, possibly as destructive as a bomb.
Lin Mo stood in place without moving an inch.
Apart from Sima Zining, Tang Suo also stared wide-eyed at Lin Mo.
However, in the next instant, Liu Er and Chen Xu were stunned, while the jaws of Qiao Jianjun, Jinniu, Kuang Shi, and others nearly dropped to the ground.
Lin Mo actually slowly stretched out his hand, and the fast-approaching thunderball gradually slowed down, slowly flying into the palm of his hand.
"Is this all the ability you have?" Lin Mo shook his head, his face showing disdain.
"How is this possible?"
Liu Er opened his mouth, feeling his throat go dry.
Chen Xu's face also turned pale, realizing they had encountered a formidable expert.
"Could he be a superpower user?" Qiao Jianjun clenched his fist, looking at Lin Mo in amazement.
Only a Thunder Manipulator could hold a thunderball in their hand completely unscathed like Lin Mo.
"Friend, we are from the Wind Thunder Sect. Who are you exactly?" Chen Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Lin Mo with an extremely sharp gaze.
He had now realized that Lin Mo was different from the others; there was a fluctuation of Spiritual Energy around him, indicating he was a cultivator.
"Didn't you two want to kill me just now? Now, I will kill you two."
Lin Mo stated calmly.
The pupils of both men widened simultaneously.
Liu Er clenched his fist and said angrily, "We are from the Wind Thunder Sect, do you dare to kill us? Aren't you afraid the Wind Thunder Sect will seek revenge?"
"Yao Lei of your Wind Thunder Sect died at my hands, I don't mind adding you two," Lin Mo said.
"You are..."
The two widened their eyes, both thinking of a terrifying individual, their bodies going numb. At that moment, Lin Mo casually threw the thunderball away. It instantly expanded, and eventually transformed into a thunderbird. Silver lightning thunderbolts flickered, the air trembled, and before Liu Er and Chen Xu could deploy their magic treasures and spells, they were instantly engulfed by the thunderbird, their bodies and souls dissolving into nothingness between heaven and earth.
The entire place was as silent as death!
Qiao Jianjun's mouth hung open, wide enough to fit a duck egg. He finally understood the meaning behind Luo Yu's words, 'He can protect you.'
At the same time, the two sand men also turned into a pile of sand, accumulating on the ground.
(The excitement continues tomorrow.)