Thunder Blade Squad - Part 1

Three days later, Wu Tong visited again.

This time, he did not come empty-handed. A black transport vehicle pulled up to the entrance of the Bright Moon Residential District, and two staff members wearing Limit Dojo uniforms carried out a chest half the height of a man, carefully moving it into Lin Yun's living room.

"Lin Yun, the things you wanted have arrived." Wu Tong patted the chest and said with a smile, "One A6-model Blood Shadow Battle Blade, one B6-model shield, a full set of D6-series combat gear, three 8-series throwing knives, six 7-series throwing knives, one combat communication watch, and one specialized backpack—all procured according to your requirements. It cost you 98 million in total, half price."

Lin Yun opened the chest and inspected the equipment one by one.

The A6-model Blood Shadow Battle Blade had a blade length of about 1.2 meters, with a dark red edge that glinted coldly under the lights. He held it in his hand and weighed it—neither too heavy nor too light, just right. The grip felt excellent, wrapped in a layer of non-slip fine hemp rope that wouldn't slide even if his palms were sweaty.

The B6-model shield was circular with a diameter of about half a meter. The front was made of a silver-gray alloy, while the back featured two adjustable straps that could be secured to his left arm. The shield was significantly heavier than the battle blade, but with Lin Yun's current physical fitness, this weight was not worth mentioning.

The D6-series combat suit was a one-piece bodysuit made of a soft yet tough material that felt like some kind of polymer. Lin Yun tried it on and found it fit his body perfectly, allowing for movement with almost no sense of restriction. The suit also came with a pair of combat boots and arm guards; the soles of the boots had special non-slip treads, while the inner sides of the arm guards were embedded with thin alloy plates that could be used to block attacks.

As for the throwing knives, each was only the length of an adult's palm, with a slender body and a razor-sharp edge. Lin Yun inserted them one by one into the throwing knife pouch at his waist, then casually drew one and spun it between his fingers—the feel was great, and the weight was appropriate. With his current level of Spiritual Force, controlling such throwing knives was enough to pierce the scales of an intermediate lord-level monster within a hundred meters.

The combat communication watch looked like an ordinary electronic watch, but the casing was made of a special alloy and the dial was bulletproof glass. Lin Yun tried it on his wrist; the interface was simple and included functions like satellite positioning, communication, and a timer.

The specialized backpack was the last item taken out. It wasn't large, but the internal space was designed logically, capable of holding three days' worth of dry rations, water, medical supplies, spare throwing knives, and other essentials. The shoulder straps were wide, ensuring it wouldn't hinder his movement while worn.

"The equipment is all here." Wu Tong watched as Lin Yun put on the gear and nodded with satisfaction, "But I didn't just come here today to deliver your equipment."

Lin Yun was adjusting the straps of his arm guards and looked up upon hearing this: "Uncle Wu, that surprise you mentioned last time..."

"Right." Wu Tong sat down on the sofa and gestured for Lin Yun to sit as well, "Since you have already decided to enter the Wilderness Area for training, I won't try to persuade you to go to the Basic Training Camp anymore. However, the danger for a warrior entering the Wilderness Area for the first time is actually quite high. I'm worried about you going alone."

Lin Yun nodded without refuting him. Although his current strength had reached that of a Primary War God, the dangers of the Wilderness Area came not only from monsters but also from various unknown environmental factors and other warriors. Having a good team would indeed be much better for his first foray into the Wilderness Area.

"So, I found a team for you." Wu Tong's tone carried a hint of pride, "The day before yesterday, I saw that you bought the manual for Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, and I immediately thought of one team. I've been communicating with their captain for the past few days, and yesterday, he finally agreed to let you join their group."

"What team?" Lin Yun became interested.

"Thunder Blade Squad." Wu Tong said these four words one by one, a flash of pride in his eyes, "This is an elite War General squad, and they have quite a reputation in the warrior circles of our Jiangnan Base City."

Lin Yun's heart stirred. He had seen the name of the Thunder Blade Squad on the warrior forums—it was a veteran squad established many years ago, with members who were all experienced hands. They specialized in operating in mid-to-high-level monster zones and hunting down commander-level monsters.

"The captain, Lin Zheng, is a High-Level War General who has cultivated the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade to the fourth layer, with power comparable to a Primary War God." Wu Tong counted on his fingers, "The deputy captain, Liu Xu, is an intermediate War General who excels with the sword and has Micro-Level footwork. The other members are also experienced veterans, with the weakest being a Primary War General. How about it? Satisfied?"

Lin Yun's eyes lit up.

The fourth layer of the Thunder Blade! According to the force-multiplying factor of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, the fourth layer could unleash four layers of force stacked together, reaching 3.5 times his physical strength. In other words, although Lin Zheng only had the physical fitness of a High-Level War General, the power of a full-force strike was enough to rival a Primary War God.

Such an expert could be considered top-tier in the entire Jiangnan Base City.

However, Lin Yun quickly thought of a question: "Captain, the fourth layer of the Thunder Blade... his power is comparable to a Primary War God. But with his strength, why hasn't he broken through to the War God level? According to the force output of the fourth layer, as long as his physical fitness improved a little more, it should be easy to reach the War God level."

Wu Tong's expression dimmed slightly, and he sighed: "Sigh, you've hit the nail on the head."

He was silent for a moment before continuing: "Lin Zheng's strength is indeed very strong; if he had developed normally, he would have been a War God long ago. But during a mission three years ago, he had his leg bitten off by a lord-level Iron-Armored Lizard King while trying to save a teammate. Although his life was saved, the leg was gone. Later, even though he was fitted with a prosthetic, his speed was greatly affected, and his strength became stuck at the High-Level War General level, unable to go any further."

Lin Yun was silent for a moment.

A warrior who had lost a leg, yet could still practice the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade to the fourth layer and carve out a resounding reputation in the warrior circles—this person was worthy of respect.

"Don't look down on him just because he lost a leg." Wu Tong seemed to see through Lin Yun's thoughts and said sternly, "With his strength, which is nearly invincible below the War God level, he is famous throughout the entire Jiangnan Base City. Moreover, his understanding of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade is very deep; if you follow him, your progress will be much faster."

"How could I." Lin Yun shook his head, "It is my luck that such an expert is willing to take me in." Lin Yun certainly wouldn't think that way; one had to know that War Gods were extremely rare. In the original story, when Luo Feng became a War God, there were only about 3,500 War Gods on the entire Earth, and there were likely no more than ten visible War Gods in the entire Jiangnan Base City.

Wu Tong nodded with satisfaction: "The most important point—you are also learning the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, so following him might save you from taking many wrong turns. If you can break through to the second layer as soon as possible and achieve a 2x force output, you will meet the headquarters' requirements to apply for the War God Training Camp. Furthermore, Liu Xu is also very skilled in footwork; you can learn a lot from her, and perhaps your own footwork can reach the Micro-Level. By then, entering the War God Training Camp will be no problem at all."

Lin Yun felt moved. This team was clearly chosen by Wu Tong specifically for his situation, and he must have put in a lot of effort. Although Wu Tong was the Chief Instructor of Yangzhou City, a team of the Thunder Blade Squad's caliber couldn't just be arranged with a casual word. He must have done a lot of work behind the scenes and spoken many good words to get Lin Zheng to agree to take on a newcomer.

"Thank you, Uncle Wu." Lin Yun said solemnly.

"You already call me Uncle Wu, why are you being so polite with me?" Wu Tong laughed heartily and patted Lin Yun on the shoulder, "I hope you can reach the War God level soon; then I can brag a little. 'The War God who came out of Yangzhou City was trained by me'—that would be so prestigious to say!"

Lin Yun smiled: "Don't worry, Uncle Wu, I will work hard."

"Mm, I believe in you." Wu Tong stood up, "You should organize your equipment first. In a few days, I'll take you to meet your future partners. It just so happens they are resting recently, so you'll have time to adapt to the team's rhythm."

After saying this, Wu Tong bid him farewell and left.

Lin Yun saw him to the door and returned to the living room. Looking at the table full of equipment, a sense of anticipation welled up in his heart.

Thunder Blade Squad... Lin Zheng... Liu Xu...

These people were about to become his partners fighting side-by-side in the Wilderness Area. Although he now had enough strength to venture out alone, a good team would not only allow him to grow faster but also teach him many things he couldn't learn on his own.

Things like experience, coordination, and the tacit understanding on the edge of life and death.

"I hope this allows my Nine-Layered Thunder Blade to have a breakthrough." Lin Yun muttered.

Over the next few days, Lin Yun familiarized himself with his new equipment while continuing to practice the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade.

The feel of the A6 Blood Shadow Battle Blade was completely different from the training blade he had used before. It was heavier, longer, and the center of gravity was further forward, requiring time to adapt. Lin Yun practiced basic blade techniques over and over in the training room, letting his body memorize the weight and balance of this blade.

The combat suit also required adaptation. Although it was form-fitting, it was his first time moving in such professional protective gear, and it felt a bit different. Lin Yun ran, jumped, rolled, and swung his blade while wearing it until he was completely accustomed to its presence.

The throwing knives were the most important of all. He had to repeatedly "break in" each of the three 8-series and six 7-series throwing knives with his Spiritual Force. He used his Spiritual Force to control the knives as they danced in the air, practicing attacks and turns from various angles until each knife felt like a part of his own body.

At the same time, his body in the Coiling Dragon World was not idle.

In the small woods behind the Ernst Institute, Lin Yun held a refined iron short blade, practicing the techniques of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade over and over. He also practiced Thunder Element magic repeatedly. While using Thunder Element magic, his understanding of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade became deeper—the speed, explosive power, and resonance contained within those lightning bolts seemed to reveal some deeper mystery to him.

He even faintly felt that if he persisted like this, even without reaching the Saint Realm of a magus, he might be able to grasp a trace of the Laws of Thunder.

This feeling made him incredibly excited.

A few mornings later, Wu Tong came to the Bright Moon Residential District again.

"Are you ready?" He looked at the fully equipped Lin Yun, a hint of gratification flashing in his eyes.

"I am ready."

Wu Tong nodded, led Lin Yun out of the residential district, and got into a black off-road vehicle.