Three days later, Wu Tong came by again.
This time, he hadn't come empty-handed. A black transport truck was parked at the entrance to Bright Moon Residential District. Two employees in Limit Dojo uniforms unloaded a chest half their height and carefully carried it into the living room of Lin Yun's house.
"Lin Yun, everything you asked for has arrived." Wu Tong patted the chest and said with a smile, "One A6 Blood Shadow Battle Blade, one B6 shield, a full D6 Series Combat Suit, three 8-Series Flying Blades, six 7-Series Flying Blades, one Combat Communication Watch, and one special backpack—all purchased according to your specifications. It came to 98 million in total, at half price."
Lin Yun opened the chest and inspected the equipment inside, one item at a time.
The A6 Blood Shadow Battle Blade had a blade about 1.2 meters long, its edge a dark red that gleamed coldly under the lights. He held it and tested its weight—it was neither too light nor too heavy, just right. The grip felt good, wrapped in a layer of fine, nonslip hemp cord. It wouldn't slip even if his palms got sweaty.
The B6 shield was round, about half a meter in diameter. Its front was made of silver-gray alloy, and two adjustable straps on the back could secure it to his left arm. It was considerably heavier than the War Blade, but with Lin Yun's current physical fitness, the extra weight was nothing.
The D6 Series Combat Suit was a one-piece outfit, soft yet tough to the touch, as if made from some kind of polymer. Lin Yun tried it on and found that it fit snugly, barely restricting his movement. The suit also came with a pair of combat boots and a pair of arm guards. The boots had special nonslip treads, while the insides of the arm guards were reinforced with a thin layer of alloy that could be used to parry attacks.
Each Flying Blade was about as long as an adult's palm, with a slender body and a sharp edge. Lin Yun slid them one by one into the Throwing Knife Pouch at his waist, then casually pulled one out and spun it between his fingers a few times. It felt good and weighed just right. With his current level of Spiritual Force, he could control one of these Flying Blades to pierce the scales of an Intermediate Lord-level monster from within a hundred meters.
The Combat Communication Watch looked like an ordinary electronic watch, but its casing was made of special alloy and its face was bulletproof glass. Lin Yun tried it on and found the interface simple to use, with satellite positioning, communication, timekeeping, and other functions.
The special backpack was the last item he took out. It wasn't large, but its interior was cleverly designed to hold three days' worth of food and water, medical supplies, spare Flying Blades, and other essentials. Its straps were broad, so it wouldn't hinder his movement when he wore it.
"All the equipment's here." Wu Tong watched as Lin Yun put everything on and nodded with satisfaction. "But I didn't come today just to deliver your gear."
Lin Yun was adjusting the straps on his arm guards. At that, he looked up. "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've already decided to venture into the Wilderness Area for experience, I won't try to persuade you to go to the Basic Training Camp. But a Warrior's first trip into the Wilderness Area can be very dangerous. I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you go alone."
Lin Yun nodded without arguing. Although he had already reached Intermediate War God, the dangers of the Wilderness Area weren't limited to monsters. There were also all kinds of unknown environmental hazards and other Warriors. Having a good team would certainly make a first trip into the Wilderness Area much safer.
"So I found you a team." There was a hint of pride in Wu Tong's voice. "The day before yesterday, I saw that the manual you bought was Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, and it made me think of a certain team. I've been talking with their captain these past few days, and yesterday he finally agreed to let you join them."
"What team?" Lin Yun perked up.
"The Thunder Blade Squad." Wu Tong spoke the four words slowly, a trace of pride in his eyes. "It's an elite War General team, and it's quite well known among the Warriors of Jiangnan Base City."
Lin Yun's heart stirred. He'd seen the Thunder Blade Squad's name on the Warrior Forum. It was a veteran team that had been around for many years. Its members were all experienced veterans who operated specifically in areas with mid- to high-level monsters and specialized in hunting Beast General-level monsters.
"Captain Lin Zheng, High-Level War General. He's cultivated the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade to the fourth layer, and his strength is comparable to that of a Primary War God." Wu Tong counted them off on his fingers. "Vice-captain Liu Xu, Intermediate War General, skilled with a sword, with Micro-Level movement technique. The other members are experienced veterans too, and even the weakest is a Junior War General. What do you think? Satisfied?"
Lin Yun's eyes lit up.
The fourth layer of the Thunder Blade! According to the force-multiplication calculations for Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, the fourth layer could stack four layers of force, bringing its power to 3.5 times the user's physical strength. In other words, although Lin Zheng had only the physical fitness of a High-Level War General, the force of his full-strength slash was enough to rival that of a Primary War God.
A master like that was among the best in all of Jiangnan Base City.
But Lin Yun soon thought of a question. "Captain, the fourth layer of Thunder Blade... His strength is comparable to a Primary War God. But with his abilities, why hasn't he broken through to the War God level? With the force of the fourth layer of Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, wouldn't he reach War God level easily if he just improved his physical fitness a little more?"
Wu Tong's expression dimmed slightly, and he sighed. "Ah, you've hit the nail on the head."
He fell silent for a moment before continuing. "Lin Zheng really is powerful. If things had gone normally, he'd have become a War God long ago. But during a mission three years ago, he was trying to save a teammate when an Iron-Armored Lizard King at Lord Level bit off one of his legs. He survived, but he lost the leg. He later got a prosthetic, but his speed suffered badly. His strength stalled at High-Level War General and never improved beyond that."
Lin Yun fell silent for a moment.
A Warrior with one leg missing could still train in Nine-Layered Thunder Blade to the fourth layer and earn himself a fearsome reputation among Warriors. That was a man worthy of respect.
"Don't look down on him just because he lost a leg." Wu Tong seemed to have guessed what Lin Yun was thinking and said sternly, "With his abilities, he's practically invincible below the War God level, and he's famous throughout Jiangnan Base City. He also understands Nine-Layered Thunder Blade extremely well. You'll improve much faster with him."
"Of course I wouldn't." Lin Yun shook his head. "Having a master like him willing to take me on is my good fortune." He certainly didn't see it that way. War Gods were exceedingly rare. In the original story, when Luo Feng became a War God, there were only a little over 3,500 War Gods on Earth. Jiangnan Base City had no more than ten publicly known War Gods.
Wu Tong nodded with satisfaction. "Most importantly, you're learning Nine-Layered Thunder Blade too. Following him might save you a lot of detours. If you can break through to the second layer soon and reach double force, you'll meet headquarters' requirements and be able to apply to enter the War God Training Camp. And Liu Xu is very skilled in movement technique, so you can learn from her. You might even reach Micro-Level in your movement technique. Then you'll have no trouble getting into the War God Training Camp."
Lin Yun was moved. Wu Tong had clearly chosen this team specifically for him and must have put a lot of effort into it. Wu Tong was the head instructor of Yangzhou City, but a team on the Thunder Blade Squad's level wasn't something he could arrange with a casual word. He must have done a lot of work behind the scenes and put in plenty of good words before Lin Zheng agreed to take on a newcomer.
"Thank you, Uncle Wu," Lin Yun said solemnly.
"You call me Uncle Wu. What are you thanking me for?" Wu Tong laughed heartily and patted Lin Yun's shoulder. "I hope you reach War God level soon. Then I'll have something to brag about too. 'The War God who came out of Yangzhou City was trained by me.' How impressive would that sound!"
Lin Yun smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle Wu. I'll work hard."
"Mm, I believe in you." Wu Tong stood up. "Take some time to get familiar with your equipment. In a few days, I'll take you to meet your future teammates. They're taking a break right now, so you'll have time to get used to the team's rhythm."
With that, Wu Tong took his leave.
Lin Yun walked him to the door, then returned to the living room. Looking at the equipment spread across the table, he felt a surge of anticipation.
The Thunder Blade Squad... Lin Zheng... Liu Xu...
These people would soon become his partners in battle in the Wilderness Area. Although he was strong enough to venture out alone, a good team could help him grow faster and teach him many things he couldn't learn by himself.
Experience, coordination, and the unspoken understanding forged on the edge of life and death.
I hope this helps me make a breakthrough in the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, Lin Yun murmured.
Over the next few days, Lin Yun familiarized himself with his new equipment while continuing to practice Nine-Layered Thunder Blade.
The A6 Blood Shadow Battle Blade felt completely different from the training blade he'd used before. It was heavier and longer, and its center of gravity was farther forward, so it took time to get used to. In the training room, Lin Yun practiced the Basic Blade Technique over and over, letting his body memorize the blade's weight and balance.
He had to get used to the Combat Suit too. Although it fit snugly, it still felt different moving around in professional protective gear for the first time. Lin Yun ran, jumped, rolled, and swung his blade in it until he was completely accustomed to wearing it.
The Flying Blades were even more important. Each of the three 8-Series Flying Blades and six 7-Series Flying Blades needed to be "broken in" repeatedly with his Spiritual Force. He controlled them with his Spiritual Force, making them weave through the air as he practiced attacks and turns from every angle, until each Flying Blade felt like a part of his body.
Meanwhile, his body in the Coiling Dragon World wasn't idle either.
In the small grove behind Ernst Academy, Lin Yun held a Refined Iron Short Blade and practiced the blade techniques of Nine-Layered Thunder Blade over and over. He also practiced Thunder Element magic again and again. Whenever he used Thunder Element magic, his understanding of Nine-Layered Thunder Blade deepened. The speed, explosive force, and Resonance contained in the lightning seemed to reveal some deeper mysteries to him.
He even vaguely felt that if he kept at it, he might comprehend a trace of the Lightning Law without reaching the realm of a Saint Realm mage.
The thought thrilled him.
A few days later, Wu Tong arrived at Bright Moon Residential District again early one morning.
"Are you ready?" he asked, looking at Lin Yun, who was fully geared up. A hint of satisfaction showed in his eyes.
"I'm ready."
Wu Tong nodded and led Lin Yun out of the residential district. They got into a black off-road vehicle.
Before you continue