Cheng Xiaofan, his clear eyes fixed on the deep blue sky, said, "This constantly rotating vortex is actually a ball of energy."
"It's normal for unusual phenomena to appear in the sky before an ancient oasis is opened on this gobi. However—"
He frowned again and said, "There are generally two types of energy balls that appear: one from the sky, indicating extremely bad weather is coming, which will cause more ferocious sandstorms."
"One type is from the ground's anomalies!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhizheng glanced at the vast desert stretching beyond the cave and asked, "Mr. Cheng, do you think this energy ball appearing in the sky is from the heavens or from the ground?"
Cheng Xiaofan said, "From this rotating energy ball, I can vaguely discern some chaotic shadows, like monsters clashing within."
"In other words, this energy ball is from the ground, or more accurately, from underground."
"I'm afraid some ancient monsters buried in the earth have sensed the impending opening of the oasis, and the spiritual energy emanating from the oasis has made them restless."
"These monsters should be in a semi-zombie state, bloodthirsty, and far more ferocious than desert wolves. If they manage to emerge from the ground, they will pose a great threat to humans."
"Is there any way to stop them from breaking through the surface?" Zhou Zhizheng asked nervously.
Cheng Xiaofan shook his head and said, "Within the range of this barrier, I currently have no way to stop them!"
"Captain Zhou, don't worry, with me here, I absolutely will not let those monsters harm you."
Zhou Zhizheng's face was filled with shame. "We special forces were ordered to come here to assist you in dealing with those hidden cultists. We never expected to become a burden to you, and instead, have to rely on your protection to survive!"
Cheng Xiaofan laughed heartily. "Captain Zhou, you flatter me. You are special forces trained by my mentor Zhang Heng, and therefore, my friends. This is what I should do."
"Right now, I don't know how many of those monsters there are, but no matter how many, the hidden cultists will help me tie some of them down!"
Zhou Zhizheng heard this and said, "What, can they handle it?"
Cheng Xiaofan said, "Captain Zhou, do not underestimate those hidden cultists. They have always concealed their strength, and even when the desert wolves appeared, they did not reveal their true skills."
"They are saving their true power for the final rush to seize the oasis."
He couldn't help but smile slightly and added, "In fact, the crucian carp I sold them were not ordinary crucian carp. I infused them with powerful spiritual energy, enabling them to quickly recover their spiritual power, so they can deal with those monsters!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhizheng and the others were even more impressed with Cheng Xiaofan.
Not only did he extort three hundred billion US dollars from them on this occasion, but he also ensured they would be useful at a critical moment.
Zhou Zhizheng chuckled, "So, Mr. Cheng discovered the anomaly in the sky long ago?"
Cheng Xiaofan nodded. "Yes, I noticed it this morning, but I didn't tell everyone."
Zhou Zhizheng asked curiously, "Mr. Cheng, there's something I don't understand. When Leird came to buy fish, why didn't you give him the immortal fish, but the crucian carp from the freshwater river?"
Cheng Xiaofan burst into laughter. "My intention was to provoke him and see his angry yet helpless expression. It was truly amusing!"
Zhou Zhizheng laughed again upon hearing this.
Before they set off, Zhang Heng had given him a detailed description of Cheng Xiaofan's personality.
He said that the most prominent trait in Cheng Xiaofan was a childlike demeanor. Despite his age, he could sometimes be particularly mischievous and willful.
Especially when dealing with villains, he loved to play cat-and-mouse games.
Thinking about how Cheng Xiaofan used a fish slice the size of a copper coin to have a prominent hidden cultist give it as a gift to Leird, everyone couldn't help but laugh!
"Captain Zhou, would you like a cigarette?"
Just as Zhou Zhizheng was contemplating this, Cheng Xiaofan took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out, and with a snap, lit it for himself. He then offered another to Zhou Zhizheng.
Zhou Zhizheng was taken aback!
He had never heard Zhang Heng mention Cheng Xiaofan smoking.
Seeing Zhou Zhizheng's bewildered expression, Cheng Xiaofan smiled, "My cigarettes are not ordinary. They are filtered with spiritual energy. Smoking them not only enhances your spirit but also relaxes your mind!"
Zhou Zhizheng usually smoked, but he didn't have a strong addiction.
He would only smoke a few when encountering distressing matters.
He took the cigarette from Cheng Xiaofan, lit it, and took a puff. Immediately, he felt more invigorated, and his tense mood relaxed.
Especially the taste, it exuded a beautiful sensation.
"Not bad. I didn't expect such good cigarettes to exist in the world!" Zhou Zhizheng praised, taking another deep puff.
The special forces soldiers nearby, smelling the aroma, also marveled at how pleasant the cigarette smoke was.
Cheng Xiaofan then took out a carton of cigarettes from his backpack and threw it to the soldiers, smiling, "Everyone have a smoke and relax your minds."
"After smoking, get a good night's sleep. I estimate that something unusual will happen in the latter half of the night."
"Only by being well-rested can you deal with danger!"
At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan's words were like imperial decrees to the special forces soldiers. They immediately opened the carton, each took a cigarette, and lit them.
Instantly!
The cave filled with smoke.
After finishing their cigarettes, each person wore a relaxed and contented smile.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Everyone huddle together and rest for a while!"
The cave was too small, so to sleep, they could only rest back-to-back, crammed together.
As soon as he finished speaking, the special forces soldiers indeed closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Even Zhou Zhizheng, after yawning several times, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
At this time, the setting sun was descending to the horizon.
The heatwave in the desert began to subside.
Glancing at the sleeping special forces soldiers in the cave, a satisfied smile appeared on Cheng Xiaofan's face.
He had infused the cigarettes with dragon energy and set a special mechanism, causing those who smoked them to fall asleep quickly within a certain period.
Cheng Xiaofan knew very well that these special soldiers had been extremely tense since entering this barrier-sealed gobi.
Excessive tension could easily lead to a breakdown.
He had no choice but to adopt this method to help everyone relax and get some rest.
Otherwise, once the monsters appeared, they would find it difficult to cope with such sudden changes.
As darkness began to fall, Cheng Xiaofan emerged from the cave and looked up at the sky again. The giant, constantly rotating vortex had become even more pronounced.
Within the shadows churning in the vortex, there were dense pockets of malevolent energy.
However, these signs were imperceptible to the naked eye.