"Chief Instructor?"
"How could that be possible, he's so young, how could he be the Chief Instructor."
Chen Bo and the others had expressionless faces, completely disbelieving what Sima Zining had said.
"Southwest Military Region, Third Army, Division Twenty, Liu Chengmou reporting as Chief Instructor!" Major Liu immediately stood at attention and saluted.
Sima Zining and Yingzi walked alongside Lin Mo; the three of them entered the defense area, leaving a group of people staring agape.
The military had already received news of Heavenly Sect operating in Lobu Lake, but the orders from the Security Bureau were to guard and prevent ordinary people from entering Lobu Lake, though it seemed they hadn't planned on getting involved in the affairs of the Heavenly Sect.
After all, straining relations with the Heavenly Sect too much could allow other forces or nations to take advantage.
As long as the Heavenly Sect didn't involve itself in mundane affairs, the military was also planning to turn a blind eye.
Lin Mo understood this too, as the nation had to prioritize the civilians and the bigger picture.
After entering the desert of Lobu Lake, there was still some distance to the military's main base, this time not only many soldiers came, but also heavy weapons, tanks, armored vehicles, and fighter jets were all on standby, publicly declared as a military drill.
"Hasn't the military deployed special forces deep into Lobu Lake?"
Lin Mo, sitting in the jeep, asked curiously.
Sima Zining shook her head; the military had sent people to try and scout further into Lobu Lake, but they ended up getting lost and came out three days later, even satellites and modern equipment were unable to detect conditions inside Lobu Lake.
Lin Mo frowned, it could either be that people from Heavenly Sect were already there, setting up an Illusion Array, or the 'Immortal City' inside Lobu Lake was about to appear, generating some unpredictable magnetic field changes.
In any case, without profound magical skills, despite employing any number of methods, it was impossible to penetrate the heart of Lobu Lake.
The vehicle drove for about half an hour until it reached the military base.
"Zi Ning, why are you back only now?"
As soon as they arrived at the base, a few people dressed in dark green came over, the leader being a young man in his late twenties, his face as firm as if chiseled by a knife and axe.
The dark green clothes they wore were very form-fitting, like bodysuits for ballet, highlighting their strong muscular contours; these clothes were made from advanced materials developed by the military, virtually bulletproof from ten meters away, making them nearly impenetrable.
But since the material was scarce and the production process complicated, only a select few in the military were equipped with it, these few being the elites within the Military Department.
Sima Zining, seeing the approaching young man, couldn't help but frown.
"What are you still doing here?"
The speaking man was named Qiao Jianjun, Captain of the Iron Soul Team.
"I was waiting for you, who are these two?" Qiao Jianjun noticed Lin Mo and Yingzi, expressing a look of confusion.
It should be noted that the entire perimeter of Lobu Lake was under blockade, not just anyone could enter.
While they were talking, two more people emerged from a tent, two men and a woman.
"Chief Instructor Lin."
The men were burly and tall, the woman's features lovely.
It was Long Mang and Huang Mu from the Emperor Group, who were now a publicly recognized couple within the military, just short of having a wedding banquet.
"Chief Instructor Lin, we truly admire you. Back in the training camp, you might not remember us, but you were our idol!" Long Mang strode over, laughing heartily.
"Qiao Jianjun, let me introduce you. This is our Emperor Group's Chief Instructor, Lin Mo," Long Mang said proudly, staring at Qiao Jianjun.
Qiao Jianjun frowned, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he sized up Lin Mo.
"Chief Instructor Lin," another young man with fair skin called out to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo glanced at him, remembering him slightly. This person was Tang Suo from the Emperor Group, who had once been considered a genius until Lin Mo appeared and Tang Suo became an 'ordinary person'.
Over the past three years, Tang Suo had trained hard, hoping to surpass Lin Mo one day.
"It's been a long time," Lin Mo said with a slight smile.
"Yes, it has been a long time," Tang Suo replied with a bitter smile. "But I also have to thank you for helping me see myself more clearly. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have tried so hard. I used to think about surpassing you, but now you are my greatest idol."
Tang Suo held these words in his heart for a long time, and finally almost spilled them face-to-face with Lin Mo.
Lin Mo patted his shoulder. "The country needs people like you."
"Now is not the time for you to catch up," suddenly a young man behind Qiao Jianjun said coldly.
Iron Soul is one of the eight special forces units of Huaxia's military regions.
It's a super unit specially meant for training exceptional talents and acts as a sharp force in protecting national security.
Naturally, such special forces participate in an annual 'martial arts' competition, and Iron Soul had firmly held the first-place position for three consecutive years, leading all other special forces.
This time, members from both Iron Soul and Emperor Group had come in groups, specifically tasked with investigating Lobu Lake and Heavenly Sect.
"Boss, we should leave," a woman with ear-length hair quietly told Qiao Jianjun.
Qiao Jianjun nodded, shifting his gaze from Lin Mo to Sima Zining's face, his expression softening a bit. "Zi Ning, after I complete the mission, if you're free, let's have a meal together."
"No, thank you," Sima Zining replied coldly.
Qiao Jianjun didn't expect Sima Zining to refuse so decisively and his face slightly changed.
"Lin Mo, aren't you also heading to Lobu Lake? Can I come with you?" Sima Zining suddenly looked up with a pleading gaze, her clear eyes twinkling.
Lin Mo frowned, initially wanting to refuse as there could be danger with many from the Heavenly Sect in Lobu Lake, but seeing the pleading in Sima Zining's eyes, his heart softened and he nodded.
"Great," Sima Zining exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands like a student praised by the teacher in class, her pretty face brimming with satisfaction.
Seeing this scene.
Qiao Jianjun clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles whitening, biting down hard on his teeth, with two sharp glints shooting from his eyes at Lin Mo.
"This mission is managed by Iron Soul, and it has nothing to do with the Emperor Group; you can't go inside Lobu Lake," a muscular man beside Qiao Jianjun stepped forward, staring at Lin Mo with some hostility.
Long Mang also stepped forward, his eyes widened, staring at the adversary, "Jinniu, it might have been impossible just now, but now that our Chief Instructor is here, the Emperor Group also qualifies to participate in this mission."
"Chief Instructor," Qiao Jianjun frowned deeply, his gaze swept over Sima Zining.
Seeing Sima Zining's shy demeanor, a surge of anger burned within him. In his eyes, Sima Zining was aloof and never showed such girlish shyness before.
Thus, the more Qiao Jianjun looked at Lin Mo, the more displeased he felt, finding this refined-looking guy more suited to a scholar than a blood-and-iron soldier of the military, unworthy of standing alongside Sima Zining.