The real person shook the bell in his hand more vigorously, producing a sound wave that ordinary people couldn't hear. However, due to the intensity of the sound, a strong wind was generated, brushing against people's faces like tiny knives. Eight Zero E-book (txt02.com) Everyone didn't pay much attention—after all, this was naturally a desert, and wind gusts were entirely normal. Military technicians continued to direct the drilling operation, which was now only one-tenth the speed of daytime drilling, and it would take a considerable amount of time to advance just one meter. A technical soldier ran over, saluted the officer, and said, "Sir, we're approaching the drilling equipment's limit!" "Really? So quickly? We're still far from there!" the officer replied. The soldier responded, "Normally, when we drill wells, we reach a maximum of 350 meters, and rarely exceed 400. We've never gone beyond 400—now we've reached 430!" The most common use of this equipment is drilling wells. Since the wells are deep, the groundwater drawn up is of excellent quality—only requiring simple filtration to match mountain spring water. “How deep can you drill?” he asked. “Five hundred meters,” the technician replied, glancing at the rotating drill shaft. “By the time we reach five hundred meters, if we haven’t found anything useful, we’ll have to call in specialists. It’s said that oil drilling teams can go even deeper!” The officer waved his hand, saying, “Keep drilling—there’s a good chance we’ll have results soon!” “Understood!” Most of the experts had already taken a break. Unless something unexpected happened, they would analyze the soil samples tomorrow morning. Tink-tink… The bell sound once again snapped the flying sword mid-air, and no matter how hard Qin Feng tried, he couldn’t move it. The other’s bell was truly unusual—its sound waves not only served for attack and defense, but also disrupted the opponent’s mind. Fortunately, Qin Dashi had received early training in counter-influence techniques, and after becoming a cultivator, this ability not only remained stable but actually strengthened. He now mastered ice spikes and stone projectiles—stone projectiles being a new spell he learned recently, capable of summoning a basketball-sized stone that strikes the target with precise accuracy, delivering power comparable to that of the ice spikes. However, the opponent he faced was a cultivator of a level even slightly above his own, making ordinary spells ineffective. To overcome this, he cleverly combined the two spells, using the stone projectiles to propel the ice spikes, thereby nearly doubling their speed. The ice spikes then descended swiftly from the sky, striking the elder cultivator's energy shield with tremendous force. Though the opponent's energy shield was robust and enhanced with sonic waves, the ice spikes could not penetrate it due to the reduced speed of the stone projectiles, which had slowed down significantly. Nevertheless, the stone projectiles accurately struck the rear of the ice spikes a second time, imparting a forward thrust. This relayed attack technique, Master Wúwéi had never attempted, nor had he even considered it. Under his utterly astonished gaze, the sharp tip of the ice spear successfully pierced through the protective aura of spiritual energy and struck his body. *Thud...* Though cultivators were often formidable when attacking others, their physical bodies remained the most vulnerable. Once the shield was broken, they were no different from ordinary people. He expelled a stream of blood—this was thanks to his timely retreat; otherwise, the injury would have been far more severe. To this day, he couldn't understand why such a relay method of spell usage was possible, finding it truly astonishing. Could it really be because he had been overly conventional, refusing to innovate, thus allowing a self-taught young prodigy to conceive of it? In fact, not only he, but even Lin Caivé had been equally amazed when Qin Shao first proposed the idea, and she had doubted its very feasibility. But the reality is that Qin Shao had successfully mastered this technique in just two attempts, and most of the other girls could also manage it—unlike Lin Beauty, who, despite having the deepest understanding of cultivation, still couldn't achieve it. After securing the first move, Qin Feng didn't press further but simply stood there, smiling and said, "How do you think, is this technique any good?" The elder practitioner took several deep breaths to calm the surging energy in his chest, gritting his teeth and said, "Young man, you truly surprised me. I must admit—I lost to you in just one move!" His words carried deep meaning—he had not lost completely to Qin Shao, but had merely stumbled accidentally. Qin Shao shrugged and remarked, "Whatever you think—since you're not my match, you'd better get going. You were the one who initially proposed a sparring session, so I can't hold you accountable!" "Master Wúwéi laughed coldly, 'Rest assured, I'm not as petty as you imagine. As long as it's a mutual exchange of skills, we must fight on equal footing—no favoritism, no grudges. I won't hold this against you. However, I'll stick to the traditions of the immortal realm: anything without a designated owner is open to all. You may have defeated me, but can you possibly defeat every immortal in this realm?' This statement carried a clear sense of threat. First, people will ask: since your strength is so formidable, why have you remained indifferent when the Chinese nation faces internal troubles and external threats? Why, when extraordinary phenomena arise—when precious treasures are about to emerge—do you suddenly leap into action, eager to claim them? Though this question seems simple, no one can truly answer it. He exclaimed angrily, "Don't forget—you're also a cultivator!" "You're absolutely right," Qin Shao replied with a sniff, "but I'm even more aware of myself as a Chinese." "As a member of the Chinese nation, I have a duty to protect what belongs to the country and its people!" The way he put it was truly dignified and impressive—someone unfamiliar with him might immediately think of him as a genuine patriot. Hmph. I'm not as noble as you all imagine. I'm merely using this as an excuse to claim the treasures for myself. By the time either the mortal world or the cultivation realm realizes it, they'll be utterly surprised—how it all came to pass, it'll be completely unexpected. "You...," the old master pointed at him with his nose, "as a cultivator, you've willingly become a mere lackey of the government—this is your self-degradation! Qin Feng countered, "I wasn't a cultivator before, and I'm not one now. As for the future, that remains to be seen. So no matter what I do, I have no connection to the cultivation world. If I don't serve the government, then who should I serve? After all, the government and the nation have at least provided me with something. What have the cultivators given me? Old man, I'll say this one last time—leave right now. Otherwise, I won't be so gentle anymore."