In just ten short minutes.
Han Feng was like a child who had just gotten a new toy.
He tirelessly tried all sorts of maneuvers in the air.
Every maneuver was mind-boggling.
These unconventional maneuvers were judged by the system as the highest intensity of cultivation.
The Skill Proficiency of his [Sword Control Technique] climbed rapidly.
The efficiency of his Cultivation growth was several times that of his usual, stable flights.
The price was a drastic consumption of his Qi Blood.
His Qi Blood Value had already dropped below two hundred points, nearing empty.
But the gains were immense!
His Cultivation had rocketed from Body Tempering Fifth Layer (222/1000) to (392/1000)!
Furthermore, his Skill Proficiency in *Sword Control Technique* had reached [Entry Level: 180/1000].
More importantly, he had comprehended two brand-new Body Technique Skills!
These were all trump cards that could save his life or turn the tables for a counter-kill!
"This money was so worth burning!"
Han Feng was completely satisfied.
He twisted open the cap of a second Qi Blood Potion, preparing for one last sprint.
Then he would head back.
Just then—
"BZZT... Calling! Calling!"
A burst of harsh static came through the cockpit's public channel.
It was followed by the dying roar of a man!
"This is the Far Star Logistics escort team!"
"Black Stone Mountain Ridge!"
"We're under attack by Iron-Winged Crows!"
"Requesting backup! Requesting—"
The voice cut out abruptly.
Only the BZZT BZZT of static remained.
Han Feng's motion of chugging the Potion froze mid-air.
The next second, a calm, official female voice cut into the channel.
"Calling aircraft N-C-3 in airspace K7, this is the East Sea City Defense Center watchtower. Acknowledge if you copy."
Han Feng immediately picked up the communicator, his voice growing serious.
"N-C-3, copy."
"N-C-3, the distress call you just heard is authentic."
"A Far Star Logistics transport convoy at Black Stone Mountain Ridge, thirty kilometers outside the city, was attacked by several Iron-Winged Crows. There are already casualties."
"Watchtower, I'm just a training plane."
Han Feng's tone was calm.
"We know."
"But you are currently the closest aerial unit to the incident and the only one carrying live ammunition."
The female voice paused.
Her tone shifted.
"This is not a mandatory mission."
"However, Far Star Logistics has an excellent reputation and has already posted a bounty through emergency channels."
"Any unit or individual who provides effective assistance will be rewarded with no less than ten thousand Contribution Points."
Ten thousand Contribution Points!
Han Feng's breath hitched.
The refusal on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down.
A thread of caution remained, and he asked for a key piece of information.
"Number of Demon Beasts? Their tier?"
"According to the last message from the convoy's escort, there are five Tier One Basic Level Iron-Winged Crows."
Five of them, Tier One Basic Level.
Han Feng's mind raced.
The Iron-Winged Crow. Extremely fast, with wings like steel. A common Low Tier Flying Demon Beast.
For an old propeller-driven antique like his plane, five of them was a death sentence.
Of course, that was for an ordinary Pilot.
But he now had the [Sword Control Technique]!
Those maneuvers just now, which defied the laws of physics, gave him immense confidence.
'If I can't beat them, can't I at least outrun them?'
The risk was manageable.
The reward was huge.
Ten thousand Contribution Points was no small sum.
That was enough fuel for ten high-intensity "Sword Control" sessions!
It was a ticket to a higher realm!
This mess was worth getting into!
"Watchtower, send me the coordinates."
Han Feng's voice became steady, laced with resolve.
"I'll go check out the situation."
"If it's beyond my capabilities, I'll pull out immediately."
"Understood."
"N-C-3, be careful."
"Coordinates sent."
On the instrument panel in front of Han Feng, a small point of light began to flash.
A virtual flight path stretched into the distance.
He pushed the throttle.
He slowly channeled the last of his Qi Blood Power into the engine.
The old "Initial Training-3" let out a low roar, filled with fighting spirit.
The nose of the plane turned and sped toward Black Stone Mountain Ridge.
...
「Meanwhile, at Black Stone Mountain Ridge.」
BOOM!
Another black rock, the size of a human head, fell from the sky.
It slammed heavily onto the roof of an armored off-road vehicle.
A terrifying dent was smashed into the thick alloy Armor.
The entire vehicle shook violently.
The alarms inside the vehicle let out a piercing shriek.
"Ah Kuan! Shit! Fire, damn it!"
"Aim for the one that's isolated!"
The convoy leader, Feng Biao, a weather-beaten middle-aged man, was taking cover behind an armored vehicle.
He roared at the young man in the anti-aircraft gunner's position on the roof.
The guard named Ah Kuan grit his teeth.
He desperately swiveled the machine gun, trying to lock onto the circling black shadow high in the sky.
But the Iron-Winged Crows in the sky were too cunning.
They maintained an extreme altitude, making it impossible for him to get a clean shot.
"Captain! It's no good! They're too high!"
Ah Kuan was sweating buckets from anxiety.
In the instant his concentration wavered, a black shadow swooped down from the sky.
It didn't attack Ah Kuan.
Instead, it used its sharp talons to grab an even larger rock from a nearby cliff face.
"Look out!"
Feng Biao's pupils contracted violently.
The Iron-Winged Crow let out a sharp cry and released its grip.
The huge rock whistled through the air, hurtling straight for Ah Kuan's gunner position.
"Get out of the way!"
Ah Kuan's face went deathly pale, and he instinctively dropped and rolled.
KABOOM!
The massive rock grazed his body as it crashed onto the roof of the vehicle.
Rock fragments and metal shrapnel flew everywhere!
"Argh!"
Ah Kuan cried out in pain.
An excruciating pain shot through his left leg.
A sharp piece of metal shrapnel was embedded deep in his thigh.
Blood instantly stained his pants red.
"Ah Kuan!"
A female team member immediately rushed out of the armored vehicle.
She carried a medical pack on her back and swiftly dragged the injured Ah Kuan behind cover.
"Damn it! These feathered bastards!"
Feng Biao slammed a fist against the vehicle's body, his eyes bloodshot.
He stared at the five circling Demons high above, grinding his teeth in hatred.
"Sister Ling, how's Ah Kuan?"
He anxiously asked the female team member who was treating the wound.
"The artery in his leg isn't severed."
"But he's lost a lot of blood. We need to stop the bleeding as soon as possible."
Sister Ling cut open Ah Kuan's pants and skillfully bandaged the wound.
She spoke to Feng Biao as she worked.
"Captain, the bigger problem is Old Wang!"
"The vehicle shook so violently just now that the wound on his back split open again."
"He's running a fever and talking nonsense now!"
Feng Biao's heart clenched painfully.
Old Wang was the veteran on this trip out of the city.
But on the way back, while covering the convoy, he had been struck in the back by the tail spike of a Burrowing Armored Beast.
They were desperately rushing back to East Sea City specifically to get Old Wang to a hospital.
Any more delays, and even if they weren't crushed to death by these Iron-Winged Crows, Old Wang wouldn't make it!
BOOM!
Another massive crash.
The convoy's last functioning anti-aircraft gun was smashed into scrap metal by a huge rock.
It was completely over.
A flicker of despair crossed Feng Biao's eyes. They were sitting ducks now.
"Where's the air support?!"
"My men are all about to die!"
He grabbed the communicator and roared madly into it.
"Far Star Team, please remain calm!"
"An aerial unit is en route!"
"ETA three minutes!"
"Three minutes?"
"Are you coming in three minutes to collect our goddamn corpses?!"
Feng Biao roared, his voice filled with utter helplessness.
Just then, the roar of an engine, completely different from the screech of the Iron-Winged Crows, grew closer.
"Huh? What's that sound?"
Everyone looked up instinctively.
A single-propeller plane with old paint and an archaic design broke through the clouds.
It dove straight down toward the death-shrouded hollow.