Chapter 139: Chapter 137: 30 Seconds! Deathly Silence! You Call This Gliding?

In mid-air, Sun Hao plunged straight down.

He activated his Meridian Passage Realm Cultivation, channeling it into his Tier Two Upper Grade "Cyan Simurgh" wingsuit.

The faint cyan, naturally formed Runes on the Wing Membrane began to glimmer.

He was brimming with confidence.

Just yesterday, his older brother, Sun Rui, had told him that this drone interference training was a mere formality for members of their Celestial Wings Society.

But in the next instant, a black drone suddenly appeared in his flight path.

Sun Hao’s expression changed.

’This thing is a lot peskier than I thought.’

It wasn’t fast, but it was incredibly agile.

It always seemed to anticipate his moves, blocking the exact spots where he tried to accelerate.

It reminded him of being chased by Demon Beasts in the Virtual Space, forced to flee in utter disarray.

’Damn it!’

Sun Hao cursed to himself.

He had thought that by using the "Cyan Simurgh," he could easily break Zhang Hao’s record.

But reality had let him down spectacularly.

Still, the "Cyan Simurgh" was top-tier equipment, after all.

"Get moving!"

Sun Hao roared.

He poured his Inner Qi into the wingsuit’s frame without holding anything back.

The "Cyan Simurgh’s" biomimetic structure erupted with formidable power.

The edges of the Wing Membrane vibrated slightly, generating a reverse thrust that sent him accelerating in an instant.

He wrenched his body around, scraping past the edge of the drone at an impossibly sharp angle.

’I’m free!’

Elated, Sun Hao plunged toward the ground with all his might.

He finally landed inside the circle as the timer stopped.

[Time: 33 seconds.]

This time surpassed most of the A Level Students present.

But Sun Hao’s face was grim.

He hadn’t broken Zhang Hao’s record.

"Brother Hao, you’re a beast! 33 seconds! That’s basically untouchable for a B Level!"

"Yeah! A lot of those A Level guys aren’t even as fast as you! You truly are the ace of the Celestial Wings Society!"

A few members of the Celestial Wings Society immediately surrounded him, showering him with praise.

Listening to their flattery, Sun Hao’s expression softened slightly, though he said, "I didn’t perform my best. It was my first time flying, so I’m still getting used to it. I can definitely break 30 seconds next time."

After experiencing the difficulty firsthand, he no longer dared to claim he could easily surpass Zhang Hao.

"Brother Hao, you’re being too hard on yourself!"

One of his cronies quickly added, "The only gap between you and a veteran like Zhang Hao is your Cultivation. Once you break through to the Middle Tier of the Meridian Passage Realm, won’t surpassing him be a piece of cake?"

These words put Sun Hao completely at ease.

He raised his head smugly, his gaze sweeping over toward the Sharp Sword Club, filled with provocation.

Meanwhile, Gu Yun scoffed disdainfully at Sun Hao’s posturing.

"Tch. He’s just relying on a set of Butcher’s Equipment."

"Stuff made from Demon Beast Remains... all gory, with no aesthetic sense whatsoever."

"It’s a twisted, heretical path!"

"Those things are made by killing for wings! They reek of blood and have zero artistry! How can they compare to the beauty of my baby, the ’Scarlet Blade’? Now *that* is the perfect fusion of technology and beauty!"

He wasn’t speaking loudly, but he wasn’t trying to be quiet, either.

Sun Hao, who had been basking in the praise, heard this, and his face fell instantly.

"Who are you calling heretical?"

Flanked by his cronies, he strode over menacingly and glared at Gu Yun. "A piece of trash with a 48-second time has the nerve to critique my ’Cyan Simurgh’?"

Gu Yun, having a sore spot poked, blew his top. "You! You call that flying? That’s just gliding! Do you even understand the art of flight?"

"All I know is that my time is 15 seconds faster than yours."

Sun Hao crossed his arms, chin held high in the air.

"Who else is there among the B Level Students? I’m the strongest."

"If you’ve got the skill, let’s see you fly a 33-second run. If not, then shut your trap!"

"I..."

Gu Yun’s face flushed with anger, but he couldn’t manage a single word in rebuttal.

His time was an undeniable weakness; he really couldn’t compete.

"Gu Yun, let it go."

Zhang Hao stepped forward and patted Gu Yun’s shoulder, his voice calm and steady.

"The Celestial Wings Society specializes in Wingsuit Flying. It’s normal that we can’t match them. No need to get worked up over it."

Seeing this, Sun Hao sneered. "Hah, looks like the president of the Sharp Sword Society has some self-awareness, unlike some people who have no skill but still run their mouth."

Just then, a sharp, piercing sound ripped through the air from the top of the tower.

A black shadow plummeted down at high speed, at a near-vertical angle!

The figure didn’t even try to dodge the intercepting drone.

Instead, at the last possible moment, it executed a high-speed lateral spin at an unbelievable angle.

The wingtip practically grazed the drone’s outer shell!

Fast!

So incredibly fast!

All eyes were glued to the tense scene unfolding before them.

"It’s Senior Sun Rui!"

"Gods, that speed..."

The black figure only snapped open its wingsuit when it was less than thirty meters from the ground.

The massive gust of air kicked up a cloud of dust from the ground.

He landed silently, standing perfectly still in the very center of the circle.

The number on the timer silenced the entire crowd.

[Time: 21 seconds.]

Sun Rui!

The Vice President of the Celestial Wings Society!

That time was a full four seconds faster than Zhang Hao’s!

"Holy shit! 21 seconds! Is he even human?"

"That’s terrifying! He’s practically become one with his wingsuit!"

The members of the Celestial Wings Society erupted into frenzied cheers.

Sun Hao rushed over, his face filled with adoration.

"Bro! You’re incredible!"

Sun Rui retracted his wingsuit, a Tier Two Upper Grade set of equipment named "Azure Sky Wings."

Its Wing Membrane shimmered with a deep blue luster under the sun.

His expression was placid, as if he had just done something trivial.

"It was alright. Having a Wind Talent just gives a slight advantage."

He looked toward Zhang Hao of the Sharp Sword Club, a faint smile on his lips. "Junior Zhang Hao, thank you for the match."

Zhang Hao’s expression was calm as he nodded. "Senior Sun, your skills are superior. I’m impressed."

At that moment, the morale of the Celestial Wings Society reached its zenith.

They had used absolute strength to prove who the true kings of the sky were.

The expressions on the faces of Gu Yun, Wang Meng, and the others turned sour.

This absolute domination of skill left them feeling utterly powerless.

All eyes invariably turned to the last few figures remaining on the tower.

Among them was Han Feng, who had put on a dazzling performance in yesterday’s basic training.

"That kid flew pretty well yesterday. Wonder how he’ll do today."

"Probably not. His wingsuit is just plain black and looks like some cheap knockoff. How can it compare to the Celestial Wings Society’s top-of-the-line gear?"

"Yeah, the gear gap is just too wide."

Amid the crowd’s murmuring, Han Feng walked to the edge of the platform.

He paid no mind to the clamor below, simply standing there and calmly feeling the high-altitude wind.

Then, he took a step forward and leaped into the sky.

The "Ghost Bat" wingsuit deployed, and Han Feng immediately established a Spiritual Link with it.

The familiar sensation of Human-Machine Unity washed over him.

He could feel the Spiritual Energy Paths inside the wingsuit—made from the powdered spine of a Shadow Leopard—warming slightly as his Qi Blood coursed through them.

’This is the feeling!’

A drone immediately closed in, beginning its erratic, evasive maneuvers in front of him.

To the onlookers on the ground, Han Feng’s flying style was strange.

He wasn’t as fast as Sun Rui, nor as precise as Zhang Hao.

He was... "slick."

When faced with the drone’s attempts to block him, he always managed to circumvent it in an exceptionally fluid arc.

It was as if he wasn’t dodging the drone at all, but rather the wind itself was guiding him.

His every movement was perfect, wasting not an iota of energy.

"This kid... he’s got some moves!"

"His glide is so stable. He’s completely different from yesterday!"

Up on the tower, a flicker of surprise flashed in Instructor Qin Yueyao’s eyes.

She could tell that Han Feng’s command of the air currents had reached an unbelievable level.

’This isn’t gliding at all!’

’This is Riding the Wind!’

[Sword Control Technique (Mastery)]!

With a single thought from Han Feng, the Qi Blood Power in his body circulated according to a specific Technique and poured into the "Ghost Bat" wingsuit.

Instantly, he felt his connection to the wingsuit tighten.

He was no longer just gliding with the Wing Membrane, but truly "piloting" this piece of equipment the system had classified as a "Flying Sword"!

HUMMM!

The miniature Wind Rune Arrays on the edges of the "Ghost Bat" wingsuit’s Wing Membrane were fully activated, emitting a low hum.

His speed suddenly skyrocketed!

On the ground, everyone’s eyes went wide.

The black figure traced a straight line across the sky, plunging toward the ground with unstoppable momentum!

"Is he insane? At that speed, how is he going to slow down?"

"It’s too late! He’s going to crash!"

Just as the crowd cried out in alarm, with only fifty meters left to the ground, Han Feng’s body abruptly pulled upward!

The maneuver completely defied all conventional wisdom about flight!

Under his control, the "Ghost Bat" wingsuit pulled up sharply, just like a real Flying Sword.

It carved a beautiful U-shaped arc in the air, perfectly bleeding off all its momentum.

Then, with a turn, he floated down into the circle, landing without a sound.

[Piloted an external object with "Sword Control Technique" to perform an unconventional maneuver. Sword Control Technique Skill Proficiency +1]

A system prompt echoed in his mind.

The entire field fell deathly silent.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the number frozen on the timer.

[Time: 30 seconds.]

seconds!

It wasn’t as fast as Sun Rui’s 21 seconds, but it was enough to soundly beat Sun Hao!

And he had done it using what looked like a battered, worn-out black wingsuit!

"I... I’m not seeing things, am I? 30 seconds?"

"A B Level Student got a 30-second time with a piece-of-junk wingsuit?"

Over with the Sharp Sword Club, Gu Yun’s jaw dropped, which was immediately followed by a burst of ecstatic joy.

He spun around to face the ashen-faced Sun Hao nearby.

He deliberately drew out his words, calling out in an exaggerated, sing-song tone.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t our ’strongest’ B Level Student, Brother Hao? Cat got your tongue?"

"Who was it that said, ’let’s see you fly a 33-second run if you’ve got the skill’?"

"Now that we’ve posted a 30-second run, pray tell... do you have any ’brilliant insights’ for us?"