Chapter 141: Chapter 139: A+ Talent? No, This Is Sword Control Technique

Gao Fei was highly efficient.

By evening, he was knocking on Han Feng’s apartment door.

He had a large package slung over his shoulder and a temperature-controlled case in his hand.

"Brother Feng! It’s all taken care of!"

Gao Fei tossed the items onto the floor, sank into the sofa, and panted heavily.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and pointed at the package with a strange expression.

"Uncle Long said the Rune Array in that shield was completely shot."

"He had someone do a brute-force repair on it. At best, it’s just a Tier One Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact now."

"Go on, take a look. It’s even uglier than before."

Han Feng unwrapped the package.

The dark brown Profound Turtle Shield lay there quietly.

Its surface was now covered with several hideous welding scars, and the original patterns were a complete mess.

It really did look like something salvaged from a scrap heap.

He picked up the shield. It felt just as heavy and cold as before.

He infused a sliver of Qi Blood into it.

A faint but steady, earth-yellow glow spread across the shield’s surface.

The previous arrogant aura was gone, replaced by a sense of solid resilience.

"What about the Spirit Plants?" Han Feng asked.

"All right here."

Gao Fei patted the temperature-controlled case beside him, his expression instantly turning pained.

"Just like you asked, I used all the money we scraped off the black card and bought nothing but Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Plants."

"Seven of them in total. Not a single drop of cash left!"

"That’s the entire fortune of a Meridian Passage Realm Martial Artist, and you’re just going to swallow it all in one go!"

After sending off Gao Fei, who was still muttering about the huge expense, Han Feng slowly closed the apartment door.

Han Feng didn’t hesitate for a moment.

He opened the temperature-controlled case and took out the seven Spirit Plants one by one.

He sat cross-legged on the small Spirit Gathering Array in the center of his apartment.

Then, he began to consume them.

Potent and pure Medicinal Power dissolved within him, no longer a mere trickle but a raging river that surged through his entire body.

[System Prompt: High-purity Spirit Plant Energy detected. Beginning absorption... A portion of the Energy will be used to refine the Sword Bone.]

[Sword Bone Transformation progress +6. Current progress: 65.1/100.]

[Body Tempering Cultivation +190. Current progress: 1420/2000.]

A series of system prompts rang out in his mind.

The moment the Sword Bone Transformation progress ticked up, an indescribable, cool sensation shot up his spine and rushed to the crown of his head!

His mind felt as if it had been cleansed by a clear spring.

[System Prompt: Spiritual Vision has been enhanced. A vague Energy Perception Field has been generated (Range: 5 meters).]

[System Prompt: When Sword Bone Transformation progress reaches 75/100, a second core Sword Bone ability will be activated.]

’It worked!’

Han Feng’s eyes snapped open.

Before him was the same familiar Quiet Chamber.

The next second, he slowly closed them again.

The entire world had changed.

It was no longer pitch-black before him.

A new world, composed of points of light and lines of Energy, unfolded in his mind.

He "saw."

The Spiritual Qi in the room, like a pale green mist, was being drawn into the Spirit Gathering Array, forming a small vortex.

He "saw."

Within his personal terminal, faint Spiritual Power flowed quietly through the circuits.

He even "saw."

On the other side of the wall, he could see his neighbor’s blurry, red halo of Qi Blood circulating rhythmically within their body.

This wasn’t seeing with his eyes.

It was a 360-degree, omnidirectional perception with no blind spots.

Within a five-meter radius, the flow of all Energy was crystal clear.

This was a qualitative leap!

Han Feng’s heart gave a powerful thump.

In the fast-paced world of aerial combat, this ability was nothing short of a Divine Skill!

It meant battlefield awareness with no blind spots.

Any sneak attack, any treacherous plot, became a joke within his perception range!

He slowly rose to his feet, adapting to this new way of perceiving the world.

He picked up the ugly Profound Turtle Shield and secured it to his left arm.

He tried a few blocking and dodging maneuvers.

It was cumbersome, but it brought an unprecedented sense of security.

’The instructor said the assessment is meant to simulate the harsh environment of a Secret Realm.’

Han Feng muttered to himself, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk.

’Since it’s a simulation, it should be perfectly reasonable for me to use a shield to block a ’reasonable collision’ from a ’Flying Demon Beast’, right?’

His right hand clenched, as if he were already gripping the cold "Sand Python" pistol.

’When the time comes, a shield in my left hand, a gun in my right.’

...

The atmosphere at the training grounds the next day was tense.

The exercise had been upgraded: high-speed obstacle-avoidance descent with simultaneous interference from three drones.

When Han Feng appeared at the top of the watchtower with the hideous, ugly, dark brown shield strapped to his left arm, everyone’s expression changed.

They looked at him as if he were a madman.

"What’s that guy doing? Bringing a shield for Wingsuit Flying?"

"Did he get his head caught in a door? Is he trying to die faster?"

"Just a clown showing off for attention."

Gu Yun hurried over, looking at the "lump of iron" on Han Feng’s arm with disgust.

"Han Feng, what kind of unorthodox method is this?"

"Flying with a turtle shell on your back, isn’t it heavy? Think of the wind resistance!"

Wang Meng also scratched his head, his face full of worry.

"Yeah, Han Feng, that thing will seriously mess with your balance."

Han Feng just smiled. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly across the platform.

"Since this is a practical combat drill, why can’t I bring a shield?"

"If we run into a Demon Beast in the sky, are we supposed to just dodge?"

His words left both Gu Yun and Wang Meng speechless.

’He... has a point.’

Not far away, Sun Hao saw this and an unconcealed, cold sneer spread across his lips.

He had been thoroughly outshined by Han Feng these past few days and was just itching for a chance to get back at him!

"Instructor Qin!"

Sun Hao strode up to Qin Yueyao, pointed dramatically at Han Feng, and boomed.

"I’m reporting him! Han Feng is carrying unauthorized equipment, which seriously undermines the fairness of the training!"

SWISH!

In an instant, everyone’s gaze focused on Instructor Qin Yueyao.

Qin Yueyao’s icy gaze fell on the ugly shield on Han Feng’s arm, pausing for a moment.

Sun Hao was ecstatic, waiting for the instructor to kick this guy who resorted to cheap tricks right off the platform.

However, Qin Yueyao did something that no one expected.

The corners of her perpetually frozen lips actually curled into a faint but appreciative arc.

"Not bad."

"Someone’s finally starting to use their brain."

The smile on Sun Hao’s face froze instantly.

Qin Yueyao swept her gaze across the crowd, her voice suddenly rising, as cold and sharp as a blade.

"I’ll say it again. This training is to help you survive on Suspended Mountain!"

"It’s not for you to get a pretty score on the training grounds!"

"Do you think the Flying Demon Beasts in the Secret Realm will play by the rules and only attack you from the front?"

"They will tear you to shreds from behind, from your flank, from any angle you can’t imagine!"

Her gaze returned to Han Feng.

"During Wingsuit Flying, if you can handle the negative effects of a shield and use it to block attacks, that’s your skill."

"As long as you can achieve a better time, I don’t care if you fly with a shield—I’d approve it even if you were carrying a cannon turret!"

Sun Hao’s face flushed red as he squeezed out a sentence.

"But... but that’s not fair!"

"Fair?"

Qin Yueyao let out a cold laugh, looking at him as if he were an idiot.

"Then you can go buy a shield right now. I’ll give you time."

"Or, you can go talk to the Demon Beasts in the Secret Realm and ask them to go easy on you since you’re not equipped."

She paused, then added a rule that sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

"The drones simulate Demon Beasts. You may use any defensive means to block them, but you are strictly forbidden from actively attacking!"

"Damage a drone, and you’ll pay ten times its cost. If you want to practice attacking, go to the virtual pods."

"Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

The crowd roared in unison, their voices shaking the clouds.

Sun Hao retreated dejectedly, his gaze toward Han Feng filled with venomous hatred.

The training began.

With the instructor’s permission, the students’ minds started buzzing with ideas.

But flying with a shield increased the demands on balance and strength exponentially, and no one dared to try it lightly.

Soon, it was Han Feng’s turn.

He walked to the edge of the platform and leaped.

Like starving wolves that had caught the scent of blood, the three drones instantly formed a triangular pincer formation from three different directions and lunged viciously!

"Here it comes!"

On the ground, everyone held their breath.

In the eyes of the crowd, Han Feng, facing a seemingly inescapable trap, moved with far less motion than ever before.

He didn’t even look back.

It was as if he truly had eyes in the back of his head, always managing to graze past a drone at the last possible second with an infinitesimally small tilt or burst of speed just as it was about to touch his wingsuit.

As for the blockade from the front, his choice was simple and brutal!

BANG!

A dull, heavy bang exploded in the air.

Han Feng jerked his left arm up, and the ugly Profound Turtle Shield precisely blocked the full-speed collision from one of the drones!

The tremendous impact forced his body to dip sharply.

But the next second, he used that momentum, smoothly transitioning into an accelerated dive and tearing an opening right through the encirclement!

The Energy Perception Field was already active!

Within five meters, the flight paths and Energy fluctuations of all three drones transformed into a clear stream of data in his mind, with nowhere to hide!

He no longer needed to track or predict with his eyes.

He only needed to feel.

And then, he would make the most direct, most efficient, and most decisive response.

Block!

Dodge!

Accelerate!

His movements were fluid, possessing a kind of savage, brutal elegance!

On the ground, Sun Rui, the vice president of the Celestial Wings Society who had been watching with detached composure, lost his calm for the first time. His expression grew incredibly solemn.

Zhang Hao of the Sharp Sword Society had unconsciously clenched his fists. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Gu Yun’s jaw dropped, and he didn’t even notice the anime-themed coin he was holding fall to the ground.

Under everyone’s shocked gazes, Han Feng’s black-clad figure moved as if taking a leisurely stroll amidst the drones’ relentless pursuit, brazenly plummeting toward the ground in a nearly straight Death Route!

Finally, it was that signature, physics-defying U-shaped pull-up!

He landed lightly, completely unscathed.

The number on the timer plunged the entire field into dead silence.

[Time: 23 seconds.]

This time was only two seconds slower than Sun Rui’s peak record with single-drone interference!

But this time, it was against three drones!

Qin Yueyao walked to the record board, wrote down Han Feng’s time, and then, right after it, she heavily drew a number.

"9 points!"

An excellent rating, with bonus points!

"A monster..."

Someone muttered it first, and the word instantly set the crowd ablaze.

"Is he even fucking human? A Body Tempering Realm guy with a turtle shell, and he flies it in 23 seconds?"

"Just how terrifying is his Perception Power? He never even looked back!"

"I heard his Talent assessment was A+ in Perception! So it was true! He’s a freak!"

The moment the words "A+ Talent" were spoken, it was as if they provided the only possible explanation for this incomprehensible scene.

Amidst the crowd’s complex gazes—a mixture of awe, jealousy, and shock—several figures began walking toward Han Feng.

The first was Sun Rui.

He wore a practiced smile, showing no sign of his earlier lapse in composure.

"Han Feng, congratulations. Your flying Talent is the strongest I’ve ever seen."

"I’m Sun Rui, and the Celestial Wings Group is my family’s business. On behalf of Celestial Wings, I’m formally extending you an invitation."

"After the Secret Realm mission, Celestial Wings can offer you a C Level sponsorship of one million Contribution Points per year. All you’d need to do is cooperate with us for a few promotional events."

One million!

The surrounding students’ breathing grew ragged when they heard that number.

That amount of money was enough to ensure a smooth and rapid rise for even a B Level Student!

However, Han Feng just calmly shook his head.

"Thank you for the kind offer, Senior Sun, but I have no plans to accept a sponsorship at this time."

Sun Rui didn’t seem surprised. He smiled and handed over a business card.

"No problem. My offer stands anytime. I hope we’ll have a chance to cooperate in the Secret Realm."

Just as he left, another figure approached.

It was Instructor Qin Yueyao.

Unlike Sun Rui, she wasn’t one for pleasantries. Her gaze was sharp, piercing straight to a person’s core.

"Han Feng, your Talent and practical combat sense are both outstanding."

She paused, her tone becoming extremely serious.

"On behalf of the military, I have a question for you."

"Are you... interested in becoming a true ’Winged Person’?"