Immediately after, that familiar searing heat swept through his entire body.

Unlike the previous times when it merely strengthened his muscles, this time, the heat penetrated straight to his marrow.

Han Feng couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan, gripping the armrests of his seat tightly.

The bones within his body were undergoing a drastic transformation.

His bones were becoming denser at a visible rate, and the faint golden sheen on their surface was growing richer.

They even began to form a kind of natural pattern on the surface of the bones.

The patterns looked just like the forging lines on famous ancient swords.

The intense pain came and went quickly.

After just a dozen seconds, the heat receded, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of clarity.

Han Feng gasped for air, his Flight Suit already soaked with sweat, but his spirits were soaring to their peak.

’Open panel.’

[Host: Han Feng]

[Class: Apprentice Sword Cultivator]

[Cultivation: Body Tempering Eighth Layer (1250/1600)]

[Root Bone: Sword Bone (Transformation Progress: 45/100)]

His Cultivation had shot up by two hundred points!

More importantly, his Sword Bone progress had jumped by four points in one go, finally breaking the forty-five percent mark.

Han Feng blinked and activated [Spiritual Vision].

Through the cockpit glass, he could even see the free-floating Spiritual Qi Particles in the air.

He could also see the faint Life Magnet Fields emanating from the plants several thousand meters below.

His field of vision was wider, and his perception of Energy had grown sharper.

Before Han Feng could even pull himself out of his joy, the system panel flickered again, and a line of golden text appeared.

[Detected that Host’s Core Skill "Sword Control Technique" has reached Mastery Level.]

[Prerequisites for class promotion have been triggered.]

[Next Class: Swordsman]

[Promotion Conditions are as follows:]

[1. Core Swordsmanship "Sword Control Technique" must reach "Mastery" Level. (Complete)]

[2. Comprehend and master at least three "Mastery" Level "Swordsmanship·Skills". (Current Progress: 1/3, Sword Qi Emission·Mastery)]

[3. Host’s personal Cultivation must reach the "Meridian Passage Realm". (Incomplete)]

[4. Sword Bone Transformation progress must reach 100/100. (Current Progress: 45/100)]

"Swordsman..."

Han Feng’s gaze turned fiery as he looked at the four conditions on the panel.

The first was already complete. The second required two more Mastery Level Swordsmanship skills. The third was a breakthrough to a major realm, and the fourth, achieving Perfection for his Sword Bone, was still a distant goal.

It all seemed difficult, but this was the first time he had seen a clear path for his future.

As long as he followed this path, he would grow stronger!

He closed the panel and expertly guided the "Gray Donkey," making it circle smoothly in the air.

Now, piloting the clumsy aircraft felt as natural as moving his own arm, without the slightest bit of resistance.

’Looks like I’ll have to put in more practice tonight. I’ll try to grind the other two Body Techniques to Mastery as soon as possible.’

Han Feng glanced at the sky. The sun was about to set.

He decided to take advantage of his peak condition and fly for a while longer to familiarize himself with the feeling of Mastery Level Sword Control Technique.

「Night fell.」

Han Feng piloted the "Gray Donkey," cruising silently like a Ghost at a low altitude of five hundred meters above the farm.

His Mastery Level Sword Control Technique had elevated his control over Energy to a whole new level.

He could even finely adjust the engine’s Spiritual Power output, allowing the aircraft to fly almost without making a sound.

"This feels amazing."

Han Feng savored this feeling of absolute control while keeping his [Spiritual Vision] active, observing the land below.

In his eyes, the entire farm was a complex world woven from countless lines of Energy.

The residential area was a bright, white cluster of light—a collection of human Life Magnet Fields.

The surrounding Purple Crystal Wheat Fields emanated a soft, violet halo.

Everything seemed so peaceful and serene.

Han Feng’s gaze habitually swept over the wilderness outside the farm’s perimeter.

It was a vast expanse of crimson and black, representing deathly silence and chaos.

Occasionally, he could spot one or two faint points of light—a few stray Little Demon Beasts.

His gaze continued to stretch into the distance, passing over hills and dry riverbeds.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted violently.

To the northwest, in the deep mountains about ten kilometers away, he saw something.

Something that shouldn’t be there.

It was a crimson tide formed by countless red dots of light, constantly expanding and moving toward the farm!

They were densely packed, covering everything in sight!

Each red dot represented a hostile Demon Beast.

And at the forefront of that crimson tide were several even deeper, dark-red points of light, as glaring as branding irons!

Those were Tier Two Demon Beasts!

Without a moment’s hesitation, he slammed the emergency call button on the public communication channel.

A piercing buzz instantly echoed throughout the entire farm.

"Attention! Attention!"

Han Feng’s voice, hoarse with urgency, broadcast to every corner of the farm.

"This is Han Feng of Sharp Sword Team One! A large-scale beast tide has been spotted ten kilometers northwest of the farm!"

"I repeat! A large-scale beast tide has been spotted! Numbers are incalculable! It is moving toward the farm at high speed! Estimated time to contact with the outer defensive line is twenty minutes!" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The tranquility of the night was utterly shattered by this single alarm.

Inside the farm’s Command Tower, Lei Zhen, who had just raised a teacup to take a sip, felt his hand tremble violently.

Scalding hot tea spilled all over him, but he paid it no mind.

A terrifying light erupted from his one eye.

"Sound the highest-level alert!"

"All combat units, enter First Level combat readiness immediately!"

"Iron Armor Camp! Mobilize!"

A piercing siren tore through the night sky, jolting Golden Ears Farm from its slumber.

The residential area, which had been dotted with only a few scattered lights, was instantly ablaze with light.

Then, under unified command, it plunged into darkness, leaving only the emergency lighting in key corridors active.

Blinding searchlight beams shot out from the watchtowers and perimeter walls, sweeping back and forth across the wilderness outside the farm.

"First Level combat alert! This is not a drill! All non-combat personnel, proceed to the nearest underground shelter immediately!"

"I repeat! All non-combat personnel, proceed to the shelter immediately!"

The voice from the broadcast, crackling with static, repeated the directive over and over.

The dormitory buildings erupted into chaos.

But under the shouts and guidance of the Ground Guard members, the farm’s workers and their families grabbed their most important belongings and stumbled into the stream of people flowing toward the underground bunkers.

The entire farm, like a precision war machine instantly activated, began to operate at high speed.

"All Sharp Sword Squad members! Assemble on the tarmac! Complete ordnance loading and prepare for takeoff in three minutes!"

Squad Leader Zhang Hao’s voice came over the public channel, as calm and steady as still water.

Han Feng piloted the "Gray Donkey," landing smoothly on the runway.

The moment he came to a stop, he pushed open the cockpit door and jumped out.

Gu Yun, Wang Meng, and the others also emerged from their respective fighters, their expressions varied.

"A beast tide! A real beast tide!"

Far from being afraid, Gu Yun clenched his fists in excitement.

His fighter, painted as the "Scarlet Witch," gleamed under the lights.

"This is great! It’s finally time for Alice to show what she can do! This is the kind of stage meant for an ace!"