CHAPTER 1097: CHAPTER 1077: TOUCHDOWN

The conversation in the cockpit of the advanced trainer aircraft was fully synced to the ground, leaving everyone down there utterly baffled. What did the "Hunting Sparrow Trajectory" mean, when it was actually the sparrow that hunted them?

Could a legitimate Sky Knight really mess up this badly?

On the ground, all they knew was that the Pure Light Sparrow signal captured by the bird-detecting radar suddenly overlapped with the advanced trainer aircraft and vanished, after which the pilots’ conversation took a bizarre turn.

"Can you get it off?"

Ignoring the high-speed airflow’s impact, the Pure Light Sparrow leisurely strolled across the cockpit canopy. Chen Shan was at a loss for what to do.

Such a situation was unimaginable not only for him but even for the aircraft designers.

It was basically a total breakdown in defense.

"Just a bit of afterburner!"

Old Ding slyly handed back control of the advanced trainer aircraft to Chen Shan.

He was afraid of hurting Xiao Jiu, as Chen Xiao’er might hold him accountable.

Sky Knights are merely impressive when controlling crystal jets in the sky, but in reality... heh, not so much.

Old Ding was also an Ability User, but whether he could take on Chen Fei was uncertain, likely not, especially since Chen Fei was nicknamed "the Tyrant" in "Atlantis." Plus, his guards could pummel anyone into submission without him lifting a finger.

"Alright!"

Adding afterburner was a simple task, just a matter of the throttle. As the throttle advanced further, the aircraft shuddered as if it had been jolted awake, and both passengers immediately felt a sense of relief.

Bang!~

The sound barrier’s shattering boom was distinctly audible in the cockpit.

The vibrations at the edge of supersonic speed always put people on edge, but once past this threshold, the entire aircraft seemed to fall silent.

Ding! Ding! Ding, ding, ding, ding! Ding-ding...

Apparently, it wasn’t that quiet.

Xiao Jiu persistently pecked at the canopy, surrounded by a faint golden glow that isolated the turbulent airflow, melding its tiny body seamlessly with the advanced trainer aircraft.

Chen Shan and Old Ding were dumbfounded; not even going supersonic could shake off this little bird.

Even among Magical Beasts, those with supersonic flying capabilities are rare, and those who can ignore supersonic extreme flight statuses are even scarcer.

Yet this little bird, just larger than a fist, managed to leisurely cruise through supersonic airflow like a Giant Dragon—utterly unheard of.

"Mr. Ding, what should we do next?"

Chen Shan kept his gaze on the little bird directly above his head, entirely out of options.

"What else can we do? Keep going! Next tactical maneuver..."

Old Ding could only ignore it.

Taking advantage of the supersonic state, he guided Chen Shan through another series of tactical maneuvers.

Initially, Chen Shan was still a bit distracted, his attention slightly on Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu, but soon he gradually refocused.

After a series of maneuvers, Old Ding sneaked a glance, and good heavens, the Pure Light Sparrow was still on the advanced trainer aircraft. However, it had hopped from the canopy to the tip of the left wing.

As if sensing Old Ding’s gaze, Xiao Jiu radiated a bright glow, spread its wings, pushed off with its little claws, and in a flash, turned into a golden meteor, leaving the advanced trainer aircraft far behind.

"Huh? Has Xiao Jiu left?"

Chen Shan, performing the final moves of the maneuver, noticed the rapidly departing "meteor" and glanced around outside the canopy. The mischievous little bird had vanished, and the onboard radar, not a bird-detecting radar, had no response throughout, relying only on the naked eye for brief observation.

Estimating the "meteor’s" astonishing speed, it was at least five times the speed of sound, quickly disappearing from view.

By the time Xiao Jiu made a large circuit in the sky, flapping back down to Shen Fei’s palm, the advanced trainer aircraft carrying Chen Shan and Old Ding had already begun its return course.

On the tarmac, as the engine roars of the advanced trainer aircraft gradually subsided, Chen Shan, descending from the cockpit via the ladder, furiously approached Chen Fei.

"Chen Fei, keep an eye on your bird!"

"What’s wrong with my bird?"

Chen Fei looked utterly baffled, having no idea what Xiao Jiu did after taking off, nor did he use any psi skills to "see."

"It... it disrupted my practice! Oof!"

Chen Shan was suddenly punched in the stomach by Chen Fei, who unexpectedly stepped forward.

Battle Qi hadn’t even had a chance to condense before he was hit solidly.

Taking a step back to his original position, Chen Fei earnestly said, "Little Shanzi, you’re grown enough. You fly your way, it flies its way. How can it bother you?"

For Chen Shan’s misunderstanding, Chen Fei was reasonable; communication needn’t always dwell on details and methods.

Chen Shan felt nauseous: "..."

This was utterly unreasonable.

Old Ding’s gaze drifted into the distance, pretending not to see.

No one was there to seek justice for Chen Shan.

No wonder he’s known as the "Tyrant" of "Atlantis," truly ruthless.

"Xiao Jiu, use a ’Light Healing Technique.’

Although Shen Fei had no intention to intervene, she took action, directing the little bird in her hand.

A small table tennis-sized, faint white orb floated over, merging into Chen Shan’s body with immediate effect.

Chen Shan, whose vision was darkening, instantly felt much better.

"You should be grateful for Xiao Jiu’s magnanimity and not casually blame others."

Being a young fellow from the Chen Family, Chen Fei wasn’t just verbally lenient; indeed, he didn’t follow up with a second punch, merely offering a slight "reminder" (punch).

If it were a Lin Family brat instead, he might have been beaten half to death.

"Thank you, thank you!"

Chen Shan was almost in tears, squeezing out a grateful smile at the Pure Light Sparrow and sister-in-law Shen Fei.

He had no doubt; if he dared to utter half a "no" through gritted teeth, Chen Xiao’er’s second punch would surely follow, thanks to years of beaten experience!

"Old Ding, how about my little brother’s test flight results?"

Having moved past the incident, Chen Fei turned to the instructor Sky Knight who was just in the rear seat of the advanced trainer.

"Except for a few unfamiliar projects, he should pass most of the selection tests."

Chen Shan, as the young master of National Defense Star, had outstanding conditions and environment, which Old Ding objectively acknowledged. He also had great potential to become a true Sky Knight.

"The advanced trainer aircraft is still somewhat different from a real crystal jet, right?"

Chen Fei pointed out the key issue.

The advanced trainer is almost identical to a real fighter; some models, when armed, can serve as combat-ready airborne weapons.

But even genuine jet fighters differ significantly from high-performance crystal jets, with disparities in multiple areas.

Old Ding glanced at Chen Shan, whose complexion had improved considerably, saying objectively, "He hasn’t even passed the test flights yet; it’s too early to discuss these."

Where there’s an advanced trainer, there must also be intermediate and basic ones. Most combat pilots undergo these three stages. Skyrocketing to the top is only warranted in emergencies with limited conditions, generally not encouraged.

Chen Fei gazed at Chen Shan, lost in contemplation.

The latter, being stared at, felt increasingly nervous, wondering what devious plans Chen Xiao’er was concocting.

"Emmm... How about getting acclimated early?"

Chen Fei waved a hand, and a sharply designed combat aircraft appeared on the tarmac.

"Huh?"

Shen Fei recognized it; wasn’t that prototype for the Nangong Ruiyang-led crystal jet project?

Although the Nangong team didn’t finish designing it, it didn’t prevent Chen Fei from using it straight away.

This crystal jet had seen repeated action when facing off against the "Sagali" civilization.