Black Stone Island, Strategic Briefing Hall One.

The atmosphere was solemn and grim. A massive holographic map floated in the center of the room, rotating slowly, marked with mottled red danger zones.

All the cadets participating in the "Fledgling Eagle Hunt" had changed into dark green G-suits, sitting ramrod straight below the stage. Their faces showed a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and a barely perceptible hint of pride.

On the stage, Instructor Li Zhen wore a stern expression, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over every young face.

"The mission briefing will now begin!"

"The operational area for this ’Fledgling Eagle Hunt’ is the periphery of Sky Mist Area Three, codenamed ’Wind Cry Canyon.’ The primary mission objectives are to eliminate the Tier One Flying Demon Beast, the ’Wind Blade Sparrow,’ and the ground-based Tier Two Demon Beast, the ’Iron Armor Rhinoceros.’"

"The mission will be conducted in squads. Merit points will be automatically tallied by your jet’s flight recorder based on the type and number of Demon Beasts killed. During the mission, you are permitted to form teams freely or act alone, but you will be solely responsible for the consequences!"

Li Zhen paused, his tone growing heavier.

"A special reminder: in addition to our academy, a private combat team from ’Azure Dragon Industry,’ the Celestial Wolf Squad, will also be participating in this joint trial."

A slight commotion rippled through the cadets below.

"The Celestial Wolf Squad? You mean that bunch of lunatics who live on the edge in the Fog Areas?"

"I hear their equipment is even better than some of our military units, and they fight dirty."

"What are they doing here, getting in on the action?"

Li Zhen coughed heavily, and the hall fell silent once more.

"Mark my words. They are ’allies’ in name only, not your ’comrades.’ Maintain a safe distance and watch your own backs. In the Fog Area, trust no one but your wingman!"

This warning sent a chill through the hearts of many of the more ambitious cadets.

Sitting in the front row, Han Feng listened calmly, his fingers drumming unconsciously on his knee.

’The Celestial Wolf Squad...’ He recalled Zhao Zhe’s venomous expression. ’This probably won’t be as simple as a mere training exercise.’

When the briefing ended, the cadets were dismissed and headed to their respective hangars.

On the vast tarmac, rows of modified J-10Cs stood silently like birds of prey ready to strike. Ground crews were performing final checks, and the air was thick with the mixed scent of jet fuel and metal.

Han Feng didn’t rush to his plane. Instead, he walked slowly along the line of jets. He was now the "Chief Instructor" and had a responsibility to give some final words of advice.

"Zhao Yu," he said, stopping beside one of the jets.

Zhao Yu, who had been talking with a ground crew member, immediately spun around and stood at attention, not a trace of his former arrogance on his face. "Chief Instructor!"

"Don’t always be trying to show off your moves," Han Feng said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Human-Machine Resonance consumes a lot of Inner Qi. Save it for critical evasions and kill shots. Don’t burn yourself out just trying to look cool."

"Yes, Chief Instructor!" Zhao Yu nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with conviction.

Half a month of training had completely changed his opinion of Han Feng.

Not far away, Zhang Hao and Su Muxue watched this exchange. They looked at each other, and both saw the same deep emotion in the other’s eyes.

They had once thought they were the best among their peers, but Han Feng had, in some inconceivable way, surpassed them all to become someone they had to look up to.

Suddenly, the piercing roar of engines tore through the air.

On the other side of the tarmac, several jets, painted entirely black and emblazoned with a blood-red wolf head insignia, taxied past arrogantly.

Those were the jets of the Celestial Wolf Squad.

Their model also appeared to be a derivative of the J-10, but their exterior modifications were far more aggressive. Strange-looking weapon pods hung under their wings, exuding a savage and deadly aura.

As one of the black jets passed in front of Han Feng and the others, the pilot under the cockpit canopy turned his head. He had a hideous scar on his face. Grinning at them, he raised his thumb and slowly drew it across his own throat.

The provocation was blatant.

The Fledgling Eagle cadets immediately glared back in anger. A few of the more hot-tempered ones had already clenched their fists.

Han Feng, however, merely shot him a cool glance, his expression unchanging. He didn’t even react, as if he had just seen a noisy fly.

This utter disregard, more than any angry retort, made the scar-faced pilot’s expression stiffen.

"Alright, stop looking," Han Feng said to the cadets around him, retracting his gaze. "They’re just a bunch of undisciplined strays who’ve never been to a military academy. Getting angry at them is beneath you."

"Pfft..." Wu Lei, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but laugh.

His one sentence dissipated most of the cadets’ anger, and they even found it a little funny. That’s right, why get worked up over a bunch of mercenaries?

They were the Alliance’s top flight cadets, the chosen ones of the future. Their perspective and standing were on a different level.

"Everyone to your jets. Do a final check of your comms channels. Remember, safety first."

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone responded in unison and ran to their jets.

Han Feng was the last to enter his cockpit. He sealed the canopy, and the familiar environment shut out the outside world’s noise.

"Falcon One, checks complete. Requesting takeoff!"

"Falcon Two, checks complete. Requesting takeoff!"

...

"Canglang One, ready to go!"

A series of reports sounded off on the comms channel.

With the command from the control tower, the jet engines roared to life. Trailing blue afterburners, they shot into the sky like sharp arrows.

Han Feng piloted his jet, steadily gaining altitude.

[Host detected piloting ’Flying Sword’ (Treasure Level, Damaged)...]

[’Sword Control Technique’ Skill Proficiency is now accumulating...]

[Efficiency of ’Taibai Geng Metal Sword Technique’ has increased by 10%...]

The cold, mechanical voice of the system sounded in his mind.

Han Feng’s heart was calm. This was his home turf. For him, every flight was a form of cultivation.

The fleet of jets formed up in the air and sped toward the gray wall of fog on the eastern horizon, which looked like a scar across the sky.

The closer they got, the more they could feel the strangeness of the Sky Mist.

The azure sky looked as if it had been wiped with a dirty rag, turning a murky gray. Wisps of energy, visible to the naked eye like tiny electric sparks, began to appear in the air.

"All units, be advised, we are about to enter the Sky Mist Area! Maintain formation and switch to short-range Spiritual Power comms!" Li Zhen’s voice, tinged with a bit of static, came over the channel.

The next second, the fleet plunged headfirst into the endless gray.

The world instantly changed color.

Their vision was filled with nothing but a thick, gray fog that was impossible to see through, and visibility dropped sharply to less than a hundred meters. The tactical radar screens were filled with snow as chaotic signals interfered with each other, rendering them almost completely useless.

"Dammit, it’s like we’re flying blind!" a cadet couldn’t help but curse over the channel. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

At that moment, however, Han Feng’s senses entered another dimension.

He closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense spread out from his aircraft like liquid mercury flowing across the ground.

Within his Divine Sense, the world was no longer just a murky gray. Rampant Spiritual Qi washed and collided around him like chaotic ocean currents, filled with an ominous aura.

Meanwhile, the allied jets appeared as distinct metallic masses, each radiating a faint light and heat, all suspended clearly within the range of his Divine Sense.

He was the sole lighthouse in this chaotic airspace.

"Wind Blade Sparrows! Twelve o’clock high! Over fifty of them!"

Suddenly, Han Feng’s calm voice rang in everyone’s headsets.

"What? I’ve got nothing on my radar!"

"I don’t see anything either!"

The cadets were shocked and skeptical, but out of trust for their "Chief Instructor" Han, they all subconsciously looked up and aimed their fire-control radars in that direction.

A few seconds later, a piercing BEEP BEEP BEEP—! The alarm blared simultaneously in everyone’s cockpit!

On their radar screens, a dense swarm of red dots emerged from the thick fog, surging toward them like a tide!

"My God! It really is a flock of Wind Blade Sparrows!"

"Open fire! Weapons free!"

The cadets, both shocked and delighted, immediately slammed the launch buttons.

Cannons spat fire, and air-to-air missiles, trailing flames, carved deadly trajectories through the dense fog.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Fireballs erupted in the sky as countless Wind Blade Sparrows, which resembled metallic bats, shrieked and fell from the air.

Instantly, the merit points of all the Fledgling Eagle cadets began to skyrocket.

"Instructor Han is a badass!"

"It’s like he’s using a map hack!"

The channel filled with the cadets’ excited cheers.

Han Feng, however, didn’t relax in the slightest. His Divine Sense had detected another, hostile intention.

Just as the Fledgling Eagle cadets had their full attention drawn to the flock of Wind Blade Sparrows, the black jets of the Celestial Wolf Squad silently spread out nearby. Like a pack of wolves lying in ambush, they discreetly formed a loose encirclement around Han Feng’s jet.

"Attention, Left Wing Three! You’ve got something on your rear flank!" Han Feng suddenly called out.

"What?" the cadet on the left flank faltered.

Before he could finish, a crimson beam of energy shot out from the dense fog on his rear flank, grazing his wing as it flew past!

The cadet broke out in a cold sweat and yanked the control stick, sending his jet into a clumsy evasive roll.

"Was that a Demon Beast?"

"No," Han Feng’s voice turned cold. "It was the Celestial Wolf Squad."

He watched as the pilot of the ambushing black jet spoke leisurely over the comms channel, "Oops, my bad. The fog’s too thick, looks like I locked on to the wrong target. You alright there, buddy?"

His tone was flippant and full of mockery.

"You motherf..." The ambushed cadet was so furious he started to curse.

That wasn’t a mistake! It was blatant attempted murder!

"All units, tighten formation! Be wary of the Celestial Wolf Squad!" Li Zhen’s furious roar echoed.

However, it was too late. The moment the formation began to contract, the Celestial Wolf Squad’s jets launched a simultaneous attack!

Their target was never the other cadets, but the one they had tacitly isolated—Han Feng!

Four black jets, like four poisoned daggers, tore through the fog from four directions, lunging straight for Han Feng!

"Han Feng! Watch out!" Zhang Hao and Su Muxue cried out at the same time.

The encirclement snapped shut in an instant.

Before the horrified eyes of all the Fledgling Eagle cadets, Han Feng’s jet was trapped in a hopeless situation.