Chapter 712: Water Is Healthier!

The loss of control of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet wasn’t a major concern; instead, its aggressive behavior after losing control caught the attention of many spectators and leaders of various factions, as if they gained some inspiration from it.

The "Abyss Nirvana" international pilot death match truly was a place full of surprises. Air forces and aviation manufacturers from different countries often derived many innovative ideas from it, which was far more effective than spending huge amounts of money and manpower in research labs.

The only unfortunate aspect was that these technological advancements were shiny achievements built upon the tragic loss of lives—brilliant yet cruel.

Perhaps in the future, "Abyss Nirvana" would treat intelligent unmanned combat systems like a disaster, banning fighter jets equipped with them from participating, just as one would prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Whether on the battlefield in the sky or as spectators on the ground, most people had some understanding of unmanned combat systems. Originally, various countries had some development projects for them, and no one doubted Lin Mo’s statements, especially not the Chinese who knew him well.

This wasn’t without precedent; the J-15 carrier-based aircraft formally equipped by the Chinese navy had its latest onboard operating system developed by Lin Mo. In just a few days, he completed an entirely new operating system, leaving Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and the navy in awe of its astonishing efficiency. Some departments and individuals consistently praised Lin Mo’s programming capabilities.

Lin Mo felt no pressure as he personally developed an operating system for the technology verification aircraft X-1. The forward-swept variable wings fighter jet, including its hardware and software, was also his creation.

The intelligent robots stationed at Dark Night Base operated under the guise of intelligent systems, with the reality of their capabilities being a matter of perspective.

Furthermore, Lin Mo was one of the members of the Chinese aviation experts team who participated in Boeing’s demonstration of the sixth-generation fighter F/A-XX at Area 51, so perhaps he gained some insights from that as well.

With numerous reasons and natural cover for both public and private matters, it would be difficult for others to discover that this "intelligent system" was actually a deceptive construct. No one could understand that the name "Gold Coin" was not merely a pseudonym.

The gold giant dragon feigned ignorance while Lin Mo pretended to be oblivious. It wasn’t easy for the outside world to uncover their secrets, allowing the duo from another civilization to thrive in this world.

“Yuri! The system is back to normal.”

Lin Mo reopened the bidirectional communication channel and, to keep Gold Coin’s voice from being exposed, had to make specific modifications to the communication system between "Dragon General" and the X-1. It was a little troublesome, but it ensured that he and Gold Coin’s secret wouldn’t leak out unexpectedly.

“Thank heaven! You finally got it working.”

Yuri expressed his relief, adding, “The ‘Monkey’ has returned to Allah’s embrace.”

Lin Mo lightly said over the communication channel, “I will avenge him!”

The Iranian pilot’s desperate strike stirred something within him. There were no grand declarations or passionate speeches; all who heard this could sense Number 13’s ironclad determination for battle.

Any warrior who fears nothing and faces death with resolve deserves respect.

Lin Mo didn’t mind having another reason to take down “Eagle King,” even if the opponent was backed by the powerful U.S. Military. Despite Americans always boasting of their adherence to rules, they were always the first to break them.

The Dragon Knight had no such scruples; he didn’t worry about accumulating debts as he had dealt with the Americans for a long time.

As for the series of consequences stemming from taking down an American pilot, well, that was a concern for the politicians. The Air Knight had always been in the profession of letting others clean up after him.

He didn’t care about the aftermath!

“I will too!”

Yuri’s statement about the "Monkey" had a hint of uncertainty in it. The opponent wasn’t a rookie. Perhaps he and Lin Mo could hold out a bit longer, but he didn’t dare to think about taking out all of them.

The Australian military was exchanging glances with the Americans. Yuri summoned a great deal of courage but still chose not to sit it out.

If he wanted to merely go through the motions in this final battle, he could have pulled the ejection after the enemy launched their missiles. It would have been embarrassing, but at least it would have preserved his life.

However, Yuri didn’t do that.

“Yuri, I have an idea…”

In the Light Mirror Technique, the movements of the two opponents waiting for Lin Mo and Yuri to take the bait were fully displayed. Lin Mo sneered; it was an excellent scheme.

The Team Battle had reached the unavoidable final conflict, and the traps set by the two pilots of the Anti-Government Forces aimed for a perfect conclusion: to take out both Lin Mo and Yuri simultaneously.

“Make sure to stay in sync! This is critical. Activate all weapons and be ready to fire at any moment. Do not hold back, even if I am on the attack line at the same time as them.”

Lin Mo needed Yuri’s cooperation, just like back in the Dragon Knight Corps when facing strong opponents; the dual attack tactic was a great choice.

Defensive counterattacks would only provide the enemy with more opportunities to strike in this situation. The Air Knight always focused on offense; only by attacking could they find flaws in their opponents. Since the enemies were already special tier and near special tier pilots, adopting a defensive strategy would only fuel their battle fervor. Once the attacking rhythm was established, it was almost like asking for trouble.

The four fighter jets engaged in a dogfight in the same direction, and the danger was no less than a direct head-on confrontation. Both sides were testing the agility and acceleration of their fighter jets, and anyone could become the prey of the other. But who would ultimately be the one to prevail?

The distance between "Eagle King" and "Zorro" was considerable, denying Lin Mo and Yuri the chance to trap them. They understood that if their maneuvering space got restricted, they could easily fall into disadvantage.

In air combat, the first principle is to give the opponent no opportunity whatsoever—especially in such a critical final battle.

The dual aircraft team of "Eagle King" and "Zorro" consistently executed a dual bait tactic. Whenever one exposed a flaw, the other would be lying in wait for an ambush. This tactic was akin to hidden pits that appear unexpectedly on the road; one could fall into them without even approaching.

This proactive bait tactic, which was hard to defend against, required exceptional control and was a unique secret skill only special tier pilots could master. They didn’t care at all if the opponent didn’t take the bait during high-speed maneuvers.

Lin Mo did not plan to make it easy for his opponents. His and Yuri’s large-radius rolling scissors maneuver tactic was applied at the perfect moment, making it an ideal counter to the bait tactic. The greater maneuvering space would force the opponents into a frantic situation, and "Eagle King" and "Zorro" did not have many opportunities.

Lin Mo and Yuri did not easily fall into their trap. Instead, they used the compression maneuver of their large radius to bring the enemy into their attack zone, seizing the opportunity to take control of the opponent’s rear hemisphere, which was a relatively advantageous position.

The intentionally maintained large-radius dogfight was suitable for this duel state; using it in a chaotic fight would certainly give a third party the chance to sneak in for an attack. But now, neither Lin Mo nor "Eagle King" needed to worry about that.

Even when fighting a rabbit, a lion had to use all its strength. Lin Mo wasn’t being careless at all, especially since one of the opponents was equivalent to a Dragon General.

Afterburner, 4 Mach!

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet executed a large-diameter rolling scissors maneuver and directly broke through the thermal barrier!

The thermal barrier’s threshold was 2.5 Mach, and not all fighter jets dared to challenge this limit with confidence. The instant high temperatures could melt the aircraft and turn it into a fireball.

The original design limit for the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet was 3 Mach; 4 Mach was an unachievable danger zone for it. If it weren’t for the gold giant dragon providing an advantage, even with ten times the courage, the Dragon Knight wouldn’t dare to reach such speeds. Other pilots would hesitate at reaching 4 Mach, so the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet achieving speeds above 3 Mach became Lin Mo’s trademark.

Without the protection of the Flowing Wave Heavenly Transformation Magic Circle, the intense heat from high speed forced the gold giant dragon to endure it. The titanium alloy skin on the surface gradually changed composition, transitioning to a stronger alloy more resistant to high temperatures and better at dissipating heat.

Small serrations gradually extended out from the ailerons and flaps, quietly enhancing the stability of the fighter jet during high-speed flight. This wasn’t the gold giant dragon’s accomplishment, nor was it some external advantage; it was part of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, a product of human ingenuity—Memory Alloy!

When the fighter jet reached a certain temperature due to air friction, the edge alloy strips would automatically alter. Minor changes in aerodynamic properties would further enhance the aircraft’s adaptability during flight, reducing wing vibrations and structural damage.

Typically, a common supersonic speed couldn’t activate this brilliant design; National Defense Star’s design had been reserved for future improvements. This was also among the unique performance advantages of a technology verification aircraft.

"Eagle King" and "Zorro" were both troubled by the speed of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet. Their fighter jets simply couldn’t reach such missile-like velocities, placing a significant burden on the pilots. Perhaps only astronauts could tolerate such acceleration.

The standout X-31 modified aircraft in this “Abyss Nirvana” competition also sighed in envy, as its excessive pursuit of maneuverability left much to be desired in speed. The engine used in the X-31 was only slightly improved compared to the F-35’s F136 turbofan engine and couldn’t guarantee it would break through the thermal barrier threshold.

“Number 13, we have successfully suppressed them!”

The enemy couldn’t manage to land a blow for the moment, and Yuri felt exhilarated; they had done it! Even the special tier pilots were at a loss against them.

"My goodness! I’m just an intermediate pilot, yet I can hold my ground against a special tier pilot."

Originally, he thought he would be forced to flee under the dual assault of an enemy with a special tier pilot, but now he was actually putting up a decent fight—this was something he never imagined.

The imitation F-22, hovering around the 1 Mach sound barrier, served as the core of their formation while the more maneuverable X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet utilized its speed advantage to provide larger radius coverage on the outside, fully leveraging the performance strengths of both aircraft while suppressing the tactical arrangements of the enemy.

This strategy could only be conceived by aviation experts with a mastery of aerodynamic layout and fighter jet design. Lin Mo, with a single intermediate pilot, was capable of holding his own against the formidable dual aircraft assault of a special tier and a near special tier pilot.

The powerful performance of the fighter jet was dragging the opponents down, and under the circumstance of taking advantage of strengths while avoiding weaknesses, Lin Mo successfully deprived them of the chance to showcase their top air combat skills.

“We can’t keep this up; he will exhaust all our energy and fuel!”

The "Eagle King," who had fought Lin Mo before, lost patience. He realized that dragging this out was merely pitting his shortcomings against the other party’s strengths. How absurd! He was already near special tier, yet he feared being worn down by an intermediate. If it were any other intermediate pilot, they would have probably already been drained by him.

Yuri, frequently appearing in their sights, was disregarded by "Eagle King." Even when the enemy showed signs of vulnerability a few times, he did not charge in for an aggressive pursuit.

This time, Eagle King David de Hitt participated in the "Abyss Nirvana" with the goal of targeting “Number 13,” not Yuri. He didn’t want to miss such a good opportunity by taking down Yuri first and ending the team battle, even the special tier "Zorro" had to give Eagle King some face.

This strange reluctance to attack constrained both Eagle King and Zorro, allowing the intermediate pilot Yuri to escape unnoticed. They indeed wanted to eliminate him and Lin Mo, but considering their tactical arrangement, as long as Lin Mo was not taken down, he was absolutely safe.

Such a frustrating situation had probably never occurred in the death team battles of past "Abyss Nirvana" competitions.

"Indeed, this ‘Number 13’ is quite tricky. It gives me a feeling of being out of reach! However, the final winner will definitely be us," Eagle King declared.

Zorro fully agreed with Eagle King’s words, but he was unwavering in his belief that he would win this team battle.

Compared to the Australian pilot controlling a fighter jet resembling an F-22, the driver of the forward-swept wing fighter jet appeared almost like anything but an intermediate pilot. Not only did he possess an unexpected shrewdness and cunning for his age, but he also had rich combat experience and frightening mental resilience.

If Zorro knew that Lin Mo had been hailed as the best pilot for aerospace fighters by the Chinese aerospace training center, he would certainly have classified Lin Mo as a near special tier pilot without hesitation.

"Since tactics aren’t working, we can only confront them directly. Let’s split up; one for one. Let’s see what tricks they have left."

Eagle King hesitated for a moment, then said: "You handle ‘Number 13’, and I will take care of ‘Yuri’."

Originally, he wanted to challenge Lin Mo one-on-one, but the loss of Orca made him feel some trepidation, leaving an indelible impression of that starship-like strike in his heart.

While he desperately wanted to eliminate Lin Mo, he wondered if the opponent had any secret weapons. He knew he couldn’t face Lin Mo head-on, so it was wiser to take a more cautious approach by leaving him to Zorro and setting up an ambush.

As for the intermediate participant Yuri, he was completely ignored by Eagle King. In his eyes, intermediate pilots posed no different a threat than beginner pilots.

"No problem!"

Zorro, unaware of Eagle King’s schemes, agreed without hesitation. Assigning responsibilities might be a good idea to break the current stalemate.

To Zorro, anyone below high tier was insignificant. Whether it was "Number 13" or Yuri, as long as they weren’t special tier, they posed no difference. At most, "Number 13" had a somewhat tricky tactic, but he would eventually eliminate him.

“‘Number 13,’ they have split up; no, no, ‘Eagle King’ is coming straight for me!”

Yuri, who had been feeling proud of his exceptional performance in the decisive battle, suddenly found Eagle King’s X-31 turning sharply toward him, almost scaring him into a panic. He hurriedly pulled the control stick and began to turn and flee.

There’s no shame in a pilot becoming a coward.

It was no joke; against the X-31, his imitation F-22’s aerodynamic layout was significantly inferior. To survive, he needed to maintain a distance and avoid letting the opponent get in close.

“They’re going for a one-on-one; be careful, I’ll deal with ‘Zorro’ first!”

Yuri warned Lin Mo, who immediately recognized their tactics. However, he felt overwhelmed; Eagle King’s new strategy precisely targeted Lin Mo’s vulnerable points. He could only hope Yuri could hold out a little longer.

This level of confrontation was too challenging for an intermediate pilot.

Using brute force instead of the dual aircraft coordination tactic rendered the advantages of their formation meaningless. Formation strategies are typically the best method for weaker teams to overcome stronger ones.

Colonel Eagle King was not to be underestimated; this strategy effectively targeted the opponent’s weak point once more.

“Take care of yourself! You need to hold on; we will definitely win!”

Lin Mo couldn’t protect himself, but he drew the most formidable opponent away, and Yuri had no objections. Gritting his teeth, he focused on deciphering the enemy’s tactics amidst the dizzying movements of the fighter jet. This time, he had to give it his all!

“I’ll guide you!”

Lin Mo’s words struck those who heard them as boastful.

Guide?! At such a critical moment, he still thought about guiding others? Was he bragging or merely comforting his teammate? It was more likely the latter.

At this moment, “Zorro” took advantage of the same flight direction from their previous engagement to close in on Lin Mo. His fighter jet was even faster than Eagle King’s X-31, though it hadn’t reached speeds over 3 Mach, the speed displayed was still remarkably close.

Does he think he can chase down my rear hemisphere? He must be underestimating the Dragon Knight!

Lin Mo glanced at the unusual lights and tracked every movement of the opponent. The corner of the Dragon Knight’s mouth slightly curved into a faint cold smile as he pulled the control stick and began a 45-degree angle climb. This stance was held for two seconds, barely climbing less than five hundred meters in altitude. During the maneuver, energy rapidly converted into altitude; he pushed the control stick and activated the vector nozzles to execute a sharp turn, simultaneously reducing engine output as the world outside the cockpit spun wildly.

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet completed a 180-degree Herbst maneuver, and Lin Mo suddenly lowered the nose of the aircraft.

"My God! Does he have eyes in the back of his head? What good is having eyes; just come down!"

As Zorro launched a large-angle Cobra maneuver below the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, convinced he had the perfect timing, he didn’t have time for more shock or hesitation and pressed the launch button.

A close-range combat missile departed from his wing, shooting toward the returning forward-swept wing fighter jet, and at the same moment, the cannon beneath his wings opened fire, unleashing a barrage of projectiles that formed a deadly array like the Milky Way in reverse.

This will do!

Lin Mo promptly retaliated with an identical combat missile and a ferocious roar from the cannon. Now was not the time to hold back; when it was time to act, he would act.

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, having completed the Herbst maneuver, faced off against Zorro’s fighter jet, which had just executed the Cobra maneuver. The fuselage of both jets was almost in a straight line, resembling a stunt performance.

The upward and downward volleys of cannon fire clashed instantly, narrowly brushing past each other as they charged toward their respective targets. In the split second of their intersection, small fireballs and errantly flying tracers burst into the air, demonstrating the collision of the warheads—a remarkable density!

The battlefield reconnaissance jet captured this striking scene without missing a beat. Some keen-eyed spectators could hardly believe the incredible sight before them.

Rolling became the only evasion method available for Lin Mo and Zorro, as their fighter jets rotated around their axes. They could no longer make the conventional snake maneuver.

Dancing amidst the enemy’s barrage and launching a one-way death charge, Air Knights were destined to disregard death. Anyone witnessing this moment couldn’t help but feel a rush of blood and a shudder in their hearts, wanting to roar at the sky to vent their overwhelming emotions.

This was battle—the true fight that belonged to the Air Knights.

In a narrow confrontational situation, the brave would prevail. At that moment, Zorro no longer regarded Lin Mo as an opponent below special tier; he fully recognized his equal status.

Countless large projectiles narrowly grazed the surface of the forward-swept wing fighter jet, paint chipping away and the skin tearing into horrible scars. The Dragon Knight was doing everything he could to evade every deadly incoming round.

Missiles fired in mutual exchange detonated before hitting their targets, a rare sight only visible in such high-level duels.

Crack!

Suddenly, a strange sound emanated from above Lin Mo, followed by the sharp whistling of wind sweeping into the cockpit. He didn’t even look up, focusing all his energy into the fighter jet, merging entirely with it.

He was the fighter jet, and the fighter jet was him.

In the next moment, the aircraft jolted violently, shaking fiercely as if it would lose control at any second.

Zorro’s fighter jet was swiftly left behind, but the Dragon Knight didn’t even have the interest to look back.