Chapter 722: Good Dogs Don’t Block the Path

"Be careful!"

As usual, Sally watched Lin Mo board the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet once more.

Two treacherous fighter jets followed closely behind, forming a triangular attack formation as they took off simultaneously. It was a MiG-29 "Fulcrum" and a JAS-39 "Gripen."

Almost all the aircraft with military backgrounds had combat performance that generally surpassed the currently deployed models, having improved many shortcomings. They not only validated upgrading plans for active fighter jets but also provided reference for the development of the next generation of fighter jets.

On the surface, this seemed like a simple three-versus-three formation battle in the intermediate tier.

However, in reality, it was an unfair one-to-five fight.

The intermediate tier was dubbed the ace group, with each intermediate pilot having at least five shootdown records, meaning Lin Mo had to face five aces at once, two of whom were deliberately trying to sabotage him.

The intelligence provided by Yuri was extremely important; even Sally and the Chinese military had no idea that this intermediate formation battle, pivotal for Lin Mo to advance to the high tier, was teeming with sinister plots.

Though the competition prohibited any open fire or ambushes against one’s own side, which would lead to severe penalties, it couldn’t stop the various underhanded tactics that exploited loopholes, such as compressing maneuvering space, disrupting operations, denying cover, and shifting fire.

To shoot from behind within one’s own ranks—how vicious must that be in modern warfare, among the aerial knights who uphold the knightly spirit?

Their opponents were even willing to sacrifice their own fighter jets to use such despicable methods to gain Lin Mo’s points. They likely intended to make just one dirty deal; otherwise, they had no place in the flying community.

Their scheme was doomed to fail before it could even be put into action, and they would likely offend the Dragoon Consortium and the Chinese military in the process.

"Gypsy! Are you ready? Exactly, engage as soon as we enter visual range, just as planned."

Red Coral said through a secure independent communication channel that even the Abyss Nirvana organizers couldn’t decrypt in a short time; he was piloting the MiG-29 "Fulcrum."

"Agreed, Red Coral. We must synchronize our pincer movement to restrict his maneuverability. Hm, we have fifteen kilometers left, approaching visual range soon, prepare to adjust the identification codes."

The accomplice "Gypsy" in the JAS-39 "Gripen" gently waved his wings, readying himself alongside Red Coral.

The MiG-29 "Fulcrum" and JAS-39 "Gripen" quietly closed in on the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, aiming to sandwich the highly maneuverable aircraft from above and below.

Are they about to make a move? The Dragon Knight sensed something.

Lin Mo glanced around at the "allies" who were drawing closer with ill intentions!

He detected three enemy aircraft.

The stealth technology wasn’t impressive, but the domestically produced active phased array radar picked them up. The Dragon General tactical helmet locked onto the targets instantly.

Three medium-range missiles were activated.

Launch!

Three trails of smoke suddenly erupted as they fired from the aircraft.

Neither side expected "Number 13" to take the initiative right from the start, appearing to wield medium-range air-to-air missiles.

The two “allies” knew Lin Mo’s aircraft excelled in anti-stealth abilities and had played a guiding combat role during the Death Team Battle, so they used a close-range dogfight tactic to suppress Lin Mo’s medium-to-long-range strike capabilities.

But plans sometimes fail; Lin Mo launched a surprise counterattack, and right off the bat, he released three missiles at once.

“‘Number 13,’ how could you… oh no!”

Red Coral suddenly felt the aircraft shake violently, spiraling out of control.

“You’re too close!”

Lin Mo’s words were ambiguous, whether intentional or not.

The sudden performance of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet sent chills through everyone, as if a master of cold weapon combat had suddenly rolled sideways, deftly using the wings to flick away the two encroaching fighter jets with ease.

Both aircraft lost control and began to roll wildly, the immense rotational force instantly disrupting their dynamic balance.

The twin WS-15X engines were designed according to the standards of fourth-generation fighters. Although their output power couldn’t match Lin Mo’s own X-8 "Monstrous," equipped with F119-PW-100 dual-rotor engines, it was sufficient to deal with the two enemy aircraft.

Red Coral and the Gypsy did not expect Lin Mo to suddenly foil their pincer scheme using such a method; their close-range limitations were instead leveraged by Lin Mo.

Caught off guard, the two pilots who had treacherous intentions found themselves in a spin almost simultaneously.

Engaging in close combat with the Dragon Knight, who excelled in dogfighting, was akin to seeking death.

The Gauss electromagnetic cannon fully charged, and Lin Mo locked onto the target once again, calculating the lead for an attack.

The three enemy aircraft, startled by the suddenly launched medium-range air-to-air missiles, began to carry out evasive maneuvers, but one of them exploded into a fireball.

Immediately after, two more fireballs erupted in the air; the second fighter failed to evade the pursuit of two air-to-air missiles.

The dual missiles, positioned perfectly within the attack geometric angle, had an 80% hit rate. For the enemy intermediate pilots, who lacked cross-tier abilities, death was an inescapable fate.

Before even entering visual range, within mere moments, Lin Mo had taken out two of the three enemy aircraft, leaving one struggling like a dog as an air-to-air missile chased after it.

Lin Mo’s all-out missile tactics upon entering the battlefield completely overturned the external perception of him as solely a close-range cannon dogfighter.

"‘Number 13,’ what do you think you’re doing? This is against the rules."

Red Coral shouted loudly on the communication channel, trying to deflect responsibility and blame back at Lin Mo.

The Gypsy desperately attempted to recover from the spin while furiously shouting, "You bastard, do you want to murder me? You must compensate!"

Recovering from a spin was a skilled maneuver, not every pilot could master it.

For Chinese pilots, it was a required course, and the Chinese Air Force even had their unique techniques for recovery.

"I told you, you got too close."

Lin Mo didn’t care about their reactions; his statement immediately made many observers furrow their brows tightly.

With all three aircraft crowded together, it was not an aerial stunt performance—wasn’t that inviting death? Some experienced pilots’ faces changed, as they sensed the unusual scheme at play.

"Yes, ‘Number 13,’ you need to compensate, five thousand points each for me and the Gypsy."

The enemy formation had lost two aircraft on the spot, and their conspiracy against "Number 13" had yet to even commence before being shattered. Red Coral’s ambitions were now plain to see, as they no longer concealed their intentions.

"Damn it, how dare you extort us, you two are dead!"

Yasha, watching the screens in the hangar, seethed with rage, ready to draw his weapon and call for help; after all, another small squad was on guard, and he could deal with them fiercely.

"Calm down! Yasha, they can’t escape." Bai Qi, the squad leader, glanced outside the hangar and shook his head at Yasha, saying, "There will be plenty of chances to take care of them."

China was not a third-rate country that anyone could bully. Neither Lin Mo nor Yasha would regard much in the Abyss Nirvana competition, which lacked significant political entanglements.

Lin Mo had already decimated the “Eagle King”’s initial bodyguard team upon reporting, and Yasha had thrashed Yuri’s bodyguard leader. The organizers turned a blind eye to such personal grudges, as long as the pilots could earn them substantial profits; they didn’t care about the fates of other personnel. The death match was inherently lawless, where people died under mysterious circumstances almost every day.

“Damn it, ‘Number 13,’ you will pay for this!”

The Gypsy failed to salvage his fighter; a spin was extraordinarily dangerous, and he couldn’t recover before plummeting below a safe limit.

A parachute flower appeared in the sky as the JAS-39 "Gripen," with its ammunition unfired, crashed and exploded.

The Gripen’s small frame, coupled with its high aerodynamic and structural complexity, made regaining a good attitude much less likely than for the Old Russian MiG-29—this was entirely expected.

The last enemy aircraft finally managed to trigger the pursuing medium-range air-to-air missile, veering into a rapid turn while ignoring the nearby MiG-29, which should have been its adversary, and instead charged toward Lin Mo’s X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet.

“‘Number 13,’ you bastard, hand over the points now, or you’re dead!”

Red Coral struggled to recover his MiG-29 from the spin, but his fury blinded him to the need to intercept the enemy aircraft; instead, he turned to form an attacking shape with the last enemy fighter.

Other pilots on the ground couldn’t help but curse aloud; this was too blatant, clearly cooperating from within and without. Given Lin Mo’s previous words, everyone could see what "Number 13"’s temporary allies were truly plotting.

The fox’s tail was finally exposed; this world always lacked those who were oblivious to their own peril.

Lin Mo smirked coldly, maneuvering his fighter to find the right angle.

Gauss electromagnetic cannon charged to 200%!

The 23mm caliber cannon, loaded with tungsten core armor-piercing ammunition, prepared for action!

Three points lined up in a fleeting moment, and the Dragon Knight seized the opportunity.

The six-round Gauss electromagnetic shells collided with the last enemy fighter jet’s airframe, open an unstoppable path toward the MiG-29, which was now also aligned behind it.

"You blocked me again."

The Dragon Knight was now not in the mood to hold back.