After repeated instructions from the instructors, Li Xingkong's seat cover was finally closed. After everyone around him moved to a safe distance, the pilot started the aircraft after a signal was given from the ground.
The fighter jet first slowly staggered forward a few steps, and then, as the engine power increased, two visible turbines shot out, the plane pitched up, and flew away at an extremely high speed.
When fighter jets are designed, comfort is definitely not as good as that of passenger planes. This caused Li Xingkong to feel a very strong push-back sensation coming towards him, as if it was going to press him down in his seat.
Fortunately, Li Xingkong's physical condition was no joke; the push-back sensation was at most like a gentle breeze to him, not enough to make him move an inch.
On the contrary, he was pleasantly surprised by the fighter jet's 360-degree unobstructed view.
Although he didn't particularly care about observing the ground from the sky, since he could do it himself, the observation was a different experience at this ultra-high speed. He could clearly see and feel the air currents generated as the plane rapidly broke the sound barrier and crashed into the air.
The airflow created by the plane was like a knife, slicing through the sky and parting the clouds, leaving a long trail behind it.
Compared to passenger planes, fighter jets fly much faster, while the distances covered are roughly the same.
It is generally believed that fighter jets have a shorter combat range than passenger planes because fighter jets need to consider returning to base, which reduces their combat range by half. However, this is a transport mission, so there is no need for a return flight; the mission goes directly to its destination.
"System, to what extent do I want to achieve supersonic flight?"
Li Xingkong had been envious of high-speed flight for some time. It was true that he could fly now, but his flight speed could never exceed the speed of sound. After all, the key to the Wind Riding Spell was the word "wind," and it was rare to find wind speeds that could exceed the speed of sound in natural environments.
"To achieve supersonic flight, you need to reach the Qi Refining Perfection and then learn the corresponding spell."
The system gave Li Xingkong an answer, and this answer was not far from his current level; it was practically within reach.
" Qi Refining Perfection? Can't I learn it now?"
Li Xingkong was somewhat curious. He had also studied the theory of the Qi Refining stage. The most tedious problem in the Qi Refining stage was Body Tempering. After Body Tempering was completed, the task in the Qi Refining Perfection stage was to prepare for the Foundation Establishment breakthrough. He really couldn't understand why he had to wait until the Qi Refining Perfection to learn it.
"Of course you can learn if you want, but you can't run it for a long time right now."
The system still gave Li Xingkong a brief explanation.
"Your Bone Tempering is almost complete, and your physique is strong enough to withstand the tearing sensation of breaking the sound barrier. Theoretically, supersonic flight shouldn't be a problem. However, besides Bone Tempering, the adjustments to your internal organs and Magic Power structure are not yet fully finished."
"To give an analogy, you now have the shell of a fighter jet and the energy reserves of a fighter jet, but your engine is still just a propeller from World War II."
Before the Body Tempering is complete, it is impossible to fully integrate all the systems in your body.
Although you can achieve supersonic speed for a short time using a structure related to supersonic flight, similar to a burst of power, your current level of skill cannot support you maintaining supersonic flight for an extended period.
Moreover, this method has a significant impact on your body, easily causing your Magic Power structure to collapse, which would mean you'd have to start cultivating again for several days.
"Hiss," upon hearing that there were such drawbacks to achieving supersonic flight at this stage, Li Xingkong gave up the idea of learning it now. After all, his current environment was very comfortable, and there were no opponents who could threaten him. He did not need such a trump card for survival.
Besides, I can use this method normally again in a short time, so there's no need to rush these two steps.
The plane was flying so fast that the mountains and rivers below seemed to flow past like a painting. From this perspective, whether it was mountains or plains, they were nothing more than fleeting passersby.
Occasionally, the plane will fly over some city clusters, but with the deliberate guidance of the flight path, it will generally avoid them.
After flying for about three hours, a blue dividing line appeared in front of Li Xingkong, cutting across his entire field of vision.
They arrived. The blue expanse before him was his next destination: Wanli Shitang.
The landing site was on a small island in the sea, not on the mainland.
Li Xingkong was also very curious about how pilots could find the runway and land in such a high-altitude environment.
At that altitude, seeing the ground is like looking at an ant from a low angle—there's practically no field of vision. Finding a landing spot is truly unimaginable.
Not everyone has his level of vision.
He's sitting on the plane now, and he can clearly see what people on the ground look like. He can even analyze what they're saying by their lip movements.
At this distance, most people can only see the light signals on the ground.
Li Xingkong quietly began to observe the pilot, wanting to see how he would find a landing spot.
The pilot remained calm and collected, contacted the ground control tower, and after a brief exchange of positions, adjusted his course and flew in the direction indicated by the tower. After reaching the designated location, he circled a few times and quickly found a suitable descent angle.
Well, Li Xingkong thought that landing was entirely up to the pilot, with some off-site assistance.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. In today's highly efficient society, it would be a freak to rely on one person's recklessness without any cooperation.
It seems I accidentally insulted myself. Well, I don't count myself.
As the plane drew closer to the ground, Li Xingkong could finally see the entire island.
The island is not large, and it looks like a crescent moon. In the middle of the crescent, there is a cluster of buildings that look like a fortress. In the bay in the middle of the crescent, there are several warships docked, and people can be seen walking on the decks.
The plane soon came to a stop, and Li Xingkong's canopy opened.
Flying is great, but the protective gear wrapped around my body is a bit uncomfortable, like having a spider web wrapped around me. It does offer some protection, but for the average person, it's not very useful. However, it's also not useless; I don't want to make a fool of myself on my first flight, especially if I ignore warnings and something unexpected happens.
So as soon as the hatch opened, Li Xingkong immediately untied the bunch of protective ropes binding him, stood up from his seat, and stretched his muscles.
" Brother Li, over here."
Hearing someone call his name, Li Xingkong looked down and saw that it was Tang Cheng.
Ever since he showed Old Tang his skills, Old Tang has never let him go back. Firstly, it was for better research, and secondly, he knew the kid's impetuous personality. With such skills, he would be unruly if he left outside.