Kays Translations

Chapter 272: The Fairy in the Sky above Anyang

The plane slowly glided on the runway, gradually leaving the Qingyun Valley and heading toward the outside world. During this process, Yun Feihong continuously checked the equipment, her expression serious; in contrast, Xiao Yuquan, sitting next to her, did nothing.

Outside, everyone, including Li Xian, nervously followed behind the plane, observing its condition. This unprecedented aircraft and technological advancement carried too many expectations from everyone.

Even Xia Qingqing, who had a distaste for technology, couldn’t help but follow Li Xian, watching the plane slowly move—ever since the microscope incident, Xia Qingqing had developed a mild aversion to so-called technological development.

As for Xu Ren, Li Yuanming, Yan Ze’an, Ling Zhifeng, Fang Shijing, and others, they were even more active, almost completely following the plane. These individuals didn’t necessarily need to understand all the technology behind the plane, but at least they needed to know its performance so they could better arrange military deployments, govern Anyang more effectively, and determine the development direction.

Every technological breakthrough in Anyang brought immense work pressure to these individuals. Issues like liquid spiritual energy and elixirs still hadn’t been fully sorted out—everyone wanted the benefits, but the resources were ultimately limited. Li Xian acted as the figurehead while his subordinates were busily working behind the scenes.

The plane slowly reached the prepared runway. All the propeller planes in Anyang had been tested here, and now, the jet plane was also being tested here.

The area had already been cleared, and a ten-mile radius around Qingyun Valley, extending to a hundred miles in the northwest direction, was on high alert. In the sky, more than a hundred of the latest propeller planes patrolled, with a security range extending up to three hundred miles.

On the plane, Yun Feihong picked up the microphone and spoke, “Preparation complete.” Almost immediately, the voice of Yun Feihong was transmitted through the voice array next to Li Xian, though the voice was severely distorted, sounding like a hoarse male voice. Fortunately, the words were still distinguishable, but the technology still needed improvement.

The surrounding staff began to retreat—during the development of the jet engine, there had been several dangers; after the plane was tested, the staff moved far away, and everyone had defensive talismans in front of them.

A few elite soldiers, part of the pilot reserve team, were also on alert. These individuals temporarily acted as aviation firefighters.

A low rumble of thunder sounded, and the plane began to accelerate slowly, with red flames shooting out from the tail; soon, the red flames turned orange-yellow, then golden-yellow, and eventually became light blue; and the plane was speeding up…

The rumbling sound grew louder and louder, and the plane’s speed increased. No formation assistance was used; the plane relied solely on aerodynamics for flight. After gliding for nearly four hundred meters, the plane slowly lifted its nose.

No one cheered; instead, everyone grew tense—the most crucial moment had arrived.

Finally, the plane’s landing gear left the ground. The plane, relying entirely on flight technology and not on formation cheats, soared into the sky.

Boom… A loud crash, and the jet engine ignited the afterburner, sending the plane soaring with a long trail of flames. The speed was so fast it nearly had three to five times the climbing rate of a propeller plane.

In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the plane had already reached an altitude of two thousand meters. From the ground, it looked like a tiny dot the size of a fingernail; but the roar of the plane echoed through the sky and earth.

“What a loud noise!” many people remarked.

Li Xian didn’t say anything. The loud noise from the jet engine was not because the engine was loud, but because the plane disturbed the air, and the jet engine caused severe air turbulence. This sound could be called “sound waves.”

…………

In Anyang city, things had been tense these days. Anyang had been in continuous combat, and recently, they had clashed with the Jin Kingdom. Moreover, Li Yulong had ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, and Li Xian had officially become the “Wise King.” A series of changes had made everyone anxious.

Zhang Xianzhang, the owner of Pengcheng Wanli Trading, Wang Jingde, the owner of Qingquan Trading, and over thirty other businessmen, were gathered in the “Jinpeng Building.”

Pengcheng Wanli Trading had become a large civil technology group, a compensation from Li Xian for the merchants who had sacrificed in the Southern Liang Mansion. Zhang Xianzhang was the largest shareholder, controlling 20% of the newly established Pengcheng Wanli Trading; the rest was distributed among the descendants of twelve other trading companies.

Wang Jingde was the merchant who survived and delivered the message to Beichen Yuqing.

In short, due to past relationships, Pengcheng Wanli Trading had become Anyang’s largest civil technology group, with a monthly sales volume reaching a million taels of gold, rivaling the wealth of entire nations. Qingquan Trading, led by Wang Jingde, although not as extreme, had a monthly sales volume of over one hundred thousand taels of gold, making it one of Anyang’s commercial giants.

Because of past relationships, Zhang Xianzhang still called Wang Jingde “uncle,” and the two had a good relationship.

Now, the two had jointly summoned more than thirty of Anyang’s prominent businessmen. Each of them headed a trading company with monthly sales exceeding fifty thousand taels of gold. Anyang’s commerce was indeed prosperous.

The “Jinpeng Building” they were in was a fifteen-story skyscraper, considered Anyang’s number one “private” high-rise; it was entirely owned by Pengcheng Wanli Trading.

Luxurious private vehicles filled the parking lot in front of the building. Each successful businessman had a bodyguard at the Golden Core stage, and they entered and exited the building in fine attire. In Anyang, the noble class had quietly vanished, but the merchant class was rapidly rising. People referred to these merchants as the “Anyang-style aristocracy.”

However, because these merchants had risen thanks to Anyang, their loyalty to Anyang and to Li Xian was unquestionable—if Anyang declined, these merchants’ interests would also be harmed. Therefore, even for their own benefit, these merchants had to care about the current situation in Anyang.

At the top of Jinpeng Building, in an open-air conference hall, more than thirty businessmen gathered; over two hundred bodyguards, all experts at the Golden Core stage, were present. This group of merchants had the ability to conquer and annex lands.

Standing at the top of the building, overlooking all of Anyang, large public buses shuttled below, and small private cars showed off their shine. The neatly arranged and straight roads crisscrossed; in the distance, there were thin railways connecting all parts of the world.

The half-transparent, crystal-carved glass door slowly closed, and the meeting officially began.

Zhang Xianzhang stood up first, “Thank you to all the elders for coming, and thank you to all the fellow merchants for attending. The purpose of today’s meeting is already clear on the invitation. First, we will discuss the future of business; second, we will discuss the current situation in Anyang and our approach.”

After a slight pause, Zhang Xianzhang, without hesitation, continued, “I, the young one, will go ahead and break the ice. I believe the business model is indeed very good. Through the business model, we can use gold and silver as carriers to gather fortune. Now, my nephew has already reached the Golden Core stage. This kind of cultivation advancement speed can be said to be beyond imagination.

Therefore, we must maintain the current business development!”

“Yes, yes…”

“I agree, the commercial development is excellent…”

A wave of agreement spread through the room.

Zhang Xianzhang smiled as he looked around, seemingly enjoying the praise, “Let’s talk about the current situation in Anyang. I think Anyang’s situation is quite dangerous right now. With its own strength, it is up against Nanyang County, Dongyuan County, and the Jin Kingdom, and there are also neighboring forces like Songzhou County eyeing it. To the north, there is the First Prince. In addition, there are the watchful eyes of surrounding countries, so the situation in Anyang is not looking good.

I have inquired with the Wise King, but he seems confident.

What do you all think?”

Zhang Xianzhang finally revealed his “real intention.” The merchants immediately began to discuss.

It turned out that these merchants, having gained wealth and power, were now starting to think about “participating in politics.” But at this moment, everyone suddenly realized that Anyang’s laws clearly state that the military, politics, finance, and industry are completely separate, and merchants are not allowed to participate in politics. For a merchant to participate in politics, they must publicly announce and swear to renounce their merchant identity.

The reason Zhang Xianzhang and the others were so actively involved in Anyang’s affairs was largely to gain “administrative power.” Of course, they also had some considerations for Anyang’s well-being.

It could be said that this discussion was seventy percent for the future and well-being of Anyang, and thirty percent for commercial development and administrative power.

But Li Xian had already made arrangements. There was no way for merchants to participate in politics. Li Xian knew very well that the United States in another world was a typical example of commercial forces hijacking the state. Many of its foreign wars had the greedy face of arms merchants behind them.

Thus, long ago, Li Xian had stripped merchants of their right to participate in politics. You can have money, social status, and a glorious future; but if you want to participate in politics, you must first renounce everything in the business world.

The merchants discussed for a long time but still couldn’t find an answer. Anyang’s seemingly simple and nascent administrative system, however, was almost flawless. The final conclusion of the discussion was—let’s wait and see. After all, if Anyang really faces no issues, we will continue doing business; if Anyang is in danger, the merchants would certainly not stand by idly—there is nowhere else in the world like Anyang for business development.

Anyang’s legal system first benefited the merchants. Especially since Anyang itself encouraged industrial and commercial development, and Li Xian was the initiator of industrial and commercial theory.

As the discussion came to an end, Wang Jingde spoke, “Everyone, today is a big day. Three days ago, Anyang County issued an order that today would be the test of new aircraft technology, and the skies have already been cleared. The test area includes Anyang County and covers nearly a 300-mile radius. Looking at the time, it should be almost ready, perhaps we’ll witness the birth of a new miracle.”

Before he finished speaking, a large bell made of jade and gold rang, echoing the exact time of 11 AM.

At that moment, several sharp-eyed Golden Core experts noticed a large number of (propeller) planes taking off to the south, and many Golden Core experts also began to soar into the sky.

Then, a heavy pressure appeared from Anyang County, and two indistinct figures slowly ascended into the air, beginning their formation.

“Two Nascent Soul experts!” All the merchants were stunned.

“Anyang Prefecture actually has two Nascent Soul experts!”

“Not only that, there are certainly hidden ones as well!”

The number of planes in the sky continued to grow, and Golden Core experts in Anyang military uniforms began to seal off the sky, creating a blank area spanning over a hundred miles wide and three hundred miles long.

“It’s starting. What kind of technology is this, that the Wise King is so focused on it?” Zhang Xianzhang stood up and gazed far ahead.

Soon, a black dot shot out from the Qingyun Valley, moving so quickly that it almost instantly traveled from Qingyun Valley to Anyang City. A silver-gray, streamlined, and dreamlike aircraft appeared before everyone’s eyes.

The sunlight flashed on the aircraft’s body. It seemed to have no propeller, and the front appeared to have a large, dark, terrifying mouth open; but the plane was moving too fast. Before Zhang Xianzhang and the others could fully see it, it had already sped off into the distance.

Almost simultaneously, a thunderous roar echoed, shaking the glass slightly.

“So fast!” Almost all the merchants on site squinted their eyes. These merchants had sharp eyes, and they immediately sensed that this aircraft was extraordinary.

“No wonder the Wise King is making such a big deal about this.”

“It seems there’s no propeller, could it rely entirely on formations? But ordinary battle formations can only fly about thirty to fifty kilometers per hour and can’t compare at all.”

“If it’s formations, how do we explain the thunder-like sound?”

The crowd fell into endless discussion. They eventually concluded—Anyang seems to be developing too fast, and our vision still needs to increase.

Not only the people on the rooftop were watching, but many people in Anyang also saw the brand-new aircraft. Some children held their mother’s hand and pointed at the sky, cheering; some external Golden Core experts, and even hidden Nascent Soul experts, gazed at the sky in awe. Many Golden Core and Nascent Soul experts didn’t like to show their faces. These individuals were deeply influenced by traditional cultivation beliefs, advocating “stepping out of the world, avoiding the world,” and so on.

The aircraft made two round trips in an extremely short time, and countless people had gathered on the ground to watch. Some wanted to take off to view it up close but were warned by Anyang’s authorities—if they ignored the warning three times, they would be executed on the spot.

Anyang’s laws had already deeply ingrained in people’s minds. Hearing the warning, everyone descended. There was no need to challenge Anyang’s authority out of curiosity.

As everyone gazed upwards, they noticed that the plane seemed to be flying even higher.

Inside the cockpit, Yun Feihong seemed to be losing her sanity, while Xiao Yuquan beside her was excited but somewhat worried.

At this moment, Yun Feihong communicated to Li Xian via long-distance transmission: “Young master, I am preparing to ascend and see how high the plane can fly. After reaching the highest point, I plan to use a dive maneuver and try to break the sound barrier.”

Li Xian hesitated for a long time but finally agreed. To be honest, trying to break the sound barrier with such crude technology was somewhat reckless and could pose a serious danger to their lives; however, Li Xian also wanted to have a supersonic plane right now. Considering that Xiao Yuquan was there for protection, he allowed Yun Feihong to “go wild.”

The plane slowly ascended, beginning its sprint into the sky. The higher the altitude, the more majestic Yun Feihong felt; feeling the roar and vibrations of the plane, she seemed to have found her greatest life goal.

The plane continued to climb, piercing through layer after layer of clouds; the experts at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages could no longer keep up with the altitude of the plane.

The plane kept climbing, and the altimeter was starting to become inaccurate. Yun Feihong didn’t mind and instead used the plane’s thrust and roughly estimated the height. Xiao Yuquan also mentally calculated, and the two of them worked together to check the plane’s condition.

The view of the sky was vast, with the sea, land, mountains, and rivers shrinking below them. The clouds were drifting beneath them, yet the blue sky above seemed endless.

As they reached an expected altitude of 13,000 meters, the plane’s ascent speed began to slow, and there seemed to be invisible gale winds rampaging around the plane.

“It’s the gale wind!” Xiao Yuquan calmly assessed, “For now, the plane’s structure is stable. Let’s try to continue climbing. We shouldn’t activate the plane’s defensive magical equipment just yet, but be ready to do so at any time.”

“Understood.” Yun Feihong was a little overexcited, and the plane continued its ascent. However, when they reached an altitude of about 14,000 meters, the climb became very difficult. The gale winds grew stronger, and the plane began to slow down and shake.

But Yun Feihong wasn’t one to give up. Gritting her teeth, she pushed the plane to climb further. She persisted until they reached an altitude of about 16,000 meters, but the gale winds were now strong enough to counteract the plane’s thrust. This time, they truly couldn’t go any higher.

She then activated the plane’s magical defenses, and the plane climbed to 18,000 meters before it was completely unable to rise any further. The engines roared continuously, burning through fuel and liquid spiritual energy, but the plane didn’t move a single inch.

Yun Feihong paused for a long time, then slowly said, “One day, I’ll fly above the gale winds and see what the scene looks like.”

At this point, she tried to use the long-distance transmission technique to communicate, but the violent gale winds disrupted the signal. Yun Feihong decided to give up on communication, turned the plane around, and accelerated diagonally downward.

This time, Yun Feihong was going to break the sound barrier! Even supersonic speed!

The plane descended rapidly, with the pressure from the gale winds above, the pull of the earth below, and the plane’s own power. The speed was like lightning.

Gradually, the plane began to vibrate noticeably; the speed increased. Yun Feihong could barely make out anything in front of her, as all the images were turning into “lines.”

The plane’s vibrations became more intense, and eventually, the structure of the plane creaked. The ground was getting closer, and in just a few breaths, the plane had dropped to an altitude of less than 2,000 meters. Communication was restored.

Li Xian’s voice came through, ordering: “Activate the plane’s formation defense and return to base.”

Yun Feihong turned the plane back, but she left countless people in awe.

By the time Yun Feihong began to climb to 18,000 meters, a few hidden Nascent Soul experts could no longer resist showing themselves.

When Yun Feihong dived, and the plane plummeted from 18,000 meters to 2,000 meters in just a few breaths, it stunned countless ancient experts—this dive speed had even surpassed the combat speed of Nascent Soul experts! As the plane descended from 18,000 meters, its momentum was unstoppable, its power overwhelming; it tore through the white clouds, the roar it created making the entire world tremble.

To Yun Feihong, Li Xian, and others, this “failure to break the sound barrier” experiment left a deep impression on countless people.

The lightning-fast dive from the high sky brought the wrath of the Thunder God; Anyang’s actions seemed to have angered the heavens. This was the evaluation of many.

Within a radius of 300 miles, everyone could hear the roar from the sky.

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