Chapter 130: Woohoo! Lift-Off!
"Good kid! So shameless!" From atop the city wall, Yuan Bao praised Jiang Lin's flashy yet shameless entrance with great enthusiasm.
At last, Yao Ye couldn't hold back anymore and called out, "Jiang Lin, the Storm Eagle ultimately belongs to both factions. It shouldn't be appearing in this match."
Beside her, Jia Xingtian chuckled. The Storm Eagle had been allowed to leave his domain with his tacit approval, and he had been curious to see the bond between Jiang Lin and the beast. As expected, man and eagle were a perfect match in their unruliness—truly impossible to tame.
"Old friend, looks like that Xuan Spirit Pill—you're definitely going to lose it."
Not far from Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, who had been mostly silent, smiled and replied, "It was Hulei who made me prepare it in the first place. He even bet a medicinal cauldron. I got greedy, and now he's fleeced me."
"But it's true what they say—you really shouldn't bet against a Weapon Refiner. If they're not sure they'll win, they won't even show up."
Fa Ma naturally wouldn't miss such a rare match in the Holy City of Jia Ma. Practically everyone of importance in the capital had shown up to watch. Weapon Refiners never disappointed—or rather, if they didn't have something spectacular to show, they wouldn't bother coming out at all.
"Alright then."
In mid-air above the arena, Jiang Lin nodded at Yao Ye's words. He put away the Black Feather Heavy Bow and leapt from the Storm Eagle's back. As he fell, he retrieved a pair of Tier 2 Four-Leaf Feather Sheath Wings from his storage ring. Mid-fall, he completed the equip sequence in a single second—and just before hitting the ground—
Swish!
To everyone's stunned eyes, four dazzling crimson-golden wings unfolded!
Jiang Lin shot forward at ground level, skimming the surface as he zoomed toward the highly tense two-star Da Dou Shi, Yao Chen. With a butterfly-like glide, he wove past Yao Chen's body, then launched a sudden sonic boom with his right leg—accelerating in an instant and delivering a heavy kick to Yao Chen's Dou Qi armor, knocking him staggering.
"Stay focused. I won't bully you with a bow. Let's run a data test—show me what you've got."
Having sent the unprepared Yao Chen flying, Jiang Lin landed on one foot, slowly retracted his leg, and softly addressed the man now flat on the ground.
At that moment, every high-ranking figure in the Jia Ma Empire stared, wide-eyed, at the dazzling crimson-golden wings behind Jiang Lin.
What had they just witnessed?
Low-grade flight Dou Devices!
If Yuan Bao's wings had amazed them, then Jiang Lin's wings downright shook their souls!
A Dou Shi can fly!!!
What did that mean?
It meant... nearly everyone could fly!
On the Dou Qi Continent, Dou Shi is a realm most people can reach. Especially among alchemists, most could hit the Dou Shi stage. The real bottleneck was at Da Dou Shi, where the number of practitioners began to sharply decline.
And judging from the speed of Jiang Lin, a two-star Dou Shi... could it mean even Dou Zhe could fly too?
The guess was correct—Jiang Lin's double-leaf wings had been designed for Dou Zhe. Though slower and with shorter flight duration, in critical moments, they could still carry the user over obstacles. That in itself was a qualitative leap.
In fact, if not for the instability and low reserves of Dou Qi in Dou Qi Apprentices, even children could be sent flying—though that would more likely send them straight to the heavens. After all, the control system of the Feather Sheath Wings required a Huang-tier flying Dou Technique. While Dou Zhe couldn't fully control them with external Dou Qi, their reserves were still stable enough. As long as they didn't act like reckless idiots, they could still manage a wobbly liftoff. But apprentices couldn't—they lacked both energy and control. A "flight" might truly be their final one.
Control and energy—if you had at least one, you could take to the skies.
Dou Qi is an incredibly wild and potent form of natural energy, meaning its destructive power and abundance are both high. Traditionally, Dou Shi and Da Dou Shi struggled to fly because flight relied purely on energy propulsion. Even Dou Wang simply used energy jets. The difference was that Dou Wangs could envelop themselves in Dou Qi and harmonize with the wild Dou Qi in the atmosphere, making their bodies lighter and flight easier—like swimming through water.
But Jiang Lin's Feather Sheath Wings operated on a completely different principle. Using a Dou Qi engine model he designed himself, they converted Dou Qi energy into air propulsion. The four-leaf model used hybrid thrust to chase higher performance.
The Feather Sheath Wings were like a high-efficiency furnace: same fuel, but in a sealed environment, producing far greater "heat." The next evolution, the six-leaf version, theoretically incorporated a Dou Qi furnace, offering stronger control and higher output limits.
"So... this was their real objective?"
On the viewing platform, Jia Xingtian's gaze flickered as he looked at the golden wings on Jiang Lin's back. This duel—supposedly about the Storm Eagle—was clearly a live demo for the Feather Sheath Wings.
And their performance? Jia Xingtian could only describe it as flawless.
Yuan Bao's showing had already convinced Jia Xingtian to personally raise the Storm Eagle for Jiang Lin's sake, as a gesture of goodwill to the guild's next generation.
But now, with Jiang Lin's performance? Jia Xingtian's attitude had completely shifted.
Storm Eagle? That wasn't just a storm eagle—it was a Storm Emperor!
The low-end variant of the Feather Sheath Wings had solidified his resolve. Even if it meant training the Storm Eagle up to Tier 6, the Jia Ma royal family would do it.
Because their Weapon Refiners' Guild—once obscure and often disorganized—was now showing immense research potential.
In the past, Hulei always seemed unserious, busy making strange cauldrons. This left the Jia Ma Empire at a disadvantage in external wars, and even the royal family had become increasingly weaker.
But now, with Feather Sheath Wings showing powerful flight control and huge combat bonuses at both Dou Ling and Dou Shi levels, Jia Xingtian felt genuine relief.
What could be more joyful than their own Weapon Refiners' Guild finally letting go of those damned cauldrons?
"Little girl, why so quiet?"
On the city wall, Old Man Nalan glanced curiously at the silent Nalan Yanran beside him.
"Don't like talking anymore?"
Even the Mu Clan elder nearby couldn't help chiming in. "Miss Nalan's gone quiet, but I'm actually starting to feel pessimistic about that Jiang Lin kid... Why does it seem like he's bound to lose?"
Nalan Yanran: "..."
Yep, her grandpa's jabs still hit hard.
Silently, Nalan Yanran watched Jiang Lin unfurl his golden wings for ground combat. She was absolutely certain she had met him before—but couldn't recall when or where.
"Victory or defeat doesn't matter now. Forcing out the true combat potential of the Feather Sheath Wings—that's your real mission right now."
To prevent Yao Chen from surrendering too early, Jiang Lin whispered this to him. Behind him, the wings folded tightly. His feet touched down, and the light on his wings began to shimmer.
As for controlling the Four-Leaf Feather Sheath Wings, Yuan Bao was no match. After all, Jiang Lin had created both the Feather Sheath and the wings themselves. Many of the advanced maneuvers had been built specifically around Jiang Lin's explosive footwork. On the ground, his speed was terrifying.
Buzz!
With determination in his eyes, Yao Chen activated his Dou Qi armor and charged forward with a roar.
Boom!
Wings trailing flame, Jiang Lin sprinted across the ground. Roars echoed behind him. Though launching second, he reached first—slamming a fierce punch into Yao Chen's crossed arms.
Boom!
Just one punch—from a mere Dou Shi—sent the Da Dou Shi flying back!
Yao Chen stabilized his breath and tried to regain his footing. But then he saw, out the corner of his eye, a crimson-gold afterimage rushing him again. After a brief pause, waiting for an opening in his defense, Jiang Lin twisted midair and unleashed a rising kick—his leg shot between Yao Chen's arms and struck his chin from below!
The sheer force sent Yao Chen flying four or five meters into the air!
Buzz!
Jiang Lin's wings flared, and he launched upward, chasing after Yao Chen. With a burst from below, he kicked Yao Chen even higher into the sky!
Woohoo! Lift-off!
(END CHAPTER)
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