"Major Xu, have I deviated from the target?"
After free-falling for over forty seconds, Zhang Beixing’s altitude had dropped below 2,000 ters. At this height, the ground was clearly visible, its outlines distinctly sharp. Thus, Zhang Beixing noticed a problem. Judging by his current position, if he continued to fall directly, it seed... he wouldn’t reach the Hidden Dragon Cave!
I’ve deviated from the target! Zhang Beixing realized, a knot of anxiety tightening in his chest. His aim in taking on the Pirate Sky Edition of Oizaki’s Eight Challenges was to experience a brush with death. He sought to break through his limits and be reborn, gaining insights that would help him shatter the shackles of the human body and advance to the Transcendent realm.
By now, he had descended vertically for four kiloters. During those four kiloters of descent, he experienced the flow of the wind, the crushing air pressure, the relentless pull of gravity, and the profound sensation that his fate was utterly out of his control. Relying on the Heaven and Earth Natural Technique, Zhang Beixing gained nurous epiphanies from this experience. However, this alone wasn’t enough; or rather, it wasn’t perfect.
"I must put myself in a life-and-death situation to erge victorious!" Zhang Beixing muttered to himself. "Entering the Hidden Dragon Cave is also an indispensable part of this trial!"
He then looked at the endless sky and the Hidden Dragon Cave, now off his path, his brows furrowing as he pondered what thod he could use to enter the cave.
Of course, Major Xu didn’t hear his mutterings because Zhang Beixing hadn’t turned on his radio. He only heard Zhang Beixing ntion that he had deviated from the original destination. So, he glanced at the busy staff mbers beside him and asked, "Have you calculated the landing spot yet?"
"We have," a staff mber replied. "Based on the positioning device on Instructor Zhang and today’s wind speed and direction, it’s predicted that Instructor Zhang will land about three hundred ters east of Hidden Dragon Cave."
"Is the deviation that significant?" Major Xu’s brow furrowed for a mont before relaxing. A deviation is just a deviation, so what? It doesn’t matter, as long as he can deploy his parachute in ti and land safely!
So he called out, "In that case, let’s head there now and wait. By the ti we arrive, Instructor Zhang will probably be about to land..."
"Wait, sothing’s wrong! Major Xu, Instructor Zhang—he still hasn’t deployed his parachute!" a staff mber suddenly exclaid.
"???"
"What?! No parachute?!"
Shocked, Major Xu strode to the research staff’s computer. He saw on the computer screen that the small red dot representing Zhang Beixing had descended to an altitude of 1,500 ters. And at this very mont, he was still dropping at a rate of one hundred ters per second!
1,400...
1,300...
1,200...
In just a few breaths, Zhang Beixing was only about 1,000 ters from the ground!
Seeing this, Major Xu couldn’t help but exclaim, "Has he gone mad?"
Falling from such a high altitude, the speed and impact force were trendous. Even with a parachute to act as a buffer, one had to deploy it at around 1,500 ters. Otherwise, without sufficient altitude to slow down and disperse the impact force, one could very well lose their life even if they landed. These were all facts clearly written in textbooks and tested during exams. Zhang Beixing had scored full marks in previous assessnts; he couldn’t possibly be unaware of this! He knows this, so why is he still doing it?
"Never mind that now!" Major Xu began to direct the operations. "Everyone, quick, quick, quick! Head to the predetermined landing spot at top speed and set up the inflatable safety cushion!"
Three hundred ters wasn’t very far. As long as Zhang Beixing deployed his parachute within a kiloter, he could drift in the sky for five or six minutes. That would be more than enough ti for them to set up all protective asures.
「...」
During the ti Major Xu and his team were busy, Zhang Beixing, watching the ground getting closer and closer, had an extrely dangerous idea.
I borrow your strength!
As his body was about to plumt past the 1,000-ter mark, a flock of birds flew past in front of him. Their appearance instantly gave him the inspiration he needed to enter the Hidden Dragon Cave, using a thod from the Pirate Sky Edition.
Without hesitation, he adjusted his body’s orientation, calculating the precise position. He mobilized his Vital Energy, activated the Heaven and Earth Natural Technique, and simultaneously used his breathing thod to adjust his respiration, bringing his heart rate and emotions to their optimal state.
THUD!
The next mont, a dull thud sounded from beneath Zhang Beixing’s feet. The unsuspecting bird, soaring high in the sky, could never have dread it would be stepped on. But the bird had no ti to comprehend what was happening because, the mont Zhang Beixing’s Vital Energy, coating the soles of his feet, made contact with its head, a sickening SQUELCH! was followed by a sharp CRACK! from beneath him.
The squelch was the bird being crushed; the crack, his own leg bones fracturing!
The impact from Zhang Beixing’s fall was simply too great. Even though he had projected his Vital Energy as an external buffer and used his breathing thod to adjust his Qi and Blood to resist the recoil and protect himself, the resulting impact force was still terrifyingly powerful—akin to slamming into solid ground.
Fortunately, the bird’s body wasn’t very resilient and was instantly crushed by Zhang Beixing’s stomp. Otherwise, if that imnse force had fully rebounded onto him, even with his breathing thod and Vital Energy to regulate his physical body, it wouldn’t have been re leg fractures. His entire skeleton, including his internal organs, would have shattered completely!
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