The next morning, as the clock struck five, the entire "Chengtian Capital" was still asleep, except for the core area of the imperial palace, which was already brightly lit and had begun its new day.
A supersonic aerial vehicle codenamed "Kunpeng" silently hovered on the helipad of "Tongtiange".
This jet-black aircraft, with its sleek lines resembling a drop of mercury, is one of Lin Feng's exclusive vehicles. Its outer shell is made of stealth material that can absorb most radar waves, rendering ordinary detection methods useless in its presence.
Lin Feng, still dressed in black casual clothes, calmly boarded the "Kunpeng".
Qin Lan followed closely behind, having changed into a sharp black military uniform that perfectly accentuated her voluptuous figure while adding a touch of steely, menacing aura.
Her face was expressionless, except for a hint of barely suppressed excitement and anticipation hidden deep in her eyes.
The interior space of the vehicle is much more spacious than it appears from the outside, simple yet luxurious.
There were no excessive decorations, only the finest materials and the most advanced technology. The seats automatically adjusted to Lin Feng's physique for maximum comfort, and the portholes were holographic screens capable of displaying any information.
"Your Majesty, the estimated flight time is forty-five minutes. The exercise will take place in the uninhabited mountain range of the Northern Ice Plains."
The surface temperature is minus 58 degrees Celsius, and the wind speed is 30 meters per second.
"We will be watching the entire exercise from the command center of the 'Divine Might' airborne fortress," Qin Lan reported respectfully from the side.
Lin Feng nodded slightly, his gaze turning to the porthole. As the Kunpeng silently ascended, the outline of the "Chengtian Capital" rapidly shrank beneath his feet, eventually transforming into a dazzling vortex composed of countless points of light.
The aircraft broke the sound barrier instantly, but there was no roar or vibration. Only the clouds outside the window were flying backward at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Forty-five minutes later, as the aircraft began to decelerate smoothly, the view outside the porthole had completely transformed into a pure, boundless expanse of white.
This is the end of the world, a deathly place permanently sealed by ice and snow.
As far as the eye can see, there are endless, majestic mountain ranges covered in ice and snow, with peaks piercing the sky like sharp swords.
The gale swirled snowflakes like white ghosts, howling and darting through the valleys, producing a sound like the wailing of demons.
The sky was a deep, cold, almost inky blue, and the sun's rays lost their warmth, illuminating the silent land with a pale light.
Above this icy world, an enormous ship, resembling a floating island, hovers silently.
This is the kingdom's aerial strategic mothership – the "God's Might".
Its size would dwarf any aircraft carrier from the Blue Star era.
Countless turrets and energy nodes, like a forest, covered its thick armor, exuding a destructive aura.
Like a nimble swift, the Kunpeng passed lightly through the energy shield activated by the Shenwei and landed steadily in its dedicated hangar.
The hangar door opened, and a smell mixed with steel, engine oil, and cold air wafted out.
A middle-aged soldier, dressed in a heavy general's uniform, with a star on his shoulder and a resolute face as if carved by a knife, was already waiting there.
Behind him were dozens of officers, also dressed in military uniforms, with eyes as sharp as eagles.
"Long Ao, Commander of the First Legion of the Demon-Suppressing Divine Machine Division! Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The leading general let out a loud roar, knelt on one knee, clenched his right fist, and pounded it heavily on his left chest. This was the highest form of etiquette in the kingdom's army.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The officers behind him shouted in unison, their voices like a thunderclap.
"No need for formalities." Lin Feng's voice was soft, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Long Ao stood up, his eyes filled with fervent admiration, but his tone remained calm and efficient, typical of a soldier: "Your Majesty, the command center is ready. The 'Black Tortoise' squad was deployed to the designated combat area ten minutes ago."
Lin Feng nodded and, led by Long Ao, passed through a long, metallic-looking internal passage and arrived at the bridge command center of the "Shenwei" ship.
This is a huge, hemispherical room. Directly in front of the room is an enormous holographic viewing window made up of countless small screens, displaying the view of the ice field below in real time.
Below the viewing window are hundreds of control panels, where countless uniformed staff are working busily and efficiently.
"Your Majesty, please take a seat." Long Ao led Lin Feng to the only commander's throne at the highest point of the entire command center.
This chair is even more imposing than Lin Feng's desk in the "Tongtian Pavilion". It seems to be the nerve center of the entire warship, with countless data streams flowing quietly on the light screen of the armrest.
Lin Feng sat down, leaning slightly forward, his gaze piercing through the viewing window and landing on the vast snowfield.
"Let's begin."
"Yes!" Long Ao turned around, facing the command platform, his voice suddenly rising and becoming penetrating: "'Xuanwu' live-fire test exercise, codenamed 'Dawn Hammer,' is now commencing! Switch to Unit One's perspective!"
At his command, the view through the huge observation window instantly changed.
The view suddenly dropped, as if pulling everyone down to the ground.
This is a slightly curved perspective filled with the feel of steel and machinery. Below the perspective, two gigantic mechanical hands, shimmering with a ghostly blue light, resemble primordial beasts.
This is the first-person view from the cockpit of the "Xuanwu" type mech.
Immediately afterwards, the screen was divided into twelve small windows, each displaying the external view of one of the twelve "Xuanwu" mechs and a close-up of the pilot's face.
All twelve drivers were elites selected from the best of the army, possessing willpower and physique far exceeding that of ordinary people.
At this moment, their faces were filled with extreme focus and a hint of tension. On their foreheads, they each wore a shimmering metal ring used to connect to the "Mental Power Amplification System."
"Report to 'Xuanwu-1': Machine status normal, mental synchronization rate 72%, requesting combat orders!" The lead pilot reported in a calm voice.
"Report to 'Xuanwu-2': Synchronization rate 69%, everything is normal!"
"..."
Listening to the report, Long Ao turned to Lin Feng and explained, "Your Majesty, the current basic system has a synchronization rate of 70%, which is already top-tier. This means that 70% of the pilot's subtle operational intentions can be directly captured by the mech without manual intervention. This is a decisive advantage on the ever-changing battlefield."
Lin Feng remained noncommittal, his gaze fixed firmly on the viewing window.
Finally, the twelve steel behemoths lurking in the ice and snow moved.
They don't stand up suddenly with a loud bang, as people imagine.
On the contrary, their movements are characterized by a wild, calm and tranquility that belies their enormous size.
A "Black Tortoise" mech slowly straightened up from a huge snow pit.
Standing fifteen meters tall, it cast a massive, oppressive shadow in the pale sunlight. Its armor, crafted entirely from obsidian alloy, was not smooth as a mirror, but rather possessed a rough, seemingly naturally formed crystalline texture that refracted a deep and dangerous luster under the light.
"Boom... Boom!"
When it took its first step, its heavy metal feet sank deep into the snow and frozen ground, producing not a piercing noise, but a dull, resounding thud. With each step, the entire view through the observation window trembled slightly.
This is the violent aesthetics of steel.
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