Chapter 668

Chapter 668: The Sacrificial Blade

Lin Mo and the pilot of another "Shinshin," "Susanoo," launched their attacks almost simultaneously.

"While the mantis stalks the cicada, the Yellow Sparrow waits in the back!"

No matter the final outcome, "Yamata-no-Orochi" was the unluckiest one! Caught by two attacks, one from a missile and another from the aircraft!

Before launching the missile, the cockpit of the X-1 also echoed with the warning sound of being locked on.

As soon as he launched the missile, Lin Mo immediately and resolutely released a large number of infrared decoys, creating a vast field of interference behind the aircraft.

Boom!

A massive fireball erupted in the sky.

The damaged "Shinshin" fighter had no capacity to evade; the pilot of "Yamata-no-Orochi," intent on bringing his aircraft back intact, released infrared decoys in vain and was unable to pull the ejection lever in time. He and his fighter exploded into a fireball in the sky.

Flying metal fragments and charred remains fell to the ground.

The sky filled with infrared heat flame bombs seemed infinite, creating a meteor shower overhead.

As the X-1 forward-swept wing fighter continuously released infrared heat flame bombs, it fully channeled its energy into a J-turn just moments before the close-range air-to-air combat missile drew near.

In the energy combat technique-based tactic, overly flashy maneuvers only wasted unnecessary energy, causing the fighter to lose its advantage and defensive space. Therefore, while executing the complex J-turn, Lin Mo still had enough speed and maneuvering capability.

The X-1 forward-swept wing fighter cleverly lured the approaching combat missile to detonate prematurely. Only the most skilled pilots dared to use such close-range detonation tactics; a slight mistake could lead to failure and not even allow for ejection.

At the moment the nose of the forward-swept wing aimed precisely at another "Shinshin," Lin Mo seized the almost instantaneous opportunity, activating the weapon system to full throttle!

The cannon and Gauss electromagnetic cannon unleashed their most powerful roars in rapid succession.

Having just completed his launch attack, "Susanoo," still preparing for a second round of missiles, was caught completely off guard, and his cockpit was instantly shattered by a high-explosion electromagnetic shell, vanishing the pilot without a trace, the cockpit flooding with red spray.

The fierce cannon ammunition and electromagnetic shells inflicted horrendous damage on the "Shinshin’s" body, ripping the entire aircraft apart in the initial wave of bullets, leaving behind fragments larger than one meter nearly impossible to find.

The exploding missiles made matters worse, with even bigger fireballs bursting in the sky, black smoke and red flames intermingling as countless fragments fell to earth, scattering over the desolate, dry desert, singing a song with time.

A large drop of bright red liquid suddenly appeared on the golden-coated cockpit cover of the X-1. This seemed like the vengeful spirit of a Japanese pilot, refusing to rest, demanding something from Lin Mo, yet he remained unaffected, the blood drop lingering for less than half a second before being blown into a line by the strong airflow, quickly dissipating into the atmosphere.

The Dragon Knight mercilessly harvested two lives.

Lin Mo felt no fear towards the organizers’ punitive temporary duel rules; many would be disappointed.

The crowd erupted in an uproar!

Both the Anti-Government Forces air force base in Aleppo and the bettors from the government army air force in Damascus were stunned by the sudden turn of events.

The rapid shifts in offense and defense left all the spectators unable to react, and many showed signs of the brief cognitive decline typical in high-speed aerial combat.

It was clear that the mantis had stalked the cicada, but in an instant, the Yellow Sparrow had become another cicada delivered to their doorstep. Coincidentally, passing through the angle of the opponent’s attack, they were seized upon, getting pounded without even using missiles and exploded midair.

With the battle concluded, many bettors believed they were still dreaming; within just a few seconds, the "Shinshin" duo from Japan had been entirely annihilated.

The leader of the "Shinshin" team stared incredulously at the live broadcast on television, suddenly letting out a bizarre shout: “Baka!”

Furiously, he pulled out a samurai sword, roared, and sliced the large-screen television in the hangar, sparks flying and filling the air with a pungent odor of burnt materials.

The Japanese team had never expected that, despite their thorough preparations and the deployment of highly skilled pilots, they would not even pass the intermediate tier, with their two-to-one advantage leading to total annihilation.

In the empty hangar, everyone was left speechless for a long time.

“Useless! All useless! Damn Japanese monkeys!”

The former employer of "Joan of Arc," who placed a large bet on Japan’s "Shinshin" team, was furious. His face turned a deep red, veins bulging, and he looked terrifying. With two explosions of fireballs in the sky, his betting amount was also obliterated. Although it didn’t reach the tens of billions he had previously wagered, it was still a serious blow to his "Satan" organization.

His hatred for Lin Mo clouded his rational judgment. When he thought about taking his anger out on "Joan of Arc’s" family, he realized that they had already been protected by another powerful force, and his people couldn’t do anything.

At that moment, "Joan of Arc’s" former employer finally understood that the threat from that Persian woman was not an empty threat, which made him even angrier, but there was nothing he could do.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo’s hangar was bustling with activity.

"’White Wolf’! Stop dawdling and quickly take your Flying Wolf out to these coordinates: East longitude ×××, North latitude ×××, and also East longitude ×××, North latitude ×××. Remember these two coordinates! ‘Asura’! Bring two people and come with me to get a bigger load-bearing net and tow rope. Bring back plenty of fragments, and don’t forget the weapons. Make sure to seize them!"

"Yasha" immediately called his "Demon Hunter" team, his face beaming as if he had discovered a treasure. Yes, he wanted to be a treasure hunter and must get all the goodies, just like a true Grandet, keeping everything for himself so that no one else could take it.

The fragments of the Japanese "Shinshin" fighter jets were a prize that could be easily picked up without needing points, as only the warring parties knew the coordinates of the crash site. Even fragments held high research value; they could reveal the development progress of Japan’s "Shinshin" project and could potentially provide important technological insights.

If they missed this opportunity, it would be utterly foolish. It was time to mobilize the "Demon Hunter" team. Fully armed, "Yasha" pulled out a box of camouflage clay he always carried and smeared it over his face.

Since Lin Mo maintained a strong presence in battle and cleared out all his opponents, White Wolf, who had been with no tasks, was excited to hear Yasha’s orders. It was better to be busy than idle, and given it was likely a fight, he quickly prepared the Flying Wolf rotorcraft for action.

This rotorcraft could carry four passengers easily and even hold a significant amount of weight.

At the same moment, the sponsors of the Japanese "Shinshin" team, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, also sprang into action. Four transport helicopters took to the sky one after another, aiming to recover as much wreckage as possible before anyone could react, especially to prevent the Chinese from seizing fragments, which could lead to conflict.

Seizing fighter jet fragments was one of the rules permitted by the hosts of "Abyss Nirvana." At the very least, there had to be some benefits to keep the organizations behind the participants more active.

Most ordinary participants in the novice tier wouldn’t attract attention for their crash fragments, but some unique and special fighter jet remnants held considerable allure, such as the "Shinshin" fighter jet developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which had significant research value. Interested organizations quickly sent people to search the crash sites.

If they could find something, it would definitely be an unexpected gain.

With the power of victory, Lin Mo soared back in his X-1 forward-swept wing fighter jet. He wasn’t the biggest winner, but the hosts of "Abyss Nirvana" were, as nearly half of the gamblers had bet on the Japanese "Shinshin" team, and now they had all lost, filling the hosts’ pockets.

No one could stop Lin Mo from advancing to the intermediate ace tier. The event organizers would offer him a rewards list with over a thousand redeemable items.

Now, he had truly participated in this international pilot death match.

"Congratulations! You’ve finally advanced to the intermediate tier! Your luck is truly enviable!" his neighbor Yuri expressed his congratulations as Lin Mo jumped down from the X-1.

"Thanks! Same to you!" Lin Mo accepted Yuri’s well-wishes. On his return, the organizers informed him of his achievements; in this battle, he had earned at least 129 points, a significant victory that easily compensated for the cost of letting "Joan of Arc" get away.

However, Lin Mo was surprised to find his hangar somewhat empty. Yasha, who usually waited for him to get off the plane, was missing, and several warriors from the "Demon Hunter" team were also absent. The rotorcraft used for battlefield rescue was gone, as was White Wolf.

"Your bodyguard chief took off in the rotorcraft; maybe he’s going to pick up some junk," Yuri seemed to know where Lin Mo’s bodyguard had gone. Although he couldn’t understand Chinese, he guessed the general direction when he saw Yasha fully armed board a rotorcraft and take off.

Collecting the wreckage of downed opponents, although mostly damaged, still had some useful value.

"Pick up junk?"

If Lin Mo continued to utilize the Light Mirror Technique array on his return, he would certainly be able to identify his rotorcraft’s radar signal among numerous aircraft signals and trace its whereabouts.