Sky-cracking Rider

The one who knows you best is often not yourself, but your enemy.

Once an opponent of the "Lord of the Sky," "Eagle King" David Sid's lifelong wish, or rather obsession, has been to defeat that arrogant young man.

Time has changed things, and "Eagle King" retired from the Federal Air Force. Unable to withstand the grind of time, he turned into the white-haired Old David. This difficult wish is likely to be taken to the old coffin with him.

However, it didn't stop him from passing on the research targeted at the "Lord of the Sky" to the new generation. But after the Three Realms War, the "Lord of the Sky" founded the Lin Family, then disappeared into seclusion, rarely appearing in the public's sight. The outside world could hardly know his true strength, whether it had improved or deteriorated.

The leaders of Blue Star wanted to prevent the "Lord of the Sky" from defecting, so it was natural to re-invite his former opponent "Eagle King" back. Chen Fei met Old David at Barksdale Air Force Base, both coming here for the same purpose.

The newly reported 50-member staff team would serve as a communication bridge between Chen Fei and the Mobile Armored Infantry Corps and the Ability User Combat Team. Chen Fei was the ship's captain, not the combat commander, only responsible for coordinating the timing of these two combat forces' engagement in battle, his control limited to this collaborative airship and the various tactical units within.

The intelligence about the "Lord of the Sky" intending to defect with his family emerged suddenly, and the leaders of Blue Star hurriedly prepared. Chen Fei was not the only one participating in the interception operation, and they were still assembling, not rushing to act rashly just yet.

As the captain of one of the airships, Chen Fei still had abundant personal time.

Early the next morning, he went alone to a hangar near Runway No. 1 where Old David's temporary classroom was set up.

Chen Fei arrived early, but he was not the first. Already, about a dozen people were waiting here in small groups, laughing and chatting with each other, their voices echoing in the hangar and clearly audible even at the gate.

The classroom setup was complete, with two sets of holographic projection equipment facing the tiered seating, able to accommodate two to three hundred people.

Nearly everyone here wore military uniforms, easy to recognize; they were all combat pilots, judging by their insignias, mostly from the Americas faction, including various sovereignties from both the North and South Continent, known as the "Americas Gang."

There might also be combat pilots from other sovereignties, presumably still on their way.

If Chen Fei were not in America too, he wouldn't have made it to this early gathering.

When the elderly man, holding a cane in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, arrived slowly, the buzzing chatter instantly turned to silence, and even a pin drop could be heard clearly.

"Salute!"

Someone suddenly shouted.

"SIR!"

Bang! All combat pilots stood at attention and saluted in unison, truly worthy of being the "Americas Gang," their response was perfectly synchronized.

Except for Chen Fei, he was a commoner, so just a respectful gaze was enough.

Wearing a navy-blue shirt layered with a casual jacket on top and cargo pants below, embodying the spirit of "workers have strength," his attire clashed sharply with the dazzling Officers' Star present here.

Combat pilots were at least officers, yet Chen Fei was just an imitation captain, reportedly due to the ark plan's defection schemes. Who would believe it?

The elderly man handed his coffee cup to a young female soldier carrying a briefcase behind him, then straightened his back as much as possible, raised his right hand, and returned a salute.

"Good morning, young men!"

The female soldier demonstrating the base's facade had an undoubtedly high appearance value, and the officers didn't spare the glances revolving around the beauty.

Old David put his hand down, checked his watch, and said, "There are still 15 minutes left, everyone feel free!"

The atmosphere on-site returned to its relaxed state just moments before.

Old David took back his coffee cup, walked with his cane to Chen Fei, and said cheerfully, "Rookie, I underestimated you."

Chen Fei immediately understood that the other side must have inquired into his background, shook his head with a smile, and said, "I guess it's fate playing tricks on people!"

There's no point in pretending anymore, it's time to stop playing dumb.

Although some information isn't available to the general public, Old David, who can lecture at Barksdale Air Force Base, still has some skills. If you dig a little, you can still find out a bit.

Who would've thought a straight-up economics undergraduate would end up in the military contractor's circle right after graduation, and is now doing captaincy, which seems totally unrelated; the monk is the military supervisor, Mr. Brown is the backdoor of the Blue Star Civilization unwilling to let go of Emerald Star. Neither of them works under Chen Fei. If not for the Americas Federation staffing him up, he might still be a typical lone commander.

In the following time, people continued to arrive at the hangar classroom. By the time the lecture was starting, the tiered seats were fully packed, with at least two hundred people present.

Old David finished the coffee he brought, glanced at the already packed seats, cleared his throat, and said, "Hello, everyone, I'm David Sid, flying call sign 'Eagle King,' you can call me Old David. The reason I'm here today is that I'm the lifelong rival of the 'Lord of the Sky!'"

Lifelong rival!

The old man's bold statement is also his obsession.

Some who had never heard of the legendary Federal Air Force veteran "Eagle King" David Sid widened their eyes. How badass must he be to dare call himself that? Isn't he afraid the "Lord of the Sky" will come knocking?

In fact, the "Lord of the Sky" had retired from Jianghu for years and didn't care about such fame anymore.

Wow…

The scene erupted into applause; many knew he wasn't boasting, as this Federal Air Force veteran had indeed done it before, more than once.

Facing off against the "Lord of the Sky," whether losing or winning, surviving means being a hero or a legend.

Impressive!

Chen Fei gave a thumbs-up to the white-haired old man on the podium, thinking even he wouldn't dare say such things.

If he were to stand opposite the "Lord of the Sky," he'd likely be taken down within minutes!

That's why the Blue Star sovereignty didn't think of using Chen Fei, a Chen Family disciple, to intercept the "Lord of the Sky" but instead gathered elite forces globally for a joint interception.

"…Here, I'll tell you about 'Lord of the Sky' Lin Mo's combat style and characteristics, as well as his weaknesses…"

After retiring, he started private training services, whether in civilian or military aircraft piloting, or in operational management and maintenance skills. His "Eagle Nest" airport gained quite a reputation in the industry. "Eagle King" David Sid is quite skilled, especially in giving lectures. Coming from a combat pilot background, he's more than well-versed.

With the obsession of being the lifelong rival to the "Lord of the Sky," he gathered Lin Mo's combat experiences and researched them comprehensively. Old David's insights were likely deeper and more extensive than even those with sovereign power.

Everyone was holding either a tablet or a paper notebook, writing down Old David's lecture contents rapidly.

Two three-dimensional holographic projection devices displayed meticulously prepared case studies, supporting the lecture content. Everyone present was an insider, with the sheer amount of valuable information captivating their attention, not just providing precious combat experience from the "Lord of the Sky," but also greatly benefiting their own skills enhancement.

Thirty years have passed, and everything changes over time.

"Lord of the Sky" Lin Mo has hidden himself in the city, never acting again, even when the extraterrestrial race "Sagali" civilization made a comeback, directly threatening Blue Star. All that can be seen now is the presence of the Lin Family's children. As for Lin Mo's current power level, no one knows.

"…Compared to thirty-five years ago, 'Lord of the Sky' Lin Mo's personal combat power should have increased, but the extent is quite limited. I have three reasons for this judgment: firstly, as known to all, the elemental energy activity level in Blue Star's atmosphere is inferior to Cangqiong Star's. Practicing Battle Qi and magic here is only suitable for solidifying foundations and not for advancing ranks, as 'Lord of the Sky's actual rank should be at Heavenly Order First Stage. At the Heavenly Order rank, advancing becomes far more difficult, and the necessary time vastly exceeds the Human Order and Earth Order. Since the main battlefield this time is on Blue Star, the advantage is clearly mine. Secondly, Blue Star Civilization's military equipment and tactical concepts have undergone complete modernization compared to thirty years ago. 'Lord of the Sky's experience is entirely outdated, unable to keep up with the times. Given proper tactical deployment, he can be thoroughly defeated!"

You really live up to the claim of being the lifelong rival of the "Lord of the Sky." "Eagle King" David Sid's analysis using realistic circumstances was perfectly logical, and when he mentioned thoroughly beating the "Lord of the Sky," the Americas Gang's elite combat pilots burst into laughter and applause.

Knocking down a big figure isn't just about showing off—it's about instant fame and reaching the peak of life.

Old David gesture downward with one hand, quickly quieting the applause. He seized the moment and said, "The third reason—although Lin Mo is known as the last Dragon Knight, in fact, he is no longer a Dragon Knight because his mount partner, the Metallic Dragon, Gold Coin, is now the Dragon King of the Dragon Clan, needing to oversee Sky Dragon City and can't leave. As known to all, without a Giant Dragon, can a Dragon Knight still be called a Dragon Knight? Can they still possess Dragon Knight combat power?"

The third inference was spot-on, Dragon Knights rely on the combat power of Giant Dragons, but this collaborative relationship inherently centers around the Giant Dragon's combat strength, similar to the relationship between tank soldiers and tanks.

Without a Giant Dragon, a Dragon Knight is akin to tank soldiers lacking tanks, regardless of the Dragon Knight's personal combat power being strong, there remains a stark difference compared to when partnered with a Giant Dragon.