Li Ang’s words immediately elicited a response from the Academic Palace Disciples. Controlling a model aircraft with Mind Silk was one experience, while taking to the skies with one’s own feet was another.
Li Ang had already envisioned this when he first started constructing the flying machine. The original Albatross from the Otherworld, designed to enhance flight viability, had its airframe weight reduced in every conceivable way. Its skin was made of polyester film. This material boasted high rigidity, hardness, and toughness but had poor tear resistance, making any damage prone to spreading quickly. Its Wing Beams were aluminum alloy tubes, five centimeters in diameter with a wall thickness of about 0.5 millimeters. Its wing ribs were made from aluminum alloy tubes six millimeters in diameter with a 0.25-millimeter wall thickness, balsa wood, and fiberglass; the leading edges even used corrugated paper. To maximize lift as much as possible, the airframe also employed a canard layout, with the propeller at the rear and the horizontal tail at the front. Furthermore, the horizontal tail was positioned relatively low, enabling it to better harness the additional lift generated by ground effect. A combination of these factors had enabled the original pilot to achieve a low-altitude flight across the entire English Channel.
As for the materials Li Ang used from the Forging Workshop: the wood, skin, and metal wire possessed greater toughness and strength, allowing them to withstand a heavier airframe and higher flight speeds.
He briefly introduced some flight precautions and opened the air intake at the bottom of the cockpit to ventilate it and prevent the pilot from overheating.
An Academic Palace student eagerly took the pilot’s seat, pedaling vigorously, and the flying machine wobbled its way back into the sky.
Although most of the new Academic Palace students were not yet adults, they had already embarked on the path of Cultivation, ate well, and their physical constitution was much stronger than that of ordinary people. The flying machine hovered unsteadily in the sky for several minutes before gently landing.
Su Feng approached with a smile and asked, "How did it feel?"
Panting heavily, the student replied with a flushed face, "It was so much fun! It felt like the joy of a bountiful harvest; I was full of energy! Teacher, can I go for another round?"
"Of course... not. One turn per person, strictly limited time and attempts."
Su Feng shared a smile with Tantai Leshan and Li Ang. As the creators, they too had already experienced the flying machine. Indeed, compared to flying with Flying Swords or using Telekinesis to ascend, it was a particularly novel experience.
The younger Academic Palace students, who had not yet reached the realm where they could fly, clamored for a test drive after seeing someone land successfully.
"Teacher, let me try!"
"Teacher, pick me! I’m strong!"
"Let me! Junior brothers, this chance to fly is incredibly precious. Seniors should go first."
Seeing the uproar and noisy commotion, Tantai Leshan shook his head in resignation. Su Feng scanned the crowd and noticed a Turkic girl standing aside, eager to try.
"Student Ashina, would you like to give it a try?"
"Eh? Me?" Ashina Galuo pointed at herself in surprise.
"Mm-hmm." Su Feng nodded. As an expert at fanning the flames, he knew exactly how to silence his opponents.
First, let the Academic Palace Disciples test the human-powered flying machine. Then, let students from the academies of other states try. This way, the people from Taihao Mountain couldn’t claim the Academic Palace had cheated or tampered with the flying machine.
Ashina Galuo walked over briskly, full of excitement, and lightly hopped into the pilot’s seat, pedaling vigorously.
With her foundation in Body Refinement, her forceful pedaling made the aircraft, starting slowly, quickly gain speed and climb upwards.
Although Ashina Galuo was a Turkic noble, trained from childhood in horseback riding and archery, flying high in the sky and looking down through the cockpit window at the gradually shrinking landscape below was an entirely different experience.
She shouted joyfully as the aircraft glided with the wind, flying over the woods of Furong Garden and arriving at Qujiang Pool, which was separated only by a wall.
"Keep up!" Su Feng, seeing this, hurriedly quickened his pace to follow, a large crowd bustling after the aircraft.
Meanwhile, by Qujiang Pool, plum blossoms and wintersweet flowers were already in full bloom. Many Chang’an citizens had gathered there, strolling along the riverbank.
Their eyes wide and mouths agape, they watched as the massive aircraft, with a wingspan of nearly thirty meters, swept low overhead. At first, they mistook it for some kind of demon beast. The rıghtful source is 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝙣𝙚𝙩
Su Feng knew what these common folk were thinking. He directly took a Macro Sound Symbol from the Brocade Bag at his waist. After activating it, he shouted to the citizens, "Don’t panic! This is an experimental creation from the Academic Palace!"
When they heard it was something created by the Academic Palace and saw the crowd dressed in Academic Palace uniforms, the Chang’an citizens who had been about to flee immediately calmed down. They stood by the riverbank, curiously watching the aircraft.
Ashina Galuo remained thrilled as the aircraft swept over the calm river surface, gained additional lift from the ground effect, and sped up again.
The leisurely sailing pleasure boats on the river, seeing the "strange bird" approaching, hurriedly turned and headed for the riverbanks.
Due to the aircraft’s bizarre appearance, some confused boatmen and their assistants even dropped their oars in fright and jumped into the lake. Men and women with disheveled clothes also emerged from the pleasure boats.
Su Feng and the others were busy rescuing people and calming the public; it was a scene of utter chaos.
Meanwhile, Bian Chenpei and the other Taihao Mountain disciples, upon seeing Ashina Galuo pilot the aircraft and land smoothly on the flat ground by the riverbank, looked quite grim and left one after another.
Before departing, they merely stated that the wager would be delivered to Li Ang’s residence on time.
"Tsk, they’re just leaving like that?" Yang Yu watched their retreating figures, clicked his tongue, and said, "I thought they’d at least apologize or something."
"It’s normal for people from Taihao Mountain to be proud," Li Ang said indifferently, not minding the hostility from the Taihao Mountain group.
This is just the beginning. A mere human-powered aircraft that allows ordinary people to fly has already upset them this much. What will happen when Su Feng and Tantai Leshan’s steam engine achieves a breakthrough, and factories begin to replace Daoist temples? Won’t they be enraged enough to try and overturn the heavens? Let them be. The Academic Palace’s journey is to the stars and the vast seas...
He snapped back to reality, looked at the chaotic scene on the riverbank, and smiled faintly.
After this is all over, the components of this aircraft should be dismantled and carefully preserved as a memento. The experience gained from building this aircraft can also be applied to creating other things. Like bicycles, for instance.
「In a pavilion overlooking Furong Garden.」
Empress Xue’s mouth fell open in surprise as she slowly lowered her telescope. "It actually... really succeeded."
"Yes, they really did make it happen." Emperor Yu let out a long sigh and casually handed the telescope to a Yellow-robed Eunuch standing nearby.
As his wife, who knew him intimately, Empress Xue keenly sensed the distinct undertone in her husband’s sigh. "Are you somewhat displeased, my liege?"
"Ha!" Emperor Yu smiled faintly and gently patted the back of his wife’s hand. "A mere human-powered aircraft has made the people of Taihao Mountain flee in disgrace, greatly boosting the prestige of our Yu Country. Why would I be displeased?"
Yet, his mind was a maelstrom of unspoken thoughts.