He showed no hesitation.
His wrist was unnervingly steady.
The Spiritual Energy Carving Saber glided across the metal surface. It didn't produce a grating scrape, but a clear, almost musical SIZZLE.
Three spiral patterns.
He carved them in one smooth, continuous motion.
The entire process took less than five minutes.
When Han Feng put down the Spiritual Energy Carving Saber, the most experienced First Level Technician beside him leaned in. He took one look, and his breath caught in his throat.
His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.
The three seemingly casual lines—their depth, their width, even the curve of their edges—had not the slightest hint of deviation.
Perfect.
So perfect it didn't seem to be the work of human hands, but rather the metal's own natural grain.
This feat of sublime craftsmanship alone was enough to make every technician present—all of whom prided themselves on precision—hang their heads in shame.
The new compression chamber was quickly installed onto the prototype.
Simulation and Test Center Three was once again brightly lit.
In the main control room, the atmosphere was more oppressive than ever before, the air so thick it was hard to breathe.
Zhao Yu stood before the main screen, a long-extinguished cigarette pinched between his fingers.
All the engineers gathered behind him, holding their breath.
This was their last hope.
"Han Feng, get in the cockpit."
Zhao Yu's voice came through the comms, carrying a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness.
"Copy."
Han Feng settled into the cold cockpit, his hands resting lightly on the control stick.
[Ding! Detected host establishing a Spiritual Link with 'Flying Sword·Falcon Third Generation (Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact)'...]
[Human-Machine Unity state has been activated!]
"All stations! The test begins now!"
The engine started.
The power curve began a steady climb.
"Power at thirty percent... all systems normal!"
"Power at fifty percent... The engine sound is unbelievably stable!"
"Power at seventy percent... All parameters are normal!"
In the control room, everyone's hearts were in their throats as they stared intently at the curve about to touch the red warning line.
"Pressurize! Go to eighty-five percent!"
Zhao Yu's voice trembled slightly.
The power needle slowly, slowly crossed the red dividing line that represented countless failures and despair.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
In the main control room, a deathly silence fell.
The anticipated, eardrum-shattering alarm didn't sound.
The waveform on the screen representing resonance was as smooth as a frozen, rippleless ancient lake.
"D-Did... we succeed?"
A young engineer trembled, his voice like someone talking in their sleep.
"Keep pressurizing!"
Zhao Yu roared as if he'd been injected with a shot of adrenaline.
"To ninety-five percent!"
Power increased again.
Still stable!
The engine, once as violent as an untamed stallion, was now as docile as a cat curled at its master's feet.
"Engineer Zhao..."
Engineer Qian adjusted his glasses, his voice shaking as he stared at the unbelievable data on the screen.
"The engine's Spiritual Power utilization efficiency... is a full 3.2 percent higher than the design specifications!"
Before he could finish, another engineer in charge of monitoring cried out.
"It's not just the efficiency! The power output... it's also over! By 1.8 percent!"
'How is this possible?!'
'Not only did we solve the fatal flaw that's plagued the entire East Sea Fortress City's aviation world, but we also somehow managed to significantly boost its performance out of thin air?!'
"Full power output!!"
Zhao Yu practically roared out the final command.
ROAR—
The engine no longer rumbled; it let out a high-pitched, pure shriek that seemed capable of piercing the heavens!
Like a dragon's roar echoing through the nine heavens!
On the screen, the power curve representing the engine's limit stopped, steady and firm, at the 101.8% mark!
In the main control room, after five long seconds of dead silence...
...a tidal wave of cheers erupted.
"We did it!!!"
"My God! This isn't science! This is fucking theology!"
An excited young engineer threw the datapad in his hands high into the air, laughing and crying at the same time.
Even an old expert like Engineer Qian was so excited his face flushed red. He grabbed the nearby Liu Wenbo in a bear hug, slapping his back and repeating, "A miracle, it's truly a miracle..."
Chen Gang stood dazedly at the back of the crowd.
He stared at the power curve on the screen—simple, brutal, yet so perfect it was suffocating.
All his theories, all his models, everything he had prided himself on, seemed so pale and laughable in this moment.
He had lost.
He had lost completely and utterly. He even... felt a sliver of reverence, like a pilgrim before a holy site.
The cockpit door slid open, and Han Feng jumped out.
He dusted off his hands and watched the celebrating crowd, a smile of complete control gracing his lips.
'Looks like the direction was right.'
Zhao Yu strode over, his large, fan-like hand landing heavily on Han Feng's shoulder, his eyes shining.
"You've really done it this time, kid!"
The surrounding engineers instantly swarmed him, all talking at once, their eyes as fervent as believers witnessing a miracle.
"Han Feng, how on earth did you think of that? What's the principle behind those three 'Qi-Guiding Patterns'?"
"Yeah! It was a stroke of genius! We ran tens of thousands of simulations on the Light Computer and couldn't find a solution, and you just drew three lines?"
Facing everyone's questions, Han Feng wasn't flustered at all.
He had already prepared his explanation, the cornerstone of his "genius."
He cleared his throat and said calmly, "It's not actually that mysterious. For the past few days, I've been looking through the project team's database, especially some manuscripts left by Engineer Qian and Engineer Zhao about the evolution of ancient rune structures."
He deliberately mentioned the two senior figures, both as a sign of respect and to make his explanation more convincing.
Sure enough, both Engineer Qian and Zhao Yu looked intrigued.
Han Feng continued, "I discovered that our current Rune Arrays are all about pursuing the ultimate energy conversion efficiency. Every circuit is designed to squeeze out every last wisp of Spiritual Power. But those Ancient Runes are different. Their design philosophy seems to contain a concept of 'harmony' and 'channeling'."
"So I wondered, could this concept be applied to the engine?"
"We've always treated the high-pressure Spiritual Qi in the compression chamber like a ravenous beast, trying everything to block it and contain it. But what if it isn't a flood, but just a rushing river? What we need isn't a dam, but a smoother riverbed."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with immense confidence.
"Those three 'Qi-Guiding Patterns' were what I drew by imitating the concept of 'combing' Energy from the Ancient Runes."
"I thought of it as a comb."
"At the very moment the Spiritual Qi is compressed and about to turn violent, you comb it out smoothly beforehand."
"If the source is smooth, everything that follows will naturally be calm."
The control room fell silent.
Everyone was stunned by Han Feng's wild, imaginative theory.
'Using ancient philosophical concepts to guide cutting-edge technological development?'
'That sounds as absurd as trying to program a computer using the I Ching and its trigrams!'
But the proof was right in front of them.
An absurd theory had produced an absurd success!
Chen Gang stared blankly at Han Feng, a tempest raging in his heart.
For the first time, he realized that the logic and data he took such pride in might only be one narrow path to the truth.
And where he couldn't see, there was another, completely different, grand highway named "Inspiration."
"Well said! Well said!"
Zhao Yu was the first to break the silence, applauding vigorously.