Chapter 260: General Mu Cheng Has Severe Acrophobia

The military transport helicopter's rotors began turning, emitting a huge roar.

The two Special Operations Team instructors, as well as Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi, remained very calm.

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers and Mu Cheng were both somewhat surprised.

But seeing His Majesty and the Fairy present, they dared not show any abnormality.

Immediately after, they suddenly felt their bodies become heavy, as if an invisible force from above pressed down on them.

The feeling was very strange.

They vaguely thought they had experienced it before, but not so clearly, and couldn't recall it right away.

The cabin was extremely noisy; the machine's roar prevented them from communicating, so each could only brood silently.

Mu Cheng kept recalling when he had felt something similar.

As the oppressive force on the body gradually intensified, Mu Cheng finally realized.

It was when riding a horse or traveling in a carriage.

If the horse suddenly accelerated, in an instant the body would involuntarily lean backward.

As if the body became heavy, or a force pressed the torso from front to back.

Because this situation is common for soldiers who ride horses for years, yet the duration is extremely brief, Mu Cheng took a while to recall it.

He couldn't help but show an enlightened smile, glanced at the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers beside him who still hadn't understood, and thought that later he could explain to them; if his guess was correct, the vehicle they were currently riding must be some kind of peculiar transport.

Thus, when this device accelerated, it produced the same feeling.

Mu Cheng silently sighed, noting that the device not only was massive in size, its speed must also be very fast, otherwise the sensation wouldn't be so intense.

However, the smile on Mu Cheng's face froze after only a moment.

Because he realized that when a horse suddenly accelerates, the oppressive force on the body comes from front to back.

But now…

The same oppressive force, however, is from above!

What does this mean?

Mu Cheng's pupils tightened, and his hands involuntarily clenched the straps bound to his body.

"Could it be… could this transport not be moving forward, but… moving upward rapidly?" he muttered, voicing his speculation.

"But… how could this be possible?"

"What transport can fly into the sky and carry dozens of people together?"

"Impossible… this is impossible…"

Mu Cheng grew increasingly frightened, muttering nonstop.

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldier beside him saw his pallor, his lips moving continuously, but they couldn't hear what he was saying.

After a while, the invisible force pressing their bodies vanished.

Mu Cheng silently exhaled, his complexion returning to some normalcy, "Seems I was overthinking, scaring myself…"

At this moment, the helicopter had risen to about a kilometer altitude.

Under the precise control of the Special Operations Team members, it maintained a steady hover within the high-altitude airflow.

The machine's roar and the airflow noise during acceleration had both diminished greatly.

Although still noisy, it no longer hindered loud communication inside the cabin.

"Everyone!" the instructor in the cabin released the safety harness, stood up and shouted, "We have now reached the planned position; I will demonstrate for you all!"

Another instructor transmitted a message to the cockpit via the communication device.

A few seconds later, under the curious gaze of Mu Cheng and the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers, the cabin door slowly opened.

Wow—

Powerful airflow rushed into the cabin, shaking everyone's bodies, and they all clutched the edges of their seats beneath their hips.

When everyone saw the outside of the cabin, their expressions froze instantly.

"What is this… place?!"

"Why can't we see the ground?"

"Wait, is that in the distance… a cloud?"

"We can't be up in the sky, can we…?"

Voices of discussion rose.

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers grew increasingly panicked, and Mu Cheng widened his eyes, staring straight at the scene outside that looked like sky.

Xiao Qidi was also quite nervous now, involuntarily gripping Ning Jinli's hand beside him.

Earlier, Ning Jinli had thoroughly explained the helicopter ascent and parachute training to him, and had shown him related videos, giving him ample mental preparation.

But mental preparation is one thing.

Actually experiencing it is another matter.

He had never been at a kilometer-high altitude before…

In fact, Ning Jinli wasn't much better; after all, she had only ever flown in airplanes and never tried parachuting.

If it weren't to accompany him and make his mind at ease, she wouldn't have agreed to train together.

The two instructors in the cabin grabbed the safety ropes and walked to Ning Jinli, leaning in to ask:

"Miss Ning, are you alright?"

"If you feel any discomfort, we can return."

Hearing that, Ning Jinli forced a smile, shook her head, indicating she was fine.

Her current physical condition far exceeds that of ordinary people, and she has a cultivation technique, so she wouldn't have any discomfort; she was only a little scared mentally…

Thus the two instructors moved to the cabin doorway.

One of the instructors shouted, "Someone just guessed correctly; we are indeed all in the sky right now!"

At those words, the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers' expressions changed dramatically.

Some felt their whole bodies go limp.

Some were filled with shock.

Others showed curiosity and excitement.

As for Mu Cheng, his mind went instantly blank.

The instructor added, "You may unfasten the seatbelt, keep the protective rope at your waist, and move next to me. Rest assured, the rope isn't long enough to extend beyond the cabin, so you won't fall out. Five at a time, in order."

Xiao Qidi took a deep breath in secret, was the first to remove his seatbelt, grasped the protective rope, and shifted toward the instructor in a crouching stance.

Ning Jinli followed right after.

Then three braver Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers also left their seats.

"Is this what soaring in the sky feels like…?" Xiao Qidi quickly adapted, looking down at the earth from beside the cabin door with interest, "It's just like the scenes I often dreamed of flying in as a child—so magnificent…"

The other three Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers stared wide‑eyed; the novelty of viewing sky and earth from such altitude made the three of them increasingly excited.

"Alright, the next batch!" the instructor called.

Xiao Qidi, Ning Jinli, and the three Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers returned to their seats, still lingering in the feeling.

Then groups of five Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers took turns at the cabin door for the viewing experience.

Those who went first were obviously the braver ones, and their movements were naturally more deft.

The later five‑person groups were increasingly sluggish.

Forty Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers, plus Xiao Qidi, Ning Jinli, and Grand General Mu Cheng, made a total of forty‑three people.

When it came to the last turn, only a group of three remained.

Mu Cheng was among them.

"Your turn!" the instructor said, looking at the last three who still hadn't unfastened their seatbelts, as if their bottoms were glued to the seats.

Mu Cheng lowered his head and clenched his teeth, while the other two Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers trembled all over, their expressions on the verge of breaking into tears.

The instructor was actually quite pleased with their performance; after all, they were all people from ancient times who had no notion whatsoever of flying in an aircraft to the sky.

Unlike modern people, who even without ever flying know roughly what this is about.

Given they had zero concept, it was rare that only three out of so many showed obvious fear.

At this moment, Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli whispered to each other, and then he stood up and walked to General Mu Cheng.

He first glanced at the two trembling Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers beside him and said in a low voice, "You are both soldiers of the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army, elite among the Daxuan elite, specially selected for this mission. If either of you feels you cannot do it, I won't force you."

Hearing this, the two Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers' faces flushed red, and they shouted in unison, "His Majesty, we can do it!"

Immediately, the two gritted their back teeth, unfastened their seatbelts in one go, grabbed the protective rope, and rushed to the cabin door.

Even if terrified, the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army's face cannot be lost!

"And…" the instructor said helplessly to the two, "It's good you mustered the courage to come, but… you have to open your eyes."

The two Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers' facial features twisted into a knot, wind slapping their faces, as they slowly opened their eyes just a sliver, then their legs almost went limp and they collapsed into a sitting position.

The instructor put a hand beside them, preventing them from falling.

"General Mu, what about you?" Xiao Qidi said, looking at the curled‑up, head‑down Mu Cheng, "Lift your head!"

Mu Cheng's shoulders trembled, and he slowly raised his head.

The veteran general, in his forties and already a battlefield veteran since his teens, now looked deathly pale, even his wrinkles betraying fear.

"Your… Your Majesty…"

He strained to push out words between his teeth, "You send me through knife‑mountains and fire‑sea, and I never blink, but… I truly never expected… that you would bring me up into the sky. I told you, I am afraid of heights… If you hadn't said it was only a little higher than a city wall, I—"

"Isn't that just a bit higher than a city wall?" Xiao Qidi said with a hint of authority, "Are you saying I deceived you?"

Mu Cheng wanted to cry but had no tears.

It really was a bit higher than a city wall, yet he could never have imagined that the 'a little' in His Majesty's words would amount to so much.

Seeing General Mu's discomfort, Xiao Qidi felt uneasy inside.

But if he couldn't overcome it, the upcoming operation against the Wasteland Nation's Royal City would lose much of its chance of success.

"General Mu," Xiao Qidi bent down, placing both hands on his shoulder, "Within the Wasteland Nation's Royal City, tens of thousands of civilians await our rescue. Didn't you once hope that all the people of the Wasteland Nation could live peaceful, stable lives? Haven't you been working toward that? Now only the Royal City remains, and you…"

Before he could finish, Mu Cheng sprang to his feet.

Even though his face was frighteningly pale and his tall frame still trembled, his gaze had become resolute.

Xiao Qidi looked into his eyes, "General Mu, I will always be by your side."

"Your Majesty…" Mu Cheng's eyes instantly reddened.

"Come, I believe you can overcome it." Xiao Qidi grasped his rough hand.

When the ruler of a nation goes to such lengths, Mu Cheng was deeply moved, and recalling his lifelong wish, he also remembered the sincerity and effort Xiao Qidi had shown back then to rescue his entire family.

Deep within, a powerful courage to confront his acrophobia finally surged.

Then, guided by Xiao Qidi's hand, he finally, though trembling, moved to the cabin door.

When he saw the sky outside filled with drifting clouds and the vast land below,

His vision instantly went black; he felt his whole body spinning wildly, his organs churning like a raging sea.

Even though the two instructors kept soothing him, saying he was safe and wouldn't fall, he still couldn't hold his body up; his legs went limp and he collapsed, unwilling to look outward any further.

Mu Cheng, relying on his will, had already given his utmost to reach this point.

But as he stood, he was still far from being able to parachute.

Xiao Qidi gave a slight nod to Ning Jinli.

Ning Jinli also walked over, whispered a few words to the two instructors, then placed a hand on Mu Cheng's shoulder.

"General Mu, you suffer from severe acrophobia; ordinary people cannot overcome it with will alone, but reaching this point already proves your willpower far exceeds that of ordinary people. Don't be afraid…"

While speaking, Ning Jinli silently activated the Tian Xuan Heart Method, channeling a strand of Internal Strength into Mu Cheng, precisely injecting it around his heart meridians.

Xiao Qidi also possesses Internal Skill, but it is not as powerful as Ning Jinli's, nor can he control Internal Strength with such precision as she does.

Therefore, only she can do this.

And this was also what the two had agreed upon in their whispered conversation just now.

"Jinli Fairy…" Mu Cheng felt warmth in his heart, his eyes showing gratitude and self‑reproach, "I… I'll try again, I think I'm not that scared anymore."

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi, one on each side, helped General Mu Cheng to his feet, and Ning Jinli quietly unfastened the protective rope lock on Mu Cheng's lower back.

Mu Cheng gasped heavily, trying once more to look outside the cabin door.

At that moment, Xiao Qidi, Ning Jinli, and the two instructors exchanged glances.

Ning Jinli nodded.

"General Mu, this action is unavoidable, don't blame me!" Xiao Qidi suddenly kicked Mu Cheng in the butt.

Boom!

Mu Cheng hadn't reacted yet, and his whole body shot straight out of the cabin!

The scene stunned the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers present into a daze!

In the sky, Mu Cheng's heart‑rending scream rang out.

The scream faded as he plummeted rapidly, growing farther away, with faint, incoherent curses intermingled.

The two instructors put on goggles and leapt out of the cabin one after another.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi hurriedly grabbed the cabin door edge and peered out.

High above, Mu Cheng's soul screamed, his limbs flailed desperately, and the airflow spun him like a top.

The two instructors tightened their bodies to reduce drag, descending faster and closing in on Mu Cheng.

At about five hundred meters above the ground, they finally caught up with Mu Cheng, restraining his spinning form; one instructor hugged him tightly from behind, while the other helped bind the two together with a lock.

Their movements were swift, their calm skill as simple as drinking water or eating a meal.

During this, poor General Mu Cheng was frightened into fainting, then revived by the cold wind, only to be frightened into fainting again—fainting, waking, fainting repeatedly, an unknown number of times…