As a captain with 3000 flight hours and experience handling dozens of minor accidents, Sun Ping considered himself to have a strong psychological fortitude.
But at this moment, he was truly panicked. He had initially believed that with the early warning from radar and air traffic control, he could easily avoid the flock of birds and land safely.
However, he hadn't anticipated that a lone bird would damage the plane's radar before the flock arrived, thus preventing him from detecting the approaching swarm.
What he also hadn't expected was how quickly the bird flock would appear.
It took less than a minute from the warning to them appearing within his visual range.
And once the bird flock entered his line of sight, it meant a collision between the passenger plane and the birds was inevitable.
Seeing the flock drawing nearer, Sun Ping immediately said to the co-pilot beside him:
"Notify the passengers to prepare themselves. We will do our utmost to avoid the flock colliding with the engines."
"Also, inform air traffic control to have ambulances ready..."
As he spoke, Sun Ping's tone suddenly paused.
The plane was not far from Shenlongjia Airport, and he was confident he could ensure a safe landing even with some damage to the aircraft.
However, he couldn't guarantee it with 100% certainty, so he had already prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Just as he finished speaking, the co-pilot's voice sounded from the cabin.
"Attention passengers, the aircraft is about to encounter a frontal collision with a flock of birds..."
At this moment, the co-pilot's voice sounded like a death knell to the passengers.
Understandably, most passengers viewed any mid-air incident as an air disaster.
And an air disaster meant only one outcome: death.
In the face of death, no one could remain calm.
A chorus of wails erupted throughout the cabin. Yet, Yang Lin, seated in his own seat, was surprisingly composed.
"It seems my luck isn't so great today. Encountering a bird flock so close to landing."
As he spoke, he activated his detection radar.
The next second, numerous light spots appeared in the sky not far ahead, rapidly approaching.
Upon counting, there seemed to be thousands.
His previously calm expression instantly gave way to a gasp.
"Damn, how can there be so many? If we hit them, both engines will be gone."
After the initial shock, his mind began to race.
Undoubtedly, to avoid an air disaster, the birds had to be dispersed before they got too close.
If he were in the mountains right now, it would only take a thought to make these birds leave.
But the problem was that he was on a plane, and his ability as the Son of the Mountains could not be activated.
"It seems I'll have to try the power of deterrence. If even that doesn't work..."
Thinking this, Yang Lin dared not dwell on it further, lest he find himself needing to put his ID in his mouth.
But just as he was preparing to stand up and head to the cockpit to attempt using his deterrent power to drive away the flock, the already unstable fuselage vibrated again.
To the horror of the passengers, clouds of blood mist appeared on both wings.
Following the blood mist, black smoke began to billow from the wings.
At such high speeds, the birds' flesh and blood instantly transformed into projectiles, battering the passenger plane's fuselage.
Neither Yang Lin nor anyone else had expected the first wave of impact to come so quickly.
Fortunately, this initial impact did not damage the flight propulsion system; the plane was still controllable.
However, Yang Lin dared not relax in the slightest.
Through his detection radar, he could clearly see that the collision that had just occurred was only with the vanguard of the bird flock.
If nothing unexpected happened, the passenger plane would officially face the main flock in the next minute.
At that point, no one could guarantee whether the plane would make an emergency landing or crash on the spot.
As cold sweat beaded on his forehead, he attempted to activate his deterrent power. To his despair, there was still some distance between the flock and the plane, and this distance was insufficient to transmit his deterrent power.
Realizing this, his gaze swept across the cabin.
Upon seeing the men, women, and children within the cabin, Yang Lin made his decision.
The next second, to the astonishment of the flight attendants, he sprinted rapidly towards the cockpit.
He knew well that only by getting as close as possible to the bird flock could he disperse them in the shortest possible time.
Even if it was just 0.1 seconds earlier, it might be enough to save the lives of over a hundred people on this plane.
However, before he could even reach the cockpit, the bird flock, resembling a dark cloud, that Sun Ping had observed, arrived directly in front of the passenger plane.
Although he tried his best to change the plane's direction, the speed of the bird flock and the plane itself were simply too great.
A hundred meters was merely a breath away.
He wanted to broadcast a message to the passengers to write their wills, but after a moment's thought, he decided against it.
In such a short time, they might only have just picked up their pens before the flock hit.
"Is there really no way?"
At this moment, Sun Ping was filled with despair. Countless emergency plans flashed through his mind, but none seemed applicable to the current situation.
Even an emergency landing would depend on the condition of the engines after the impact.
Just as everyone was bracing for a third impact, a cry containing a special power echoed through the airspace.
Under the gaze of those in the cockpit, a golden flash abruptly streaked across the sky in front of the fuselage.
Like the dawn light dispelling darkness, wherever the golden flash passed, the massive bird flock that had enveloped the airspace ahead instantly scattered to the sides like a dispersing dark cloud.
As the birds dispersed, the airspace was clear of obstruction, and what followed was the visible Shenlongjia Airport.
After an unknown duration, Sun Ping and a few others, hearts still pounding, finally came back to their senses.
Glancing at the plane's status and confirming it could land normally, they all let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew... Notify the passengers that the crisis has been averted and we are approaching for a normal landing."
After uttering these words, Sun Ping finally recalled the golden flash he had seen earlier.
Undoubtedly, it was the golden flash that had enabled them to narrowly avoid the bird flock at the last moment.
It had single-handedly entered the flock and dispersed it in the blink of an eye.
Thinking this, he exchanged glances with the two remaining individuals present.
Then he recounted what he had just witnessed.
"If I'm not mistaken, what flew past us just now seemed to be a golden eagle."
Upon finishing, the other two nodded frantically.