It wasn't until Cirrus let out that miserable scream that everyone's attention snapped back to her.
"Keep going," Stelle prompted.
"Before that… can I ask something?" Huohuo timidly raised her hand. "Did General Tengxiao really go 50-50 with Blazeheart?"
Stelle instantly turned into a parrot: "Did they really go 50-50?"
"Absolutely!"
"But according to the Ten-Lords Commission records, Blazeheart… lost pretty badly to the general named Tengxiao?"
Cirrus huffed in extreme displeasure. "Of course human records only brag about the general's victories!"
"Unfortunately, even after absorbing the power of countless fellow Tayzzyronth, the great Blazeheart still underestimated human cunning and barely lost to that general."
"After the decisive battle, Blazeheart could never reform again. It scattered into different spirit fragments and was sealed inside the Furnace of Creation."
Stelle got the picture: this great Tayzzyronth Blazeheart had basically been soul-shattered by the previous Luofu general. And it didn't sound like a narrow defeat—it sounded like the Cloud Knight divine lord had pummeled it into the ground…
Whatever. As long as Cirrus was happy.
"But there's always an exception. I thought you, Mr. Tail, had escaped and were living free and easy…" Cirrus started mocking the tail again.
"Who would've thought you'd end up subdued by this little foxian girl! Ahahaha~ I'm dying!"
"Subdued my ass! This old man fell on hard times and ran into this brat—worst luck ever!"
Huohuo tried to defend herself, recounting her childhood story to Stelle and Bertnis.
"Are we… having a storytelling convention now?" Bertnis couldn't help roasting.
"When I was little, I found a dying ball of fire in some corner of the Luofu… I felt bad for it and put it on my tail…"
"And then—who would've guessed—Mr. Tail tried to eat me! If the judges hadn't shown up in time, I'd have been done for."
"Just a snack that wouldn't even fill the gaps in my teeth, and you're saying 'eat you' like it's some grand feast?"
"All the tears I've cried regretting that decision over the years must be the brainwater that leaked in when I made it…"
"Miss Huohuo, the golden quotes never stop!"
For some reason, hearing Huohuo say that made Stelle feel both amused and heartbroken.
One wrong choice, a lifetime of regret.
Ah… wonder if Adrian ever feels that way. Gotta ask him when I get the chance.
"How amusing. Too bad Mr. Tail didn't succeed. If he had taken this girl's body, he might've made a comeback like Blazeheart and turned the whole Xianzhou upside down!"
Stelle was genuinely curious. "Why do Tayzzyronth challenge the generals anyway?"
"Do we need a reason?"
"If you want a noble-sounding one: the Xianzhou imprisoned the Tayzzyronth ancestor in a cage to power your ships. Is that reason enough? If you want the blunt truth—we just wanted to test ourselves against the general and see what Xianzhou folk are really made of."
"Our kind were carefree beings once. Only after contact with humans did we catch the 'disease of humanity.'"
"It's all humans' fault—so intense with emotions and desires—that we can never return to our pure, unstained past."
According to ancient records, Tayzzyronth act like a hive: these flame essences can split and merge, sharing information, experience, and power to fight enemies.
A merged Tayzzyronth can be considered an individual, yet internally they still have hierarchy—like the old Xianzhou belief that humans possess three spirits and seven souls.
Some Tayzzyronth handle combat, some focus on thinking and debate, and the strongest coordinate everything.
Most Tayzzyronth, tainted by humanity, can no longer cooperate properly. Of course, a few powerful individuals exist—like Suihuang and Phantylia—who possess extremely strong self-will.
Unfortunately, the former is sealed, and the latter… ascended to little night-light status in a milk tea shop. More accurately, SHE became the personal night-light of the Aeon of Eternity. Quite the honor.
Back to the point: when Tayzzyronth like this exist long enough, internal differences get erased and they fuse into an unbreakable whole. Tayzzyronth call this process "coalescence."
Weaker Tayzzyronth are terrified of approaching these elders—being absorbed means losing the self and dying.
Tayzzyronth parasitize hosts, feeding on and experiencing their emotions, seizing free will to act as they please.
A Tayzzyronth that parasitizes a human picks up the host's personality and habits—this quickly strengthens individual will, making merging with others nearly impossible.
Cirrus was pretty straightforward for a Tayzzyronth; she openly revealed her goal in front of everyone and even tried to recruit a fellow insect.
"So, I want my freedom back! I want to return beyond the sky. Mr. Tail, you don't want to stay fragments forever or be a tail for life, do you? Come with me—let's go home together!"
"…You make it sound nicer than singing."
"Bad guy, don't even think about any funny ideas. Mr. Tail is sealed by the Ten-Lords Commission judges—he can't escape… and neither can you."
Hearing Huohuo say that somehow made Cirrus furious. "That's not fair! I'm the one getting beaten up inside her body this whole time! Even now!"
"My fault?" Stelle looked perfectly innocent.
"From a biological classification standpoint, you're closer to the word 'beast' than I am."
"Hiss… are all Tayzzyronth this aggressive?" Bertnis grabbed Cirrus by the scruff. "Word of advice: a foul mouth brings bad karma."
Cirrus: "Ha?"
Was she hearing this right? She was the victim here!
"Sigh~ silly child, that bottle of milk tea is clearly saving you! It's obviously her body's automatic defense system."
"You forcibly possessed someone and even tried digging deeper for secrets. The fact that guardian milk tea hasn't killed you yet is mercy enough."
"As for that mask you mentioned… probably your own conscience punishing you."
As rare incorporeal lifeforms without fixed shape—pure energy beings—Tayzzyronth are in a way ageless and indestructible. That's pretty close to Eternity.
Bertnis was trying to scam Cirrus. What a waste not to stuff this big-eyed monster in the warehouse as a decoration… Hmm, maybe turn her into a night-light instead?
Super unique, and it'd draw way more tourists to the church.
Unexpectedly, Bertnis's words actually made some sense. Cirrus hesitated, thinking maybe she should calm down and reflect…
BAM! CRASH!
The milk tea + masked guy combo kept landing hits. In this situation, there was no way she could stop to think!
Stelle watched Cirrus flicker every few seconds, then glanced down at the hourglass necklace around her neck.
A bold idea was born!