"Oho, alcohol really does cloud one's judgment."
Jiaoqiu covered half his face with his feather fan, offering Fuli a helpless, apologetic smile.
"Please do not take the General's drunken ramblings to heart, sir. I will arrange for your safe return to the surface immediately. Once the General sobers up, we will prepare generous gifts and visit you personally to apologize."
Clearly, he had no intention of letting Feixiao's drunken whims run wild.
Thinking about it, it made sense. While it was true that the Hyperion and the Taixu Front were currently in a honeymoon phase, that didn't mean their past frictions had simply vanished.
Looking back at their two major encounters: The first was Situ Qinghong's attack at the border, and the second was Fu Xuan's berserk rampage.
Although there were valid reasons for both, the former had still caused dissatisfaction among many, including Yanqing and Bailu. The direct consequence was that the major Critical-Rank powerhouses of Sapphire City had tacitly chosen to stand by and watch during the incident.
Unlike professional soldiers whose duty was to obey orders, powerhouses—individuals who concentrated immense power within themselves—were destined never to be blindly obedient to anyone.
Fu Xuan's case was somewhat excusable. Not only had Fuli actively sought to test the gap between himself and an Arbiter-General (specifically asking Kallen to tell everyone not to intervene), but only Qingque had been present at the time, and the relevant reports were filed after the fact.
However, ignoring the details and looking solely at the results, there had undeniably been two conflicts between the Hyperion and the Taixu Front.
Therefore, even though the drunken Feixiao had followed procedure by disciplining her own troops before challenging Fuli...
At first glance, it seemed abrupt, but fundamentally, it was still a friendly spar—a common occurrence among the strong.
But in the eyes of a meticulous strategist like Jiaoqiu, such a scene could easily become a destabilizing factor in their relationship.
After all, not everyone possessed an omniscient perspective. It would be very easy for observers to misinterpret this as a sign of hostility.
As for how to suppress Feixiao after Fuli left...
Well, that massive mob-rush earlier? The colossal skyship beneath their feet hadn't even participated yet.
Jiaoqiu's intentions were good.
The only thing he overlooked was whether Fuli would actually be willing to take his advice and leave.
"Run? Why should I run? I'm not running."
The boy fearlessly tilted his head back, his gaze colliding directly with the Heaven-Smiting General looking down from above.
A tangible thunderclap erupted at the point where their gazes met. The thick, dark clouds obscuring the bright moon were split in two by their soaring battle intent.
Click! With a sharp sound, his thumb pushed the tsuba, and Fuli drew the humming Plasma Kagehide from its sheath.
"I've trained hard for this long. If I have a sword and don't use it, wouldn't that just be edging myself? If she wants to fight, then I'll fight her."
To make the legendary, emotionless General itch for a fight and loudly issue a challenge upon their first meeting—assuming they were friends and not foes—was undoubtedly positive feedback. Anyone hearing about this would give a thumbs-up and say, "Bro, that's badass!"
To hell with all those complicated external factors!
Hehe, I'm going to have a blast fighting this white-haired fox-girl beauty with the long legs and big chest right now! I'll turn the Heaven-Smiting General into the 'Chicken-Licking General' who swallows a 5x Partial Multiplier Jutsu whole! I'll awaken the hidden female within her!
Hmm, Little Li has been reading a bit too much 'Tiger & Bunny' and 'Baki' lately.
"Fight? Seriously?"
Jiaoqiu froze, then tried to dissuade him. "Mr. Fuli, I know you had a hearty spar with the Master Diviner General, but among the Seven Arbiter-Generals who oversee the Xianzhou Alliance, the Heaven-Smiting General is universally recognized as being in a league of her own."
The implication was clear: Look around. There are so many people watching. If you lose in public, it's going to look bad for you.
Given Fu Xuan's personality, the report she submitted about the Hyperion incident definitely wouldn't have been watered down.
Jiaoqiu had read that report. If Fu Xuan, wielding the Origin Strike: Star Shatter, hadn't held back at every turn, Fuli would never have had the chance to turn the tables.
Little did he know, the current boy was significantly different from the one back then.
—Ancient Mirror Reflecting the Spirit. By utilizing multiple Sequence Stigmata to compress the sensory radius of Cold River Reflected Moon, he sacrificed range for practically invincible, absolute perception within a limited area, even gaining the ability to foresee the immediate future to an extent.
This S-A Rank skill was far more complex than its panel description suggested.
How could Fuli not know how tricky the Heaven-Smiting General before him was?
But the moment he activated Ancient Mirror Reflecting the Spirit and compressed his perception to a ten-meter radius, simply opening his eyes revealed a world of unprecedented clarity. The flow of microscopic particles in the air, the surging energy within bodies, the interwoven trajectories of gravity and spacetime, the convergence of countless causal threads...
Infinite information converged into a torrent, presenting a transparent world.
Combined with the exquisite Instant Strike, he could perceive and sever even the Primordial State of the Origin Strike: Star Shatter.
Within ten steps, all phenomena are killed!
And the Heaven-Smiting General, a master of martial arts, was the perfect whetstone for Fuli to sharpen this new skill!
It was like hearing about a weapon with global range during a military parade. A Chinese listener's first reaction would be to find a target and test fire it—otherwise, what was the point of climbing that tech tree?
Simultaneously, as if sensing their master's battle intent, two divine entities—one cyan, one white—manifested behind them.
Majestic forms, part dragon, part fox.
Colossal bodies treading upon cyan flames.
"ROAR——!"
"ROAR——!"
The two sides faced off, their auras clashing violently!
Bailu stared, dumbfounded.
She recognized the entity Feixiao summoned. It was the manifestation of the divine authority granted to the Yaoqing General by the Southern Heavenly Gate Project—the spirit of supreme speed, known as Feihuang.
Bailu also recognized the one behind Fuli. Fu Xuan's report had mentioned it: a summon-type creature called the Manifestation of the Heart Beast, possessing strength equal to its master.
Even though she had seen photos of the Manifestation of the Heart Beast before, seeing the two in the same frame, their startling ferocity and resemblance still shocked Bailu to her core.
Looking at their masters, who wore identical, dashing smiles and radiated soaring battle intent, a thought involuntarily popped into the Dragon Lady's head:
General Feixiao and Brother Fuli... were they separated at birth or something?
"Naturally not." A faint snort echoed in her ear. "Their origins are both clearly documented, and their ages are vastly different."
"Oh—eh?"
Realizing something, Bailu turned around just as a strand of pink hair brushed past her neck.
"General Fu Xuan? When did you get here?" The Dragon Lady was surprised. "Didn't you cover Qingque's shift at the Divination Commission so she could come to the banquet?"
"In these troubled times, why do you think I would specifically have her attend the banquet in my place?"
The corners of Fu Xuan's lips curled up slightly.
"Hehehe..."
Not far away, Qingque was scratching the back of her head, holding a teleportation device in her other hand, wearing her trademark 'slacker' smile.
Jiaoqiu seemed to realize something. "General Master Diviner... could it be that this current scene was already foreseen in your Matrix of Prescience calculations?"
"With the Wardance imminent, as a General, it is indeed inconvenient for me to leave the Seat of Divine Foresight for long. However, sparing a moment to mediate... that much I can manage."
In truth, she also intended to return the favor to Fuli. After all, she had lost control and caused a ruckus in Hyperion territory last time.
So, Fu Xuan took a step forward, her voice cool but carrying undeniable weight. "You two, could you do me a favor and call it a draw?"
"Sure."
Faced with the Master Diviner General—who had generously gifted him the Origin Strike: Star Shatter cultivation method, given him the Azure Dragon Mecha for free, and signed a pile of cooperation agreements on behalf of the Luofu—Fuli (who was fundamentally coerced by the money-devouring beast Mei to be obsessed with profit) agreed with exceptional readiness.
Also, it helped that she had shown up in her adult form.
Thinking about how the inside of this oneesan form was actually a tiny little Xuan-bao, and that her dignity and bust size were all just for show... Fuli wouldn't mock her, but he genuinely found it adorable.
The General's cloud-patterned white stockings were, as always, top-tier.
The problem lay with Feixiao.
If she were sober, she would have gone with the flow and used Fu Xuan's intervention as an excuse to step down.
But drunks were notoriously unreasonable creatures.
"Where... where did this little pipsqueak come from? Hic!"
The tall, beautiful Foxian looked down her nose, pointing a finger shakily at Fu Xuan. She tossed her white hair, wild and untamed. "This... This General is about to invite her darling back to the Yaoqing as a guest! Don't... Don't you dare ruin my fun!"
D-Darling?!!
Fu Xuan's pupils quaked as she whipped her head toward Qingque.
Another reason she had sent Qingque was that with so many powerhouses gathering on the Luofu, the chaotic Honkai energy and information sources were interfering with her divination, blurring her usually clear foresights.
Qingque might look like a slacker, but she was a qualified confidant. If an emergency arose, she could handle it to some extent.
But where did this 'darling' come from?!!
"I don't know!"
Qingque shook her head like a rattle drum. "Maybe... maybe it's just nonsense she's spouting because she's drunk?"
"It is not nonsense."
Jiaoqiu keenly captured that delightfully subtle atmosphere.
Channeling his inner follower of Aha the Elation, he spread his hands and feigned a sigh. "Did you all not know? One of the reasons General Feixiao returned from the frontlines was to find a partner to spend the rest of her life with. And Mr. Fuli here happens to perfectly match her... ahem, aesthetic."
"THERE! IS! SUCH! A! THING?!"
Bailu's eyes lit up like high-powered searchlights, wishing she could ignite the eternal Golden Eyes next door. Her dragon tail spun behind her like a helicopter rotor in sheer excitement.
"Whoa!"
Driven by the updraft, she actually floated a little off the ground!
"Holy crap! I knew that guy's red strings of fate were tangled up like a cocoon! How did he hook up with another one in such a short time?"
Qingque looked pained, once again congratulating herself on her wisdom in staying far away from Fuli.
But the problem was...
She looked at her own General. Pink bangs hung down, obscuring her eyes and the bridge of her nose, making her expression unreadable.
"General?"
The little sparrow called out tentatively.
Fu Xuan took a deep breath, her voice abnormally calm. "I am fine."
To be honest, based solely on those possible futures and the immersive sense of substitution, she only had a favorable impression of Fuli at best. It was far from being ready to spend a life together.
Yeah, even if they got married, at most I'd just lose that precious angel of a daughter who has eyes sparkling like stars, hair smelling like sunshine, who rubs her soft little cheek against me whenever she's bored, lying on my lap like a docile kitten, clutching my clothes tightly with her little hand, and saying 'I love Mama the most!' in a milky voice that could melt the harshest winter...
It's something that doesn't exist. It vanished before it was even born.
Small matter. It's all a small matter...
"General Feixiao."
The seemingly calm voice spoke again.
"Hmm?"
The drunkard in question glanced over bleary-eyed.
"As an apology for spoiling your fun..."
Fu Xuan's body slowly floated up until she was level with Feixiao, golden light flashing in her eyes.
"How about I be your opponent for this spar?"
The next moment—
"Nine Heavens Thunder Sound, Universal Transformation Celestial Worthy, HEED!"
Imperial heavenly might descended upon command!
Blazing lightning summoned by the Divine Firmament Cross Heavenly Scripture Thunder Arts tore through the sky, striking straight at the target!
"Switching opponents? Haha! Good!"
Bathed in lightning, Feixiao didn't get angry; instead, she rejoiced, the drunkenness and battle lust in her eyes burning even hotter. "I've been wanting to fight someone of your type for a long, long time!"
Laughing, she swung a hand-blade, and a majestic, crescent-shaped wave of qi tore through the atmosphere!
"Axe Piercing the Heaven's Rush!"
"Yin-Yang Transformation!"
"Ascending the Milky Way!"
"Taiwei Constellation Chess!"
Two figures instantly transformed into streaks of cyan and pink light, shooting straight into the sky. The shockwaves from their clashing moves cleared the surrounding clouds, and deafening booms echoed from afar.
The night sky was immediately painted with alternating splashes of brilliant energy—sometimes cyan light overwhelmed the pink clouds, sometimes lightning tore through the axe's gleam!
"Wait, why are they fighting each other?"
Only Little Li—demoted from protagonist to random bystander—stood dumbfounded, feeling like he'd just wet his pants.
Others watched the spectacle, but only he knew the warmth and coldness of his own situation.
Beside him, Jiaoqiu patted his shoulder and pointed to the camera drones in the distance, which were fleeing faster than anyone.
"To have two Generals fighting over you out of jealousy... tomorrow's headlines will surely be spectacular. Truly worthy of the Lord of Hyperion. Extraordinary charisma."
[SHOCKING! Two Female Xianzhou Generals Draw Blades Over a Fresh Meat! Is it a Distortion of XP or a Decline in Morality?!]
[Why did the General's Heart Surrender So Easily? Little Guizi Takes You on an Exclusive Investigation into the Rebellious Taste Buds of High-Ranking Officials!]
"Wait, aren't you guys jamming the drone signals?"
They were originally, but Jiaoqiu had canceled it at the last minute.
During the festival, how could a full-blown brawl on the deck not count as a special program?
It could hype up the atmosphere, intimidate potential troublemakers, and get revenge on the drunkard causing trouble. It was killing three birds with one stone!
At this moment, another hand landed on Fuli's shoulder.
He turned to find Yanqing, who had returned, smiling at him. "Since it's come to this, let's eat first."
"You sure know how to pick your timing!" Bailu couldn't help but retort. "In this aspect alone, you're exactly like General Jing Yuan."
Fu Xuan and Feixiao fighting to the death in the sky—oh wait, sparring until the heavens went dark—didn't affect the hotpot banquet in the slightest.
And since there were plenty of Qingqiu Guards on deck now, Jiaoqiu simply waved his hand and had hundreds of copper pots brought out, turning it into a lively, massive team-building event.
Thanks to Feixiao's absence, even alcohol was brought to the tables this time.
Bailu was in high spirits, directing the warship to hover over the Scalegorge Waterscape's ancient moonlit sea to catch countless rare fish fresh from the source.
Possessing the passive skill of "Rapidly Bonding with People," Fuli took the opportunity to get chummy with the soldiers.
As they chatted, he heard the Foxians worrying about shedding and hair loss, so he smoothly recommended the Overlord Shampoo produced by Massive Electric, making a tidy profit.
The only effect of this stuff was highly efficient hair growth promotion, leaving new hair fluffy and shiny without extra care.
Even Jiaoqiu praised it after trying it. "This Overlord stuff! Ooh! Duang duang!"
The kids were so happy they couldn't speak.
Makes sense. To the Foxian race, tails were as important as ears—crucial components for boosting one's attractiveness.
Many Foxian women even had to groom their tails meticulously with boxwood combs every night, apply scented balms to the roots, and wrap them in plain cloud-silk before sleeping to ensure their tails were soft and fluffy the next day.
"Hehehe... fish soup is here!"
Bailu brought over a large batch of Tiger-Dragon Fish, a specialty of the Scalegorge Waterscape.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas: Classic of the Southern Mountains, this fish had the body of a fish and the tail of a snake, sounded like a mandarin duck, and those who ate it would not suffer from swellings and could cure hemorrhoids.
Translated: It cures carbuncles and hemorrhoids, possessing both medicinal and culinary properties. It had almost no bones and tasted incredibly delicious, as if born to be eaten.
In reality, this fish was a food source selectively bred by the ancient Vidyadhara for themselves. Just simple steaming was enough to leave a lingering fragrance in one's mouth.
Everyone ate and drank merrily, the banquet atmosphere becoming increasingly enthusiastic.
It wasn't until midnight that the guests were satisfied and returned to their respective homes.
Considering the girls would be asleep by now, Fuli didn't return to the encampment.
He strolled to the haunted house he had bought earlier, planning to make do there for the night.
"Goodnight, Makka Pakka."
He closed his eyes, drifting to sleep.
But less than ten minutes after stripping down and crawling into his bedroll, a bone-chilling sword light tore through the air, slashing precisely at his sleeping spot!
"Who is it?!"
Crouching on a lotus flower condensed from void-steps in mid-air, Fuli looked warily at the intruder.
Silvery hair like moonlight.
Deep, lightweight, form-fitting black armor.
A cold glint flowing along the Epiphyllum sword in her hand.
Combat boots outlining long, slender legs.
Jingliu stood silently in place, staring expressionlessly at the boy.
While the Fragmentum was expanded, she raised her hand, sending several more cold sword energies tearing through the air!
"Oh right, almost forgot there was a sparring partner sealed in the Fragmentum."
Fuli, disturbed from his sweet dreams, wasn't annoyed in the slightest. His lazy body instantly filled with power.
The katana he had grabbed while getting up unsheathed with a clang, its silvery-white blade light cascading like a waterfall to shatter the incoming frosty sword energy!
Then, confusion set in.
When I finished up last time, I definitely sealed that weird High-Cloud Quintet fusion. Why has she reverted to the original Sword Immortal Jingliu form?
And that black blindfold...
"Ugh!"
Distracted for a split second, several strands of sword energy struck his face.
Despite his lightning-fast reaction to dodge, cuts appeared on his cheek, blood trickling down.
"Ah, screw it! Who cares!"
Guess the Fragmentum evolved and mutated on its own again.
Fuli laughed, swinging his blade wrapped in ideal fluid to meet her head-on!
Hehe, kill!
The figures of the man and woman intertwined and separated, and the night flashed by in an instant.
The next day, early morning.
Morning light filtered through the sparse clouds, barely illuminating the deserted stone path in front of the mansion.
"I... I'm dying..."
Clutching his aching, sore lower back, Old Li held onto the mottled doorframe with his other hand, leaving the mansion with a pale face.
Gaunt cheeks, lifeless eyes, staggering steps... he looked like he had been utterly drained dry by Jingliu. Not a single drop left. It was as if his body had been hollowed out.