『 [ General Jing Yuan, General Huaiyan, as we expected… the rising of the Ambrosial Arbor is not the end of the matter, but only the beginning. ]
[ That hand reaching out from the Antimatter Legion toward the Xianzhou has already planted the seeds of Ruin. ]
[ From this moment until the unseen future, the Xianzhou Alliance will face even more terrifying challenges—a dual challenge from both Destruction and the Abominations of Abundance. ]
[ If that is what they want, I am ready to accompany them at any time! ]
[ In my capacity as the Marshal's Special Envoy, I will deploy the Luofu Cloud Knights to launch a hunt for Hoolay. ]
Feixiao exchanged a few glances with Jing Yuan and Huaiyan, and made her decision.
[ The thing beneath the water's surface has finally become unable to restrain itself. ]
[ And what I must do, as I said before, is to clear the turbid and bring forth the clear. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Miss Xueyi successfully delivered the message!"
March 7th: "That's wonderful."
Yunli: "Are those Cycrane birds flying faster than us?"
Yanqing: "I think it's more because the jailbreak in the Shackling Prison happened way too far ahead of us."
Furina de Fontaine: "It feels like although the three generals take this very seriously, they aren't surprised at all."
Qingque: "Didn't we say before? General Jing Yuan already had the intention of fishing."
Qingque: "And now, the fish is finally breaking the surface."
Hu Tao: "So next, is General Feixiao going to suppress Hoolay, while General Jing Yuan goes to capture the traitor?"
Hu Tao: "If that's the case, it feels like Hoolay won't be able to cause much of a stir, right?"
Stelle: "Don't celebrate too early. Once a guy like Hoolay escapes to the civilian areas and starts a slaughter…"
Stelle: "During such a sensitive period, the Luofu's reputation would be completely dragged through the mud."
March 7th: "I don't think Hoolay would do that, would he?"
March 7th: "If I were him, right now I'd want nothing more than to keep a low profile so I wouldn't be found, just to escape."
Mualani: "A normal person would definitely choose that."
Mualani: "But these Borisin are so brutal, it's hard to say."
Paimon: "I think we should evacuate the civilians on the streets right now."
Paimon: "And then increase security measures."
Lumine: "But if we do that, wouldn't it cause widespread panic?"
Ningguang: "The only strategy for now is to swiftly arrest Hoolay before the civilians realize anything is amiss, to minimize the impact of the situation."
Hotaru: "Since General Feixiao has decided to take action herself, it feels like it's not impossible to achieve."
Silver Wolf: "I don't think it's hard. After all, she's a general who leads troops in battle in the Alliance. Her strength must be quite formidable."
....
『 After the three generals at the Seat of Divine Foresight received the news, reinforcements quickly arrived at the Shackling Prison.
The chaotic and out-of-control Shackling Prison was suppressed and taken over once again.
Stelle, Dan Heng, and the others also emerged safely from the Shackling Prison.
The scene shifted.
Some time had already passed since Hoolay's escape.
Stelle arrived at the streets of Central Starskiff Haven and met up with Yanqing.
[ Seriously, when is this Wardance going to start? The Skysplitter has been hovering there for ages. When can we board and see what's inside? ]
As Stelle approached Yanqing, she overheard the conversation of several Outworlder tourists nearby.
[ Is this the lifestyle of the long-life species? ]
[ The pace is so slow. ]
[ The expected utility value in my emotional center is rising to unprecedented heights. ]
[ No, I need to drink some coolant to cool it down. ]
Hearing its companion's words, the nearby Intellitron also chimed in.
[ Don't worry. As long as we've bought the tickets, the Realm-Keeping Commission will send us the boarding notice in advance. ]
[ I saw on the newsletter that before the ceremony begins, the Skysplitter will fire a ceremonial salute! ]
A local Xianzhou resident overheard their conversation and chimed in.
[ Looking at the schedule for the first day, the defending swordsman, representing the host, has accepted four challenges in one go? ]
[ I heard he's just a half-grown kid. Is that for real? ]
[ Bardeau, which side are you betting on to win? ]
The Pepeshi tourist thought for a moment and curiously asked their Intellitron companion.
[ I am not betting on either side. ]
[ I lost all my credits betting on Roboball games in Taikiyan. ]
[ This time, I have decided to stop pinning my hopes on games of probability to complete the task process of getting rich quick… ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Mualani: "It's Miss Stelle!"
Mualani: "It looks like the Shackling Prison got its reinforcements; they're saved!"
Hanya: "Yes. Without Hoolay, as long as they wait for the support of the Cloud Knights, the other rioting fugitives in the Shackling Prison won't be able to make any waves."
Guinaifen: "Um, as the Wardance gets closer and closer, the excitement of these tourists is reaching unprecedented heights!"
Guinaifen: "If it's suddenly announced now that the Wardance is temporarily canceled…"
Guinaifen: "These people would probably be extremely disappointed, wouldn't they?"
Yukong: "But if the situation gets out of hand and it really comes to a last resort, we will have no choice but to cancel the Wardance temporarily."
Yukong: "Although preparing for the Wardance has cost a great deal of manpower, energy, and financial resources…"
Yukong: "Compared to the safety of the people… it is still not worth mentioning…"
Stelle: "Phantylia really knows how to pick her timing!"
Stelle: "I just don't get it. Is the Antimatter Legion really that arrogant now?"
Stelle: "Directly trying to make a move on the Xianzhou Alliance?"
Silver Wolf: "Is it possible that the Antimatter Legion isn't afraid of anyone in the first place?"
Silver Wolf: "After all, their ultimate goal is to destroy the entire universe."
Silver Wolf: "From their standpoint, they are essentially making an enemy of the entire universe."
Qingque: "What an outrageous faction."
Qingque: "It leaves one with absolutely no idea how to even comment on them."
Lumine: "Can Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, actually succeed?"
Lumine: "I feel like there's absolutely no hope, right?"
Lumine: "The other Aeons would absolutely never allow Him to destroy the entire universe."
Furina de Fontaine: "I feel like their ultimate end will be similar to the Aeon of Propagation."
Furina de Fontaine: "But before that happens, the living beings in the universe will suffer terribly."
Paimon: "Ah, I suddenly remembered the War of the Aeons we talked about before."
Paimon: "Could it be that a War of the Aeons, triggered by Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, will break out in the near future?"
Paimon: "If so, what kind of role will the Express crew play?"
Stelle: "What kind of role?"
Stelle: "Hmm… I shall strike in the form of an Aeon!"
Stelle: "And ruthlessly sweep away the other Aeons in the War of the Aeons to ascend to the throne of the God-King!"
March 7th: "Diagnosed as… delusions from reading too many web novels…"
March 7th: "If a War of the Aeons really happens, we should run as far away as we can…"
March 7th: "Otherwise, just a single aftershock would turn us to ash."
....
『 [ The Wardance, sigh… ]
Yanqing also heard the conversation of those few people, and couldn't help but sigh.
And at this moment, Stelle also walked up to Yanqing.
[ Teacher, you're here. ]
[ I heard that you and Mr. Dan Heng went to see the Judges, and then the entire Shackling Prison fell into chaos. I was so worried about you. ]
[ It's good that you two are alright. ]
Seeing Stelle arrive, Yanqing turned around and greeted her.
[ Yeah, a riot broke out in the Shackling Prison… Fortunately, we were protected by the guards and waited until the Cloud Knights came to the rescue. ]
[ What happened on your end? ]
Stelle briefly explained her experience and then asked Yanqing.
[ I originally planned to take March and Yunli to Stargazer Navalia to look at the Skysplitter, but unexpectedly, a group of Foxians of unknown origin but holding official identities appeared there. ]
[ They behaved very strangely. ]
[ Out of curiosity, we tracked them down, only to find out that they were actually Borisin disguised as Foxians! ]
[ From some clues, they entered Stargazer Navalia to prepare for Hoolay's escape, but by a stroke of luck, we stumbled upon them. ]
[ Who provided these guys with their disguised identities? ]
[ Using the Wardance as cover, how many more of these disguised impostors have sneaked into the Xianzhou? ]
The more Yanqing thought about it, the more his head hurt, and his face filled with worry.
[ What does the Seat of Divine Foresight plan to do? ]
Stelle wanted to know how the generals planned to handle the matter at this time.
[ The Borisin traveled thousands of miles to infiltrate the Luofu, attempting to use schemes and intrigues to rescue their leader… ]
[ This entire matter is far too suspicious. It doesn't seem like the work of the Borisin, but rather bears some resemblance to the actions of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus during the previous Ambrosial Arbor crisis. ]
[ The three generals are on high alert. All of them have taken action, intending to uproot the fugitives and the instigators to prevent further trouble. ]
[ However, if these Borisin can disguise themselves as Foxians… Where do we even begin to dig these guys out? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Paimon: "Oh right…"
Paimon: "All of these Borisin can disguise themselves as Foxians, and it seems even Hoolay can do it too…"
Paimon: "So if they blend into the crowd, how are we supposed to tell them apart?"
Lumine: "Could it be that we have to rely on intuition?"
Lumine: "Or like Mr. Jiaoqiu, relying on scent?"
Jiaoqiu: "Using scent to distinguish will always have margins of error."
Jiaoqiu: "This method is not entirely reliable."
Stelle: "We might not be able to immediately discover those scattered, low-level Borisin minions' disguises."
Stelle: "But searching for Hoolay and his group shouldn't be that hard."
Stelle: "Because they have Jiaoqiu with them!"
March 7th: "That's right! As long as we find Mr. Jiaoqiu, we can find Hoolay!"
March 7th: "And looking on the bright side, Yanqing, Yunli, and I have already inadvertently disrupted the Borisin's plan to steal a ship and escape from Stargazer Navalia."
March 7th: "So Hoolay won't be able to escape anytime soon, right?"
Qingque: "Without a means of transport, they definitely can't escape."
Qingque: "In other words, Hoolay is currently trapped within the Luofu."
Hu Tao: "Next, we just need to catch a turtle in a jar!"
Hu Tao: "But this turtle is a bit fierce; we must be careful not to get bitten!"
....
『 [ Those tourists are talking about you… ]
Seeing Yanqing's worried expression, Stelle decided to change the subject.
[ Yeah, I heard them too. ]
[ However, they are going to be disappointed. ]
[ I have already reported to the General and given up my status as the defending swordsman. ]
Yanqing shook his head and said something that surprised Stelle.
[ What? Are you not going to defend the title anymore? ]
[ Didn't you prepare for this for a long time? ]
Stelle asked in confusion.
[ To me, the current safety of the Luofu takes priority. ]
[ Before taking on the glory of being the defending swordsman, I must first fulfill my duty as a Cloud Knight Lieutenant. ]
[ Those passing tourists, all they want is to enjoy a splendid sword fight. ]
[ For a contest like this, anyone can go. Why does it have to be me? ]
[ The real victory or defeat is not on the stage of the Skysplitter, but right here. ]
[ If we cannot capture the fugitives and bring them to justice as soon as possible, with Hoolay's notoriously vicious nature, he will surely turn everything upside down. ]
[ There is clearly someone meticulously planning behind this jailbreak, attempting to stir up chaos. If these people succeed, what honor is left for the Cloud Knights? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Paimon: "Wow!"
Paimon: "Is this what you call the bigger picture?"
Paimon: "Little Yanqing's speech really makes Paimon admire him so much."
Furina de Fontaine: "How is this a child?"
Furina de Fontaine: "This is clearly a young general who is as steady as they come, right?"
Feixiao: "Tsk, General Jing Yuan's ability to teach disciples is indeed impressive."
Feixiao: "If it were me teaching, I could only guarantee that his martial arts would be profound and that he'd be a great hand at killing enemies on the battlefield."
Feixiao: "But when it comes to conducting oneself in the world, I wouldn't really know how to teach it."
Zhongli: "Considering the overall situation, knowing when to advance or retreat, and not taking vanity as glory."
Zhongli: "Young Yanqing is truly a rare young talent in the world. He will be able to shoulder great responsibilities in the future!"
Yanqing: "Eh? So sudden… Everyone, please stop praising me…"
Yanqing: "I think at this very moment, anyone else would have made the same choice as me."
March 7th: "But you worked so hard for the Wardance for so long…"
March 7th: "Giving up just like this, don't you really feel any regret?"
Yanqing: "It would be a lie to say there are no regrets."
Yanqing: "But I can clearly distinguish what is more important."
Yunli: "Little brother Yanqing, for the sake of this spirit of yours, I take back some of my previous prejudices against you."
Yunli: "Although you seem indecisive, you don't hesitate when it comes to major matters."
Yunli: "I reluctantly acknowledge you!"
Yanqing: "Hmph, who wants your acknowledgment?"
Hu Tao: "So if little brother Yanqing isn't participating… will Miss Yunli still participate?"
Yunli: "Since I can't beat up this kid, what's the point of me participating?"
Yunli: "I most likely won't participate either."
Qingque: "Sigh, not being able to watch you two fight to the death to see who's better is indeed a pity…"
....
『 [ Well said. ]
[ Though your height doesn't even beat a folding stool, the little kid of the Luofu has an ambition that doesn't lose to the warriors of Yaoqing. ]
Suddenly, a clear and teasing voice rang out.
It was General Feixiao, who at some point had appeared at a nearby tea table.
[ This has nothing to do with height, right? ]
Hearing Feixiao bring up his height, Yanqing was somewhat speechless.
[ General, what are you doing here? ]
[ Haven't you all mobilized? ]
Seeing Feixiao appear here as if nothing was wrong, Stelle was suddenly a bit dumbfounded.
[ I asked Yanqing to pick a place where we could eat and drink our fill. ]
[ Before the hunt, the hunter must also make full preparations. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "???"
Stelle: "No way, General?"
Stelle: "The situation is already so urgent…"
Stelle: "And you're planning to eat first?"
Feixiao: "What of it?"
Feixiao: "A person needs food to function."
Feixiao: "No matter how strong a hunter is, if they don't eat their fill, they can only return empty-handed."
Boothill: "Hahaha, as expected of the General of the Yaoqing. Just this philosophy alone is way ahead of the curve!"
Boothill: "Makes a lot of sense. Only when you're full do you have the mother-fudgin' strength to do big things!"
March 7th: "Uh… things have already reached this point, can General Feixiao really swallow her food?"
March 7th: "If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to eat."
Silver Wolf: "Is it possible that General Feixiao is completely unhurried because she doesn't even take Hoolay seriously?"
Silver Wolf: "With three generals holding the fort, if they really can't capture a single Hoolay, then…"
Silver Wolf: "I'd find that hard to believe."
Dan Heng: "With three heavenly generals gathered, if they cannot resolve the matter of Hoolay, they would have even less capability to deal with the far more troublesome Antimatter Legion!"
Dan Heng: "And that is obviously impossible."
Black Swan: "I feel that Hoolay's end is basically already predetermined."
Black Swan: "Now we just have to see what kind of struggle he can put up before being suppressed once again."
....