[Jing Yuan is truly a great teacher.]
[Why haven't I ever met such a good teacher?]
[Popularity poll? I'm voting for Jing Yuan.]
[No way, my loyalty to Kafka is unwavering, as clear as the sun and moon.]
[I love Silver Wolf, I love Silver Wolf!]
Hearing Jing Yuan's words, Yanqing gradually steeled his resolve.
"General… I…"
A deep, commanding voice cut Yanqing off. "Break free from victory and defeat? That's just a comforting excuse for the dead and the defeated! Think back to your crushing loss at Dragonprayer Terrace! Recall the feeling of teetering on the edge of death. If, at that moment, the Stellaron Hunter's blade had pierced your body, you wouldn't even have the chance to stand here pondering the meaning of victory and defeat. Right now, this is your moment to surpass yourself and shatter all shackles. Draw your sword—against your teacher, against the General trying to confine you!"
[Blade would still give Jing Yuan some face; he wouldn't actually strike.]
[Blade: I'm not interfering, I'm out.]
[Blade's just helping Jing Yuan temper Yanqing's spirit. Was he a bit too heavy-handed, though?]
Yanqing slowly approached Jing Yuan. "General… please allow me… to demonstrate my swordsmanship. I hereby challenge you…"
But when his gaze met Jing Yuan's, he finally broke through the haze in his heart.
Immediately, Yanqing turned his head and shouted to the sky, "Teacher [Apyra]! I hereby challenge this sword array—and you!"
Apyra: "You've truly let down all my efforts, kid. Your potential was supposed to be limitless. What a pity—you're weighed down by too many pointless thoughts. But none of that matters now. While guiding you, I've come to know every single one of your moves like the back of my hand."
Suddenly, a red fireball transformed into its true form.
"Since you've challenged me, I shall accept. I'll use your own form and techniques to teach you this final lesson!"
[Hmm, final lesson.]
[Nice, final lesson.]
[Yeah, final lesson.]
[Is this some kind of meme?]
[No idea, sometimes people just spam random comments. I bet it's miHoYo hiring people to do it.]
[That makes sense!]
Yanqing stepped onto his flying sword, wielding six swords at his side and holding a treasured blade, charging toward the red blaze.
With a whoosh.
The flames shattered into pieces, but Apyra's laughter didn't fade.
"Your swordsmanship? I've memorized it all. Let me show you… how much power they hold under a merciless sword intent."
In the next moment, the flames coalesced again, taking on Yanqing's form.
Yanqing froze, staring at an enemy that was himself.
"Yanqing, no need."
Jing Yuan's words snapped him back to reality. "Conceal your form, clear your mind, and remain undisturbed."
Yanqing closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then snapped them open. "I understand!"
What followed was a dazzling display of special effects and a single, unbroken camera shot.
The two Yanqings clashed back and forth, as if taught by the same master, unable to break each other's techniques.
Before long, Yanqing seized an opening and struck a decisive blow. His sword broke, but he defeated Apyra's illusion.
He exhaled heavily. "This strike… was my lucky win."
Apyra lowered its head. "Well done… you've won."
Hearing this, the group let out a collective sigh of relief. Huohuo sealed Apyra into her gourd.
Once everything was settled, Yanqing sheepishly approached Jing Yuan.
"General…"
Jing Yuan raised a hand, stopping Yanqing's next words. "Hey, hey, hey. I'm old, so do me a favor and skip the sentimental stuff."
[Hahaha, classic Jing Yuan.]
[I'm dying laughing.]
[General Jing Yuan is adorable!]
[Jing Yuan's emotional intelligence is top-tier. He could tell Yanqing felt guilty and deliberately lightened the mood.]
[Jing Yuan's tone is killing me.]
Yanqing gave an awkward smile and turned to the ghost-hunting squad. "I still have to thank all of you for doing everything you could to free me from that illusion… especially Miss Sushang…"
Sushang waved her hand shyly.
"Oh, come on. Everyone possessed by heliobi loves apologizing, don't they? You're all victims—it's those pesky troublemakers running around causing chaos. If anything, I should thank you for holding back and struggling during our duel…"
Then, her tone shifted. "But who knows? Maybe my skills have just skyrocketed lately? Huohuo, Little Gui, Stelle, what do you think? Am I right or am I right?"
Stelle pointed at Sushang, grinning at the camera. "She's getting way too proud of herself."
"To go toe-to-toe with the General's top disciple for so long? I'd be proud too if it were me," Guinaifen said, suddenly struck by inspiration.
"No way, I'm buying you a front-page ad in the Luofu Gazette to brag about this!"
Sushang's mouth twitched. "You guys… making fun of me is your daily mission now, huh?"
Then came the usual posting time. Stelle chose a safe, standard title, fast-forwarding to a line she liked from the Artisanship Commission: "Huh?"
"Artisanship Commission's Latest Tech Goes Online, Expected to Boost Cloud Knights' Overall Combat Strength"
After everything was settled, the group returned to Fyxestroll Garden and sealed Apyra.
Huohuo recalled the day's events, still shaken.
"That was a close call. Thank goodness Miss Sushang was there."
Sushang scratched her head, embarrassed.
"Honestly, I know my own limits. If Yanqing hadn't been distracted fighting the heliobi's influence, I probably wouldn't have lasted until you all brought help."
"So why did three people go for reinforcements?" Stelle asked, voicing a question that had been nagging her all day.
"I'm curious too," Guinaifen chimed in. "One person would've been enough to get help. You should've kept a fighter like her there to help you." She pointed at Stelle.
Sushang scratched her head again. "Heh, kinda embarrassing to admit, but I got caught up in the heat of the moment and didn't think it through."
"What am I gonna do with you?" Guinaifen teased. "That hotheaded brain of yours probably needs a check-up at the Alchemy Commission."
"It was to protect you three!" Sushang protested. "Miss Huohuo needs protection. Little Gui, you're just a civilian—no need to take such a big risk. And Stelle? You're a guest of the Seat of Divine Foresight. If anything happened to you, it'd be a diplomatic incident. When you think about it, I was the only one who made sense to stay behind."
[Is this some soldier's instinct? Covering the civilians' retreat?]
[Bai Lu says Sushang's incurable—just eat better.]
Huohuo sighed. "If only Tail were still here… I wouldn't have held everyone back like this."
Seeing this, the group naturally shifted to comforting Huohuo about Tail.
Before long, the ghost-hunting squad officially disbanded. After saying their goodbyes, everyone left Fyxestroll Garden.
But the next morning, Stelle woke up to shocking news:
"Huohuo has gone missing!"