Tail quickly shook his head. "No, you're underestimating yourself. Progress? You're practically fearless! Charging into something this dangerous all alone? I'm starting to think it's not a lack of courage—you're just brainless!"
[As expected of Uncle Tail, still so snarky, hahaha.] [Why do I get Li Yunlong vibes?] [Is this how you comfort someone? Hey! Answer me, Uncle Tail!]
Huohuo pouted. "W-Well, what was I supposed to do? I knew Cirrus was probably lying, but what if I missed my chance to find you?"
"Hold it, hold it! Let's not talk about that." Tail paused, his tone softening. "Hey, Huohuo, is it really because of me that everyone left you?"
Huohuo didn't hesitate, her eyes sparkling with joy as she looked at Tail. "At least now, Tail came back for me. That's enough for me."
[Huohuo's too kind.]
[I just want to hug Huohuo, sob sob sob…]
[They feel like father and daughter. It's such a warm feeling.]
Tail let out a relieved chuckle. "Since you put it that way, your Uncle Tail's not gonna feel guilty, got it?" He locked eyes with Huohuo.
"Sigh, I still gotta keep an eye on you to make sure you don't cause some huge mess! Oh, and there's still a problem to deal with—that hiding heliobi, get out here now!"
Tail's voice echoed through the entire space. A blue fireball suddenly appeared behind Huohuo. The next moment, Tail's form underwent a massive transformation, like the fiercest beast in the world, part wolf, part tiger.
He opened his gaping maw. At the same time, Huohuo's body was enveloped in a green glow. In unison, they shouted, "Don't even think about running!"
[Holy crap, so cool!]
[Is this Uncle Tail's true form? Damn!]
[He looks kinda like a wolf, tsk tsk tsk, unreal. I knew it—Tail's the strongest fragment of Ignamar, no wonder.]
[Didn't notice how Huohuo, possessed by Tail, got that tone, that vibe—so badass!]
At that moment, Huohuo formed hand signs, her waist-bound command flag floating in the air, her talismans dancing in the wind, encircling the blue heliobi. Her hands began weaving seals, her expression stern, her gaze sharp. "Ghosts of the nine uglies, I know your names. Be seized at once, linger no longer."
"As I command…"
Instantly, a massive Eight Oddities Array formed beneath Huohuo's feet, green flames engulfing it entirely. With a pained wail, the next scene showed the heliobi sealed inside the gourd.
[Whoa, is this the Huohuo I know?]
[This is Huohuo with Tail! Those seals, those moves, that tone—I'm in love!]
[Is this the soft, squishy, yet resolute Huohuo?]
[Uncle Tail, my apologies. I didn't know you could be this cool and make Huohuo this cool too!]
[Huohuo's final expression!]
Back in Cloudford, the group anxiously watched Huohuo in the sky.
Before long, the green flames enveloping her dissipated, and her body slowly descended as she opened her eyes.
Guinaifen looked at Huohuo excitedly. "You're awake, Huohuo! Tail's 'surgery' was a success!"
Huohuo shook her head, glancing at the group around her. "Huh, huh?! Lady Xueyi, Miss Gui, Sushang, and… Miss Nameless…"
She immediately bowed. "Thank you all. Did you bring Tail back?"
Guinaifen waved her hand. "What's the big deal? You're our captain, of course we had to bring him back!"
"Oh, the little scaredy-cat's a captain now? Not bad." Tail looked at Huohuo with interest, a hint of pride in his eyes.
Huohuo blushed. "It's just… Miss Guinaifen calls me that." Sushang glanced between Huohuo and Tail, suddenly speaking up.
"So, Tail really is Huohuo's tail!"
Tail: "What are you talking about?"
Xueyi interrupted their reunion. "Cirrus schemed and schemed but clearly didn't expect Tail was already back by Huohuo's side. Its plan to hijack a judge has completely failed. If we bring Huohuo before it, it'll surely crush its spirit."
At that moment, a call came through Xueyi's communicator. "Lady Xueyi! Urgent report from Fyxestroll Garden! The suppressed heliobi… it's stirring again!"
Xueyi hung up, her brows furrowing. "It seems Cirrus didn't know Tail's whereabouts but figured out how to divert everyone's attention."
Stelle nodded thoughtfully "This is Cirrus's ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain."
Xueyi didn't comment, starting to analyze. "That thing may seem belligerent and reckless, but it's truly cunning… It loves to call people 'pawns' and situations a 'chess game.' One moment of carelessness, and it's backed us into a corner. It seems the 'endgame' General Jing Yuan has been delaying is coming early. Sushang, go to the Seat of Divine Foresight and fetch the General. We'll head to Fyxestroll Garden now, before things become irreparable. Let's play a game with Cirrus."
Sushang received her orders and immediately boarded a starskiff. The others rushed to Fyxestroll Garden.
Before long, under Xueyi's lead, they stood before Cirrus, surrounded by previously sealed heliobi floating beside it.
Cirrus smacked its lips at the sight of them. "Tch, tch, the slow-witted Ten-Lords judge finally returns?" Suddenly, Tail appeared, glaring at Cirrus.
"Well, well, isn't this Uncle Tail?" Cirrus feigned a startled expression, though Tail's return was within its expectations.
"Seeing you back as a guard dog, how delightful. Pity, after last time's lesson, I gave up including you in my plans. Even the strongest fragment of Ignamar, burdened with excess emotions, is just a useless thing."
Tail's voice carried authority and anger.
"Who're you calling useless?!" Xueyi, unfazed, probed.
"The Ten-Lords' arrays still hold. Heliobi can't leave Fyxestroll Garden. Your so-called scheme is just a trapped beast's struggle."
Cirrus curled its lips. "I never planned to leave. I awoke in the furnace and came to Fyxestroll Garden for one thing—to fight your Luofu General. Your General loves his 'delaying tactics,' so I went along, scheming for you all, gathering heliobi here as my strength! Thanks to you, I've amassed the power of all the heliobi sealed in Fyxestroll Garden. Everything's ready—I just need the General to enter the game. But first, as agreed, I'll wipe out you pawns without mercy!"
With that, the previously subdued heliobi merged into Cirrus's body. Everyone drew their weapons, ready for a fierce battle. After a few rounds of fighting, the group fell back several steps, while Cirrus, hands in pockets, didn't even consider them opponents.
Huohuo turned to Tail. "This guy keeps coming back no matter how many times we knock it down… Tail, what do we do?"
Tail looked confident. "Don't worry. Though heliobi lack physical form, they can be defeated by tangible things. Cirrus is just holding on. Once it believes it's lost mentally, even the strongest heliobi can't regroup like this."
"Like when Ignamar fought the General? When a heliobi realizes 'defeat is inevitable,' it falls apart?"
"Exactly. And if anyone can make it truly collapse now, it's him…"
As they spoke, the camera zoomed to a close-up of two pairs of legs. One was Sushang, who'd gone for reinforcements. The other was the General of the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Cirrus opened its eyes, seeing the approaching figures. "You've finally come, Luofu's General. Ready to face me in this game?"
Jing Yuan took center stage, speaking slowly. "'Break through the center, and I'll resume our ancient battle.' My word is my bond. But, as I said before, Teng Xiao and Ignamar were evenly matched back then. For you, Cirrus, this chess match was never fair—my strength far surpasses yours. 'Following rules' and 'equal footing' are illusions chess players cling to. Let me teach you how to end the game."
[Cool! My strength surpasses yours.]
[My pain surpasses yours.]
[My art style surpasses yours.]
Cirrus's possessed underworld agent grew massive, striking a pose like Ultraman Seven. "Human victories mean nothing to me. We have our own rules."
It stomped heavily, grinning as it extended a giant finger, aiming to crush the General like an ant.
Golden lightning crackled around Jing Yuan. Cirrus's attack arrived as expected, kicking up clouds of dust. Suddenly, a pair of golden hands seized Cirrus's fist. From its pupils, the silhouette of the Divine Lord appeared.
The camera shifted to an overhead view. With special effects, even the massive Cirrus looked tiny compared to the Divine Lord. Thunder rumbled through the air as the Divine Lord swung a mighty slash.
Just say it's cool and call it a day.
Cirrus clutched its head with both hands. The next moment, Jing Yuan pressed two fingers to Cirrus's forehead, a slight smirk on his lips. "Checkmate."
[Radiant spirit, heed my word!]
[So cool I'm dead!]
[As expected of a Stand user.]
[Some beings on the ground dare face the might of thunder.]
[Cirrus was all smug, but the moment it saw the Divine Lord, its eyes cleared right up.]
[Calm and composed, miHoYo really knows how to design characters.]
[Effortless grace, wielded with ease.]
[The Divine General is so cool!]
[Why does he feel both gentle and badass?]
[This is too cool. I want a novel where the protagonist has Divine Lord powers. Any recommendations?]
[Oh, there's one! 'Starting with Jing Yuan' wrote a Honkai crossover fanfic. Click their profile to read it. The protagonist's based on Jing Yuan and has Divine Lord powers. It's amazing!]
[I've had it on my bookshelf forever. Kept me up all night.]
[I've read it over a hundred times.]
[Yes, yes, yes!]
A notification floated across the bullet comment interface.
[Irrelevant comments have been banned. Please enjoy the show and maintain a positive comment atmosphere. Do not post unrelated comments.]
[??? What the heck?]
[Whatever, doesn't affect General Jing Yuan's coolness!]
Cirrus lowered its head in frustration.
"I concede." Jing Yuan clasped his hands behind his back.
"Well fought."
"I'm no Ignamar… just a dim flame, a useless thing."
"Challenging the General of the Emperor's Bow and luring him into battle with your schemes? That's not something a 'useless thing' could do."
Cirrus glared at Jing Yuan. "The victor's fake humility is nauseating."
"Though heliobi reflect human desires, their fierce blaze…"
Jing Yuan walked behind Cirrus, smiling lightly. "Is truly magnificent. Neither General Teng Xiao nor I would mock such an opponent."
[Haha, Cirrus got completely tamed?]
[As expected of General Jing Yuan, such class!]
[Weak? Train more, weak? Train more!]
Cirrus let out a heavy sigh, its spirit completely broken. "A loss is a loss—Cirrus only sought to fight the General, not to win. I'm satisfied. As for what's next…"
Jing Yuan's expression grew serious. "Next, eternal punishment awaits you. For an undying flame, losing freedom and being trapped in an empty void prison is worse than extinction. Cirrus, that is your fate."
"Yes, but so what…" Cirrus glanced around.
"Mountains will crumble, seas will dry up, and heliobi will wait—wait for the day we regain freedom. That day will come. As long as the Xianzhou's General exists, I'll keep fighting him until the stars burn out."
With that, Cirrus's true form finally left the underworld agent's body. As expected, it was sealed into the gourd.
Stelle spoke with Jing Yuan, who expressed deep gratitude for the Astral Express's contributions and promised a token of appreciation.
He then left for official duties. Stelle approached Huohuo. With Xueyi's help, Tail's seal was redrawn, and Uncle Tail returned to Huohuo's tail. The two bickered as usual. Xueyi handed the task of sealing Cirrus to Huohuo and then left.
The scene shifted. The ghost-hunting squad had finished sealing Cirrus. Guinaifen pulled out her phone, smiling at Stelle. "Like before, it's all up to you!
Stelle opened the Luofu Miscellany and selected a title: "Overwhelmed by Work Stress, Young Girl Plans to Flee to the Stars."