"A familiar sword..."
"Such an unforgettable strike... It's almost identical to the one that woman used to defeat me all those years ago."
After Feixiao entered the fray, Hoolay didn't hesitate to attack again. He braced himself against the ground, clutching his wounded side, his voice tinged with nostalgia.
"Seven hundred years have passed. I thought I'd finally found a way to counter it."
"But I never imagined I'd grown so dull after all this time..."
As Hoolay spoke, his gaze fell upon Yanqing, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Then he glanced at Yunli and March 7th.
"Congratulations. You've won this battle."
Victory is victory, and defeat is defeat, regardless of whether poison was involved.
Losing is losing, and as the Borisin Warlord, Hoolay would never seek excuses or shift blame. He acknowledged the strength of Yanqing and Yunli.
As for the pink-haired girl...
She had essentially been a bystander throughout the entire fight, never once being considered a target by Hoolay.
"Don't bother struggling, Hoolay," Feixiao warned, observing the Borisin Warlord, who seemed utterly drained of combat strength. "Once you return to The Shackling Prison, you'll have an eternity to wallow in regret and torment."
"This time, seven hundred years won't be enough to resolve this."
"Heh heh heh... I admit defeat. That much is true." Hearing these words, Hoolay remained unconcerned, his gaze fixed entirely on Feixiao. He chuckled, "But you've finally shown your face, Feixiao."
"You've finally come... you've come before me."
Though defeated in battle, Hoolay showed no signs of entering a "defeated CG." In fact, he showed none of the characteristics of a loser.
Hoolay had been waiting for Feixiao all along, anticipating her arrival. With her appearance, the glory of the Borisin Clan could be rekindled...
But before that...
Out of the corner of his eye, Hoolay glanced at Lumina, who was seated in the audience section.
The Emanator...
"Go... do what you want to do."
Just as Hoolay was wondering why Lumina could appear so openly on the Xianzhou, a voice echoed in his mind, instantly dispelling his confusion.
Right.
He didn't care why Lumina was on the Xianzhou or what her motives were.
Compared to the aloof Emanator, Hoolay was more concerned with the task at hand.
As long as the lofty Emanator didn't interfere, nothing else mattered.
So...
"Heh heh heh..." Hoolay snapped out of his daze, a smile returning to his face. The laughter grew louder and louder, causing Feixiao, Yanqing, and the others to narrow their eyes in suspicion.
Hoolay's brazen confidence meant he must have a trump card up his sleeve.
"The moment I've waited so long for is finally here," he declared.
"This hunting game has reached its end. It's time to conclude it now."
Hoolay slowly rose from the ground, exhaling a plume of hot breath.
His eyes burned with fanatical fervor, strikingly reminiscent of a gambler from Penacony.
Thump!
Before everyone's eyes, Hoolay plunged his hand into his left chest.
Purple, venomous blood gushed relentlessly from the wound.
"Feixiao, do you remember what I said?" Hoolay chuckled, his voice tinged with madness.
Before Feixiao or the others could respond, Hoolay provided the answer himself.
"I told you I had prepared a path for you."
"A path... to your death!"
With a violent yank, Hoolay tore something from his chest and hurled it skyward.
"I will die, and with me, the entire Xianzhou Luofu will perish!"
As his words rang out, the entire Wardance Ceremony grounds were bathed in crimson.
A power that stirred restlessness in every Foxian heart gradually radiated outward from Hoolay.
"Whoa, that's quite the spectacle," Lumina murmured, watching the blood-red arena. "What if it overshadows my brilliance?"
Little Swarm gazed at the crimson scene, then glanced down at March 7th, who was on the ground at a loss, her small face again filled with worry.
But seeing Sister Lumina still resting her chin on her hand, making no move to intervene, Little Swarm gradually calmed down.
If Sister Lumina isn't acting, it must be a minor matter—nothing to worry about.
"The Scarlet Moon within my chest will bathe the entire Xianzhou Luofu in crimson light!" Hoolay's voice boomed across the arena.
"I will drive every Foxian mad with fear, then ignite their bloodlust for slaughter!"
"Feixiao, make your choice!"
Hoolay's form gradually dissolved, leaving only the Scarlet Moon hanging high in the sky.
It brought terror to every Foxian present and brought slaughter to every Foxian present.
"What... what is that thing?!" March 7th's entire field of vision was consumed by crimson. An eerie, ominous aura filled the air, making her deeply uneasy. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked.
Despite her experiences on Penacony, the color red still carried a hint of "auspiciousness" in March 7th's eyes. After all, it signified that someone who "could do anything" was about to intervene. Had she seen this crimson hue on Penacony, March 7th might have even felt excited.
But seeing this crimson light on the Xianzhou Luofu, feeling its eerie, ominous energy spreading around her, and witnessing General Feixiao's solemn expression, March 7th couldn't muster even a shred of enthusiasm.
She frantically scanned the audience seats, her eyes darting left and right until she spotted Sister Lumina and Little Swarm.
"Sister Lumina, save me!"
Though her lips remained sealed, March 7th blinked repeatedly, conveying her message through this coded signal.
"Don't worry. Everything will be alright."
"I'll take care of it."
Even Lumina herself couldn't explain how she understood March 7th's blinking code, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she returned the signal in kind, relaying her assurance through the same silent method.
"Great!" March 7th exclaimed, visibly relieved by the response.
Though she couldn't quite explain why she understood Sister Lumina's blinks so clearly, she didn't dwell on it. She simply assumed they shared a deep connection, a silent understanding that transcended words or distance.
Hehehe...
If that's the case, is Sister Lumina... converging toward me? Is she transforming to resemble me?
The thought filled March 7th's mind. Imagining Sister Lumina, somewhere in the future, completely transformed to resemble her, March 7th felt a peculiar mix of...
Lost in her daydreams, March 7th became completely absorbed in her own world.
At that moment, the lingering influence of the Scarlet Moon on March 7th completely vanished...
"That's the Borisin Warlord's heart."
"One of the byproducts of the Plagues author."
Looking up at the Scarlet Moon hanging high in the sky, Feixiao finally understood Hoolay's true objective.
She had to admit, Hoolay's scheme had been remarkably successful.
To ensure the safety of the Foxian people, Feixiao had no choice but to resolve the Scarlet Moon.
The only way to resolve the Scarlet Moon was to devour it.
Feixiao turned, handed her weapon to Yanqing, and strode forward with unwavering resolve.
"The rest is up to you now."
As her words faded, a violent gust of wind erupted beside her, and a colossal, wolf-like figure materialized at her side.
"General... I-I don't understand." Yanqing was still in a daze.
One moment he was reeling from Hoolay's suicide and the summoning of the Scarlet Moon.
The next, General Feixiao had handed him her weapon and summoned Flying Aureus, her divine beast, leaving him utterly bewildered.
Realizing her explanation was inadequate, Feixiao paused and said gravely, "This thing is extremely dangerous. We can't allow its influence to spread any further."
"I will do everything in my power to devour the Scarlet Moon."
"But if something goes wrong—if any unexpected complications arise—it will be up to you."
"Lieutenant Yanqing, you must adhere to the Cloud Knight military regulations. Do you understand?"
Having spoken these words, Feixiao didn't wait for the others to react before commanding Flying Aureus to soar toward Scarlet Moon.
"E-eh, wait, General Feixiao!" Hearing Feixiao's words, March 7th snapped out of her reverie.
Seeing Feixiao's determined, almost suicidal expression, she hurriedly tried to stop her.
Sister Lumina has already said she'll intervene! There's absolutely no need for General Feixiao to act this way! March 7th cried inwardly, desperate to call Feixiao back.
But it was too late. Before March 7th could even finish her sentence, Feixiao had already swallowed Scarlet Moon whole into Flying Aureus.
Bang!
The moment Flying Aureus devoured Scarlet Moon, the crimson energy field began to dissipate, until everything gradually returned to normal.