The night was inky, thick and unyielding.
The exclusive guesthouse of the Xianzhou Yaoqing.
Lanterns swayed, their warm yellow light gently flowing like water, illuminating every carved beam and painted pillar of the ancient corridor with a solemn and poetic glow. In the air, wisps of faint sandalwood incense rose, refreshing yet tinged with a certain gravity.
Daziel, following the agreed-upon memory, stepped lightly over the polished, mirror-like flagstones. He reached out and gently pushed open a heavy wooden door carved with intricate cloud patterns.
A soft creak echoed, exceptionally clear in the silence.
The elegant inner room was simply yet tastefully furnished. A sliver of moonlight pierced through the window, casting a few faint, cool beams. By the window, a figure stood silently with her back to the door.
Feixiao.
She was still clad in her usual azure and white battle attire, symbolizing her status and authority, yet it could not conceal her graceful figure, honed by years of campaigning. Strangely, at this moment, she lacked the sharp, intimidating aura that usually made people afraid to look directly at her.
Hearing the subtle creak of the opening door, her shoulder subtly tensed, then she slowly turned around. Her phoenix eyes, usually sharp enough to see through everything, now held a rare, fleeting hint of awkwardness and discomfort. Her voice, unlike its usual clear and resonant tone, was slightly hoarse, as if an invisible object was caught in her throat.
Daziel's lips silently curved into a faint arc, an arc that held a hint of understanding and playfulness. His voice was not loud, yet it was like a feather, gently brushing against Feixiao's taut heartstrings.
Feixiao's face, a blend of heroism and charm, instantly flushed a faint crimson, vanishing in a flash. She abruptly turned her head, avoiding Daziel's deep, knowing eyes that seemed to pierce through one's soul.
"Nonsense! I, your General, have been through a hundred battles! When have I ever been nervous?!"
Her tone still tried to maintain its usual firmness and authority, yet the slight tremor in her voice ruthlessly betrayed her inner turmoil. Her eyes, which normally looked down on all beings, sharp enough to pierce hearts, now darted around as if startled, with a hint of helplessness, unwilling to meet Daziel's gaze.
She let out a deliberate, soft cough, attempting to conceal her loss of composure with it, trying to regain her usual composure and authority of a strategist.
"Enough small talk, don't delay. The Heliobus's Heart, is it... alright? Let me see it!"
Daziel moved unhurriedly, his steps calm, as he walked to the low table opposite her, a table carved from a single piece of warm jade. "That heart was originally a blessing of Abundance. It has long been connected to my blood, intermingled with my spirit, and become an inseparable part of my body. I truly don't know how to take it out."
Feixiao's phoenix eyes, which had just regained some of their brilliance, suddenly dimmed. Heavy disappointment, like a tide, engulfed her, almost suffocating her. She murmured to herself, lost in thought, her delicate brows tightly knitted. A cloud of sorrow settled between her brows, refusing to dissipate.
Doctor Jiaoqiu's grave yet slightly helpless admonition now echoed clearly in her mind, striking at her nerves. It concerned her long-unspoken burden, the secret hidden within her bloodline.
"You truly... can't take it out?"
She still wouldn't give up entirely, her voice carrying a hint of urgency and humility that she herself hadn't noticed. "Perhaps... you could try to guide its power, even if it's just a faint trace of its aura... as long as..."
Daziel quietly gazed at her, taking in the undisguised anxiety and anticipation in her eyes, and the faint despair hidden behind it. He remained silent for a moment.
Daziel slowly closed his eyes, sinking into his sea of consciousness. In that space, the stars had firmly chained the pulsating Heliobus Heart, remaining motionless no matter how Daziel tried to stir them. However, the moment Daziel attempted to communicate with the Heliobus Heart, a blood moon, as if a shark smelling blood, suddenly appeared.
That was the terrifying pressure of the strongest warrior of the Wingweft clan, already deeply rooted in his spiritual essence like a brand!
"Boom!"
An invisible yet mountain-heavy wave of energy suddenly erupted from Daziel, spreading wildly in all directions! The air in the entire elegant room seemed to be completely sucked out at that instant, then filled with thick, viscous blood. A mixture of scarlet light and the strong, rusty smell of blood instantly permeated every inch of space!
Feixiao's delicate body, already slightly tense with nervousness, violently jolted as if struck hard by an invisible giant hammer. The color drained from her face in an instant, turning as pale as paper, devoid of any vitality.
She felt a primal fear, originating from the deepest part of her bloodline and the most ancient part of her soul, like countless icy tentacles, gripping her throat, making her unable to breathe, unable to think! That was the Foxian race's instinctive terror, ingrained in their genes and souls, when facing their arch-nemesis of tens of thousands of years—the Wingweft clan! A complete suppression from the very source of life, impossible to resist with reason or overcome with will.
Her voice was hoarse and dry, as if abraded by sandpaper, every word carrying extreme terror and trembling.
Daziel suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of surprise, unexpected even by himself, passing through them. This Wingweft aura, even under his deliberate suppression, was still so difficult to control, even more ferocious than ever before! His mind raced, attempting to immediately rein in this uncontrolled, tyrannical pressure. However, that power was like a monstrous flood beast that had broken free from its chains, or a dam-breaking torrent. Not only did it not weaken, but it surged and swelled, escalating wildly!
Feixiao's legs went weak, and an unbearable numbness and weakness spread through her knees. With a "thud," she could no longer support herself and collapsed shamelessly onto the cold, hard ground, her delicate body trembling violently like a leaf in the wind, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. She struggled to lift her head, her phoenix eyes, once filled with pride and sharpness, now held only pure fear as she looked at Daziel, along with a hint of... confusion and longing that she herself couldn't comprehend? An absurd thought, like a wildly growing vine, sprouted madly in her heart—a desire to worship, to completely surrender to this terrifying power, almost devouring her reason entirely!
Daziel slowly rose, looking down at Feixiao trembling at his feet, his expression calm and unruffled. However, in the depths of his profound eyes, a cold, playful glint quietly passed.
"General, such a grand gesture, I, a mere nobody, truly... feel unworthy to receive it."
He walked unhurriedly, step by step, slowly approaching her. His figure, casting a huge, distorted shadow in the flickering lamplight, completely enveloped her.
"Back in the Divine Foresight Palace, General, you were quite imposing and insightful towards the two of us, weren't you?"
Feixiao's delicate body trembled violently, as if lashed by his understated words. Boundless shame and bone-chilling fear, like two surging undercurrents, wildly intertwined and collided in her heart, almost tearing her chest apart!
"That...that was a joint decision by the high-ranking officials of the Xianzhou Alliance! I was merely...merely acting on orders!"
Her defense seemed so pale and powerless, so pathetic, in the face of this absolute pressure that could crush souls. Yet she found herself in her own consciousness space. The light and shadows around her shifted, constantly changing. Only faint specks of ethereal blue light, like scattered stars, silently floated around.
"Ridiculous!"
"Acting on orders?"
Daziel's lips curved into a sarcastic arc, and his voice suddenly became ice-cold and biting, devoid of any warmth.
"So, you can distort right and wrong, arbitrarily frame others, and make unfounded accusations against innocent people, then hold them accountable?"
The terrifying aura of the Wingweft warrior, emanating from Daziel's body, once again surged wildly without warning! Its intensity, compared to before, had increased by more than tenfold! It was like a volcano that had accumulated energy for tens of thousands of years, erupting violently at this moment! Or like the Milky Way pouring down from the nine heavens, a mountain collapse and a tsunami, sweeping away everything!
"Ahhhhh—!"
Feixiao let out a short, shrill shriek, her voice filled with extreme pain and despair. Her eyes suddenly rolled upwards, revealing large, frightening whites. Then, her entire delicate body, as if all her bones had been removed, softly slumped downwards, completely losing consciousness, silently falling dead onto the cold, hard ground.
Daziel hadn't even had time to react to this sudden turn of events. He only felt a violent dizziness, as if the entire world had turned upside down. The scene of the elegant room before his eyes, like a shattered glass mirror, peeled and disintegrated piece by piece, finally transforming into countless bizarre, indescribable fragments of color, scattering into the endless void.
When he finally managed to stabilize his mind and re-gather his scattered gaze.
Feixiao heard this and suddenly looked up, her sharp gaze like a drawn sword, looking in the direction of the voice. She saw a young girl whose face resembled Daziel's as if they were siblings, observing her.
"Utterly despicable! Who exactly are you?! Why are you hiding inside Daziel's body?!"
She demanded sharply, her voice filled with vigilance and caution, and her aura began to grow fierce.
"Who I am, you're not worthy to know! All I can say is, I have nothing good to say to you!"
The girl's voice carried an undeniable arrogance and disdain, as if she didn't even consider the esteemed General to be of any importance.
Feixiao bit her silver teeth tightly, her pearly whites almost drawing blood from her tender lips. Her phoenix eyes burned with fury, almost... She slammed her fist into the illusory ground, and an overwhelmingly powerful aura suddenly erupted from her delicate body!
"Manifest the Heart-Beast, Flying Aureus, aid me!"
As she let out a sharp cry, a faint light rapidly condensed behind her, shining with dazzling brilliance! A massive, majestic wolf phantom, covered in dark green fur, with blood-red eyes, appeared out of thin air!
The giant wolf let out an earth-shattering howl, its roar reverberating, its murderous aura reaching the heavens, almost tearing this consciousness space apart! At the same time, a half-human-height spear blade, gleaming with a chilling sharpness, its tip spewing fierce killing intent, and an ancient, broad, and heavy greatblade radiating a weighty oppressive force, also appeared out of thin air in her left and right hands, gripped tightly by her!
The wolf spirit named "Flying Aureus", whose aura was connected to hers, seemed to be an extension of her soul. One person and one beast, they emanated the powerful and pure pressure unique to the Hunt's Envoy. Their gazes were like lightning, standing ready, locking onto the unknown void.
"Master, pay close attention to what happens next."
The stars' voice, laced with a hint of teasing and playfulness, once again echoed in the consciousness space. This time, however, it was intentionally directed at Daziel.
"To make these self-important, disobedient women docile and obedient, mere pressure alone is far from enough."
Her words had not yet faded.
Daziel's incredibly familiar three signature weapons — the baseball bat, the poker, and the black top hat that Daziel rarely wore — suddenly appeared in the hands of the stars, resting on her head...
Daziel stared, dumbfounded, an extremely absurd feeling rising in his heart.
"You...are you going to...personally intervene?"
The stars let out a clear, bell-like laugh, yet it also carried a hint of mischief and dark humor.
"Just borrowing your weapons for a bit, to show you how to use them. This time, let me stretch my limbs properly. You just sit back and enjoy the show."
The originally somewhat ethereal Daziel figure swiftly solidified after equipping the three weapons. She held the metal baseball bat in one hand and the poker in the other. The black top hat was tilted on her head. She playfully cocked her small head towards a certain direction, revealing a pure, angelic smile with a hint of devilish mischief.
In the next instant, her figure vanished from the spot like a drop of ink dissolving in water, leaving no trace!
Almost at the same moment the stars disappeared!
She had already appeared like a phantom in front of Feixiao! Without a word, not even a single pleasantry! The cold, metallic gleam of the baseball bat in her hand was already descending fiercely towards Feixiao's head, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound that tore through the air, and a fierce, irresistible momentum! Its force was astonishing, its speed terrifying!
Feixiao's pupils suddenly constricted, and an alarm blared in her heart! She had no time to ponder who this suddenly appearing enemy was. Her combat instincts had already made her react in a flash of lightning! The sharp, gleaming spear blade in her hand swiftly swept out at an extremely tricky angle, like a silver bolt of lightning, precisely blocking the fiercely descending baseball bat!
A deafening, ear-piercing clang of metal suddenly erupted in this consciousness space! A violent shockwave, carrying visible air currents, spread wildly in all directions! Where the baseball bat and spear blade collided, countless dazzling sparks shot out, like fireworks blooming on a festival night!
"Heart-Beast Combo, Cleave the Sky!"
Feixiao's attack was blocked, but she showed no panic. Instead, her fighting spirit grew stronger! She let out a sharp cry, unwilling to show weakness, and simultaneously moved with the majestic Flying Aureus wolf spirit behind her, almost appearing without warning. Their minds were one, their cooperation seamless!
The spear blade in her hand moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, thrusting out like a dragon, at a treacherous angle, directly aiming for the vital point of the stars' heart! And the Flying Aureus wolf spirit opened its gaping maw, letting out an earth-shattering roar. Its giant wolf claws, with the power to split mountains and rocks, merged with the heavy greatblade, transforming into a massive streak of cold light, as if to cleave the sky itself, striking towards the stars' head and shoulders!
One person, one beast, their offensive was fierce and domineering, their cooperation flawless, almost completely sealing off all of the stars' evasion space! The stars' small figure, in the face of such a violent and dense offensive, appeared exceptionally agile and elusive, as if...
Amidst the fierce spear shadows and giant axes capable of splitting stone tablets, she weaved and dodged, parrying and blocking. Every step was perfectly executed. The metal baseball bat in her hand seemed to transform into a living spirit, sometimes darting out like a venomous snake, swift and ruthless, striking at Feixiao's weaknesses; at other times, it was as solid as a firm rock, precisely blocking the heavy attacks. For a moment, the clang of metal on metal was incessant, energy surged, light and shadows flew, and the battle reached its climax!
"Sweep the Heavens!"
Feixiao's spear suddenly missed, the silver-bright tip barely grazing the stars' hair. She swiftly twisted her wrist, and the spear's momentum suddenly transformed into an impenetrable, dense silver curtain of light, as if to completely seal the stars within this unbreachable city woven by spear shadows!
The stars' small figure, however, was as elusive as a ghost. Facing this heaven-and-earth-locking spear net, a playful curve appeared on her lips. Without dodging, a faint, deep black light suddenly ignited on the ordinary poker in her hand, and she lightly, casually poked it out, aiming directly at Feixiao's vital lower abdomen, where her dantian and qi sea resided!
"You dare—"
Feixiao saw this and was both shocked and angry. If this poke landed, she would be half-crippled even if she didn't die! She had no choice but to forcefully twist her already maximized offensive. The greatblade drew a dull arc in the air, barely managing to guard in front of her. However, the stars' movements were faster than her thoughts! The poker's thrust was merely a feint, a false move. The true killing blow was the metal baseball bat, which had already been primed and ready!
A spine-tingling clang erupted! The baseball bat, at an incredibly tricky angle, bypassed the guarding greatblade and landed squarely, mercilessly, on the side of Feixiao's right shoulder blade!
"Crack!"
A subtle yet clear sound of bone cracking echoed, exceptionally harsh in the stillness.
"A-ah!"
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