[Getting inexplicably hyped up.]
[Why does a villain have to be made this hot-blooded?]
[Honestly, even though I really hate Hoolay, from what he's shown so far, he's a qualified villain.]
[This kind of non-brain-dead villain feels reliable, and he needs to be decisive in killing. If he hesitates over every kill and starts yapping nonsense, what's the point.]
— —
The camera shifts once more.
It arrives at a new scene—the Skysplitter.
A massive flying vessel soars through the sky, with a 360-degree no-blind-spot view showcasing the new setting.
The Skysplitter resembles an enormous arena for beast fights, surrounded entirely by tiered steps. If the Martial Exhibition Ceremony were truly held here, the spectacle would surely be magnificent.
[Holy crap! You can always trust miHoYo's production values!]
[This stage would look insane if a real fight broke out.]
[Wondering why the plot involves the Martial Exhibition Ceremony?]
[It has to be, since the theme is literally this Martial Exhibition Ceremony.]
[Don't tell me they actually built a Skysplitter!]
[Not to that extent, but it's said to be really impressive anyway.]
[Seems similar to the Luofu, suspended in the air.]
[No kidding, the Xianzhou Luofu's construction tech is top-tier too.]
— —
"Wah, the ceremonial cannons on the Skysplitter are so loud! Is this the vibe of the 'Martial Exhibition Ceremony'? My ears are about to go deaf."
March 7th stands on the viewing platform.
Yunli shakes her head. "If the scale isn't grand, how could it attract spectators? March, you haven't forgotten why you're here, right?"
March 7th rubs her head. "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?"
"Look around. Does anything come to mind?" Yunli spreads her hands, and a massive greatsword suddenly appears in her grasp.
March 7th's eyes instantly clear up. "Ah, the memory of crashing down from the sky onto that Tec-amine stadium is flooding back. We're… here to compete, right?"
"Great, great, your brain finally remembered. I can finally put down my raised 'Old Mettle.'" Yunli retracts the greatsword. "As the saying goes, 'When there's work, the disciple takes it on.' Remember this: you're participating as a Luofu swordmaster, standing in for your unworthy Master Yanqing to defend the ring."
[Hahaha, unworthy Master Yanqing.]
[Yunli actually seems pretty humorous.]
[Of course—she's someone who can break Jiaoqiu's composure.]
[The banter between March 7th and Yunli is hilarious.]
[They were just fighting and killing earlier, and now the tone's completely shifted. Kinda takes getting used to!]
[But it's fine—still the familiar Honkai: Star Rail flavor.]
— —
After calming down a bit, March 7th still feels lingering fear. "Speaking of which, if my opponent on stage this time is super strong and takes me down in just a few moves, what do I do… After all, I'm only a beginner in swordsmanship. I don't even know where I got the confidence to agree to General Huaiyan back then."
"Hey, don't worry. If you get knocked down, your master will step in to handle your opponent. But then all the glory for the Xianzhou Luofu would go to Zhuming instead, hahahahaha…"
"Please, Master Yunli, I'm about to go on stage—give me some confidence!"
"March, think about all the storms the Nameless of the Express have faced on your journeys! You've surely encountered enemies far scarier than any martial opponent, right? Doesn't that make it feel way easier?"
March 7th pouts. "Should we call Master Yanqing back? The master bravely retreats in the face of danger… shoving the disciple forward to take the blade. What kind of nonsense is that?"
"March, your master withdrawing is your golden opportunity to shine."
"More like your golden opportunity to let me take a head to the ground!"
"Where's all this whining coming from? You agreed to Grandpa, and now you want to run? Get moving!"
March 7th is directly dragged along by Yunli. "Master Yunli, I feel like I'm not fully prepared yet…"
"March, preparation is never fully sufficient."
[I'm dying—this duo's doing crosstalk the whole time.]
[No kidding, Yunli's pretty funny.]
[Her impression's improved a ton compared to the start.]
[She actually knows how to improve, but now I'm starting to like Yunli more and more—what do I do?]
[Same here. Right now I just want to know immediately what Yunli's feet taste like—no, wait, her cooking!]
[Open the door, Zhuming Cloud Knight!]
— —
March 7th and Yunli head deeper inside.
At that moment, a person wearing the same combat power testing glasses appears before them.
"See these glasses perched on my nose? This is a specialty 'Fixed Rating Lens' I bought from the azure planet. As long as I stare at a contestant, I can rate their combat power."
March 7th points at herself. "Then take a look at me. What's my combat power?"
"Got it."
A moment later, the man looks troubled. "Uh…"
"Just say it already."
"5…"
"Five what? No way—look again properly! Is full marks also 5?"
Yunli shakes her head, grabs March 7th's hand, and walks off. "Poor little March, toyed with by a machine's rating. Stop looking—let's go!"
[Hahaha, a Dragon Ball reference out of nowhere?]
[This reference really caught me off guard.]
[For real!]
[The "only combat power 5 trash" meme is truly timeless.]
— —
Not long after.
The foxian Xikui, who once appeared in the Aurum Alley's defense battle, waves to the two. "Miss Yunli, Miss March! This way, please!"
After the three meet up, they slowly head toward the contestant hall. "I've received notice from Master Yukong and came specially to escort you both.
By the way, Miss March substituting for Lieutenant Yanqing to defend the ring has already been announced. When I passed the contestant hall earlier, I heard the contestants buzzing about it. The most common question was—'Who is March 7th?'
If they ask, Miss March, how will you introduce yourself? Are you ready?"
March 7th suddenly drops her smile, speaking in a cold, flat tone. "Hmph, losers don't deserve to know this lady's name."
Yunli's mouth twitches. "Is that some villain entrance line?"
Xikui is instantly amused by their crosstalk.
"Hahaha, looks like you two are still pretty relaxed. It's not easy to stay this composed when thrust into duty at the last minute.
The Martial Exhibition Ceremony already registered Miss Yunli's contestant info long ago. Miss March 7th is a last-minute entry, so the Sky-Faring Commission has prepared all the paperwork for you.
Please head up this path ahead—the contestant hall is just up front."
...
"Looks like this is the contestant hall."
Yunli puts her hands on her hips, surveying the area. Though the Martial Exhibition Ceremony hasn't started yet, quite a crowd has already gathered. "Looks like this is the contestant hall."
"So many people."
"March, before the 'Martial Exhibition Ceremony' begins, let your master give you one more lesson." Yunli lowers her voice, putting on a serious act. "You know, Grandpa always told me: an object reflects its owner's form. A person's weapon reveals their habits and personality.
You've seen how I wield my 'Old Mettle,' right? Tell me—what did you observe?"
March 7th blinks. "Master Yunli's sword looks thick and heavy. Your sense of aesthetics could use some work."
"I'm asking you to guess the opponent's tactical style, not critique my 'Old Mettle.'" Yunli coughs lightly to regain composure. "Observe the weapon your opponent uses to judge what tactics they favor and what weaknesses they have. That's the shortcut to victory. For example, an extremely heavy greatsword is clearly bad for prolonged fights, so you'd opt for a delaying strategy."
"Why are you telling me your own weakness?"
"So it's a relatively fair contest. After all, your master doesn't want to see you lose to someone else.
This is a good chance—try learning how to assess opponents right now. Practice with the people in this hall. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win every battle."
What follows is a somewhat abstract segment.
Roughly March 7th chatting with other contestants and reporters.
But in the end, a heavyweight figure appears.
"Looking for me? Yeah, what do you want to ask?" A patrolling soldier frowns slightly at March 7th.
"Do you have any weaknesses?"
"If I had to name a weakness… the moment I open my mouth, the mood turns ice-cold. Is that a weakness? I get it—Miss March 7th, Miss Yunli, I'm not a contestant. I'm security for the event."
March 7th shows a sudden realization. "Notice anything unusual?"
"Nothing unusual. It's all calm and 'wolf'-free."
March 7th: "…"
Yunli: "…"
The soldier gives an awkward laugh. "Yup, mood killed again… Did you get the joke? 'Calm' and 'wolf' sound the same—hilarious, right?"
Yunli stares in disbelief. "This guy just explained his own joke!"
"Sigh, opening my mouth kills the vibe. Sure enough, that's my weakness."
March 7th cups her chin with one hand. "Why do I feel like I've heard this somewhere on the Express before?"
...
After a stretch of lighthearted scenes, Yunli leads March 7th up to the upper level of the Skysplitter —the very center of the stage.
— —
The screen fades to black, then lights up again. Feixiao, Trailblazer, and Yanqing have arrived at a certain spot in Exalting Sanctum.
Feixiao had been in constant contact with Moze, but the signal suddenly cut off a moment ago.
After assigning tasks to the Cloud Knights, she heads to the last known location of Moze's signal.
Soon enough.
Moze's figure comes into view.
He's surrounded by several foxians, heavily wounded, kneeling on one knee.
Whoosh—
A fierce gust arrives.
Feixiao appears right in front of Moze.
Moze looks up. "General… I failed. That mad dog left me here to… declare war on you…"
"Declare war."
The surrounding foxians grow arrogant. "That's right. I've been holding back the urge to rip his throat out. After all, Lord Hoolay ordered us to stay here just to see… whether you, the renowned Sky-Shooting General, mortal enemy of the borisin, have what it takes to join him in… this hunting game?"
In the next instant, the foxians reveal their true forms.
Feixiao curls her lips slightly. "Hunting isn't a game. It's a war of survival. Prepare to die, abominations!"
In a flash, all the borisin charge at Feixiao.
But Feixiao seems to have anticipated every move, dodging all attacks with precision while delivering lethal counters.
In just a few breaths, every borisin lies dead on the ground.
Departing quite peacefully.
[Is this Feixiao's strength? Terrifying.]
[No joke—it's just victory after victory. The Yaoqing Cloud Knights only need to know how to shout 'great victory.']
[She was always this strong. Sushang mentioned her once back in the Luofu plot.]
[Handsome. Still so handsome!]
— —
"Moze, you okay?" Feixiao helps Moze up.
After signaling he can stand on his own, Moze pushes Feixiao's hand away. "I… couldn't save Jiaoqiu. Hoolay is even more cunning and harder to deal with than I imagined."
"Tell me—how does he plan to declare war on me? A one-on-one duel? Or trading hostages?"
"Hoolay plans to attack the bustling districts on the Xianzhou Luofu."
Feixiao's eyes widen. "What did you say?"
Yanqing also looks incredulous. "No way! Even if there are still hidden borisin impostors we haven't rooted out, Hoolay only has a few dozen people at most. He plans to hit the Luofu's bustling districts all at once?"
Moze exhales heavily. "That's his real trump card. Hoolay carries the Lifespan Plague legacy passed down through generations of borisin. I saw with my own eyes how he transformed a foxian into a borisin wolf soldier…
This is Hoolay's 'declaration of war.' His blood… can rapidly twist and madden foxians. He gave his blood to his subordinates to spread across the Luofu and incite panic!"
Stelle immediately suggests, "We need to evacuate all foxians right away!"
Yanqing agrees Stelle makes sense.
But Feixiao has her own view—she believes Hoolay's ultimate goal is still escape, making ships the only way out.
Stelle has a rare moment of sharpness. "Right now… the only ship he can see is the Skysplitter in the sky."
Feixiao nods in agreement. "To him, it's packed with countless hostages. That would be the ideal destination—and our final battlefield."
However, Yanqing finds Feixiao's words too absolute.
Feixiao explains at length, basically summing up: "Hesitation leads to defeat."
Then Feixiao assigns tasks to everyone present.
Stelle and Moze continue searching for Jiaoqiu's whereabouts; Yanqing volunteers to head to the Skysplitter.
The Cloud Knights scatter to swiftly lock down and investigate.
At that moment.
Feixiao receives a communication from Yukong in her earpiece. "Feixiao, wolf-like creatures are moving at high speed through various alleys in the Star Chariot Sea—"
The camera cuts to Feixiao as she leaps in a few steps to a high vantage on a building, then lands on a small star skiff.
"Hold on—I'm on my way!"