[Molten Torch's voice finally grew excited: "Young man, the one who taught you swordsmanship has arrived. Under his guidance, you've never known defeat—yet recently you've suffered your first major setback in life. Your once unshakable confidence in swordsmanship is now crumbling."]
[Like a demon's temptation, the Suiyang's voice hammered relentlessly at Yanqing's mental defenses: "You fear disappointing the General. You fear you can't become the person the General hopes you will be."]
["Come now—show him the moves I taught you. He'll surely be delighted to see your progress. Tell him you'll use the next sword to win victory for the Xianzhou!"]
["Yanqing will not draw his sword just to prove something to me. I have faith in him." Jing Yuan's tone remained calm and undisturbed. "This faith isn't in his inevitable victory… but in believing that one day he will break free from victory and defeat, and realize the true reason he wields a sword—whether for joy, for saving others, or for slaying enemies…"]
["That reason must be found by him alone—no one can teach it to him. Right now is precisely the moment for him to take this step."]
[The General's words instantly cleared much of the haze from Yanqing's eyes: "General, I…"]
["Break free from victory and defeat?" Molten Torch sneered disdainfully. "That's just comforting nonsense for the dead and the defeated! Think back to your crushing defeat on Dragonprayer Terrace! Recall the feeling of teetering on the edge of death."]
["If at that moment the Stellaron Hunter's sword had pierced your body, you wouldn't even have the chance to stand here pondering the meaning of victory and defeat."]
[Molten Torch roared almost like an order: "Right now is the moment for you to break through yourself and shatter all chains. Draw your sword—against your teacher, against the General who tries to confine you!"]
[Yanqing stepped in front of Jing Yuan and spoke hesitantly: "General… please allow me… to demonstrate my swordsmanship. I hereby challenge you…"]
[Jing Yuan gave no reply, simply gazing at him quietly with a gentle smile.]
[Yanqing froze. He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again as if having made up his mind. He turned and looked up at the sword array, pointing his blade straight at the countless floating sword lights in the sky: "…Teacher Molten Torch, I hereby challenge this sword array—and you!"]
——
Teyvat, Inazuma.
As twilight gradually dyed the sky, the silhouette of Tenshukaku stood especially solemn against the evening glow—but even more eye-catching was the great battle about to unfold on the Celestial Screen.
"Phew… thank goodness General Jing Yuan stepped in."
In a tearoom, Thoma knelt properly to the side. Seeing the ever-calm, gentle smile on his face, Thoma let out a long breath of relief, his tense body finally relaxing after a long while.
"Truly a reassuring General." Ayaka gazed softly at the rising steam from her teacup and sighed quietly: "He possesses overwhelming power, yet chooses the gentlest way to resolve matters—and every time he achieves the best possible outcome."
Thoma refilled her cup with hot water, the sound like a gentle stream: "Indeed. This General Jing Yuan reminds me of Lord Ayato—both seem carefree on the surface but are actually extremely thorough in their thinking."
"Brother, you mean…" Ayaka's lips curved slightly. She unfolded her fan to half-cover her face: "Indeed, Brother and the General are alike in excelling at maneuvering with intellect, but General Jing Yuan's martial prowess is also top-tier across the entire Xianzhou."
"True enough. The General isn't blindly trusting Yanqing—he has absolute confidence in his own judgment and ability. Even in the worst-case scenario, he can still control the situation. For example, right now—"
Before Thoma could finish, faint flames began drifting out from the sword array on the Celestial Screen, eventually coalescing into a body identical to Yanqing.
"Miss! They're about to fight!"
"Ah… Thoma! The Kamera…! Quick…" Even Ayaka rarely panicked like this. She had come out intending to find a quiet spot to record Yanqing's sword techniques. The Kamisato clan's inherited swordsmanship had been passed down for a thousand years without change—she and her brother hoped to use this opportunity to refine and improve it with foreign sword methods.
——
["What a waste of my painstaking efforts, brat. Your potential was limitless. Unfortunately, you have too many pointless thoughts."]
[Molten Torch had manifested because, during the possession, it had thoroughly grasped Yanqing's moves. It was confident that by using Yanqing's form and techniques, it could give him one final lesson.]
[Molten Torch specialized in ruthless swordsmanship, certain its moves far surpassed Yanqing's in power. Yet under the General's guidance of "concealing form and intent," Yanqing fought Molten Torch with agile grace and ultimately won by the narrowest margin of a single move.]
[Defeated by such a junior, Molten Torch's dao heart shattered. It willingly allowed itself to be collected into Huohuo's gourd.]
[Yanqing finally fully awoke. Looking at the General, he scratched his head sheepishly: "General…"]
[Jing Yuan quickly interrupted: "I'm old—do me a favor and spare me the sentimental talk."]
[The matter finally settled peacefully. After bidding farewell to the master-disciple pair, the group continued searching for the next target. But while reviewing events, Huohuo began doubting herself again. Without Tail, she was just an ordinary person in the Ten-Lords Commission—she didn't know how long she could keep going.]
[She had been searching for clues about Tail the whole time, but after so long with nothing, she couldn't help feeling anxious.]
[After a full day of activity, Sushang was exhausted, so the group dispersed to rest. But early the next morning, a message from little Guinaifen snapped the groggy Stelle wide awake.]
["This is bad! Huohuo's gone missing!"]
——
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
"Ah? Missing? Huohuo?" Hestia widened her eyes. "And is a Suiyang possessing her?! Could it be… she got news about Tail?"
"Lady Goddess, it might not be Tail." Bell propped his cheek in thought. "It could be that some Suiyang noticed the sadness in Huohuo and wanted to feed on it, so it possessed her. After all, without Tail, there's no Suiyang possessing Huohuo—which might give other Suiyang an opening…"
"Is there a possibility that it's Tail itself who found Huohuo?" Hestia spread her hands. "Suiyang are immortal anyway—Lord Tail definitely hasn't vanished. Maybe he's rested enough and actively sought out Huohuo?"
"But then why wouldn't she reply to any messages?" Bell lowered his head in contemplation. "I remember messages can't be sent out from Fyxestroll Garden… If Huohuo isn't replying to their messages, it means right now she's either inside a Suiyang illusion or still in Fyxestroll Garden."