『 As the Tumbledust took effect, Hoolay's stance began to falter, his footsteps stumbling.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yunli struck with a powerful blow, sending Hoolay flying!
[ So... you want to play dirty? ]
Hoolay, who had been knocked back, managed to regain his footing. He now realized that he had fallen into Jiaoqiu's trap!
[ The air... is it colder? ]
Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold swept over them. The ambient temperature plunged rapidly in an instant!
This caused Hoolay's expression to shift slightly. It seemed to trigger a memory.
[ My sword... is even colder. ]
Yanqing used this brief respite to gather his strength. A frigid sword intent burst forth from him, threatening to freeze everything in the surroundings!
March 7th rushed over in haste. The three of them reformed their battle line, ready to face Hoolay once more! 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Silver Wolf: "The debuff Mr. Jiaoqiu applied to Hoolay by sacrificing himself was truly a godly assist!"
Silver Wolf: "Now Hoolay is severely debuffed, and it looks like March 7th and the others are entering their power-up phase!"
Silver Wolf: "It's hard to say who will win from here on out."
Stelle: "Ah, wait… why did Yanqing and Yunli get cool special effects?"
Stelle: "One has frost, the other has fire?"
Stelle: "March, where are your effects?"
Stelle: "How come you're the only plain one??"
March 7th: "How should I know??"
March 7th: "Can practicing swordplay really manifest special effects?"
March 7th: "A chilling sword intent that plummets the temperature… Master Yanqing, how on earth did you pull that off?"
March 7th: "It doesn't seem like either of you taught me that?"
Yunli: "Silly apprentice, sword intent is something you have to figure out on your own."
Yunli: "Only the things you comprehend yourself become your true sword intent."
Yunli: "As for those visual effects, they're just side products."
Paimon: "Amazing! It feels like Yanqing and Miss Yunli are only showing their true strength now."
Dan Heng: "Honed between life and death, progress comes fastest."
Dan Heng: "Though a single mistake against Hoolay meant absolute doom, the gains from fighting him are immense."
Feixiao: "Indeed. Observing the three of them, all have made substantial progress."
Feixiao: "Especially Yanqing and Yunli. Their swordsmanship and resolve have both improved drastically!"
Lumine: "General Feixiao, you didn't use Hoolay's hands to hone Miss March 7th and the others on purpose, did you?"
Stelle: "That's really hard to say."
Stelle: "Maybe General Feixiao is hiding in a corner right now, quietly watching?"
March 7th: "Regardless, it's really thanks to Mr. Jiaoqiu!"
March 7th: "If he hadn't poisoned Hoolay, the three of us would really be finished by now!"
Li Sushang: "Mr. Jiaoqiu said that consuming a large amount of Tumbledust deprives a person of their five senses."
Li Sushang: "Does that include the sense of pain?"
Li Sushang: "Then why did Mr. Jiaoqiu scream so miserably when Hoolay was drinking his blood just now?"
Guinaifen: "My dear Shangshang, is your brain acting up again?"
Guinaifen: "Do you really need to ask?"
Guinaifen: "It was obviously to trick Hoolay into lowering his guard!"
Guinaifen: "Otherwise, if I bit you and you had zero reaction, wouldn't it be obvious that something was fishy?"
Mualani: "Putting it that way… Mr. Jiaoqiu was acting from the very beginning!"
Mualani: "His painful cries and agonizing expressions while being tortured by Hoolay were probably all faked."
Reca: "How do you get a child to eat green peppers? How do you get a hungry wolf to swallow poison?"
Reca: "Brilliant!"
Reca: "I don't even need to change this title—it can directly serve as a movie pitch!"
Reca: "I absolutely adore this livestream room! It lets me gather so many near-perfect materials so easily!"
Jiaoqiu: "Mr. Director, please remember to send me a share of the pay as well, thank you!"
Jiaoqiu: "Oh, and when I appear on camera, please blur my face. I don't care for fame."
Moze: "…"
....
『 [ Is Hoolay's movement slowing down? ]
Yunli watched Hoolay's actions, her expression somewhat puzzled.
[ Don't let this chance slip away! ]
Yanqing reminded them to seize the opportunity.
[ Yeah! Let's work together and knock him flat on his face! ]
March 7th let out a shout, charging at Hoolay once more with dual blades in hand!
Yunli and Yanqing flanked him simultaneously.
This time, against a Hoolay who was visibly diminished, the tide of battle shifted instantly. They forced him into a steady retreat, completely reversing the situation from before!
[ Jiaoqiu, you actually…! ]
[ Just a dose of poison… Do you think such tricks can turn the tables? ]
[ I have indeed slowed down… ]
[ But that doesn't mean you can win… ]
Forced back, Hoolay grew furious, his offensive becoming increasingly fierce! 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Awesome! Beat the drowning dog!"
March 7th: "Hmph, let's see Hoolay act arrogant now!"
March 7th: "Not so arrogant anymore, huh?"
Silver Wolf: "As expected, even with three Main carries on the field, you still have to wait for the Support to show their magic before you can trash the enemy."
Silver Wolf: "This wave was entirely carried by Mr. Jiaoqiu's god-tier support."
Stelle: "March can only be considered a Sub-carry at best."
Stelle: "Most of the damage was dealt by Yunli and Yanqing."
Paimon: "Uhh… Paimon doesn't quite understand what you guys are talking about."
Paimon: "But it seems I get the general idea!"
Qingque: "The tables have completely turned."
Qingque: "Now it's Hoolay getting pummeled."
Qingque: "I guess what goes around comes around."
Furina de Fontaine: "Looking at it this way, Hoolay doesn't seem that tough after all?"
Dan Heng: "Don't forget, Hoolay's current condition is a mere fraction of his peak."
Dan Heng: "Seven hundred years of agonizing imprisonment eroded most of his strength."
Dan Heng: "On top of that, Mr. Jiaoqiu painstakingly poisoned him. The fact that Hoolay can still stand and fight is terrifying in itself."
Hu Tao: "Without food or drink for seven hundred years, taking a massive dose of poison right after coming out, and still bouncing around full of energy… That really says a lot."
Himeko: "What worries me more is that for a being like Hoolay, even the most lethal poison in the world might not keep him down for long."
Himeko: "Which means once Hoolay suppresses the poison's effects, March and the others will still be in grave danger."
Welt Yang: "By that time, however, General Feixiao should have arrived."
....
『 [ You may be hard to kill, but that does not mean you cannot be overpowered! ]
[ Hoolay! Take a good look. The power of the Cloud Knights is in my blade! ]
Yanqing controlled his flying swords, launching a continuous and fierce assault against Hoolay, leaving the sluggish Borisin leader struggling to defend!
[ Impossible! How could a mere whelp... defeat me?!]
Furious to the extreme, Hoolay forcibly summoned his strength. He blew away all the surrounding flying swords and severed the blade Yanqing used to parry with a single stroke.
Immediately after, he leaped into midair, bringing a lethal slash down toward Yanqing, who was now left holding only a hilt!
Unable to rush over in time to support him, March 7th and Yunli watched this scene unfold, their eyes widening in shock.
If this strike landed on Yanqing, without a doubt, he would be obliterated!
In that fleeting moment between life and death, Yanqing's heart suddenly grew tranquil.
He closed his eyes, and the swordsmanship of that woman surfaced in his mind once more!
Next, an astounding sword intent began to converge. The broken blade with only its hilt remaining instantly condensed into a bone-chilling sword of ice!
Yanqing snapped his eyes open!
Grasping the ice sword with both hands, he thrust it fiercely toward Hoolay, who was crashing down from above!
At that moment, in Hoolay's eyes, Yanqing's figure rapidly overlapped with someone from his memories!
The icy blade bit deep into his flesh, chilling him to the bone. Hoolay ultimately failed to evade that familiar strike, his body completely encased in solid ice.
However, Yanqing's sword technique was still slightly lacking.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Hoolay mustered his final strength. The arm holding his blade broke through the icy seal, swinging down toward the exhausted Yanqing!
CLANG!!!
The scene of Yanqing's head rolling to the ground did not come to pass.
At the critical moment, General Feixiao appeared in front of Yanqing. With just two fingers, she flicked Hoolay's scimitar away! 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Holy crap!"
Stelle: "Is it really this intense?"
Stelle: "Even heavily poisoned, Hoolay almost killed Yanqing?"
Stelle: "But Yanqing is even more badass!"
Stelle: "He actually had an epiphany at the moment of crisis?!"
Furina de Fontaine: "That scared me to death!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Just now, when Hoolay slashed down at Yanqing, who was holding only a hilt, I almost thought Yanqing was a goner!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Who would've thought there'd be such a reversal at the end?"
Hu Tao: "When Yanqing used that heaven-cleaving strike, his figure seemed to overlap with someone else."
Hu Tao: "Who was that?"
Dan Heng: "That would be the former Sword Master of the Luofu, Jingliu."
Dan Heng: "The perspective shown earlier in the video was likely from Hoolay's point of view."
Dan Heng: "In that split second, he subconsciously mistook Yanqing, who unleashed that strike, for Jingliu."
Silver Wolf: "Obviously, he can never forget that sword strike."
Silver Wolf: "So judging from what just happened, was Hoolay captured the same way back then?"
Silver Wolf: "Frozen solid by a terrifying sword strike?"
Jing Yuan: "Indeed, that is precisely how it went."
Yunli: "You can pull off something like that??"
Yunli: "How is this like a scene straight out of a novel?"
Yanqing: "I… did I finally master that strike?"
Yanqing: "Does this mean… my swordplay is no longer inferior to hers?"
Fu Xuan: "Objectively speaking, in terms of sheer strength, there is still a considerable gap."
Fu Xuan: "However, regarding talent, you are fully capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the former Sword Master."
Fu Xuan: "Do not doubt yourself. What you lack has only ever been experience and time."
Stelle: "The Master Diviner speaks impartially."
Stelle: "Yanqing's strike was insanely powerful, but it was clearly lacking a bit of polish."
Stelle: "If General Feixiao hadn't arrived in time, Yanqing probably would've still been done for."
Stelle: "Speaking of General Feixiao, I just have to say…"
Stelle: "SHE'S INSANELY STRONG!!!"
Stelle: "Blocking Hoolay's blade with just two fingers!!"
March 7th: "That's beyond ridiculous!"
March 7th: "Is the gap between Hoolay's strength and General Feixiao's really that massive?"
Feixiao: "I'm afraid you've misunderstood."
Feixiao: "A Hoolay who was severely poisoned and frozen in ice could have his blade stopped by any ordinary Cloud Knight."
Feixiao: "…Let alone me."
Feixiao: "Though I truly didn't expect it—you've got skill, kid!"
Feixiao: "To be able to unleash a strike like that."
Feixiao: "You have a bright future! I'd say the title of the next Luofu Sword Master belongs to no one other than you!"
Yanqing: "You flatter me, General Feixiao!"
Yanqing: "I know my current skill is still far from deserving the title of Sword Master."
Yanqing: "I will continue to work hard!"
Mualani: "So does this mean everything ended on a happy note?"
Mualani: "That's great! The Wardance Ceremony can finally be held normally!"
....
『 [ Th-That scared the daylight out of me! I thought you were a goner there! We're so lucky the general made it in time! ]
With Feixiao holding down the fort, the three could finally catch their breath.
At this moment, March 7th looked at Yanqing, a lingering fear evident on her face.
It really was just a hair's breadth away from Yanqing dying at Hoolay's hands.
[ Little Brother Yanqing, that was amazing! The final blow you dealt to Hoolay, how have I never seen that before? ]
Yunli was immensely curious about the stunning sword strike Yanqing had unleashed at the end!
[ Do you want to learn it? I can teach you! But I'll need some time to heal up first... ]
Yanqing rubbed his numb arm and spoke to Yunli.
[ I hate to say it, but if you can teach me that move, I'll maybe admit that you're just a tiny little bit stronger than me... ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Yanqing: "A tiny little bit?"
Yanqing: "It's surely more than that!"
Yunli: "What's there to be smug about?"
Yunli: "You're only better than me by a single move. Isn't that just a tiny little bit?"
Yunli: "Besides, your current self doesn't even know this move. Don't act tough using the you from the video!"
Yanqing: "Hmph, since I've seen it once, I'll learn it sooner or later!"
Yanqing: "On the other hand, if a certain someone wants to learn it, she'll have to beg me."
Yunli: "Fine, please teach me."
Yanqing: "?"
Yanqing: "So straightforward!?"
Yunli: "What else? Learning swordplay is more important. I can set everything else aside for now."
Yanqing: "…"
Stelle: "Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter."
Stelle: "Yanqing's boast hit a wall of cotton."
Lumine: "As expected of people like Miss Yunli and Brother Yanqing—they both care most about perfecting their swordsmanship."
March 7th: "Hey hey, my two Masters, you can't withhold such an amazing ultimate move from me!"
March 7th: "It just so happens I can manipulate ice myself, and it's the one-and-only Six-Phased Ice!"
March 7th: "Paired with this move, it'd be a match made in heaven!"
March 7th: "Hehehe, once I learn it, my 'Star-Shattering Sword of Glaze' will finally become a reality!"
Yanqing: "That shouldn't be a problem…"
Yanqing: "Though whether Miss March can actually learn it in the end, I can't say for sure."
Yunli: "Don't worry. Even if she can't learn it directly, she should be able to draw inspiration from it to create a technique of her own."
Yunli: "That might actually turn out even better."
....
『 [ It's impressive you kids managed to hold out until now. ]
[ This hunt has finally come to a successful conclusion. The Cloud Knights are handling the aftermath and evacuating. ]
[ Lieutenant Yanqing, how are you holding up? ]
Feixiao walked up to the three of them and asked the weakened Yanqing with concern.
[ …General, you actually kept the plan on the Skysplitter a secret from me! ]
Having been kept in the dark the entire time, Yanqing looked at Feixiao with a slightly aggrieved gaze.
[ Don't blame me, this was your general's idea. When he learned that you gave up being the ringmaster to join my Wolf Hunt team, he insisted that I hide the plan from you. Perhaps he thought your impatience would mess things up. ]
[ Well? You may have run all over the place, but you ended up back here, did you not? ]
[ Who would have imagined that I would arrive late to the battlefield for the first time in my life? ...No, perhaps you young ones' blades were just too fast for me. ]
[ I originally thought, in the best-case scenario, you would team up and hold this beast back while protecting yourselves. However... You joined forces and defeated Hoolay! The youth are truly to be feared and respected! ]
[ Come, we need to lock up Hoolay once again before anything unexpected happens. ] 』