Its possibilities are endless, so much so that it made everyone shudder!
And the power of the Hunt Path will only grow stronger and stronger!
---------------------------------------
At this point, the discussion about the nature and prospects of the Hunt has come to an end.
The viewers in the livestream were still immersed in this grand vision.
For them, the future displayed by Rion was not some kind of speculation, but rather the inevitable future that all current clues were pointing to.
After Rion finished the explanation, some viewers suddenly thought of an item.
It was something that had once been shown on Mihoyo's official website as supplementary material for the Simulated Universe, an item named Reverse Time Shot.
[T/N: I'm not sure if this is a actual curio from the game.,,]
...
: Teacher, look at this!
: The description of this bullet also matches the traits you just mentioned about causal law!
: Looking at it now, it feels completely different!
: Its item description perfectly aligns with what was just said about causality!
...
With the viewers' reminder, Rion also quickly found the item description of Reverse Time Shot on the official site.
The caption was written like this:
[Once the ashes of an Lord Ravager, once the button to erase a civilization, once the wail of a Leviathan.]
[How much death must be gathered to forge such a round of ammunition, and what kind of firearm could launch it into the past.]
[It is the answer to everything, and the unanswerable question.]
[Run, flee into any gap in time, it will always find you, nailing you to destiny.]
These words, which once seemed mysterious and cryptic, now became crystal clear.
Rion's expression trembled, and she said: "It's this! If my speculation still lacked a final piece of decisive evidence, then it's this Reverse Time Shot!"
These lines, not a single one is wasted.
In the first line, the Lord Ravager, the button to erase a civilization, the cry of a Leviathan, all represent the most extreme, the most terrifying 'evil' and acts of destruction in the universe.
They are the ultimate embodiment of causes, condensed into one bullet.
This already means that this bullet is a highly concentrated, extremely compressed collection of causes.
It is the ultimate materialization of cause in causality.
The very purpose of this bullet's existence is to carry a result that matches such a cause.
And as long as such things continue endlessly, there will be an endless source of causes, that is the inevitability in the history of origins.
The second line is even more direct.
"How much death must be gathered" emphasizes the weight and irreversibility of the cause.
The heavier it is, the more it proves how important, how crucial the result of the Hunt is.
The most critical part lies in "launch it into the past."
If the Path of the Hunt reaches its ultimate extreme, could it transcend linear time?
No longer only hunting after evil has occurred, but instead being able to apply the result directly to the starting point of the cause, before the evil even manifests, at any point in time.
The one able to fire such a bullet must be the Path of the Hunt itself, perhaps Lan's power, or perhaps the ultimate weapon of the Xianzhou civilization.
Under this condition, the result is no longer the literal Reverse Time Shot, but an abstract concept.
Whether it is Lan or the Xianzhou Alliance, as long as they can accomplish this act, reverse causality, kill the "evil cause", they themselves are equivalent to having become that bullet.
The third line delivers the conclusive judgment for this entire causality argument.
It is the most philosophical sentence:
[It is the answer to everything, and the unanswerable question.]
The problem is the cause, the crime, the act of crossing the line.
The answer is the result, the punishment of the Hunt.
The meaning of this sentence is very simple, the ultimate form of causal logic:
The Hunt will not debate with you why you committed evil.
The Hunt will not argue about right or wrong.
The Hunt will not give you a chance to justify yourself.
Because the moment you cross the line, your result is already sealed.
What the Hunt does is deliver that result, kill you, erase you, whether in the physical sense or the metaphysical sense, make you vanish from this universe.
Thus offsetting and dissolving cause and effect.
And the final line is undoubtedly a chilling description:
[Run, flee into any gap in time, it will always find you, nailing you to destiny.]
This is the most terrifying depiction of the absoluteness and inevitability of the Hunt's "law of causality."
The most critical phrase is "nailing you to destiny."
Time, space, power, all of these are already transcended in this last line.
This is not a contest of combat strength.
Not a matter of how much power you have, how much power the Hunt has, or who can win.
Killing, destruction, these acts have transcended mere material reality.
It represents an ultimate philosophical concept.
The Hunt has become a fundamental law of the universe, and you are being judged and executed by this law.
It has become a kind of fate.
Your end was sealed the moment you sowed the evil; the Hunt merely comes to carry out the final step.
There is no escape!
"The Xianzhou main storyline really knows how to craft such things, truly astonishing."
Rion revealed a weary excitement, softly saying: "Every time, it broadens our imagination about the Aeons and Honkai: Star Rail."
And after clarifying the hidden meaning, the surface-level main storyline of this episode becomes even easier to understand.
It doesn't even require Rion to explain further.
The audience themselves understood.
...
: If the Borisin and the preceptors hadn't appeared, it would've been impossible for us to realize through their words that the Xianzhou itself had already reached a crossroads.
: Right, and the dangerous thoughts of the Alchemy Commission and the preceptors also prove that the path of the Hunt for the Xianzhou must move further forward, needing a better shared goal to continue binding the Xianzhou together.
: The generals' view of these people is like pawns in a game of chess, some threat, but not much, even within their schemes.
: In short, the overt storyline is the various demands between different Xianzhou ship's, along with the undercurrents between factions.
: Through these stories, the grand trend also leads to Aeons, Paths, and the shadows of the future.
: One link after another, it's really brain-burning.
: Without some scholarly foundation, you really wouldn't be able to see so much.
: This stage play, with Borisin, the traitors, without even one of them, it wouldn't work.
: Feels like something even more straightforward will appear, maybe touching the very core of the issue.
: Perhaps in the next episode?
: After hearing the analysis and then reinterpreting the previous episode's plot, it's now deeply clear what special relationship the Xianzhou and the Hunt have.
: The Xianzhou is practically like an extender for defining the Hunt's Path, no wonder Brother Lan favors it so much, not only as his homeland, but also as a cosmic fulcrum.
: Really looking forward to the next episode more and more.
...
Looking at the comments, Rion also nodded in satisfaction.
Then, she glanced at the time.
Only then did she realize that this lengthy analysis had taken quite a while.
"Crap, crap, Jiang Yun is still waiting for me to go out for dinner."
"This is bad."
Rion felt a headache coming, and hurriedly said: "Alright, since the analysis has ended, I still need to…"
Halfway through her words.
On the barrage, an info kid popped out, exclaiming with joy: "Teacher! The next episode preview is out!"
"Ah!"
"Next episode preview?"
"So fast?"
Rion was stunned.
She quickly went to check the official site.
Sure enough, at the end of the main episode.
A new video had already been uploaded in the afternoon.
[Blue Feathers Shooting Through The Skies]
What the heck? They really put it out!
Rion was baffled.
In the past, these preview PVs always came out long after the main episode aired.
Why so early this time? But recalling the analysis just now, she couldn't help wanting to watch the next episode's preview.
Mainly because she was too eager. The livestream audience felt the same.
...
: Don't go find Host! Nothing is better than a drama!
: Exactly, exactly!
: Forget dinner! Hurry hurry hurry!
: Watch with us!
...
Under the coaxing of the livestream viewers.
Rion slapped her forehead and gritted his teeth: "Fine, I'll watch first, better to get in trouble after than feel tormented all day for not watching!"
As soon as she said that, she clicked on the video.
On the screen.
After the MiHoYo logo ended.
Explosive music and drumbeats rang out.
The camera dropped from the sky, revealing the image of a massive beast-like warship.
A giant with three enormous cannons, a body so huge it seemed boundless, looming in the void.
The Skysplitter!
In the last episode it looked so small, but it turned out to be this colossal!
"Welcome!"
"Welcome everyone to the Knockout Match of the Luminary Wardance!"
Owlbert's voice suddenly rang out.
Then, a never-before-seen red-haired man appeared.
Though his face wasn't fully shown, viewers could still sense his eager, battle-ready stance.
Yanqing was also at his side.
"The two warriors are already in place."
"This highly anticipated duel officially begins!"
At Owlbert's booming voice, fireworks burst across the Skysplitter, the audience's cheers nearly spilling out of the screen.
In the center of the arena.
An unknown red-haired youth was facing off against Yanqing.
The audience was thrilled.
...
: Damn, a newcomer appeared?!
: Owlbert is back! Haven't seen him since the last livestream ended!
: Looks like next week will be intense, the region's going to be in turmoil for real!
: Hopefully we'll see more explosive info, like how the three generals discussed the Destruction Campaign.
...
Barrage messages flew by.
And with the pulsing drumbeats.
The scene shifted.
To the Scalegorge Waterscape.
A male Vidyadhara in luxurious robes stood atop the staircase.
"Preceptor Taoran, here to greet Miss Lingsha."
Lingsha only gave a slight smile.
Then in a corner of the Scalegorge Waterscape.
Some corrupted by the Mara crawled out.
The viewers were shaken.
But before they could send more comments.
The rapid editing pace, with various lines and intense music, bombarded the audience's senses.
Mara-struck swarming out in the Scalegorge Waterscape.
The rising star skiffs in the sky above Luofu.
Taoran, and the voices of the Sky Riders overlapping.
"Indeed, I aided in the prison break of the Abyssal Prison."
"Feixiao!"
"Borisin are moving at high speed in every alley of the Cloudford!"
"Hold on, I'll be there soon!"
...
: Whoa, Preceptor and Lingsha meet?
: Preceptor admits he helped the Borisin break the prison?!
: Is this a rebellion?
: Mara struck appear again, Alchemy Commission is doomed, does Lingsha meeting Taoran mean…?
: And it looks like Hoolay is leading the Borisin to attack Luofu?
: Wait wait wait, way too much info!
...
With the tense atmosphere.
The music also reached its climax.
Under urgent strings, Feixiao stood in the sky, bow drawn.
"Are you ready to die?"
"Monster!"
The scene switched to inside the Skysplitter, where the dense crowd had vanished.
Yanqing and Yunli held their weapons, facing the massive Hoolay.
"The Luminary Wardance ends here!"
As Hoolay's words fell.
He tore open his own chest.
Amid the spreading blood mist, Feixiao jumped, under the blood moon, Feixiao looked down upon March 7th, Yanqing, and Yunli.
Huaiyan's heavy voice rang out.
"General Feixiao!"
"You have betrayed the Alliance's trust!"
These fragments and lines, cut together.
Already left the viewers dazzled.
Their minds overwhelmed.
What's going on? Why does Feixiao look like a villain?
Before they could think further.
The drumbeats grew faster.
Scenes flashed rapidly. Feixiao locking eyes with Hoolay. Feixiao drawing a strange weapon.
Explosions tearing through Luofu's streets.
Yunli blown away.
The camera moving faster and faster.
Viewers could hardly see clearly, they only glimpsed Dan Heng, Jing Yuan.
And a fleeting, familiar Jingliu!
"We… are all born for battle, cursed with twisted bodies."
"May the blade of the Hunt pierce through the monster's heart."
Hoolay and Feixiao's lines echoed one after another.
And after the final line with the drums stopping abruptly.
The screen froze on a massive poster.
Feixiao's five fingers spread open, reaching toward the screen. Behind her stood Moze, Lingsha, Yunli, and the hidden Hoolay.
The thrilling preview ended.
Leaving only the audience's frenzied wails.
...
: Aaaaah! Damn!
: Did I just see Jingliu?!
: What's going on, I can't process this....
: Don't mess with us, are we getting another huge twist next episode?!
: Based on last episode, shouldn't this one be about the Generals and the Path of the Hunt?
: How did Hoolay get inside the Skysplitter?!
: What the hell is happening!!
--------------------------------
[ T/N: Is is really as was said in the first part of the chapter, or is it just the author hyping up the Hunt?
Also I wasn't able to find the Reverse Time Shot Curio. Any idea which this curio is? Or is this also something extra added?
But one thing is sure, the author is a huge fan of the hunt path!]