Jing Yuan, Huaiyan, and Feixiao were already standing next to each other. Above their heads, an item glowed with radiant light.
---------------------------------------
"Everyone, long time no see. Since the last time I attended a council meeting, I've been thinking about you generals day and night." A young-sounding female voice appeared.
Who is this person? The audience was filled with curiosity.
But Xia Wen didn't keep them waiting long.
The next moment, Feixiao smiled and said, "General Yao Guang, are you thinking about us few generals… or about the fate that awaits us Arbiter-Generals?"
...
: Huh? General Yao Guang?!
: A new general appears!
: Xianzhou Yuque, General Yao Guang!
: Nice! Sounds like another short general like Fu Xuan!
:? Fu Xuan: I'll give you one more chance to rephrase that.
: Based on previous hints, Yuque seems like a calculation or divination hub.
: The Master Diviner must have gone to the Yuque this time.
: The voice sounds a bit strange though, was a voice changer used? Sounds a bit distorted.
...
The audience was thrilled.
At this point, the only generals yet to appear were General Xuanquan and General Youwu.
Comments flooded the screen.
Hearing Feixiao's words, Yao Guang also laughed and said, "Haha, General Feixiao is still as straightforward as ever, so blunt it's almost unlikable."
"Earlier, you told General Jing Yuan, 'It's a good thing I came this time. If General Yao Guang had come instead, the questioning wouldn't have been so friendly,', I heard that loud and clear."
"I wonder if that prediction has come true." Yao Guang's words carried heavy implications.
Although she hadn't attended this meeting in person, she was somehow able to hear the conversation among the three generals from who knows how far away.
[Everything you've said and done, I know it all.] That was the hidden meaning behind Yao Guang's words.
Jing Yuan crossed his arms and slowly said, "I've never heard of the 'Deca-Light Refraction Barrier' being able to eavesdrop on gossip so clearly. Seems the Marshal didn't just send two generals to observe at Luofu, there's a third uninvited guest."
Yao Guang replied, "After all, there are those in the Alliance who claim that General Jing Yuan's wisdom shines no less than Yao Guang's. Since Luofu has suffered this calamity, of course Yuque cannot sit idly by."
...
: Damn, that's a lot of info.
: So Yao Guang's been watching from the shadows.
: Yuque is something else, the 'Deca-Light Refraction Barrier' must be the key that lets Yao Guang eavesdrop.
: Probably a precaution in case the three generals conspire together, Yao Guang's the backup plan.
: As expected, when it comes to the Xianzhou, the Yuque doesn't mess around!
: Looks like Yuque really is something, they can listen from afar using that realm. It's basically an intelligence HQ.
: Exactly! Who says divination isn't just intelligence work in disguise?
...
The audience buzzed with discussion.
Meanwhile, inside the Palace of Astrum, the generals knew this already and weren't surprised.
Yao Guang's appearance meant she clearly had official business with them.
Huaiyan, hands behind his back, calmly said, "Alright, General Yao Guang, the Yellowbell system's duration is limited, speak briefly."
"Gladly."
Yao Guang's voice rang out: "Thanks to General Jing Yuan's efforts, those two prisoners have already been interrogated by Yuque."
"In their confessions, the claim that they sent the Stellaron into Luofu matched General Jing Yuan's speculation, it was pure fiction, a smokescreen."
"Their real goal was to gain an audience with the Marshal and present their 'Plan to Kill an Aeon.' This much has been verified."
Jingliu and Luocha! Ever since the end of that Xianzhou storyline, neither had appeared again.
Everyone only knew they'd been taken away. No one expected to see them mentioned again here, and their so-called 'Plan to Kill an Aeon' sent a chill through everyone.
Moreover, Yao Guang's report fully supported Jing Yuan's earlier stance.
He had said before that the only ones capable of secretly delivering a Stellaron right under his nose would have to be of Emanator-level strength.
Now, Yao Guang confirmed the Stellaron story was a ruse, completely clearing Jing Yuan of suspicion.
But Jing Yuan didn't look relieved; instead, he asked seriously, "What strategy did Jingliu and that foreigner propose?"
Yao Guang's voice grew strange: "It was an indescribable, magnificent scene. The mystery lies within that golden-haired foreigner's coffin…"
The three listening generals all grew grim.
For Yao Guang to describe it like that, the message that foreigner brought must be earth-shattering.
And Yao Guang didn't keep them guessing: "Inside that coffin… was a divine body fragment of Tayzzyronth."
Feixiao couldn't help exclaiming, "The remains of the Aeon of Propagation?!"
The revelation hit like thunder! No one expected that Tayzzyronth, dead for years, would resurface now!
Comments slowed to a crawl. The audience didn't even dare to type, afraid they'd miss a crucial word.
"To be precise, it was only a piece of the divine body of the Aeon."
"In the future described by the two prisoners, this was the nail that would pin the 'Plague's Author' to its final doom."
"And before that… to defy the Aeons, a greater alliance was needed. For this reason, they even recommended an ally to the Xianzhou."
Yao Guang fully revealed her intel: "Surely you've all heard the name of Genius Society member #81, Ruan Mei. Yuque's 'eye' has seen it, this uninvited guest has already arrived aboard the Luofu."
"?"
"Miss Ruan Mei?"
Jing Yuan recalled the intelligence he possessed but found no trace of that Genius Society member, so he asked, "When?"
"Three…"
"Three days?"
"Two…"
"One…"
Yao Guang giggled playfully: "Right on time, Miss Ruan Mei has just arrived on the Luofu. As for how to receive this distinguished guest, I'll leave that hot potato to you all."
...
: Wait wait wait! Damn it, they dropped another info bomb at the end!
: This is insane!
: So you're telling me, the Xianzhou first dealt with Hoolay, then declared war on Destruction, then found the remains of Propagation, and now they're teaming up with the terrifying scientist Ruan Mei?!
: Holy crap! The War of the Aeons is really about to explode!
: The Xianzhou's actually taking action now!
: Holy crap! What are they planning to do with Propagation's remains? Handing them to Ruan Mei, she might actually create a new Emanator of Propagation!
: The 56-second Fake Emanator is going to be promoted?
: I'm afraid that's not all. The Xianzhou has its own reserves, and with Ruan Mei involved, I'm afraid it's not as simple as resurrecting an Emanator.
: Very likely! The direction this is going might delve deep into the the fate of the cosmos itself!!
: I'm already looking forward to their collaboration!
...
The live comments were completely going insane.
But the surprises weren't over yet!
The screen went black.
A familiar, cold voice sounded, echoing in the hearts of the audience.
"Do you still remember your name?"
"This humble girl… is called Tingyun. I'm the Chief Representative of the 'Whistling Flames' merchant guild from the Xianzhou Luofu."
The first voice belonged to Ruan Mei.
The second belonged to Tingyun.
An uncontrollable surge of excitement flooded the hearts of the viewers.
Everyone stared intently at the screen, waiting for that miraculous scene to appear!
And then… The miracle appeared!
Two lines of big text emerged,
[Radiant Martial Showdown: Edge of Glory · Part II]
[End]
...
: Oh oh oh ohhh! I can't take it! Ending it here is torture! Aaaahhh!
: You can't stop here!
: Damn it! You're toying with us, aren't you!
: Damn damn damn! Miss Tingyun! Miss Tingyun!!
: Die! Damn cliffhanger writer!
: Damn it, I've had enough!
: Two explosive reveals at the end and still no more info? I'm done, can't even sleep tonight.
: He's too good at cutting off like this!
...
Amid the flood of frantic comments, many viewers also began to think of something unsettling.
...
: Damn, Ruan Mei really revived Tingyun, huh!
: Oh no, after being revived, will Tingyun still be the same Tingyun?
: Please don't turn her into something weird!
: Damn, I don't even know if this is a surprise or a horror twist!
: But no matter what, if Tingyun can come back to life, it's still a good thing!
: Please, MiHoYo, just this once, be kind, bring our Miss Tingyun back exactly the way she was!
...
Tingyun's popularity, was unexpectedly high. Not only because of her beauty, but also because of her charming and cunning personality.
The audience didn't even know whether this lovable personality was truly hers, or something the Phantylia had improvised.
Perhaps she herself wasn't like that? But that contradiction and mystery were exactly why Tingyun's popularity had always remained sky-high.
Because there was room for imagination.
And as this episode officially ended, on the forums, across all major platforms, as always, everything was abuzz with heated discussion.
Countless viewers gathered everywhere passionately debating the plot.
At the same time in MiHoYo's headquarters,
Xia Wen was discussing the progress of Aetherium Wars with the team and the release of the upcoming content.
Those attending the meeting included Tingyun, Silver Wolf, Sunday, and Boothill.
"The new monsters for Aetherium Wars are ready."
"We plan to include the Warped Feixiao and Feixiao."
Silver Wolf reported sending over the finished models to the group, while muttering in suspicion:
"I've gotta say, Boss, where did you find such skilled modelers? This level of detail isn't something a small studio could achieve."
These models were all generated by the system, of course they were detailed.
But Xia Wen calmly waved a hand. "Aside from MiHoYo, I also have other investments. These studios are part of that."
"Oh, oh." Silver Wolf didn't ask further.
After discussing Aetherium Wars, the group began talking about the upcoming storylines.
Tingyun was about to be officially revived, so there would be a corresponding PV and her own personal story chapter.
This plotline would be part of the same episode as Sunday's.
The total content wasn't that large, it was more like a personal showcase for both, and it also gave Sunday a reason to "get on board."
"Our current stockpile of story content is just about that much."
"By the way, the new episode is mostly filmed, but we still haven't found the actor, or even written the scenes, for the key character, Rappa."
"At this rate, in about a month, we'll run out of episodes to release."
Sunday pulled out a notebook listing all the matters that needed Xia Wen's approval.
The most important of them was the content tied to the main storyline. Normally, the company kept at least four weeks of story backlog, so they could film, produce, and release comfortably.
But so far, Xia Wen hadn't revealed the next main story arc, keeping the script closely guarded.
"I'm saying, taking a short break might not be a bad thing."
"Filming continuously like this, even someone like you, Boss, might run out of inspiration."
Boothill added, "And hey, we still haven't released the Luminary Wardance Ceremony . It's not part of the main story, but it'd still be a fun watch for the audience."
"That's different. The Luminary Wardance Ceremony belongs to a side event."
Sunday corrected him. "The main story content now only includes A Misfortune of Survivors and A New Venture on the Eighth Dawn, and A Misfortune of Survivors is only half done."
As they spoke, everyone naturally turned to Xia Wen.
As the company's boss, his decision would determine the direction forward.
"Don't worry too much."
"The main story content has already been prepared."
"And the actors are being negotiated with."
Xia Wen smiled, giving them a bit of reassurance. "As for A Misfortune of Survivors, the actress for Rappa… well, she's actually already arrived."
"Huh? When?"
Boothill looked curious. "In the script, she and I are both Galaxy Rangers, I was planning to show her around the company, teach her some American-style swordplay for her role."
"Ahem, well…" Xia Wen looked a bit awkward. "She was supposed to arrive this week, but… she bought the wrong ticket."
"?"
"Huh? What?"