[Why is there still talk about Phantylia?]
[Big bro, Phantylia is, after all, a Lord Ravager. It was clearly stated in Season 3 that they didn't die, just lost a physical body, though Phantylia was quite fond of it.]
[So, the final boss is still Phantylia?]
——
Feixiao indicated that she fully trusted Jing Yuan, but to silence the protesters within the Alliance, she needed Stelle and Dan Heng to visit the Shackling Prison. At that time, a judge from the Ten-Lords Commission's "Interrogation Division" would use the Karma Mirror Platform to provide a detailed testimony for them, filling in the gaps in the report. This would ensure everything was airtight.
However, there was one downside: the fear that the act might become too real, and the two might actually end up detained.
Stelle weakly asked, "Will you let us come back…?"
Feixiao patted her chest confidently, "Worried I'll go back on my word and keep you locked in the Shackling Prison? No need for that. If I wanted to do that, I would've done it already. Once the testimony is complete, you're free to come and go, treated with the usual courtesy."
Stelle nodded. It did seem to make sense. After all, Feixiao was one of the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Reignbow, so her strength was undeniable.
Jing Yuan said, "Then we'll proceed as General Sky-Felling requests—"
Feixiao paused, "Additionally, I have another important matter to attend to on the Luofu. If the testimony stamped with the Ten-Lords Commission's seal is to suppress the opposition from the Alliance's higher-ups, then I must ask General Jing Yuan to listen to the voices within the Yaoqing Xianzhou's foxian community."
"Is General Sky-Felling here for Hoolay?"
"Exactly. I intend to take the borisin Warhead, Hoolay, who is imprisoned in the Luofu's Shackling Prison, and transfer them to the Yaoqing Xianzhou for custody. The recent movements of the borisin are enough to prove they're plotting something big. We must act early to counter it."
Jing Yuan glanced at Huaiyan for his opinion. "Hoolay is the sworn enemy of the foxians. It's reasonable for the foxians to suppress and guard them. General Feixiao trusts the Luofu's handling, and the Luofu naturally trusts the general's handling in return. What does Elder Yan think?"
Huaiyan replied, "This old man was worried this would be a battle of words. It seems I overthought it! Since both of you have made your decisions and resolved each other's issues, nothing could be better!"
Feixiao continued, "Regarding Hoolay's transfer, I'll send my subordinates Jiaoqiu and Moze to inspect the conditions of their cell first to prepare for the escort. If there are no other questions, shall we begin?"
Subsequently, Stelle and Dan Heng, led by a judge, headed toward the entrance of the Shackling Prison.
Seeing the familiar gates, Dan Heng sighed with emotion, "The Shackling Prison… After all these years, I never thought I'd return here."
Stelle, noticing Dan Heng's rare sentimentality, grew a bit concerned. "Dan Heng…"
Dan Heng realized he'd let his emotions show and quickly composed himself. "No need to worry about me."
[Dan Heng: Always good to come back home and visit.]
[I remember Dan Heng was reborn in the Shackling Prison.]
[Why haven't I seen this scene in the interactive content?]
[This was recently dug up—er, I mean, recently built. Well, it's a big pit anyway.]
[Does miHoYo really love live-action shoots that much?]
[Speaking of which, building a prison with such effort—who's even playing around in that interactive city?]
[There are tons of Easter eggs in there.]
——
Meanwhile, Moze and Jiaoqiu, who had arrived at the Shackling Prison earlier, were waiting for the guiding judge and started chatting idly.
Soon after, an old character, Xueyi, reappeared.
Under the protection of the heliobi, the three walked and talked.
Xueyi began explaining Hoolay's situation: "The prisoner Hoolay, a monstrous creation of the Abundance and Warhead of the borisin, is the great enemy of the foxians. They are responsible for 2,123 wars of aggression and their associated crimes. With their ferocious brutality and countless atrocities, they were sentenced to the bottom of the Shackling Prison, subjected to the punishment of the Infernal Sword Tree until the end of heaven and earth, with no hope of pardon…"
Jiaoqiu gave an awkward chuckle. "Judge, you don't need to recite the text from the verdict. Hoolay is the natural enemy and sworn foe of my foxian kin. Their atrocities are used by Yaoqing parents to scare children at night. I'm well aware of every detail. Let's move to the next step."
Xueyi stopped in her tracks, speaking solemnly, "Visiting a high-security prisoner involves rules critical to your safety. Even if you Yaoqing envoys grew up hearing tales of Hoolay, your knowledge of them is still pitifully limited. Only the judges of the Ten-Lords Commission truly understand what kind of monster is locked beneath the Shackling Prison.
Since Jingliu, the former Sword Champion of the Luofu, captured Hoolay, centuries have passed, and the Shackling Prison has never allowed Hoolay food or sustenance. Yet, despite this starvation, they still live—an anomaly that defies recorded borisin physiology.
The Infernal Sword Tree, created by the Punishment Division, is a torture device meant to inflict pain on heinous criminals. Most borisin can't endure it for more than three days. But this creature is different. The sword blades pierce them, and they heal instantly. Even now, after centuries of torment, they still live.
The many unnatural aspects of this beast are exactly why these rules exist. Do you understand?"
Jiaoqiu admitted, "I was presumptuous… Please continue, my lord."
"Regarding the taboos for visiting Hoolay, I've given you both a document. Read it carefully."
Xueyi handed them what appeared to be a set of strange rules.
The other points weren't as critical, but the fourth stood out:
Fourth, avoid mentioning 'Jingliu' in conversation with the prisoner.
[What's with these creepy rules?]
[The fourth one's kind of hilarious.]
[Does hearing Jingliu's name trigger them or something?]
[Back in Season 3, when the Luofu interactive scene was opened, there was a document about unforgivable criminals. Hoolay and the borisin showed up long ago. They're all heavyweights.]
[So, Jingliu's that powerful?]
[Are you kidding? The Luofu's Sword Champion! Even a regular one left Yanqing with psychological scars.]
——
Xueyi then led Jiaoqiu and Moze deeper into the prison.
Jiaoqiu seemed to pick up a scent in the air, started to say something, but stopped himself.
[Ugh, just say it already! You're killing me!]
[Why'd he stop? Forcing the plot forward like this is just dumbing things down, isn't it?]
[Not exactly. He just noticed an odd smell, and clearly, only Jiaoqiu picked up on it. Then he tells Xueyi there's something wrong with the Shackling Prison and suggests she check it out?]
[But why hold back? Isn't it obvious? Yanqing and March 7th ran into a bunch of borisin, and now the perspective's in the prison. I can figure it out with my toes—this is definitely a prison break to free Hoolay. And Phantylia's probably stirring things up in the background.]
[Jiaoqiu's just a healer. Plus, he didn't follow up on Yanqing's incident, so he's obviously lacking info. That's a realistic reaction. If Jiaoqiu were some mastermind, that'd be straight-up cheating.]
——
The perspective shifted back to Stelle and Dan Heng.
Stelle, with nothing to do, wandered around aimlessly.
Soon, another familiar face appeared before them.
"Guests of the Express, sorry for the wait. Hanya, judge of the Interrogation Division, at your service."
Her lifeless tone and corporate-drone demeanor were unmistakable. It was indeed Hanya.
Stelle scratched her head. "So, it's just you and your sister as judges, huh?"
Hanya, rare for her, cracked a small joke. "What, not happy to see me? Fine, I can call a judge skilled in acupuncture, one proficient with axes and saws, or perhaps one adept with whips and ropes to interrogate you… Plenty of options, surely one suits you."
The next moment, she dropped the smile. "Just a little joke. Judges rotate duties, and you just happened to run into me, Trailblazer. Seems we're fated to meet.
Thanks to your efforts in quelling the demons at Fyxestroll Garden, I owe you my gratitude once again."
Dan Heng sized Stelle up. "Looks like while March 7th and I were unaware, you've made quite a few connections on the Xianzhou Luofu."
Stelle raised an eyebrow. "Well, at home, I rely on Pom-Pom; out here, I rely on friends."
After some small talk, Hanya led them to an elevator.
While waiting, Hanya turned to Stelle. "I hear the Martial Exhibition is about to be held in the mortal world. I still remember watching a sword duel with my sister when I was young.
The Cloud Knight defending the Luofu's arena was gallant, their sword light like lightning. The foreign challenger had fiery hair and a hand forged of meteoric iron, their fists like thunder. They fought for ages, evenly matched.
In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed. My sister and I have become beings of the underworld, no longer excited by any competition.
Trailblazer, during this Martial Exhibition, is the Skyship Sea bustling with people?"
"It's a real spectacle—gongs and drums, firecrackers, red flags waving, and crowds stretching beyond sight."
A hint of envy flashed in Hanya's eyes. "Sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, I'm swamped with duties and can't watch the event."
She added with a self-deprecating tone, "With my current appearance, I'd probably scare people if I went. Let's go."
As the three walked, Hanya suddenly stopped. "Hm? Did you two hear something?"
Stelle and Dan Heng nodded, clearly noticing something off as well.
After running a few steps forward, they saw the box originally guarded by Scott placed right there.
Something felt wrong, but with pressing matters at hand, they prepared to leave.
At that moment, Hanya noticed a storage compartment had been opened.
"Strange, I don't recall ordering a second inspection of the contents…"
She crouched down, her pupils contracting sharply.
The compartment was empty, except for a Shackling Prison guard lying inside.
"Careful!"
Dan Heng shouted, leaping to push Stelle, who hadn't reacted in time, out of the way.
Interastral Peace Corporation mechs descended from above, attacking the group.
"Emergency situation! Guards, provide backup! Emergency situation! Guards, provide backup!"
Hanya tried calling for support, but no one responded.
In the next moment, all three summoned their weapons.
Dan Heng's brow furrowed. "Looks like we're on our own."
Fortunately, the number of mechs was limited, and Hanya, Dan Heng, and Stelle were all top-tier fighters.
Working together, they took down all the mechs in a dozen rounds.
Hanya immediately inspected the mechs. "How is this possible? The heliobi followed protocol, cutting off the machines' power supply and sealing the box. Why are these mechs still operational?"
"It's just like what happened at the Artisanship Commission. These goods seem to attack everyone on sight as if they've gone out of control."
Dan Heng recalled the incident when he and Sushang traversed the Artisanship Commission.
"Where are the heliobi? Why isn't anyone coming to help?"
Hanya pointed to her communication device. "Since earlier, something seems to be interfering with the Shackling Prison's comms."
"Maybe it's these mechs causing trouble," Dan Heng paused. "The only reason something this dangerous would appear in the Shackling Prison is…"
Hanya's eyes widened. "A prison break."
"And the person who sent these 'goods' clearly wanted the Xianzhou's strict inspection process to expose their danger to the Skyship Division and Cloud Knights. They ensured these would be sent to the Shackling Prison."
Sweat beaded on Hanya's forehead. "If these things started moving without anyone noticing, the prison's current state is extremely dangerous.
What's worse, besides you two, another group of visitors entered the depths of the Shackling Prison—the envoys from the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
Their target… might be the same as the goal of whoever sent these wolf-shaped mechs. If that beast at the bottom escapes, the Xianzhou Luofu could face a catastrophe!"
——
The perspective shifted again.
Moments earlier, Xueyi had led Jiaoqiu and Moze to the bottom of the Shackling Prison.
Before the gate holding Hoolay, Xueyi's expression was tense. "Beyond this gate, in a pocket dimension, lies the foxians' great enemy, Hoolay."
A roar echoed from behind the gate. "Arghhh—"
"As per tradition, Yaoqing envoys visit the Luofu Xianzhou every century to confirm this monster's imprisonment and status.
Though the Ten-Lords Commission sentenced Hoolay to the Infernal Sword Tree, ensuring daily suffering without end, I understand the Yaoqing envoys most want to see Hoolay's corpse…
Unfortunately, for seven hundred years, they've all left disappointed. That beast cannot be killed."
Jiaoqiu, rare for him, opened his eyes. "If the world's deadliest poison could be used as medicine to save an innocent life, perhaps it could atone for some of the blood debts they've incurred. Could you be the cure for the general, Hoolay?"
[What? Is he planning to use Hoolay to heal Feixiao?]
[Oh boy, a second Reign of the Imbibitor Lunae chaos.]
[Boil Hoolay into soup, drink it, and glow up.]
[Is Jiaoqiu setting up Hoolay for something big in Season 5?]
[No way, right?]
——
At that moment, a sound came from behind them.
"This time, the Yaoqing envoys will leave disappointed again. But my brothers and I are a different story…"
Xueyi immediately raised her weapon. "Who's there?!"
"I'm just a humble strategist from the Rhino Dog Pack. You can call me… Modu."
Xueyi's first instinct was to call for backup. "Guards! The lower levels are under attack! Send reinforcements now!"
Modu laughed, slowly approaching with several Cloud Knights and borisin at his side. "At the bottom of the Shackling Prison, no one can hear your cries. Thank you for opening the cell, Judge. We'll take it from here."