"Bronya has detected two enormous sources of Honkai energy up ahead—those should be Chiyou's hearts." Following Jilin's alert, Bronya immediately activated the detection system on the heavily armored Little Rabbit.
"Let's move."
Once they had pinpointed the location of Chiyou's heart, under Major Ji's leadership the group quickly headed toward the nearest Honkai source. As they ventured deeper into the inner depths of Chiyou's body, they marveled at the strange wonders within. The environment was no longer that of a mere cave; instead, countless massive boulders floated in a vast space, and one of Chiyou's hearts rested atop these levitating stones.
"Little Rabbit, open fire!"
After confirming the target, everyone—except for Shenfei and Fu Hua—launched their most powerful attacks against Chiyou's heart. Unfortunately, despite the grandeur of their assault, their strikes did nothing more than shatter a few of the stones above it.
"It's so hard," groaned Rosalia and Liliya, their arms growing numb as they ceased their attack.
"Everyone, stop! This isn't working at all." Major Ji, noticing the futility of their efforts, ordered a halt and turned her gaze toward Shenfei and Fu Hua, who had not yet made a move.
"We can use the main cannon on the Huberian to attack," Shenfei suggested immediately. Although both he and Fu Hua possessed the power to destroy Chiyou's heart, the odd behavior of Jilin had made them reluctant to reveal their full strength for now.
"The Huberian can't pinpoint the position of Chiyou's heart," came Theresa's voice over the headset. Even with Chiyou's body blocking signals, the fact that communication was still possible was a testament to Tianming's formidable network—though one must admit, the communication systems in this world are exceptionally advanced, capable even of operating within the Sea of Quantum.
"That's simple enough—we can perform a manual targeting," Shenfei continued.
"Manual targeting? That's worth a try," agreed another voice.
After coordinating with Theresa, Shenfei began the manual targeting process. Once the group had moved a safe distance from Chiyou's heart, they instructed Theresa to fire the Huberian's main cannon.
Before long, a dazzling beam of brilliant light pierced through Chiyou's body and struck its heart. Fortunately, the Huberian's power source had been upgraded to the Moonlight Throne, which greatly enhanced the main cannon's power—without which, it would have been impossible to penetrate Chiyou's massive form and hit its heart.
Boom.
As Chiyou's heart shattered, the surroundings began to tremble violently. Countless rocks tumbled from above, and faint roars could be heard in the distance.
"Chiyou's speed has slowed," Theresa announced timely over the headset.
"The second heart is over there," Bronya pointed.
"Wait—there seems to be something over there." Just as the group was about to move on, Kiana darted over to the area of the shattered heart and picked up several peculiar pieces of metal.
"It's Soul Steel. It looks like there's some writing on it?" The fragmented metal bore ancient Divine Continent characters. At the sight of the inscription, Fu Hua's expression immediately changed, and she cast a complex look toward Jilin, who floated nearby.
"No need to rush—doesn't this work perfectly? You can put an end to it now."
Although the inscription on the Soul Steel wasn't complete, Shenfei and Fu Hua managed to piece together its meaning: the so-called heart of Chiyou was not, strictly speaking, Chiyou's heart at all, but rather one of the seals left behind by Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu.
It was meant to restrain Chiyou's actions—destroying the "heart" would release Chiyou from its seal. In other words, everything Jilin had said before was now in question; Jilin had become Black Jilin.
Fu Hua, too, understood the gravity of the situation. As a Fusion Warrior from the former civilization who had seen countless battles and betrayals among comrades, she knew all too well what had transpired. Nothing pained Fu Hua more than the memory of her once-admired captain becoming a Regulator—only to be killed by Kevin when he tried to reach out.
"So it is indeed," she murmured.
Following the same method, when Chiyou's second heart was destroyed they found similar Soul Steel fragments, its inscription nearly identical to the previous one.
"What's happening? Why has Chiyou's speed suddenly increased?" Theresa's panicked voice came through the headset. After the second firing of the Huberian's main cannon, Chiyou had paused—Theresa had thought it was finished—but just as she was about to exhale in relief, Chiyou surged forward at an even greater speed.
"Principal, Bronya has detected a third Honkai source—one even stronger than the previous two. This means Chiyou has three hearts," someone reported.
"You'd better hurry; at this pace, Chiyou will reach the coastline in about two hours," Theresa said tensely.
"Principal, we've reached the location of Chiyou's third heart, but isn't the Huberian's main cannon only capable of two firings?"
The group soon arrived at the site of Chiyou's third heart. Compared to the first two, this one was even more enormous—almost twice as large as the other two combined. Rosalia and Liliya couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment, but the others paid little heed.
"Don't worry—I'll divert additional energy from elsewhere. We should be able to fire the main cannon one more time."
The two-shot limit was merely a safety measure; if they didn't mind risking damage to the Huberian, a third shot was possible.
"Hahahaha, foolish humans—you've finally come to your doom." Just as Theresa was preparing to shut down all other systems on the Huberian and channel every bit of energy into the main cannon, Jilin—who had been silent until now—suddenly burst into raucous laughter.
With that piercing laugh, the golden dress Jilin had been wearing instantly turned black; even the Xuanyuan Sword that Major Ji had been holding changed color, detaching from her grasp and soaring into Jilin's hand—Jilin had transformed into Black Jilin.
"It's you messing around," Bronya immediately retorted.
"Indeed, thanks to you all I have been freed from the seal. Rest assured, I will repay your kindness," Black Jilin declared, swinging her black Xuanyuan Sword. A massive, black, crescent-shaped sword energy erupted, enveloping the entire group.
"Watch out, Kiana."
"Ya Mei, be careful."
"Bronya, watch out."
"Liliya, be careful."
"That's enough, Jilin."
The onslaught from Black Jilin sent Ya Mei, Kiana, and the others into frantic disarray as they attempted to combine their efforts to counter the attack. But just then, a figure materialized in front of the black sword energy and shattered it with a single punch.
"Theresa, there's no need to fire the main cannon now—leave this to us," Shenfei said into his headset immediately after Fu Hua intervened.
"Alright."
"It's you, Chiyuan."
Black Jilin's attack had been deflected, and though she initially paid it no mind, once she recognized who stood before her her expression became one of overwhelming excitement.
"It's me. Long time no see."
"Yes, it's been far too long, Chiyuan. Why did you only show up now? All those years we waited for you—yet you never appeared. Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu trusted you so much; do you truly consider our fates less important than those of strangers?"
Black Jilin's excitement twisted her features.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry? After all these years of loneliness, a single 'I'm sorry' isn't nearly enough—you should be apologizing to Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu," Black Jilin retorted, swinging her black Xuanyuan Sword at Fu Hua.
"I know, I can't make up for what's been lost. But I also know you're not the same as before; the true Jilin would never say such things," Fu Hua replied as she blocked the strike with her grasp of Vacuous Sword Qi, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"The real Jilin—hahaha, you're right. The true Jilin has long since perished. Now you should go and accompany her." As Black Jilin spoke, her Xuanyuan Sword unleashed dozens of sword shadows into the air—none other than manifestations of Vacuous Sword Qi.
Incidentally, Fu Hua had once been Jilin's master. The Xuanyuan Sword in her possession was one of the Keys of Dominion; after fully mastering Vacuous Sword Qi, that Key had transformed into the Golden Sword it is today.
"Class monitor, what's going on?"
The conversation between Fu Hua and Black Jilin left Kiana and the others dumbfounded—they never expected their class monitor to be acquainted with a legendary figure from over five thousand years ago.
"Fall back quickly!"
Before Kiana could ask any questions, Major Ji immediately ordered everyone to retreat, as the reverberations from Fu Hua and Black Jilin's duel began to affect them.
"Our class monitor is so formidable…" murmured someone from afar.
Watching from a distance, Kiana felt an overwhelming sense of dejection. She had always believed that she was only slightly weaker than Fu Hua—that if she could only grow a bit stronger, she could finally knock down the class monitor who always overshadowed her. But now it was clear that the gap was insurmountable.
At that moment, both Black Jilin and Fu Hua were wielding Vacuous Sword Qi. Fu Hua was no longer clad in simple casual attire; she had transformed into her blazing state—her hair white, her eyes scarlet, and her body shrouded in fierce flames.
"Chiyuan, if I'm not mistaken, our class monitor is none other than the immortal guardian, the Chiyuan Immortal, revered for generations across the Divine Continent."
"Chiyuan Immortal? What's that?"
Ya Mei, who seemed to know some of the legends surrounding the Chiyuan Immortal, responded. Kiana, however, was completely unaware—not that she hadn't heard of it, but she simply never retained such historical details (Walter Young had given her a zero in history).
"He is the guardian of the Divine Continent," Bronya explained briefly, then looked at Major Ji and added, "Major Ji, and Principal—you both should know about this."
"I'll explain it to you when we get back," Major Ji nodded, offering no contradiction.
"Fu Hua, time is short!" Major Ji suddenly called out loudly, her tone laced with concern as she regarded the dueling pair. She knew Fu Hua's state well enough to remind her that outside, Chiyou was still on the move—and given Chiyou's massive size, even without reaching the coastline, it could still wreak havoc.
"I understand. I'm sorry, Jilin."
After a deep sigh, Fu Hua suddenly soared upward. In an instant, flames erupted around her in midair, and with a crisp cry, a gigantic, fiery red phoenix—Fei Jun Xuanling—materialized in the sky.
The scorching light incinerated the multitude of sword shadows summoned by Black Jilin, piercing through her form. Just as Black Jilin was about to collapse, Fu Hua appeared at her side and embraced her.
"Fu Hua, I never thought I'd see you again—it seems this isn't such a bad thing after all," Jilin said, her face softening into a warm smile as she lay in Fu Hua's arms.
"I'm sorry."
"I've never blamed you—nor did Cang Xuan or Dan Zhu. You look so different now than you did back then. If they were to see you like this, they'd be overjoyed, and that would ease our worries."
Fu Hua's concern was shared by Jilin, Cang Xuan, and Dan Zhu alike.
"Don't speak as if we're about to die. We'll have plenty of time to talk later. For now, let's focus on stopping Chiyou," Shenfei interjected, stepping forward after having observed for a long while.
Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu couldn't do much at this point, but regarding Jilin, Shenfei still had something to offer.
"You have a way to save her," Fu Hua exclaimed with excitement.
"Whether we can truly save her, we'll discuss that later. But at the very least, we can prevent her from dissipating—by binding her spirit and commanding it," Shenfei replied, activating one of the Eight Arcane Techniques. With Jilin now in a spiritual state, it was the perfect opportunity.
"Chiyou is over there—hurry and take care of it."
"Alright."
Realizing that Jilin might yet be saved, Fu Hua immediately rallied herself. She turned to face the enormous heart, clenching her right hand and exhaling sharply.
"Cun Jin Kai Tian!"
At Fu Hua's low shout, a thunderous boom resounded as Chiyou's heart exploded into countless fragments. This strike was Fu Hua's full-power blow—a release of all the remorse and strength she had accumulated since regaining her former might.
"It's collapsing—hurry, get out of here!"
As Chiyou's heart shattered, its body began to crumble. Countless rocks fell from above, and Major Ji shouted in alarm.
"This way!" As Kiana and the others tried to retrace their steps, Shenfei suddenly waved his hand, opening a golden teleportation portal that whisked the group back onto the Huberian.
"Do you think Chiyou's genes might be suitable for creating a Fusion Warrior—by absorbing it, perhaps?"
Standing on the deck of the Huberian and watching a massive whirlpool form in the sea below as a result of Chiyou's collapse, Shenfei murmured to himself.
While the genes of Emperor-class Honkai Beasts can indeed turn a person into a Fusion Warrior, those of Judgment-class beasts are far superior. Just look at the thirteen elite units of the Flame Moths—each one carries the genes of a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.
When humans fuse with Honkai Beasts to become Fusion Warriors, it isn't a case of "the stronger the beast, the better." It all depends on the creature's abilities. Even a Fusion Warrior, unless created by artificial means, can never truly match a genuine Honkai Beast in power—the difference lies in the nature of their abilities. If it weren't for Kevin's ice affinity, he could never fully unleash the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire.
"What was that just now? A spatial portal? That's incredible—doesn't that mean we could skip class anytime?"
Onboard the Huberian, Kiana was utterly fascinated by Shenfei's teleportation portal, though her eagerness regarding its application left Shenfei somewhat exasperated.
"Fortunately, Kiana has grown up; otherwise, the Void Regulator's ability would have simply become an excuse for skipping class."
Before Kiana could utter another word, Major Ji ordered everyone to retreat swiftly, as the ripples from the duel between Fu Hua and Black Jilin began to spread.
"Our class monitor is so formidable…"
Watching from afar, Kiana felt utterly dejected. She had always believed that she was only slightly weaker than Fu Hua—that if she could just grow a little stronger, she could finally topple the class monitor who always loomed over her. But now, it was painfully clear that the gap was insurmountable.
At that moment, both Black Jilin and Fu Hua were unleashing Vacuous Sword Qi. Fu Hua, now transformed into her blazing state with white hair, scarlet eyes, and a body draped in fierce flames, was a sight to behold.
"Chiyuan—if I'm not mistaken, our class monitor is none other than the immortal guardian, the Chiyuan Immortal, revered for generations across the Divine Continent."
"Chiyuan Immortal? What's that?"
Ya Mei, who seemed to know a thing or two about the legends of the Chiyuan Immortal, replied, while Kiana, though she had heard of it, admitted she'd never bothered to remember such historical details (Walter Young had given her a zero in history).
"He is the guardian of the Divine Continent," Bronya explained briefly, then looked toward Major Ji and added, "Major Ji—and Principal, you both should know about this."
"I'll explain it to you when we get back," Major Ji nodded, offering no contradiction.
"Fu Hua, time is short!" Major Ji suddenly called out, her voice resonating with urgency as she looked at the dueling pair. Knowing Fu Hua's state well, she reminded her that outside, Chiyou was still active—and given Chiyou's enormous size, even if it didn't reach the shore, it could still wreak havoc.
"I understand. I'm sorry, Jilin."
After a deep sigh, Fu Hua suddenly soared into the air. In an instant, countless flames erupted around her, and with a crisp cry, a gigantic, fiery red phoenix—Fei Jun Xuanling—materialized in the sky.
The scorching light incinerated the multitude of sword shadows summoned by Black Jilin, tearing through her form. Just as Black Jilin was about to collapse, Fu Hua appeared by her side and embraced her.
"Fu Hua, I never thought I'd see you again—it seems this isn't such a bad thing after all," Jilin said warmly as she lay in Fu Hua's arms.
"I'm sorry."
"I've never blamed you—not me, not Cang Xuan, nor Dan Zhu. You look so different now than you did back then. If they were to see you like this, they'd be overjoyed, and that would put our minds at ease."
Fu Hua's concerns were shared by Jilin, Cang Xuan, and Dan Zhu alike.
"Don't speak as if we're about to die. We'll have plenty of time to talk later. For now, let's focus on stopping Chiyou," Shenfei declared as he stepped forward.
Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu couldn't do much at this point, but as for Jilin, Shenfei still had something he could do.
"You have a way to save her," Fu Hua exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Whether we can truly save her, we'll discuss that later. But at the very least, we can prevent her from dissipating—by binding her spirit and commanding it," Shenfei replied, invoking one of the Eight Arcane Techniques. With Jilin in her current spiritual state, it was the perfect moment.
"Chiyou is over there—hurry and take care of it."
"Alright."
Once it was clear that Jilin might still be saved, Fu Hua immediately rallied herself. She turned to face the colossal heart, clenching her right hand tightly and exhaling sharply.
"Cun Jin Kai Tian!"
At her shout, a thunderous boom resounded as Chiyou's heart exploded into countless fragments. This was Fu Hua's full-power strike—a blow fueled by years of remorse and renewed strength.
"It's collapsing—hurry, get out of here!"
As Chiyou's heart shattered, its body began to collapse. Countless rocks fell from above, and Major Ji shouted in alarm.
"This way!" As Kiana and the others attempted to retreat along the same route, Shenfei suddenly waved his hand, opening a golden teleportation portal that whisked the group back onto the Huberian.
"Do you think Chiyou's genes might be suitable for creating a Fusion Warrior—by absorbing them, perhaps?"
Standing on the deck of the Huberian and watching a massive whirlpool form in the sea below as a result of Chiyou's collapse, Shenfei muttered under his breath.
Although the genes of Emperor-class Honkai Beasts can indeed be used to forge a Fusion Warrior, those of Judgment-class beasts are far superior. Just look at the thirteen elite units of the Flame Moths—they all carry the genes of Judgment-class Honkai Beasts.
When humans fuse with Honkai Beasts to become Fusion Warriors, it isn't simply that the stronger the beast, the better; it's the creature's inherent abilities that matter. Even a Fusion Warrior, unless artificially induced to collapse, can never truly compare to a genuine Honkai Beast.
If it weren't for Kevin's ice affinity, he would never be able to fully unleash the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire.
"What was that just now—a spatial portal? That's incredible. With this, doesn't it mean we could skip class anytime?"
Aboard the Huberian, Kiana was utterly fascinated by Shenfei's teleportation portal, though her enthusiasm for such abilities left Shenfei rather speechless.
"Fortunately, Kiana has grown up; otherwise, the Void Regulator's ability would've merely become an excuse to ditch class."
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