Chapter 999

Bai'e drew his longsword, walking toward the monsters with great ceremonial flair, announcing loudly as he went: "The one approaching is the dreaded gladiator combo, the dark swordsman Bai'e——"

Xing instinctively added: "——and the Galaxy Bat Hero!"

Xing pulled out his bat, charged forward, and smashed a minion's head to powder; seeing the foe turn to dust, Bai'e seemed encouraged, his commentary booming: "A brutal strike! The Bat Hero left his enemy no escape! Did you hear that? The roar of applause like a tidal wave——"

This commentary made Xing a bit embarrassed: "Well… I need a little more imagination."

Bai'e's figure flitted across the battlefield like a ghost; a flash of sword light, and a larger monster hadn't even reacted before its arms were severed at the shoulders, turning into white powder.

"Now!"

As Bai'e's voice fell, Xing had already leapt into midair. He twisted in the air, using his downward momentum to smash a monster to pieces with one strike, prompting Bai'e to cheer loudly: "Excellent coordination! These two gladiators——"

In the distance, Wandi could no longer stand the noise from those two: "Your delusions are annoying me!"

Bai'e gave a light smile, faced Wandi's direction, and deliberately raised his voice a few degrees: "... still have to contend with outside noise interference, how pitiful."

——

Honkai 3.

"Pfft—hahahaha!"

Eden almost spat out his drink laughing, unable to straighten his waist. Though he knew Bai'e would be more sunny and open than Kevin, …… these two are just too entertaining! A foul! Simply outrageous!

Not only Eden laughed in Past Paradise; the gazes of all the heroes kept unintentionally drifting toward Kevin, filling the room with a lively atmosphere.

Eden: "I didn't expect Bai'e to be so chuunibyou; as Kevin's counterpart, could it be that……"

Everyone: "Could it be that……"

"……"

Kevin, unable to bear being stared at by this group, cleared his throat: "Ahem, I never had that chuunibyou phase. Not in school either. Well, none."

Ailixiya approached, laughing delightedly: "Hey, don't be embarrassed to admit it~ Kevin, even if you once had a chuunibyou phase, it's nothing shameful; it's proof of one's youth♪"

Seeing Ailixiya's smiling face, Kevin's eye corners twitched imperceptibly; on that face that seemed like eternal ice, a rare expression appeared—something like helplessness, and even something he himself hadn't yet noticed……

Guilt.

"Hey, I actually find chuunibyou youths like Bai'e quite cute." Ailixiya's eyes flashed with a hint of mischief: "Could it be that Kevin never had such a phase? Or is he…… unwilling to admit it?"

——

"With overwhelming power and flawless synergy, the two gladiators defeated all their opponents……"

"Wandi somehow arrived at the center of the arena ahead of time, calling out from afar: '…but the glory they hoped for never arrived as expected.'"

"Truly a buzzkill, not even a hint of Titan aura. Has Nicadoli gone into hiding?"

Wandi: "The Soulforging Zone is likely guarding that spot; the passage is right behind you."

"Thanks, and what about you?"

"I'll take another route; that place is full of parasites like these."

Upon first entering Xuanfengcheng, Bai'e spotted a huge, fire‑spitting conflict totem in the distance and suggested: "Oh, this sight is rare; worth recording with a memory stone device. Please, go ahead."

Xing shook his head: "She probably isn't interested in this scenery."

"That friend of yours… is called San Yue, right?"

"Yes, she's San Yue Qi."

"Actually I've always wanted to say, regarding the uniqueness of names, this one is no less remarkable." Bai'e's eyes showed a hint of envy: "You must cherish your bond with her deeply, which is why you constantly record every detail of her travels."

"She was supposed to come too, but she's unwell."

"Ah… that's indeed a pity." Bai'e looked earnestly at Xing: "To be frank, it's exactly your attitudes toward friends that have made me trust you a bit more. A person's moral peak often lies in how they treat friends. Most of what my teacher taught me has faded, but this line remains clear."

"Especially in this turbulent era, a companion worthy of having your back…… is priceless."

——

Azure Archive.

"Indeed, without San Yue Qi around these days, the journey feels monotonous."

In the Abaidousi Countermeasure Committee room, to witness Xing's group's first Titan subjugation, Xingye even sacrificed his nap time. Yet seeing the Titan still absent, he couldn't help but let out a long yawn.

"Monotonous? I think the senior just likes looking at cute girls." Xianxiang pouted, let out a soft hum, that tsundere vibe almost drifting out the window into Abaidousi's desert.

"Hehe~ can't help it, San Yue Qi is just too adorable; this old guy finds it hard to refuse." Xingye scratched his head sheepishly: "But her illness should get better soon."

With the Star Rail's connections, if we really encounter some obscure ailment, getting San Yue Qi to Ruan Mei shouldn't be hard. Xingye still believes San Yue Qi will reach Xuanfengcheng soon.

"Senior Xingye, what exactly is San Yue Qi suffering from? It flared up suddenly." Anyin asked anxiously.

"Well…… it's probably related to San Yue Qi's past." Baizi sat by the window, gazing at the dim Xuanfengcheng beyond the sky: "Xuanfengcheng…… might hide clues about the Six‑Phase Ice, and…… San Yue Qi could very well be a native of Xuanfengcheng, even the first to venture into space, only to have left Xuanfengcheng long ago, drifting in the universe ever since."

"Baizi, your idea is too wild!" Xianxiang sighed helplessly: "You might as well say San Yue Qi is Xuanfengcheng's Titan…… really, one guess more absurd than the next—please stick to something plausible."

——

The two followed the road and soon found a mural in a room.

The mural depicted a stone shell, golden light enveloping the shell, with a wisp of blue glow hovering above its head.

"Looks like they're forging Titan minions, or perhaps this is the meaning of 【Soulforging】?"