Chapter 358: Emotional Instability

Ailisi Feier was the first to react, gritting through discomfort she shouted, and simultaneously tried again to gather Magic, preparing to assist.

Gui Naifen also suppressed the churn in her stomach and the torment in her nose, and seeing A Xing so fierce, her fighting spirit reignited: "Understood! Watch me burn this big guy!"

She inhaled deeply (and almost vomited again), Flame and Dragon Shadow rose around her once more, she swung her spear, attacking the insect matriarch from the side, forming a pincer with A Xing's frontal charge!

With A Xing's main force joining, the battle turned around instantly.

The insect matriarch's mental suppression was greatly weakened by the Salted Fish domain, and the Insect Swarm's encirclement also lost power due to chaos and the foul stench reducing its numbers.

A Xing's unreasonable brute force, combined with Gui Naifen's wide‑range Flame burning, though the two had no coordination, their exceptionally high combat proficiency produced a marvelous complementary effect.

Ailisi Feier roamed the perimeter, using precise Magic to disrupt the matriarch's movements, clearing any stragglers.

In under three minutes, after A Xing's massive, forceful jump‑slash shattered one of the matriarch's compound eyes and Gui Naifen's Flame Spear seized the chance to pierce its relatively soft abdominal junction, the huge true cicada matriarch let out a final, unwilling wail, crashed to the ground, twitched a few times and then ceased moving.

With the matriarch dead, the remaining Insect Swarm instantly lost its backbone, and under the Salted Fish stench and the clearing by A Xing and Gui Naifen, it quickly dispersed.

The battle ended.

A Xing silently walked to the core of the nest, ignoring the still‑pulsing yet rapidly dimming pink‑purple mass, and raised his bat—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A few clean, decisive blows smashed the mass; it ruptured, and the concentrated filthy Magic inside spewed out like a deflated ball, then quickly dissipated in the air.

The oppressive pink‑purple glow in the cave faded as well, and the patterns on the surrounding rock walls returned to their original stone‑gray dullness.

First Node, purification complete.

Gui Naifen let out a long sigh, dispersing the Flame and Dragon Shadow around her, exhausted she plopped onto the ground, yet still wary she stepped a few paces away from the Salted Fish on the floor.

"Phew… finally done… but this smell…"

Ailisi Feier also exhaled, walked to A Xing's side, her red eyes full of gratitude and curiosity: "Miss Star, I'm really so grateful! If you hadn't arrived in time… But how did you end up here? …"

A Xing sheathed his bat, bent down to pick up the Immortal Salted Fish, flicked off the non‑existent dust (the motion made Gui Naifen and Ailisi Feier instinctively step back half a step), then answered briefly: "Task. Illusion Realm. Node."

She glanced at Ailisi Feier and Gui Naifen, "Next one. Together?"

In other words, she was here to carry out a Node‑destruction Task, knew how to enter and exit the Illusion Realm, and suggested going to the next Node together.

Ailisi Feier and Gui Naifen exchanged glances and both nodded.

Having such a powerful combat force join, of course it was welcome.

"Alright! Let's go together!"

Gui Naifen sprang up, gripping her spear again; although still uneasy about the Salted Fish, she was utterly impressed by A Xing's combat power, "But Miss Star… your treasure… could you… keep it safer?"

She asked cautiously.

A Xing gave her a glance and silently put the Salted Fish back.

The three took a short rest, then quickly left the now‑purified underground cave, hurrying toward the second Node marked on the map—the Winterwood City Community Hall direction.

Chang Yeyue's residence

Unlike the intense battle in the underground cave, the afternoon here was unusually tranquil, even a bit oppressive.

In the living room, Chang Yeyue was pouring tea for two guests.

Her crimson eyes calmly swept over Tengwan Lixiang and Mashu seated opposite, her voice gentle: "Sorry, my younger sister's emotions are a bit unstable, I've made you both look foolish."

Just a short while ago, she returned home from the supermarket and found suppressed sobbing coming from San Yue Qi's room.

And in the living room sat the two girls who claimed to be from Chaldea.

The Illusion Realm's automatic correction mechanism left unrelated parties with no memory of "A Xing's jump‑off disappearance," but the impact on San Yue Qi was so real and intense that it partially broke the Illusion Realm's total coverage of her Cognition, causing a severe emotional reaction.

"Miss Chang Yeyue, no need to apologize, we completely understand."

Tengwan Lixiang took the teacup and thanked politely.

Her smile carried her usual affability, but deep in her eyes was contemplation.

"I am Tengwan Lixiang, and this is Mashu. We… were drawn into this abnormal space because of some accident. Previously at the academy we had contact with my younger sister San Yue Qi and that Star classmate. Before leaving, Star asked us to look after San Yue Qi."

She chose to be straightforward, but omitted some details.

In this unknown Illusion Realm, establishing an honest cooperative relationship with a character who appears equally lucid and seems to be San Yue Qi's Guardian is essential.

Mashu also bowed slightly: "Sorry for the trouble, Miss Chang Yeyue. San Yue Qi… seems to have been greatly frightened."

Chang Yeyue nodded, a flash of understanding passing through her crimson eyes.

She could roughly guess what had happened.

That A Xing fellow, the way he left was surely brutally simple and frightening.

"I've got the general situation."

Chang Yeyue sat down, hands clasped on her knees, "I am Chang Yeyue, sort of… San Yue's older sister. Regarding this Illusion Realm, the crisis unfolding in the real world outside, and our respective goals, I think we can exchange some information to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and waste."

In the time that followed, the three conducted an efficient information exchange.

Chang Yeyue revealed the existence of the "Huan Long Cocoon" and four supporting Nodes, as well that Ailisi Feier and Gui Naifen were attempting to destroy the Nodes from outside.

Tengwan Lixiang explained that they came from Chaldea, were swept in by anomalous spatial fluctuations, and their goal was to investigate and resolve this anomaly to ensure humanity's stability.

Both sides tacitly refrained from probing each other's deeper secrets, but established preliminary trust and a common goal—break the Illusion Realm and resolve Winterwood City's crisis.

Just as the information exchange was drawing to a close, a faint footstep sounded from the hallway leading from the living room to the bedroom.

The three turned their heads simultaneously.

San Yue Qi shuffled out slowly.

She seemed to have just washed her face, but her eye circles were still red, her pink hair was a bit messy, and she was still wearing her school uniform.

She lowered her head, unconsciously tugging at the hem of her pajamas.

"San Yue?" Chang Yeyue called softly.

San Yue Qi lifted her head, her bright red eyes looking at Chang Yeyue, then at Tengwan Lixiang and Mashu, her mouth trembling, tears seeming to rise again, but she sniffed hard and held them back.

She walked to the edge of the sofa, didn't sit, but stared at Tengwan Lixiang, her voice thick with a nasal tone: "Lixiang… Mashu… Star… Star really… okay? She just… just went to do something very dangerous, that's why she used that method… right?"

Tengwan Lixiang looked at San Yue Qi's tear‑suppressed expression, her heart softened.

She has gone through so many partings that she can understand this worry.

"Hmm, we believe classmate Xing is definitely fine. She's strong, and… she cares about you a lot, which is why she specifically asked us before leaving."

Her tone was confident, carrying a reassuring strength.

Mashu also nodded vigorously and said seriously, "Yes, Miss San Yue Qi. Miss Xing is a very reliable (?) person. She chose to leave that way, so she must have her reasons and confidence. Please trust her."

Hearing their words, San Yue Qi couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they fell in large drops.

But she didn't sob aloud; she forcefully wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffing, and in a voice tinged with crying yet unusually firm, she said each word deliberately:

"Xing… you big fool!"

"Next time… if you dare scare me like this again…"

"I will absolutely… absolutely beat her up! I mean it!"

"Wuwu… you scared me to death…"

She uttered harsh words while crying even harder, like a child deeply wronged.

Chang Yeyue rose, gently pulled San Yue Qi into her arms, patted her back, and whispered comfort.

Tengwan Lixiang and Mashu quietly watched the scene, without disturbing it.

The crisis is far from over, but in this brief tranquil corner, a bond that spans the Illusion Realm and reality is quietly taking root.