Crimson Ability Energy erupted like a volcano. A gigantic mechanical fire qilin stepped into the air as if the sky were solid ground—its body wrapped in scorching armor, its eyes blazing like twin furnaces.
"What is that?!" March 7th nearly dropped her camera. "That's so cool!"
Stelle stared, eyes wide. "That's armor too?"
"More accurately," Huo Linfei said from inside the Phantom Qilin Beast, wagging a finger—though Stelle obviously couldn't see it—"it's Super Beast Armor."
Welt's hand, still touching his glasses, trembled slightly. Behind the lenses, his eyes glittered with something close to fanatic delight.
"A perfect beast-type mech… judging by the structure, it can probably transform further! This transmission method—these energy circuit distributions!"
The Phantom Qilin Beast threw back its head and released a thunderous roar. The shockwave flipped the surrounding monsters like toys. A foxian woman collapsed to the ground, staring at the enormous beast in a daze.
The Phantom Qilin Beast lowered its head. Huo Linfei's voice echoed from within, a little strained.
"I-I'm fine… thank you for saving me, benefactor."
The beast form gradually dispersed. Huo Linfei landed lightly on the ground, smugly flashing March 7th a V-sign.
"Well? Cool or what?"
March 7th lunged forward and pulled him into a hug, vigorously ruffling his hair.
"Cool as hell! It's just that you're still so tiny!"
"Ugh…" Huo Linfei pouted. "I really want to get bigger…"
Welt stepped up quickly, visibly fighting the urge to take Huo Linfei apart on the spot and study him.
"Huo Linfei—how long can you generally maintain that form?"
"Uh… probably a long time," Huo Linfei said. "I didn't feel any drain at all when I insta-deleted those trash mobs."
He noticed Old Yang's frankly terrifying look and silently wiped a bead of sweat.
The foxian woman stood, gently dusting off her skirt.
"You benefactors aren't locals, are you? I am Tingyun, an Envoy of the Sky-Faring Commission. Might I have the honor of guiding you?"
Her smile was warm and flawless—yet a flicker of dark gold glinted at the bottom of her eyes.
At Welt's subtle gesture, the Phantom Qilin Beast was summoned again.
"Hang on tight, everyone!"
Inside the beast, Huo Linfei waved a small hand. Flames burst from beneath its feet. The gigantic qilin launched itself forward, four hooves stepping on empty air as it bounded through the long corridors of Cloudford.
Everyone else rode atop its head and back.
"Waaah—this is way steadier than that crazy motorcycle last time!" March 7th yelled, thrilled.
Phantom Qilin Flash-Sprint:Are you being polite?
Stelle clung hard to one of the beast's horns, face utterly blank.
"But there's still no seatbelt."
Welt sat on the beast's back like a magnet stuck to steel—perfectly unmoved by inertia.
"…Such an inventive structure. This energy conduction method… maybe Arahato could use something like this…"
Just as the Phantom Qilin Beast was about to rush out of Cloudford—
Thud!
A dull impact jolted through the entire body, like it had slammed into an invisible barrier. The beast's stride stuttered midair.
"What was that?" Huo Linfei craned his head down, but they were moving too fast for him to see anything. "Is there a speed bump up here or something?"
He didn't notice the blond youth below—head tilted up coldly—his sword already three inches out of its sheath.
The moment the Phantom Qilin Beast entered the bustling Star Skiff Haven, it drew countless stares.
"Look! What is that?!"
"That's a gorgeous clockwork beast! New product from the Artisanship Commission? I'm buying!"
"Wait… does it even have a traffic license plate?"
Before Huo Linfei could dismiss the Super Beast Armor, a squad of Cloud Knights surrounded them, spears leveled at the Phantom Qilin Beast.
"Unidentified mechanical entity ahead! Immediately disengage and submit to inspection!"
"Easy—no need to fight!" Huo Linfei instantly dismissed the armor. Everyone jumped down.
"It's a misunderstanding! We're from the Astral Express!"
The Cloud Knight captain sneered.
"Astral Express? Even more reason to arrest you—suspected illegal operation of a large-scale machine, unlicensed flight, and hit-and-run—"
"Hit-and-run?!" March 7th's eyes went round.
The captain flicked his hand.
"The Diheng Commission has already issued a wanted notice. That red-haired short—er, that red-haired youth—comes with us."
"…You were about to say 'shorty,' weren't you?!" Huo Linfei snapped.
Time rewound to when Huo Linfei was escorted into the Shackling Prison.
"Name," the clerk said flatly.
"Huo Linfei."
"Age."
"Mentally twenty. Physically eight."
The clerk glanced up at the little bean sitting on a specially raised chair, then lowered his head and kept writing.
"Charges?"
"Being short."
Smack!
The clerk slammed his pen onto the desk.
Beside him, the black-haired judge Xueyi coughed lightly.
"There are… procedural issues. You'll need to stay here for a while."
Then she lowered her voice.
"You need to meet someone."
Huo Linfei lifted a brow. "Who?"
Xueyi didn't answer. She only gestured for the Cloud Knights to take him in.
The prison corridor was chilly—but deeper down, an unnatural glow of fire seeped up from below.
Huo Linfei was led to a special cell. Through the energy bars, he could see the adjacent cell held a man wrapped in chains from head to toe. His red eyes were like blood, fixed on Huo Linfei with cold intensity.
"This is the Stellaron Hunter—Blade," Xueyi said indifferently. "A suspect in the case of bringing the Stellaron to the Xianzhou."
Blade sneered but didn't speak.
Huo Linfei sized him up and blurted out, "This guy totally looks like a scapegoat."
Xueyi's eyebrow twitched—barely.
"You're interesting, kid," Blade finally said, voice hoarse—hard to tell if it was deliberate or if his vocal cords were damaged.
Huo Linfei shrugged, flopped down on the cell bed.
"Yeah, I'm pretty experienced at getting locked up. Belobog deluxe single room, Xianzhou Shackling Prison VIP suite… next time, where do I go to check in? Any recommendations?"
Xueyi: "..."
Blade: "..."
Seat of Divine Foresight.
Jing Yuan leaned against his desk, idly rubbing a jade communicator between his fingers as his gaze drifted toward the direction of Star Skiff Haven.
"General."
Xueyi appeared beside him without a sound, clasped her fist and bowed.
"You brought him in?"
"As you instructed—placed him in the cell next to Blade." She paused. "The Stellaron Hunter seems… quite interested in him."
Jing Yuan chuckled softly. "Interesting."
Then his eyes paused on the corner of the room—
At some point, a woman in flowing violet gauze was sitting there, leisurely sipping tea. Her eyes were deep as a starfield. Pale-purple hair lay beneath a veil, lending her an even more enigmatic air.
Black Swan.
"A messenger of the Garden of Recollection graces us. My apologies for not receiving you properly," Jing Yuan said, inclining his head.
Black Swan set her cup down, lips curving into a secretive smile.
"General, you're too polite. I'm merely here to fulfill my promise."
"Concerning Doctor Primitive?"
"That monkey was only a puppet," she said, tapping her temple lightly. "The true threat is hidden here—memetic contamination. Highly infectious. It degrades cognition until people become beasts that can do nothing but shriek and chatter. A rather uninspired method."
"Is there a solution?" Jing Yuan asked.
"Effortless." Black Swan rose; her skirt flowed like poured night. "But I have a condition."
"Oh?"
"I want to speak privately with the Astral Express's… 'little one.'"
Her gaze seemed to pierce through space itself, as though she could see straight into the Shackling Prison—where Huo Linfei was lounging with absurd comfort.
"Don't worry. It won't delay your plans. On the contrary… it may even help you probe the Stellaron Hunter's true objective."
Jing Yuan rolled the jade communicator between his fingers, smiling faintly.
"Then that would be ideal."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 60)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 60)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 64)
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