Chapter 30: Phantylia's Physical Body
After the sickening tilt of her head, Tingyun collapsed to the ground, falling instantly still, her life extinguished.
"Miss Tingyun!" Seeing her lying motionless on the floor, March 7th and Stelle were instantly seized by panic. They rushed forward, but a sudden, grotesque transformation took hold.
A cluster of golden flames drifted slowly from Tingyun's body. The orb of fire chuckled, its voice resonant and mocking: "My dear benefactors, allow me to reintroduce myself… I am Phantylia the Undying, Lord Ravager of the Antimatter Legion! I have come here to ensure this alliance crumbles from within and meets its own destruction!"
"Miss Tingyun is… a Lord Ravager of the Legion?! This… how can this be?" March 7th stammered, her face etched with horror.
"Everyone, remain calm! We are facing a formidable foe; we must not lose our composure!" Fu Xuan's voice rang out across the chamber, steadying the fraying nerves of those present.
After a grueling battle, Phantylia departed, making her way toward the heart of the Ambrosial Arbor.
Stelle, March 7th, and Welt Yang hastened in pursuit, encountering Jing Yuan and Dan Heng—the Imbibitor Lunae—along the way.
…
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Yukong: Tingyun is a Lord Ravager of the Legion? ]
For Yukong, who had viewed Tingyun as the rightful successor to the Sky-Faring Commission, this was a devastating blow. She gripped the edge of her desk to steady herself, staring at the livestream in utter disbelief.
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Fu Xuan: That foxian girl from the Sky-Faring Commission was actually a Lord Ravager of the Legion? ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Theresa: Something feels terribly wrong about this! ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Xueyi: Phantylia is a heliobus. Heliobi are naturally capable of possessing others, so it is highly probable that she usurped Miss Tingyun's body and hijacked her consciousness. Given that Miss Tingyun collapsed lifelessly the moment Phantylia vacated her vessel, it is all but certain that she is dead. ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Elysia: Oh, such a lovely foxian girl, and she's gone. This is… ]
[ Genshin Impact - Zhongli: Death is often not as distant as we believe; it may be closer than you think. ]
[ Genshin Impact - Kaedehara Kazuha: A friend. ]
[ Genshin Impact - Klee: Wow, that scene where Miss Tingyun tilted her head was so scary! ]
[ Genshin Impact - Xiangling: Doesn't twisting your neck like that cause serious injury? ]
[ Genshin Impact - Baizhu: From a medical perspective, that likely fractured the cervical spine. The chances of survival are slim to none! ]
…
As Dan Heng placed his hand upon the profound roots of the Ambrosial Arbor, a flash of white light enveloped them, transporting the group into the very heart of the Arbor.
Surrounded by swirling white mist, Dan Heng led the others deeper into the Arbor.
They had not traveled far when they beheld a lotus-shaped throne suspended in the void. At its center burned a cluster of golden flames—Phantylia, the Lord Ravager.
"Hehe, have the Luofu's generals come to visit?" Phantylia's tone held a hint of playfulness.
Hearing that familiar voice, March 7th shouted indignantly: "That monster! She was waiting for us here all along. Come out, Phantylia!"
Phantylia's voice shifted, sounding both delighted and scornful: "My benefactors are here too? Do not be so impatient; this humble one has yet to finish her toilette. No wonder the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are so arrogant… this relic of the Ambrosial Arbor truly possesses the power of transmutation and rebirth."
"Everyone, stay alert!" Jing Yuan glanced at Welt Yang, March 7th, and Stelle, then turned to Dan Heng, a faint smile touching his lips. "I leave my back to you!"
"Understood," Dan Heng replied, his expression stoic as he offered a single nod.
"Phantylia… what is she doing?" March 7th cried out in terror, pointing toward the figure in the distance.
The group watched as the throne lifted Phantylia into the air, where she began to manifest a physical form. It was gargantuan, looming like a mountain; her skin was ashen, her features exquisite, and her fingers, unnaturally long and elegant, clutched a circular fan. A massive hairpin adorned her head, and her eyes glowed with an eerie green light, like flames from the deepest abyss. Her form was voluptuous and graceful.
Phantylia looked down at Jing Yuan and his companions, who appeared as mere ants before her, and laughed. "Everyone, behold this beautiful flesh. A miracle of Abundance, indeed. Let us see what I can accomplish with it."
With a flick of her wrist, Phantylia summoned two golden lotuses to bind Stelle, then sent her flying with a casual tap to the forehead.
Seeing Stelle launched by the mere flick of her finger, Phantylia nodded in satisfaction, smiling. "Excellent. I shall use this power of longevity, granted to you by the Xianzhou, to bring about your destruction!"
After a fierce clash, Jing Yuan seized an opening, slashing across Phantylia's body and leaving a deep wound.
The injury incited her fury. She unleashed a shockwave that sent everyone flying, screaming with manic intensity: "Such insolence! To dare damage this noble vessel born of the Arbor—to Phantylia, you are all as insignificant as ants."
In her madness, she summoned a small asteroid and crushed it with a single hand.
Fortunately, Jing Yuan's Lightning-Lord shielded the group, sparing them from the worst of the impact. However, the effort drained Jing Yuan's energy entirely; he collapsed to one knee, gasping for air.
Seeing him falter, Phantylia taunted, "All things in the universe shall conclude in destruction, including the Abundance and the Hunt. General of the Xianzhou, can your meager strength survive this catastrophe?"
She summoned a shroud of black mist that instantly enveloped Jing Yuan. As his consciousness faded into darkness, he turned to Dan Heng behind him. "The rest is up to you."
Dan Heng offered no words, instead summoning a water dragon that surged toward Phantylia. The impact forced a muffled grunt from her as she staggered backward.
Struck by the water dragon, Phantylia looked surprised. "Oh? A scion of the Imbibitor? Have you finally come to fulfill your duty of guarding the Ambrosial Arbor?"
After exchanging several more blows, Jing Yuan regained his footing. He scoffed at Phantylia, "Phantylia, though you view us as ants, to be fought to a standstill by such 'ants' makes you quite the outlier among the Lords Ravager."
Hearing the insult, Phantylia slammed her hand against the ground and stood, her arrogance replaced by seething rage. "Does the General wish to meet the others? I fear… you shall have no such opportunity."
Under the relentless onslaught, even Phantylia, bolstered by the dual blessings of Abundance and Destruction, began to falter. Yet, she braced herself, sneering, "It matters not. The death throes of ants are pitiful to behold. In the next act, I shall forge you into Voidrangers. I will let the power of Destruction erode your flesh and cast you into pawns for Lord Nanook! It is decided—we shall begin with this arrogant, self-important General of the Xianzhou!"
She summoned the black mist once more, rendering Jing Yuan unconscious before seizing him in her grasp. A wicked smile played on her lips. "I wonder, if I transform the General of the Xianzhou into a Voidranger, will the Luofu fall into civil strife once more? Such destruction is far more entertaining."
…