Create a game called "Collapse Iron," where the entire universe is the player.

One afternoon, not long before the new version was released, Lin Lin released the last PV he had at the moment.

A Thousand Stars Chronicle: "The Immortal Boat Chronicle: The Seven Heavenly Generals of the Emperor's Bow".

The video had barely been posted when the comments section was flooded with players' messages:

"First!!"

"I wish to fulfill my vow! I will definitely do so!"

"Jingyuan has emerged...and come to fulfill his vow!"

"666, you released it before the version was even available?"

"I'm crazy for Lord Lan, I'm insane for Lord Lan, I'm obsessed with the hunt so much I'll bang my head against a wall!"

"The immortal boat soars high, the cloud riders are always victorious!"

......

PV begins:

This is the heaviest historical record amidst the vast waves of the celestial ship, and also the seven sharpest arrows among the stars.

The opening line is a deep, aged voice, etched with the marks of time:

"To my shame, there are few legends on this immortal ship. After all, with long and immortal lives, there's hardly anything to tell... However, when it comes to the story of the Cloud Cavalry General, we have to start with a distant legend..."

The screen suddenly lit up with that sigh.

In the boundless dark sea of ​​stars, nine colossal celestial ships are slowly sailing.

The mottled bronze patterns on the ship's hull gleamed under the starlight, and the massive oars sliced ​​through the air, creating ripples of light and dust.

"This history begins eight thousand years ago. An ancient emperor yearned for immortality and for his achievements to be remembered forever."

"The ancestors of the Immortal Ship set sail across the heavens and seas, embarking on a long and arduous journey... In the boundless starry sky, they piloted their enormous ships across the vast expanse, a time when it could be described as: 'The Milky Way stretches for ten thousand miles, a lone ship has no neighbors.'"

The scenes shifted, and countless days and nights passed.

The moment the miracle occurred, an incomparably brilliant light burst forth in the sea of ​​stars—the Abundant Star God Medicine Master manifested his presence, the Jianmu tree sprouted, and the enormous divine tree's branches stretched out, its roots deeply embedded in the dragon bones of the immortal ship.

The immortal knelt on the ground, reached out to catch the falling divine fruit, took a bite, and his eyes reflected an eternal light.

But what followed was not bliss, but calamity.

"However, grace is also a curse. Those beings who exceed their lifespan have become an immortal calamity that poisons the world."

"The immortals are afflicted by the plague, and the alliance is torn apart by slander. Foreign troubles arise, and the soldiers are torn apart."

The scene suddenly turned a bloody dark red.

Once, kinsmen turned against each other with swords—that was a "war of strife" in the midst of life's calamities, where elders and powerful figures held high positions, brothers fought each other, and kinsmen killed one another.

The immortal ship, dragging its burning wreckage, slowly plunged into the scorching surface of a red giant star, turning to ashes in silence.

Immediately afterwards, the Winged People of Abundance and the hideous figures of the Flesh-Seeing People pounced on the Celestial Ship, and the flames of war spread across the starry sea.

Just as the celestial ship was about to capsize and face utter destruction, a pure and exquisite golden light shone in the center of the scene.

That was a person.

Or rather, it was an arrow about to be released from the bow.

"At this critical moment of life and death, the 'Emperor Bow Master' descended to earth and protected the celestial ship adrift in the sea of ​​stars."

Emperor Gong, in his mortal body, made a deal with Suihuang, the leader of Suiyang, to possess his body in exchange for the power of that arrow.

That arrow severed the Jianmu tree, pierced the giant beast, and severed the connection between Luofu and Qiongsang.

As the golden light faded, the figure of the Emperor's Bow disappeared into the depths of the starry sea—and then, the Star God of Hunting returned from the abyss.

"The immortal ship gallops across the starry sea, chasing demons and sweeping away filth, patrolling for five thousand years, obeying the divine decree to quell the plague of longevity."

"The Milky Way forms a barrier, and bows are drawn to sing oar songs."

"The army's spear and the golden clapper, the divine halberd that breaks through enemy lines."

"The road ahead is long and arduous, fraught with peril; banners and pennants blot out the sky as we hunt down the demon of longevity!"

The screen suddenly went black, and then seven different beams of light pierced the darkness like sharp swords.

There were seven figures, like seven lonely stars guarding the North Star.

"And commanding these six celestial ships are the spearhead of the 'Hunting'—the Seven Heavenly Generals of the Imperial Bow!"

"And look beside the Marshal, there are six Immortal Ship Generals—"

The ink-wash-like brushstrokes spread out in the void.

The first silhouette gradually became clear—it was a valiant woman holding a longbow, sword, and axe, standing atop the Yaoqing Immortal Ship.

The moon behind her was as large as a cartwheel, its silvery light casting shadows that illuminated the flowing blue patterns on her armor.

The moment the bowstring was fully drawn, the entire starry sea trembled.

"Its might soars to the heavens, its spirit surpasses the firmament!"

"Heavenly Strike General - Flying Sky!"

(The Azure Immortal Boat is named after the Moon, one of the Seven Luminaries, and the image of the hunting star god Lan is derived from Hou Yi.)

(Feixiao stood beneath the bright moon, just as the myth of Chang'e flying to the moon was reenacted in the sea of ​​stars, except that what she held in her hand was not a magic elixir, but a hunting arrow.)

The scene shifts, and blazing flames rush towards us.

Deep within the core of the Zhu Ming Immortal Ship, an inextinguishable flame burns in a massive furnace—the embers of Suiyang leader Suihuang, providing endless power to the entire ship.

An old man stood amidst the flames, his beard and hair all white, yet his body was surrounded by the raging flames that consumed everything.

"Boundless expanse, a blazing light of calamity~"

"General Zhuyuan—Huaiyan!"

The fire gradually died down, and in its place appeared a huge chessboard.

On the chessboard, the stars are like pieces, and the Milky Way is the grid.

A figure danced gracefully in the center of the chessboard, her clothes fluttering like a peacock's tail, the silver ornaments on her wrists and neck jingling. With each move, she stirred up ripples of divination light on the chessboard.

The Jade Palace Immortal Ship sailed outside the Giant's Arm star cluster, and this General Rong Tao was the Alliance's most skilled strategist.

"The universe holds secrets, and all things flourish."

"General Rong Tao—Yao Guang!"

The scene then shifts to a vast expanse of azure blue, like a boundless ocean.

Fanghu Immortal Boat is like a floating fairy mountain, suspended between the stars and the sea of ​​clouds, surrounded by clouds and mist.

A solitary figure stood at the bow of the boat, gazing into the distance from the railing, his robes fluttering as if he wanted to swallow the entire wilderness into his heart.

"The vast ocean stretches endlessly, swallowing the boundless wilderness~"

"General Fubo—Xuanquan!"

A bluish halo spread out like dust and mist; it was the unique bronze light of the Void Mausoleum Immortal Ship.

In this light, countless silhouettes of warriors holding spears stand silently, like sleeping terracotta warriors, waiting to be awakened.

Leading this group of slumbering beings is a mysterious general hidden in the dust and darkness, who controls the boundary between life and death.

"The highest good is like water, which does not contend."

"General Chenming—Does he exist?"

Finally, the scene settles, showing a lazy white lion nestled under a peach tree, sunlight filtering through the petals and showering its body.

It yawned, squinted its eyes, and looked completely carefree.

But on the chessboard beneath its claws, the black and white pieces had already woven a net across the entire galaxy.

The immortal boats of Luofu, with their cloud-riding cavalry arrayed in formation, exude an aura of military might, yet their composure is subtly concealed within.

"Divine strategies are employed, and the plans are determined by the stars."

"General Jing Yuan of the Divine Strategy Army!"

The silhouettes of the Seven Heavenly Generals of the Emperor's Bow disappeared one by one, and the scene froze on the vast and boundless sea of ​​stars.

"These seven generals of the Imperial Bow each possess unique talents and abilities, but when it comes to our General Jingyuan of 'Luofu,' everyone praises his extraordinary wisdom, strategic foresight, and profound planning."

The image of a deity appears in the scene.

"That's exactly it—"

"He cleverly employed a series of coordinated attacks to seize the enemy's flag, and then, under cover of darkness, he captured it."

"Winning a victory from afar requires flawless planning."

The white lion lay lazily, with Jingyuan leaning against it with one hand.

He said earnestly, "What use is a flawless plan if the entire army is not united as one?"

"I entrust my life to you, my lords, and I will not fail you!"

Finally, just as Jing Yuan had predicted, the silhouette of the Cloud Cavalry appeared:

"The celestial boat soars high, the cloud riders are ever victorious!" x2

The white-haired lion remained lazily lying down, but its gaze had drifted beyond the chessboard, looking towards the end of the starry sea—

The hunting expedition never stops.

The screen went black, and then an unfamiliar voice came through:

"Hehe, what you say is quite interesting, sir."

Bullet comments:

"Wow, that's so classy!"

"The storyteller's tone was also very charming!"

"As mentioned last time, back then, Liyue..."

"Except for General Jingyuan, all the figures are silhouettes, so you can't see their true appearance."

"The epic, continuous melodrama, 'Waiting for Marshal Fu Hua,' is currently airing!"

"Then I'll just sit here and not pull any cards, saving up to pull for the future Hunter Star God!"

"You know what, there really are videos like that online!"

"And who was the last voice?"

"Your Excellency! Take us to the Tree of Imaginary Numbers one more time!!!"

......

The Immortal Boat Luofu, Fu Xuan.

She had just gotten off work and grabbed Qingque, who had been stroking the fish for a long time and was trying to escape, to watch the PV together.

Seeing this, Qingque could only obediently massage Fu Xuan's shoulders and pour him tea.

When Fu Xuan saw Jing Yuan in the video, he felt depressed.

She said angrily, "Originally, this position should have been mine!"

"It's all Jingyuan's fault!"

Qingque laughed awkwardly and didn't reply.

......

Yaoqing fairy boat.

Fei Xiao crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, almost touching the projected image that was suspended in mid-air.

The silhouette of "Feixiao" flashed by in the PV—a sharp silver armor, pointing towards the starry sea, though only an outline was visible, it carried a sharp aura that seemed to cut through the void.

"Wow," she smirked, her eyes gleaming with undisguised light, "The PV is pretty cool! I didn't expect to appear in the PV, although... tsk, I only made a brief appearance."

Hearing this, Jiaoqiu didn't even lift her eyelids: "We just came back from a tough battle, and military affairs are piling up. Can't you take a break for a while? Besides—"

"Besides," Fei Xiao interrupted him, turning around, placing his hands on the edge of the table, his gaze intense, "I heard that the 'Lin Lin' behind this game is currently on the Luofu Immortal Ship?"

She leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, but her tone carried a sense of eager excitement: "I want to see him."

Jiaoqiu raised her head and looked at the colleague in front of her who always did things differently (or, to some extent, a "problem child").

Feixiao's eyes shone brightly, and he was very familiar with the emotions in them—a mixture of pure curiosity, a desire to explore the unknown, and a hint of... a yearning for "possibility" that she herself might not have fully realized.

He didn't speak immediately, but just looked at her quietly.

Fei Xiao waited a few seconds, and seeing his silence, leaned closer, lowering his voice even further, as if trying to convince himself, or perhaps him: "Jiao Qiu, think about it... This person, he can create 'games,' turning fragments of the future, the mysteries of the Star Gods, even us... into some kind of 'experiential story.' Does he... know something we don't know?"

She paused, glancing at her wrist, which occasionally trembled slightly when she held the knife.

The movement was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible, but both people present knew exactly what it was.

"What if," Fei Xiao's voice softened, yet held a stubborn edge, "he really does have a way? After all, all the news about him—is rather 'magical,' isn't it?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

In the distance, the faint hum of a patrolling star raft could be heard outside the Jade Wheel Palace, making the place seem even more serene.

Jiaoqiu's gaze fell on Feixiao's face, which was trying to maintain its composure but could not hide the flame in its eyes.

Within that flame lay a sense of acceptance of one's circumstances, a pure passion for the fight and the path forward, and an almost instinctive pursuit of a "solution."

He knew what she meant by "situation".

That was no ordinary injury, but some kind of deeper, more troublesome... erosion.

Since he met Feixiao, he has tried every method, but with little success.

Feixiao joked with a laugh, "Let's beg him together then, maybe he can really solve it?"

Her gaze drifted into the distance: "That way... I might be able to fight for the Immortal Ship for a little longer."

Finally, Jiaoqiu sighed very softly, the sigh almost inaudible, and dissipated beneath the high dome of the palace.

He neither said "good" nor "bad".