"It's here!!"
"Everyone, it's finally here!!"
"We're finally back to Dan Heng's perspective!"
"This journey has been so convoluted—as the Xianzhou saying goes, 'full of twists and turns'!"
Guinaifen sat up straight in her chair.
There was no time to mourn Tingyun's departure—what came next was a critical Dan Heng storyline!
The livestream chat flooded with "Main story begins!"
....
[In-game Interaction]
Sushang's cheerful face appeared on screen.
"Hah, it is the Alchemy Commission! No wonder we kept getting fragmented military orders about Cloud Knights gathering here."
"Finally! After all this walking, we've caught up with the Cloud Knights. Time to regroup!"
"See? I told you I'd get you to safety! Sure… we took a few detours…"
"You two stay nearby—don't wander off. The Cloud Knights will escort you back soon. See you around!"
Sushang and Luocha had become interactable NPCs on the map.
Su Shang remained blissfully oblivious, promising to personally escort Dan Heng and Luocha home once the battle was over.
Luocha stood under a large tree in the camp.
Dan Heng approached him.
"Dan Heng, it's been a while since you've been home, hasn't it?"
[How did you know...?]
"They say 'the nearer home, the more anxious one feels.' Your eyes betray you."
"Want to leave? Now's your chance."
"The Cloud Knights will check our identities soon. I have my own path—this isn't where I belong."
[Where… are you going?]
"I'm just a wandering healer, after all."
Luocha's tone was cryptic.
"They're both planning to bail?!" Guinaifen gasped.
She glanced at Sushang.
"Poor Shang-shang… stuck with these two troublemakers."
With that, Dan Heng quietly slipped away from the medical camp.
"I'll go ahead."
His inner monologue played softly.
"(Forgive me, both of you. I must catch up with my friends. Thank you for everything…)"
Guinaifen rubbed her hands together, equal parts excited and nervous.
Now, traveling alone—
Dan Heng was bound to encounter something extraordinary.
The Imbibitor Lunae was about to make his appearance.
As he stepped into an empty plaza—
The atmosphere shifted.
The bright light dimmed, the surroundings warping like reflections in water, a misty haze enveloping everything.
[Fragments of the past echoed.]
"The True Alchemy Furnace… such a grand sight."
"It's powered by the Vidyadhara's Cloudhymn magic, drawing from the ancient seas like a vortex."
Dan Heng clutched his head—
These were memories.
Moving forward, two watery silhouettes—one tall, one small—appeared ahead.
Voices whispered again.
"The furnaces built with Vidyadhara aid all contain Cloudhymn. Young master, you should study them closely..."
"Why? I can manipulate water without mechanisms. What's the point?"
"You are the chosen one, but Cloudhymn is still foundational—"
Dan Heng muttered, "Vidyadhara echoes… These remnants of the past still linger?"
"No… This has nothing to do with me anymore."
Guinaifen listened intently, hanging onto every word.
She almost grabbed a notepad to jot it all down.
[Chat]
"This dialogue is crucial to Dan Heng's identity!"
"But we still don't have the full picture!"
"If this is true, kid Dan Heng was arrogant huh?!"
"This is a conversation between Vidyadhara—so Dan Heng is one of them?"
"Gui mentioned in the last episode—Dan Heng's dad might be the Vidyadhara's Dragon Lord, Imbibitor Lunae! So he's half-Vidyadhara, which explains why he sees these echoes!"
"Weren't you all mocking Gui's theory before?!"
"Wait—aren't Vidyadhara infertile? I thought they couldn't have kids! Any Vidyadhara viewers wanna confirm?!"
"If this is true… Dan Heng is the Imbibitor Lunae?!"
...
After the last Dan Heng arc, Guinaifen had done some research.
Records stated the Vidyadhara had near-zero reproductive capabilities—so her earlier theory had been dismissed.
But now?
No more guessing.
This storyline would reveal the truth.
Ahead—
Another silhouette emerged.
"They say you're the dragon's heir… Is it true?"
Dan Heng whispered, "Dragon…"
"I was exiled from Xianzhou. I am no longer the 'eternal' Dragon Lord."
Following the misty bridge to the docks—
A new figure waited.
This one could interact with the environment.
Seeing Dan Heng, it trembled with awe.
"This surging power… You… You've returned, Dragon Lord."
The chat erupted.
"DRAGON LORD?! I TOLD YOU DAN HENG WAS IMBIBITOR LUNAE!! HATERS SILENCED!!"
"No way… No way! Our 'Cool Dragon Young Man' is the traitor who caused the Sedition?!"
"My brain's overheating! Hold on—let me process this!"
"This is basically confirmation, right?!"
"The 'Sedition of the Imbibitor Lunae' must have hidden truths!"
"My god… What has Dan Heng been through? Why does he show no Vidyadhara traits now?!"
...
Guinaifen's face was a mix of shock and fascination.
"If Dan Heng is the Dragon Lord…"
"But… isn't the current dragon heir Bailu?"
"Then what does that make Bailu?!"
She shook her head violently.
"Forget it! No more overthinking!"
"I need to see what happens next!"
Approaching the figure—
"A tragedy unfolds in the Scalegorge Waterscape. Do not proceed. Your enemies… they await you."
Dan Heng replied calmly, "I can't stop. My friends have gone ahead—I must follow."
"You remain as stubborn as ever… Just like back then."
"The boat to Scalegorge is here. May the ancient seas guide you."
On the churning waves—
Dan Heng stood alone at the bow of the ship.
Lonely. Resolute.
Heading toward Scalegorge Waterscape.
"Back then… what really happened?!"
"I need to know the truth!"
"Ahhh, I can't take it—I feel ants crawling under my skin!"
If this chapter were titled "Dan Heng's Past," it wouldn't be half bad.
Stepping onto the shores of Scalegorge Waterscape, Guinaifen had expected to see more echoes—fragments of memory slowly unveiling Dan Heng's origins.
But what came next—
No one could have predicted.
The moment Dan Heng set foot on land—
Two figures emerged from the mist.
And they'd clearly been waiting for him.
Blade and Kafka.
Blade spoke first, his voice eerily calm. "He's here."
Kafka smirked. "Hmm, right on time."
"The echoes are stirring, Kafka. I can feel it again—that same sensation."
"Then let it out. [Mara-struck]..."
Guinaifen's jaw dropped.
So this was where Blade and Kafka had fled after escaping the Divination Commission!
They'd come here specifically to ambush Dan Heng!
From the very start of the Xianzhou arc, the animosity between Dan Heng and Blade had been palpable.
After so many twists—
They finally stood face to face.
It almost felt... inevitable.
The livestream chat exploded.
"AHHHHHHH!!!"
"HOLY SHT DAN HENG'S ABOUT TO 1V2? THIS IS BAD!"
"SOMEONE HELP HIM!!"
"WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE DAN HENG'S TRUE POWER!"
"TRAILBLAZERS, GET OVER HERE!"
...
Dan Heng approached Blade and Kafka.
Blade's demeanor shifted—his usual hollow detachment replaced by madness.
"You're here."
"It's time to repay your debt! The hour has come!!"
"Did you think changing your face would let you escape?!"
"How laughable..."
Dan Heng remained composed.
"I've told you—and her—countless times. I am Dan Heng."
"I have no connection to your past."
Blade laughed—a sound so deranged it startled seagulls from the waves.
"Dan Heng...?"
"HAHAHAHA—!!"
"You think a new face, a new name, erases your sins?!"
"You... you haven't even endured [death]!"
"I'll make you understand this pain, Dan Heng. I'll make you know it!"
---
On the ship nearby—
Jing Yuan, Jingliu, Blade, and Dan Heng himself were also watching this scene unfold.
Seeing his in-game counterpart's manic laughter—
Blade's eyebrow twitched.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
After their earlier battle, Blade had been drained—his emotions numb.
But now, forced to relive his own hysterics—
It was like reviewing footage of yourself mid-tantrum.
Even Blade felt phantom ants crawling under his skin.
And with Jingliu's earlier breakdown fresh in memory—
He silently retreated into the ship's cabin.
Thankfully—
The plot diverted.
A new voice cut through the tension.
"Hah! Not happening."
A young man stepped forward—Yanqing.
"Today, you're killing no one. You're coming with me, fugitive."
"Jing Yuan's little errand boy... Did he never teach you to pick your battles?"
Yanqing ignored Blade, turning to Dan Heng.
"Hey, you! Get back! This'll get messy."
Guinaifen could not handle this.
The situation was already chaotic—
Why was Yanqing here?!
And how had he arrived so fast?!
...
The livestream was equally stunned.
"BRO HOW'D YOU GET HERE FASTER THAN JINGLIU?!"
"Yanqing's back for another high-difficulty match!"
"I DID NOT SEE THIS COMING!"
"Well... at least it's 2v2 now. Fair fight."
Yanqing studied Dan Heng—then frowned.
"You... look familiar..."
...
Before he could ponder further—
Blade struck.
A crimson blur—
Dan Heng barely raised his spear in time, but the force sent him crashing into the ground.
Yanqing lunged, swords intercepting Blade's next strike.
Steel shrieked as their blades clashed—
Until Blade hurled his sword—
Straight at Dan Heng's heart.
"DAN HENG—!!!"
The livestream screamed.
Was this it?!
Was Dan Heng done for?!
...
For one agonizing second—
Then—
Kafka smiled, stepping forward.
"Let me introduce you, kid."
"The man behind you is a criminal guilty of ten unforgivable sins."
"An exile who brought ruin to Xianzhou."
"The Vidyadhara's Dragon Lord."
"Imbibitor Lunae."
As Blade's sword clattered to the ground—
Dan Heng's body moved.
Water surged, lifting him into the air—
A sphere of liquid formed around him, swirling violently—
Then ruptured.
A dragon of water erupted skyward—
Before plummeting back down—
A shockwave of mist and light engulfed the battlefield.
When the glow faded—
Dan Heng stood transformed.
Long hair cascaded down his back.
Azure horns curled from his forehead.
The pointed ears of a Vidyadhara.
Eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
The chat lost it.
"AHHHHHHH—!!!"
"HOLY SHT HOLY SHT!!"
"THIS IS TOO COOL!!"
"IT MATCHES THE LEAKS! HE'S REALLY IMBIBITOR LUNAE!"
"I CAN'T BREATHE!!"
"DAN HENG... YOU REALLY ARE...!"
To be continued…
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