"What?! A dragon-form Dan Heng?!"
"With a lotus throne and a pair of dragon horns?"
"How can my Dan Heng transform like that?!"
"Do we need to max out his level and Eidolon points to unlock this appearance?"
After reading the scoop, Guinaifen eagerly opened the chat for answers from fellow viewers, her doubts swirling.
Someone promptly replied, "Little Gui, what are you thinking?! This insider leak doesn't guarantee when—or if—it'll be implemented in the game."
"Oh~ So it's just a premature leak!"
Guinaifen closed the Warp interface and declared, "Well then, starting now, I'm going to accumulate Starry Sky points for Dan Heng's dragon form!"
Suddenly, a viewer posted:
"Everyone! I think I've stumbled upon some astounding news!
"This person is not who you all assume—Dan Heng!
"The moment I saw these leaks, the figure seemed quite familiar."
"I went back and reviewed the wanted notices for past convicts, and surprisingly, I found the true identity!"
"Can you guess who this person is?"
A flood of players quickly joined in.
"Who is it?"
"Don't keep us in suspense, just tell us already!"
"The Riddlers can die!"
The streamer replied, "It's too complex to explain here in Stream; check out my new post on the forums!"
Guinaifen promptly navigated to the forum and refreshed the page.
Sure enough, beneath the latest scoop thread, a new reply had appeared:
Thought Zhao Xiangji revealed Dan Heng as the character? You're all wrong! The truth and evidence are right here!
She clicked on it.
At the beginning was a confidently cited reference:
Luofu Dragonlord, bearer of Azure Dragon lore. Bringing rain and clouds, entrusted with guarding the undying Tree of Foundation—venerated as Imbibitor Lunae.—From Annals of the Xianzhou: Five Dragons' Great Exodus
Some of you may have heard of Imbibitor Lunae before, and yes! He was the previous generation's Venerable Vidyadhara!
The Dragonlord, not only a revered elder of their race, also wields the power of dragon ancestors, enabling them to assume draconic form as a Vidyadhara.
Entrusted with overseeing the [Life, Plague, and Calamity Vestiges] across various Xianzhou ships! That is, the Tree of Foundation!
"However, according to the Judges, Imbibitor Lunae coveted the power of Abundance, creating monstrous entities that wreaked havoc in Scalegorge Waterscape. Not only did this sever the lineage of the Venerable Vidyadhara, it constituted one of the gravest sins known as 'Ten Ultimate Betrayals.'
"After committing such a heinous betrayal against Xianzhou, Imbibitor Lunae was permanently exiled and hasn't been heard from for many years. Even the Vidyadhara clan suspected he might be dead by now."
"Yet unexpectedly, today we witness the return of Imbibitor Lunae's presence at Luofu!"
"Moreover, his strength seems undiminished. Could he have come to reclaim his title as the Venerable Vidyadhara Dragonlord and regain his position?"
"So everyone, stop claiming this person is Dan Heng!
"Dan Heng may bear some resemblance, but he is part of our Astral Express Crew and has no connection whatsoever with Imbibitor Lunae!"
Upon posting this thread, its popularity surged rapidly, quickly matching the heat of the original exposé post!
Whether players of Honkai: Star Rail or not, all who heard about it flocked to follow this significant event!
In an instant, "Imbibitor Lunae" became the talk of Xianzhou!
At a crucial location within the Vidyadhara territory, numerous Dragon Master elders had gathered.
They stared intently at the jade tablet display before them.
Its content was none other than Zhao Xiangji's exposé from the forum!
An elderly Dragon Master, his beard reaching down to his chest, spoke with great excitement. Pointing at Dan Heng's close-up on the jade tablet, he exclaimed, "No doubt about it! It must be him!"
"He's back! Imbibitor Lunae has returned!"
"With just one strike, he repelled that horde of Destruction Voidrangers? Now that is the true bearing of our Dragonlord!"
"Exactly! What does that 'Medicine-Bearing Dragon Girl' amount to? She merely possesses a dragon's appearance and extraordinary healing abilities—how can she compare to the legendary Dan Feng?"
"The hundred-year cycle has come full circle! Let us welcome the return of our Dragonlord!"
Within the Alchemy Commission, a group of physicians had gathered, including a small figure seated amidst them.
All stared incredulously at the scene unfolding before their eyes.
"Is it truly the former Dragonlord, Dan Feng? Has he really returned?"
"Dan Feng is back, seeking to reclaim what was once his?"
"Bailu Miss is an exceptional gem, embodying compassion and nurturing life far surpassing Dan Feng's qualities by leaps and bounds!"
"Moreover, since Dan Feng chose her as the Dragonlord, she is now Luofu Vidyadhara's rightful leader. Destiny decrees; we willingly honor her as our supreme ruler!"
"Regardless of whether the person in this vision is him or if he indeed came back to Luofu, we stand as the legitimate lineage of the Dragonlord!"
Only Bailu, sitting quietly on her high chair, remained silent, pinching her chubby cheeks gently.
As she scanned the forum posts, a glint of realization flashed through her clear eyes.
"I've heard...all this content comes from that recently popular game—Honkai: Star Rail?"
"And it features 'me' too?"
"But our clan's elders forbid me from engaging with such things, and even the healers won't let me see it."
"They say many people in Luofu have become obsessed with this game, neglecting food, drink, sleep, and rest."
"Just how captivating can this thing be? To make perfectly capable individuals stare at the screen for hours like puppets on strings!"
"It seems I must find an opportunity to sneak out and experience it myself!"
In Little Gui's live stream room...
After reading the post, Guinaifen felt uncertain despite her initial determination to save Stellar Jade for "Dragon Form Dan Heng."
"Could it really be Imbibitor Lunae?! But why does he look so much like Dan Heng?!"
"...Guinaifen opened the character panel, carefully comparing her Dan Heng with the figure mentioned in the leak. She couldn't definitively tell if it was genuine or not.
Initially, defeating the Abundant Ebon Deer had filled her with a sense of accomplishment, but now all she felt was bewilderment.
At that moment, Tingyun sent another message. Without thinking, Guinaifen clicked to read it.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Sponsor, did you see it earlier?"
"When that Black Deer stomped its hoof, vines sprouted from the ground out of nowhere."
"The miracles wrought by [Abundance] truly defy imagination."
"In all my travels across the star seas, I've never witnessed such divine wonders before."
"I noticed golden fruits forming on those branches, just as described in the legends of Xianzhou's celestial vessels."
"Legend has it that during ancient times, the ancestors of Xianzhou obtained the immortal godfruit from the Tree of Foundation, transforming them into Eternal Life Beings."
"If this humble one were to consume these fruits, would she too gain boundless life like the people of Xianzhou...?"
"Mr. Sponsor, aren't you tempted by such an opportunity?"
Three options appeared:
["That sounds quite perilous..."]
["Once eaten, there'd be no turning back..."]
["Of course, I'm very intrigued..."]
Guinaifen was an outlander, but she aimed to be a positive influence—a virtuous streamer!
She chose the first option: "Miss Tingyun, wouldn't this violate Xianzhou's prohibitions?"
"Oh dear."
"Please forgive Tingyun for her rudeness; it was merely a small test to gauge your character."
"As expected, Mr. Sponsor is indeed a sincere and upright young man."
"However, I now understand your intentions well enough."
"Alas, with the Black Deer reduced to ashes, not even a trace of the Tree of Foundation's fruit remains."
"Such opportunities come once in a lifetime yet vanish in an instant."
"Just like life itself..."
The text conversation concluded.
Guinaifen looked puzzled. "Why do I feel like there's something off about Miss Tingyun?"
"Her curiosity for immortality mirrors those Disciples of Sanctus Medicus!"
"Will she betray us later in the plot?"
Following this exchange, another new message arrived:
[Dan Heng]: Our star ferry has deviated from its course. How is the situation at your end?
Guinaifen was taken aback.
Just moments ago, she had been wondering about Dan Heng's connection to Imbibitor Lunae. And now, here comes Dan Heng's standalone quest!
Perhaps there's a chance to uncover the true nature of Dan Heng's relationship with Imbibitor Lunae within this storyline! Could it be that the leaked character mentioned earlier is indeed Dan Heng?!