After bidding farewell to the Cloud Knights, Dan Heng decided to head to the homeland he had long parted from to search for his companions.
Along the way, he encountered Cloud Knight troops guarding the checkpoint on the main road.
"Isn't that Yanqing? Didn't expect him to show up here."
"Could he be here to hunt down Blade?"
Ah Xian muttered a couple of sentences, wanting to approach for dialogue.
"(I must act carefully to avoid arousing the Cloud Knights' suspicion. If someone becomes curious about me, who knows how much time it would waste.)"
"Too bad we can't go that way. I thought we could walk with Yanqing."
The path was blocked, so she could only detour according to the quest guidance.
Along the way, mirage shadows kept appearing.
Engaging in dialogue one by one, they were all real conversations from the Vidyadhara's past.
The High Elder was mentioned multiple times.
"No need to say more now. If Dan Heng isn't a Vidyadhara High Elder, I'll eat my words!"
"Good grief, turns out the foreshadowing for Dan Heng's storyline was already planted back in Belobog."
"Sampo gave him the nickname 'Cold Dragon Young' back then. Everyone remember that? Tsk, that thick-browed, big-eyed guy Sampo isn't simple either..."
[That said, if even Sampo could see through Dan Heng's true identity, does Leon know too?]
[But whenever he thinks about Dan Heng's past, he never uses affirmative tone.]
"No, Leon definitely doesn't know."
Ah Xian wore a certain expression.
"Peeking into others' privacy is impolite. Sure, Leon is a fun-seeker, but he has principles."
"He knows clearly what should be done and what shouldn't."
"I guess Leon might know Dan Heng carries complicated past events, might even see it, but he absolutely wouldn't dig deeper."
"So, it's normal that he doesn't know."
Saying that, Ah Xian arrived at the seaside dock and dialogued with the mirage shadow nearby.
Echo of the past: "Terrible things are happening in the Scalegorge Waterscape. Please do not proceed further."
"Your enemy... Your enemy is waiting for you."
"Is it referring to Blade or Phantylia?"
She continued clicking the screen for dialogue.
Dan Heng remained unmoved.
"Sorry, I cannot linger here. My friends went to the Scalegorge Waterscape ahead of me; I must catch up to them."
Echo of the past: "You still insist on having your own way, unwilling to listen to us... just like back then."
"Then, the ship to the Scalegorge Waterscape is at the shore. Please board it."
Cut to cutscene animation.
Dan Heng stood at the bow, gazing firmly into the distance, giving off the aura of a lone hero about to venture into danger for a rendezvous.
"Back then... insisting on his own way... What grave mistake did Teacher Dan Heng commit in the past?"
"Leon analyzed not long ago that Dan Heng most likely underwent the molting scale punishment."
"I'm not familiar with Vidyadhara punishments. If it's similar to the death penalty, it means he committed something very serious."
"But Vidyadhara aren't absolutely immortal; they can be killed. Could it be that because Dan Heng was formerly a High Elder, his merits offset his crimes for a reduced sentence?"
Harboring numerous questions, Ah Xian continued watching.
The camera switched.
Dan Heng landed from the sea, walking straight toward two people who had been waiting for a long time.
"Ha, as expected, Mom Kafka and Blade. Here they come; hurry and reveal the big monthly card light cone spoilers!"
Blade: "He's here."
Kafka: "Mm, perfect timing, not a second off."
At a position about a dozen meters from Kafka and the others, Dan Heng stopped.
Blade slowly stepped forward two paces, smiling coldly.
"You came."
"Heh heh ha ha ha... It's time to repay the price; the time has come!"
"Did you think changing into this appearance would let you escape?!"
"Escape..."
Dan Heng's expression turned cold: "I've told you and that woman many times already."
"I am Dan Heng. I have nothing to do with your past."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Blade covered his face; his laughter gradually mixed with cold sneers and a hint of frenzy.
"Dan Heng?"
"Did you think by changing to another face, another identity, another name..."
"The sins of the past could be wiped clean with one stroke?"
"You haven't even experienced 'death.' I will make you feel this pain, Dan Heng."
"I will make you know the pain of death!"
Blade beckoned with his right hand; the fractured sword covered in cracks fell into his palm, killing intent bursting from his eyes.
Dan Heng's face sank as he summoned his ever-present Cloudhitch Spear.
"I don't have time to trade words with you right now, nor time to fight you."
"If you really want to fight, after this matter is settled, I'll fight you to your heart's content."
"Get out of the way—"
The corners of Blade's mouth slowly widened: "What if I say no?"
"..."
Dan Heng's face turned completely icy.
Just as the two were about to clash, footsteps and a youthful voice came from behind Dan Heng.
"Heh, that won't do."
Yanqing held his head high and chest out, walking to Dan Heng's side and saying coldly:
"Today, you won't kill anyone, wanted criminal. Besides coming with me, you have no other choice."
Blade looked at Yanqing, his gaze indifferent.
"Jing Yuan's little lackey... Hmph, didn't that guy teach you to judge the situation?"
A flash of cold light; Yanqing drew his best treasured sword, too lazy to banter with Blade.
"Hey, you get far away quickly. In a bit, blades and swords have no eyes... Huh?"
After sizing up Dan Heng, a thoughtful look flashed across Yanqing's face.
"Your appearance looks a bit familiar..."
Dan Heng was about to speak when he suddenly sensed killing intent rushing straight at his face; vigilance surged in his eyes.
"Careful!"
As the words fell, murderous aura assaulted his back.
Dan Heng turned to parry Blade's frenzied assault, blocking that immense force.
As the spear shaft trembled, his tiger's mouth faintly went numb.
"Stop hiding; show your true form."
Blade took advantage of Dan Heng being distracted by talking with Yanqing; his fierce and ruthless assault caught him off guard.
The sounds of metal clashing rang out incessantly.
Blade seized the flaw in Dan Heng's hasty counterattack, broke through his defensive stance, and suppressed him into rolling on the ground.
"Stop!"
Yanqing flashed into the fray; five flying swords turned into streams of light assaulting Blade.
Blade sneered, casually swinging the fractured sword in his hand, forcibly repelling all the flying swords.
A whooshing sound suddenly rang out; the bloodstained long sword flew from his hand, whistling past the boy's cheek—
The sword wind scraped his skin painfully. Yanqing turned following the long sword that grazed his face and saw a scene that made his eyes crack with rage.
The fractured sword pierced through Dan Heng's chest.
"You—"
The veins on the back of Yanqing's sword-holding hand bulged; the anger in his eyes nearly materialized.
The criminal actually dared right in front of him—
Yet Blade strolled leisurely empty-handed, a cold smile on his lips, ignoring the boy's boiling anger and killing intent.
"Ha, kid, let me introduce you."
His voice was hoarse like rusted iron scraping.
"The one behind you is guilty of heinous crimes..."
The sky suddenly darkened.
The originally calm sea surface suddenly boiled; massive waves rose without wind.
"...betrayed the Xianzhou, caused great chaos, and was eternally exiled—a sinner."
Yanqing turned in shock, only to see amid the towering turbid waves a cyan figure breaking through the water and soaring into the sky.
A dragon's roar shook the heavens; the mighty dragon's vigorous body dove from above toward the spear-wielding figure suspended in midair.
That incomparably familiar aura from the old days returned; hatred surged in Blade's eyes.
Yet the words from his mouth carried an inexplicable nostalgia washed by the years.
"Vidyadhara High Elder, Imbibitor Lunae."