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Every single time Dan Feng is mentioned, hinted, or name-dropped across Honkai: Star Rail's lore because this game does a terrible job at keeping everything contained and I have the memory of a goldfish.

Since Hoyoverse despises being clear, I've color-codded three characters who appear constantly and are often referred to by pronouns or substantives:

DAN FENG
DAN HENG
YINGXING/BLADE BAIHENG

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

From:

CHARACTER STORY II

He seemed to have returned to the insides of a Vidyadhara egg in the lightless dark, being ceaselessly churned in a sea of waves and elusive dreams.

He dreamed he arrived at the battlefield like the descent of a god. He hovered with the clouds - the military formations below him were tiny as ants, and the airborne chariots and starskiffs were moths destined to die in a flame. Such were the lives of mortals... Was this the viewpoint of a dragon? A sliver of hubris rose up and plunged his heart into emotionless and icy detachment, and he hurriedly cast his gaze towards those who had fought next to him and shared liquor with him:

The pilot who zoomed past did not care whether the formation was orderly. She shot at will, letting the arrows filled with blazing fire fall on the storming borisin foot soldiers...

Along the direction pointed out by the starskiffs, a white-haired swordswoman spearheaded into the fray ahead of the entire army, dancing with her sharp blade. She dashed between flashes of metallic light, her actions too sharp to even let her allies come near, reducing them to merely supporting her from behind...

On the other hand, the Cloud Knight Lieutenant who used to chat and laugh with the dragon contained his languid indolence, holding his devastator glaive in hand as he stood with his men to repel the borisin pawns attacking from the battlefield's wings...

And behind the main host, the military engineers who marched with the army were adjusting and testing giant aurumatons... perhaps that exceedingly arrogant craftsman was now working at full speed, for these machines hundreds of feet tall are specialized weapons designed to counter the mechabeasts...

Then, he saw the general of yesteryear, Teng Xiao. He was enveloped in golden lightning like the avatar of the Reignbow, plowing through the enemies' rows of war beasts with his divine mirage...

The devastated borisin began to flee. He knew it was time to carry out the duty entrusted to him. So he let go - letting his consciousness disappear in storms and hails, letting thunder roar for him, letting tsunamis rage for him. He floated on top of clouds, watching the enemies getting swallowed by the watery abyss, and watching the land behind him. Many humans, Vidyadhara, and Foxians were eternally left there, unable to lay their eyes upon their home ever again.

The dragon heart told him that it was but a small speck of dust brushed away from the world. Wars come with a price, but life will always thrive once more — the Vidyadhara are not the only branch of Long's Scions. However, his human heart ached for those comrades who, like him, had warm flesh and blood, and for those mortals who might have lived longer but now could return home nevermore.

Edited Date: 2023-08-07 05:03 pm (UTC)

From:

CHARACTER STORY III

He seemed to have returned to the insides of a Vidyadhara egg in the lightless dark, being ceaselessly churned in a sea of waves and elusive dreams.

He dreamed that he parted the ocean's waters and came to the palace ruin depths, burying the remnants of his old friend's hallowed blood, or creating a new life that had not been seen for millennia — or, perhaps, those two actions were one and the same, an unattainable desire that could not be carried out for long years in the past, a final straw that broke the gargantuan dragon's back. The craftsman was covered in blood and wounds as he guarded the dragon with a sword in hand and urging the dragon to commit to the decision.

"Shuhu is dead... we won, but how many more victories can we manage to achieve? How many similar costs, as the one we paid today, would have to be offered up??"
"Look, the Ambrosial Arbor still stands. So long as it is alive, the monsters... they can come back again and again. The war of the Xianzhou natives, Foxians, and Vidyadhara against the abominations will never end."
"Yes, none of us are special! Each of us has only one life, sacrificing for this, dying for that... it's all our own choices. Just like she chose to save you and Jingliu... just like she chose to let more people live on!"

War, and the lives that expired in the war, were living beings just like him.
He shut his eyes wearily, remembering their faces, and made up his mind.
"If there's a chance... we will also choose to let her and more people live on.
We, the Vidyadhara, have our own way of salvation. I can give it a try."

Like an out-of-body experience, like a dream within a dream, he returned to the moment before his sense of self disappeared. With a cold and emotionless mind, he observed himself turning into a dragon, entangled and fighting claw-and-fangs against that bulb of shapeshifting shadow of flesh and blood. In an illusion seen on the verge of death, the emissary of the god showed him an unsettling, beautiful scene — the stars pulsated and sang hymns like red blood cells, and the universe descended into an abyss of flesh and desires. The dragon heart beat to its limit, raising its fangs, breath, and anger — however, no matter how mighty it was, a "lifeform" cannot defeat the true body of the messenger of the god of life.

...Until a starskiff ran everything through like an arrow shaft. He saw that girl crawling out of the ruins with great difficulty, lifting a "sun" of absolute darkness in her hand. In that instant as long as an eternity, he saw her hand disappear, saw her face disappear, saw HER disappear — That item had ground everything around it into the finest dust and dragged them into a vortex of raw power, including that girl.

A tuft of hair and a few drops of blood fell to the floor as evidence of her existence. Those were the only traces she left.

Edited Date: 2023-08-31 07:12 pm (UTC)

From:

CHARACTER STORY IV

He seemed to have returned to the insides of a Vidyadhara egg in the lightless dark, being ceaselessly churned in a sea of waves and elusive dreams.

He dreamed of the Dracocatena Nails being staked into his body, and chains of corallium winding around him to hang him in mid-air in The Shackling Prison. He dreamed the elders coming and going to interrogate him about the truth of the Arcanum and the whereabouts of the dragon heart. He did not speak.

He dreamed of the Judges coming before him to read their decision and wanting to sentence him to death. He did not speak.

He dreamed of the white-haired Cloud Knight Lieutenant coming to visit him and bringing him news of the Lieutenant's negotiations. The Vidyadhara did not permit him to die, nor did they permit him to be sent away. He did not speak.

He dreamed he was raising his cup to drink with the others again. He dreamed he molted off his scales. He dreamed he returned to the egg, and became someone else.

He dreamed many, many things, like a never-ending immersia named "Self."

Following the immersia was an even clearer but unreachable illusion.

He saw himself being exiled. He saw himself boarding an express. He saw himself running into the endless stars, never looking back.

From:

I have no interest in commenting on the deeds and sins of Imbibitor Lunae. Given the choice, I would like to cast his name aside... Even so, the consequences of his power will be borne by me alone.

From:

(Editor: After the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae was quelled, some Vidyadhara individuals still worshiped Dan Feng in secrecy, creating various literary works and dramas remixing the whole narrative of the sedition from the perspective of supporters.

The Luofu's Six Charioteers let most of these plays go, but "Six Charioteers Adjudicating the Imbibitor Lunae" was very influential at the time, even prompting some Vidyadhara individuals to form groups against the Alliance. The Seat of Divine Foresight was forced to ban performances of this play and strictly prohibited publication of its libretto.

But nowadays, the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae and its aftershocks have long subsided. This editor believes that "Six Charioteers Adjudicating the Imbibitor Lunae" is worthy of reexamination and reinterpretation as an artifact of its time, and so I've compiled the only fragments remaining of this libretto for the benefit of the dear reader.)

...

The trembling general, rage undying, half chastising, half sighing:
"Three disasters the Luofu purged, standing alone against the mara scourge."
"Surviving odds so difficult, how on earth could you revolt?"
"I beseech you please to change your mind, lest you lose the will of all mankind!"
Hearing this, Imbibitor Lunae turned his head, his lustrous eyes glowed as he said:
"Beseech me not so piteously, m'Lord, if my life's long, then yours will be short."
"Once out of this hall I tumble, Divine Foresight's where my spear will rumble."
"Cause trouble, and your golden age will be perturbed."
"Make mischief, and your peace will be disturbed."
"For millennia your excellencies have ruled the Luofu in domination, but in one fell swoop I've cut short your immortality!"
His retort left the general shocked and pained: "How will peace ever be maintained?"
Imbibitor Lunae chanted up to the sky, his sonorous song like whale's cry:
"Draw thy bow and shoot down the morning star, scorch my eyes and dip my soul in tar;"
"Plunge down the ancients into dark violence, and rid yourself of those with loyalty and valiance."
"Forcing the people into tranquility; this is how peace is kept in perpetuity!"

Edited Date: 2023-08-31 07:28 pm (UTC)

From:

HIGH-CLOUD QUINTET

The Intelligentsia Guild once witnessed and even participated in the multiple battles between the Xianzhou people and the Denizens of Abundance to record and interpret the Xianzhou people's tactics and techniques. The brutality and darkness of every battle had always helped those dazzling souls shine. In addition to the well-known figures like the Seven Arbiter-Generals, there are many legendary heroes on the Xianzhou who have left their names in history.

High-Cloud Quintet is a historical story of the beloved heroes of the Xianzhou people. As members of the long-life species, they only had a short-lived brilliance, making their story even more splendid.

When the Denizens of Abundance had gathered a massive army to attack the Yuque, five heroes from different Xianzhou ships came together. Among them was a sharpshooting Foxian pilot and a short-life species that came to Xianzhou to learn. The five ventured to perilous lands and successfully killed the enemies. They destroyed the incarnosphere created by the Denizens of Abundance and prevented the Yuque from collapsing.

This legend inspired many Xianzhou poets and Foxian immersia, and their works made the five heroes famous. Unlike the historical background behind the story of the Seven Arbiter-Generals, the story of the High-Cloud Quintet is more like a heroic tale created by the folks.

Unfortunately, their heyday did not last long. In less than a century, the heroes parted ways and passed away. There was even a dark prophecy hinting at depravity and betrayal among the five. Other than General Jing Yuan, who can still be often seen in public now, the rest of the group has faded into oblivion and is hardly mentioned.

As a cultural phenomenon, the High-Cloud Quintet seems to have always existed alongside the Alliance over time. This reminds me of a serialized novel that has been active for more than 30 years. There is a story titled 17 Days of Crown, which centers around a regime in the history of the Morrowen Kingdom that existed for only seventeen days, destroyed by the Antimatter Legion. Despite the short reign, the story of the regime will never end.

This is probably how the Xianzhou people perceive the High-Cloud Quintet. As long as people keep telling their stories, the stories will go on forever, and so will the best times of the Alliance. After all, it is hard not to be entranced by the illusion of nostalgia.

From:

Dan Feng the sinner, embracing immorality and breaking the ban,
thieving immortality and inciting riot.
Both gods and man alike are enraged, such that none can grant repentance,
It is only right to execute justice and punish the guilty, in order to uphold order and peace.

However,
Taking into account his past merits, he shall be spared a heavy punishment,
Through molting shall he atone for his faults.
A never-ending exile far beyond public opinion.
With total interception across the whole dominion.

Edited Date: 2023-08-31 07:27 pm (UTC)

From:

From:

EGG I

The glimmer of the crystal-clear Vidyadhara egg catches your eye.

You softly touch the Vidyadhara egg, listening to its barely audible whisper. Borrowing your voice, it laments about being away from its homeland. This is not home… It was born on the Xianzhou Fanghu, ten million light years away from the Luofu.

As a Preceptor of Glaciator Marum, high elder of the Fanghu, you are one of integrity, unafraid of pointing out wrongdoings directly. You advise the high elder to unleash her wrath, and impose punishment on your peers who instructed the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae on the Luofu.

“In that case, how about I send you to read out the sentence? Just you. Alone” The high elder’s voice is as cold as her icy throne.

Just like that, you are banished to a faraway land, left alone and shunned by others. Only a girl from the Alchemy Commission warms your heart with her comforting words before you go through hatching rebirth.

From:

EGG II

The glimmer of the crystal-clear Vidyadhara egg catches your eye.

You tap on the pearl-colored eggshell and hear the sounds of different notes. Do, re, mi, fa, so… Music, like flowing water, pours into your heart…

Suddenly, you recall the song you composed and called “Lunae Arcus.” You were inspired to write this song after witnessing the high elder Dan Feng being able to command the waves in Scalegorge Waterscape.

However, you did not get to perform this song in public. After hearing about the talented and brilliant Imbibitor Lunae becoming a rebel, you flung your lute to the ground and left it broken. You vowed to never write another song in your life.

Edited Date: 2023-08-31 07:26 pm (UTC)

From:

EGG III

The glimmer of the crystal-clear Vidyadhara egg catches your eye.

You touch the shell of the Vidyadhara egg lightly and experience a heartbreaking sensation. Resistant to your touch, the Vidyadhara in the egg is reluctant to leave his memory behind and refuses to believe that his highly respected master has committed the grave sin of rebellion.

Roaring, he holds his sword high and charges at the Cloud Knights again and again. He can see his peers whom he used to trust, and the Preceptors whom he used to respect clearly. Their despicable faces are etched in his mind forever. He does not wish to forget.

“We… will never betray Master Dan Feng!” Together with the last remaining high elder guards, he braces himself to face the incoming arrows and darkness.

From:

From:

MIRAGE ECHO I

"All the elixir crucibles that the Vidyadhara helped to construct contain cloudhymn magic. You should take this chance to learn more, young master..."

"Huh? But I don't need any sort of device to help me command water, what more is there to learn?"

"You are indeed the chosen one, with endless potential... yet cloudhymn magic is just the beginning."

From:

MIRAGE ECHO II

Middle-Aged Voice: If your people knew that you had brought me here, there would be great unrest.
Voice of High Elder: They will never know. Keep quiet, Yingxing — this will make us even. I will give you two hours — research what you can. Remember — two hours.
Middle-Aged Voice: I'm a short-life species, do you think two hours isn't enough? It will be done.
Voice of High Elder: Hmph...

From:

MIRAGE ECHO III

Old Voice: Who are you!?
Lady's Voice: ... Dan Feng said only the high elder can enter here.
Old Voice: That traitor is already dead. Who are you? What do you want with the high elder?
Lady's Voice: What do I want?
Lady's Voice: I want to see her... see how she's faring... I want to see her!

Edited Date: 2023-08-31 07:26 pm (UTC)

From:

MIRAGE ECHO IV

"They say that you are Long's power incarnate. Is that true?"
"Hmph..."

From:

(The inscribed text has been damaged.)

[Above text is missing]

[Missing] (Presumably from Preceptor Taoran's speech)...Preceptor...[Missing]...ancestral law...[Missing]...isn't that ridiculous!

[Missing] (Presumably from Preceptor Xuepu's speech)...After the sedition, the Vidyadhara's reputation has been incredibly tarnished. If we don't turn the other cheek and show friendship, it could damage our alliance with the Xianzhou people. And that's undoubtedly what the Preceptors would hate to see. Therefore, I propose that the Luofu Vidyadhara should temporarily move away from the rule of the high elder and instead submit to rule by the council of Preceptors, to ensure [Missing]

Preceptor Taoran said: Lady Xuepu, you've served as one of Dan Feng's tutors during his development phase. The disasters he has waged are now inextricably linked to the indulgence of you, his teachers. Dan Feng's imprisonment is his own fault, and has nothing to do with the succession of high elders. I shall repeat: The ancestors have formulated laws, and these cannot be changed. Our solemn responsibility is to confiscate the Transmutation Arcanum and the Orb of Abysm from Dan Feng to uphold the continuation of the Ichor Lines. Your bold suggestion of Preceptors entangling in political activity is the height of malice!

Preceptor Fenghuan said: Some people keep secret little scores within themselves. Few dare to expose them. Then allow me to clear the air here and now: The Preceptor Council is a stop-gap measure for when the High Elder position is vacant or governance is untenable, but Xuepu's message rings loud and clear. She wants to take advantage of [Missing] being cut off to completely replace the High Elder position with the Preceptor Council.

Preceptor Xuepu said: I shall recommend that you do not slander me.

Preceptor Fenghuan said: Then you have misunderstood. I am in agreement with you. The High Elder system is an outdated one, handing over power to a single chosen one. This has caused countless tragedies in the history of our kind. Now that Dan Feng has been detained by the Ten Lords, isn't now the perfect time to hand back power to the people? Or are you saying that these people are so used to being loyal subjects that they're incapable of learning how to be their own masters?

The Preceptors erupted loudly in a ruckus, debating and cursing each other. This has not been recorded verbatim.

[Missing] (Cannot identify who the speaker here is) ...Cursing aloud, in here? Scandalous! [Missing] ...must think clearly about this, as it will decide our fate for the next few thousand years.

[Below text is missing]

Edited Date: 2023-08-31 07:26 pm (UTC)

From:

From:

Passerby's Roaming Dragon Bracer

It seems that pairs of objects have telepathic connections with each other. Though the unnamed only had one bracer in his possession, his fingertips could still faintly feel the temperature from the other.

He closed his eyes, trying his best to extract any information about the other bracer from the tenuous connection, be it its location or master.

A slender yet strong hand once wore the other bracer. That owner, whose sharp spear glinted with a cold light and flourished like shooting stars, once sparred with the unnamed. That owner also once shared company and drinks with the unnamed, the two of them simply gazing at the moon with no words exchanged. However, in the end, it was also this person who stubbornly adhered to their plans with the unnamed, turned the beloved into a monstrosity, and pushed all into an abyss of eternal hatred and remorse.

Pairs of objects are destined for an eventual reunion. The long years of grudges and hatred between them should be savored, like ice-cold aged liquor, one slow sip after another until the bottle of resentment is finally empty.

Would the wearer of the other bracer feel the same? The unnamed didn't want to know.

From:

From:

CHARACTER STORY II

The only thing he could sense was a splotch of crimson in his sight and the taste of iron in his mouth. His limbs were unresponsive.
— He must have died.

The black-haired young man shivered violently all over, but still clutched onto the spear in his hands.
He had no dragon horns, and his reaction was slightly less mature than he remembered...
But he would never forget this spear, these eyes, and how cruelty burst out from beneath the mirror-like emerald calmness.
His wounds began to heal. His irises flickered and fixed their gaze at the boy once more.
Without hesitation, the boy made another flourish with the spear...

"That's it."
The one who showed no mercy to enemies - was you.
The one who single-handedly buried the beloved - was you.
The one who almost led the place called home to its destruction - was also you.

He fell down again.
The teen pressed his hand against his own wounds and retreated, until he was no longer in the man's sight.
"Before I witness your death in person, we will meet again, ███."

From:

From:

Dragon Mislay, Dreams Astray

Jing Yuan: Lunarescent Depths — a realm of singular beauty. Scalegorge Waterscape is the same as when I last laid eyes on it... and here we stand so different from one another. The flesh of long-life species may be immortal, but the constant of heaven and earth eludes them.
Dan Heng: You know the Vidyadhara hatching rebirth cycle, general. The waters of the ancient sea have cleansed Dan Feng of his past sin. The person that once stood here alongside you is no more.
Dan Heng: I am Dan Heng. Whether Dan Feng was hero or villain has nothing to do with me. I bore his punishment, accepted my eternal banishment without complaint... but do not let his shadow cloud your estimation of me, general.
Jing Yuan: *sigh* Raising old nets only darkens the water — an exercise in unhappiness. Perhaps it is your visage, the horns on your head, or the unmistakable air of the high elder that makes the separation nigh impossible for me.
Dan Heng: ...I already told you—
Jing Yuan: You did... but to what effect? If words alone were enough to change the heart, this world would be without quarrel. If you wish to rid me of the illusion of Dan Feng, you must do something for me.
Jing Yuan: Before I can let Dan Feng die and revoke your banishment edict, I need him to do me one final favor. I can guarantee you that when it is done, you will no longer walk in anyone's shadow aboard the Luofu.
Dan Heng: I may not be capable of the things that Dan Feng was capable of.
Jing Yuan: You must do it, or my promise will count for naught. If you wish to blame someone, blame your previous incarnation. Had he not committed that terrible sin — had the power of dragon transmutation been passed on intact — I would have no need to compel you.
Jing Yuan: It is as I said: here we stand so different from one another. Dan Feng is no more — now there is only Dan Heng. But I...
Jing Yuan: I am the general of the Luofu. There are things that I wish I did not have to do, and yet I must.
Jing Yuan: Haha, let us talk of happier tidings. The friends you made on the Express are here. Do you wish to see them?

From:

Oblation Obtained, Order Ordained

Jing Yuan: Do you know something? When Dan Feng committed his great crime, the Ten-Lords Commission advocated strongly for him to be destroyed. The Vidyadhara, on the other hand, were split evenly in their favor and disfavor of the motion. Haha, the dragon transmutation inheritance was not intact, after all. The senior Vidyadhara hated you, yet did not dare to kill you.
Jing Yuan: The Vidyadhara were under great pressure. In order to placate the Ten-Lords and Sky-Faring Commissions, they performed an exuviation charm on Dan Feng against his will. Still, they ensured that the charm contained a flaw, thinking that this would fool the Ten-Lords Commission. Hmph, the senior Vidyadhara were sure of their scheme, but you cannot hide fire with paper.

From:

Obsequies Performed, A Long Road Ahead

Jing Yuan: Dan Heng.
Dan Heng: General...
Jing Yuan: In accordance with the edict of the Ten-Lords Commission, I am hereby authorized to relieve your banishment decree. From this day henceforth, you may come and go freely on the Luofu...
March 7th: Nice!
Jing Yuan: ...But I must remind you that the crimes of Dan Feng have had far-reaching implications... and some people, such as those in Scalegorge Waterscape, will not be much moved by the issuance of a paper edict.
Jing Yuan: While I can guarantee your freedom to come and go as you please, I cannot guarantee your safety. Again, I hope you can understand.
Dan Heng: I understand.

From:

Alchemy Commission - Official Gazette: Comments Section

Day: March 15, Year 8100 Star Calendar
It is advisable to work overtime and avoid taking time off
Have fewer chatter about trivial matters, and discuss more about serious topics — Officer of the Comments Section

Current Affairs: Oh no! The Dragon Lady has disappeared!

This morning I brought her favorite breakfast for the high elder and found her missing! I've searched everywhere for her... the Medicine Bureau, the Elixir Research Terrace, the Medical Pavilion... but I can't find her! Have you seen her?

I found out that all the starskiffs in delve had gone missing, and I couldn't get a response to my messages to the Realm-Keeping Commission. The chief alchemist, chief healer, and lead medical assistant were all out of town for a meeting, so I couldn't report to anyone.

Will any kindhearted friend from the Alchemy Commission help me?

Signed, Lingering Clouds

Relax, she is probably skipping home again.
How many times do we have to do the whole shebang for this little girl? No more serious work to be done?
I think we should just keep doing our work at hand, and then maybe one day she'll just quietly come back.
Hey, just like when finding lost things, when you don't go looking for it, it'll just appear on its own.
It always turns out that way, right guys?

Signed, Unconcerned in the Medical Hut

Hey previous commenter, I hope you show the most basic respect to the high elder.
She is the rightful leader of the Vidyadhara after that man!
And I think she's doing a much better job than that so-called great hero.
It's also because of the Dragon Lady's genius that we've been able to make progress in many of our prescription research. Even the chief alchemist also said that the Dragon Lady's capabilities are immeasurable.

Signed, Peeved Bald Healer

I understand. I'm just tired of this childish drama.
The high elder is not merely a mascot, but should carry herself like someone deserving of the title of high elder.
I'm maybe a few years older than you, so I have seen that person's heroism in battle with my own eyes.

Signed, Unconcerned in the Medical Hut

Yeah, and then he got locked up.
How many of our people were never able to undergo hatching rebirth again because of his one decision?
In my opinion, the current high elder may not have defeated any abominations, or vanquished any evils, or stepped up for Vidyadhara affairs... But her efforts in saving lives and healing the wounded is a hundred times better than those Preceptors and that so-called hero!

Signed, Thunderous Scalegorge Tides

You guys...
Stop arguing!
The high elder is still naive and pure, and ignorant of worldly affairs. What if someone kidnaps her with bad intentions!

Signed, Lingering Clouds

Whoa, Yunyou here is pretty scary.
I might have a clue. The day before yesterday I saw Banxia sneak off to the high elder's medical chambers. I don't know if it was to talk about escaping to have some fun?
...This doesn't count as tattling, right?

Signed, Yuluo

I can't thank you enough! I'll gather the maids and go look for her.

Signed, Lingering Clouds

Well...
So, can we continue arguing now?

Signed, Peeved Bald Healer

NO! All those that have commented, start searching for her now!

Signed, Lingering Clouds

From:

‘Dear Mellow-Golden-Mayor Immersia Club: I love the group portraits that you build into Xianzhou Sword Tale, especially when they include those two male characters Jim Yan and Denn Fang – they keep me up at night…

‘…So I’ve been writing my own fan fiction during the nights, ‘Untouchable Lovers’ – and I hope you’ll leave your comments on it!’

After that, a dramatic tale of love, hate, life, and death twists and turns over the next forty pages. In the end, the two male protagonists die poetically yet tragically in each other’s embrace.

You don’t understand why, but feel shocked as though your first love has been stolen away from you. You put back this manuscript and leave it with the box on the side of the road.

From:

Tell me something from the High-Cloud Quintet

If the customer wishes for it, then allow me to regale you with a tale from the Imbibitor Lunae.

We must first speak of the Shackling Prison. On this day, a visitor from another star was jailed for slaying seven or eight Cloud Knight Soldiers, and was thrown into the depths of the prison for this heinous crime.

This prisoner's physique was shocking, standing over ten feet tall with a girth of over five feet. Everything was huge about him: his weight, visage, and facial features. His body was covered in natural golden armor, and impervious to weapons... To capture him, the Ten-Lords Commission had to dispatch its Judges to assist.
The myriad of cuffs, shackles, chains, and spikes hanging behind the tea drinker began to rattle, for the iron-skinned prisoner had already used his iron-wielding skipp to entrap the youth.

Yet this tea drinker poured himself another cup without missing a bit, then raised his cup, as if inviting the iron-skinned prisoner over. His voice was clear and cold, yet intimidating...

'It appears you're rather confident of your metal manipulation. How about I just use one cup of tea?'

The tea in the cup came alive in an instant, forming a small watery orb floating in mid-air. The prisoner reacted in kind, and a clattering cacophony, all the iron objects in the narrow corridor hurtled towards the tea-drinking youth.

The tea swirled like a serpentine dragon, batting away all the iron pieces with such inhuman speed and force that they were wedged in the walls from the powerful deflections.

Then the tea gathered and formed into a watery orb once more. The prisoner, taken aback, thought to cut his losses and retreat. But the tea made its move again, sealing the prisoner's nostrils and mouth shut.

With a ‘thud’, the towering iron-skinned figure fell to the ground, unconscious. The tea-drinking youth evenly muttered, 'This is not the lowest depths,' and disappeared into the darkness.

* The veracity of this tale is highly dubious.

From:

From:

Pay your respects to the Statue of the High Elder

Yubie (Questionable): Centuries ago, Dan Feng the high elder got led astray in life, triggering the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae and leaving countless Mirage Echoes filled with hatred throughout Scalegorge Waterscape.
Yubie (Questionable): A few of them still cling to vicious hatred, causing all kinds of ruckus that's really starting to get to people. Please get rid of these ill-willed Mirage Echoes — that's the trial that I have for you.

* The veracity of this tale is highly dubious.

From:

Find the malicious Mirage Echo

Malicious Mirage Echo: I was supposed to be chosen as high elder... That cursed, cursed Dan Feng! It was he who stole my rightful power from me!
Malicious Mirage Echo: How did things end up? The Preceptors got the wrong person and plunged the Vidyadhara into crisis! Haha, that was exactly what they deserved!

* The veracity of this mirage is highly dubious.

From:

Report back to the high elder (questionable)

Yubie (Questionable): Don't worry. This will be your final trial.
Yubie (Questionable): Before his imprisonment, Dan Feng buried all of his treasure deep within Scalegorge Waterscape. They say that before he set out, he spoke these words—
➜ "Rules are made to be broken!"
➜ "I wish not for dominion, yet I cannot watch the common folks suffer!"
Yubie (Questionable): What's that about?!
Yubie (Questionable): Anyway, the second trial is to find the treasure, return it to its original owner, and reset the wheels of fate.

* The veracity of this tale is highly dubious.

From:

THEY SAY THAT DAN FENG ONCE BETRAYED THE XIANZHOU...

I was initially kept in the Shackling Prison after reincarnating and received a thorough education on that person's life and crimes. According to the Judges, Dan Feng craved the power of Abundance and created abominations, causing widespread havoc in the Scalegorge Waterscape. He also terminated the high elder succession of the Vidyadhara and committed one of the Ten Unpardonable Sins. Therefore, as his reincarnation, I had to bear his punishment.

After my exile, I encountered many stories about Imbibitor Lunae beyond the prison walls... Xianzhou's storytellers and immersia creators seem partial to his deeds of heroism. They wrote scripts based on the stories of him and his friends, which were widely performed. As for what kind of person he really was... To be honest with you, I can't be certain either.

Jing Yuan's note:
In different people's minds, Dan Feng may have been an avatar of Long the dragon, a hero, or an immense evil... but never a person with feelings and emotions.

Edited Date: 2023-08-25 02:44 pm (UTC)

From:

In the Year 4800 of the Star Calendar, the five lineages of the Vidyadhara made alliance on the Yuque, putting their sacred vow into writing. "This oath shall remain unbroken, standing stronger than even earth and steel." — History of the Xianzhou: Exodus of the Five Dragons
In the Year 7379 of the Star Calendar, the Imbibitor Lunae Dan Feng caused turmoil that threatened the sacred wood. The Cloud Knights joined forces with the Vidyadhara Preceptors to assault him. — History of the Xianzhou: Cloud Knights War Records
"Noble successor of the Azure Dragon, bearer of divine blessings from the heavens. Traversing clouds and bestowing rain, shaping forms as the world's essence beckons."

He dreamed of shouldering his responsibilities, performing the ritual dance gracefully, and sealing the Ambrosial Arbor.
He dreamed of stepping into a battlefield where sharp blades and arrows fell like rain, and meted out punishment from the sky.
He dreamed of being chained between jade pillars, pierced by long nails, sealed in darkness.
He dreamed of wandering aimlessly in the darkness, chased by lurking shadows.

In all the dreams, he was a dragon, a hero, a sinner, but never a person with love, hatred, sorrow, or joy like everyone else in this world.

From:

From:

To the Esteemed Six Charioteers of the Luofu:

With the great calamity quelled, the voracious enemy subdued, and the treacherous rebels expelled, the Luofu has once again returned to peace. What a joyous day this is.

My people have suffered much in this crisis. The wounded include 12 Preceptors, 253 Pearlkeepers, and 116 alchemists and healers. There are 1285 who have completely perished in this disaster, and over 3000 are still missing.

While we lament these losses, we dared not forget our duty. Since the time of the High Elder Yubie, the Vidyadhara of the Luofu have shouldered the duty of keeping watch over the Ambrosial Arbor. However, when the disaster struck and the seals were loosened, all the elites of my people could not return it to its previous form. Therefore, we beseech the Six Charioteers to ask the Ten-Lords Commission to return the sinner Dan Feng to us, let him restore the seals, and mete out his punishment at a later time.

Yours respectfully,
Suguang, Vidyadhara Preceptor

...
...

"General, the Vidyadhara's letter of appeal is here" — Qingzu.
"They gave this to the Six Charioteers and not to the Ten-Lords Commission, probably knowing that the Commission would never reply to them, thus deciding to appeal to the Six Charioteers instead. I didn't anticipate my first problem as the general would be something completely unrelated to military affairs..."

From:

To the Esteemed General Jing Yuan:

I was alarmed to learn that you had signed an exile order to permanently cast out the sinner Dan Feng from the Luofu. Wherefore do you place the reputation of the Luofu's Vidyadhara with this order, general?

According to the deal between the Alliance and Caelorum Venti of the Yaoqing, the sinner Dan Feng was to be spared from death and instead suffer the punishment of molting rebirth. After that, according to Vidyadhara customs, Dan Feng should have been regarded as a new being and his sins forgiven. However, the Ten-Lords Commission detained him under the guise of educating the young man, while keeping him prisoner in truth. We have endured this for so long due to the truly astounding nature of his sin. Were he not to suffer for some days within the Shackling Prison, the multitudes of Luofu residents would not be appeased in their anger.

However, general, you have arbitrarily terminated his sentence and decided to exile Dan Feng. Was this a consensus reached after a discussion with the Six Charioteers? And was this sent to the marshal to be confirmed? If your action stemmed from your past friendship with Dan Feng, then we regret to inform you that we cannot accept such a sentimental gesture. Us Preceptors will appeal to the Alliance and inform the other four High Elders, and we will seek to have you retract this order.

Yours respectfully,
Shaoying, Vidyadhara Preceptor
...
...

"The Vidyadhara handed us thousands of letters of appeal during the past few centuries... and this one has the harshest wording. They are running out of patience." — Qingzu
"The exile was approved by the Ten-Lords Commission. Since Dan Feng had already been reborn and his sins are to be forgotten, why won't the Preceptors allow him to leave this troubled place...? Interesting."

From:

From:

CHARACTER STORY III

A sword, 5 feet in length, weighing as heavy as three thousand catties. The ebony blade simmers with a sanguine sheen.

The sword was forged from the nonstop tempering of extraterrestrial ores, a complete deviation from conventional weaponry. Untamed and unyielding, the sword mirrored the defiance and hubris of its short-life species creator.

Once, she had only swords as her companions, but now she found herself with many friends.

The day she was crowned as the Sword Champion, the craftsman attended the ceremony in a black garb and cast out the sword he bore. The sword sank deep into the ground, leaving only its hilt above the soil. All the attendees were shocked.
“Only the Sword Champion of the Luofu Cloud Knights can tap into the full potential of this sword I have crafted.” He gave a toothy grin.

The high elder of the Luofu, as haughty and detached as the high moon in the sky, felt an irresistible temptation to duel with her upon witnessing her peerless martial prowess with just one simple glace.

The spear and the sword sparred for many years without a conclusion, until she cleaved ocean tides in twain with a single slash in the Dragonvista Rain Hall, and finally won the high elder’s concession.

A well-traveled Nameless who had flown across the cosmos had steered vessels for her, bringing divine nectar from the other side of the universe to share with her, and gazed upon the scintillating stars by her side.

“I will cut down even the stars in the sky.”

She still vaguely remembers the boasts she made in moments of inebriation. That burning planet rushing towards her in childhood memories, that horrible nightmare that wouldn’t let her go — those scenes are no longer so terrifying. This is the first time she understands what “wanting to live” means in all her years of wielding a sword. Before this moment, she was simply someone ready to die.

And there was her student.
She recalled the first time they met. This young but devious child had asked the same questions as she did.

“Master, why do you insist on wielding a sword? There are thousands of weapons out there that can kill an enemy. If you want to destroy that planet, the Zhuming can probably do it with its artillery.”

“This is like asking a poet why they wrote poems. There are many ways to express oneself, but this is the only way for me.”

Now, he has also become a shining star amongst the Cloud Knights.

She doesn’t have a master anymore. The woman in armor perished on the battlefield and can instruct her no longer.

Nor does she need a master anymore. She knows everything there is to know about swords. They are a part of her body. They are the intake and release of her breath as she walks and sleeps.

People call her the Transcendent Flash, a pinnacle of swordmasters, a once-in-ten-millennia hero. However, she knows that her sword is still not enough to “cut down the star in the sky” —

Even if she is holding the greatest sword in all the Xianzhou…

A sword, 5 feet in length, weighing as heavy as three thousand catties. The ebony blade simmers with a sanguine sheen.

From:

CHARACTER STORY IV

A sword, 5 feet in length, weighing as heavy as three thousand catties. The ebony blade is covered in cracks and the tip is broken and lost.

Amid the countless wars, she wielded this sword and, alongside her comrades and disciple, battled her way into the vast ship, decapitating the wolf-like head of the borisin Warmuhtar. She also climbed the sky-piercing flying citadel, shredding off the feathers of the Feather Guards. She fought the iron cavalry of the Houyhnhnm, sealing all the riders of the six-legged steeds into prison… Whichever way her sword pointed, no abomination can escape death or imprisonment.

She had never expected she would point this sword at her lifelong friend.

She gasps, barely holding her wounded body together. Far away, deeper in the delve, there came the anguished roar of a dragon, as if a cry seeking deliverance.

She watches as the arrogant craftsman falls into the mud, and walks up to him like a wraith.

“I should kill you first… but you will have your own torment to bear for all eternity…”

She points the broken sword at the high elder.

“Impossible. The Preceptors said… The blood of my race and the soul of my ancestor should have created another high elder. All this… It shouldn’t be like this.”

“If your death can return everything to how it was, I would do it… But you need to tell me that dragon’s weak point right now.”

“The top of its head…”

The half-draconic abomination swims through the air in blasts of lightning. Its body, enough to swallow the very horizon, sunders yet another floating isle. Its wails are loud as the clamors of a thousand swords clashing.

She feels her Core Esse boiling, like a ripe wheat grain about to erupt out of its casing and swell eternally.

She sees herself trapped in childhood nightmares again. The ominous planet is swallowing her overhead, and she, but an insect, cannot even struggle.

The woman tears off a spread of black silk from the edge of her skirt and covers her eyes.

The thunder strikes. She leaps up with her sword towards the draconic abomination.

In an illusion that feels half like a dream and half like reality, she feels her flesh has finally transcended its limits and has started to disintegrate. There are restraints binding her like strings, tightly wrapped around her limbs and organs, slicing apart her final shreds of self-consciousness bit by bit.

Suddenly, she hears those words: “I will cut down even the stars in the sky.”

At that moment, she finally grasps the sword she had been seeking all this time.

It is a sword that can transcend all restrictions. It is a sword she has been familiar with for years.

It is not forged from any ordinary iron, but condensed from a shaft of sharp ice. It glows with a dim light, as if it is a strand of moonlight held in the wielder’s hand.

A sword, 3 feet and 7 inches in length, and weighs nothing.

From:

To take the throne, the high elder of the Vidyadhara needs to pass a series of trials during which their physical features slowly transform to resemble that of their predecessors. I see that loss of identity as a curse, rather than a gift. He managed to break free eventually, but should have done it in a different way...

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finals - dan heng • imbibitor lunae's character stories
finals - dan heng • imbibitor lunae's annoyance line
finals - vidyadhara elegy: insight on "six charioteers adjudicating the imbibitor lunae"
finals - investigation of the ancient pattern rubbings from the luofu
finals - verdict: the great rebellion of imbibitor lunae
finals - vidyadhara eggs in scalegorge waterscape
finals - vidyadhara mirage echoes
finals - preceptor assembly chronicle fragment
finals - passerby of wandering cloud lore
finals - blade's character stories
finals - trailblaze missions
finals - a page from the alchemy commission's official gazette
finals - abandoned delivery package in xianzhou
finals - mr. xiyan's storytelling
finals - tales of the fantastic: chapter 2
finals - character introduction: dan heng • imbibitor lunae
finals - ichor of two dragons video description
finals - an appeal from the vidyadhara
finals - jingliu's character stories
finals - jingliu's about dan feng line