Chapter 76: Camera Elder, the Leaker Extraordinaire – Why Has My Dan Heng Turned Out Like This?!
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On March 7th, she quickly opened her phone and compiled all the photos she'd taken earlier along with Stelle's video footage for an immediate upload. She created a special thread on the forum:
["Honkai: Star Rail" Insider Scoop Revealed!]
With Stelle's help, she added some extra flair to the post:
[ Still wondering who might be in the next card pool? Anxious about how to spend your Stellar Jade? Worried about what lies ahead for the Astral Express Crew? ]
[ Let Photograph-taking Machine, the internet's first insider, give you an exclusive sneak peek at upcoming characters in "Honkai: Star Rail"! ]
As soon as the post went live, it immediately attracted a flood of players.
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"WTF! There's actually an insider for Honkai: Star Rail?! For real?"
"Hey, Internet user 'Photograph-taking Machine,' why do you claim to be an insider? Are you really working at Feathered Spirit's Studio?"
"I don't buy it! The boss, Feathered Spirit is practically godlike! How could there be leaks from some insider?"
However, the first image uploaded left players utterly speechless!
Dan Heng stood on a lotus pedestal, hands clasped behind his back.
But this Dan Heng was quite different from the one everyone was familiar with!
His long hair cascaded freely down his back,
and a pair of dragon horns jutted out from his forehead!
He glared at the camera with an intimidating side gaze!
"???"
"That's Dan Heng?!"
"What happened to Dan Heng?! Why does he look like this?"
"Holy crap! Why do I feel like he's about to leap out of the screen and stab me?"
Two more photos were uploaded.
The first showed Dan Heng wielding the Abyssal Orb, obliterating a Voidranger: Trampler with a single strike. The second was a close-up, allowing a clear view of Dan Heng's expression—cold and tinged with dissatisfaction. Even his red eyeshadow was vividly visible!
"Not only has he sprouted dragon horns, but his ears are now pointed too!"
"T-These are traits of the Vidyadhara race!"
"Goodness! How did you manage to capture these photos? I'd believe you if you claimed to be March 7th!"
"Dan Heng, what have you been through?!"
"If you're being held captive, just nod your head!"
"I absolutely adore that murderous gaze!"
"Holy cow! Dan Heng truly has hidden powers!"
"Just like our protagonist, is this a new form?!?"
"Photograph-taking Machine, photography genius! You're officially the top scoop-leaker on the web! Please, share more insights!"
More and more players flocked to join the discussion.
Soon, this post skyrocketed in popularity, becoming one of the top threads on the forum, pinned for everyone to see!
The likes and followers grew exponentially, as everyone was astonished by Dan Heng's new form.
At that moment...
Photograph-taking Machine posted fresh content once again!
This time, it was unexpectedly a video lasting over ten seconds!
In the footage, Dragon-form Dan Heng stood tall, with a water dragon coiling around him. With a swift gesture forward, he unleashed a torrential assault on the surrounding black shadow enemies.
As the water dragon surged forth, it resembled an unstoppable steel tide, crushing everything in its path!
Instantly, the screen cleared of foes.
The videographer clearly seemed like a novice; the footage wasn't very clear and exhibited noticeable shaking. As the camera zoomed in, seemingly aiming for a close-up of Dan Heng.
Dan Heng suddenly turned his head.
His eyes gleamed with azure light!
It appeared as if he had detected the cameraperson.
With a final jolt, the video abruptly ended.
"Photograph-taking Machine, you've outdone yourself!"
"He's risking his life to give us this scoop!"
"The hidden power! Incredible!"
"Controlling dragons in battle?! Holy crap, that's so badass!!"
"I must have this Feathered Spirit item right now!"
"Feathered Spirit, hurry up and add it to the game already!"
"Aaaaaahhhhhh!! (Dan Heng fan going insane)"
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Within Little Gui's live stream:
Guinaifen had already disrupted three instances of the Tree of Foundation entanglement, weakening the Abundant Ebon Deer's ability to regenerate infinitely.
She returned to the location of the Creation Furnace.
This time, she prepared her characters accordingly in advance.
Swiftly, they pushed the Abundant Ebon Deer into its second phase.
In this stage, the deer summoned a new type of Tree of Foundation branch adorned with several fruits—shiny golden and plump.
March 7th observed, "It bears fruit? Those peaches look huge... I kind of want to pick one and taste it."
"March," Old Yang cautioned sternly.
"I don't mean anything by it; it just seems a waste for them to hang there and get destroyed."
After their dialogue triggered, a notification popped up on the screen—
[ The Abundant Ebon Deer's [ Spotted Dragon Touch ] has fully charged! ]
With a startling noise, strands of golden light converged above the Black Deer.
Once fully condensed, it fired! A beam as thick as a barrel pierced through the team...
"...I didn't want...to be alone..."
March 7th was instantly defeated!
"But I'm...a doctor..."
Natasha fell too!
Guinaifen was stunned. Wow, this boss deals massive damage!
Fortunately, Himeko and Asta remained standing.
Their fire attribute attacks successfully exploited the Abundant Ebon Deer's weakness!
With one final burst of output, they finally defeated it!
Welt remarked, "General Jing Yuan said that the Tree of Foundation possesses extraordinary immortal powers..."
"That deer appeared no different from ordinary lifeforms, yet even with fatal wounds, it instantly healed. Now I understand why the Xianzhou people pursued The Hunt to eradicate Abundance."
"An indestructible entity, if allowed to propagate unchecked, would utterly collapse the world's ecosystem—"
"No wonder the Xianzhou people roam the universe with their starships, never settling on any single planet..."
Master Gongshu sighed, "Mister Yang has profound insights. Unfortunately, eight thousand years ago, our ancestors as Elixir Seekers could not foresee this underlying concern—
"Perhaps some among them did realize it and rejected the Plagues Author's 'gifts.'
However, can an entire civilization truly resist the allure of eternal life?"
"How ironic: the wise lie beneath the earth, while fools endure forever..."
This scene unfolded before Guinaifen and Sushang's eyes, both watching intently.
One was an outlander, and the other, a barely educated young girl. They had limited knowledge of Xianzhou's history and didn't fully grasp why its people pursued "The Hunt" to eradicate "Abundance."
This sequence served as an excellent primer for them.
Guinaifen opened the chat window, curious about how Luofu players were reacting to this segment. However, she discovered that their discussions seemed entirely unrelated to the current plotline!
"Why is everyone saying it's Dan Heng?! I don't think he even resembles him!"
"Dan Heng uses a spear, but this person controls dragons. There's no clear connection at all!"
"Just finished watching, and wow, he's precious now! Dan Heng has transformed into someone far beyond my reach!"
"Forget reminiscing, Little Gui! Hurry up and check the pinned thread on the forums! It might disappear soon!"
Guinaifen blinked, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Did something significant happen while I was progressing through the story?"
"Have I missed another major revelation again?!"