Chapter 102: Innate Strongest

Swish!

In the needle-leaf forest beneath a snow-laden sky, the longest tendril of Deep Sea Lasher lashed out like a whip toward Tian Dao.

Its speed was so great it left behind a faint Kong crackle in the air.

Yet, faced with an attack capable of shattering stone, Tian Dao didn’t flinch. He simply tilted his body to the side.

In the next instant, the slimy, sea-scented tendril swept past the tips of his hair—so close, it brushed against the strands—before slamming into the snow behind him with a violent thud, sending a spray of white into the air.

Seeing its first strike miss, Deep Sea Lasher struck again—then again, and again.

But the following scene filled the creature with dread.

Because Tian Dao seemed to anticipate every move, dodging each attack by mere millimeters—like he had already seen the future.

Though this was a life-or-death battle, Tian Dao moved as if strolling through a garden, utterly calm, showing no trace of urgency or danger.

Finally, when he stood two meters away from Deep Sea Lasher, he stopped.

As Tian Dao slowly raised his hand, the Stellar Energy within a five-meter radius surged toward his palm like a tide, rapidly coalescing into a small, glowing azure orb.

[Stellar Energy Technique – Azure]

Tian Dao flicked his wrist. The orb shot forward at blinding speed—and struck Deep Sea Lasher’s head with perfect precision.

No explosion. No flash.

The creature’s head simply… vanished, as if erased by an eraser on a pencil sketch.

Boom!

Without its head, Deep Sea Lasher collapsed in a heap.

Tian Dao stared at the twitching, headless corpse—then suddenly felt warmth at the tip of his nose.

He instinctively reached up.

A shocking crimson stain bloomed across his palm.

Again? Is it happening again? My brain’s overloaded…

Dizziness surged through him. His body began to slump sideways, collapsing toward the snow.

Just before his consciousness slipped into darkness, a figure shot forward and caught him mid-fall.

…

How long had passed?

Tian Dao, still unconscious, faintly heard voices whispering nearby.

“Doctor, what’s wrong with Little Tian Dao?”

“I thought you said he had excellent compatibility with the Star-Eclipse Eye. Why is he showing symptoms like rejection?”

“Stay calm, Yun Meng. This has nothing to do with the Star-Eclipse Eye.”

“Then what does it have to do with?”

“Have you ever heard of Overclocking Computation?”

“Of course. It’s a rare talent—only certain Intelligent Mechanisms possess it.”

Yun Meng paused mid-sentence, then suddenly realized.

“…Doctor. You’re saying… Little Tian Dao has it too?”

“That can’t be right. He’s not an Intelligent Mechanism. How could he have Overclocking Computation?”

Doctor remained calm.

“Yun Meng… the first Stellar Envoy ever recorded to possess Overclocking Computation wasn’t an Intelligent Mechanism.”

Silence.

Yun Meng froze.

She hadn’t known that.

Doctor adjusted the data on the recovery chamber’s console, then continued.

“Overclocking Computation isn’t a trait exclusive to machines. It’s a term for reaching a critical threshold of computational capacity in the brain.”

“Whether you’re an AI or a biological lifeform, if your brain can surpass that threshold, you qualify.”

“Most people believe it’s only for machines—because non-mechanical beings rarely reach that level.”

“Even when they do, their brains often trigger a self-protection mechanism, forcibly suppressing any excess computational power beyond biological limits.”

He looked at Tian Dao, lying pale and still in the specialized recovery chamber.

“Tian Dao’s case was the latter. But the Star-Eclipse Eye flooded his mind with overwhelming visual data. His brain instinctively released previously suppressed computational power—just to process it.”

“However, this comes at a terrible cost.”

“What cost?”

“Tian Dao’s young body can’t sustain such extreme brain activity.”

Doctor didn’t wait for Yun Meng to recover—she was already staring blankly.

“Yun Meng, the sunglasses I gave you? They were specifically designed for Tian Dao. A Stellar Energy dampener.”

“It reduces the visual load from the Star-Eclipse Eye, thereby easing the strain on his brain.”

“But after checking his vitals… one pair isn’t enough anymore.”

“Tian Dao’s natural talent and brain capacity are so vast that he can instantly boost his computational power to match the Star-Eclipse Eye’s demands—whenever needed.”

“His current unconsciousness? That was his body’s emergency shutdown. His brain surged by 300% in a single moment—too much for his body to handle.”

“What do we do?”

Seeing Yun Meng’s anxious expression, Doctor made his decision.

“I’ll temporarily seal his Overclocking Computation within a safe range. Then, once his body matures, I’ll release it.”

It made sense.

But Yun Meng hesitated.

“It’ll still affect him, won’t it?”

“Of course. But the alternative is worse.”

“If we leave it unchecked, Tian Dao won’t survive to adulthood.”

“With the seal in place, he’ll lose about half his cultivation speed and roughly a third of his power.”

“But even so, he’ll still complete all curriculum requirements and meet the conditions for Stellar Source fusion within two years.”

“…Alright. Do it, Doctor.”

Just as the conversation ended…

The side story abruptly flickered—like a screen suffering from severe static.

Then, the image stabilized.

Tian Dao’s recovery chamber had transformed into a black Computation Chamber.

The old viewers, those who’d watched the first season, held their breath.

They knew what this meant.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A clear, measured set of footsteps approached from outside.

Then Yun Meng’s voice echoed from beyond the frame.

“Little Tian Dao… after sleeping so long, it’s time you woke up.”

Click.

The chamber door slid open with a hiss. Thick, swirling white mist poured out.

The camera zoomed in.

Through the haze, a pair of tightly closed eyes came into focus—framed by silver-laced eyelashes.

Then, slowly… they opened.

Azure-blue irises. Iris patterns swirling with endless star trails.

It was as if a thousand galaxies were collapsing and reassembling within those eyes.

Though the fog obscured everything else, the audience didn’t need to see more.

They knew.

That distinctive, star-trail gaze—pure and unmistakable—was Tian Dao’s.

In perfect response to the viewers’ anticipation, a voice suddenly cut through the silence.

“Hey, Yun-ge, long time no see.”

With that familiar tone, the screen froze.

The image remained locked on those glowing, ancient eyes.

And thus, the Innate Strongest side story came to a close.

Yet though the chapter ended…

A storm erupted in the Dimensional Audience.

Because in just a few short minutes, they’d learned the truth:

Doctor had forcibly sealed Tian Dao’s Overclocking Computation—a move meant to save his life.

And that meant…

Even with one arm severed, Tian Dao still outclassed every other Stellar Prodigy with terrifying ease.

Yes, everyone knew Tian Dao was the ceiling of the stars.

But this?

This was beyond belief.

How does one guy get to be the strongest while everyone else is just… trying to keep up?

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PS: Today’s update is complete. For the next three days, I’ll be launching a violent catch-up phase—five chapters every night at 8 PM.

I’ve got three chapters saved up. Should be enough for five chapters a day for five days straight.

I held off today so I can deliver them in clean, uninterrupted batches—no awkward gaps.

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Self-reminder: I am an emotionless writing machine. I am an emotionless writing machine.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end