Chapter 117: Stellar Remains and the Demon Blade Shattering Star [Monthly Ticket Bonus Update]

"Hah... hah..."

After several failed attempts, Xian Nv Zuo’s breath came in sharp, labored gasps—unnervingly loud in the downpour. Her expression was grim as she stared at the towering barrier of wind dividing her from Tian Dao, a chasm that felt more like fate than mere air.

She had anticipated her attacks might not harm Tian Dao—this enigmatic stranger with no known origin. But she never imagined her strikes would fail to even graze the edge of his cloak.

Was that wall of wind truly just wind?

Regardless of Xian Nv Zuo’s rising panic, Tian Dao watched her stop after mere attempts, his eyes flickering with disappointment.

“You’re a cadre of the Hidden Star Society… and this is all you’ve got?” He tilted his head slightly. “If so, I may have to lower my expectations of your kind—these so-called ‘Intelligent Species.’”

The moment Tian Dao uttered those three words—Intelligent Species—Xian Nv Zuo froze.

Her body locked up. Beneath her mask, her pupils contracted sharply. A storm erupted in her mind.

For decades, the Hidden Star Society had presented themselves to the world as the Dark Stellar Envoys. To the average person, even most high-ranking Stellar Envoys in the Stellar Envoy Association, the term Intelligent Species was unknown—entirely mythical.

But after the initial shock, Xian Nv Zuo regained her composure. Because she still had her trump card.

“Crawling insect,” she hissed, voice laced with venom, “don’t get too full of yourself. You haven’t won yet.”

“I don’t like this form… but I’ll admit—my true form is far stronger than this one. So—”

Before she could finish, Tian Dao cut her off with a sharp, bored wave of his hand.

“Is that all? The Stellar Remains—a signature ability of A-rank bloodline Intelligent Species after two or more Stellar Core Awakenings? Don’t make it sound like some secret ritual. I know exactly what it is.”

Silence.

Xian Nv Zuo was speechless.

The crushing weight of having every secret laid bare—like a book open before a stranger—doused her fury like a bucket of ice water. Her breath slowed. Her thoughts cleared.

One truth crystallized in her mind.

This masked stranger wasn’t like the mindless pests she’d slaughtered before.

This was a foe worthy of her full attention. A true threat.

If she didn’t give it everything, she might die here.

No more words.

She activated her Stellar Remains.

Instantly, the silver-white segments along her back twisted and writhed, reshaping with unnatural grace. A metallic sheen spread from her legs upward, crawling over her body like liquid moonlight.

Clack.

The final piece of armor snapped into place with a crisp, echoing click—cutting through the drumming rain.

Now, Xian Nv Zuo stood before them like a goddess forged from myth—towering, radiant, and lethal.

Her form was clad in sleek, form-fitting silver armor, accentuating her curves with tantalizing precision. Three jagged, needle-like spider limbs extended from her back, rising like a crown above her head. Her original lute had transformed into a massive dual-bladed sword, now gripped firmly in both hands.

The way she was dressed—half-hidden, half-revealed—was far more intoxicating than complete nudity or total concealment.

Even with her face entirely masked, the effect was undeniable.

Across the Dimensional Audience, countless viewers leaned forward, their bodies curling into grotesque “shrimp-like” shapes, eyes glued to the screen, breathless—revealing their true, unashamed nature.

And just as Tian Dao spoke the words Stellar Remains, the anime screen flashed with a brief, informative overlay:

> Stellar Remains: A unique method of wielding one’s Stellar Core, developed by Intelligent Species within Stellar Beasts after long trials. Allows them to access the raw, bestial power of their beast form—while retaining human shape.

>

> Requirements: Minimum of two Stellar Core Awakenings. Stellar Beast bloodline rank must be A-level or higher.

But beyond Stellar Remains, Tian Dao also recalled two lesser-known but vital truths from Season 2’s original story—The Stars · Faint Light.

First: The first attempt at Star Core Surgery wasn’t by Embers. It was the Hidden Star Society. Only Doctor, through an unknown method, succeeded.

Second: Doctor’s nickname—Dragon Mechanic—wasn’t just a poetic title. It was far simpler. More literal.

And this hidden truth? The production team had planted clues in both Season 1’s finale and Season 2’s early arcs. But without knowledge of Intelligent Species or the Hidden Star Society, few would ever connect the dots.

With the explanation concluded, the screen snapped back to the battle.

Now fully unleashed, Xian Nv Zuo surged forward.

And Tian Dao—finally—stopped playing.

He had a performance to finish.

His sapphire eyes flared with faint light, their Stellar Tracery glowing softly.

A rift in subspace tore open beside him—silent, sudden, and absolute.

He reached into it.

Slowly, he drew out a blade.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine fragments of Stellar Core—each no larger than a grain of sand—had been meticulously assembled into a single weapon. The blade’s surface shimmered with a pattern resembling a distant galaxy, a river of stars.

Its name: Shattering Star.

Ching—

The blade hummed, a delicate, celestial melody as the fragments resonated in harmony. Each shard pulsed with a faint, star-like glow—so soft, yet so mesmerizing.

In the rain, the droplets around it turned into shimmering streaks of cosmic color—silver, violet, gold—painting the air with dreams.

Tian Dao raised Shattering Star, his right hand brushing its edge.

His voice was calm, almost casual.

“Come on. Let’s see how many strikes your Stellar Remains can survive before it shatters.”

Xian Nv Zuo vanished.

No flash. No sound. Just a sudden absence.

The rain at her former position exploded into white mist—ripped apart by her speed.

Only a fading afterimage remained.

But Tian Dao didn’t move.

He didn’t flinch.

Instead, he swung—without warning—into empty space.

And then—

A shockwave rippled through the air.

From nothing, Xian Nv Zuo appeared.

She had been caught mid-attack—forced to intercept.

The result was undeniable: she had chosen to block.

No choice.

No escape.

She had to defend.

Clang!

A blinding flash of sparks erupted in the rain—metal meeting metal.

The symphony of death had begun.

Xian Nv Zuo’s speed intensified. Her attacks grew wilder, faster, more brutal.

Each strike carried a sonic pulse—waves of vibration that shattered bones, disrupted nerves, and left wounds that festered with pain.

But while her fury mounted, Tian Dao’s expression—cold, unimpressed—grew darker.

His patience was wearing thin.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end