Chapter 131: The Shadow Caught [Moon Ticket Bonus Chapter]

Staring at the stunned expression on Tian Dao’s face, Chen Xing didn’t give him a chance to speak—she simply cut in with her own reasoning.

“Earlier, I said there were two conditions to pass the trial. One was lasting three minutes under my blade. The other… was making me draw my sword.”

“Anyone who fulfills the second condition has already passed.”

Tian Dao: “…”

Though Chen Xing’s explanation sounded logical on the surface, it was fundamentally illogical.

Because she’d drawn her sword before he’d even made a move.

How was that supposed to count as forcing her to draw? This was blatant manipulation—too obvious to ignore.

“Unfair! You’re clearly letting him off easy!”

Seeing Tian Dao pass the test so effortlessly, Kong Cheng—still nursing the broken tooth from Chen Xing’s earlier strike—immediately burst out in outrage, his sense of justice deeply wounded.

Chen Xing turned, her cold gaze locking onto him.

The unspoken threat in that look was enough to make Kong Cheng flinch.

“N-no, no favoritism… totally fair,” he stammered, quickly backing down.

“Hmm.” Chen Xing gave a slight nod, then turned back to Tian Dao.

For the first time in memory, her voice carried a rare softness.

“Sorry… I misjudged things. I’ll find a way to make it up to you later. Please don’t hold it against me.”

With that, she sheathed her Yao Dao and turned to walk off the arena.

But in the blind spot of the crowd, her hand—still resting on the hilt—trembled uncontrollably. Her eyes, though composed, sparkled with unrestrained excitement.

Her entire reason for serving as the chief examiner had been to confirm one thing.

And after that single slash, she’d already secured the result she wanted.

No one else—neither Tian Dao nor anyone else—knew this.

Her Demon Blade, Xueyan, wasn’t just capable of devouring an enemy’s blood.

It could also consume fragments of their Stellar Energy.

Even though Tian Dao’s disguise was flawless, Chen Xing had sensed two distinct traces in the energy absorbed by her blade.

One—Vector Control.

The other—Star-Eclipse Eye.

And in this world, there was only one person who could possess both.

No one else.

The realization sent a thrill through her. Her steps grew lighter, her heartbeat faster.

Even the audience beyond the Dimensional Screen could sense the shift in her mood.

But they had no idea about her Yaoxing Zhigan, nor that her Yao Dao could consume Stellar Source.

And before today, Tian Dao himself had no clue either.

After all, the original Season 2 storyline never mentioned such a feature.

But just now, he had seen it.

He’d clearly witnessed a thin thread of his own Stellar Energy being snatched away by the blade—like a silent mouth pulling it into nothingness.

Though the amount was small, Tian Dao was no fool.

Combined with Chen Xing’s final words, he was now 100% certain.

His true identity had been exposed.

He exhaled silently in his mind.

Sheathing the Shattering Star, he turned and descended from the stage.

Haki Tian… you’re still the same as ever. Always finding new ways to stir up trouble for me.

Though the captain’s trial wasn’t officially over, Tian Dao’s focus had long since drifted away.

Because he’d heard the hidden meaning beneath her words.

If his guess was right, Chen Xing would come looking for him—alone, at night.

The thought made his head ache.

The season had just begun… and yet the story was already spiraling beyond his control.

Yaoxing Zhigan.

A Yao Dao that devours Stellar Energy.

Tian Dao, completely unaware of this second ability, had been thoroughly outmaneuvered—by information.

And now that the game was exposed, he had to find a way to fix it.

---

Nightfall. Upper City, Steam Capital.

A nameless villa, tucked deep in the shadows.

“Dannika, it’s late. You should go to bed.”

Tian Dao, still in his Fifth Squad captain’s uniform, reached across the table and pressed the power button on the remote, cutting off the cartoon playing on the TV.

Dannika, in her tiny Stellar Envoy suit, pouted dramatically.

“Tian Dao sir, just a little more! I promise I’ll go straight to bed after this episode!”

Tian Dao tapped her forehead with a single finger, unfazed by her cuteness.

“Too much screen time ruins your eyes. Go to sleep.”

Though her heart ached to stay, Dannika eventually slid off the sofa, tiptoeing toward her room with guilty glances over her shoulder.

Tian Dao, well-versed in such tricks, called out, “Don’t even think about sneaking out later. I can sense you.”

“Huh?” Her plan exposed, Dannika sighed in defeat and twisted the door lock with a tiny sigh.

“Goodnight, Tian Dao sir.”

“Goodnight.”

Once the door clicked shut, Tian Dao settled back onto the couch.

After a pause, he removed the “commoner glasses” from his face.

With a flick of his right hand, he ran it through his hair.

Instantly, his dark hair turned silver.

His pupils, once dull, now glowed with that unmistakable, piercing azure blue.

Ping.

The moment his true form was revealed, a flash of cold light pierced the air.

But Tian Dao didn’t even flinch.

With a single motion, he caught the incoming Yao Dao mid-air—pinched between two fingers.

“Star,” he said, a faint smile on his lips, “been a while. Still using sneak attacks?”

He released the blade.

A moment later, Chen Xing stepped out from the shadows of the hall.

Her expression was complex as she looked at the man on the couch.

Then, without hesitation, she sheathed her blade and sat down beside him.

“What are you really after, Tian Dao?”

Now that his disguise was blown, Tian Dao didn’t bother pretending.

He leaned back, arms crossed. “You noticed, didn’t you? Dannika’s uniqueness.”

Chen Xing nodded, her eyes drifting toward the hallway.

“Others adapt to Stellar Source. She is Stellar Source.”

“I felt it when she left a trace of energy on you today.”

“So your real motive… is tied to her?”

Tian Dao propped one leg up, smiling at the moonlit figure of the woman he once knew.

“Partially. But not entirely.”

“My goals… go beyond just this little Steam Capital.”

He didn’t press further. Instead, he gave her a teasing glare.

“Star… do you realize what you did today? You caused me major trouble.”

“My new identity almost collapsed because of you.”

Chen Xing didn’t apologize.

Instead, she laughed.

“Tian Dao, remember what I said when we were kids? I’d always catch up to you.”

“This time… you were the one who slipped up. You let me catch your Shadow.”

She looked at him—her eyes gleaming, her smile radiant.

Tian Dao froze.

Because she was right.

He had made a mistake.

He’d underestimated her talent.

And worse—he’d misjudged how deeply she still cared.

If he’d known, he would’ve waited until after she left—chosen a time when she wasn’t around—before going to Steam Branch to claim the Fifth Squad captaincy.

But now? It was too late.

As he searched for a way to gently dismiss her, Chen Xing spoke first—her voice firm.

“Tian Dao. Whatever you’re planning… I’m coming with you.”

“Six years ago, I missed my chance. This time… I won’t let it slip through my fingers again.”

Moonlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling window, painting her face in silver.

For a moment, Tian Dao felt a flicker of memory.

Six years ago—back in the base—the persistent, energetic girl who constantly challenged him to sparring matches.

And now, after all this time… she was back.

And somehow, he didn’t mind.

He smiled.

“Fine. But it might be… inconvenient for you.”

Chen Xing stared at him, then suddenly grinned.

“Is that so?” she said. “Well, as long as you don’t think I’m a burden, I’m fine.”

She locked eyes with him—her crimson gaze unwavering, unguarded.

Tian Dao felt a sudden chill.

He couldn’t meet her stare.

Because something was wrong.

Her presence wasn’t just breaking his plans.

She was rewriting them.

What was going on?

Haki Tian… you’re not the same anymore.

To hide his unease, he turned his head, feigning casualness.

“You’re joking. I’ve never thought you were a burden.”

She didn’t call him out.

Because she was afraid—afraid that if she said the wrong thing, this fragile chance… this Shadow she’d finally caught… might vanish again.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end