Chapter 15: The Past of Tian Dao

With the arrival of Tian Dao and Kalolin, the once venomous and hostile atmosphere of the Eclipse: Prologue of the Stars comment section underwent a complete transformation.

The conversation, which had initially revolved around whether Chen Kong—this so-called "waste"—deserved to be the protagonist, swiftly shifted to a passionate debate: Why wasn’t Tian Dao the main character?

Amid this unexpectedly cheerful commentary frenzy, the first episode of Eclipse: Prologue of the Stars finally drew to a close.

"You know," Tian Dao said with a smirk, "if you ate double portions of sweets every day like me, you might awaken your Stellar Core right away."

"R-really?" Chen Kong stammered.

"Idiot," snapped a voice from the crowd. "He's just messing with you."

"S-sister..." Chen Kong whimpered.

On screen, Chen Xing stepped forward from the throng, her expression one of utter disdain as she looked down at Chen Kong like he was trash.

Though her behavior mirrored that of the other bullies who had tormented Chen Kong, one truth remained undeniable: beauty is justice.

With her flawless features and signature look of icy contempt—so perfectly framed and delivered—Chen Xing’s entrance was, as expected, a massive hit with the audience.

“Sssssssss, I’m licking, licking…~”

“Mmm, yes, this is the vibe—pure, unfiltered disgust, like you’re staring at garbage.”

“Genius sister, loser brother? Interesting.”

“My queen, I’m your dog!”

“Mommy!”

“Upper floor, Wa Xue, cut it out.”

Watching the collective fan frenzy unfold, Tian Dao in the world of Eclipse sat with his hands folded beneath his chin, his sunglasses glinting with a cold, unmistakably villainous gleam.

"Indeed," he murmured. "Chen Xing is my greatest rival on the path to becoming the ultimate popularity king."

Though she had only appeared briefly at the very end of the first episode, her screen time was minimal. Yet thanks to the masterful editing by the director, her late entrance made such a powerful impression that she instantly stood out in viewers’ minds.

And being a female character, she naturally had an advantage.

After all, a single pair of black stockings could earn a woman massive attention.

For a male character, the stakes were far higher.

Since Eclipse: Prologue of the Stars had released its first two episodes simultaneously, many viewers, eager to keep the momentum going, immediately dove into the second episode—picking up directly where Chen Xing’s appearance had left off.

"Tian Dao," Chen Xing snapped, "are you really going to pull out that idiotic sweet tooth theory again?"

"Pull out?" Tian Dao replied with a playful grin. "I didn’t say it was my theory. It’s science! Sugar doesn’t just boost mood—it enhances neural activity, promotes cognitive function—"

"Shut up!" Chen Xing cut in, furious.

"Who even is you? Do you really believe everyone’s like you—obsessed with sugar?"

On screen, the tension between Tian Dao and Chen Xing flared instantly.

No longer willing to tolerate her, Tian Dao unleashed his full power—his Stellar Energy Value far surpassing hers—delivering a sheer numerical dominance that left no room for argument.

And to emphasize just how powerful he truly was, the production team took a bold step: they visually manifested Tian Dao’s supreme presence as an invisible black tide, a wave of oppressive darkness that swept over the scene.

Chen Xing—small, fragile, insignificant—was swallowed whole, lost in an endless abyss of shadow.

The terror of that confined, suffocating darkness, combined with the haunting, glowing pair of azure eyes that emerged from the darkness at the edge of the void—sent chills down even the most hardened viewers’ spines.

The comments exploded.

“Production budget on fire!”

“Holy crap, the pressure! I’m literally shaking on my couch!”

“Chen Xing, run! This guy’s dangerous!”

“Wait… just the aura is this intense? Is Tian Dao really the strongest of them all?”

“Obviously. Look—only he wears sunglasses. That’s a privilege only true elites get.”

“So intense. Is Tian Dao going to go full villain? I swear, the show’s setting up something dark. I’ve seen this before—overpowered, kind-hearted characters always end up corrupted.”

“Dude, stop. I feel it too. Something’s off.”

And perhaps realizing that mere spectacle wasn’t enough to cement Tian Dao’s image as a natural-born powerhouse, the production team made a surprising move.

During the climax, they inserted a memory flashback—unplanned, unscripted, a complete surprise even to Tian Dao himself.

This moment had never existed in the original storyline. It was a pure, unforeseen accident.

In the memory, a silver-haired boy sat alone in the center of three dead wolf-beasts, his hands stained with blood. A bloody fruit knife lay beside him. His left hand hung limp, while with his right, he clumsily peeled a filthy, grimy candy.

Just as he reached the halfway point of the wrapper, a figure stepped into view.

"All of this… you did it all yourself?"

"Yeah."

Tian Dao didn’t look up. He kept peeling the wrapper with quiet focus.

The camera zoomed in on his left hand—five deep claw marks, cutting straight to bone, oozing blood. His sleeve, dusty and torn, was soaked through and stained brown with dried blood.

After a long silence, Yun Meng finally spoke.

"How about it? Want to join our organization?"

"Whatever," Tian Dao replied, indifferent. To him, the destination didn’t matter.

Only then did the wrapper come off.

He popped the cheap, cracked candy into his mouth, his face lighting up with quiet joy—finally, a moment of pure childhood innocence.

"You like sweets?" Yun Meng asked gently.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Tian Dao paused.

"Because Mom said… if I eat enough sugar… life won’t hurt so much."

Yun Meng lowered her head, staring at the boy’s wounded hand.

Despite having defeated three low-tier beasts without even a Stellar Core, Tian Dao had paid a heavy price.

Yet his expression had remained perfectly calm throughout.

That’s why Yun Meng hadn’t noticed the injury earlier.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really," Tian Dao said, his voice flat. "It hurt before. But after eating sugar… it doesn’t hurt anymore."

Yun Meng held out a beautifully wrapped chocolate.

"Here."

Tian Dao hesitated. "It’s expensive, isn’t it?"

"Not to me," she smiled.

Still, the boy didn’t take it.

He wasn’t rejecting the gift out of pride—but out of principle. His maturity was heartbreaking.

Seeing this, Yun Meng simply forced the chocolate into his arms.

"Take it. As your welcome gift."

"...Thank you."

"By the way, little one," she asked, "what’s your name?"

"Tian Dao. Tian Dao Siming."

"Tian Dao Siming," Yun Meng repeated. "What a beautiful name."

And with that, the memory faded.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end