Chapter 156: Sudden Attack

[Steam Capital, Gear and Brass Bridge]

The morning mist still clung to Steam Capital, shrouding the city in a pale, lingering haze. Tian Dao arrived at the underground parking lot of Gear Tower with Vivian by his side.

Moments later, a convoy emerged from the tower, rolling down the concrete road etched with intricate gear patterns, leaving behind the bustling commercial district of Steam Capital.

As the last storefront vanished in the rearview mirror, Vivian peered through the iron bars of her cage, her gaze drawn to the horizon—where, slowly unfolding before her, rose a colossal bridge spanning the sea of steam.

The bridge’s surface was composed of dark yellow brass panels, its skeletal frame built from twelve massive, interlocking gears. Beneath it, enormous gears turned slowly, their rhythmic clack-clack echoing through the air like the heartbeat of the city.

This was the sole path to the ‘Garden Above the Clouds’—the sanctum of the Twelve Brass Council—the legendary Gear and Brass Bridge.

“Stop.”

At the bridge’s entrance, the Gear Pass, two guards in steam-powered armor blocked the way. Their visors glowed crimson, scanning the approaching convoy with cold, unwavering vigilance.

Tian Dao’s voice emerged from the backseat of the lead vehicle.

“Fifth Squad escorting suspect Vivian to trial before the Brass Council.”

The guards stepped forward, verifying Tian Dao’s credentials. After confirming his identity, they insisted on inspecting every vehicle—down to the very one housing Vivian.

To comply, the prison car’s door was opened.

Inside, Vivian sat motionless, her eyes lowered. On her wrists, star-patterned shackles pulsed with a faint, eerie blue glow—their design specifically engineered to suppress Stellar Envoy abilities.

But just as everyone assumed this was merely routine procedure, chaos erupted.

“Attack!”

A thunderous roar shattered the morning stillness.

The towering steam guard—nearly two meters twenty tall—suddenly lunged forward, his brass-gloved fist trailing white vapor and a crackling shockwave. In one blow, he sent two Fifth Squad members sprawling.

The second guard, in a flash, seized Vivian’s shackles.

And in that instant—the shackles sparked violently.

Crack!

The restraints shattered.

“Go!”

Without hesitation, the guard yanked Vivian out of the vehicle and dragged her toward safety.

Through the visor of Chen Kong’s specially opened helmet, Vivian caught a glimpse of his face.

It had all happened in a heartbeat.

But the Fifth Squad members, stunned at first, snapped back into action.

The first to move was Tian Dao.

He drew his Shattering Star. With his Second-Grade Perfection and Six-Dimensional Attributes—all S+—his Stellar Energy transformed into ink-black Ink, coating the blade in a swirling vortex of dark power.

With a single, fluid motion, he swung.

The black blade cleaved through the ground, severed a side rail of the steam carriage, and aimed straight for Chen Kong’s back.

But just as the blade neared its target—

Liu Ma leapt into the fray.

“Not today!”

Drenched in golden Stellar Energy, his brass exoskeleton flared like molten gold under the radiant surge. He dropped low, coiled his body, and drove a fist forward.

The golden strike met the black blade.

The impact unleashed a shockwave that cracked the pavement, flipped three steam vehicles, and sent debris flying.

Some weaker Fifth Squad members were thrown back, stunned.

Yet even as the dust and echoes of destruction still hung in the air, a figure stepped calmly from the smoke.

Silent. Unmoved.

He stood before Liu Ma.

“You’ve crossed the line.”

Liu Ma flinched, his fists tightening. Sweat broke across his brow.

Despite having ascended to Second-Grade Perfection—his strength now far beyond that of any ordinary Envoy—facing this man, this calm, composed figure, still stirred unease in his chest.

Because now he understood.

This Fifth Squad captain—Ink—was no ordinary warrior.

Once, Liu Ma had been baffled. He, who bore the Dual Stars and had awakened his Stellar Core, had fallen in less than three moves against a man whose Awakening was only Mid-Grade Perfection.

But after a month of grueling training, he finally grasped the truth.

Yes, the Stellar Source determined an Envoy’s potential.

But for some, their strength wasn’t born from their Source— it was what made the Source shine.

Tian Dao Siming, the child prodigy who once stood at the peak of the stars—was like that.

And now, so was Ink.

The difference?

Tian Dao was a monster among monsters. He had honed every single attribute to perfection—yet still found time to maximize his Stellar Source, leaving no room for rivals to even dream of catching up.

Ink, on the other hand, focused entirely on refining his attributes. His Stellar Source had not received the same attention.

One was all-encompassing—so overwhelmingly powerful that the very idea of pursuit became absurd. The other was superior to the norm, but still had a flaw: his Stellar Energy, though strong, had not yet reached Perfection.

That flaw… was his weakness.

“Little Liu,” Vivian had once said, “Perfect Awakening Envoys dominate others not just because their Source is stronger… but because their Stellar Energy itself becomes closer to Perfection.”

“What does that even mean?” Liu Ma had asked.

“Imagine a single drop of ink falling into a clear glass of water.”

“Of course—it turns the whole thing black!”

Then he paused.

“Wait… so you’re saying… when Perfect and non-Perfect Stellar Energy collide, the weaker one’s Source gets disrupted?”

“Close enough,” Vivian had replied. “But exceptions exist.”

“Exceptions?”

“Simple. If someone’s single attribute reaches S-grade, even without Perfect Energy, that gap alone can compensate for the weakness.”

“S-grade Envoys? Are there many?”

“Many?” Vivian had laughed. “You think it’s easy to push one attribute to the absolute peak? You think the universe grants that kind of power to just anyone?”

“Some things… are decided the moment you’re born.”

“That’s talent.”

The memory faded.

Tian Dao raised his sword again, blade poised above his head.

Liu Ma’s eyes flashed.

Fifth Squad Captain Ink… I am not the same man I was.

“Moo!”

He roared, unleashing a torrent of golden Stellar Energy—waves of power crashing toward Tian Dao, seeking to disrupt his flow.

But the moment the golden surge met Tian Dao’s swirling black energy—it rebounded.

Like hitting an invisible wall.

Liu Ma froze.

His eyes widened. “Wait… you said you only had A-levels across all attributes!”

“How come you never mentioned you had at least one S-grade?!”

Tian Dao remained calm.

“Not that I didn’t tell you. You just never saw it.”

He glanced sideways—toward the figure standing silently beside him.

“After all, she already knew.”

Before Liu Ma could react, Tian Dao brought down his blade.

Slash!

The black energy sliced through Liu Ma’s steam armor like paper. The mask cracked in two—revealing a face that looked rugged and simple, but beneath it, a mind sharp and calculating.

Just as Tian Dao raised his left hand, preparing to unleash the Stellar Energy Spell: Ink Coffin, to ensnare the fleeing Chen Kong and Vivian—

A voice rang out from behind.

“Captain, don’t worry—I’ve got you!”

A silver bullet screamed through the air, aimed straight for Tian Dao’s shoulder.

Tian Dao didn’t even flinch.

He spun, slashing the air.

The bullet split in half mid-flight, landing on the ground with a metallic clink.

Tian Dao turned.

There stood Deputy Captain of the Fifth Squad—Yu Chen—his eyes narrowed, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Sorry, Captain. Don’t know what happened… the shot just… slipped.”

Tian Dao said nothing.

But the entire Dimensional Audience—everyone present—knew.

That gaze, that timing…

The man had meant to shoot.

And worse—he’d done it on purpose.

Utterly shameless.

PS: Today’s update is complete. The outline is now solidified. The pace will pick up from here.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end