Chapter 159: You're a Monster Too, But You're Far Behind That Arrogant Bastard! 【Monthly Ticket Bonus Update】

Yet that blade, unexpected as it was, never landed on Yu Chen.

Before it could strike, a massive figure stepped in front of him—voluntarily intercepting the fatal blow meant for Yu Chen.

Clang!

The sharp, metallic clash echoed through the air as Tian Dao’s blade, Shattering Star, meant to cleave Yu Chen’s shoulder, instead crashed into a golden, rigid body—cold and gleaming with an unnatural sheen.

Drip… drip…

Yu Chen looked up, his pupils contracting in shock.

There, standing before him, was Liu Ma—somehow having broken through Tian Dao’s Stellar Energy blockade despite the odds, now blocking the strike with his own arms, blood streaming from the deep gashes.

“You owe me your life now, Squinty Eyes,” Liu Ma said through gritted teeth, pain etched across his face.

Yu Chen was speechless.

He hadn’t expected this man—someone he’d only met a handful of times—to risk everything to save him.

Nor had he imagined Liu Ma could withstand the crushing pressure of Ink’s terrifying Stellar Energy, let alone reclaim his Freedom Form.

“Liu Ma,” Tian Dao’s voice was calm, chilling. “I spared you once. That doesn’t mean I won’t finish you the second time.”

“Even if you’re backed by a Catastrophe.”

Hearing those words, Liu Ma’s face—twisted in agony—split into a dazzling, blindingly bright smile.

“Well, honestly, I never expected you to let me go anyway.”

He paused, his eyes flicking toward the stunned Dimensional Audience.

A month ago, he’d been utterly helpless against Ink.

Now, with a surge of raw willpower, he forced the blade back—pushing Tian Dao’s weapon aside with his bare arms.

And as he did, his Stellar Energy erupted violently within him, a golden aura flaring out from every inch of his body.

“Same kind of monster… but you’re still far behind that arrogant bastard!”

Boom!

Liu Ma’s explosive release didn’t just repel Tian Dao—his golden Stellar Energy, blazing like a blade of light, tore through the abyss of Stellar Energy Tian Dao had cast over Yu Chen.

The moment the barrier broke, Yu Chen was free—his body trembling as he staggered backward, clutching his knees and gasping for air.

Seconds later, he looked up at the towering figure of Tian Dao, now wrapped in swirling black mist. His normally half-lidded eyes snapped open—wide, sharp, filled with raw caution.

He was shaken. Deeply.

On the other side, Liu Ma stood transformed—a fusion of two divine forms: the upper body of a Golden Demon Ox, the lower half a four-legged warhorse of molten flame.

His original height of two meters and twenty centimeters now swelled to a staggering two meters and sixty-seven centimeters—his presence alone like a moving mountain, radiating overwhelming pressure.

This was the result of merging Stellar Source · Shadow War Horse with Stellar Core · Golden Demon Ox—a form only possible after his Perfect Awakening of the Shadow War Horse just a week prior.

Perhaps it was confidence in his newfound power.

Or perhaps it was sheer audacity.

Either way, Liu Ma turned to the cold, expressionless figure of Ink and smirked.

“Ink,” he said, voice dripping with insolence, “I know your sister warned me not to mess with you. But I never took it seriously.”

“Because I’ve seen real monsters. And I know exactly who I can’t afford to provoke.”

He paused, then added with a casual shrug, “But you? You don’t even make me flinch just hearing your name.”

To the audience watching from Station 13—especially those who’d seen Season 1—this was pure comedy.

> “What does ‘flinch at just hearing your name’ even mean? You’re such a show-off, you cow! Hahaha!”

> “Everyone knows Stellar Prodigies have one thing in common: Sky Fear Syndrome.”

> “I guess if you can’t say ‘Tian Dao’ three times in a row, you’re not a real person.”

> “Wait, did anyone else just realize the blind spot?”

> “Suggestion: rename the series to ‘Tian Dao and His Fanboys’ (LOL)”

And the laughter wasn’t just from the audience.

Even Tian Dao—Liu Ma’s target—felt a flicker of awkwardness.

For the first time in a while, he paused mid-attack.

He liked being praised.

But this? This was too much.

Being called a monster with such reverence… it was almost embarrassing.

One moment, he was the terrifying force of nature.

The next, he was the subject of a ridiculous, over-the-top tribute.

Still…

He had to admit—Liu Ma had a surprisingly accurate eye for people.

Well… I was going to teach you a lesson, remind you who’s boss. But since you’re so good at flattery… I’ll just… let up a little.

His expression remained unchanged.

But deep within, his Stellar Energy—once coiled like a storm—quietly retreated.

Because just a moment ago, he’d been planning to use Vector Control, quietly weaving a memory so painful Liu Ma would never forget it.

But now?

No need.

After all, he hadn’t actually used Vector Control since his last encounter with the Silver Knight of the Gear Church—when he’d briefly unleashed Ink Coffin.

Otherwise, his entire “Ink” persona had been nothing more than a masterfully simulated illusion—using only second-tier Perfect Stellar Energy to mimic the effect.

In truth, he’d been fighting with bare hands—literally.

No Stellar Core. No Stellar Source.

Just raw, base stats.

And yet—thanks to his six S+ base attributes—he still crushed most of Season 2’s opponents into the dirt.

This wasn’t luck.

It wasn’t favoritism.

It was hard work.

Endless effort.

Ever since Season 1, he’d poured every single Popularity Point into his foundational stats—never stopping, never slowing.

The sweat. The sacrifice. The grind.

No one else knew it.

They all thought he was the show’s golden child—hand-fed power, given everything on a silver platter.

But they were wrong.

There was no favoritism.

Tian Dao’s power?

His rise to the peak of the stars?

All earned.

Built with relentless effort.

There’s no such thing as effortless success.

The only path to the summit?

Hard work.

Persistence.

And in that regard—Tian Dao believed—he had always excelled.

And would continue to do so.

After all, how many hardworking geniuses like him were there in the world?

As he stood there, the thought crossed his mind.

And with a quiet sigh, he raised Shattering Star—his blade now glowing with a deeper, darker hue.

Then, he spoke—words that froze both the audience and Liu Ma in place.

“I don’t like saying this,” he admitted, “but beyond Stellar Energy Spells and Control… I also have some skill in swordplay.”

“Liu Ma,” he continued, “in response to your fierce spirit, I’ll be taking this fight… just a little more seriously.”

“Because if I keep fighting like this? It would be a disgrace to a true Wudou Tian Du combat master.”

With that, his aura shifted—dark, dense, deeper than before.

Mocking the Vertex of the Stars?

Liu Ma… you’re interesting.

And the moment the change happened?

The smug grin on Liu Ma’s face froze.

His expression twisted—suddenly, very, very serious.

He’d just said all those bold words.

But now?

He really wished he could take them back.

You don’t have to go full serious… this was fine. Perfectly fine.

But it was too late.

Tian Dao didn’t give him a chance.

Not a single one.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end