Chapter 167: Awakening's Tian Mu – The Visible Subspace Node, and the Birth of 'Vacuumization'

[Extra Chapter via Moon Ticket Bonus]

[Volume 7 of The Stars · Faint Light]

[The Day After the Brass Council Trial]

[Late Night, a villa in the Upper City]

"Tian Dao, are you sure you want to do this?"

Chen Xing watched Tian Dao, still deep in thought over the chessboard, and asked with genuine curiosity.

At the sound of her voice, Tian Dao barely glanced up—his mind still locked in the game.

"Done is done. What’s there to be sure or unsure about?"

He spoke dismissively, then suddenly his eyes snapped wide.

There it is.

With a flourish, he plucked a black stone from his hand and slammed it down at the center of the board in a single, decisive move—forming the perfect five-in-a-row.

"Star, you lost!"

Tian Dao looked up at Chen Xing, his cobalt-blue eyes gleaming with smug triumph.

But Chen Xing’s expression froze.

She had been sure they were playing Go.

Staring at Tian Dao’s cheeky grin, her competitive spirit flared. Without hesitation, she acted on instinct.

"I lost?" she murmured softly, her slender fingers brushing the edge of the board as if by accident.

In an instant, thin threads of crimson flame erupted across Tian Dao’s black pieces.

Before his eyes could register the shock, the stones were reduced to ash—charred and blackened on the board.

"Tian Dao," she said, voice calm, "where are your pieces now?"

Tian Dao clutched his chest dramatically, falling back into the sofa with a theatrical groan.

"Hey! Who ever played five-in-a-row by burning the opponent’s pieces? That’s cheating!"

Chen Xing merely mirrored his old, unapologetic smirk—the same one he used to pull on her as a kid.

"But I remember you saying it wasn’t five-in-a-row. You said it was Go."

Tian Dao blinked.

He hadn’t expected her to remember that.

And worse—she’d learned his tricks.

His eyes darted around, searching for an escape.

Then, like a master of dramatic surrender, he threw up his hands.

"Fine. Draw!"

He was all too familiar with the "screw the game" tactic.

And he used it every time.

Chen Xing rolled her eyes, not bothering to argue with this childish display.

Yet… something in his behavior stirred a rare memory—of the boy he’d once been.

Six years had changed so much.

People had grown. Life had shifted.

But Tian Dao?

Aside from the polished edges of his face, he hadn’t changed at all.

Still arrogant. Still fearless. Still utterly impossible to look away from.

Her gaze lingered on his eyes—the faint, swirling traces of his Stellar Mark.

"Speaking of which," she said, "your Stellar Mark is in your eyes, right?"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

Tian Dao leaned back, relaxed, completely unaware of the storm brewing.

Before he could react, Chen Xing lunged—grabbing his collar and yanking him forward with a sudden, forceful tug.

Their faces were now nearly touching.

Tian Dao could see his own reflection in the crimson depths of her pupils.

He could even smell the faint sweetness of her hair—mingled with the sharp, familiar scent of Xueyan.

It threw him off.

Instinctively, he tried to pull back—but her grip was iron.

"Stay still."

Her voice was firm.

Her lashes trembled, but her tone was unyielding.

As if to say: I’m just observing your mark. Nothing more. If you think otherwise… that’s just you.

Tian Dao froze.

Retreat? No.

Stay? Worse.

He was utterly stuck—awkward, flustered, completely out of his depth.

Fortunately, Chen Xing seemed to sense the imbalance.

She released his collar, then casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear—covering the faint blush creeping up her neck.

"Tian Dao… I’ve never heard of someone having a Stellar Mark inside their eyes before."

Tian Dao seized the opening like a lifeline.

"Sure, the Stellar Core isn’t as unique as the Stellar Source, but Central Council has its exceptions, right?"

Chen Xing nodded.

"Then… your Star-Eclipse Eye—it must’ve unlocked new abilities, right?"

"Exactly."

Tian Dao leaned forward, eyes alight.

"After my Awakening, I gained the ability to convert flame and blood into one another. That lets me turn the Astral Flame I summon with Stellar Energy into Xueyan, healing my wounds instantly."

He didn’t stop there.

With a flick of his fingers, he demonstrated the true power of his Star-Eclipse Eye Awakening—a skill he had named Star-Eclipse Space.

In front of Chen Xing’s curious gaze, he traced a line through the air.

A Subspace Rift tore open—visible, stable, and shimmering with latent energy.

Then, he reached inside and pulled out a bottle of Blue Melody Mountain City Soda.

The can was still icy, frost clinging to its surface.

Clearly, it wasn’t from the same time dimension as the real world.

"This," Tian Dao said, holding up the soda, "is a visible Subspace node. The result of my Star-Eclipse Eye awakening."

"Combined with my Vector Control, I can temporarily open a stable Subspace."

He grinned.

"Think of it like pulling open a zipper… and slipping your hand into the pocket behind it."

Though the explanation sounded simple, Chen Xing’s battle-trained mind immediately recognized its true potential.

"So… the range of your Star-Eclipse Space is limited by your Vector Control's maximum reach?"

"Right. But here’s the catch: Subspace is invisible to the physical world. Any object in reality blocks the node—so you can’t touch it directly. That means you can’t use it as a weapon… not yet, at least."

She paused.

Then, her eyes locked onto his.

"But if you use it for defense… or evasion… the versatility is staggering."

"Because as you grow stronger, you’ll be able to step in and out of Subspace in the blink of an eye. In theory, you could achieve something like Perfection Evasion—bypassing any physical attack, completely."

Clap. Clap.

Tian Dao clapped slowly, impressed.

She’d exactly described his future plan—his ultimate goal: Vacuumization.

Though he wouldn’t unlock it until his next Stellar Core Awakening, the concept was already forming in his mind.

And it was on par with the legendary All-Forms System—a power with limitless potential.

Now that she’d confirmed what she needed, Chen Xing shifted to business.

"Alright, Tian Dao. The task is done. But the Grand Councilor—"

"I know the rule," he interrupted.

"No Stellar Envoy may interfere in ordinary people’s affairs. That’s been the law since the beginning."

"Relax," Tian Dao said, lounging back with confidence.

"Ainet’s far smarter than you think."

He smirked.

"Ainet doesn’t hate Stellar Envoys meddling in human lives. He hates when they abuse their power to ruin ordinary lives."

"Reverse it: if a Stellar Envoy’s actions benefit most people… Ainet won’t just tolerate it. He’ll allow it."

"Let’s be honest—our current strongest Stellar Envoy? He’s way more flexible than you give him credit for."

He turned to the window, the night sky of Steam Capital’s Upper City stretching beyond.

"Change this rotting, rigid world? You have to burn out the old wood. Kill the termites inside."

He turned back, eyes sharp.

"And if I’m the one doing the renovation… charging a little fee? Isn’t that fair?"

"Even if Ainet finds out? He can’t argue. So—relax. Everything’s under control."

Chen Xing exhaled, soft and weary.

"Fine. Your call. You’ve always been like this—never changed for anyone."

Tian Dao smirked, and without thinking, replied:

"Star… you know me so well. You’ve been watching me, haven’t you?"

The second the words left his lips, he knew he’d messed up.

Because Chen Xing’s expression shifted—suddenly, seriously.

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Yes. I have. Since eight years ago. And I’ve never stopped."

Then, with a sudden, deliberate lean, she closed the distance.

"Does that bother you?"

Tian Dao—reacting faster than bullets—was utterly frozen.

His mind short-circuited.

He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move.

All he could do was glance away, flustered.

"Doesn’t really matter," he stammered. "As long as you’re happy."

Chen Xing’s eyes dimmed—just slightly.

The spark in them, for a moment, flickered and died.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end