Chapter 181: Yufemia's Identity Exposed

As Chen Kong pulled the trigger, a Stellar Energy Bullet infused with Dust-Dispelling Power tore from the barrel, screaming through the air with a piercing crack that split the very fabric of Kong’s atmosphere—aimed straight at Yufemia’s forehead.

But just as the bullet neared her, a flurry of razor-sharp, nearly invisible Silver Threads suddenly materialized before her, intercepting the projectile mid-flight.

Crack!

Under the relentless resistance of the silver filaments, Chen Kong’s signature Void Pattern Bullet—capable of nullifying, disintegrating, and unraveling most Stellar Energy Spells and artifacts—shattered into a shower of shimmering fragments, scattering like dying stars between him and Yufemia.

Chen Kong stared at Yufemia, standing calmly amidst the drifting light particles, her expression cold and unreadable. A flash of lightning struck through his mind.

Stellar Mark. Thread-based attack.

He murmured the terms under his breath, eyes locked onto the faint, undulating Silver Threads dancing around her, and her right hand, gloved in white.

Moments later, memories surged back—his battle with Xian Nv Zuo, the mysterious woman who played the lute. Her so-called "sound blades" had never been sound at all. Every pluck of her strings had been a silent command, manipulating vast webs of threads into violent, high-frequency oscillations—crafting the illusion of sonic blades. The lute? Just a decoy. A theatrical façade.

And now, Yufemia’s technique mirrored that of Xian Nv Zuo—down to the last thread.

Then came Yu Chen’s private intel: Yufemia was suspected of being linked to the Hidden Star Society.

A sudden clarity struck Chen Kong.

The Hidden Star Society cadre who appeared in the Lower City not long ago… you were her, weren’t you? Saintess Yufemia of the Gear Church.

Chen Kong leveled his gun at her, voice unwavering.

If he was right, then beneath the white glove on her right hand, there had to be a clear, unmistakable Stellar Mark—the undeniable proof of Stellar Core Awakening.

Yufemia neither confirmed nor denied it. She simply let her eyes deepen with a colder, more lethal intent.

“Child,” she said, her smile stretching too wide for comfort, “sometimes, knowing too much isn’t a gift. Curiosity… kills.”

She looked at the screen, her expression a perfect mask of serene menace. The air around her reeked of villainy.

Dimensional Audience:

> So that’s why she’s been so calm all along—Saintess Yufemia is Xian Nv Zuo! The Hidden Star Society’s hidden blade!

> Yufemia: Three years… again… Three years… again… If I don’t pull the net soon, I’ll be the real power in the Gear Church!

> No wonder Xian Nv Zuo’s voice always carried that saintly tone—she’s been soaked in Holy Water for years!

> Golden Knight · Fischer: I told you I had a ghost at home—you wouldn’t believe me!

Seeing Chen Kong cornered, convinced he had no escape, Yufemia—true to the archetype of a villain in a dramatic anime—activated her classic passive skill: monologuing.

Her Silver Threads tensed, coiling around her Saintess gown, tightening like a sculptor’s hand shaping a masterpiece, cinching her elegant, almost artistic figure.

“Chen Kong,” she purred, stepping forward with sharp, deliberate strides in her heels, “I’ve never understood what the Master saw in you.”

She tilted her head slightly. “In terms of talent, your abilities in Steam Capital might be decent. But across the entire New Federation? There are countless who surpass you.”

“Personality? Your perpetually kind, peace-loving nature… I can’t imagine what good it’s ever done you besides causing trouble.”

“So the only thing I can think of… the only reason the Master would care about you… is your Dual Stars identity.”

She lifted her hand. The soft Silver Threads at her fingertips, fed with a surge of Stellar Energy, hardened, sharpened—became deadly.

“But even among Stellar Prodigies, you’re nothing compared to Yao Dao·Chen Xing of the Liyang Family, or Tianji M?oy?n·Kalolin, the Grand Councilor’s new disciple. Even your friend Liu Ma outshines you.”

“Because they’ve fused their Stellar Core and Stellar Source strength into one seamless, unified power—creating a force far beyond any ordinary Stellar Core or Source.”

“But you?” She let out a soft, mocking laugh. “Your so-called ‘fusion’ is just using both strengths in parallel. Clumsy. Shallow. Aesthetic disaster. Pure waste.”

“You haven’t even unlocked your full potential. And yet… you dared to sneak into my Nest alone? How utterly arrogant.”

With that, she opened her palm.

In an instant, the Silver Threads surged forward, weaving into a dense, impenetrable net that descended from every direction.

Where they passed, furniture was sliced into countless fragments—evidence of their terrifying precision and power.

But just as the threads were about to touch Chen Kong—

Boom!

Chen Kong slammed his foot down. The Void Pattern beneath his right boot flared with a blinding white light.

The bedroom floor, once solid, shattered like glass under a hammer’s blow. Cracks exploded outward from him in every direction, then collapsed in a single, thunderous burst.

Slash!

At the last possible moment, a thread grazed his scalp—cutting several strands of his black hair, which drifted slowly in the air.

He dropped into the Secret Passage below, then spun, tossing a smoke grenade behind him.

Thick, choking white smoke exploded through the tunnel, swallowing him whole in a cloud of confusion.

Yufemia stepped into the passage, her Silver Threads slicing through the fog with practiced ease, dispersing the smoke in seconds.

She spotted the fleeing silhouette ahead—running hard, desperate.

A cold smile curled her lips.

“Using your Void Pattern to destabilize the floor beneath you… clever. Not entirely stupid. But still… naïve.”

To escape her meticulously crafted Nest? That was impossible.

She hadn’t just laid traps and mechanisms—she’d memorized every corridor, every switch, every hidden trigger. She could navigate this labyrinth blindfolded.

“Run, little mouse,” she whispered, her voice like silk over steel. “Run with everything you’ve got.”

“Because soon, you’ll realize… every path you think is a way out? It’s just a grave I’ve already dug for you.”

With that, she stepped forward—graceful, poised, relentless—chasing after him.

The game of cat and mouse had begun.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end