Chapter 209: Bai Kong: Am I Afraid of Him?

"Did the uprising at Ten Machinery Kindling spread quantum contamination to some of the Steam Guardians as well?"

"Then..."

Ignoring the commotion behind him, Tian Dao slowly lowered his hand from beneath his chin, then rose to his feet with cold precision, his gaze sweeping over Chen Kong and his companions.

".Come on, Kong. Let me see just how much you’ve improved."

"I hope you won’t disappoint me."

As Tian Dao uttered the final word, the quantum data around them stuttered for a split second. The white mist billowing from the Steam Furnace visibly thinned.

Though just a single sentence, the invisible pressure within it surged like a tide across the entire Quantum Space.

This was something rarely seen by the Dimensional Audience—the true, unmasked seriousness of Tian Dao Siming.

‘How much have you improved? You mean like last time, when I knocked you flying with one slap?’

‘Only you, Lao Tian, could be this dramatic.’

‘Squee! Screenshot! Serious Lao Tian is absolutely hot!’

‘The aura of Lao Tian is insane. Just sitting there, and I feel completely safe.’

‘Chen Kong: I think I see hope. Tian Dao: Oh? What’s that nonsense you’re muttering?’

‘High alert incoming!’

Though the Dimensional Screen buzzed with lighthearted banter, the reality in the Stellar World was grim.

Chen Kong and his allies had already braced themselves for death.

They knew the gap in power was too vast. Even just hoping to stall Tian Dao required the resolve of men who had already accepted their fate.

Yet, Chen Kong still tried.

"Tian Dao Ge, I—"

Swish!

Before he could unleash his usual "underdog speech" of a shonen protagonist, a streak of black light slashed across his cheek, cutting him off mid-sentence.

The black streak didn’t stop there—it pierced through the air and struck a quantum room behind Chen Kong, one that Tian Dao had reconfigured using a Quantum Cube.

The speed was so fast that Chen Kong barely registered the sting of Hei Cang brushing his face—then came the deafening explosion.

Boom!

Flames roared outward, tangled with chaotic Data Surge, detonating in the distance. The shockwave whipped up a gale, whipping Chen Kong’s hair into a frenzy.

He stiffened, turning his head.

The room—once a carefully structured space—was now reduced to a storm of scattered data fragments.

One moment. That was all it had taken.

He’d been seconds from death.

Staring at the trembling Chen Kong, Tian Dao spoke calmly:

"Kong, some things can’t be solved with words alone."

He raised his hand.

Five pitch-black orbs—Hei Cang—floated behind him, suspended in midair like obsidian blades, radiating a faint, chilling glow, like the edge of a reaper’s scythe.

"So if you want to change my mind… prove it with strength. But before that…"

Tian Dao’s eyes swept across the remaining Stellar Envoys, his expression cold, dismissive—as if they were nothing more than trash.

".Let me clean up this place first. There are far too many irrelevant bystanders."

Hearing that, Chen Kong suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Run! Everyone—get out now!"

The moment he shouted, the five Hei Cang erupted into five streaks of black light, tearing through the air.

Even though Chen Kong had warned them, and every survivor present was at least Deputy Captain level—fast enough to react in an instant—three of them were already cut down before they could even fully activate their defenses.

No flashy techniques. No special abilities.

Tian Dao had relied only on basic Vector Control and his monstrous base Stellar Energy Value.

And with that, he dispatched three Stellar Envoys at the Deputy Captain level—effortlessly.

But thankfully, each of them carried a Quantum Beacon.

As soon as they lost combat capability, the beacons activated instantly, teleporting them out of the danger zone.

‘Holy crap! Deputy Captains—gone in an instant?!’

‘Basic stuff. Don’t overreact.’

‘Tian Dao: Deputy Captains? I thought they were just speed bumps.’

As the Dimensional Audience marveled at Tian Dao’s merciless precision, a voice echoed from off-screen.

"Hit him, Silver Falcon."

Yu Chen gritted his teeth, pulling the trigger.

Silver bullets, rapid and relentless, tore through the air from all directions, converging on Tian Dao.

At the same time, he raised his left hand, activating the Azure Owl side cannon, scanning for any opening—any weakness.

But before he could find it, Tian Dao was already behind him.

"Deputy Captain Yu. You don’t need to repeat the same trick twice in front of me."

Yu Chen’s pupils contracted. Without hesitation, he spun and raised his weapon.

But Tian Dao’s palm came up faster.

Pang!

The fight was over before it began.

Tian Dao didn’t even glance at the fallen man.

His body blurred into a series of afterimages, darting between the remaining Stellar Envoys.

Each time a shadow vanished and reappeared, a flash of white light flared across the Quantum Space—

The light of a Quantum Beacon activating, teleporting the wounded Envoys to safety.

In just a few breaths, the battlefield was empty.

Only Chen Kong and Yu Chen remained—both still standing, though barely.

Chen Kong hadn’t moved.

Not out of fear.

No, he wasn’t paralyzed by terror.

His Will had been dragged into a special Soul Space.

"Idiot! You really think you can mess with Tian Dao Siming with this pitiful little squad? Why the hell am I sharing a body with someone this dumb?!"

A furious roar shattered the silence.

Bai Kong’s pale face, with its black pupils, suddenly loomed before Chen Kong.

The disdain in his voice and expression was so palpable, even the Dimensional Audience could feel it through the screen.

Chen Kong stared at the figure before him.

Memories surged—of Bai Kong. Of the 'Tian Dao Projection'.

And then he saw it—the version of Bai Kong from the past, someone who could actually stand against Tian Dao.

It was like grasping at a lifeline.

"Please… if it’s you, you can stop him. You can stop Tian Dao Ge from going further down the wrong path!"

Bai Kong stared in silence for a moment. Then, a scowl twisted his face.

"Ha? What the hell are you even saying?"

"Let me fight that monster? Fine—if I had my full strength back, sure. But this body? This weak, pathetic shell you call yours?"

He grabbed Chen Kong by the collar, roaring:

"You really think he’s still that six-year-old projection you remember? Wake up, you fool! That’s alive Tian Dao Siming—real, not a ghost!"

Chen Kong fell silent. Then, softly:

"You’re afraid, aren’t you?"

"Afraid?"

Bai Kong froze—then burst into laughter, as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the universe.

His eyes narrowed. Then, like a cornered wolf, he bared his teeth.

"Idiot. Why would I fear some human? Don’t try to provoke me with that nonsense. I don’t owe you a damn thing. Unless..."

He paused, his gaze sharpening, a slow, calculating smile forming.

"Unless… you promise me one thing."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end