Chapter 23: It's Not the Stellar Source—It's Tian Dao Siming

Three days after the Final Evaluation, within the medical ward of the Ember Base.

“Mmm…” Chen Kong struggled to open his eyes, greeted by blinding white light.

Instinctively, he tried to raise his hand to shield his face—but found himself submerged in a pale blue nutrient bath, limbs tethered by a tangle of soft tubes and medical monitors.

“Doctor! Chen Kong’s awake!”

A nurse from the medical team, who had been watching over the boy for three days in a coma, immediately called for the attending physician.

After a thorough examination, the team concluded that Chen Kong had not only passed through the danger zone but had recovered with no trace of internal injuries.

It was as if the man who had been rushed in—his bones shattered, organs critically damaged—wasn’t him at all.

Still, they weren’t entirely surprised.

After all, no matter how unassuming Chen Kong seemed, he was a Stellar Prodigy.

And behind closed doors, the medical staff referred to them all as little monsters.

Each one possessed strength that defied human limits.

Still, they didn’t take chances.

After a second, even more detailed scan, the team unanimously agreed: Chen Kong was stable enough to be moved from intensive care to a regular recovery room.

Hearing this, Chen Kong exhaled in relief.

Right now, he was completely naked, locked inside a nutrient capsule, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.

Sure, everyone meant well—but at twelve years old, with a growing awareness of gender and privacy, the situation felt deeply awkward.

Especially with so many nurses present.

Half a day later, dressed in a white hospital gown and supported by a nurse, Chen Kong stepped into the exclusive training ground reserved for Stellar Prodigies.

As a newly recovered patient, he should’ve stayed in the recovery ward a little longer.

But through the nurses’ whispers, he’d learned that eleven other Stellar Prodigies had already awakened their own Stellar Sources.

Curiosity—especially about what happened when a Stellar Source fused with a Stellar Core—had driven him to request permission to come here.

“Hey? You’re already up?”

Jing Ruli, who had been lounging at the edge of the training field, instantly noticed him as he entered.

Seeing her—someone she rarely saw in person—Chen Kong stiffened slightly.

“Yeah… I just woke up this morning.”

Jing Ruli, unusually, abandoned her lazy sprawl and sat up straight.

“Then why aren’t you still sleeping in recovery? I’ve tried asking for sick leave so many times, but those stubborn doctors keep saying no. Then they threatened me—said they’d tell Yun Meng if I kept bothering them. Now I’m too afraid to even admit I’m sick.”

She paused, then narrowed her eyes.

“So why aren’t you enjoying this perfect chance to nap? You’re weird.”

Chen Kong scratched his cheek, flustered.

He had no answer.

After all, she was the one who was always trying to skip training.

But just then, he noticed something odd.

Jing Ruli was speaking clearly—yet her eyes remained shut, her mouth slightly open, a thin trail of drool glistening at the corner of her lips.

She looked like she was fast asleep.

Before he could react, a familiar voice spoke from behind him.

“That’s Ruli’s Stellar Source—Daydream. Its basic effect allows her to remain in deep sleep while fully conscious. The cultivation method? Just sleep more. Dream more.”

A pause.

“Though I hate to admit it… this Source does enhance her ability to slack off. Outsiders can’t tell whether she’s training or just napping.”

Chen Kong turned.

There, standing behind him without warning, was his older sister, Chen Xing.

He hadn’t even noticed her arrival.

For years, fear of her had conditioned him to lower his head instinctively.

And seeing him shrink like that, Chen Xing almost opened her mouth to scold him—until she remembered how he’d acted just days ago.

She closed her mouth.

Then, for the first time in memory, her tone softened.

“Be confident, Kong. You’re not the weakling everyone used to laugh at.”

“Because if it weren’t for you, Lin and I wouldn’t have even landed a hit on that guy.”

Still, personality didn’t change overnight.

Even with her approval, Chen Kong couldn’t shake the habit of self-doubt.

Chen Xing sighed, then turned to Jing Ruli and extended her hand.

“Ruli. Give me another Dream Candy.”

“No way!”

Jing Ruli clutched her pillow tight, pouting.

“You still owe me dessert from yesterday! Now you want more? Not happening!”

Chen Xing’s lips curled into a cold smirk.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Ruli by the collar and gave her a sharp shake.

Tap-tap-tap.

Colorful, shimmering candies spilled out of Ruli’s pajama pockets, scattering like raindrops in the sunlight.

Chen Xing bent down, picked one up, and examined it under the light.

Then, she stuffed the rest back into Ruli’s clothes.

“One candy. That covers the past few days. I’ll repay you with the organization’s dessert later.”

“Liar!”

Ruli sat up, eyes blazing.

“You already lost all your dessert to Tian Dao! How are you gonna pay me?”

Silence.

Chen Xing’s face froze.

Because of her bet with Tian Dao, her dessert for the next three months belonged to him.

She had nothing to give.

The moment hung heavy.

She looked utterly stuck.

Thankfully, Chen Kong stepped in smoothly.

“Ruli, you can take my dessert.”

Jing Ruli’s eyes snapped open—wide, glowing with sudden excitement.

“One month!”

“Too much!” Chen Xing snapped.

“I only took a few candies. You’re demanding one full month of my brother’s dessert? That’s not fair!”

“Then one week,” she added, voice hardening.

“Or I’ll find another way to pay you.”

Under her authority, Jing Ruli reluctantly nodded.

“Fine… one week. But I’m warning you—no more stealing my Dream Candies!”

“Deal.”

Just as the agreement was sealed, the training field suddenly trembled.

A violent quake rocked the room.

Chen Kong, still recovering, stumbled—nearly falling—before a nurse lunged forward and caught him.

The tremor lasted only seconds.

Then silence.

Breathless, Chen Kong turned to his sister.

“Sis… what was that? Did someone attack the base?”

Chen Xing remained silent—unwilling to answer.

But Jing Ruli, unfazed, waved a hand dismissively.

“Eh? No big deal. Probably just Tian Dao messing with his Stellar Source again. Normal stuff.”

“…Huh?”

Chen Kong stared, bewildered.

He couldn’t imagine any kind of Stellar Source research capable of causing such a massive quake.

“Is Tian Dao’s Stellar Source that powerful? How could it make such a sound?”

Jing Ruli’s expression shifted—almost amused.

She glanced at Chen Kong like he’d said something strange.

Before she could speak, Chen Xing answered first.

“Kong… the strength has never been in the Stellar Source. It’s always been in Tian Dao.”

“Because if it weren’t for him, I can’t think of anyone who could push a Stellar Source to this level.”

Chen Kong’s eyes lit up.

He wanted to see it.

He needed to know what Tian Dao was doing.

Seeing his expression, Chen Xing nodded.

“Come on. If you want to see it, I’ll show you.”

“Besides, Tian Dao doesn’t care if people know his ability.

He said three days ago: ‘Only the weak fear attention. The strong walk through the world with absolute confidence. The sky and earth belong to no one but me.’”

She paused, then added, voice sharp:

“Even if everyone knew what he can do—he wouldn’t care.

Because Tian Dao Siming fears no challenge.”

Chen Kong’s lips parted.

The image of Tian Dao saying those words—so arrogant, so unshakable—popped into his mind.

“…That really is like Tian Dao.”

Chen Xing scoffed, clearly uninterested in continuing the topic.

She’d once believed that gaining a Stellar Source would let her close the gap with Tian Dao.

But three days ago, reality had slapped her hard.

Her gap with him hadn’t narrowed.

It had widened.

---

PS:

Gave it my all—still couldn’t beat the 3 a.m. monster. Lost in the end.

Daily request: Please keep reading, and don’t forget to vote for the monthly award!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end