Chapter 65: All Flair Is Meaningless Before Absolute Power

"Why did a Stellar Beast appear on the fluorescent beach of Coastal District? What in the world is Deep Sea District’s defense force doing?" Isabelle returned to the hotel, staring at the lone figure of Tian Dao left behind on the shore, her expression grim.

Beside her, Kalolin shared the same unease.

According to the urban architecture of Deep Blue Metropolis, the city wasn’t a flat, two-dimensional sprawl—it was a three-dimensional structure, layered like a vertical city. Coastal District floated above the sea’s surface, while Deep Sea District lay beneath the ocean floor. This unique design made Coastal and Deep Sea Districts the most dangerous zones in the metropolis. And yet, the area between them—Coastal District—was supposed to be safe.

And yet, here it was: a dozen Stellar Beasts had erupted from the sea all at once, surfacing in the middle of the glowing beach.

No matter how you looked at it, something was deeply wrong.

Kalolin’s gut twisted. There was no way this was coincidence.

On the fluorescent beach, twelve distinct oceanic Stellar Beasts broke through the water one after another, marching toward Tian Dao with cold, mechanical precision. As they closed in, one—shaped like a massive lobster—suddenly accelerated, its red iron claw snapping forward, aiming to crush Tian Dao in half.

But before the claw could close, Tian Dao’s right hand blurred into a streak of motion. Whip!

A sharp crack echoed through the air as his palm struck the creature’s bloated head.

Crack!

The lobster’s shell—thick enough to resist bullets—shattered like a fragile eggshell. The head exploded inward, spraying shards of shell and crimson flesh into the air. Purple blood rained down like a grotesque storm, splattering across the once-beautiful blue-glowing sand, turning it into a macabre, pulsing purple.

"Pathetic," Tian Dao muttered, barely glancing at the corpse. His blue eyes flicked to the next closest Stellar Beast.

Then—his body vanished.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each explosion came in rapid succession.

"Still boring."

"Still boring."

Tian Dao’s form flickered through the ranks of the Stellar Beasts, a blur of motion. With the overwhelming destructive power of Vector Control, even the most fearsome of these oceanic monsters were no match for him—reduced to fragile children in the face of his power.

One was punched through the chest, its body collapsing like a sack.

Another had its skull split cleanly by a hand blade.

The worst was a colossal crab-beast, which Tian Dao brutally tore one of its claws from its body, then swung it like a meteor hammer, smashing three others into pulp.

"Too dull," Tian Dao said, as the last beast collapsed into a lifeless heap.

The entire beach now lay littered with dead Stellar Beasts—motionless, silent, and cold.

Tian Dao stood atop the final corpse, his blue eyes fixed on a point in the middle of the sea. As if the empty expanse held something unseen.

"Come on," he called out, voice calm, mocking. "Sending only crabs and lobsters? Do you really think this trash can hold me back?"

Having realized Tian Dao had pierced through the Mechanical Sanctum’s optical camouflage, the figures on the sea surface abandoned the ruse.

A ripple of distortion passed across the water’s surface—then, four figures emerged from the fading illusion, standing atop a metallic coffin.

Among them were two strangers. But the other two—Tian Dao knew them well.

Rongshan.

Iron Coffin · Claude.

Yingzhi · Lina.

Yi Yi · Wiser.

The four stood on Claude’s Mechanical Sanctum, faces grim. They had expected the minor Stellar Beasts to slow Tian Dao down. But they hadn’t anticipated this—Tian Dao had dismantled them all in seconds.

And now, he looked untouched. Unmoved. As if he hadn’t even broken a sweat.

Their entire strategy—built on wear and exhaustion—was now nothing more than a joke.

This monster… was stronger than they’d imagined.

Rongshan narrowed his eyes. "Wiser. It’s your turn."

"Got it."

Wiser, masked like a bird of ill omen, drew a scalpel and plunged it deep into his palm.

Instantly, the corpses on the beach began to swell—distorting, bloating into irregular, pulsating flesh masses. Pus-filled boils burst across their surfaces.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground trembled. The beach erupted in a chain of horrific explosions. The shockwaves briefly flattened the sea around it—proof of the devastation.

But as the smoke and debris cleared, Rongshan and the others felt no joy.

Because even after that infernal barrage, the star-energy signature on the beach hadn’t wavered.

And then—there he was.

Tian Dao reappeared, standing untouched in the center of the chaos.

A thin layer of glowing sand—faintly luminescent like the beach itself—clung to his body like armor. Vector Control had shaped it, turning the sand into a living shield.

He shook off the particles. The falling specks of light, like dying stars, formed a breathtaking cascade—like a galaxy falling from the sky.

"Thought you’d pull out something clever," Tian Dao said, voice cool. "Turns out, it’s just another old-school corpse explosion."

He looked up. "Any new tricks left?"

"Or should I just send you all to the afterlife?"

"I don’t have time to play."

Rongshan hesitated, then spoke. "Tian Dao Siming. Stellar Source: Vector Control. Trait Class. Ability to manipulate the vector of objects within a certain radius around you."

"As this ability develops, the range increases, the scale of controllable objects grows smaller—until you can control even the tiniest stellar particles."

"Wow," Tian Dao said, smirking. "You really dug deep. I didn’t think you’d have my Stellar Source figured out so fast. Impressive."

"But now that you know it… you should also know this: standing still won’t keep you safe."

Slowly, he raised his right hand.

A black energy sphere formed at his fingertip—swirling, devouring light. His silver-frayed hair danced in the wind created by the gathering energy.

Stellar Energy Technique — Black Azure!

A wave of death-black energy tore through the air, slicing through the sky with a terrifying, jagged streak. It flew straight toward the four.

"Split up!" Rongshan roared.

Instantly, four volcanic-like growths erupted from his back—spewing molten rock, propelling him sideways just in time.

Lina plucked at her Human Bone Harp, the notes transforming into solid sound waves that carried her away like a phantom.

Wiser howled, his legs exploding into massive, fur-covered wolf limbs, leaping seven meters clear of the coffin.

And Claude’s mechanical suit—just like Rongshan’s—extended two thrusters from its back, blasting him off the coffin.

Boom!

The moment they cleared the coffin, the Black Azure struck.

The metal construct exploded into fragments, sending a massive wave of water soaring over ten meters into the air.

Rongshan hovered mid-air, heart pounding, barely breathing.

Just survived…

Then—

A voice, low and cruel, echoed from above.

"Didn’t I spare you last time? And here you are, back for another round. You really are eager to meet your end, aren’t you?"

Rongshan gasped, staring upward.

Tian Dao hung upside down in midair—feet planted on empty air, defying gravity.

His body was inverted, yet walking on nothing.

Only by reversing his own gravity vector could he achieve such a spectacle.

And it wasn’t easy.

To manipulate one’s own body with Vector Control was perilous—misstep, and it could kill you.

But Tian Dao? He did it with ease.

Rongshan’s blood ran cold. The memory of being dominated in that supermarket flooded back—pure, paralyzing fear.

He screamed, raising his hands, firing molten lava from his palms in a desperate attempt to push Tian Dao back.

But before he could act—

Tian Dao launched into a backflip kick, his foot slamming into Rongshan’s shoulder with a sharp crack.

Bone shattered.

Rongshan crashed into the beach, burying himself in a crater. Blood dripped from his lips.

He tried to rise—

Then, a crushing force pinned him to the ground.

He glanced back.

Tian Dao stood above him, one foot planted firmly on his back.

The other hand was raised.

At the tip of his finger—glowing with the same eerie, abyssal black light.

That light… it came from hell.

Rongshan’s eyes widened in terror.

Tian Dao smiled.

"You people… always love your flashy tricks."

"Can’t you see? In the face of absolute power, your little games are just circus acts—ridiculous. Pathetic."

Without hesitation, he fired.

Black Azure tore through the air—straight for Rongshan’s head.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end