Master of Nine Stars

Chapter 23: Chapter 18: The World of the Strong (Part 3)

Si Huan Nian did attack, but she held back. That Snow Blade shattered on impact—it wasn’t meant to kill.

The resulting spray of snow splattered across Rong Taotao’s face...

Just as everyone expected Si Huan Nian to land smoothly, Rong Taotao—his face covered in snow and effectively blinded—acted. Relying on memory alone, he predicted her landing spot and violently hurled the Heaven-piercing Halberd in his hand!

Though called a Heaven-piercing Halberd, it was really a great javelin!

There’s an old Huaxian saying:

It is impolite not to reciprocate.

Si Huan Nian had just landed when her eyes lit up. Right before her was the incoming Long Halberd!

As she landed, her blade fell.

The instant her feet touched the ground, another Snow Blade materialized in her hand, and she brought it slashing down.

Her skill was simply uncanny!

The Snow Blade’s strike was impossibly precise, and her control over its force was exquisite. With just a light tap from her blade, the Long Halberd that had been flying straight at her was knocked into a spin, flipping vertically in mid-air.

Facing the now-vertical Long Halberd, Si Huan Nian viciously kicked it!

Sending it straight back at Rong Taotao!

Having just wiped the snow from his eyes, Rong Taotao found the Heaven-piercing Halberd hurtling back toward him, end over end. He stumbled back three quick steps.

Timing it perfectly!

Rong Taotao snatched the Halberd Shaft with one hand, letting its momentum carry him backward into a spin.

It was the very essence of redirecting a greater force!

Rong Taotao’s technique for dissipating the force was ingenious. He held the Heaven-piercing Halberd, letting its immense momentum carry him back another three steps before he spun in a full circle on the spot.

The cold Ironspear Point scraped a circle on the concrete, letting out a piercing screech and kicking up a spray of sparks.

”Whoa! This ’human record player’ has got some moves!”

”Bro, not a record player, he’s a ’little loudspeaker’...”

”Tsk... He’s still at too much of a disadvantage. His physical Attributes are completely outclassed.”

”Yeah. Brute force beats skill. In the face of absolute power... Whoa! So fast!”

Rong Taotao had just dragged the Long Halberd through a full circle and barely managed to steady himself. But when he tried to face Si Huan Nian again...

A fair face appeared right in front of him, filling his entire vision. The distance between their noses was less than four inches...

’Whoa!’ Rong Taotao jumped in fright. ’Are you a ghost!? When did you get over here?’

’Besides, with us standing face-to-face like this, the Long Halberd I just swung in a full circle should have hit her, right?’

’How did she dodge that? And without making a single sound!?’

Flustered, Rong Taotao instinctively tried to back away, but his foot caught on something and he lost his balance.

But it was fine. He still had one free foot and the Heaven-piercing Halberd, its Ironspear Point planted on the ground, to keep him steady. However...

With a sharp tug of her right hand, Si Huan Nian revealed that, at some point, the Snow Blade had transformed into a long Snow Whip.

The Snow Whip, now coiled around his ankle, was exactly what had thrown him off balance.

”Whoa? Hey!” Rong Taotao cried out as the whip around his ankle tightened, hoisting him upside down.

Rong Taotao hung suspended in midair, using the halberd in his hand to brace against the ground and keep himself from swinging. Directly in front of his face were Si Huan Nian’s calves.

”Not bad,” Si Huan Nian said, her husky voice holding a trace of approval. ”You managed to last two rounds with me.”

’Is it over?’

’It must be over...’

The students watching had mixed expressions. They hadn’t seen the one-sided beatdown they’d been expecting, which left them a little disappointed.

This was a fight between two people with a massive gap in strength; they weren’t even in the same weight class.

For a middle schooler to be able to trade blows with a university instructor, even for just two short rounds, was truly impressive!

Rong Taotao, however, paid no attention to the opinions of the upperclassmen around him. He didn’t even register Si Huan Nian’s praise.

Now that the assessment was over, a different question was already forming in his mind.

’Underneath her loose Tai Chi uniform, is she wearing thermal pants?’

Finally, Rong Taotao reached out his hand!

He gave Si Huan Nian’s calf a gentle squeeze...

’Just as I thought. No thermal pants!’

’Not only that, but from the feel of it, she might not even be wearing long johns...’

’Is this the world of the strong?’

’I’m a total fan...’

Yet even someone as powerful as Si Huan Nian was completely dumbfounded.

’Wha... What just happened?’

’Did that little brat... just grope my calf?’