Master of Nine Stars

Chapter 64: Chapter 55: Plum, Peach, and Pear

”A Snow Lion Tiger, an elite-grade Soul Beast! Jiao Tengda, don’t fight it! Get Xu Taiping out of there!” Sun Xingyu’s anxious voice came from outside the door.

But before she had even finished speaking, another behemoth materialized out of thin air!

Jiao Tengda had summoned his Lifebound Soul Beast, Snow Night Shock.

”HREEE!” A piercing neigh rang out as Snow Night Shock stomped its hooves, shattering the concrete floor. Its massive body charged forward with vicious intent!

Soul Skill: Snow Charge!

”ROAR!!!”

Jiao Tengda’s plan was simple. Defeating the Snow Lion Tiger was obviously impossible, but Snow Night Shock should be able to ram it outside.

Once the Snow Lion Tiger was knocked through the window, the immediate danger would pass. Even if the fight had to continue, they needed to get out of a cramped battlefield like this dorm room.

Outside, any of the students could summon a Snow Night Shock, but inside this tiny room, there was no room to maneuver.

However... Jiao Tengda had clearly underestimated the Snow Lion Tiger’s ferocity.

Clinging firmly to the wall, it suddenly shot diagonally downward, its powerful limbs gouging deep claw marks into the surface.

True Hungry Tiger Pounce!

”BANG!”

”Whimper...” Snow Night Shock let out a pained cry...

Snow Night Shock, a behemoth by human standards, was sent flying by a single swipe of the Snow Lion Tiger’s paw.

And that wasn’t all. The Snow Lion Tiger’s momentum was unbroken as its two front paws slammed down!

With one paw on each of them, it pinned Xu Taiping and Jiao Tengda to the floor.

It was as if nothing in this world could stop it...

The Snow Lion Tiger’s heavy landing unleashed a massive wave of Soul Power that overturned bedframes and wooden desks. Beneath its paws, the fragile chests of Xu Taiping and Jiao Tengda actually began to cave in!

”ROAR!!!”

The arrogant roar was more like a declaration.

This time, the Snow Lion Tiger didn’t rush to devour its prey. It simply held the two underfoot as it turned its head to look at the other humans, who were all backing away.

It was like a cat toying with a mouse, revealing the cruel nature of a Hunter.

Only when it grew bored of the game, after torturing its prey to the point of complete collapse, would it deign to kill them and enjoy its meal.

Inside the small dorm room, Snow Night Shock—sent flying by the Snow Lion Tiger’s massive paw—crashed heavily toward the doorway.

Seeing the dire situation, the students scrambled back, stumbling out of the dorm room. Snow Night Shock’s massive body slammed into the doorway, its bulk finally stopped by the walls on either side.

But as Snow Night Shock hurtled toward the doorway, two students among the retreating crowd held their ground!

Two figures shot out from beneath Snow Night Shock’s head and tail!

Rong Taotao and Fan Lihua!

”Damn it, you want a piece of me!?” An enraged shout erupted from beneath the shattered bedframe.

A pair of deathly pale hands shot out. Xu Taiping’s eyes were bloodshot as two rapidly spinning Wind Balls materialized at his wrists!

”BANG!” ”BANG!”

A Snow Burst probably couldn’t do much damage to a Soul Beast of this level.

But by cleverly using the Soul Skill’s effect, he could at least stall for time.

Well... it was barely a delay. The only reason Xu Taiping was still alive was the Snow Lion Tiger’s instinct to toy with its prey.

Meanwhile, Rong Taotao and Fan Lihua, who had shot out from under Snow Night Shock’s head and tail, didn’t hesitate for a second.

Both thrust their hands forward, vortexes swirling at their wrists!

’Rong Taotao was a little stunned, and Fan Lihua was equally astonished.’

’Throughout their lives, their Martial Arts had always been the best among their peers.’

’They’d never imagined there was someone else in the world with the exact same reactions, the same combat instincts, and most importantly... the same courage!’

In this one simple attack, their movements were uncannily identical.

Diving forward, their bodies were like javelins, straining to close the distance to the Snow Lion Tiger.

And from their outstretched hands, the Soul Skill: Snow Burst erupted at the exact same moment!

”BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!”

Two pairs of hands, four Snow Burst Wind Balls. The Snow Lion Tiger was sent flying straight toward the shattered window!

”WHOOSH~”

”WHOOSH~”

Fan Lihua and Rong Taotao were sent flying back by the powerful blast wave!

The Snow Lion Tiger seemed to fly into a humiliated rage. It had been enjoying its cruel game, but it had clearly taken things too far!

But the bodily control of an elite-grade Soul Beast was beyond imagination.

As the Snow Lion Tiger was blasted out the window, its long tail whipped out and snagged on the window frame!

It hadn’t been completely knocked clear. It was still trying to get back into the dorm.

”THUMP THUMP THUMP!”

Chaotic footsteps echoed as the sisters Shilou and Shilan brushed past the recoiling figures of Fan Lihua and Rong Taotao.

Two people, two pairs of hands, four Snow Burst Wind Balls!

The Snow Lion Tiger was hanging by its tail from the window frame. Just as it turned its head to try and climb back in, it was met with the Shi Family Sisters’ four Snow Burst Wind Balls!

As he flew backward, Rong Taotao did a sharp backflip in mid-air. He landed solidly on a wall, then with a light leap, dropped down amidst the shattered bedframes.

His expression was grave, his mind racing.

’From the start of the fight until now... about 30 or 40 seconds have passed. The soldiers should be here by now, right? If they don’t show up soon...’

Snow Night Shock was still blocking the doorway, struggling to its feet, when a figure slid in underneath its belly.

”Ziyi!” Sun Xingyu cried out softly. It really was Li Ziyi.

”Hmm?” Rong Taotao whipped his head around to see Li Ziyi push himself up from the floor. With a grim expression, he sprinted toward the window.

As he ran, Li Ziyi clutched a Soul Pearl in one hand and slammed it against his right wrist!

It was the Snowflake Wolf Soul Pearl that Rong Taotao had given him!

Rong Taotao instantly understood Li Ziyi’s intention and rushed after him. But Fan Lihua, who had been moving in sync with him all this time, was a step ahead.

Li Ziyi wasn’t being a fool, nor was he caught up in some adolescent fantasy about saving the world.

In truth, Li Ziyi only wanted to save one person: Sun Xingyu.

The more dangerous the moment, the clearer Li Ziyi’s thinking seemed to become.

He understood that if the nest falls, no egg survives. Nearly a minute had passed. This was a military camp; soldiers should have appeared within thirty seconds of the disturbance.

But now, neither soldiers nor teachers had appeared. Li Ziyi couldn’t imagine what had happened inside Hundred Corps Pass, and he didn’t dare to.

That being the case, the nine students had no choice but to save themselves, to band together and fight for their lives.

A Snow Lion Tiger! An elite-grade Soul Beast!

If the students scattered and fled, they would just be picked off one by one. No one could survive a single exchange with the Snow Lion Tiger.

That’s why, at a moment when every student was fighting for their life, if Li Ziyi simply stuck by Sun Xingyu’s side to protect her, he would actually be dooming her.

His thinking crystal clear, Li Ziyi instantly embedded the Snowflake Wolf Soul Pearl into his wrist. In a flash, he brushed past the recoiling Shi Family Sisters, thrust out a hand, and roared, ”Blow wide open for me!!!”

”BOOM!!!”

Blast Pearl: Soul Skill—Snow Burst!

The rapidly spinning Wind Ball, wreathed in layers of snow, detonated with a thunderous roar.

The window frame, already scored with shallow marks from the Snow Lion Tiger’s tail, shattered completely under the force of this Blast Pearl-powered Snow Burst!

”HISSS...” Outside the window, the Snow Lion Tiger’s characteristic pained cry could be heard.

The massive impact sent Li Ziyi flying backward with a WHOOSH.

’The Snow Lion Tiger’s pained howl was crystal clear, but why was it still coming from the window frame!?’

Its long tail was still thrashing wildly around the broken frame, sending shards of stone flying everywhere.

Rong Taotao’s heart leaped. ’With the frame broken, how is the Snow Lion Tiger still out there? It’s... is it clinging to the wall with its claws like a gecko, just like before?’

Rong Taotao, who had been about to catch Li Ziyi to break his fall, instantly pulled his hand back. Blasted backward by the explosion, Li Ziyi flew past Rong Taotao and slammed heavily into the body of the Snow Night Shock that was blocking the door.

Rong Taotao didn’t break stride, but Fan Lihua was even faster!

Her petite figure suddenly leaped up and shot right out the window!?

”BANG!” ”BANG!”

With two more explosions, Fan Lihua’s figure, now outside the window, was instantly propelled upward.

Rong Taotao had no time to think. With Wind Balls already spinning at his wrists, he followed Fan Lihua out the window. The moment he was outside, he saw the Snow Lion Tiger, clinging precariously to the wall by a single claw.

Rong Taotao thrust out both hands and unleashed a vicious downward blast!

”BOOM...”

After being hit by several Snow Bursts in quick succession, the Snow Lion Tiger, already clinging by a single claw, finally lost its grip and plummeted downwards.

”ROAR...”

Its furious roar faded into the distance as it fell into the vast, swirling snow.

Propelled upward by the massive force of the blast, Rong Taotao struggled to press himself against the wall of the dormitory building...

”SCREEE...”

A flurry of snowflakes scattered!

Rong Taotao desperately adjusted his posture, planting his feet against the wall. But instead of bouncing off, they stuck!

He slid upward a good six or seven meters, passing at least one window before coming to a steady squat on the wall.

He slowly rose, gazing down into the vast, swirling snow below, and let out a long, deep breath.