Master of Nine Stars

’She can already see a full 800 meters?’

’We should get Da Wei a sniper rifle. Then it wouldn’t matter if they were Soul Captains or Soul Schools. In this pitch-black, snowy night, from over 800 meters away, she could just blast them...’

’Even Xia Yinyang wouldn’t be able to react in time, right?’

Beside them, the usually quiet Ugly Ox suddenly spoke up. ”Use a clock face to indicate direction. Be as precise as possible.”

Gao Lingwei: ”Relative to me, 11 o’clock.”

”NEIGH~~”

Fu Tiance yanked hard on the reins. His Snow Night Shock reared up, its hind hooves sliding a full three meters through the snow before it came to a steady halt in front of several Snow Burning Army soldiers.

He flipped open his credentials with one hand and asked, ”What’s the current situation?”

After carefully examining the credentials, the soldier hurriedly replied, ”A wall patrol squad discovered people secretly climbing over the First Wall. Of the four-person patrol, one soldier is severely injured, and two are lightly injured.”

”The infiltrators are a group of eight. According to the injured soldier’s report, at least three of the eight are Soul Captains, and the rest are likely Soul Warriors. Among those three Soul Captains, we can’t rule out the possibility of a Soul School.”

”Seven of the eight are between 165 and 180 centimeters tall. The other is very tall, nearly two meters, a distinct feature. All eight are male, and they’re all wearing snow camouflage.”

”We’ve already dispatched soldiers to search within a ten-kilometer radius. They’re in ten-man teams. Our squad is the westernmost one.”

”Alright.” Fu Tiance’s expression was grim. He said, ”Please inform the brothers that the Twelve Teams—five of us, with four mounts—are joining the search party.”

’No wonder this mission was assigned to the Twelve Teams. Three Soul Captains, with the possible inclusion of a Soul School?’

’The winter sun has been bright recently, so conditions and visibility within the First Wall’s perimeter have been good. These scumbags must have been getting antsy!’

’The blizzard only just hit this afternoon, and these scumbags are already coming in to poach tonight?’

”Sir!” The soldier stood at attention, his voice ringing out, firm and clear.

Although they belonged to different units, rank was rank. The soldier treated Fu Tiance exactly as he would a superior officer.

”Hah!” Fu Tiance dug his heels into his horse’s sides with a shout, and the group galloped quickly toward the northeast.

Listening to their brief, clear exchange, Rong Taotao felt a knot tighten in his stomach. ’Being a soldier on watch duty is a truly dangerous job!’

’Soldiers at the First Wall don’t have to face the terrifying Snow Realm Soul Beasts from the north, but they do have to deal with the most vicious and depraved of human criminals.’

Rong Yang turned to Gao Lingwei and said, ”It’s a vast snowfield with no cover. They can only rely on the darkness and the blizzard to hide.”

Gao Lingwei: ”Understood. I’m looking now.”

Unlike on a clear day, Gao Lingwei’s eyes were closed now, clearly focusing on the images seen by her Frost Night Xuerong.

After all, in this pitch-black, blizzard-swept night, Gao Lingwei’s own range of sight was terribly limited.

Rong Taotao furrowed his brow and asked, ”Why didn’t this group choose a spot near the Snow Forest to climb the wall? If they succeeded, they could have gotten into the forest to hide in the shortest amount of time.”

Rong Yang explained, ”What you’ve thought of, the poachers have also thought of. And likewise, so has the Snow Burning Army.”

”Those sections of the wall closer to the Snow Forest are all heavily guarded by Snow Burning Army soldiers.”

Rong Taotao understood then and nodded. ’As long as it makes logical sense, it’s manageable. It’s the illogical things you have to be afraid of.’

The small team galloped wildly across the snowfield. Gao Lingwei kept her head down, while the Frost Night Xuerong on her head looked all around.

After a long, careful observation, Gao Lingwei suddenly spoke. ”10 o’clock. Around 800 meters. A group of seven... No, eight people. They’re all riding Snow Night Shocks. One of the mounts is carrying two people.”

”They’re all wearing Snow Burning Army snow camouflage and moving fast.”

Fu Tiance’s brow tightened. ”Let’s be cautious. Ugly Ox, you make the call.”

Ugly Ox pulled a walkie-talkie from his pocket and spoke directly into it. ”Is there an eight-man Snow Burning Army team ahead?”

Fu Tiance waved his hand forcefully, and the squad picked up its pace.

Ugly Ox waited a moment, then spoke into the walkie-talkie again. ”Team of eight ahead, respond if you copy.”

Fu Tiance rolled his shoulders and tilted his neck from side to side, producing a series of crisp cracks. It seemed he had already made a decision.

Ugly Ox spoke a third time, ”Team of eight ahead, if you do not respond, we will no longer attempt to confirm your identity and will proceed to engage.”

”Report it,” Fu Tiance said.

Ugly Ox keyed the walkie-talkie. ”Directly north of the wall breach, 10 to 13 kilometers, directly south of the Snow Forest in Area 107. Unidentified eight-man team spotted. No response to multiple hails. Suspect they do not have standard-issue Snow Burning Army comms. Identity is suspicious. Preparing to engage.”

”Twelve, Ugly Ox.”

Ugly Ox put away the walkie-talkie. In his hands, now hanging naturally at his sides, two heavy hammers quietly took shape.

Fu Tiance: ”Increase speed! Gao Lingwei in the center. Sheep and I will guard her flanks. Ugly Ox, you take the point.”

”Everyone, have your Snow Night Shocks close their eyes; riders will control their direction. Gao Lingwei, you make sure our team stays directly south of the enemy squad. Give a signal when we’re about 50 meters away.”

”Sheep, you’ll initiate.”

Rong Yang suddenly asked, ”We’re going in directly?”

”Yeah. They’re just a few petty thieves. No need to wait for reinforcements.” As he spoke, Fu Tiance steered his mount to Gao Lingwei’s right.

He turned his head, his gaze sweeping past Rong Taotao to Rong Yang on the other side. ”You know better than I do what your brother has been through. He’s already a mature Soul Martial Artist. It’s time he experienced this.”

”More accurately, your brother has already experienced this, at least twice.”

Hearing this, Rong Taotao seemed to understand something. ’Fu Tiance... he’s intentionally letting me join the fight, not keeping me on the sidelines like some war correspondent.’

Rong Taotao flipped up his balaclava, exposing his mouth.

Then, he pulled over the military pack on his back, took out a handful of candy, and started unwrapping and stuffing them into his mouth.

Worry? Nervousness? Fear?

No, quite the opposite.

Other people eat candy to relieve stress. Rong Taotao eats candy to prepare for battle!

Rong Yang might not believe it if you told him, but right now, Rong Taotao... couldn’t wait to begin!

In this moment, he desperately hoped that squad was part of the Qian Organization.

’No matter what anyone else thinks, ever since New Year’s Eve, I personally have a score to settle with the Qian Organization!’

Every time he thought of Gao Lingwei being controlled and tortured, her hands clawing at her head in agony, a fire of rage surged through Rong Taotao’s heart.

Half a minute later, with her head still down, Gao Lingwei suddenly drew a Heaven-piercing Halberd in her right hand.

Seeing this, the others all tensed up. They knew the battle was about to begin, waiting only for a signal from Gao Lingwei.

Another ten full seconds passed before Gao Lingwei suddenly raised her left hand.

The Snow Night Shock beneath Rong Yang instantly vanished. As he landed on the ground, Rong Yang viciously plunged both hands into the snow!

Snow Realm Soul Skill: A Snowy Ocean!

WHOOSH...

Across the flat snowfield, the vast expanse of white snow covering the earth suddenly began to surge like a river—a truly shocking sight!

Rong Yang’s own line of sight wasn’t far, but there was no doubt that the enemy was exactly 50 meters straight ahead!

”Ah...”

”NEIGH~” From not far ahead came the sudden sounds of men and horses being thrown into chaos!

Ugly Ox sharply dug his heels into his mount. ”Jump!”

The Snow Night Shock leaped into the air, only to be unsummoned by Ugly Ox mid-flight.

His massive body traced a perfect arc through the night sky. With two heavy hammers in his hands, he recklessly smashed down into the ”vast ocean” below!

”BOOM!”

The churning sea of snow instantly exploded. Rippling circles of Soul Power, mixed with a violent blast wave, erupted from Ugly Ox’s position, flipping everything in the world upside down...

Rong Yang immediately pulled back, summoning his Lifebound Soul Beast again. The surging sea of snow instantly came to a halt.

”Hah!” Gao Lingwei dug her heels into her mount’s flanks and charged forward!

In the darkness, seeing a figure sent flying toward her, Gao Lingwei brandished her glowing Heaven-piercing Halberd!

”SHIIINK!!!”

The Heaven-piercing Halberd pierced straight through the man’s abdomen!

”Ahhh!” A bloodcurdling scream rang out. Under the excruciating pain, the man’s cries were heaven-rending and utterly miserable.

In the end, she had held back, not piercing his heart directly.

With a sharp expression, Gao Lingwei lifted the man on her Long Halberd and casually flung him aside, throwing him heavily to the ground!

She kicked her heel into her mount’s side and swiftly charged toward another person tumbling in the snow.

Under the gaze of Frost Night Xuerong’s ghostly eyes.

She could become the one and only god of this pitch-black, blizzard-swept night.