Master of Nine Stars

In these respects, ”excellent” was no longer enough to describe Rong Taotao. Among students his age, he was undeniably at the absolute pinnacle.

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call him the strongest. In fact, there might not be any competition.

As Rong Taotao walked along, his eyes landed on the Martial Arts Arena in the distance. He couldn’t help but chuckle. ”Well, look at that. What a coincidence!”

Gao Lingwei gazed at the packed Martial Arts Arena. ”What is it?”

Rong Taotao said, ”Last semester, right after I got out of the hospital from my injuries, I made it back just in time for the week of martial assessments. And what do you know, some petty villain tried to ambush me, challenge me while I was down.”

”I know.” Gao Lingwei’s expression turned icy. She’d heard all about what happened at the end of last semester. That Martial Arts Class student, Ji Qingmei, hadn’t just challenged Rong Taotao when he was badly injured and fresh out of the hospital.

At the time, Gao Lingwei had been conscripted by the Snow Burning military and hadn’t returned to school. So Ji Qingmei’s so-called ”challenge” was actually the three of them ganging up on Rong Taotao!

Then, during the school-wide qualifiers that ended a week ago, that same Ji Qingmei was back to his old tricks, scheming from the shadows and trying to sabotage them.

But faced with their absolute power, Ji Qingmei’s schemes failed spectacularly. Not only was he defeated, but that teammate of his, Zonglu, became the butt of everyone’s jokes.

Rong Taotao looked regretful. ”We qualified to represent the school, so we get to skip the final exam ranking matches. It’s a shame, though. I won’t get to run into that treacherous punk again.”

Gao Lingwei’s face remained impassive. ”Mm.” It was hard to tell what was on her mind.

”Oh, right! Lu Mang’s team is exempt too, aren’t they?” Rong Taotao suddenly recalled. ”Did they also successfully challenge a freshman team before?”

”Yes.”

Rong Taotao mused, ”That’s rough for the Martial Arts Class students, then. With two teams from the Soul Class exempt, there are only two qualifying spots left up for grabs.”

”Stop resisting, you despicable snake! Surrender now!” A sharp, scornful cry suddenly erupted from the center of the crowded arena.

”That voice sounds familiar,” Rong Taotao said, a strange look on his face as he turned to Gao Lingwei.

Gao Lingwei thought for a moment. ”It must be Little Shilan.”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

’It’s one thing to call Sun Xingyu ”Little Xingyu,”’ Rong Taotao thought. ’After all, with her short legs, she does look like a little sister next to you.’

’But Shilou and Shilan are bona fide warriors. They fought their way here from their hometown and radiate a battle-hardened aura. The ”little” nickname doesn’t fit them at all. What are you thinking...’

Gao Lingwei glanced at the dense crowd. After a moment’s thought, she knelt, pressing one hand onto the icy snow.

Instantly, a pillar of ice shot up from the ground.

”Up you go,” Gao Lingwei said, gesturing to the pillar before creating another one.

”Not a bad viewing spot,” Rong Taotao remarked. Stepping on platforms of ice, he walked up the pillar. From his vantage point atop the five-meter-tall spire, he peered curiously into the arena.

’Oh?’

’Shilou and Shi Lan... versus Ji Qingmei’s team?’

’Small world. What are the damn odds?’

’They got put in the same group for the final exam rankings again? Then again, they only made two groups for the finals this time. Since only two teams from the Soul Class are participating, the odds of them being matched up were pretty high.’

The fight had clearly been going on for some time. The sisters’ Sword Technique was sharp, their footwork synchronized, and their coordination flawless. In another two years, they’d probably be good enough to represent Pine Soul Soul Martial.

”Hiyah! Bow your head and surrender already!” Shi Lan swung her blade, knocking aside the Long Spear in her path, and blasted a Snow Burst Ball straight at Ji Qingmei.

The spear-wielding male student was sent stumbling back several steps by the immense force.

On the other end of their V-formation, the female student, Shen Bing, also extended a hand, a Snow Burst Ball already fully formed.

Ji Qingmei’s face was so dark it looked like storm clouds had gathered. He, too, was gathering a Snow Burst Ball. Shoving it forward, he roared, ”Let’s see who dies first!”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The three Snow Burst Balls detonated one after another, sending Ji Qingmei, Shen Bing, and Shi Lan flying backward.

But in that same instant, Shi Lan’s sister, Shilou, who was right behind her, didn’t reach out to catch her or absorb the impact. Instead, she ducked, letting her sister sail right over her head.

Shilou’s long legs tensed like a cheetah’s. With a SWOOSH, she shot forward, her narrow eyes filled with a sinister light that was unsettling to behold.

Back during Rong Taotao’s entrance exam for the Junior Class, out in the Snowfield, the Shi Family Sisters had been two of the very few students who carried a genuine killing intent—an aura forged from fighting Soul Beasts since childhood.

The tall male student, Chen Hongbo, had a look of terror on his face. He stomped his foot, steadying himself before hastily thrusting his spear again.

Shilou seemed to have anticipated it, her left arm whipping out in a fierce arc.

A sharp blade of ice had formed on her forearm, aimed straight for Chen Hongbo’s face!

CLANG! Chen Hongbo instinctively raised his spear to block. A jarring, numbing pain shot through the web of his thumb, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

’What is that speed? And she’s aiming for my face? What is she trying to do? Is she...’

In the next moment, Chen Hongbo was stunned. Shen Bing and Shi Lan, both still flying through the air and trying to keep track of the battle, were equally stunned.

They could only watch as Shilou, in her rapid dash, caught the airborne Ji Qingmei by the ankle and viciously slammed him downward!

THUD!

A sickening thud echoed from the cold concrete floor!

”Urk...” Ji Qingmei’s face contorted in pain as he clenched his teeth. He had been about to kick his opponent away, but he never imagined she would grab him by the ankle and slam him to the ground.

Ji Qingmei, his back having slammed hard into the ground, had no time to even register the pain before Shilou landed, driving a knee straight into his stomach.

”Nngh...” Lying on the ground, Ji Qingmei was doubled over like a shrimp from the force of the knee strike, a retching sound escaping his lips.

Shilou’s attack was seamless. She followed through with the momentum, swinging an elbow down onto Ji Qingmei’s head.

With another dull THUD, the immense force slammed the back of Ji Qingmei’s head into the concrete floor.

Everyone could see it now. This wasn’t a match anymore. This looked like... a personal grudge.

Shilou showed no signs of stopping. Ji Qingmei’s teammates hadn’t forfeited, and the referee’s whistle hadn’t blown, so her onslaught continued, fierce and unrelenting.

Shilou’s long, beautiful eyes narrowed, her entire being radiating an extremely dangerous aura. Looking down at the man on the ground, she gave the Snow Blade in her hand a flourish and stabbed down hard.

SHHNK!

”AAAAAHHH!!!” Already dizzy and disoriented, Ji Qingmei couldn’t stop a bloodcurdling scream from ripping out of him as excruciating pain shot through his body.

At the same time, the students watching from the sidelines were completely stunned.

’This is a ranking match... This...’

’Although they were all being trained as Warriors, and the line between victory and defeat—or life and death—for a Soul Martial Artist was razor-thin, this was still a final exam ranking match...’

TWEET! TWEET! Si Huan Nian blew her whistle, startled.

Si Huan Nian had truly thought Shilou would abandon Ji Qingmei and join her sister in attacking the other two opponents.

Si Huan Nian was the Shi Family Sisters’ practical combat instructor; she knew them very well. How could Shilou be so ruthless in a simple ranking match?

Shilou stared down at Ji Qingmei as he sobbed in agony. Her body was still trembling, the fire inside her not yet fully vented, but she had no choice but to obey the whistle and stay her hand from pulling the blade out to stab again.

Si Huan Nian rushed forward, pushing Shilou off of Ji Qingmei. ”What is going on?” she demanded, both shocked and furious.

CLINK. With a flick of her wrist, Shilou tossed the bloodstained blade to the ground, where it shattered into a shower of crimson-flecked frost.

Shilou’s face was dark. ”A personal grudge,” she said.

Si Huan Nian was taken aback. ”What?”

She didn’t know about the attempt to sabotage Rong Taotao. Confined to the Martial Arts Hall, she had heard rumors that he’d been ganged up on by a second-tier team, but she didn’t know the details.

Shilou bit her lip and repeated, ”A personal grudge.”

To Shilou, it was all very simple.

Ji Qingmei had tried to ruin someone—someone to whom she owed a debt of gratitude.

Perched on the ice pillar at the edge of the arena, Rong Taotao stared blankly at Shilou’s silhouette, then at Ji Qingmei, who was clutching his pierced stomach, wailing in agony...

Shilou had never been one for words.

Her younger sister, Shi Lan, with her bubbly and cheerful personality, was always the one who drew people’s attention.

’Rong Taotao never would have imagined it. The truly ruthless ones are always the quiet, unassuming types...’

In fact, Rong Taotao had no idea that back when they were watching the competition in the stadium, Shilou had already made a promise.

At the time, watching Rong Taotao dominate the arena, her sister Shi Lan had said, ”Juanjuan is a beast. At this level, he won’t need to participate in the final exam ranking matches.”

And Shilou had replied, ”If he doesn’t have to, then we’ll take care of that snake for him!”

...