Master of Nine Stars

Rong Taotao: ”I was just teaching you a lesson with her blessing. Didn’t you see how much Nan kept praising me for it?”

”Pfft,” Ye Nanxi said with a disdainful look, pursing her lips. She tilted her head toward Gao Lingwei and said, ”But seriously, he’s kind of like a life coach.”

Gao Lingwei: ”Oh?”

A nostalgic glint appeared in Ye Nanxi’s eyes. ”After my defeat, I did a lot of thinking. When I got back to Starfield Town, over by the carousel at the amusement park, he really did teach me a lot.”

Gao Lingwei’s interest was piqued. ”Like what?” she asked curiously.

Ye Nanxi shrugged and casually picked up a chicken nugget from the table. ”Like not to give up on myself, for example.

He said I didn’t need to deliberately change my old lawless and arrogant ways, that it was okay to just be myself.

My whole ’dark past’ and what people thought of me were all trivial. As long as I could show some real results, all that other stuff would just be minor details that nobody would care about.”

As she spoke, Ye Nanxi glanced at Rong Taotao. ”He also told me to stop living so aimlessly, just repeating the same day over and over. That one definitely stung a bit.”

Rong Taotao snorted. ”A little pain is good. It’s a faster wake-up call.”

”Anyway, he gave me a goal.” Ye Nanxi turned back to Gao Lingwei. ”Now my life has a sense of purpose.”

Listening to Ye Nanxi, Gao Lingwei suddenly understood. ’No wonder,’ she thought, ’her attitude toward him is so different from everyone else’s. And no wonder she pays him so much attention.’

’Rong Taotao’s arrival may have even changed the entire trajectory of her life.’

But at the end of the day, Ye Nanxi still had a fire in her. Most other arrogant young people wouldn’t have given a damn about his advice.

Rong Taotao’s background was also a convenient factor; after all, he wasn’t from some ordinary family.

At least on the level of the ”second generation,” Rong Taotao and Ye Nanxi were peers, both part of the absolute top tier.

Suddenly, Ye Nanxi waved. ”Over here!”

Everyone turned to look and saw two men who looked exactly alike.

Well... technically, they should be called ”young men.” But these two, despite clearly being in their twenties, had faces that looked like they were in their thirties. They were already tall and brawny, and with their rugged features...

So not only did they look very mature, they also appeared exceptionally formidable.

”I’ve heard great things about you, Rong Taotao.” One of the men extended a hand. ”I’m Xiang Li.”

Rong Taotao stood up and shook the man’s large, calloused hand. ”Nice to meet you.”

”This is my younger brother, Xiang Ming.”

The brothers both had buzz cuts and fierce, fleshy faces. Their eyes, though small, were sharp. They were a good head taller than Rong Taotao and looked like a pair of hired thugs, leaving Rong Taotao momentarily stunned.

’No wonder they were school bullies,’ Rong Taotao thought. ’With a build that burly, they’re prime material for pushing people around, aren’t they?’

After Rong Taotao introduced the two teachers, the Xiang Brothers took their seats. He couldn’t wait to ask, ”What level is your Douxing Qi?”

The older brother, Xiang Li, sat with an imposing air and picked up a hamburger. ”I’m at the Excellent Level,” he said, unwrapping the greasy paper.

Xiang Ming grinned. ”I’m at the Elite Level.”

”Huh?” Ye Nanxi, who had been whispering with Gao Lingwei, turned her head toward Xiang Ming in surprise. ”Elite Level? When did you advance? How come I didn’t know?”

Xiang Ming: ”Just now. When I was grabbing that bastard and swinging him around, I had a breakthrough.”

Ye Nanxi: ”...”

”Master! Help me have a breakthrough too!” Rong Taotao’s face lit up as he asked hurriedly. ”I’m not asking for much, just from Ordinary Level to Excellent Level would be great.”

Xiang Ming looked at Rong Taotao in surprise. After all, Rong Taotao’s public image had always been that of a ”Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist,” a title intrinsically linked to the lands of the Snow Realm.

But now, Rong Taotao was suddenly asking him for guidance on a Starfield Soul Skill. It was...

”What are you staring for? Teach him!” Ye Nanxi suddenly interjected.

”Ah,” Xiang Ming grunted in acknowledgment and said, ”How’s your control of Ordinary Level Douxing Qi?”

Rong Taotao nodded. ”I’d say my understanding is pretty decent. The spiral-shaped Douxing Qi flows smoothly, whether I’m wrapping it around my arms or my legs.”

Xiang Ming: ”Then can’t you just add a second one?”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

’Wow, you’ve got the makings of another Xia Fangran, don’t you?’

’I get what you’re saying, but I’m not about to clap for you!’

Xiang Ming: ”Don’t channel one stream and then add a second. You need two streams of Douxing Qi to start at the same time, moving in tandem. You’ve had a fried dough twist, right?”

Ye Nanxi suddenly cut in, ”Show some respect when you talk to him!”

”I’m being plenty respectful,” Xiang Ming said, giving Ye Nanxi a helpless look. It was clear he’d been run ragged by this little tyrant before.

He turned back to Rong Taotao. ”The Douxing Qi you channel into your hands has to move in tandem from the moment it emerges from the Pleiades acupoint.

It’s the same for your legs. The starting point of the Soul Power in your Dantian is crucial.

Also, the starting points of the two spirals have to be connected. You have to twist them together the moment they emerge. It’s the same principle as a fried dough twist.”

”Right,” his older brother, Xiang Li, mumbled through a large bite of his hamburger. ”The first step is always the hardest. Once you get the rhythm down, the two streams of Douxing Qi will follow their own momentum and spiral around the bone as they rush forward.”

”Oh, right,” Xiang Ming added quickly. ”And make the Douxing Qi stick close to the bone. Don’t let it get too loose... Damn, after all that, I’m still just talking about fried dough twists...”

Rong Taotao’s eyes lit up. ”Stick close to the bone?”

”Right.” Xiang Ming nodded. ”Your single stream of Douxing Qi was probably pretty loose before, right? Not wrapped tightly around the bone?”