Master of Nine Stars

”This isn’t going to be easy.” Rong Taotao muttered softly as he looked at the two little girls’ list of Soul Skills. ”By the way, what’s our arena?”

Yang Chunxi replied, ”It’s an ocean home field.”

”Oh.” Rong Taotao nodded. ’Finally, some good news.’

Yang Chunxi extended a finger, tapping a Soul Skill on the list. ”Pay attention to this Magma Body. If they explode, the power is not to be underestimated. This is the Li Family Sisters’ greatest asset, the reason they’ve made it to the third round.”

Gao Lingwei leaned in, also murmuring the names, ”Magma Body, Magma Burst.”

”Correct. Both sisters have a Soul Slot on their chest, and the combination of the two Soul Skills from this chest Soul Pearl is simply perfect.” Yang Chunxi carefully explained to her two disciples, planning to go over the Li Family Sisters’ past matches after covering all the theory.

Yang Chunxi continued, ”Magma Body covers the entire body with a special Molten Soul Power, causing magma and crushed stone to crawl over the Soul Martial Artist’s body. It also slightly alters the Soul Martial Artist’s skin.

This Soul Skill allows a Soul Martial Artist to be unafraid of high-temperature environments, even moving freely within magma.

Among the self-cultivated Soul Skills of a Magma Soul Martial Artist, only the Molten Fire Contract allows one to endure high temperatures and breathe.

In other words, a typical Magma Soul Martial Artist can survive under a Molten Rock Vortex, but they would never dare to go deep into it or walk directly into magma.

The sisters’ extremely rare and special chest Soul Pearl allows their bodies to become one with magma, even letting them run rampant inside a Molten Rock Vortex. You should know, this is a Soul Skill that only the top-tier Melted Radiance Army is equipped with.”

Rong Taotao glanced at Gao Lingwei and said softly, ”Looks like we aren’t the only students the headmaster dotes on.”

The headmaster of Pine Soul Soul Martial, Mei Hongyu, did everything in his power to reward his two disciples with many precious and rare Soul Skills.

And the headmaster of Dajiang Soul Martial had also fully armed the Li Family Sisters. Of course, whether their headmaster had actually been the one to reward them with the Soul Pearls was no longer important. What mattered was that the opponents Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei were about to face not only possessed considerable strength but also had a top-tier list of Soul Pearls and Soul Skills.

”Magma Body, Magma Burst.” Yang Chunxi hesitated for a moment before continuing, ”In the Magma Body state, any part of the Li Family Sisters’ bodies can explode.”

”The power of this explosion is immense. Whether it’s the impact force or the exploding magma and rubble, it can blow a Soul Martial Artist without a Defense Soul Skill to shreds.”

As she said this, Yang Chunxi was looking at Rong Taotao.

Rong Taotao: ”...”

’She really is something else.’ Rong Taotao thought, but he couldn’t get angry at her for singling him out like that.

Yang Chunxi continued, ”What’s more troublesome is that this kind of explosion causes very little self-harm because it uses the magma and crushed stone covering their bodies to explode. So, in essence, it’s the Soul Skill itself that’s detonating, not the Soul Martial Artist’s body. Therefore...”

”A no-damage self-destruct? That’s a bit ridiculous.” Rong Taotao clicked his tongue. ”If we can’t get close, how are we supposed to fight this?”

Yang Chunxi: ”It’s not completely without self-harm. After all, under that magma shell, the composition of the sisters’ skin is also slightly altered. So, when they explode, they will sustain some injuries.”

”But compared to the huge payoff, such injuries are nothing...”

Gao Lingwei asked softly, ”Is there anything else we need to be aware of?”

Yang Chunxi: ”Li Mu and Li Zi both have forehead and chest Soul Slots, but they lack eye Soul Slots. For the two of you, this is a blessing in disguise.”

”Also, as I said before, their forehead Soul Slot’s First Soul Skill gives them a telepathic link, but the Second Soul Skill is ’Fire Gathering,’ which boosts their fighting spirit.”

”So, on the intangible battlefield, your usual intimidating aura will have a hard time suppressing them. You need to be mentally prepared.”

”Mm.” Gao Lingwei nodded lightly. It was no exaggeration to say that although a ”soft skill” like mental fortitude was intangible, it could significantly affect a person’s performance.

Take Gao Lingwei’s opponent in the first match of the national tournament, Lin Xiaoxiao, for example. Faced with Gao Lingwei’s powerful, intimidating presence, she was definitely unable to perform at one hundred percent of her ability.

Panic, fear, retreat.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s body was not yet injured, but her spirit had already been riddled with holes by Gao Lingwei. Unable to perform at her proper level, her loss was only a matter of time.

To make a somewhat inappropriate analogy, it’s like when high school seniors take their final exams. Some students get great scores on practice tests, but when it’s time for the real thing, a few of them always choke, and their scores are less than ideal.

That’s psychological fortitude at play.

Gao and Rong had always been benefiting from their ”Life and Death Warrior” status, using the aura and presence they’d forged in the Corpse Tide to intimidate their opponents.

The first match was a clear example, with Gao Lingwei perfectly embodying the meaning of ”crushing.” And in the second match, after Rong Taotao symbolically slit Bai Ming’s throat, Baishan didn’t hesitate for long before raising his hand in surrender. These were all manifestations of their intimidating power.

But in this third match, under the special effect of the Magma Soul Skill: Fire Gathering, the Li Family Sisters would surely be fearless. This would, in turn, neutralize one of Gao and Rong’s trump cards on an intangible level.

If that wasn’t the worst of it...

...then the intimidating effect of Gao Lingwei’s Frost Fearful Face was completely gone!

Fueled by the sisters’ fighting spirit, the fear effect of Frost Fearful Face would likely be mostly nullified.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Yang Chunxi continued, ”The rest is just pure damage output.”

She looked at the long list of the Magma Soul Martial Artists’ skills. Whether they were self-cultivated or embedded in their wrists, ankles, shoulders, or knees, most of them were for offense.

The explosive output of a Magma Soul Martial Artist wasn’t just talk. Even their self-cultivated Soul Skills rarely had support-type abilities. It was all offense, offense, and more offense!

Yang Chunxi patted Rong Taotao’s back. ”Be careful when you use your Frost Flower Snowcake. It already has hollow patterns.”

”Whether the sisters spray fire or spew magma, it can seep through the hollow patterns of the Frost Flower Snowcake and onto your palm.”

”What’s more, fire counters ice.”

”The Magma Attribute naturally counters the Snow Attribute. Against the Li Family Sisters, your Frost Flower Snowcake will probably be no different from Ice Glass—it’ll either melt or shatter.”

”That’s not right, Chunxi. Let’s be clear about this,” Rong Taotao suddenly interjected. ”It’s Magma Soul Skills that counter Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists, not Magma Soul Skills that counter Snow Realm Soul Skills.”

”There’s a fundamental difference.”

”In terms of external manifestation, as long as my frost and snow are dense enough, I can still freeze their magma. It’s like the Snow Realm and the ocean. Although neither is said to counter the other, in terms of how the Soul Skills manifest, I can freeze a Water Prison Whip.”

”Mm... I’m just telling you to be careful.” Yang Chunxi changed the subject. ”You two have advantages as well.”

Gao Lingwei was very calm, having already analyzed it. She said, ”Speed.”

”Right!” Yang Chunxi nodded decisively. ”On one hand, you have the speed boost from your Snow Dance.”

”On the other hand, when the Li Family Sisters use Magma Body, their bodies will be covered in magma and crushed stone. The weight is one thing, but the Magma Body Soul Skill itself will also greatly interfere with their movement.”

”The higher the level of Magma Body, the smaller the negative impact on the Caster. Theirs is at the elite level, so it will still cause them a lot of trouble. So...”

Rong Taotao said, ”Kiting?”

”Mm.” Yang Chunxi turned to Gao Lingwei, a hint of worry in her voice. ”I hope you’ll change your fighting style for this match.”

”Of course.” Gao Lingwei smiled. ”Don’t worry, Chunxi. I’m not stubborn. After being with Taotao for so long, I understand the principle of retreating in order to advance.”

Hearing this, Yang Chunxi breathed a sigh of relief. ”That’s good.”

After all, Gao Lingwei’s personality was what it was, and her Heaven-piercing Halberd had, in turn, influenced her attitude. Yang Chunxi was a little worried that Gao Lingwei would still charge forward without taking a single step back.

Yang Chunxi continued, ”You must understand the Magma Body Soul Skill completely.”

”It covers a Soul Martial Artist’s body with a layer of magma and crushed stone, but the greater purpose of this form is to merge with the harsh environment of a Molten Rock Vortex.”

”Essentially, Magma Body is not a Defense Soul Skill. Your weapons are more than capable of shattering the stone and piercing the Li Family Sisters’ bodies.”

”I trust your ability to seize opportunities. I believe that by constantly kiting them, as long as one small chance presents itself, you can lock in the victory.”

”Understood!” Rong Taotao pursed his lips, his words taking on a sinister edge. ”The Imperial Capital’s backdrop is the Starfield Vortex. In that case, I’ll just smash them with Starfield Soul Skills.”

Yang Chunxi continued her analysis, ”And the longer you drag it out, the better.”

Rong Taotao: ”Huh?”

Yang Chunxi: ”The forehead Soul Skill, Fire Gathering, is also a double-edged sword. It can boost a Soul Martial Artist’s fighting spirit, but with continuous boosting, if they keep seeking a fight and are denied, their desire will deepen again and again and again...”

Gao Lingwei’s eyes lit up. ”They might lose their minds and find it hard to stay calm.”

”Exactly!” A smile finally appeared on Yang Chunxi’s face. ”So, the intimidation you and Rong Taotao present has to be sufficient, and it has to be sustained.”

”Use Frost Fearful Face flexibly, make sure the Li Family Sisters keep their Fire Gathering Soul Skill active, or at the very least, make them activate it often.”

”Enrage them. Enrage them on every level! Once they lose their minds and go berserk, your opportunity will come.”

’Chunxi! You’re a genius!’

’There’s our strategy! A famous teacher from Pine Soul for a reason!’

”No problem!” Rong Taotao said immediately. ”Da Wei, we’ll execute a kiting strategy right from the start. The green field is huge, plenty of room for us to run, and they don’t have Snow Dance.”

”During this process, you’ll provoke them with your Soul Skills, using Frost Fearful Face to keep them activating Fire Gathering. As for me... I’ll provoke them on a verbal level...”

Gao Lingwei: ”...”

It wasn’t that Gao Lingwei didn’t believe in Rong Taotao. On the contrary, she felt that his motormouth could really produce some miraculous effects!

”Thank you, Chunxi.” Rong Taotao turned to Yang Chunxi, looking her straight in the eye with an incredibly sincere expression. ”Without your analysis, Da Wei and I probably wouldn’t have been able to figure out a plan.”

”Heh.” Yang Chunxi smiled radiantly but shook her head. ”No, you would have. I have faith in you two’s intelligence.”

In such a beautiful moment between a benevolent master and her devoted students, who would have thought Rong Taotao would suddenly quip, ”Oh? So you know quality when you see it?”

Yang Chunxi: ”...”

’Are you... already practicing how to provoke your opponents?’

”Er.” Seeing Yang Chunxi’s strange look, Rong Taotao gave an awkward laugh.

Yang Chunxi collected herself, then raised her hand and ruffled Rong Taotao’s head of naturally curly hair. ”Stick to the plan. If you really want to thank me... don’t get hurt. Protect yourselves.”

”Mm-hm...”

...

A recommendation for a friend’s novel, *Ancient Records* by Xiong Lang Gou: ”I thought I’d transmigrated to ancient times and was just thinking about how to get rich... but then I discovered a case of reanimated corpses next door, Taoist priests in the temple are vanquishing demons, and even the village’s wild cats have started talking. And I myself, without even realizing it, have become the most terrifying great demon.”

Also, three Chapters today.

12.17.20.