Master of Nine Stars

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~

A knock sounded at the locker room door, followed by a staff member’s voice. ”Gao Lingwei, Rong Taotao, please follow me to the arena!”

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei glanced at each other. He suddenly said, ”Two more matches.”

Gao Lingwei nodded lightly.

Beside them, Xia Fangran spoke up. ”That makes sense. Win or lose, whether you’re fighting for first and second or third and fourth, there are still two matches left. Heh heh, Taotao certainly knows his limits~”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

’Is that what I meant!?’ he thought, glaring at Xia Fangran in annoyance.

’I was trying to boost our morale, to fire up my teammate, and you... you damn Xia Yin Yang...’

Rong Taotao followed Gao Lingwei out, muttering under his breath, ”No wonder you can’t find a girlfriend.”

Xia Fangran: ”Huh?”

Rong Taotao pushed the door open, stopped in the doorway, and turned back to Xia Fangran. ”I’ve heard Yin Yang Masters are cursed with one of the Five Harms and Three Deficiencies. You must have gotten the ’dying old and wifeless’ one.”

Xia Fangran: ???

Seeing things were about to go south, Rong Taotao grabbed Gao Lingwei’s hand and bolted.

Xia Fangran: ”You little brat!”

Ever since the competition began, Rong Taotao had never had to sprint through this dim players’ tunnel...

It turned out the players’ tunnel was surprisingly long. The light at the exit in the distance seemed so far away, as if he could run forever and never reach it...

THUD!

A solid kick from Xia Fangran landed on Rong Taotao’s rear, sending him flying out of the players’ tunnel. He landed face-first on the green field, which was mixed with Shuangxue, and ate a mouthful of dirt.

For a moment, the tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium were all stunned.

They had all been watching the entrance, waiting to welcome the students for the match, but they never expected Rong Taotao to... uh, come flying out?

”What’s going on? Was Rong Taotao attacked!?” Dai Liunian slammed a hand on the table, his face full of displeasure. But when he saw Xia Fangran and Yang Chunxi emerge behind him, he relaxed slightly. ”Oh, there are two Pine Soul teachers following them. Never mind then...”

”PTUI! PTUI!” Rong Taotao spat out a mouthful of turf. He shot a resentful look at Xia Fangran before obediently walking to the sideline to have the small microphone attached, looking utterly wronged.

Su Wan’s lips twitched in embarrassment. She did her best to smooth things over, showcasing her professionalism as a host. ”It seems the teachers at Songjiang Soul Martial University are very strict, not forgetting to demand the best from their students and discipline them even during the national competition...”

Dai Liunian stared at the monitor in front of him with a curious expression, watching the close-up on Rong Taotao. He voiced the question on everyone’s mind. ”What on earth just happened? I really want to know.”

Who would have thought Su Wan would suddenly quip, ”Well, with a name like Taotao, you’d expect a little mischief~”

Dai Liunian: ”Uh...”

On the sidelines, Gao Lingwei had a chiding smile on her face as she watched the still-muttering Rong Taotao. Hearing phrases like ”some people getting away with murder,” she reached out, brushed the grass clippings and Shuangxue off his clothes, and then pushed him onto the field.

On the bench, Xia Fangran plopped down, a peculiar expression on his face. He turned to Yang Chunxi and asked, ”What that kid said was pretty mysterious, wasn’t it? Is there any truth to it?”

Yang Chunxi: ”...”

’What damn truth could there be? Are you a real Yin Yang Master?’

’They genuinely peer into the secrets of fate, and that’s why they suffer heavenly retribution. You’re just a sarcastic loudmouth. It’s not heaven’s turn to come for you yet...’

”A very peculiar entrance. You’re already famous; people know who you are. You don’t need to resort to methods like that.” On the west side of the field, Chen Muge said with a smile.

Rong Taotao looked at the two brothers, Chen Zhaowu and Chen Muge, from afar. Both had short, spiky hair that seemed to stand on end, giving them a very energetic look.

The two were tall and well-built, with features as neat as if carved by an axe. Their eyes weren’t large, but they were brimming with the desire to fight.

In fact, what drew Rong Taotao’s attention the most were the brothers’ earlobes. They each wore an earring—he couldn’t tell what material it was, but it was quite shiny. One was on the left ear, the other on the right. Paired with their bluish-purple competition uniforms, it created... well, a rather strange charm.

Were they handsome? Not exactly gorgeous, but their fair, clean-cut looks could easily make a good impression. Add in the aura of a Soul Martial Artist, and they probably had no trouble attracting girls, right?

”What a shame.” Rong Taotao sized up the Chen Brothers and couldn’t help but shake his head.

Chen Muge’s smile faded, and his brow furrowed slightly. ”What do you mean?”

Rong Taotao wore a look of regret. ”You’re so fair-skinned and chubby, really quite likable. Why couldn’t you just let it be? Why did you have to be so provocative?”

His expression was just like that of a father-in-law picking out a son-in-law.

Hearing this, the older brother, Chen Zhaowu, froze for a second and subconsciously looked down at his own body.

’Me? Chubby?’

Ever since he awakened as a Soul Martial Artist, no one had ever used that word to describe him.

The younger brother, Chen Muge, however, was completely unfazed by Rong Taotao’s words.

He just grinned. ”I’ve watched the Outer Region finals over and over again.”

Rong Taotao: ”Hm?”

Chen Muge stated candidly, ”Among my peers, I’ve rarely seen such a soul-stirring battle. What’s even more terrifying is that you’re not even my peer.”

Rong Taotao looked at Chen Muge’s composed and open demeanor, mentally overlapping this image with the provocative one from the earlier interview.

”Throughout this entire national competition, my goal has always been the two of you. Even the Wanqi Siblings had to take a backseat. I’m very lucky. I’ve finally met you.”

Chen Muge paused, then continued, word by word, ”I want a battle like that. I *crave* a battle like that.”

Beside him, a quiet voice drifted from Gao Lingwei’s lips. ”You’ll die.”

”Hahahaha.” Chen Muge suddenly let out a hearty laugh. ”But I’d be bringing it upon myself, wouldn’t I?”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

Chen Muge: ”Life, for people like us, is an experience, isn’t it?

Unlike others, I want to feel everything—the good and the bad.

Three months ago, you appeared on my radar. Without a doubt, it was a gift from life itself. And now, by the grace of the heavens, you’ve truly come to stand before me.”

Rong Taotao scratched his head. ’This kid’s a little self-centered, huh?’

’My appearance is a gift from life to *you*? This is...’

Every word Chen Muge spoke revolved around ”I.” His perspective always started from ”I.”

And his brother, Chen Zhaowu, seemed completely used to it all. He hadn’t said a word from the beginning and appeared to have no thoughts of his own.

Chen Muge: ”Tell me, Rong Taotao, what do you need?”

Rong Taotao looked bewildered. ”Huh?”

Chen Muge: ”I told you, I watched your Outer Region final over and over. When that flower petal appeared, you looked stunned too. That means the situation was unexpected for you, and it also means you currently lack the ability to control that petal. So... tell me. What do I need to do to see that flower petal? Do I need to anger you? In the Outer Region final, it seems that’s what your opponent did.”

Rong Taotao pondered for a moment. ”You want to lose that badly?”

”Victory, defeat... none of that matters. It’s just a means to an end,” Chen Muge said dismissively. ”Just as defeating all my opponents was just a means to meet you.”

Rong Taotao nodded. ”And my and the Lotus’s existence is also just a means to an end for you—a way to add a peculiar sensation to your life.”

Upon hearing this, not only was Chen Muge stunned, but even Chen Zhaowu and Gao Lingwei were taken aback.

The next moment, the smile on Chen Muge’s face grew wider, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

”TWEET~ TWEET!” The referee suddenly blew his whistle, looking from one team to the other. ”Are the students from both sides ready?”

But Chen Muge, as if he hadn’t heard the referee’s question, demanded again, ”Tell me, Rong Taotao, what do I need to do?”

Beside him, his brother Chen Zhaowu raised a hand and nodded at the referee.

The referee hesitated for a moment, then turned to Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei with an inquisitive look.

Rong Taotao flashed his signature smile and gave the referee a thumbs-up.

”Begin the match!” The referee’s flag swung down sharply.

”Tell me! Rong Taotao, what exactly do I have to do?” Chen Muge persisted, demanding loudly once more.

A Snow-made Heaven-piercing Halberd materialized in Rong Taotao’s hand. He charged forward with Gao Lingwei and said in a low voice, ”Actually, you’ve already done it.”

”Oh? Have I?” With a casual swipe of his hand, Chen Muge scattered a splash of water droplets, and a Water-made Two-Handed Greatsword appeared in his palm.

The two brothers were clearly Starfield Soul Martial Artists, but it was obvious their Ocean Soul Technique had also reached the 2-star level, because the Ocean Soul Skill: Sea Soul was a skill that required at least 2 stars to execute.

Without a doubt, all the Soul Slots in their bodies were embedded with Starfield Soul Pearl skills. After all, their Starfield Soul Technique was at 3 stars, allowing them to use elite-level Starfield Soul Skills.

If they were to embed Ocean Soul Pearls, they could only use Excellent Level Ocean Soul Skills, which was obviously not ideal.

Rong Taotao said in a low voice, ”Yes, you’ve already done it!”

”Good! Let me see what it looks like!” Chen Muge’s eyes shone brightly. He gripped the greatsword with both hands, swung it behind him, and brought it cleaving down in a graceful arc from back to front!

WHOOSH...

Elite Level: Star Cross Slash!

His very first move was a grand spectacle!

What was even more interesting was that the Starfield Soul Skill, Star Cross Slash, was being executed using the Ocean Soul Skill: Sea Soul’s Two-Handed Greatsword...

In an instant, a massive Star Cross, at least two meters tall, charged forward recklessly. It tore through the green turf and sent layers of Shuangxue flying as it hurtled straight toward Gao Lingwei.

Chen Muge broke into a sprint, following behind the cross he had just cleaved, and charged toward Rong Taotao’s position. ”Give me a real battle!!!”

Rong Taotao’s voice was soft, so soft that the microphone didn’t even pick it all up. ”Give you? No, none of this has anything to do with you...”

’I don’t care how long you’ve been watching me from the shadows, nor how long you’ve been waiting and yearning.’

’To me, you’re just another ordinary opponent, insignificant.’

’My opponent could be you, or it could be someone else. You’re the same as every other team in the national competition. You all share the same name: Opponent.’

’And now, you’re telling me... that my existence is to add splendor to your life? That the Lotus’s existence is for you to experience a unique sensation?’

Rong Taotao stomped his foot and leaped into the air. His Long Halberd lit up, and his body shot forward like a javelin, piercing straight through the top-left gap of the Star Cross, its sharp Ironspear Point aimed directly at Chen Muge!

’So... who the hell do you think you are!?’