Master of Nine Stars

An extra Chapter for the Alliance Leader ”Someone Who Doesn’t Like Fish.”

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”Whoa! What a beautiful opening scene!”

”They’re fighting! They’re fighting!”

”The Snow Realm duo actually dared to charge. I didn’t see that coming... Can Gao Lingwei’s Lifebound Soul Beast take the hit?”

Murmurs rippled through the audience. In the center circle of the green field, the three figures closing in on each other created a beautiful tableau for the spectators!

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei, one to the left and one to the right, leaped into the air, vaulting through the gaps on either side of the Star Cross.

The beautiful, yet menacing, cross missed them, intersecting with the two figures as they thrust straight forward!

And those two Snow Halberds were exceptionally vicious!

Gao Lingwei thrusted her halberd at Chen Muge’s face while Rong Taotao aimed for his heart, threatening to end him in a single blow!

Of course, Chen Muge was no pushover. He had charged forward alone, not even waiting for his brother to get into position. He clearly had a few tricks up his sleeve.

”Is that all you’ve got!?” Chen Muge roared. Gripping his greatsword with both hands, he swung it in front of his face, parrying the Long Halberd Gao Lingwei had aimed at his head. With that motion, Chen Muge turned sideways, a cold glint covering his shoulder as he surged forward!

Starfield Soul Skill, Excellent Level: Star Shield Charge!

CLANG!

A crisp sound rang out as the snow-forged Ironspear Point met the Star Shield on his shoulder, producing a sound like clashing steel.

”Come on! Fight me one-on-one!” Having activated Star Shield Charge, Chen Muge blocked Rong Taotao’s incoming Ironspear Point with his shoulder and, like a savage bull rush, sent him flying backward.

”Your opponent is me!” The usually silent Chen Zhaowu suddenly bellowed. Having reached the center circle, he swung his greatsword from behind him in a vicious cleave at Gao Lingwei!

”Taotao!” Gao Lingwei cried out, and then... she jumped?

For a moment, everyone was stunned.

’The match just started, and she’s already leaving such a huge opening?’

Most Soul Captain-tier Soul Martial Artists couldn’t change direction mid-air. If you dared to jump, your opponent would seize the chance to beat you senseless... Huh?

As Gao Lingwei leaped high into the air, the horizontal bar of the cross-shaped attack grazed the soles of her shoes. It was a hair’s breadth away!

At that exact moment, an exquisite hand made of snow suddenly shot out from the thin layer of snow covering the field.

Now that’s what you call a crowd-control Divine Skill!

As he flew backward, Rong Taotao thrust his left hand up, controlling the Snow Charm Demon’s hand as it burst from the snow. It grabbed Gao Lingwei’s ankle and swung her down toward him!

A layer of frost immediately appeared on Gao Lingwei’s face.

Snow Realm Soul Skill, Excellent Level: Frost Fearful Face!

Chen Muge frantically pursued the backward-flying Rong Taotao, shouting, ”What are you still waiting for!?”

In front of the retreating Rong Taotao was the challenging Chen Muge. And behind Chen Muge, Gao Lingwei was stabbing down fiercely from above!

On the grass behind Gao Lingwei, Chen Zhaowu’s expression changed drastically!

He stopped in his tracks, but didn’t seem to make a move.

No... he did. He... he took control of his brother’s body!

The fiercely charging Chen Muge suddenly swerved to the side, and the illusory Patterned Mask grazed past him, narrowly missing.

Not only did Chen Zhaowu make his brother dodge, but at the very same moment, he had him stomp a foot down hard!

BANG!

A shockwave erupted, sending shattered starlight flying!

Starfield Soul Skill: Star-Stepping Split!

A thin layer of frost quickly appeared on Gao Lingwei’s body. As she stabbed down from the air, she was clearly prepared to tank the Star-Stepping Split. However...

Another elegant Snow Charm Demon hand burst from the snow. Its arm seemed to stretch infinitely as it shot up from the ground, catching Gao Lingwei by the waist and lifting her a full two meters higher.

Gao Lingwei reacted in a flash. As she flew over Chen Muge’s head, she flicked her wrist, launching her Heaven-piercing Halberd like a javelin straight at his face!

”Petty tricks!” Chen Muge scoffed, quickly raising a hand in front of his face.

At some point, three Star Balls had appeared on his wrist. Before they could even begin to rotate, one was pierced by the incoming Heaven-piercing Halberd.

BOOM...

The terrifying explosion sent Chen Muge stumbling back several steps. A flurry of shattered stars danced before him, while the remaining two balls continued to rotate around his wrist.

This defensive skill, which wasn’t truly defensive, could be described as using offense for defense.

The exploding starlight wouldn’t harm the Caster—it would only merge back into his body. But the shockwave from the explosion was still enough to throw the Caster off balance.

Finally regaining control of his body, Chen Muge held his sword in one hand and thrust his other hand forward.

His vision was obscured by the dancing starlight, and he could only vaguely make out a figure ahead. But he paid it no mind, unleashing the Star Wave Stream from his palm and sending it surging forward!

Gao Lingwei, having landed steadily, and Rong Taotao, who had slid to a stop, simultaneously reached out with their right hands and pushed each other’s left shoulder...

The two moved sideways in unison, and the powerful Star Wave Stream grazed past their chests as it shot by...

The fierce blast of air messed up Rong Taotao’s naturally curly hair and sent Gao Lingwei’s long hair flying...

Dai Liunian stared dumbfounded at the screen before him, watching the close-up of the pair. ”Their synergy is incredible,” he muttered. ”It’s simply perfect. They even think alike!”

”We know that even though they both have forehead Soul Skills, they don’t have telepathy. So for a move like that... Heavens, that was just so unbelievably cool!”

Su Wan clenched her fists, her voice trembling. ”They’re facing Starfield Soul Martial Artists, but... but they’re utterly fearless. It’s not just a lack of fear; it’s their composure...”

Dai Liunian was also full of praise. ”If they had been hit by that Star Cross or the Star Wave Stream, the consequences would have been unimaginable!”

”Gao Lingwei, Rong Taotao... I don’t even know how to descri... That’s it! They’re two people dancing on a razor’s edge!”

”And yet they make it look so effortless! This is what it means to be as smooth as flowing water, a true delight to watch!”

”Do they truly not realize the level of damage output they’re facing... Huh?”

A shout in his earpiece cut Dai Liunian off. It was Chen Muge, yelling, ”Rong Taotao! Give me a real fight!”

”Wooooo~” Suddenly, the wail of a Resentful Soul echoed as a white Fog Mass plunged headfirst into the swirling starlight.

Chen Muge hastily dodged to the side, his figure emerging from the chaos of shattered starlight.

Rong Taotao’s expression was grim. He immediately hurled his halberd. ”SWOOSH!”

At the exact same time, Rong Taotao’s footing became unsteady, and his body began to sway violently!

Not far behind him, Chen Zhaowu stomped his foot down hard!

Starfield Soul Skill, Excellent Level: Chaotic Star Shock!

Turbulent currents of rapidly spinning Star Force erupted beneath Rong Taotao’s feet, producing an effect identical to an earthquake. As he wavered, the Heaven-piercing Halberd he had just thrown went wide.

Unlike the straightforward Frost Fearful Face, the Snow Grudge Spirit was relentless, continuing its pursuit of Chen Muge.

And in the rear, Chen Zhaowu was proving just as relentless!

Though he was a damage-focused Starfield Soul Martial Artist, his support plays were excellent, and his timing was impeccable.

Seeing Rong Taotao staggering, Chen Zhaowu immediately swung his greatsword down, once again unleashing a fierce Star Cross Slash straight at him!

BANG!

”Look out!” With an explosive sound, Gao Lingwei casually raised her hand. Holding back most of her power, she formed an Excellent Level Snow Burst Ball and blasted Rong Taotao away. Simultaneously, she tensed her long legs and leaped backward, dodging the swiftly approaching Star Cross.

”DIE!!!” Chen Zhaowu seemed to have gone mad, unleashing a furious barrage from the rear. He swung his Two-Handed Greatsword in wide arcs again and again, sending a stream of Star Cross Slashes straight at Gao Lingwei!

In an instant, the air was filled with flying frost and snow. Blades of grass were torn from the ground, and the battlefield itself became a chaotic blur.

Gao Lingwei demonstrated astonishing combat awareness. Her figure continuously dodged and weaved, even twisting in mid-air like a corkscrew as she leaped to evade one Star Cross after another.

To some, it looked as if Gao Lingwei was merely showing off the elegant lines of her body.

But to others, she was walking the line between life and death. Every movement, every dodge, made the spectators’ hearts pound in their chests!

”So... this is it.” For some reason, Chen Muge stopped shouting. He seemed to have lost interest, and his voice was filled with disappointment.

He moved, dodging the pursuing Snow Grudge Spirit without giving it so much as a glance.

He just stared at Rong Taotao, his face a mask of disappointment.

At the very beginning of the match, Rong Taotao had said, ”You’ve already succeeded,” but in truth... Rong Taotao couldn’t back it up.

Just as he’d suspected, Rong Taotao couldn’t summon his Lotus Petal. It had been some time since the match began. On the surface, it looked like an even exchange of blows, but in reality, Rong Taotao had been constantly on the defensive, retreating. He was nothing like the person who had fought in the Outer Region finals.

’Has he lost his former prowess?’

’Or was that final match just a fluke? Was he just lucky enough to be graced by the Lotus Petal?’

”It seems my expectations for you were a bit too high. Maybe it was just like you said, a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence.” Chen Muge tightened his grip on his Two-Handed Greatsword. Ignoring the Snow Grudge Spirit at his back, he strode forward, charging straight for Rong Taotao. ”Since you can’t give me the fight I want, you can go and fight for third place!”

But in that very instant, Chen Muge’s eyes suddenly lit up.

His gaze burned with an incredible fervor, because a turquoise ”butterfly” had just flown out from Rong Taotao’s chest.

Two Lotus Petals flapped their beautiful ”wings,” dancing gracefully in front of him.

Rong Taotao’s expression was so dark it looked like it could drip water, and his voice was terrifyingly grim. ”Come and get it. Here’s what you wanted!”

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Three Chapters today. There is one more to come.