Master of Nine Stars

”Ugh...” In the distance, Rong Taotao let out a pained groan.

He had been bombarded by the fire phoenix formation and sent flying a great distance. He tumbled across the ground over and over, his body caked in scorched earth, carving a long trail in his wake.

Around him lay the shattered remains of the Corpse Fire Camel. As its Soul Power dissipated, the burning skeleton quietly vanished.

Rong Taotao shook his head hard, trying to clear it.

’But... why? Why can’t I hear anything?’

’Have I lost my hearing?’

’No, that can’t be right. Why is the world so quiet...?’

Rong Taotao forced open his groggy eyes, only to feel the world spin as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

Although the fire phoenixes hadn’t hit him directly, he had been within their blast radius and endured the shockwave of such a massive explosion. He was completely dazed by the blast.

”Ah!”

”Look out!!!”

”No, don’t! Gao Lingwei, get out of the way!”

Suddenly, the faint sound of a commotion reached Rong Taotao’s ears.

He knew that he should have been hearing a deafening roar, but now, the sounds were like the buzzing of distant mosquitoes.

Rong Taotao pushed himself up with one hand. As he struggled to his feet, pieces of his tattered, scorched clothes flaked off, revealing bruised, blackened, and bloodied skin underneath.

Through his blurry vision,

he could make out a figure charging swiftly forward, lunging at a crimson silhouette.

’It looks like... another rider is cutting her off... intercepting...’

”Da Wei,” Rong Taotao murmured, his blurry vision gradually coming into focus.

”Die!” Gao Lingwei’s face was utterly savage. Her sharp eyes seemed completely oblivious to Wanqi Wu charging at her from the side!?

Wanqi Wu’s expression changed drastically. He spurred the skeletal beast beneath him onward, thrusting his Long Shuo out violently. ”Gao Lingwei!!!”

Wanqi Yan’s head had cleared considerably. Wielding her Flaming Long Spear, she swept it horizontally at Gao Lingwei, attempting to parry the incoming Long Halberd.

Wanqi Yan didn’t retreat, because her brother, Wanqi Wu, was already charging in to attack!

Wanqi Yan knew that as long as she blocked this one attack, her brother, Wanqi Wu, would be able to cut down Gao Ling—

”Woooo... wooooo...” In that instant, the miserable wail of a Resentful Soul echoed.

Wanqi Yan’s face stiffened!

The Flaming Long Spear in her hands—her Soul Skill, Fire Soul—had suddenly vanished!

Snow Realm Soul Skill - Elite-Tier: Resentful Spirit Entanglement!

When a target entangled by this skill attempts to use any Soul Skill, there is a chance they will be affected by a Snow Grudge Spirit and fail to cast.

With the Flaming Long Spear she was sweeping forward having disappeared, there was no longer any question of parrying Gao Lingwei’s Heaven-piercing Halberd!

At this moment, in Wanqi Yan’s blazing eyes, the entire world seemed to slow down.

Everything was in slow motion.

Gao Lingwei’s Snow Halberd passed through a shower of dissipating flames, meeting no resistance as it shot past Wanqi Yan’s empty hands and straight toward her chest.

”SHINK!!!”

In an instant, a flower of blood bloomed on Wanqi Yan’s chest!

”THUD!!!”

With a tremendous impact, Wanqi Wu arrived on his mount, his Long Shuo sending Gao Lingwei flying.

This was the charge of a heavy cavalryman!

Gao Lingwei had been in the middle of the arena, but she was blasted away like a cannonball at an astonishing speed!

And this was with her wearing Iron Snow Armor.

Without the Iron Snow Armor, she would have been impaled by Wanqi Wu’s Long Shuo and skewered like a human shish kebab!

”My sister!” Wanqi Wu’s face contorted. He ignored the Corpse Fire Camel beneath him, leaping off and landing heavily on the ground before turning to run toward Wanqi Yan.

”THUD...”

Along with Wanqi Wu’s horrified shout came the sound of Gao Lingwei crashing heavily into the defensive barrier at the edge of the arena. Her Frost Snow Armor even began to crack and shatter!

”Ling Wei!” Yang Chunxi’s heart ached. Seeing the extremely pained, almost contorted expression on Gao Lingwei’s face after her Frost Snow Armor fell away, Yang Chunxi rushed over.

”TWEET! TWEET!” The referee’s shrill whistle blew. ”Dajiang Soul Martial, one combatant injured and unable to continue the fight! Cease combat!

Pine Soul Soul Martial, one combatant out of bounds! Withdraw from combat!”

For a moment, the stadium was utterly silent!

An accident caused by a moment of distraction on the battlefield, a chain reaction triggered by a single, tiny mistake!

No one would ever question Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei’s ability to seize an opportunity.

In match after match, people had seen it with their own eyes: every time the pair capitalized on an opponent’s mistake, they would snowball it into a massive advantage.

And now, Gao Lingwei had disregarded her own safety. With Wanqi Wu in a desperate frenzy, she had also put her life on the line and forced a confrontation with Wanqi Yan!

In truth, Wanqi Yan had already reacted and mounted a defense. Things shouldn’t have ended up like this. But that lingering, malevolent spirit, with its one heart-wrenching wail, had completely turned the tables...

「On the field.」

Wanqi Wu watched, dumbfounded, as his sister was carried off the field. He never could have imagined the situation would turn out like this.

And on the other side of the arena, Rong Taotao—scorched black, his clothes in tatters, and covered in wounds—was also gazing from afar at Gao Lingwei, who was surrounded by medical staff at the edge of the field...

The host, Su Wan, seemed to be tearing up. Perhaps because she had been the designated host for Gao and Rong’s matches and had witnessed their growth all this time, she couldn’t help but be a little biased.

Su Wan clenched her fists, her voice trembling. ”Gao Lingwei is just an 18-year-old girl. At the end of the day, she’s only a Second Year of College student. And she’s a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist...”