Master of Nine Stars

“Heh…” Rong Taotao couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh. In his entire life, he had never seen a Soul Beast Army with such awe-inspiring momentum, so majestic and mighty.

Even the Corpse Tide from moments ago, which was like a Natural Disaster, paled in comparison to the Soul Beast Army before him.

A solid formation of Moon Leopards and Snow Lion Tigers stood at the army’s vanguard. Beneath the pitch-black night sky, their countless pairs of crimson eyes were utterly terrifying!

How could these solitary Hunters have their instincts suppressed, to be turned into pack animals?

What kind of iron-fisted methods must the commanding general possess to achieve such a feat? ‘This is simply incredible…’

In the forest to one side, countless eerie figures shifted about. The occasional cry of an ape could be heard—it seemed to be the army of Bandit Snow Monkeys led by the Pirate Leader Snow Ape.

As far as the eye could see, there was a phalanx of Frost Beauties riding Snow Night Shocks, a phalanx of Frost Death Warriors, and even a phalanx of Snow Prison Warriors. There was also the Snow Corpses and Ghosts phalanx led by Snow General Candle, as well as a small squad of Snow Monks floating in mid-air…

Within the army, the Snow General Candle phalanx at the rear was clearly absorbing the retreating Snow Corpses and Ghosts.

Countless translucent orbs of frost and snow swirled within their ranks. The Snow Grudge Spirits glared with venomous eyes, their mouths uttering painful murmurs, adding another layer of terror to the army.

The Soul Beast Army was like a Black Cloud, its overwhelming presence so suffocating it was hard to breathe.

Behind Chenlong, Fu Tiance’s mouth hung open, his eyes wide with disbelief.

‘Soul Beast Armies are usually a motley crew!’

‘But in this army… humanoid units make up almost over seventy percent!’

‘What does that even mean!?’

‘Without a doubt, this is the fucking elite of the elite!’

‘A single Snow Monk is more than enough to handle, and that squad has seven of them!?’

‘No… wait, in the central core squad, on top of that Trampling Snow Rhinoceros, there’s another Snow Monk…’

“Frost Beauties, Snow Prison Warriors…” Gao Lingwei pursed her lips. “Aren’t they all neutral species?”

Fu Tiance said, “They might be neutral on Earth. But these are Soul Beasts from the Snow Realm Vortex. They’ve never had contact with humans, so the issue of treaties doesn’t apply.”

Cheng Border suddenly spoke up. “I’ve been to the Snow Realm Vortex many times. I’ve never seen the proud Snow Prison Warriors submit to another’s command, nor have I seen them willingly join forces with other species to serve as mere soldiers.”

The people providing backup for Rong Taotao were whispering amongst themselves, their hearts trembling. Ahead of them, Rong Taotao, with the help of the Snowball Cat, locked his gaze on Xu Taiping, who stood atop the Trampling Snow Rhinoceros.

The two men stared at each other, their gazes burning.

One stood at the center of the majestic Soul Beast Army; the other stood before the colossal Tree Castle, which glowed with a green luminescence.

The scene… was truly spectacular.

“So, you’re alive,” Rong Taotao said.

Rong Taotao had never imagined that when they met again, these would be the first words spoken.

Standing atop the Trampling Snow Rhinoceros, Xu Taiping responded with a grunt. “Mm.”

Rong Taotao shook his vicious warthog mask, flinging off beads of sweat. “Where are you headed? The Third Wall?”

Xu Taiping replied, “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Heh.” Rong Taotao smirked. “Your whole life is one deep-seated grudge. If you’re not headed to human society for revenge, where else would you go?”

Xu Taiping repeated, “Maybe. Maybe not.”

Rong Taotao remained noncommittal. As he put the vicious warthog mask back on, his muffled voice came from within: “You know the Lotus Petal is in my possession. I snatched it from your people.”

“So, if you want to break past me to get to the Third Wall, you’ll have to pay a price.”

Xu Taiping’s gaze darkened. “You don’t need to remind me about the Lotus Petal.”

Rong Taotao gave a casual shrug. “I know my limits. I know I can’t stop all of you, but someone will definitely die by my Lotus Petal.”

“And I wonder… will it be you?”

Behind him, the group’s eyes were fixed on Rong Taotao’s back. Their emotions were in turmoil, and they weren’t even sure how they should feel as they watched this scene unfold.

Not everyone has the courage to stand alone between two armies.

The sheer presence of the Soul Beast Army was overwhelming enough to scare a person witless, make their knees buckle, and render them unable to even stand.

And yet, under the gazes of hundreds, thousands… perhaps even tens of thousands of Soul Beasts, Rong Taotao calmly adjusted his mask and, in the most casual tone, delivered the most brutal of threats.

*And I wonder… will it be you?*

Xu Taiping clenched his fists, his crimson eyes fixed on Rong Taotao as he forced the words through gritted teeth, “I’ll give you a way out.”

“Oh?” Rong Taotao paused. “What, are you turning back?”

Xu Taiping said, “Leave the Bailing Tree Maiden clan behind, and you can get lost.”

Hearing this, Chenlong and the others frowned deeply.

‘What does he mean, “leave the Bailing Tree Maiden clan behind”? Does he intend to absorb their clan into the Soul Beast Army?’

‘No, that’s absolutely impossible!’

‘The Soul Beast Army’s purpose is slaughter and plunder, whereas the Bailing Tree Maidens are inherently gentle creatures. Their very existence is incompatible with the Soul Beast Army’s actions and ideology.’

‘So, does he want them left behind just to be slaughtered?’

‘What use would the Soul Beast Army have for the Bailing Tree Maidens’ Soul Pearls? They’re Soul Beasts themselves; they can’t use Soul Pearls. This…’

However, the presence of the Snow Prison Warrior clan within the Soul Beast Army gave Fu Tiance a bad feeling.

This species was so proud it refused to cooperate with other races, let alone submit to a master. Their exclusionary nature was well-known. Most importantly, they had one very distinct characteristic: they refused to bully the weak.