Master of Nine Stars

The magnificent Ice Pillar Array perfectly countered the Celestial Burial Snow Meteor falling from the sky. Amidst the continuous rumbles in the night sky, a young man’s voice drifted over. "Sis... Yang... Yang Chunxi..."

Yang Chunxi’s heart skipped a beat. She whipped her head around and saw a young man in the distance, clutching a Heaven-piercing Halberd. His face was extremely stiff as if he was struggling to stay conscious. He was flying backward out of the vast darkness, crashing hard against one of the thick ice pillars.

And around the young man’s body, a lotus petal that emitted a strange light seemed to be faintly visible, fluttering and twirling around him like a butterfly.

It was beautiful, but useless.

The previously domineering Cyan Lotus Petal was now like a dispensable ornament around Rong Taotao’s body, having no effect whatsoever.

In front of the backward-flying Rong Taotao, a beast galloped at high speed, trailing wind and snow. "ROAR!!!"

The next moment, the ferocious, wolf-like, snow-white creature suddenly stiffened. A bizarre light flickered in its wild eyes, and its charging body came to an abrupt halt.

"Stop... Stop..." Yang Chunxi’s heart jumped. Her eyes flashed as she stared at the beast’s pupils, whispering softly.

At the same time, Yang Chunxi shot forward and snatched Rong Taotao out of the air.

"Ugh..." Pulled into Yang Chunxi’s embrace, Rong Taotao couldn’t help but groan. No matter how soft his sister-in-law’s arms were, the momentum of the collision still sent a jolt of pain through him.

"Ahuilaboshi!" a Frost Beauty suddenly shouted.

Along with her, the three other Frost Beauties, who had all closed their eyes out of fear of Yang Chunxi, snapped them open and stared in Rong Taotao’s direction.

To be precise, their gazes were locked on the lotus petal floating in front of him!

WHOOSH...

The fierce wind rose again, and a rapidly spinning Snow Dragon Tornado instantly sent Yang Chunxi and Rong Taotao flying.

Yang Chunxi gritted her teeth, holding Rong Taotao tightly and refusing to let go. A layer of frost and snow spread from her, and a Snow Mist Defense Shield firmly protected them both.

The Frost Beauties fighting Si Huan Nian immediately gave up on snatching the Ice Soul Guide’s corpse and charged toward Rong Taotao!

They were fast, but a certain opportunist was even faster!

Rong Taotao, with a lotus petal by his side that he couldn’t use, had clearly become a juicy prize in the eyes of every Snow Realm Soul Beast.

At the edge of the Ice Pillar Array, a long serpent suddenly shot out from one of the thick ice pillars. Its entire body was made of ice crystals that shimmered with a faint glow. It opened its translucent maw and lunged, trying to bite Rong Taotao!

Cha Er’s ice pillars had indeed blocked the Celestial Burial Snow Meteor, a natural disaster-level Soul Skill, but at the same time, those thick pillars also provided a perch for some Soul Beasts.

The Snow Realm was truly a place of immense danger!

CRACK!

Yang Chunxi’s sword rose and fell in a flash. The fierce attack directly shattered the serpent’s translucent head!

"Ugh..." Rong Taotao forced open his groggy eyes. Ever since being pulled into Yang Chunxi’s arms, he felt a sense of security he had never known before.

"Taotao, you..." Yang Chunxi’s voice was filled with shock. Staring at the Lotus Petal floating before him, she didn’t even know where to begin asking questions.

Everyone had been wondering where the Ice Soul Guide’s Lotus Petal had gone. Only now did they realize a kid had run off with it!?

"I can’t hold on." Rong Taotao’s body was weak, and his voice was even weaker.

Although he had been through a lot tonight, even facing a life-or-death moment in the Pine Forest, he still had some fighting strength before touching the lotus. But now...

Yang Chunxi clearly realized the petal was having an adverse effect on Rong Taotao. It was hard to imagine that someone who radiated such a murderous aura could speak so gently. "Go to sleep. I’ll watch over you."

In a daze, Rong Taotao saw the tattered-clothed Li Lie, the disheveled Si Huan Nian, and the sunglass-wearing Cha Er, all of them standing guard in front of Yang Chunxi.

Three of the Pine Soul Four Rites: Wine, Sugar, and Tea.

Having finally found a safe harbor, Rong Taotao’s mind settled. As waves of extreme hunger washed over him from within, his vision went black, and he passed out completely.

Yes... people might not believe it, but Rong Taotao didn’t pass out from his injuries. He fainted from hunger...

...

Three of the Pine Soul Four Rites, along with the "Spring" of the Pine Soul Four Seasons, all stood guard around Rong Taotao. The aura and pressure emanating from the four of them were palpable.

Normally, no one would be willing to provoke such a "top-tier Pine Soul lineup," but...

But this horde of Snow Realm Soul Beasts seemed to have gone mad!

From the snowy ground, from the night sky, and from within the ice pillars, one Snow Realm Soul Beast after another charged crazily toward the "Pine Soul Celestial Corps," truly throwing their lives away!

The lotus petal swirling around Rong Taotao was undoubtedly the culprit.

It was this Supreme Treasure that made the Snow Realm Soul Beasts attack in waves, one after another, their eyes bloodshot with frenzy. The allure of the Nine-Petaled Lotus... was simply too great.

If Rong Taotao had been able to absorb the Nine-Petaled Lotus into his body, he absolutely would not have drawn the siege of more and more Soul Beasts.

However, this siege also had some benefits.

The greedy nature of the Snow Realm Soul Beasts was on full display. As a result, the other students within the Martial Arts Arena were now safe. No Soul Beast paid any mind to the students hiding in the ruins anymore...

"Fight!" Li Lie roared. His clothes were torn, and his body was covered in wounds, but he swung his giant axe once more.

He flung it forward violently!

But the giant battle-axe didn’t fly in a straight line. Instead, it spun rapidly, drawing a moderately-sized circle around the team and clearing away all the surrounding monsters.

Was this an offensive Soul Skill or a defensive one?

Cradling Rong Taotao, Yang Chunxi’s beautiful eyes shimmered. Her captivating gaze swept across the battlefield, displaying an unprecedented air of looking down on all living things.

Wherever her gaze fell, the movements of every Snow Realm Soul Beast would falter for a split second.

On a battlefield where life and death were decided in an instant, even the slightest pause in movement meant losing one’s life.

Especially when your enemies were the Pine Soul Four Rites.

Si Huan Nian went on a rampage!

A true rampage. By the end, it was hard to tell if she was protecting Rong Taotao or just venting her anger...

Facing the Ice Soul Guide who previously possessed the Nine-Petaled Lotus, Si Huan Nian had been meek and cautious. But facing the other Snow Realm Soul Beasts that lacked it, she struck with overwhelming force!

She was like a goddamn War God...

Wherever her white clothes passed, a storm of blood and gore followed.

What was even more terrifying was that Mr. Cha of the Pine Soul Four Rites didn’t participate much in the offense. Instead, he decisively fell back into a support role, continuously stacking buffs on Wine and Sugar and picking off any Snow Realm Soul Beasts the two occasionally missed.

The coordination between this group of four was like a precision killing machine. Not only was their presence astonishing, but their battle record was even more so!

Most Snow Realm Soul Beasts were cruel, bloodthirsty, and savage. Even so, the instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm was still hidden in their bestial DNA.

When group after group of Snow Realm Soul Beasts had fallen at the feet of the "Pine Soul Celestial Corps," their assault finally began to falter...

While the scene was still chaotic, in the far distance at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, a tall figure stood silently behind a white-haired young man.

"My brother said that everything he meticulously planned, everything he gained tonight, was nothing compared to meeting you today, young kinsman."

Xu Taiping’s breath hitched, and he quickly turned his head.

At some unknown point, a tall figure had appeared behind him. He had the same pale, long hair and the same reddish eyes. On his shoulder, he carried the corpse of the young Ice Soul Guide from before.

"A special kinsman. A lost kinsman, raised in human society." The Ice Soul Guide slowly extended a hand. His movements were unhurried, as if he were completely oblivious to the chaotic battlefield.

His deathly pale hand gently rested on Xu Taiping’s short hair. He whispered, "It would look better if you let your hair grow out."

"You..." Xu Taiping started to speak but stopped, his gaze locked on the Ice Soul Guide’s corpse on the newcomer’s shoulder.

The newcomer said that this young Ice Soul Guide was his brother.

But he was like a cold-blooded animal. Carrying his brother’s corpse on his shoulder, his face was expressionless, even apathetic.

"Before he died, he told me many things in his mind." As he spoke, the Ice Soul Guide picked up Xu Taiping’s hand and held it gently. "He told me why the humans didn’t kill you."

Xu Taiping’s expression was stiff. He managed to say, "They hope... I can become a bridge for communication between humans and the Snow Realm Soul Beasts."

"A bridge? Heh." The Ice Soul Guide sneered, turning to look at the chaotic battlefield in the distance and the corpses littering the Martial Arts Arena. "Is a bridge between the two sides even possible anymore?"

Xu Taiping remained silent, unsure how to respond. He had experienced too much and endured too much this night.

The Ice Soul Guide looked directly into Xu Taiping’s red eyes. "And what do you think?"

Xu Taiping hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I... I also want to be a bridge between humanity and the Snow Realm. That’s why I came to Pine Soul Soul Martial."

"Oh?" Xu Taiping’s answer was clearly not what the Ice Soul Guide had expected. His expression grew even colder. "So, are you human, or a Snow Realm Soul Beast?"

"I don’t know. I... I don’t know." Xu Taiping shook his head repeatedly. This soul-crushing question caused Xu Taiping, who had been through a rollercoaster of emotions all night, to completely break down.

Xu Taiping’s eyes reddened as he muttered to himself, "They slaughtered my entire clan, but they also raised me. I see you as invaders, but in my heart, I also see you as my kin. I don’t know, I don’t... I..."

The Ice Soul Guide placed a hand on Xu Taiping’s head, stopping him from shaking it. He forced Xu Taiping’s gaze to meet his own and said, word by word, "Very complex. Very twisted."

"Yes! I am a twisted person! I’ve lived a twisted life ever since I was a child! I don’t even know what I am n—"

SMACK!

Before Xu Taiping could finish, he was struck soundly across the face!

Xu Taiping’s face was a mask of astonishment. His eyes widened as he looked up at the Ice Soul Guide. Everything that had just happened was far beyond his imagination.

The Ice Soul Guide simply raised his hand again and said coolly, "Womanly sentimentality."

SMACK!

Another solid slap!

The deeply insulting action was completely at odds with his placid tone, making this Ice Soul Guide seem like an emotionless machine.

This time, Xu Taiping was no longer astonished. All that remained was fury.

But he had no chance to react. The Ice Soul Guide suddenly grabbed him by the collar and tossed him into the air!?

"SCREE~!" A piercing bird cry rang out as a massive figure swooped down. The monstrous bird’s sharp talons seized Xu Taiping’s body and carried him away into the northern night sky.

With his brother’s corpse still on his shoulder, the Ice Soul Guide shifted it into a more comfortable position and murmured softly, "You said you were lucky to have met him... I have my doubts."

What happened next was very strange.

Countless Snow Realm Soul Beasts, their eyes bloodshot, were attacking in waves, trying to seize the Snow Realm Treasure. Yet the one who should have possessed the lotus... or rather, the one most qualified to inherit it, did not participate.

The Ice Soul Guides had an extremely clear understanding of their role within their race. With the flower and without it were two completely different modes of conduct. The moment his brother lost that lotus petal, the seemingly emotionless younger brother knew exactly what he had to do.

The Ice Soul Guide simply started walking. Completely ignoring the chaotic battlefield in the distance, he carried the corpse northward, his figure gradually disappearing into the night.