Master of Nine Stars

In the pitch-black of night, wind and snow howled past their ears.

Rong Taotao’s Soul Technique level wasn’t high. Though his Soul Power offered some resistance to the bitter cold, the wind, laden with snow, still felt like a thousand tiny knives against his face—sharp and bone-chilling.

He reached out, pinching the corner of Gao Lingwei’s clothes, and leaned forward to hide his head behind her back.

Gao Lingwei turned her head. Seeing Rong Taotao playing ostrich behind her to hide from the blizzard, she couldn’t help but smile. "I’m quite familiar with your Lifebound Soul Beast. You should get to know mine as well."

"Oh," Rong Taotao said casually. "I’m pretty familiar with Snow Night Shock. Is yours any different?"

Gao Lingwei replied, "To you, perhaps not. But to me, he’s one of a kind."

Rong Taotao said, "Hmm..."

Gao Lingwei continued, "His strength grows with mine. He’s currently a Tier 3, Elite-level creature. His Snow Charge and Snow Step are at Tier 2, Excellent Level, but they should reach the Elite level soon."

A thought suddenly struck Rong Taotao.

He’d considered it before. The Soul Skill: Snow Burst, when learned by a human, had a maximum Potential Value of three stars, meaning its highest possible level was Elite.

But if a Soul Martial Artist absorbed a Soul Beast that knew Snow Burst and made it their Lifebound Soul Beast, the beast’s potential would be infinitely elevated by the martial artist. Consequently, the Potential Value of its Soul Skills would also skyrocket.

This meant that while a human Soul Martial Artist couldn’t cast Snow Burst above the Elite level, their Lifebound Soul Beast could.

’Take me, for instance. If my Lifebound Soul Beast were a Snowflake Wolf, would the potential of its Snow Burst be raised to six stars?’

Gao Lingwei continued, "His name is Hu Bugui."

Rong Taotao was a bit stunned, his train of thought instantly derailed. "What did you say?"

’Don’t people usually give their pets cutesy names like Pipi or something?’

’Why would Gao Lingwei give her Lifebound Soul Beast such a mouthful of a name?’

Gao Lingwei repeated, "Hu Bugui."

Hiding behind Gao Lingwei, Rong Taotao thought for a moment before saying, "As in ’Fading, fading, why not return?’"

Gao Lingwei pursed her lips, her expression growing complex. "Mm."

Rong Taotao asked curiously, "Is there a story behind the name?"

"AWOOO..."

"AWOOOO~!!!"

Several terrifying howls suddenly echoed from the vast, swirling snow, sounding especially chilling in the dark of the blizzard.

The sudden turn of events cut their conversation short.

Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao immediately tensed, their eyes scanning the surroundings.

But in such harsh weather, they couldn’t see a thing.

THUD-THUD-THUD...

To the rhythmic thud of hooves, Snow Night Shock galloped through the dark, snowy night. They never expected that not even ten minutes into their journey, they would be targeted by hunters lurking in the storm.

Gao Lingwei’s expression was grim. Covering her mouth and nose with one hand, she said, "We must have been targeted by a Snowflake Wolf Pack."

Rong Taotao’s face fell as well. The howls came from scattered directions. ’Does that mean a wolf pack has us surrounded?’

Gao Lingwei’s voice was exceptionally grave. "Be ready to fight at any moment. They’re likely coordinating their forces. A lone wolf is easy to handle, but a pack is another matter entirely.

They’re organized and disciplined. And since they don’t fear sacrifice, they’re difficult to intimidate or force into retreat."

The situation was serious. Very serious.

In high school, Gao Lingwei had come here to train many times on school-organized trips.

But back then, it was always during the day, and never in a blizzard of this magnitude. Teachers and students stayed together, watching out for one another.

But here, surrounded by a wolf pack, the mental trial was far more daunting than any physical test.

The blizzard was too fierce, the night too dark.

For a Soul Martial Artist, the environment was as hostile as it could get. But for a Snow Realm Soul Beast, it was paradise.

The blizzard not only served as their camouflage, but their sight range was also far greater than that of a human Soul Martial Artist!

Amid the terrifying howls and the shrieking wind, Gao Lingwei suddenly asked, "Are you scared?"

Rong Taotao was silent.

’Scared?’

’Yeah... a little.’

It wasn’t a fear of ghouls or ghosts, but a fear of the unknown.

The moment the wolves attacked and a fight broke out, his fear would vanish. The most terrifying part was not being able to start the battle himself, being forced to passively wait for the hunt to begin.

This agonizing wait for the unknown was torture.

’How many wolves are in the pack? In this pitch-black night, are there other hunters lurking, waiting for a chance to ambush us?’

This feeling of being "blind" was awful. Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists had no Perception-type Soul Skills they could learn on their own.

’If I could develop a Soul Skill that lets you see through a blizzard, my name would go down in history! It would be a skill that could completely change the current plight of Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists!’

The very reason human Soul Martial Artists had been unable to conquer the Snow Realm after so many years, and were even constantly encroached upon by Snow Realm Soul Beasts, was because the environment itself placed such extreme limitations on them.

"A little," Rong Taotao admitted. "But... it’ll be fine once we start fighting." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Gao Lingwei asked, "Hm?"

Rong Taotao said in a low voice, "When Xia Fangran challenged me to a duel, I didn’t want to fight him either. But once it started, the only thing on my mind was how to run him through."

"I understand." Gao Lingwei hummed softly in agreement. She remained frighteningly calm despite the danger. "We’re almost at the shelter," she analyzed.

"In this environment, we humans are at a natural disadvantage. The two of us don’t have the ability to kite the Snowflake Wolf Pack, fighting a running battle.

Fleeing blindly will only attract more beasts."

Rong Taotao asked, "So?"

Gao Lingwei’s thoughts were clear. She continued, "Our best bet is to avoid fighting in the open. If the Snowflake Wolf Pack’s initial assault fails, they’ll just take turns standing guard, wearing down our energy and stamina until they can eventually surround and kill us."

Rong Taotao said, "Go on."

Gao Lingwei said in a low voice, "The plan hasn’t changed. We head for the cave and make a stand. If we can fend off the first one or two waves, we can rest and recover inside, and prepare for a long war of attrition.

Of course, if we can’t hold it, we’ll both die in there. Also, the cave might already be occupied. We could be caught in a pincer attack."

Rong Taotao’s mind raced. A pincer attack was the worst-case scenario, but it was still a much better option than charging blindly through the snowfield.

’The lesser of two evils!’

Rong Taotao immediately said, "Let’s do it!"

Setting aside whether they could even break through the encirclement, even if they did succeed, continuing to flee across this treacherous snowfield was not a viable path to survival.

They could hope for Xia Fangran to intervene, but then this so-called "training" would lose all meaning.

Rong Taotao had come to the Outer Region because he couldn’t spar with his classmates. The school had not only created this special "course" just for him, but had also provided a top-tier instructor and a partner he admired.

If Rong Taotao’s first instinct when faced with a problem was to ask Xia Fangran for help, then that would be the height of his accomplishments in this life.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Rong Taotao saw a small hillock silhouetted ahead, illuminated by a deep blue light that also revealed a dark cave entrance.

"Stay on the horse. Follow Hu Bugui and scout the inside of the cave. This shelter isn’t large, so you can quickly survey the interior. Also, watch out above you—don’t get bitten by Snow Night Bats." Gao Lingwei’s words were rapid-fire, but every one of them reached Rong Taotao’s ears with perfect clarity.

For a moment, Rong Taotao saw the bearing of a true captain!

Worthy of the leader of the Outer Region’s champion team. From the initial proposal to the final execution and fine details, she had delivered the entire plan flawlessly into his mind.

At that moment, Rong Taotao felt his own strategic mind and leadership skills were completely outclassed. He had been reduced to a mere instrument for her plan.

Rong Taotao could be a leader, but he could certainly be a good team member as well!

Lacking her experience, the one thing he could offer Gao Lingwei right now was his ability to execute orders!

WHOOSH...

The galloping Snow Night Shock needed no direct command from Gao Lingwei. It plunged through the entrance of the cave and came to an immediate halt.

STOMP, STOMP, STOMP... The horse stamped its hooves, then reared up, unceremoniously "unloading" Gao Lingwei from its back as if she were cargo.

"Go," Gao Lingwei said as she dismounted, landing steadily on her feet.

NEIGH! Snow Night Shock stamped its front hooves and charged back into the cave.

It was clear this Snow Night Shock was very familiar with the cave’s layout. It had obviously been here with Gao Lingwei many times before.

The Snow-made Heaven-piercing Halberd in Rong Taotao’s hand shattered, and the four bundles hanging from its sides dropped to the ground.

At the same time, Rong Taotao scooted forward, wrapped his arms around Snow Night Shock’s neck, and followed its deep blue, searchlight-like gaze to carefully survey the cave’s interior.

’Nothing?’

’Snow Realm Soul Beasts are adapted to blizzards, but of course they’d use a natural cave like this to rest. So why is it completely empty?’

Filled with doubt, Rong Taotao carefully scanned the cave for a long time. Aided by Snow Night Shock’s "searchlights," he left no corner unexamined, but ultimately found no trace of any Snow Realm Soul Beast.

"Alright, Bugui, let’s go support your master," Rong Taotao said, immediately turning his mount around and rushing to the cave entrance to provide backup.

Just as Rong Taotao turned to leave, deep within the cave’s innermost wall... or more precisely, from within a narrow stone crevice, a vertical-pupiled eye suddenly snapped open!

In the pitch-blackness of the cave, the azure eye emitted a ghostly light. The sight was utterly bizarre...