Master of Nine Stars

「A month and a half later.」

’Time stands still in the mountains?’

No. Time passed—a difficult, dark time.

In the cave, Xia Fangran sat cross-legged before the bonfire, meditating quietly and enjoying the benefits provided by Rong Taotao’s Nine-Petaled Lotus.

Sometimes, Xia Fangran wasn’t sure if he was teaching a student or just reaping the benefits himself.

It couldn’t be helped. This student... was just too diligent, and the standards he set for himself were incredibly harsh.

Any teacher who spent enough time with Rong Taotao would seemingly, gradually, turn into another "Yang Chunxi."

It was difficult to ask more of a student like that; the only thing you could do was look after his daily needs.

Xia Fangran, who had always been mindful of his status, had finally taken on the role of a nanny. Ever since Gao Lingwei left and he moved into the cave, Xia Fangran had been heating up Rong Taotao’s meals nearly every day.

SHING... SHING... The rhythmic sound of a blade being drawn and sheathed echoed. As Xia Fangran listened to the familiar noise, he mentally compared Rong Taotao’s drawing speed.

Compared to when he first entered the Snowfield, he was indeed a fraction faster.

For a top-tier Martial Artist, on a life-or-death battlefield, being even a fraction faster can be the difference between living and dying.

"Hm?" Xia Fangran suddenly opened his eyes, looking up at Rong Taotao hanging upside down from the cave’s ceiling.

’Why did the sound stop?’

He saw that Rong Taotao, feet planted on icy blossoms, was still hanging upside down. The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow in his hand hadn’t been returned to its sheath; instead, he was staring at the long, slender blade with a look of pleasant surprise.

Xia Fangran raised an eyebrow. "Did your Soul Technique advance again?"

The Nine-Petaled Lotus was indeed a Snow Realm Treasure, so Xia Fangran naturally thought of the Soul Technique: Ice and Snow Heart.

After all, ever since Gao Lingwei had left, Rong Taotao had been in a constant state of dejection and had rarely smiled.

"No, not a Soul Technique. It’s my Soul Power." Rong Taotao pushed off with his feet, flipping down from the ceiling.

A clear message came from his Inner Soul Map: "Promotion! Soul Soldier: Peak Stage!"

Xia Fangran grinned. "Heh, for a second there, I thought you’d seen Gao Lingwei."

Rong Taotao could only stare, confused.

Although Xia Fangran was teasing him, he was secretly nodding in approval.

’This kid awakened last July, and now it’s only early January,’ he thought. ’From early-stage Soul Soldier to peak-stage in just half a year... that’s impressively fast.’

Xia Fangran beckoned him over, picking up a small pot and pouring a bowl of broth for Rong Taotao. "Not bad. You’re almost catching up to Si Huan Nian."

"Yeah, her Lotus Petal does seem to absorb power a bit faster," Rong Taotao immediately agreed.

He didn’t know if each petal of the Lotus had a different function, or if Si Huan Nian was just able to fully utilize her Lotus Petal.

If they discounted the environmental factors of Rong Taotao’s current location, the benefits Si Huan Nian provided to others were indeed greater than those he offered.

"Miss her? Gao Lingwei, I mean," Xia Fangran said with a sly grin, clearly rubbing salt in the wound.

Rong Taotao knelt and took the bowl of hot soup. "No."

"It’s been over a month, and this is the first time I’ve seen you look happy. Man, it’s a good thing you’re my student. If you were anyone else, I’d have to walk on eggshells around you," Xia Fangran huffed.

SLURP... "Ahh..." Rong Taotao took a small sip of the wolf broth and turned to Xia Fangran, saying sheepishly, "It’s not really that I miss her. I just feel like I’m too weak to keep up with her pace. It’s not what you think."

"Alright, you’re already more than accomplished enough for your age," Xia Fangran said, giving Rong Taotao a rare compliment.

Rong Taotao simply shrugged and said softly, "I had the chance to go beyond the Third Wall."

Xia Fangran replied, "Not letting you go was for your own safety."

"WHOOSH~" Rong Taotao suddenly blew a breath over the scalding broth. A flurry of frost sprinkled down, and he immediately tilted his head back, downing the now ice-flecked broth. "GULP, GULP..."

"Get some sleep. Didn’t you say you need plenty of it for your growing body?" Xia Fangran saw this and already knew what Rong Taotao was about to do.

’The kid wants to go out and act as bait again,’ he thought. ’The Snowfield is teeming with Soul Beasts, especially Snowflake Wolves. They travel in pack after pack. All Rong Taotao has to do is stand outside and whistle for a bit, and a Soul Beast will always come looking for a fight!’

"You don’t actually have to come with me anymore. The Lotus Petal is willing to help me now," Rong Taotao said, wiping his mouth and setting the bowl on the ground.

That being said, what Rong Taotao claimed wasn’t entirely accurate.

In the heat of battle, the Lotus Petal would indeed emerge to help him, but only occasionally. It wasn’t something he could successfully summon at will.

Rong Taotao had only discovered a small trick: using "Empathy" to lure the Lotus Petal out to unleash its fury.

But the Sinful Lotus was too capricious, and the chances of it coming out to "play" weren’t very high.

Xia Fangran’s expression grew serious. "Sit down. We need to have a serious talk."

Rong Taotao was a little surprised. "Hm?"

Xia Fangran looked Rong Taotao straight in the eye. "Your mindset has changed recently. Have you noticed?"

Rong Taotao: "Uh..."

Xia Fangran continued, "At first, I thought you were just dejected because your teammate left. But then I realized the change in your mindset has been manifesting more in combat."

Rong Taotao pursed his lips. He knew what Xia Fangran was talking about.

Xia Fangran went on, "In your day-to-day life, you’re more or less normal. But in battle, you’re always doing things that take me by surprise."