Master of Nine Stars

"Why has your style changed so much?"

"I’ve watched you change day by day, and I’ve warned you a few times. With your level of understanding of the Heaven-piercing Halberd’s arts, you should have understood my warnings."

"Mm... Mmm." Rong Taotao mulled it over for a moment before finally nodding. "I don’t know how Si Huan Nian used her Lotus Petal, but as a Soul Soldier, I can get this petal to occasionally come out and help me in battle..."

"It’s because I align with its ’attitude’ toward life. I have to adjust my own mindset for it to even have a chance of appearing."

Xia Fangran’s interest was piqued. "What kind of mindset? Don’t tell me it’s ’brave and fearless.’ Your combat posture lately has been far more than just fearless."

’He really is a Pine Soul teacher; his perception is spot on!’

Confidence and conceit are separated by a fine line, just like genius and madness.

After a moment’s thought, Rong Taotao said, "Arrogant."

Xia Fangran paused, stunned. "Arrogant?"

"Mhm," Rong Taotao nodded. "Rampant, insolent, domineering, overbearing... any similar pejorative term will do."

"This..." Xia Fangran was a bit dumbfounded. After all, this was the Nine-Petaled Lotus, a Snow Realm Treasure. Even the lowest-level White Lantern Paper Cage required you to put your heart into it, so it was only natural for the Nine-Petaled Lotus to have its own personality. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

But that kind of attitude was not one an outstanding Soul Martial Artist should have.

Xia Fangran pondered for a long while before speaking. "Have you ever heard the expression ’drinking poison to quench a thirst’?"

Rong Taotao: "..."

’I’m a college student, you know? Well, even though I technically only graduated from middle school...’

Xia Fangran said, "The Lotus Petal can indeed boost your offensive capabilities in the short term, allowing you to engage in higher-level combat and, in turn, polish your Martial Arts."

"But if it’s changing your mindset like this, it will have a major impact on your future."

"It’s not so bad." Rong Taotao scratched his head. "It’s just that when I’m outmatched, I look at the beast in front of me and think, ’Who the hell do you think you are?’ If I can handle it on my own, I just fight normally."

Xia Fangran: "..."

Xia Fangran was shocked!

He suddenly realized that while he was the one cursing out loud, Rong Taotao was the one cursing in his head!

Xia Fangran asked, "Won’t you develop psychological problems switching your mindset back and forth like that?"

"What do you mean, ’switching mindsets’?" Rong Taotao grinned. "I just try to be a little more reckless when I need to be, and there’s a chance it’ll come out to fight with me. I don’t think it can change who I am inside."

Xia Fangran replied, "I have my doubts about that. Don’t underestimate anything, especially not the Nine-Petaled Lotus..."

Rong Taotao pursed his lips. ’You’re not the Lotus’s host, what the hell would you know!?’

In that instant,

a Lotus Petal suddenly materialized on Rong Taotao’s chest.

Rong Taotao: ???

It was a good thing Rong Taotao wasn’t in a combat stance, otherwise the Sinful Lotus might have actually gone after Xia Fangran...

In a flash, a fascinating expression crossed Xia Fangran’s face. He casually picked up his small iron pot and swung it at Rong Taotao’s head. "Swear at me again, will you?"

"Hey, my bad, my bad..." Rong Taotao scrambled away, hands over his head, tumbling and crawling his way out of the cave.

As he ran, Rong Taotao muttered to himself, ’What was that all about?’

’How could the Lotus Petal just decide to pop out on its own over a little internal jab like that?’

Usually, Rong Taotao had to be Arrogant to a certain degree, even to the point of being insufferably conceited and looking down on everyone, for this Sinful Lotus to resonate with him and potentially appear.

And it was only a possibility, not a certainty! But this just now...

’Can the Lotus Petal understand my thoughts?’

’Or maybe... when I was explaining it to Xia Fangran just now, the Lotus Petal sensed what I was thinking?’

"This damn brat..." Xia Fangran adjusted the roasting meat over the campfire, then followed him out, grumbling all the way. Although he had accidentally transformed into "Red Wolf" just now, he still had to take his responsibilities seriously.

Protecting Rong Taotao’s life was his greatest responsibility.

"PHEW~" Rong Taotao placed two fingers under his tongue and let out another sharp whistle.

Never mind how much his strength had increased over the past month and a half, Rong Taotao’s whistling skills had gotten incredibly polished.

Under the dark night sky, standing amidst the vast, swirling snow, Rong Taotao summoned his White Lantern Paper Cage once again, absorbing Soul Power as he waited for a Soul Beast to attack.

He was already quite experienced at this. It could take as little as thirty seconds or as long as half an hour, but as long as Rong Taotao kept whistling, a passing Soul Beast was bound to pay him a visit.

Rong Taotao’s whistle was like a courtesan’s handkerchief, waved with seductive charm, as if calling out, "Come and play, my lord~"

But today, after whistling for a full twenty minutes, Rong Taotao attracted a strange person instead.

Rong Taotao was instantly dumbfounded, but even before he was, Xia Fangran—who could see much farther—was already stunned speechless!

"H-Hello?" Rong Taotao stretched out his right hand, directing the White Lantern Paper Cage to drift forward.

But the figure that slowly emerged from the blizzard was like a soulless puppet, not even thinking to dodge the White Lantern Paper Cage floating toward its face, simply continuing to walk forward on its own.

Although the man’s clothes were tattered, it was clear he wasn’t wearing snow camouflage.

’Civilian clothes?’

’Couldn’t be a Poacher, could it?’

SNIFF~ SNIFF~

The strange man twitched his nose, as if he had caught a scent, and began walking straight toward Rong Taotao.

Rong Taotao immediately backed away, and Xia Fangran instantly dropped down, blocking the path in front of him.