Master of Nine Stars

Jiao Tengda couldn’t help but gasp, his regional accent slipping out. "Goodness me! So fierce~"

Zhao Tang also looked eager to jump in. Even though his Soul Martial Life had suffered a devastating blow, his nature as a battle fiend hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

Zhao Tang wasn’t very familiar with Rong Taotao. Back when the semester began, he had gone to the student dorms to issue a challenge, only to be chased off by the dorm matron wielding a broom...

After he joined the Junior Class, they hadn’t even exchanged a single word before Rong Taotao left with Gao Lingwei for an expedition.

’I can’t believe Rong Taotao’s practical combat skills are at this level!’

A desire for battle was written all over Zhao Tang’s heroic face as he said, "Not bad. His speed isn’t high, but his rhythm is excellent, and his movements are fluid. There are still some issues with the details, but within this Junior Class, he should be considered first-class."

One could tell that Zhao Tang’s overall assessment of Rong Taotao was quite high, though it was strictly limited to the context of the Junior Class.

Nearby, Lu Mang suddenly spoke up. "He can be faster. He probably just got out of the hospital and isn’t in peak condition yet. Besides, he only started learning swordsmanship after enrolling. It’s not as good as his Halberd Technique."

Zhao Tang: ???

’He was clearly judging Rong Taotao from the perspective of a Northwest champion, which was definitely a case of punching down. He thought his own assessment was pretty fair, so what was this...?’

He turned to look at Lu Mang curiously. ’This kid knows how to stick up for people?’

’They’d been in the same class for over two months, and Lu Mang rarely said a word. He was always so quiet, so this...’

While the reaction on this side was relatively normal, Li Ziyi was about to lose his mind.

He admitted Rong Taotao was strong, but watching Sun Xingyu stamp her feet in excitement while hugging Fan Lihua’s arm and gushing about how amazing Rong Taotao was—that was what really got to him.

On the field, Rong Taotao watched Ji Qingmei being whisked away to the school hospital and simply pursed his lips.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Rong Taotao sheathed his blade, nodded a greeting to Si Huan Nian and Xia Fangran who were standing nearby, and pushed his way through the onlookers toward the Martial Arts Hall.

To say he "pushed" his way through wasn’t quite accurate; the students in the crowd automatically parted to let him pass.

In this world, strength was what ultimately mattered.

At least in that moment, the spectating students fully acknowledged Rong Taotao’s power, and the idle chatter died down considerably.

...

By noon, the results of the round-robin tournament were out. Shilou and Shilan were ultimately at a disadvantage due to their numbers. Before the pair had inlaid their forehead Soul Pearls, the advantages of a duo were difficult to display, and they ended up finishing last in the finals.

In second place was Li Ziyi’s team. Even with a Great God like Fan Lihua anchoring them, they still fell slightly short. The reason was...

Zhao Tang was simply on another level!

While it was true that Zhao Tang’s Soul Power had been completely destroyed when he joined the Junior Class, his Martial Arts, his experience, and especially his battlefield instincts were all still intact.

After all, Zhao Tang was a full three years older than the other juniors, and he was the esteemed Northwest champion... He had been tested in countless competitions and was the officially recognized 2010 Northwest King.

Losing to Zhao Tang’s team was certainly no disgrace.

Rong Taotao didn’t watch the matches. After beating the foul-mouthed Ji Qingmei, he had hurried back to the Martial Arts Hall, returned to Si Huan Nian’s private quarters to eat and drink, then took a shower and went to sleep.

Rong Taotao hadn’t expected to sleep all the way until six in the evening, and it was his own hunger that finally woke him...

"Awake?" The moment Rong Taotao opened his eyes, a pleasant, languid voice drifted over from the office area.

Rong Taotao struggled to sit up, tilting his head toward the sofa. The lights were off, and the room was pitch-black. He couldn’t see a thing...

"I let Coach Xia have his way and throw you into a match. You’re not upset, are you?" Si Huan Nian’s voice came again, laced with a hint of amusement.

"Of course not. I wouldn’t dare~" Rong Taotao replied, putting on an expression of perfect obedience.

"Nghh~" A soft whimper startled Rong Taotao. ’Why does that sound so familiar?’

Rong Taotao quickly switched on the bedside lamp. In the dim, yellow light, he saw Si Huan Nian lounging on the distant sofa, "tormenting" the Cloud Dog in her hands.

The poor little thing could only submit to her bullying, letting her squish and knead it. It didn’t even dare to run, let alone transform into mist.

Rong Taotao was instantly displeased. He jumped out of bed and strode toward the sofa. "Hey, what are you doing? Stop picking on him!"

The Cloud Dog was pinned in Si Huan Nian’s palms. Its small, beady black eyes peeked through the gaps between her fingers, looking out at the world and at its master coming to the rescue. It couldn’t help but let out a soft whimper. "Yip~"

"Now that you’re awake, I suppose I can pick on someone else instead." Si Huan Nian let Rong Taotao snatch the Cloud Dog from her hands. She sat up, draping her arms over the back of the sofa and looking up at his disgruntled face.

Rong Taotao was quite annoyed. He comforted the Cloud Dog, stroking its fur smooth, and said, "I didn’t do anything to you, did I?"

The Cloud Dog finally dared to dissolve into mist, merging directly into Rong Taotao’s body.

’It had only come out to keep its master company, to sleep beside his pillow. But in the middle of its nap, the demon had come! It was snatched away and then kneaded for over an hour...’

’My body... my body is tainted now, sob...’

"Sit." Si Huan Nian patted the spot on the sofa beside her.

Rong Taotao sat down grumpily. "What?"

Si Huan Nian tilted her head, looked at Rong Taotao, and said, "You absorbed another Lotus petal."