Master of Nine Stars

Gao Lingwei shrugged, the meaning behind the gesture self-evident.

"Got it. Come on, I’ll learn it. This blocky Ice Glass... once I learn it, I can use it to make ice sculptures..."

Under Gao Lingwei’s guidance, a piece of Ice Glass materialized in Rong Taotao’s palm in less than half a minute.

It was about a finger’s breadth thick. Rong Taotao’s palm fused shallowly into it, saving him the trouble of holding a shield. He could block anything just by pointing his hand.

At the same time, a message appeared in his Inner Soul Map:

"Learned Soul Skill: Ice Glass!

Ice Glass: Gather Soul Power in the palm, urging the ice to condense and spread, creating a small ice wall. (Elite Tier, Potential Value: 3 Stars - Maxed)"

Good grief!

The Potential Value was appallingly low!

’It’s already a third-tier Elite Soul Skill, and it’s already maxed out the moment I learn it? There’s no room for improvement at all?’

Rong Taotao did have 1 Potential Point remaining, but there was no way he was going to waste it on a Soul Skill like this.

"Hold it up. Face me," Gao Lingwei said.

"Uh..." Rong Taotao raised his hand, aiming his palm—and by extension, the Ice Glass that had formed on it—at Gao Lingwei.

Under the sunlight, the transparent Ice Glass shimmered with a strange luster. Rong Taotao could even see through it to watch Gao Lingwei... ’was that a kick flying my way?’

Gao Lingwei leaped lightly into the air and unleashed a ferocious spinning kick with astonishing speed!

"SHATTER!"

The Ice Glass shattered instantly. Rong Taotao stumbled back several steps, staring dumbfounded at Gao Lingwei a short distance away.

Gao Lingwei, however, nodded lightly. "You see? It’s not trustworthy."

Rong Taotao looked down at the scattered pieces of broken ice and mumbled, "It’d be great for making shaved ice for desserts, though."

Gao Lingwei: "..."

’As expected of a Pine Soul glutton, he connects everything he sees to food.’

Rong Taotao suddenly said, "Right, I’ve seen Xia Yinyang use a similar Soul Skill before. The only difference was that he created an entire ice wall, not just a piece of Ice Glass."

Gao Lingwei: "That’s a Soul Skill that can only be learned through a four-star Soul Technique. The ice wall is thicker, but it requires the Caster to continuously channel Soul Power and keep their palm in contact with the wall. It’s not particularly practical."

Rong Taotao nodded. "Alright... let’s continue."

Gao Lingwei: "The three-star Soul Technique has four Soul Skills you can learn on your own. Besides Snow Dance and Ice Glass, there are also Ice Pillar and Snow Trap. You have to learn these next two properly."

Rong Taotao asked in confusion, "Putting Snow Trap aside for a moment, they’re both ice-based skills. Why do I have to learn Ice Pillar properly?"

Gao Lingwei: "Because Ice Pillar is the foundation for the Soul Skill: Ice Power Like a Mountain, and Snow Trap is the foundation for the Soul Skill: A Snowy Ocean.

With these two Soul Skills as your foundation, you’ll eventually be able to learn Ice Power Like a Mountain. Then you can summon an Ice Pillar Array of eight pillars, each eight meters in diameter and one hundred meters high.

You can also learn A Snowy Ocean, turning the vast snow under your feet into a flowing ocean that will drown your enemies."

Hearing this, Rong Taotao’s blood boiled with excitement. He said urgently, "Da Wei, teach me!"

Gao Lingwei looked at Rong Taotao’s eager expression, couldn’t help but smile, and said, "Haha, alright. I’ll teach you."

「Half a minute later,」

Gao Lingwei watched Rong Taotao, who was kneeling on one knee with a hand pressed into the snow. As an ice column slowly rose before him, she nodded to herself in approval.

Rong Taotao, however, wasn’t very happy, because the Potential Value of Ice Pillar was also very low.

’To put it nicely, it peaked at its debut.’

’Yes, this so-called ’peak’... its ceiling is just too low. It doesn’t seem worth training further.’

"Learned Soul Skill: Ice Pillar!

Ice Pillar: Gather Soul Power in the palm, connect with the ground, and summon an ice column within a ten-meter radius. (Elite Tier, Potential Value: 3 Stars - Maxed)"

Rong Taotao was starting to understand. It seemed that for any Soul Skill involving a physical ice form, as long as it wasn’t a support-type, its Potential Value was very low.

’Is this a rule of Snow Realm Soul Skills, or is it an issue with the Pine Soul Four Rites - Tea?’

’If the combat style of the Pine Soul technician who created it was support-oriented, then his research and focus must have also been on the support path...’

Sure enough, when Rong Taotao learned the Snow Realm Soul Skill: Snow Trap, his theory was confirmed once again.

The support-type Soul Skill: Snow Trap actually had a Potential Value as high as 5 stars! Just like Ice Path!

"Learned Soul Skill: Snow Trap!

Snow Trap: Gather Soul Power in your feet. While stomping heavily on the snow, cleverly connect with the frost and snow underfoot.

At the moment of the Soul Power’s vibration, restructure the formation of the frost and snow underfoot, thereby creating a small trap. (Elite Tier, Potential Value: 5 Stars)"

"Take a step back. I’ll test it." Gao Lingwei looked at the snow on the ground and strode over.

Although Rong Taotao had stomped down hard, thanks to the Snow Step Soul Skill, the snow beneath his feet hadn’t moved at all.

Rong Taotao took a step back and watched as Gao Lingwei stepped right where he had been standing.

"SWOOSH..."

The snow suddenly caved in. However, due to its shallow depth, it only submerged the top of Gao Lingwei’s foot. The snow, which should have been fluffy, was instantly compressed and solidified, tightly wrapping around her boot.

Gao Lingwei tried to lift her foot but couldn’t pull it out immediately. Only then did she nod. "It works. You’ve learned it. But remember, a trap like this is useless against a Soul Martial Artist who keeps their Snow Step Soul Skill active all the time."