Master of Nine Stars

Gao Lingwei didn’t respond, instead saying, "You control the horse. Those guys are strong. We’ll stick to the periphery and look for an opening."

In a change from their previous riding position, Gao Lingwei had pulled Rong Taotao onto the horse’s back, seating him in front of her.

Rong Taotao immediately drew his Heaven-piercing Halberd. Behind him, Gao Lingwei materialized a Longbow from the swirling wind and snow.

Rong Taotao surveyed the entire battlefield and saw that the situation was relatively optimistic. Fu Tiance, Rong Yang, and Ugly Ox were currently locked in a three-on-three fight.

They had likely started in a three-on-four, but now a Free Person’s corpse lay at the edge of the battlefield.

Originally, the team had intended to arrest these criminals, but the situation had changed. The appearance of a Soul School-level Starfield Poacher had thrown all their plans into disarray.

The two teammates still standing beside that Starfield Soul Martial Artist were definitely at the Soul Captain level, perhaps even higher!

Rong Taotao’s brows furrowed. He saw that the Starfield Soul Martial Artist’s right fist, right shoulder, left elbow, and right calf were each covered in a blue-purple sheen, dotted with twinkling starlight.

Rong Taotao recognized this Soul Skill. It was the most basic Soul Skill for a Starfield Soul Martial Artist, but also one of their Core Soul Skills: Cold Star Cover.

Compared to Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists, Starfield Soul Martial Artists were, for the most part, specialists in Hand-to-Hand Combat.

Among the Soul Skills available to them, none were of the Illusory Weapon type. They could only bring their own weapons or absorb a weapon-type Lifebound Soul Beast or Soul Pet.

And as a Core Soul Skill, the most basic Cold Star Cover—which could be learned with just a one-star Soul Technique—had an extremely high Potential Value.

This was also why most Starfield Soul Martial Artists specialized in Hand-to-Hand Combat.

This Soul Skill could cover parts of a Starfield Soul Martial Artist’s body. When striking an enemy, the Cold Stars on the covered areas would also burst outward, inflicting considerable damage.

However, this Soul Skill also had a distinct disadvantage: it tipped off the opponent. After all, wherever the Cold Star Cover was located was a clear indication of which body parts you favored in a fight.

For example, the areas covered on the Starfield Soul Martial Artist right now clearly showed his proficiency with his right fist, right shoulder, left elbow, and right calf.

An ordinary-level Cold Star Cover can cover one body part. Upon advancing to the Excellent Level, it can cover an additional part, and so on.

Based on the four body parts he currently had covered, the Starfield Soul Martial Artist’s Cold Star Cover had to be at least Master-level. This, in turn, meant his Soul Technique was at least four-star or higher.

For any normal Soul Martial Artist, regardless of their specialization, their Soul Technique level was almost always slightly lower than their Soul Power level.

This was a clear indication that the Starfield Soul Martial Artist was, at a minimum, a Soul School!

SWOOSH! Behind him, Gao Lingwei slightly relaxed her fingers on the Sinew String, and an arrow shot forth like a streaking meteor.

"Sons of Freedom!!!" On the battlefield, the two-meter-tall Starfield Soul Martial Artist suddenly roared. With a stomp of his foot, a field of starlight burst outward!

Starfield Soul Skill, Master-Level: Starsplatter Field!

Fu Tiance, Ugly Ox, and Rong Yang all scrambled backward.

It wasn’t just the three of them; even the Starfield Soul Martial Artist’s own teammates were sent flying by the blast...

’Has this guy completely lost his mind?’

’Sacrificing his own teammates... How does he plan to keep fighting after this?’

"Retreat! Retreat!" Gao Lingwei suddenly grabbed Rong Taotao’s shoulder and kicked her heel into the horse’s flank. "Hu Bugui, turn around!"

Hu Bugui, which had been charging toward the battlefield, immediately veered and galloped away to the side.

Rong Taotao’s expression changed in alarm as he saw the two-meter-tall giant suddenly spread his arms, tilt his head back to the night sky as if to embrace it, and roar, "Sons of Freedom! The heavens are our shield!"

Starfield Soul Skill, Master-Level: Meteor Shower!

The next moment, countless stars began to fall from the night sky, a dense and terrifying torrent of light!

The color drained from Rong Yang and Fu Tiance’s faces. The two men, still retreating, dropped to a crouch and thrust their hands deep into the snow.

Soul Skill: Ice Power Like a Mountain!

RUMBLE...

The earth trembled and the snowy ground tore apart. Thick ice pillars, each eight meters in diameter, shot out from below, growing frantically toward the night sky at an incredible speed.

BANG! BANG...

A continuous chain of explosions echoed from tens of meters up in the sky.

The falling stars streaked across the night sky, leaving brilliant trails as they smashed into the thick ice pillars, intercepted in mid-air before they could reach the ground.

With two combined casts of Soul Skill: Ice Power Like a Mountain, Fu Tiance and Rong Yang had erected a total of sixteen pillars, creating a fairly solid defense over the battlefield.

But out of the dense barrage of stars, a small number still managed to slip through.

A flicker of alarm crossed Rong Taotao’s face as he slapped his left hand hard on Hu Bugui’s neck. "Snow Charge!"

NEIGH! Hu Bugui spurred its hooves, its body surging forward in a burst of speed.

THUMP...

Not far behind them, a brilliant, basketball-sized star crashed into the snow.

The resulting spray of snow wasn’t particularly dangerous, and even the churning blast wave was manageable.

The real danger was that the star exploded, sending countless tiny, shattered fragments spinning in every direction, just like a fragmentation grenade.

Gao Lingwei threw up a sheet of Ice Glass with one hand, hastily shielding their backs. Rong Taotao sharply yanked the horse’s head around, and the two of them ducked behind one of the thick ice pillars, narrowly avoiding the crisis for the moment.

"Phew..." Rong Taotao let out a huge sigh of relief. Listening to the faint explosions still echoing in the night sky, he couldn’t help but remark, "No wonder everyone wants to be a Starfield Soul Martial Artist. Their damage output is insane."