Master of Nine Stars

One month later, at night, before the walls of Hundred Corps Pass.

Seven people on six mounts, escorting three criminals, knocked on the main gate of Hundred Corps Pass.

The soldiers who opened the gate skillfully took custody of the criminals, while the figures in assorted animal masks urged their warhorses through and into the pass.

"Ah..." Rong Taotao, wearing a cat face mask and sitting behind Gao Lingwei, let out a huge stretch. "We’re finally back."

A month ago, Rong Taotao had felt no particular attachment to Hundred Corps Pass. But now, to him, it meant absolute safety.

They were usually exposed to the elements, their nerves constantly on edge. Only when they returned to Hundred Corps Pass once a week could they get a truly solid night’s rest.

Up ahead, the man in the cool dragon-head mask said with a laugh, "Can’t take it anymore? At least we get to come back every few days. If it weren’t for you three, we wouldn’t return at all during our regular patrols."

The massive blizzard, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in sixteen years, had indeed brought a large number of Soul Beast resources within the three passes. In the clear-skied days that followed, all sorts of riffraff who had been lying low were now waiting for their chance.

Ever since that snowstorm hit a month ago, the troublemakers who were bound to appear had begun to emerge one after another.

For the past month, Rong Taotao had been patrolling with the Twelfth Squad along the base of the First Wall.

’I have to say, this wall is seriously long!’

In a whole month, Rong Taotao had traveled to the far eastern and western sections of the wall but never reached its end. He had only seen some smaller fortresses and entered a few temporary supply points.

Rong Yang, wearing the Sheep Head Mask, spoke up, "Hundred Corps Pass reopens to Social Practitioners tomorrow. This phase of our mission can be considered complete."

Rong Taotao couldn’t help but feel that his brother must have offended Mao Rabbit somehow. The masks she had given everyone else were high-quality and beautifully crafted.

But this sheep mask was a little too lifelike. With its two curled horns and an uncannily deadpan expression, Rong Yang looked like the incarnation of some Western demon when he wore it...

"Yes, we’ve helped the First Wall’s Guard Army create a relatively safe environment for the Social Practitioners," Mao Rabbit said, turning to the three youngsters. "I hear you guys are about to start school?"

"Yes." Gao Lingwei nodded lightly. "Thank you for taking care of us all this time."

"What’s there to thank me for? We’re all comrades now." Mao Rabbit giggled, a cute sound that perfectly matched her adorable rabbit face mask.

"Sheep, take them back to school first thing tomorrow morning," Fu Tiance said, then turned to Rong Taotao. "And that ID of yours—don’t go flashing it around town. I can’t afford that kind of embarrassment!"

"As if I would," Rong Taotao grinned.

"Da Wei, you keep an eye on him. Don’t let him cause any trouble," Fu Tiance added, twisting the knife in Rong Taotao’s heart once more.

"Yes, Captain Fu. Don’t worry," Gao Lingwei nodded repeatedly.

Ever since Rong Yang had told Fu Tiance about Rong Taotao’s growth plan, Fu Tiance had been happy to go with the flow and give Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei a helping hand, treating it as an investment in a good relationship.

Of course, it wasn’t purely about goodwill. Fu Tiance knew why Gao Lingwei had come to the Snow Realm, and he knew her goal was to join a unit that specialized in capturing Poachers.

So, as for the future, they would just have to wait and see.

The reason Fu Tiance ribbed Rong Taotao so much was simply for fun.

Over the past month, Rong Taotao had displayed the qualities of a fine Warrior. It would be no exaggeration to say he was disciplined and followed orders to the letter. He treated the other squad members with respect and gratitude, endearing himself to them more and more.

People only tease you when they like you. If they didn’t, who would even bother with you?

Take, for instance, the constantly ignored Lu Mang.

Yeah... it was pretty rough.

It wasn’t that Fu Tiance disliked Lu Mang; it was just that Lu Mang was too sullen, almost in the same style as Ugly Ox.

It was worth noting that Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei had officer IDs and had been formally enlisted. All the missions they’d carried out over the month were on record, but Lu Mang had nothing.

Er...

This was the truest reflection of one’s strength and potential.

This world wasn’t perfect, nor did it operate the way one might imagine.

Logically, the weak should receive more support and help. But in reality, in this world, it was the strong who received more attention.

The stronger you were, the more attention others paid you, and the more that everything—from affection to resources—tilted in your favor...

Compared to Lu Mang, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei were clearly stronger. They were individuals who had already begun to actualize their potential and Talent, placing them at the pinnacle of their age group.

Beside them, the usually silent Ugly Ox suddenly spoke up. "Once you three leave, I’m afraid our leisurely days of patrolling the First Wall will be over."

"Heh, the Yin Hu Squad and the Si Snake Team are about to lose their minds from overwork. What, you still want to hang around the base of this wall?" Fu Tiance laughed, glancing at Ugly Ox.

Ugly Ox adjusted his ox mask and didn’t reply. But at the intersection where they were to part ways, he gave a rare wave of his large, rough hand to Rong Taotao. "Next time we meet, make sure you’re stronger."

"You got it!" Rong Taotao flipped up his cat face mask, revealing a bright, cheerful smile to Ugly Ox.

His face still held a hint of boyishness; after all, he was only a sixteen-year-old.

But compared to a month ago, after enduring the wind and snow at the wall’s base for a month, Rong Taotao now carried a hint of a soldier’s bearing.

He was at an age of explosive physical growth to begin with.

Between carrying out missions and training arduously, his gaze had grown more resolute.

And with a constant, round-the-clock intake of nutrients, his body had indeed become sturdier, and he’d even grown a little taller.

"Yeah." Ugly Ox waved his hand and, along with his teammates, parted ways with the three youngsters.

In fact, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei were already eligible to move into the soldiers’ barracks, but to accommodate Lu Mang, the two of them hadn’t moved...

After all, Rong Taotao had promised Lu Mang that training here would be no slower than in the Martial Arts Hall. If he moved into the soldiers’ barracks, Lu Mang would have been left in the lurch.

...

The next morning, their month of military life complete and brimming with gains, the trio was escorted by Rong Yang, traveling nonstop all the way back to Pine Soul Soul Martial University.

With school starting the next day, the entrance was already bustling with large crowds of returning students, creating a lively scene.

After speaking with the campus guards, Rong Yang escorted them quickly to the Martial Arts Arena.

As expected, they saw students training diligently and happened to spot Jiao Tengda asking Zhao Tang for some pointers.

When Jiao Tengda saw them, he waved enthusiastically, especially upon seeing Lu Mang. "Hey now! My cool and aloof dreamboat is back!" he said with a laugh.

Lu Mang, still on his horse, gave Jiao Tengda a slight nod, perfectly playing the part of the cool and aloof dreamboat.

Zhao Tang, however, watched Lu Mang with great curiosity. ’I haven’t seen this kid in over a month, and his entire demeanor has changed...’

’Didn’t he spend the holiday in Songbai Town? Were the conditions there really that rough?’

’No, that’s not it. He looks like he’s been training beyond the wall, but isn’t Hundred Corps Pass only supposed to reopen in a few days?’

His face filled with confusion, Zhao Tang glanced at Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao, and a few suspicions began to form in his mind.

’These three... they must have gotten some special training!’

Although Rong Taotao and the others hadn’t encountered Poachers on the level of the Starfield Soul School group over the past month, they had captured a total of four groups of Poachers at the base of the First Wall. After gauging the opponents’ strength, Fu Tiance had deliberately given his young comrades a chance to develop, even letting Lu Mang participate in the fighting.

Ultimately, a sparring match and a life-or-death battle are two completely different things.

A Soul Warrior who shines in the arena and a Soul Warrior who has struggled between life and death are two entirely different beings.

Add to that the constant guard duty, surveillance, and patrols, the tempering of body and will in a crisis-filled environment—these were all things a school could never provide.

The group of four quickly entered the Martial Arts Hall. Before they could even get to Yang Chunxi’s office on the third floor, they were stopped on the second by a dorm matron who exuded an Immortal Aura.

"You certainly had a comfortable holiday, stretching it out for more than a month." Si Huan Nian stood at the top of the stairs, hands clasped behind her back. Clad in white with her long hair draped over her shoulders, she looked down at the group ascending toward her.

Her gaze, however, settled on Rong Taotao.

"Hey, Coach Si!" Rong Taotao hastily grabbed his bag, pulled out a chocolate bar, and offered it up as he unwrapped it. "Try this, Coach Si. Chocolate, cream, and nuts. One bite and all your worldly troubles will vanish. You’ll even forget what a boyfriend is!"

"Hmph." Gazing at the student trying to bribe her, Si Huan Nian unceremoniously took the chocolate bar with one hand, bit into it, and began chewing. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

With her other hand, she pressed down on Rong Taotao’s head of naturally curly hair, wobbling it from side to side as she carefully studied his face.

"Uh..." Rong Taotao felt a little flustered under her beautiful gaze and said in a low voice, "You’ve been well, I hope, Coach Si?"

"Fine... CRUNCH... I’ve been well... CRUNCH, CRUNCH." Si Huan Nian ruffled his soft, floppy curls as if searching for a familiar texture. Only then did she turn to leave with a look of satisfaction, her voice drifting back from a distance, "Report to me later."

Rong Yang, however, called out to her retreating back, "Thank you for looking after him, Coach Si."

"CRUNCH." Si Huan Nian waved a hand dismissively, not even turning her head.

"Jeez, you’re both respected Soul School instructors. How come you don’t have her masterly air?" Rong Taotao said, turning to look at Rong Yang. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"If he had Coach Si’s personality, he never would have been able to win me over," a melodious voice suddenly drifted down from the top of the stairs.

Everyone looked up to see a beautiful woman in a beige trench coat. With a bright, serene, and gentle smile, she gazed down at them.

Or more precisely, she was looking at Rong Yang.

"Alright, I see you’ve all returned safely. You can disperse now," Yang Chunxi said, waving at the younger ones.

Rong Yang started up the stairs, tapping his temple in Rong Taotao’s direction as he went.

The two brothers already possessed the ability to communicate across dimensions. Under certain conditions, they could even see through each other’s eyes or control each other’s bodies. For them, so-called separation was a thing of the past.

A sentence from his brother echoed in his mind: ’I’ll be leaving in a bit, so I won’t say goodbye.’

Rong Taotao replied, ’Oh, and hey, can you turn on sensory sharing? I want to hear what my sister-in-law is going to say to you... Huh?’

Rong Taotao scratched his head, realizing he could no longer contact Rong Yang. The bridge of communication had been abruptly severed.

’Jeez, he just blocked me?’

’Didn’t we promise to never be apart? To be together forever and always?’

Seeing Rong Taotao’s stiff expression, Gao Lingwei asked, "What’s wrong?"

Rong Taotao sighed and shook his head slightly. "Heh. My bad."