Master of Nine Stars

Rong Yuanshan took the suburban expressway, with no intention of entering Imperial Capital City itself. This saved them a significant amount of time, and soon, he had brought Rong Taotao to the gates of a "theme park."

"Starfield Town?" Rong Taotao, sitting in the passenger seat, leaned forward and tilted his head up to look at the huge sign in front of them.

Rong Yuanshan brought the car to a stop. "Out you get. We’ll be staying here for the next three months. I’ve already booked our hotel."

Rong Taotao hurriedly got out of the car. While he was opening the back door to get his backpack, he saw the slowly rotating Starfield Vortex directly overhead.

"Whoa!" Rong Taotao tilted his head back, unable to hold back a gasp of amazement.

When he’d seen this vortex in the sky from the international airport, he thought he’d seen tiny things falling from it. He had assumed they were Starfield Soul Beasts.

But now, Rong Taotao could see clearly. What Soul Beasts? Those were helicopters, flying up and down!

Rong Taotao tilted his head back and looked around. The Starfield Vortex high in the sky enveloped the entire Starfield Town. Even though it wasn’t made of swirling dark clouds, it still exuded an immense sense of pressure.

Rong Taotao felt his experience was different from everyone else’s, because...

Standing in front of the theme town’s gate, all the people getting out of their cars were tourists, and most were parents bringing their children for a day out.

The children were surprised, excited, or curious; very few were afraid.

’Is this what they call "ignorance is bliss"?’

Rong Yuanshan locked the car. "We’re in the western suburbs of the Imperial Capital now. Well, actually, we’ve crossed into Yan Zhao Province. This town was built to capitalize on the Starfield Vortex. It’s basically a tourist town now, with lots of visitors every day."

Rong Taotao nodded blankly. ’They’ve commercialized the Starfield Vortex to this degree?’

’Damn. We Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists pale at the mere mention of the Snow Realm Vortex. Barely anyone has even seen a shadow of it.’

’But you guys... you’ve gone and tamed the Starfield Vortex to this extent? You’ve built a whole tourism industry right under its nose?’

’I’m shivering with rage! When will the Starfield Vortex get the respect it deserves!?’

"Let’s go." Rong Yuanshan beckoned. As the two of them walked on the colorful stone bricks, it really did feel like visiting a theme park. They continued on, bought tickets, and went inside.

Seeing the signpost, Rong Taotao’s heart sank completely.

’There’s no comparison, none at all. You Starfield people are on another level!!!’

This really was a theme park, on the scale of a small town. It had a full range of amusement park facilities: roller coasters, pirate ships, and a Ferris wheel.

The key was, this place was also a zoo—and not one with normal animals! The creatures running on the artificial mountains and swimming in the ponds were all Starfield Soul Beasts...

’How could the lands of the Snow Realm ever compare to such a comfortable environment? Starfield Soul Martial Artists are truly coddled!’

’You struggle and train your ass off at the Wall, while some ordinary tourist can just hang out at an amusement park right under the Starfield Vortex...’

"Is that one playing chess a Soul Beast?" Rong Taotao asked, uncertain.

In the distance, under a row of willow trees near a pond, sat a handsome, long-haired young man in ancient-style clothing, at a stone table.

A black piece was pinched between his fair fingers. He frowned slightly, and his eyes, as brilliant as glittering stars, seemed to radiate a faint light.

He was obviously deep in thought, hesitating to place his piece.

Across from him was a white-haired old man dressed as a tourist, also staring intently at the game board.

"Yes, that kind of Soul Beast is called a Black and White. It’s a Humanoid Soul Beast with extremely high intelligence and a relatively gentle personality. They’re a Neutral Soul Beast, and the law states that no Soul Martial Artist is allowed to harm them."

Rong Yuanshan smiled. "This species is incredible. As humans came to understand them better, they discovered their love for board games.

"At first, they played Gomoku. Later, humans upped the difficulty with games like Checkers, Army Chess, and Xiangqi. But finally... after they discovered Go, they rarely played anything else."

Rong Taotao: "Why’s that?"

Rong Yuanshan shrugged. "In their own words, Go requires more calculation, and they enjoy thinking."

"Can I go take a picture with him?" Rong Taotao asked cautiously.

"You can’t get close. You can only take pictures from a distance. There are staff members over there protecting them. If you insist on rushing over, you’ll be arrested," Rong Yuanshan said with a smile.

Rong Taotao: "How did that old man get in there?"

Rong Yuanshan: "You need a Go rank certificate. They’ll only play with you if you’re qualified. If you’re a scrub at the game, a Black and White won’t even bother with you."

Rong Taotao: "..."

"Come on, it’s fine to take a picture from a distance." Rong Yuanshan put an arm around Rong Taotao’s shoulder, and they walked over.

Sure enough, there were staff members guarding the Black and White, much like bodyguards around a celebrity. Their methods were just a bit more sophisticated; they didn’t link arms to form a circle but stood guard from a distance.

This amusement city wasn’t an ordinary one. All laws involving Soul Martial Artists and Soul Beasts were extremely strict. The first offense was a warning; the second was immediate arrest. Under such strict enforcement, order in the town was excellent, and everyone followed the rules.

Rong Taotao thought for a moment and summoned the Cloud Dog from his chest.

"Ooh! A doggy!" a sharp-eyed child shouted, jumping up and down. "So cute!"

Rong Taotao quickly covered the palm-sized Cloud Dog with both hands and hurried forward. From behind, he heard the child throwing a tantrum at their mother, crying about wanting a doggy...

’Rong Taotao, the anonymous hero!’

He quickly left the scene of the incident, moving away from the crowds at the entrance and onto a tree-lined path, his eyes already locked on his target.

Over there, under the shade of a tree, a handsome young man in a white robe with a black gauze outer layer was sitting by the lake, seemingly studying the face of a fan.

"Hey there!" Rong Taotao waved, glancing around. He spotted two guards with unfriendly expressions in the distance.

The distant Black and White remained unmoved.

"Woof~"

The Black and White froze, then turned its head. Its pair of beautiful Star Eyes pulsed with a strange light.

SWISH~ He coolly snapped his folding fan shut, looked at the Cloud Dog with curiosity, and strode over.

Rong Taotao said to his father, "You saw that. He’s the one who came over to me..."

Rong Yuanshan: "..."

The Black and White carefully sized up the Cloud Dog, looking very interested. It even reached out a fair finger to poke the Cloud Dog’s little pink tongue.

Finally, the Black and White couldn’t resist. It held out its hand and said, "May I... um, may I?"

Rong Taotao grinned. "Heh heh." His speech was much smoother than the Black and White’s. "Can I get a picture with you?"

"Mm." The Black and White nodded and took the Cloud Dog.

’Perfect, the deal is done!’

’Cloud Dog, you’re the GOAT!’

Rong Taotao quickly turned around and pulled out his phone.

The Black and White teased the little puppy in its hands, a gentle smile appearing on its face.

Just as Rong Taotao pressed the shutter button, the folding fan in the Black and White’s hand suddenly snapped open!

With a SWISH, the fan covered most of its face.

"Hee hee~" The Black and White gave a mischievous laugh.

"Hey, lower it, lower it," Rong Taotao said hurriedly.

"Oh~" The Black and White lowered the fan, leaned down slightly, and moved closer to the side of Rong Taotao’s face.

CLICK!

Again, at the exact moment the shutter button was pressed, the Black and White’s hand, which was resting on Rong Taotao’s shoulder, made a peace sign!

For a moment, Rong Taotao froze.

Looking at the selfie on his phone, the image of another person appeared in his mind.

Not black hair and Star Eyes, but white hair and red eyes.

Not mischievous and cute, but gloomy and cold.

But they were both equally handsome, both young men.

One lived a carefree life here, while the other was somewhere in the vast, bitter-cold blizzard, his destination unknown.

"What’s wrong?" The Black and White’s voice was gentle as it whispered, "Do you prefer my quiet look? You can take it again."

"No, no, it looks great! Thank you," Rong Taotao snapped out of it and quickly shook his head.

"Want to play a game?"

Rong Taotao scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "I don’t know how."

The Black and White let out a soft laugh. Cradling the Cloud Dog, its face held a gentle smile, and its voice was even gentler. "I can teach you."

Rong Taotao: "Uh..."

The Black and White nodded thoughtfully. "Your interests lie elsewhere."

Rong Taotao: "Mm... yeah."

The Black and White reluctantly patted the Cloud Dog’s little head. "What’s its name?"

Rong Taotao: "White Clouds and Grey Dogs."

The Black and White said softly, "Floating clouds in the sky are like white robes; in an instant, they change like grey dogs. It’s too cute for such a sad line of poetry."

Rong Taotao smiled. "That’s why I call it Cloud Dog."

"You’re going into the Vortex to train?" the Black and White asked softly.

"Yeah."

The Black and White handed the Cloud Dog back to Rong Taotao. "Be careful. It’s very dangerous in there. A lot of the creatures are very aggressive."

"Okay, okay, thank you." Rong Taotao nodded repeatedly and quickly left, under the unfriendly gazes of the two guards in the distance.

"Dad, this Lifebound Soul Beast you gave me is a godsend!" Rong Taotao chuckled, taking out his phone and opening WeChat.

Rong Yuanshan: "Hmm?"

Rong Taotao: "This is exactly how I got close to my girlfriend’s best friend when I was trying to win her over."

Rong Yuanshan suddenly felt a pang of frustration. He couldn’t help but say, "That’s a Cloud Peak Soul Beast, a unique Soul Beast from the Arctic Circle. In the future, it can undergo a Thousand Transformations and will make you immune to most physical damage. Its utility is off the charts..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know..." Rong Taotao said dismissively, sending the photo to Gao Lingwei.

Rong Yuanshan: "You..."

Rong Taotao looked up at Rong Yuanshan, his words as sweet as honey, "Dad, you’re the best! Thank you, Dad!"

Rong Yuanshan was so angry he turned his head away. Out of sight, out of mind.

’Sigh... My older son is so much better. He’s always so respectful and deferential, so composed and steady...’

But just as Father Rong turned his head, Rong Taotao’s body trembled slightly.

Rong Yuanshan’s senses were sharp. Forgetting his anger, he quickly turned back and asked with concern, "What’s wrong?"

Rong Taotao: "My Starfield Soul Technique reached the first star."

Within his Inner Soul Map, a clear message appeared: "Cultivating Soul Technique: Starfield Heart!"

Rong Yuanshan: "Huh? It unlocked already? This fast?"

Rong Taotao snorted. "Hmph. Did you really think I was just strolling through an amusement park with you?"

Perhaps this is just life.

Do you think the person walking around with you is truly with you?

The person is indeed by your side, but who knows what’s on their mind...

...