Master of Nine Stars

Rong Yuanshan spoke up, "We were planning to go back and rest for a day. We’ve been training here for a month already."

"Oh, that’s a bit of a shame. I was hoping he could team up with Xixi to train, so she could learn what a normal teammate’s attitude is like," Nan Cheng said, glancing at her daughter again.

"What do you think? Are you tired?" Rong Yuanshan asked, looking at his son. "It would be good for you to get to know a friend from your own generation. In the future, when we old folks gradually fade away, it’ll be your turn to step onto the grand stage of Huaxia."

Nan Cheng nodded in agreement. It was certainly a good thing if the relationship between one generation could be passed down to the next.

From their conversation, it was clear the boy was an excellent student. Parents are all the same—they all want their kids to play with the "good students."

Rong Taotao thought of Da Wei, and then of the Star Fragment inside Nan Cheng’s body...

If he went back now, he could chat with Da Wei, maybe even have a video call.

But if he latched onto a powerful backer like Nan Cheng and worked hard on his Starfield Soul Technique, then in two months, he could go much further in the competition with Gao Lingwei.

It was simple logic, and Rong Taotao understood it perfectly.

Rong Taotao smiled. "I didn’t come all the way here from the Snow Realm just to rest."

"Excellent!" Nan Cheng raised an eyebrow. ’This kid really has a way with words!’

"Haha, so it was me asking you to rest that was getting in the way of your real work, was it?" Rong Yuanshan said with a laugh, though he was very pleased inside.

Rong Taotao asked, "Where are we going to train?"

Nan Cheng inquired, "What is your current power stage and Soul Technique level?"

Rong Taotao replied, "Soul Warrior. One-Star, Mid-Tier Starfield Heart."

"A Soul Warrior? And only a One-Star Starfield Heart?" The short-haired young woman at his side stared at Rong Taotao speechlessly. "With your level, you want to participate in the national competition? Are you dreaming?"

"Ye Nanxi!" Nan Cheng turned and snapped, "He’s a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist."

Rong Taotao shrugged. "Competitions are won by fighting, not by calculating on-paper stats."

"Hmm?" Nan Cheng looked at Rong Taotao and saw the confidence on his face.

It was definitely not a facade; it was backed by substance. This made Nan Cheng quite curious.

She then recalled that the venerable Mei Hongyu had personally written a piece of calligraphy for him... 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Nan Cheng ventured a guess, "Your Martial Arts must be quite good, right?"

’Without a doubt, this kid must have some extraordinary quality. Or maybe he’s just very intelligent?’

’I heard that a few months ago, the Snow Realm Army invaded Songjiang Soul Martial. Rong Taotao must have had an outstanding performance during the crisis, which is why Principal Mei gifted him the calligraphy.’

Rong Taotao scratched his head. "My Martial Arts are okay. I’ve been sparring one-on-one with a Fighting Star Bear."

"You, a Soul Warrior, sparring one-on-one with a Fighting Star Bear?" Ye Nanxi scanned Rong Taotao from head to toe. "Did Rong pick out an old, weak, and crippled one for you?"

"Well now, listen to that mouth," Rong Taotao said with a laugh. "Are you sure this is how you want to interact with me?"

"Oh? And why not?" Ye Nanxi put her hands on her hips, looking at Rong Taotao with amusement.

Nan Cheng was about to say something, but Rong Yuanshan stopped her, pulling her toward the Pasture House. "Let the kids talk. Young people have their own way of getting along. Don’t worry."

From behind them came Rong Taotao’s voice, "I’m warning you, I can talk your ear off. If I really get going, don’t you start crying."

Ye Nanxi vaulted onto her horse, looking down and sizing up Rong Taotao. "You’d better be careful, little Soul Warrior. If you really annoy me, I’m afraid one slap from me might just crush you."

Rong Taotao mounted Nan Cheng’s neighing, fiery steed and looked at Ye Nanxi with disdain. "So you’re saying you’re a Soul Captain?"

"Hmph. As long as you know."

Rong Taotao urged his horse forward, then suddenly beckoned to Ye Nanxi with his finger.

Ye Nanxi’s brow furrowed. "If you have something to say, just say it! Stop being so mysterious."

But Rong Taotao just turned his head away. "Fine, don’t listen then. I won’t tell you~"

"Hey, you..." Ye Nanxi rode up close and grabbed Rong Taotao by the collar. "Spit it out!"

"Don’t keep bringing up that you’re a Soul Captain. It doesn’t mean anything to me." Rong Taotao looked at the willful young woman before him, cupped a hand to his mouth, and whispered in her ear, "I’ve even killed a Soul School."

"Tch..." Ye Nanxi curled her lip. "Keep bragging."

"You can try me."

Ye Nanxi looked at Rong Taotao with disdain, but she also saw the seriousness in his eyes.

’How can... someone be so serious... while bragging?’

After a long moment, Ye Nanxi finally couldn’t help but ask, "Where does your confidence come from?"

Rong Taotao shrugged. "From killing."

From start to finish, Ye Nanxi couldn’t detect the slightest hint of a joke in Rong Taotao’s tone.

Finally, her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes narrowed with a clear warning. A powerful aura erupted from her, pressing down on Rong Taotao beside her.

Rong Taotao, however, showed no sign of alarm. It was as if he were completely accustomed to this level of intimidation and paid it no mind.

Under Ye Nanxi’s intensely threatening gaze, Rong Taotao simply reached back and slowly placed a hand on the hilt of the Tang Saber at his waist.

And his smile grew more unrestrained, more unsettling. "Wanna try?"

"Ahem." Nan Cheng’s cough came from up ahead.

Ye Nanxi subconsciously turned to look, and seeming to realize something, she turned back and whispered, "My patience has its limits."

Rong Taotao’s hand did not leave the hilt of his saber. He simply repeated two words: "Try me?"

Repeating the phrase over and over was truly pushing things to the brink.

Ye Nanxi suppressed her anger again and again, clenched her fist fiercely, and steered her horse to the side.

She had just gotten into trouble, forcing her exasperated school to call her parents. Now, on the first day out with her mother, she really didn’t want to add fuel to the fire and make her mother completely explode.

But to be honest, the willful and headstrong Ye Nanxi truly was at the end of her rope!

Rong Taotao showed none of the deference expected of someone weaker. Every sentence was a retort, every word an invitation to battle!

With her "prior record," Ye Nanxi might endure it this time, but she definitely wouldn’t tolerate it a second time.

As for Rong Taotao, everything was actually quite simple.

’A fight, huh...’

’Bring it on...’

’I’m so scared...’

"Xixi is a Soul Captain, which is above average. Since we’re planning to have them fight as a team, what kind of opponent would be best?" Nan Cheng asked as she rode alongside Rong Yuanshan up ahead.

After all, she didn’t know the specifics of Rong Taotao’s strength.

Just now, Nan Cheng had heard that Rong Taotao regularly sparred one-on-one with a Fighting Star Bear. Based on her own experience, she found it truly difficult to imagine how a Soul Warrior—and a One-Star Starfield Heart at that—could possibly fight a Fighting Star Bear.

In all likelihood, the fledgling boy probably had superior Martial Arts, but Nan Cheng didn’t want to jump to conclusions, so she left the choice to Rong Yuanshan.

Nan Cheng’s thinking was simple. She really wanted a normal person by Ye Nanxi’s side to show her how a normal partner should communicate and get along.

As the son of a Soul General himself, Rong Taotao didn’t see himself as inferior to anyone. Based on his responses, he was, on the contrary, an extremely confident individual.

"How about a Star Battle Vine Master?" Rong Yuanshan suggested.

Nan Cheng thought it over before asking, "Will the boy be all right?"

Rong Yuanshan smiled. "He’ll be fine. Even if we hadn’t run into you, I was planning to take him to the Star Battle Vine Masters after our break.

With this kind of Soul Beast, it makes little difference whether one person is fighting it or two.

In fact, fighting it as a team puts their coordination to the test, which will help them build rapport more quickly."

"Alright, then." Since Rong Yuanshan was so confident, Nan Cheng didn’t object. Besides, with the two of them watching over, nothing could go wrong.

Next to the Fighting Star Bear’s Pasture House, the two of them rented two more horses and rode off into the distance, leading the two youngsters behind them.

The pair in the rear galloped along, but no one spoke. Ye Nanxi didn’t even spare Rong Taotao a glance. She was probably afraid she would explode with anger and try to teach him a lesson.

If it weren’t for... that incident at school, and if her mother wasn’t right up ahead, she probably would have already taught this arrogant little brat a lesson with her own two hands.

Half an hour later, the group of four arrived at the edge of a pasture. By the light of the Star-shaped Lamp in his hand, Rong Taotao carefully observed the Star Battle Vine Master.

’What is this thing?’

’A Soul Beast made of vines?’

The creature before him was humanoid, but its entire body was composed of woody vines. Embedded in its face were two brilliant Star Eyes, which were incredibly dazzling.

"Star Battle Vine Master. Elite- to Master-tier Soul Beast, humanoid.

Soul Skills:

1. Star Trace Whip: Summons a vine whip composed of Starfield Soul Power to lash at enemies.

2. Star Vine Little Raider: Each time the Star Trace Whip strikes an enemy, it siphons a small amount of the target’s Soul Power to replenish its own.

Moderate movement speed, with fast and dense attacks. Suitable for Practitioners at the Soul Captain level and above. Practitioners in the Soul Warrior Stage must train under the supervision of two or more professionals.

Note: This facility does not admit Practitioners in the Soul Soldier stage."

"Want to go in and give it a try?" Rong Yuanshan asked, smiling at Rong Taotao.

Rong Taotao urged his horse forward, took a few pieces of candy from his father’s bag, and popped them into his mouth. "Yeah."

Nan Cheng glanced at the bag and was taken aback. ’Half a bag full of chocolate and candy?’

’This kid loves to eat sna—wait!’

Nan Cheng suddenly felt that something wasn’t right. The boy’s mannerisms, how could it be...

As the group entered the Pasture House, Nan Cheng also took out a bag of chocolate chips from her field pack and poured some into her mouth...

And her gaze met Rong Yuanshan’s.

Rong Yuanshan just smiled without saying anything. After completing the check-in procedures, the group of four entered the pasture.

Out on the wide-open prairie, the four of them galloped forward, with the two parents falling behind. Facing Nan Cheng’s questioning gaze, Rong Yuanshan rode closer and nodded. "Yes. It’s just as you think."

As a Huaxia Soul General, especially one who possessed a Supreme Treasure, Nan Cheng moved in circles where she would learn the secret of Rong Taotao’s Lotus Petal sooner or later. Rong Yuanshan saw no reason not to tell her.

Nan Cheng’s expression froze. She whispered, "The Snow Realm... You mean, a Lotus Petal?"

"Yes." Rong Yuanshan watched the boy galloping in the distance and let out a soft sigh.

Nan Cheng’s expression turned grave. "Miss Xu gave her Lotus Petal to the boy? No, that’s not right. Isn’t Miss Xu at Dragon River, unable to move?"

Rong Yuanshan shook his head and said quietly, "It wasn’t my wife’s Lotus Petal. He snatched it from a Snow Realm Soul Beast himself."

"What?" Nan Cheng’s breath hitched. ’This boy... actually possesses a Lotus Petal!?’

’And he snatched it himself!?’

"What a boy!" The Lord Soul General raised her eyes, which now shone brightly as she gazed at the distant figure of the galloping youth. "Then I’ll have to re-evaluate him. Now *that’s* the proper bearing for a descendant of a great house. And then you look at my daughter..."

Rong Yuanshan: "..."

To be honest, Rong Yuanshan preferred the dignified and imposing female Soul General from before.

But the moment the conversation turned to her child, this Soul General became a little too down-to-earth.

Rong Yuanshan had always been very deliberate about not praising Rong Taotao, and had even intentionally disciplined him for being mischievous, but...

’Sigh, what a pain~’

’Let me think hard about what other flaws he has. Hmm... Does eating a lot count?’

...