Master of Nine Stars

"Quiet," Yang Chunxi said, looking at the whispering students below. "One hundred students participated in this assessment. Fifty-three withdrew, and forty-seven completed it."

The students stopped their discussions, looking up at Yang Chunxi on the stage with anticipation.

Yang Chunxi continued, "For this Songjiang Soul Martial University Junior Class program, we have established two classes. The scores are already on the blackboard. The top nine students will enter the Junior Class’s Soul Class.

"Students ranked 10th to 39th will enter the Junior Class’s Martial Arts Class. The remaining eight students are eliminated."

Instantly, sounds of excited cheers and dejected sighs intertwined, filling the air.

"I’m in? I actually made it into the first tier, into the Soul Class?" Jiao Tengda looked astonished, but then the joy in his eyes became irrepressible. He excitedly hugged Rong Taotao, who was next to him, and shouted in delighted surprise, "How the hell did I manage to sneak in..."

Rong Taotao: "..."

Jiao Tengda hadn’t expected it either. He was actually rated as an outstanding team member, and his biggest bonus points, surprisingly, came from his actions *after* entering the cave!

Jiao Tengda’s quick observation of Rong Taotao’s team, his identification of Lu Mang as an injured member, and all the constructive suggestions he provided after joining them had earned him a whopping 50 points!

A score of 65 was frighteningly high for an average student.

The soldiers’ evaluation of Jiao Tengda was also incredibly high: Quick-witted, perceptive of minute details, skilled at deduction and analysis, understands teamwork, has a clear grasp of his own role, and possesses great potential for development...

"Alright, now you all know your scores." Yang Chunxi clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention. "To the eight eliminated students, please don’t be discouraged. You’ve only just graduated from middle school, and you have plenty of time to catch up. This assessment was full of variables.

"When you return, I hope you will continue to work hard. In three years, I will be waiting for you at Songjiang Soul Martial University.

"Of course, if the Junior Class proves to be effective, perhaps for the next intake, we will recruit directly from middle and high schools. I hope to see you among them then. Now, follow the soldiers back."

’We’re going back already?’

The students were all astonished to hear they weren’t even getting a break.

Yang Chunxi had to explain again, "According to the Snow Burning military’s forecast, this blizzard is expected to be very severe. Leaving as soon as possible is a matter of your safety."

As she spoke, soldiers had already entered and were leading the eight eliminated students away.

Yang Chunxi looked at the remaining 39 students and spoke again, "Students ranked 10th to 39th, follow the Snow Burning soldiers back to Songjiang Soul Martial University, wait for further notice, and keep your communication lines open."

The students looked at each other. ’So it’s not just the eliminated ones who have to leave? We, the students who made it into the Martial Arts Class, have to go back to the university tonight, too?’

’What about the top nine?’

As they pondered this, Yang Chunxi suddenly added, "Don’t think you’ll be in the Martial Arts Class forever. At the end of every year, the university will hold special assessments. If you don’t meet the standard, the university will advise you to withdraw.

"Furthermore, if you work hard enough and exceed your academic goals, you can replace the students in the Soul Class."

At once, the minds of the 30 second-tier Martial Arts Class students began to race. Led by the soldiers, they left the stone house.

With everyone’s departure, the stone house felt much more spacious.

Yang Chunxi looked down at the nine youngsters below and began calling out names. "First place, Fan Lihua."

"Here," the girl’s voice replied, soft and pleasant to the ear.

Everyone turned to look, only to see a petite girl wearing colorful goggles. It was the female student who had been the second to last to arrive!

Yang Chunxi casually pointed to a spot in front of her, and Fan Lihua immediately walked forward.

"Second place, Rong Taotao." Yang Chunxi pointed to the spot beside Fan Lihua, and Rong Taotao hurried forward.

"Third place, Lu Mang."

As soon as Yang Chunxi finished speaking, Lu Mang walked out, leaning on his crutch.

Aside from the same team bonus points as Sun Xingyu and Li Ziyi, Lu Mang had another item that earned him a significant bonus: the soldiers’ evaluation of his personal character: "Loyalty!"

This was a quality that perhaps many present possessed. Wasn’t Sun Xingyu loyal to the team? Wasn’t Li Ziyi? Unfortunately for them, their three-year bond with Rong Taotao as classmates made it a difficult comparison.

Within a short span of three days, Lu Mang, as a brand-new team member, made his quality of loyalty to the team shine all the brighter.

Just as Yang Chunxi had said, this assessment was full of variables.

Such is time, such is fate.

The appearance of an opportunity requires a certain element of luck. But when an opportunity arises, knowing how to seize it is a crucial skill.

The world is just that unfair. Most exams consist of a single test paper that decides one’s fate.

However, in this Songjiang Soul Martial University assessment, out of the 47 students who completed it, only 8 were eliminated. In that regard, Songjiang Soul Martial University could be considered very merciful.

For those who didn’t get a chance to perform or whose performance was subpar, there was at least the second-tier Martial Arts Class as a safety net.

As for those who were eliminated early, like Zheng Tianpeng’s team, their fate was truly tragic. If they had persevered, they might have had a chance. But who could they blame for choosing the wrong opponent?

Putting aside their abandonment of principles for personal gain and their attempt to seize another’s rightful place, their misjudgment of the enemy team’s strength was perhaps the fundamental reason for their elimination.

Watching Lu Mang walk forward on his crutch, Yang Chunxi couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction. She turned to look at the blackboard and said, "Shilou and Shilan, stand behind Fan Lihua."

Shilou and Shilan were clearly not in high spirits. Although they had entered the first-tier Soul Class, they were ranked eighth and ninth. For two combat Great Gods like them, this was practically a humiliation. ’It would have been better to be the leaders in the Martial Arts Class,’ they thought.

In fact, they were underestimating themselves. The act of saving one student from Xu Taiping, and then another, had already set them apart from the other students.

In an environment like the one beyond the Wall, where everyone was just trying to survive, few dared to offer help. In the end, such actions had to be backed by strength.

Yang Chunxi: "Li Ziyi, Sun Xingyu, stand behind Rong Taotao."

Like a cheerful fawn, Sun Xingyu happily trotted over without a hint of fatigue and stood directly behind Rong Taotao.

Li Ziyi watched Sun Xingyu’s back with a broad smile and stepped forward.

"Xu Taiping, Jiao Tengda, stand behind Lu Mang." Yang Chunxi finally turned around, looked at the three small teams, and continued, "Tomorrow, we will provide twenty Soul Beasts for you to choose from first."

Sun Xingyu’s eyes lit up. ’Twenty Soul Beasts? Looks like there’ll be a lot to choose from.’

Yang Chunxi: "Due to your extremely high Talent, the Soul Beasts provided by the university are all of low Quality, with docile temperaments and excellent conditions.

"These Soul Beasts have been brought out after being carefully selected by the university. You can choose with confidence."

Seeing the excited faces of the youngsters, Yang Chunxi couldn’t help but reveal a gentle smile. "The Martial Arts Class students are returning to the university to study, but as for the nine of you in the Soul Class, don’t even think about a summer vacation.

"Starting tomorrow, teachers will come to instruct you here.

"This sudden blizzard is also a good test. The sooner you adapt to the Snow Realm and understand its terrifying nature, the more advantageous it will be for you.

"The nine of you will not be returning to the university. This entire summer vacation, you will be training here within the Hundred Battles Pass.

"If you feel it’s too dangerous, or that student life here is too dull, tell me immediately, and we will send you home.

"There are plenty of students in the Martial Arts Class who would love to get into the Soul Class."

Yang Chunxi’s gaze swept over the group. Seeing no objections, she nodded in satisfaction. "Remember this stone room. From now on, this is your temporary classroom.

"Assemble here tomorrow at 2 PM to choose your Lifebound Soul Beast. Is that understood?"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

"Good." Yang Chunxi nodded again. "Your first lesson: communal living. The three-person teams I just formed will share a dormitory room. Regardless of gender, regardless of any past conflicts you may have had...

"From now on, you only need to remember one thing: you are comrades-in-arms in the same squad. You must overcome any and all difficulties!"

Down below, Sun Xingyu suddenly felt that Yang Chunxi was targeting her specifically.

She understood the other difficulties; after all, most of the people present had conflicts with Xu Taiping.

But this ’regardless of gender’... that was clearly aimed at her.

Fan Lihua, Shilou, and Shilan were three girls in one dorm room.

Lu Mang, Jiao Tengda, and Xu Taiping—two men and one beast—shared a dorm room.

Only her own squad had a mixed-gender dorm...

Behind Sun Xingyu, Li Ziyi seemed to read her mind. He leaned forward slightly, getting close to her ear, and whispered, "Just think of him as a pet we’re raising. Didn’t you always say that after we got into university, we’d rent a place off-campus and get a puppy?"

Sun Xingyu: "..."

She had to admit, hearing Li Ziyi say that actually made her feel quite a bit better...

Thankfully, Li Ziyi spoke very quietly, and Rong Taotao didn’t hear him. Otherwise, he probably would have blown a gasket on the spot!

Yang Chunxi continued, "Remember, this isn’t just your temporary school. In essence, this is a military camp! You must unconditionally obey all the rules here. Violators will be expelled immediately.

"The specific rules will be explained to you during class tomorrow. Tonight, you are to stay in your dormitories and sleep. Do not go anywhere.

"Alright, the three of you teams may leave now. There are soldiers at the door; they will take you to your dorms."

The nine youngsters looked at each other, getting their first taste of Songjiang Soul Martial’s swift and decisive style.

As Rong Taotao followed the crowd toward the door, a figure sidled up next to him.

Rong Taotao subconsciously glanced to his side and saw the expressionless face of Xu Taiping.

Xu Taiping wasn’t even looking at Rong Taotao, but Xu Taiping’s voice resounded in his mind: "You should be grateful the assessment ended early."

Rong Taotao was amused. ’You still dare to mouth off to me?’

’Guess you haven’t had a proper taste of my trash-talking skills yet, huh?’

Rong Taotao stuck out his elbow, slinging his arm over Xu Taiping’s shoulder. "You’re absolutely right. I should be grateful.

"Honestly, you’re a real stand-up guy. There are only nine people in the Soul Class, and you personally sent more than half of us here.

"I’m only just realizing it now. You weren’t trying to kill us, you were helping us get bonus points, weren’t you?"

Hearing this, Sun Xingyu looked over curiously. ’What happened? How did Xu Taiping provoke Rong Taotao again?’

Xu Taiping lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, clearly trying his best to endure something.

Rong Taotao chuckled. "People go to a temple for peace of mind, but if you’re looking for a real living saint, you just need to find our Xu Taiping."

Xu Taiping’s face darkened as he squeezed two words through his gritted teeth: "Shut. Up."