Master of Nine Stars

Rong Taotao held the halberd in his right hand. From the wrist of his left hand, hanging naturally at his side, streams of Soul Power flowed out, rapidly gathering and spinning wildly.

Why choose his left hand?

Because Rong Taotao had an activated Soul Slot inside his left wrist, but not his right. Comparatively, the point where the Soul Power gathered on his left wrist was much clearer.

Rong Taotao finally understood: the beginning of it all had nothing to do with the palm.

The wrist was the manufacturer. The palm was just the salesperson.

Manufacturing wasn’t difficult, nor was selling. The problem was how the two parties could connect and agree to cooperate.

CRACK! With a crisp sound, Xia Fangran’s Snow-made Teaching Whip lashed viciously across Rong Taotao’s back.

While Rong Taotao was completely focused on understanding the new Soul Skill, he had forgotten to maintain his Snow Step.

This sudden lash sent Rong Taotao stumbling forward. Xia Fangran had clearly done it on purpose!

With no way to retreat, Rong Taotao focused even harder on channeling the spinning Wind Snow Ball at his wrist.

The moment he fell, the Soul Power at his wrist erupted, pushing the completed snowball into his palm. Rong Taotao slammed that same palm down toward the Snowflake Wolf’s head.

In that critical moment, the dying Snowflake Wolf displayed an astonishing will to survive. It violently threw off the long spear pinning its head and twisted around to face Rong Taotao.

"Beast!" Li Ziyi roared. Seeing the situation turn dire, he put all his strength into flipping the Snowflake Wolf’s body into the air with his spear.

But Rong Taotao’s reaction stunned Xia Fangran. ’This kid is already running before he’s even learned to walk!’

Rong Taotao actually thrust a hand out in front of himself and prematurely unleashed his Soul Skill: Snow Burst!

The palm that had been aimed at the Snowflake Wolf’s head exploded before it could even hit its target!

BANG!

Rong Taotao blasted himself backward. The exploding, spinning snowball sent him stumbling three steps back!

Li Ziyi had saved his teammate in his own way, and Rong Taotao had just saved himself in his.

Xia Fangran watched the scene unfold with utter astonishment. ’A kid who just mastered Soul Skill: Snow Burst has already figured out how to turn an offensive-type Soul Skill into a support-type one?’

And crucially, it all happened in the blink of an eye.

’Just how sharp are Rong Taotao’s combat instincts?’

Of course, Xia Fangran had no idea that Xu Taiping had once demonstrated this application of Snow Burst to Rong Taotao...

Rong Taotao had once said, "Going to a temple is just for kicks. If you want a living saint, you have to find Xu Taiping!"

The saying was incredibly fitting here!

’Being Xia Fangran’s student is just for kicks. To really learn Soul Skills, you still have to find Xu Taiping!’

’Praise be to you! My Great Apple!’

"Hyaaa!!!" The moment both crises were averted, the long spear in Sun Xingyu’s hand became a javelin. Taking aim at the Snowflake Wolf Li Ziyi had tossed into the air, she viciously hurled it.

SHLICK!

The long spear plunged into the Snowflake Wolf’s gaping, bloody maw and ran through its entire body, the blood-stained tip emerging straight from its rear.

A "Wolf Meat Skewer" had been inadvertently made!

After steadying himself, Rong Taotao looked up at Xia Fangran with a resentful expression. "You really don’t pull your punches, do you..."

Xia Fangran’s gaze, however, swept faintly over Rong Taotao’s feet.

Rong Taotao jumped in fright and hurriedly activated his Soul Skill: Snow Step, trying to avoid another lashing from the whip.

When Xia Fangran had said he would act as their Scout, Rong Taotao had felt secure. But now... he felt like Xia Fangran was the real source of danger!

"Whew..." Sun Xingyu let out a sigh of relief and plopped down into the snow, her particular girlish way of sitting causing her to sink deep into the drifts.

Xia Fangran immediately zipped over, whip in hand.

Sun Xingyu yelped, scrambling to her feet and leaping aside. She activated Snow Step, landing atop the thick snow.

Xia Fangran paid her no mind and lightly tapped her on the head with his whip.

"Oof~" Sun Xingyu clutched her head, her big eyes welling with tears. ’I hate him so much,’ she probably thought.

Nearby, Li Ziyi shot Xia Fangran a dark look.

Xia Fangran seemed to sense something and turned to look. And Li Ziyi was truly something else!

He didn’t even flinch, nor did he try to hide his expression!

Instead, Xia Fangran said, "You were the only one who kept Snow Step active for the entire battle. Not bad. You deserve praise."

Li Ziyi: "..."

The human body has two points of origin for Soul Power: the chest and the lower abdomen.

Snow Step and Snow Burst are an upper-body Soul Skill and a lower-body Soul Skill, respectively.

Using them simultaneously requires a "dual-core operation," something like Left-Right Mutual Combat. This was Rong Taotao’s mistake; he’d forgotten Snow Step while using Snow Burst, which was why Xia Fangran had disciplined him.

"Learned Snow Realm Soul Skill: Snow Burst!

Snow Burst: Gather Soul Power at the wrist and cause it to rotate continuously, forming a rapidly spinning Wind Snow Ball, then cause it to explode in the palm. (Normal Grade, Potential Value: 3 Stars)." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Seeing the information appear in his Inner Soul Map, Rong Taotao, who had been full of resentment, finally felt the gloom lift.

Learning such an amazing skill filled Rong Taotao with joy.

"Although I punished you..." Xia Fangran’s voice drifted to his ears, and Rong Taotao couldn’t help but look up.

Xia Fangran’s constantly stern expression finally broke into a slight smile.

In truth, Xia Fangran was inwardly amazed; he just had excellent control over his facial expressions.

The youth before him had, time and again, proven the very definition of the word "genius"!

Xia Fangran controlled his emotions and said, "But I must say, of all the students I have ever seen, you learned the Snow Burst Soul Skill in the shortest amount of time. From the moment I started teaching you until you successfully executed it, it took about one minute. After the semester starts, you can apply to the school for this record. I will be your witness."

Rong Taotao blinked. "Huh? There’s a record for that?"

Xia Fangran nodded. "Yes. It may just be a single line, but it will be written into your permanent file. Objectively, it represents your talent for learning. In the future, if you want to pursue advanced studies in Soul Skill research, follow the path of a scholar, or apply for certain positions, this record will be a point in your favor."

Rong Taotao paused. "Then what about the Snow Step Soul Skill from yesterday? How was my speed then?"

Xia Fangran nodded in acknowledgment. "Very good. You mastered it quickly, but that was merely excellent, far from the top tier. So..."

Xia Fangran glanced at the Snowflake Wolf’s corpse. "It takes a true crisis to unleash your full potential, doesn’t it?"

Clearly, Xia Fangran was very pleased with his teaching methods. After all, they had yielded such fine results.

To be fair, he had just lucked into a student with explosive talent like Rong Taotao. If he tried to force other students the same way, he likely wouldn’t see any positive results.

Rong Taotao said with a pained expression, "Professor Xia, maybe you could try a little less to ’unleash my potential’? Just let me live in peace for a couple of days. I’d be eternally grateful..."

As he spoke, Rong Taotao walked towards the Snowflake Wolf’s corpse.

The Snowflake Wolf was over a meter long, with a coat of beautiful, pure white fur. Even stained with blood, its beauty was undiminished.

To the touch, its fur was surprisingly soft, seemingly perfect for making into clothes.

’There should be a Soul Pearl in its head. Is its Soul Skill also Snow Burst?’

Sun Xingyu walked over as well, still looking shaken. "Hey, you know... it took the three of us just to kill one Snowflake Wolf, but that Fan Lihua killed one all by herself and even escaped from a whole pack. Just how powerful is she?"

Rong Taotao opened his mouth to speak, only to get a mouthful of wind and snow for his trouble.

He gave up trying to look cool, covering his mouth and nose as he said, "Who said our only enemy was the Snowflake Wolf? We had a saboteur right here with us, didn’t we?"

Xia Fangran: ???

’I am the great Pine Soul Four Seasons! Don’t I get any respect?’

Watching the three kids examining the Snowflake Wolf’s corpse, Xia Fangran hesitated for a moment before saying, "Rong Taotao, you’ve completed today’s lesson plan."

Rong Taotao was taken aback. "Huh?"

Xia Fangran shrugged, looking somewhat helpless. "Today’s lesson had two parts. First, to take advantage of the raging blizzard and the increased number of Soul Beasts beyond the wall to have you work together to kill a low-level Soul Beast. Second, to learn the Snow Burst Soul Skill. You’ve already completed both objectives."

Rong Taotao scratched his head. "Are you just trying to slack off? You only planned a half-hour lesson for the entire day?"

Xia Fangran was so annoyed his nose was practically crooked. "This is the normal pace and curriculum!" he snapped.

’Do you think everyone is like you, finishing one, two, or even three days’ worth of lessons in just a few minutes?’

Rong Taotao stood up and faced Xia Fangran directly. "Is it a crime to be a genius?"

Xia Fangran: "..."

Rong Taotao took a step forward, his aura magnificent. "Is it? Hmm?"

Looking at the kid who was now thoroughly full of himself, a strange smile spread across Xia Fangran’s face. "You’re right, I have been inconsiderate. Yesterday, you finished your tasks early, and today you were even faster. Every day, your actions prove to me that I’ve underestimated your Talent. Since that’s the case..."

Rong Taotao regretted his words the moment they left his mouth.

Danger!

Xia Fangran continued, "The old rule still applies. You are a team. You’re not allowed to rest until they’ve both learned it..."

’Yes!’ Rong Taotao’s heart leaped with joy. ’Does this mean I can go find Si Huan Nian again?’

’Eavesdropping is my favorite!’

"However," Xia Fangran said, "you already went through that yesterday. It would be unfair to you to do it again."

With that, Xia Fangran led the trio toward Hundred Corps Pass.

When they reached the huge, mottled city wall, Xia Fangran pointed at it and said, "Climb."

Rong Taotao: ???

Xia Fangran clarified, "Climb the wall. Or to be more precise, walk up it."

Rong Taotao stared blankly up at the wall. "W-walk up it?"

Xia Fangran asked, "Is there frost and snow on the wall?"

In a blizzard of this magnitude, the wall was naturally covered in frost and snow.

Rong Taotao nodded. "Yes!"

Xia Fangran said, "Wherever there’s frost and snow, you can move with ease. Remember, for a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist, every single snowflake is your ally."

As he spoke, Xia Fangran took a step. The soles of his feet stuck to the mottled wall, and he actually began walking straight up it, step by step!

His body was parallel to the ground, forming a perfect 90-degree angle with the wall he was walking on.

After taking a symbolic three steps, Xia Fangran dropped back down. "Your extra assignment for today is to walk up to the battlements."

With that, Xia Fangran ignored Rong Taotao and turned to Li Ziyi. "You also have six Soul Slots. Why haven’t you learned Snow Burst yet?"

Li Ziyi was silent for a long moment before saying quietly, "You didn’t whip me."

THUD!

A muffled thud sounded as Rong Taotao fell from the wall and landed hard on his butt in the snow. He winced in pain. ’Can you really do that with Snow Step? Just walk straight up a wall?’

’Jeez, I’m Rong Taotao, not Kakashi, and definitely not Spider-Man.’

’This is...’