Master of Nine Stars

As September approached, the new students of Songjiang Soul Martial University began arriving at the school one after another.

The registration period for these freshmen was quite long. Some, like Gao Lingwei, had arrived a month and a half early, while others didn’t show up until the very last day.

The reason for this was simply the geographical limitations of Soul Techniques, which meant that Soul Martial Artists could only cultivate specific Soul Techniques in specific regions.

Speaking of Gao Lingwei...

Ever since being provoked by Si Huan Nian that day, the love-struck Rong Taotao had regained some of his senses. He had to admit that his strength was indeed lacking.

It couldn’t be helped. No matter how much of a genius Rong Taotao was, he was at the age where he should have been a high school freshman, yet he was being compared to university freshmen. It was inherently unfair...

Moreover, his opponents were powerful Martial Artists who had distinguished themselves and achieved excellent results in the Outer Region League and the national leagues.

The Junior Class program had indeed pushed Rong Taotao into a higher tier of competition. Few would care that he had three fewer years of training than others; in this world, strength was all that mattered.

Therefore, Rong Taotao completely settled down and dedicated himself to training in seclusion.

Rong Taotao had become famous. On the campus forums, the upperclassmen used to jokingly call him "Little Night-Watchman Taotao" and the "Third-Year Terminator." But through his own efforts over the past month and a half of summer vacation, he had made them change their attitude toward him again and again.

Although he couldn’t shake the "Little Night-Watchman Taotao" nickname, it was now used with much less mockery.

The reason... was naturally Rong Taotao’s visibly intense and diligent effort.

Many hardworking university students didn’t go home for the summer vacation, choosing instead to stay and polish their skills and cultivate Soul Techniques in the frigid Martial Arts Arena.

They sparred, discussed techniques, and were occasionally fortunate enough to receive guidance from the Martial Arts Arena’s supervising instructor, Si Huan Nian.

But Rong Taotao was different from everyone else.

His training was truly "bitter"! Like an ascetic monk.

The intensity of his diligence made the upperclassmen’s scalps tingle!

Aside from when Si Huan Nian initially taught him the Basic Saber Technique, all of Rong Taotao’s training was done on his own.

Ever since the wound on his chest healed, Rong Taotao had entered a "frenzied" state. Perhaps it was because he felt his strength was too lacking and desperately wanted to become stronger.

From that point on, any student who came to the Martial Arts Hall would always see a focused, often sweat-drenched young man: Rong Taotao!

Although Lu Mang had also become a disciple of Si Huan Nian, he was different from Rong Taotao. Lu Mang had fallen behind on many lessons, so Si Huan Nian would often take him away for separate instruction in Spear Technique, Soul Skills, and other parts of a different training plan.

As for Rong Taotao... he just repeated the most basic moves of the Sword Technique over and over, tirelessly.

No opponents, no instructor’s guidance, no company, and no interruptions.

There was only the incredibly focused Rong Taotao and the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow in his hand.

At first, Lu Mang was resistant to practicing a new skill like Spear Technique. After all, he was a Sword Cultivation practitioner. But after seeing Rong Taotao practicing with Infantry Combat Short Weapons to make up for his weaknesses, Lu Mang obediently began learning Spear Technique from Si Huan Nian.

From Rong Taotao’s attitude toward his Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, Lu Mang seemed to finally understand why Rong Taotao’s Heaven-piercing Halberd skill was so far beyond his peers, why it was so exquisite.

There are no shortcuts on the path of Martial Arts.

There are only thousands upon thousands of strikes and a heart bordering on obsession.

Although Lu Mang didn’t say anything, he was secretly competing with him.

When Rong Taotao woke up before dawn, Lu Mang woke up too.

When Rong Taotao trained all day, stopping only for meals, Lu Mang also trained all day.

After the last half-month of summer vacation training, Lu Mang had long since changed his internal clock.

Well... in fact, both of their internal clocks were synchronized with Si Huan Nian’s.

It was just that the two youths, who should have been sleeping in at their age, went to bed even later than Si Huan Nian. Although they were in bed by 10:30, they would absorb Soul Power for a long time, until they were so exhausted their consciousness blurred and they drifted into a deep sleep.

Si Huan Nian woke up at four. Rong Taotao and Lu Mang set their alarm for 4:01. The single bed in the mailroom had long been replaced with a bunk bed.

The extent of Lu Mang’s self-discipline was unclear, but Rong Taotao’s was beyond question.

Back in his second year of middle school, after his Devil Master had up and left, Rong Taotao trained alone on the rooftop day and night until midnight, rain or shine. That was his attitude.

Unlike Fan Lihua, who seemed to have no idea what a dream even was, Rong Taotao had never forgotten his own.

What gave Rong Taotao even more to look forward to... was the appearance of his Inner Soul Map.

In the past, he just trained blindly. But now, he was different!

Although this Soul Map wouldn’t increase Rong Taotao’s immediate Combat Readiness, its clear-cut ranking system allowed him to personally experience the exhilarating feeling of his Martial Arts improving!

’Too bad there’s no experience bar. If there were, it would be even more satisfying!’

At this moment, after his demonic training, his Sword Mastery had reached "One-Star, High-Rank."

Rong Taotao really hadn’t learned any advanced Swordsmanship Skills. He just repeated the most basic movements over and over, but the results of his training were tangible, and his growth rate was astonishingly fast.

Meanwhile, Lu Mang, who was cultivating Soul Power and Soul Techniques in the Martial Arts Hall, also noticed something was wrong!

’The speed of cultivating Soul Power and Soul Techniques here is so fast! Although it slows down occasionally, most of the time, the rate of absorbing Soul Power is terrifyingly quick.’

Lu Mang had of course asked Rong Taotao what was going on, but Rong Taotao said he didn’t know.

Lu Mang also foolishly went to ask Si Huan Nian, only to be flicked on the forehead and sent out of the office...

Hmm, Rong Taotao didn’t laugh. Instead, he clutched his own forehead, remembering the feeling of being flicked there himself.

Regardless of what Ocean Soul Techniques the other "fruits" had learned, or whether they were studying Soul Techniques and Martial Arts with their parents or famous masters...

In any case, Taotao and Mango, who were training at the Songjiang Soul Martial University’s Martial Arts Hall, had not wasted their summer vacation.

September 1st was the first day of school.

On the last day of August, Rong Taotao and Lu Mang reluctantly left the Martial Arts Hall and moved into the new dormitory the school had arranged for them.

That evening, Rong Taotao and Lu Mang, carrying their backpacks and toiletries, arrived at the base of Building 10.

The entire building was occupied by first-year freshmen. Although Rong Taotao and Lu Mang were young, they felt like "veterans" of the school. Watching the freshmen come and go with various expressions, the two couldn’t help but look at each other and laugh.

"Before the entrance exam, we lived in the graduate students’ dorm, in a two-person room. This time, it seems to be a six-person room," Lu Mang said as he walked, carrying his toiletries.

"Ah, it’ll just be the other students from our Soul Class," Rong Taotao said casually, looking at the key with the room number on it. "That’s pretty good. First floor. We won’t have to climb stairs for four years."

Lu Mang ignored Rong Taotao and stopped in his tracks.

At the entrance to the right-hand corridor on the first floor, there was a notice board with the two large words "Junior Class" written on it.

And below that, in a line of small text, it read: Non-Junior Class Students Prohibited.

It seemed the entire right-hand corridor on the first floor housed the dorm rooms for the Junior Class students.

Every freshman who passed by would glance curiously at the notice board—some with envy, some with jealousy, and some with disdain.

Rong Taotao clicked his tongue in annoyance. ’Which teacher, getting high on a little bit of power, did this?’

’The keys have the room numbers on them, we can find it ourselves. What’s the meaning of this?’

’Are they treating us like animals in a zoo? They even put up a sign...’

Rong Taotao thought about it, but in the end, he didn’t move the notice board and just quietly slipped past.

’Room 123... 123...’

Whoa~

’The innermost dorm. A cold mountain...’

Lu Mang pushed open the door and saw the familiar faces he hadn’t seen in a month and a half.

However... the enthusiastic welcome he had imagined never came. Li Ziyi was leaning against the window opposite the door, on the phone with someone.

Xu Taiping, sitting in a chair, gave the doorway a cold glance before turning his head away without a word.

’Honestly, this kid is seriously cool!’

Unlike the other students who were wearing thick down jackets.

Xu Taiping was wearing a pure white hoodie, blue jeans, and a pair of spotless white sneakers that were so bright they were almost dazzling.

His short white hair didn’t reach his ears, and he had earbuds in, listening to who-knows-what.

’Being this ridiculously cool, he should really debut as an idol...’

"You two are finally here!" Jiao Tengda was the only enthusiastic one, standing up to welcome them at the door.

"Ha~" Rong Taotao, carrying his toiletries in one hand, waved at Jiao Tengda. "Long time no see!"

"Long time no see, long time no see! Haha, you two hurry up and pick your beds," Jiao Tengda said hurriedly.

Lu Mang was a little surprised. "Pick our beds?"

"That’s right. The teacher in charge of dorm assignments specifically emphasized that the Junior Class has to choose beds according to their competition rankings. The higher your rank, the higher your priority," Jiao Tengda explained, pushing up his glasses.

Rong Taotao was also stunned. ’This... is such a great way to stir up resentment, isn’t it? I love it!’

Jiao Tengda shrugged and looked at Rong Taotao. "The first-place winner was Fan Lihua, and she’s in the girls’ dorm, so..."

Rong Taotao immediately looked toward the window and said, "Li Zi, which bed do you want? Tell me so I can ban it for you!"

Li Ziyi turned his head, still holding his phone. "Quiet down, fanboy. I’m on the phone with my girlfriend."

Rong Taotao: "You son of a %￥#@￥!!!"

’I’m tilted!’

’He had asked Gao Lingwei for an autograph, and he’d probably be laughed at by Li Zi and Xing’Er for the rest of his life...’

Lu Mang looked around. There were six beds, each a loft bed with a desk underneath. The space was large, with independent sinks and bathrooms on either side of the window. The conditions were excellent.

But Lu Mang had a question. He asked, "There are five of us. Did the teacher say if anyone else will be moving in?"

Just then, a commotion could be heard from the hallway.

Rong Taotao was closest to the door. He took a step back and turned to look, only to see a student standing at the entrance of a dorm farther down the hall, arguing with the people inside.

Doors to other dorms opened one after another as curious students gathered around.

Amidst the jumble of voices, Rong Taotao seemed to overhear a sentence: "I hear you Junior Class kids are geniuses recruited from all over the country? I wonder if I might have the honor of seeing a few of your moves?"

Rong Taotao blinked. He knew that stupid notice board would cause trouble!

’It’s not just a ’zoo exhibit’ sign, it’s a sign that screams ’hate me’!’

Especially that line of small text at the bottom: Non-Junior Class Students Prohibited.

’It was the perfect finishing touch!’

Soul Martial Students are completely different from ordinary students in regular society.

For ordinary students, studying hard is their main focus. But for Soul Martial Students... combat is a daily occurrence, the very theme of their academic life!

As Rong Taotao was watching the commotion, he suddenly realized something was wrong!

The notice board was drawing hatred toward the Junior Class, and the students from the Martial Arts Class already held no small amount of animosity for the Soul Class students!

The entire right-hand corridor was filled with dorm rooms for the Martial Arts Class students. Only the very last room at the end housed five students from the Soul Class.

Who knows what those boys from the Martial Arts Class said to the freshmen, but those clearly older first-year students started striding deeper into the corridor...

"Room 123!" At the same time, a powerful, resonant voice echoed down the long hallway.

Hearing his dorm number being called, Rong Taotao clicked his tongue helplessly and watched the group of people striding toward them from a distance.

A few were freshmen, and the rest of the group were Junior Class students from the Martial Arts Class, here to watch the show.

"A pleasure to meet you!" said a tall young man with a booming voice, stopping in front of Rong Taotao.

Behind him, Lu Mang leaned against the doorframe, his gaze sweeping over the Martial Arts Class boys behind the freshman. He sneered, "I thought the Soul Class and the Martial Arts Class were both part of the Junior Class."

His single sentence made all the Martial Arts Class students blush with shame...