Master of Nine Stars

THUD!

Before the words were even finished, a muffled thud rang out!

Rong Taotao landed a front kick right on Guan Qiong’s arm, sending him flying five or six meters away!

’Can’t get close to you, huh?’

Guan Qiong was hit instantly, barely managing to raise his arm to block. He never expected Rong Taotao’s reaction to be so fast. What kind of on-the-spot adaptability was this?

A wave of gasps erupted from the audience, but... they weren’t for Rong Taotao.

Because on the other side of the battlefield, the older brother, Guan Cang, had actually caught a blade with his bare hands!

Everyone was stunned. As a Starfield Soul Martial Artist, he could have easily gained the upper hand in a normal fight. Why was he adopting such a life-or-death attitude against Gao Lingwei?

In the battle behind, Guan Cang was seen tightly gripping the Long Halberd that Gao Lingwei had swung down. To be precise, he was holding the Crescent Blade on the side of the Heaven-piercing Halberd, letting the sharp half-moon blade slice into his palm!

With his Douxing Qi fully unleashed, Guan Cang gripped the Heaven-piercing Halberd with one hand while flinging a Star Wave Stream from the other, hurtling it straight toward Gao Lingwei...

Guan Cang was exhibiting the ferocity of a mad dog. Despite having the advantage, he was still trading injuries for injuries!

This was his attitude!

CRACK! CRACK!

A series of crisp cracks suddenly rang out. Gao Lingwei’s extremely durable Iron Snow Armor was... it was about to shatter!?

"Look at me!" Gao Lingwei shot a fierce glance at Guan Cang, a dark red light flashing in her eyes.

But Guan Cang didn’t look up at all, as if he had been prepared for this. The Star Wave Stream he pushed out from his hand grew even more ferocious!

SWOOSH~!

Gao Lingwei’s eyes were sharp, but the face hidden behind her Snow-made Helmet was twisted in pain. Holding the halberd with one hand, she fiercely swung her other hand forward.

Guan Cang bent over in response, and the Butterfly Dual Sabers, which had transformed into a dark golden spinning disc, grazed past his back.

"Up!" Guan Cang roared. With his blood-soaked hand gripping the Heaven-piercing Halberd’s Crescent Blade, he infused his arm with Douxing Qi and forcefully lifted the weapon.

Gao Lingwei quickly let go of the Halberd Shaft to avoid being flung into the air, but her footing was unsteady, and she was forced to retreat.

The frenzied Guan Cang stomped down hard!

WHOOSH... Chaotic Star Shock!

With this, Gao Lingwei’s already chaotic steps became even more jumbled. Losing her balance, her body teetered and she fell backward.

"I told you, those weak Ocean Soul Martial Artists have made you soft!" Guan Cang roared, but in his mind, he sent a message to his brother, "Attack!"

Inside the Snow Prison Arena, the younger brother, Guan Qiong, who had been fleeing and covered in wounds, suddenly stopped running. After being relentlessly pursued and hacked at, he abruptly turned and threw both fists at Gao Lingwei’s face.

And with the shift from a one-sided chase to a desperate, all-out attack, the pain felt by both Gao Lingwei and Guan Qiong instantly intensified to a new level!

On the grassy field, Guan Qiong had long prepared himself for the intense pain. Ignoring Rong Taotao’s position completely, he summoned all his strength and stomped his feet violently onto the ground!

RUMBLE... A ferocious shockwave rolled out, and Rong Taotao, who was closing in, was sent flying!

Star-Stepping Split!

Regardless, at this moment, forcing Rong Taotao back was the wisest choice!

"Ugh." On the other side of the grassy field, Gao Lingwei gritted her teeth, her movements unnaturally stiffening for a moment.

Guan Cang immediately stomped forward—Star-Stepping Split!

RUMBLE!

Under the immense force, Gao Lingwei was blasted away. But Guan Cang just waved a hand, and a Star Trace Whip lashed out, wrapping around Gao Lingwei’s long leg in an instant, giving no one a chance to react!

"Your so-called desperate struggle is meaningless!" Guan Cang yanked hard on the Star Trace Whip, violently pulling back the airborne Gao Lingwei.

"Your self-righteous Snow Realm defensive Soul Skills are completely useless against Starfield Soul Skills!!!"

The next moment, starlight spilled from Guan Cang’s hand as a Star Wave Stream shot out directly!

"Meaningless?" Gao Lingwei had been covered in a layer of Shuangxue. Although the explosive output of the Starfield Soul Skills had left cracks all over it, she had been timely in activating her own Soul Skills, constantly using Shuangxue to replenish and piece her armor back together.

But this time, with Guan Cang using his full power, the output of the elite-grade Star Wave Stream was simply explosive. Her freshly-mended Iron Snow Armor shattered once again!

CRACK... CRACK!

"NEIGH..." In a daze, Gao Lingwei seemed to hear Hu Bugui wailing from within her.

Streams of Starfield Soul Power seeped through the shattered Iron Snow Armor, invading her body from every pore and encroaching upon her Frost Snow Attribute physique.

However, this level of physical pain was nothing compared to the mental agony she was currently experiencing.

If it weren’t for Hu Bugui’s loud whinnies, Gao Lingwei wouldn’t have even realized just how severely she was injured.

Starfield was a hard counter to the Snow Realm. That was a rule of the Soul Martial World.

In that instant, from Gao Lingwei’s perspective, it was as if the flow of the world had slowed down.

Her body was being dragged by the Star Trace Whip, drawing infinitely closer to Guan Cang.

A Star Wave Stream was frantically battering her Iron Snow Armor, the sound of it cracking echoing continuously, while her Lifebound Soul Beast wailed inside her.

Before her were the stars shooting from Guan Cang’s palm and his incredibly sinister gaze...

’Is this the end?’

’Is my desperate struggle truly meaningless?’

’Perhaps I should show you what meaning is!’

In a flash of lightning, Gao Lingwei’s Butterfly Dual Sabers appeared once more!

There was no defensive move, not even a hint of retreat.

Her form in the Snow Prison Arena frantically stabbed through her opponent’s chest, while her physical self on the grassy field shot forward like a cannonball, viciously smashing toward Guan Cang!

CRACK!

The pillar of Star Wave Stream smashed through her Iron Snow Armor and struck her squarely in the abdomen. Although it didn’t pierce her body, the buzzing stars were terrifying to behold.

And the Butterfly Dual Sabers in Gao Lingwei’s hands brutally pierced through Guan Cang’s palm!

"Ah..."

"Holy shit!!!"

"It’s nuts, absolutely nuts, bro! That’s so fucking vicious! How much must that hurt?"

The cries from the audience rose, only to quickly fall silent.

Just now, under that violent pillar of starlight stream, the Butterfly Dual Sabers in Gao Lingwei’s hands had pierced through everything, stabbing fiercely toward Guan Cang’s head!

But Guan Cang was just as terrifyingly ruthless. He didn’t dodge or evade, simply blocking with one hand in front of his forehead. He let the Butterfly Saber pierce his palm, his hand sliding over the back of the blade to grab tightly onto Gao Lingwei’s hand holding the hilt. The blade’s edge never touched his forehead.

For a moment, the scene seemed to freeze in place.

And it was Guan Cang who broke the silence!

BANG!

With a muffled bang, Gao Lingwei’s abdomen became a bloody mess. She spat out blood as another Star Wave Stream blasted her away.

Rong Taotao, who had been sent tumbling across the ground, leaving a long trail in the snow, was enduring the impact and pain that the Star-Stepping Split had inflicted on his body.

Having just dug his fingers into the ground to stop himself, Rong Taotao hastily turned his head just in time to see Gao Lingwei’s spinning form, her tattered Frost Snow Armor barely holding together as she was sent flying into the distance.

"Da Wei!" Rong Taotao didn’t hesitate and quickly rushed forward.

"Ugh..." Gao Lingwei let out a pained groan and fell to the ground with a thud.

Her abdomen was a bloody pulp, and trickles of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Her gaze was vacant as she stared up at the sealed roof of the arena.

"Hmph." Guan Cang raised his hand. From his palm, which was gushing with blood, he pulled out the dark golden Butterfly Dual Sabers inch by inch and viciously threw them toward Gao Lingwei.

CLANG~

A Long Halberd knocked the Butterfly Dual Sabers aside. The sprinting Rong Taotao had finally gotten in front of Gao Lingwei.

Without their master’s tethering threads, the Butterfly Dual Sabers vanished.

Gao Lingwei lay on the ground, and though her eyes were vacant, Shuangxue spread from one of her hands as she pressed it against her abdomen, instantly freezing the mangled wound.

Meanwhile, in the Snow Prison Arena, Guan Qiong saw Gao Lingwei’s spiritual body flickering in and out of existence due to the heavy damage her physical body had sustained. He immediately charged forward to kill her!

Strike while she’s down and finish her off!

"Nngh." Gao Lingwei instinctively clutched her head. Already severely wounded, this was now salt in the wound.

"Get out of there! We’ll accept the damage!" Rong Taotao shouted urgently.

The two of them had intended to use the Snow Prison Arena to focus fire on Guan Qiong, but the Guan Brothers, who had thoroughly studied their tactics, had instead used the Arena’s characteristics to focus fire and defeat Gao Lingwei...

It was just as Yang Chunxi had said: the Snow Prison Arena was a double-edged sword.

Gao Lingwei clenched her jaw tightly. Her form in the Snow Prison Arena leaped backward, plunging straight into a bottomless abyss...

Ever since acquiring this Soul Skill, aside from the very first time she tested it, Gao Lingwei had never actively left the Arena.

But now, her physical condition truly couldn’t support a two-front battle any longer.

"Surrender, Rong Taotao." In the distance, Guan Cang flicked his pierced hand, splattering blood everywhere. The twinges of pain seemed to only make him more energized.

"It’s over, Rong Taotao. There’s no chance left." Having left the Snow Prison Arena, Guan Qiong’s voice trembled. Clearly, he hadn’t yet recovered from the pain.

But Rong Taotao ignored them both. He just stood guard in front of Gao Lingwei, his mind racing.

He should have taken on more responsibility. Just like in the quarter-finals against the Yuan Brothers, he should have done more to support Gao Lingwei.

However, on this ever-changing battlefield, the younger brother Guan Qiong had stomped down with Star-Stepping Split, and the older brother Guan Cang had unleashed a whip and twin pillars of stars...

Everything had changed in a flash. At the level of the finals, Rong Taotao only needed one opportunity—but didn’t his opponents need the same?

...

Four Chapters today. There’s one more after this. Yu doesn’t like to leave things on a cliffhanger and hopes to finish critical Chapters in one day, but my writing speed is really limited. I’ve been writing since this morning, I’m really trying my best.

I’m writing the next Chapter now and will try to release it before 11. For those of you who can wait, please hang on a bit. If you can’t, you can read it tomorrow. That’s all for now, I’m writing as hard as I can...