Master of Nine Stars

Amidst Rong Taotao’s anxious thoughts, the final exams finally arrived.

’Oh well, what’s coming is coming.’

After breakfast, Rong Taotao arrived at the classroom early. He took out a small heating pad, placed it on the corner of his desk, made a little nest with his scarf, and set his Cloud Dog on top.

The Cloud Dog was already used to auditing the class—or more accurately, listening while it slept. It curled up, ready to snooze the day away. Its carefree demeanor made Rong Taotao incredibly envious.

In fact, to others, Rong Taotao himself also looked quite carefree.

Every class, Rong Taotao would not only turn on the heating pad and make a nest for his Cloud Dog, but he would also brew a pot of water with goji berries, jujubes, and brown sugar. He would sip on it for two whole periods, as if he were severely malnourished...

The students filing into the classroom were no longer surprised by this scene. In the beginning, it might have drawn a few teasing remarks, but now...

"How’s it going, Taotao!" Sun Xingyu bounced into the classroom, her cheerful old self returned. Ever since she advanced to the Soul Captain stage, it was like she had been completely revitalized. "How prepared are you for your first exam?"

"WHOOSH... SLURP... Ah..." Rong Taotao blew on his cup before taking a sip of his goji, jujube, and brown sugar water. He shook his head. "Not great. Soul Skills are way easier to learn."

Rong Taotao was telling the truth. With Gao Lingwei’s help, he had already learned A Snowy Ocean. All in all, it had taken him less than a few hours and was relatively painless. But as for book smarts...

’Ah, forget it. I don’t even want to talk about it.’

It was worth mentioning that A Snowy Ocean was indeed a large-scale Soul Skill, and it was incredibly satisfying to use!

The first time Rong Taotao successfully cast it, watching the snow surge before him like a river, his heart swelled with a sense of accomplishment.

However, the Potential Value of Soul Skill: A Snowy Ocean was only five stars, meaning it could only be upgraded by one more level at most.

Rong Taotao had never expected that such a powerful, large-scale Soul Skill would have such a low potential cap.

"Don’t worry. As long as you’ve memorized the key points Coach Yang laid out, you’ll be fine." True to her kind and beautiful nature, Sun Xingyu had originally wanted to tease him a little, but seeing his worried expression, she comforted him instead.

"Don’t you worry!" Rong Taotao grinned and gave Sun Xingyu a thumbs-up.

Then, Rong Taotao turned to Gao Lingwei on his right. "Da Wei, scoot a little closer to me."

Gao Lingwei, her legs crossed, twirled a pen in her hand. She glanced at Rong Taotao and said, "If I get any closer, no one will be able to get through the aisle."

"Poor little Juanjuan." Shi Lan, who was also in the back row to Gao Lingwei’s right, leaned back on the rear legs of her stool. Tilting her head, she looked at Rong Taotao by the window. "You’re not going to fail your very first exam, are you?"

Rong Taotao was not amused. "Can’t you wish me well for once?"

Shi Lan giggled. "You’re so focused on your right. The person in front of you is an option, too."

Jiao Tengda sat at the desk in front of Rong Taotao. That kid was as sharp as a tack, so his grades were probably fine. However, the desk layout in this small classroom was different from a normal one.

The desks were spaced far apart front-to-back, but since the third row had to squeeze in four desks, they were placed close together side-to-side.

Rong Taotao craned his neck for a look, but in the next instant, he snapped upright.

Yang Chunxi had walked in with a stack of exam papers. And trailing behind her was... Si Huan Nian?

Rong Taotao was dumbfounded.

’You’ve got to be kidding me. There are only ten students in total, and they need two proctors?’

’Oh, Sister-in-law, how could you be so cruel!’

’Are you trying to leave me with no way out?’

As Rong Taotao stared in utter confusion, Si Huan Nian, a barely-there smile playing on her lips, walked straight to the back of the room. She grabbed a chair and placed it just behind and to the right of him.

Just like that, she sat down in the aisle between Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei, positioning herself slightly behind them—right in their blind spot...

At the front of the room, Yang Chunxi placed the exams on the lectern and began, "First of all, congratulations to all of you on advancing to the Soul Captain stage."

"Yay~!" Sun Xingyu cheered, drawing a ripple of laughter from the class.

Yang Chunxi shot Sun Xingyu a playful glare and continued, "Advancing to the Soul Captain stage means you now have three more usable Soul Slots."

"As is tradition, Songjiang Soul Martial University has contacted the Snow Burning military on your behalf. We are preparing to take you into the Three-Wall Area for a training expedition, where you will embed some Soul Pearls and acquire new Soul Skills."

Upon hearing this news, the students immediately grew excited.

Without a doubt, the resources and support Songjiang Soul Martial poured into the Junior Class were unmatched by any other.

The last time the Soul Class students advanced to the Soul Warrior Stage and unlocked their new Soul Slots, the school had also organized a training expedition.

Yang Chunxi held up her hands to quiet the murmuring students. "The specific location for the expedition will be north of the Second Wall and south of the Third Wall."

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Huh?" Jiao Tengda said, stunned. "North of the Second Wall? But we’re, uh..."

Yang Chunxi nodded. "You are all Soul Captains now. Don’t sell yourselves short. Most of the soldiers stationed at the Third Wall are also at the Soul Captain stage. You are only going to be training between the Second and Third Walls; you’re not being stationed at the Third Wall, and you are certainly not going beyond it."

As she spoke, Yang Chunxi smiled and turned her gaze to Rong Taotao. "Besides, this time, a certain someone will be joining you for the expedition. He won’t be abandoning you to go play in the Imperial Capital City’s Starfield Vortex again."