Master of Nine Stars

The next morning, inside the Songjiang Soul Martial cafeteria.

"SLURP... SLURP..." Rong Taotao slurped his millet porridge, set down his bowl, and picked up a small soup dumpling.

"Slow down, eat slower." Yang Chunxi sat across the table, looking at him with fond exasperation. She couldn’t stand watching Rong Taotao eat like a starving ghost, so she reached out and patted the hand he was holding his chopsticks with.

"Mhm, mhm." Rong Taotao nodded repeatedly while eating his dumpling, his eyes still glued to the few plump, white ones left in the steamer basket.

Yang Chunxi gestured to the two packs beside her. "They’re full of Little Rascals and chocolate bars. The kind you like, with cream and crushed nuts. The checkpoint at the Second Wall isn’t a place you can just enter and exit whenever you want.

"Once you go in, you probably won’t be able to come out for three months. The pass isn’t like school; there are no shops or supermarkets. Don’t you dare lose those packs."

His mouth stuffed full, Rong Taotao tilted his head and glanced at the bag under the table.

’Holy cow. That’s no bookbag; it’s a huge hiking pack!’

’Three months... That should be enough...’

Although the Lotus Petal’s effects were powerful, it certainly brought Rong Taotao some trouble.

Not only did Rong Taotao need a constant supply of energy to avoid dizziness and fainting, but the Lotus Petal was also competing for nutrients in his body, affecting his growth and development.

A height of 177cm was by no means short. Even among Soul Martial Artists nourished by Soul Power, it was perfectly adequate. But...

But his partner was Gao Lingwei, and Rong Taotao was still a little shorter than her. Hmm... just a little bit, and it was agonizing.

A worried expression crossed Yang Chunxi’s face. "The Snow Realm creatures outside the Second Wall are on a whole other level compared to the ones at the First Wall. You two must listen to Coach Xia and Coach Li, train hard, and don’t go wandering off."

"Don’t worry, Chunxi." Gao Lingwei reached out and gently patted Yang Chunxi’s hand, comforting her. "We’ll be fine. Taotao only seems mischievous. When it comes to a fight, he’s dead serious."

"Mm," Yang Chunxi said, looking at Gao Lingwei before finally nodding in relief.

"Are you two done eating?" a voice called from a distance. The group turned to see a satisfied-looking Xia Fangran, accompanied by Li Lie of the Pine Soul Four Rites—Wine.

The man, Li Lie, was tall and powerfully built, his burly frame exuding a strong sense of security.

Yang Chunxi said, "I’ll be troubling you then, Coach Xia, Coach Li."

"Heh, it’s no trouble," Li Lie said with a smile and a wave of his hand. "Training with Taotao will be a great benefit to me as well."

As he spoke, Li Lie placed a hand on Rong Taotao’s shoulder. "Congratulations on taking first in the Outer Region."

Rong Taotao looked up, blinking as he took in Li Lie’s warm smile and the sparse stubble on his chin...

’Holy cow. He’s a middle-aged man with his charisma stat maxed out, all right. He’s just so easy on the eyes—sincere and forthright. And then you have that Yin-Yang Strange Qi freak, Xia Fangran!’

Rong Taotao grinned. "I’ll be troubling you, Coach Li. I reckon Principal Mei was afraid Coach Xia couldn’t handle me on his own, so she called you in for backup."

Xia Fangran raised an eyebrow. "Oh-ho? Casting aside the old for the new, are we~? Have you forgotten those times when we went through life and death together?"

Er...

Rong Taotao didn’t want to admit it, but no matter how he heard it, Xia Fangran’s choice of words sounded... not quite right.

"Alright, let’s go. You’ve eaten enough," Yang Chunxi said, picking up the two huge hiking packs and putting them on the table. "You’re already full. You just *feel* hungry."

Rong Taotao wiped his mouth with a napkin, stood up, and shouldered one of the hiking packs.

Without any of the airs of a teacher, Li Lie casually picked up the other hiking pack.

"I’ve got it, Coach Li," Gao Lingwei said, stepping forward and taking hold of the pack’s strap.

Li Lie simply nodded, not putting up a fuss.

From the moment Rong Taotao met him, Li Lie had always been easygoing. Or perhaps it was that he didn’t really care what other people thought. He did as he pleased, free and unconstrained.

Rong Taotao adjusted the pack on his back and grinned. "One year and four months until we can have that drink."

"Heh," Li Lie chuckled. "You’ve got a good memory."

The two had made a promise during the intra-school tournament, when Li Lie had tried to persuade Rong Taotao to wait another two years and compete only after he was fully prepared.

But he never would have expected...

At this thought, Li Lie sighed deeply. It was a good thing the kid had been stubborn and ignored his advice. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be number one in the Outer Region right now.

People truly were different. Even among geniuses, there were vast differences in ability.

The four of them waved goodbye to Yang Chunxi at the cafeteria entrance. With four people on three mounts, they made their way toward the school gate.

Yang Chunxi watched their figures recede into the distance, unable to stop herself from clasping her hands and offering a silent prayer.

She knew in her heart that as Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei grew stronger, separations like this would only become more frequent, and her worries would grow with them.

But there was nothing to be done about it. This was a reality one had to accept when choosing the path of a Soul Martial Artist.

While riding on Hu Bugui’s back, Rong Taotao summoned a Little Fatty, passed it to Gao Lingwei in front of him, and asked, "Coaches, my Snow Burst has always been at the Excellent Level. I want to break through to the Elite Level, but I can’t seem to find a way. Do you have any tricks?"

Without even turning his head, Xia Fangran replied with two words: "Practice more."