Master of Nine Stars

Rong Taotao: "Uh..."

Rong Yang continued, "Taotao, what you see isn’t just what you notice."

Rong Taotao looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Rong Yang pointed to the coffee table. "Take this bag of sandwich cookies on the table, for example."

"Yeah." Rong Taotao turned to look and nodded lightly.

Rong Yang: "When your attention is focused on the sandwich cookies, you subconsciously ignore all the other environmental elements.

But you have to understand, the information your eyes register isn’t limited to just that bag of cookies.

You also see the teapot, the coffee table, the potted plant by the door, the faint light from the bathroom on the right, the desk on the left, the chair, the wastebasket...

Your eyes take in a massive amount of information. All of it is recorded in your brain, but because your attention is only on the cookies, you ignore everything else."

Rong Taotao’s mouth formed an "O." ’Is it really that cool?’

Rong Yang: "You have no idea that you see so much in a single glance. And after a while, your brain might let the image fade and automatically delete it.

But for a short period, I can access this information that’s been recorded in your subconscious."

Rong Yang thought for a moment, then continued, "So, when you’re in a fight and your attention is entirely on the enemy, I can observe the things you see in your peripheral vision—factors you don’t even realize you’ve seen."

Rong Taotao blinked. "It sounds a bit like hypnosis, doesn’t it? Seeing lots of things subconsciously but being unable to remember them, or even know you saw them.

But through hypnosis, you can retrieve the images you saw at the time?"

Rong Yang shrugged. "It sounds similar, but there’s a fundamental difference. Our shared vision is in real-time.

If you look at the cookies now and ask me to help you recall what else was in the picture three days later... well, I’m afraid I won’t be able to help."

"Oh." Rong Taotao nodded lightly. "So, your world is still the world through my eyes.

The only difference from the Elite-level spiritual link is that you’re no longer just following my line of sight."

"Mhm." Rong Yang reached out, picked up the teacup from the coffee table, and brought it to his nose for a sniff. "With a Master-level Soul Skill, the sense of smell is clearer too. Much stronger than the Elite-level."

Rong Taotao felt a daze wash over his mind. When he came to his senses, it wasn’t Rong Yang holding the cup and smelling it at all.

There was no one else on the sofa besides Rong Taotao himself. The person holding the teacup and sniffing it was Rong Taotao.

Rong Taotao looked at the cup in his hand, tilted his head back, and drank all the floral tea. "Give me a heads-up next time you’re going to control my body," he complained.

"Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time," Rong Yang’s voice emerged in his mind.

Rong Taotao said, "Come on out. Communicating in my head is boring. It’s more interesting for us to talk face-to-face."

The next moment, Rong Yang’s figure reappeared on the sofa, sitting beside Rong Taotao.

Rong Yang wore a gentle smile and reminded him, "Be careful. I only exist in your mind. You don’t have to look at me when you talk; we can just communicate mentally.

Otherwise, to an outsider, you’ll look like a psychiatric patient talking to thin air."

As he spoke, Rong Yang suddenly extended his right hand.

Rong Taotao was a little surprised, but he still reached out to shake it.

But Rong Taotao’s hand passed right through Rong Yang’s, so there was no "handshake" to speak of.

Rong Yang looked at Rong Taotao and said, "You’re shaking hands amicably with the air, and you don’t even look like you’re faking it. It’s as if someone is really sitting next to you."

Rong Taotao shot Rong Yang an irritated glare. "Duh, there *is* someone sitting right next to me!"

Rong Yang shrugged. "But other people can’t see me."

"Yeah, yeah." Rong Taotao pursed his lips. "I get it, I get it. By the way, how come you’re up so early? Didn’t you get any rest?"

Rong Yang: "Well... hmm..."

First Turn Offensive!

In the next instant, Rong Taotao found himself in a Snow Forest—or more precisely, on top of a giant, snow-covered pine tree, peering down through the relatively dense branches.

Rong Taotao crouched beside Rong Yang and asked, "What are you doing?"

But Rong Yang remained completely still, not even opening his mouth. As he stared silently at the ground below, a voice came through in his mind: "Standing guard. I’m the hidden sentry."

Rong Taotao sighed softly. ’This is so rough.’

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~"

The sound of knocking echoed abruptly through the Snowfield, making everything feel surreal.

’Where would a knock be coming from in this snow-covered Pine Forest?’

Rong Taotao snapped back to reality. His vision blurred, and he found himself back in his dorm room at the Martial Arts Hall.

"Taotao?" Gao Lingwei’s voice came from outside the door.

"Yeah!" Rong Taotao quickly stood up and walked to the door. He opened it to see Gao Lingwei holding a bag—it was likely the breakfast she had gotten for him.

Rong Yang stood beside Rong Taotao, peering closely at the food bag and chuckling softly. "She’s very thoughtful."

Rong Taotao gave Rong Yang an annoyed look and gave him a light shove. "Get out of the way."

Gao Lingwei’s brow furrowed, and her body tensed instinctively. "Who?"

"Ah... ah." Rong Taotao scratched his head, explaining sheepishly, "My brother. I’m spiritually linked with him. Come in, come in."

"Oh." Gao Lingwei relaxed slightly and stepped inside. Rong Taotao watched as she walked right through Rong Yang’s body.

After all, Rong Taotao had only just acquired and experienced this ability, so he was still finding it hard to get used to.

"How are you feeling?" Gao Lingwei asked as she sat on the sofa and began unpacking the food.

Rong Taotao nodded repeatedly. "Pretty good. I’ve embedded all the Soul Pearls. I just tested the Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon Soul Skill. It took a lot out of me, so I’m a little tired."

"Mmm..."

Smelling the aroma of the food, Rong Taotao’s eyes lit up.

A bag of xiaolongbao, a few bowls of millet congee, boiled eggs, beef sauce, spicy shredded potatoes, braised eggplant, and a fish in tomato sauce.

’Ah, this is the life!’

"You should probably head back, bro. This is just going to be torture for you, isn’t it?" Rong Taotao muttered, quickly unwrapping his chopsticks. "By the way, when I eat, do you have a sense of taste... huh? Where’d he go?"

Seeing Rong Taotao looking around, Gao Lingwei couldn’t help but smile. "Did he sever the connection with you?"

Rong Taotao took a moment to feel it out, then nodded. "Yeah. He’s pretty considerate. It’s amazing—not only can he communicate with me in my mind now, but he can even appear beside me in another form."

As he spoke, Rong Taotao picked up a plastic bowl of millet congee and downed half of it in one gulp.

Hearing this, Gao Lingwei didn’t respond, seemingly unwilling to continue the conversation on that topic.

Everything Rong Taotao possessed, she could have had.

But now, not only had she lost the sister who could have grown with her and accompanied her for life, she didn’t even dare to embed a Soul Pearl for a spiritual link Soul Skill like his.

Towards the woman who could so easily play her like a fiddle, Gao Lingwei felt hatred and anger, but also... a hint of fear.

Gao Lingwei had always presented herself as someone who charged forward, brave and fearless.

For such a person to harbor fear towards someone was enough to imagine the immense psychological trauma and scars her sister had left on a young Gao Lingwei.

Gao Lingwei took a deep breath, trying to push the chaotic thoughts from her mind. She sat beside him, watching him quietly.

She looked at his still-damp, naturally curly hair, at the oversized white sweater he was wearing... He looked so clean, so comfortable, so... healing.

But this beautiful scene was ruined by the ravenous way he ate, as if he had a personal grudge against his breakfast.

"Aren’t you going to have some?"

"No, I’ve already eaten."

"Oh..."