Master of Nine Stars

「The next morning.」

Inside the natural cave, Gao Lingwei slowly opened her eyes as she sat leaning against the wall. She glanced around and saw that Li Lie and Xia Fangran were already gone. Rong Taotao, however, was still curled up nearby, fast asleep.

Gao Lingwei quietly watched Rong Taotao’s peaceful, sleeping face. For some reason, a sense of calm washed over her, as if she’d forgotten they were in the dangerous region outside Qianshan Pass.

A faint panting sound reached her ears. She watched as Rong Taotao’s collar squirmed, and a little Cloud Dog’s head popped out.

Its small, dark eyes darted around before finally landing on Gao Lingwei’s face. The Cloud Dog broke into a goofy grin and opened its mouth to bark.

"Shhh..." Gao Lingwei raised a finger to her lips.

The Cloud Dog let out a little whimper and burrowed its head back into Rong Taotao’s collar.

Gao Lingwei let out a soft, raspy chuckle. She carefully crawled over to the bonfire, picked up her toothbrush, and poured a cup of boiled water from the small pot before tiptoeing out of the cave.

At the mouth of the cave, Gao Lingwei saw Li Lie and Rong Ling.

Li Lie was walking across the pristine snow without leaving a single footprint. The little fatty behind him was doing a decent imitation; although his movements were wobbly, he had clearly gotten the gist of the Snow Step Soul Skill.

"Morning, Coach Li," Gao Lingwei said, sticking the toothbrush in her mouth.

Li Lie didn’t respond, only waving a hand in acknowledgment.

"Da Wei! Da Wei!" Rong Ling turned around and gave a little hop on the spot, leaving no footprints in the snow.

He then planted his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, looking incredibly proud and eager to show off.

"Mm," Gao Lingwei hummed, giving Rong Ling a nod of approval as she continued to brush her teeth.

Li Lie smiled as well. "Alright, that’s good enough. The Snow General Candle species is pretty smart, indeed."

Her words muffled by a mouthful of toothpaste, Gao Lingwei asked, "Where’s Coach Xia?"

Li Lie replied, "He went to Qianshan Pass to get some supplies. He also took the Soul Pearls from the beasts you killed and the Snow Lion Tiger pelt to turn in."

Gao Lingwei repeated, "Get some supplies?"

Li Lie smiled. "He probably planned on guiding you two like any other students. We were all prepared to rough it in the wild, ready to pack up and move at a moment’s notice."

"But you and Taotao are clearly more capable than the other students. You know how to find a proper base, and you’re not likely to get chased all over the place by Soul Beasts. So, he went back to get sleeping bags."

Gao Lingwei: "..."

’Sleeping bags?’

’He sure knows how to make himself comfortable.’

As she thought, Gao Lingwei looked up at the sky. Although it was broad daylight, the sun had vanished again, shrouded by a thick, cold fog. In the depths of the forest, light flurries had begun to drift down.

Li Lie also looked up. "The closer we get to the Third Wall, the more erratic and unpredictable the weather becomes. The sun might come out one minute, and a blizzard might hit the next. You need to be prepared for that."

"Understood." Gao Lingwei spat out the toothpaste, then took a sip of water to rinse her mouth.

"You guys are all awake..." Rong Taotao’s drowsy voice came from behind her. He stumbled out of the cave, casually grabbed a handful of snow, and stuffed it in his mouth.

Gao Lingwei said, "Go brush your teeth properly. You eat way too many sweets."

Rong Taotao grumbled, "I already brushed last night..."

But Gao Lingwei had already turned back toward the cave. "Just wait, I’ll get your toothbrush for you."

"Oh."

Li Lie watched the two with a smile. "Did you advance?" he asked.

"Yep, Late-stage Soul Warrior!" Rong Taotao said with a wide grin, giving Li Lie a thumbs-up.

"Your Lotus Petal was unusually active last night. I definitely benefited from it," Li Lie said with a chuckle. "In three months, you’ll probably advance to the Peak of Soul Warrior, and I should be able to reach the Great Soul School rank."

"Great Soul School?" Rong Taotao raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he’d heard a teacher’s specific rank.

For some reason, the teachers were always secretive about their own strength. Rong Taotao had asked Si Huan Nian about her specific rank before, but she’d only ever said she was at the Soul School level, never giving a precise grade.

Li Lie, on the other hand, was much more approachable and had just casually revealed his own strength.

Once one entered the Soul School stage, the power disparities within it were immense. People divided the Soul School level into four Major Ranks: Junior Soul School, Middle Soul School, Upper Soul School, and Great Soul School.

’Based on what Coach Li just said, does that mean he’s currently at the Upper Soul School rank?’

’Then what about Xia Fangran?’

An idea suddenly struck Rong Taotao. "Coach Li, do you know what rank Coach Xia is?"

But Li Lie just said, "You’ll have to ask him yourself. It’s not my place to say."

"Oh..." Rong Taotao pouted. ’Why be so mysterious? Whether he’s Middle, Upper, or Great Soul School, what difference does it make to me?’

’One look is enough to know I can’t beat them anyway...’

"You brat! Why are you asking about my strength? Are you plotting against me?" Xia Fangran’s voice called out from the distance.

Rong Taotao looked up to see Xia Fangran approaching on a white horse. A pack saddle was strapped to its back, loaded with two enormous bundles on either side.

’Looks like Xia Fangran has complete confidence in his and Gao Lingwei’s abilities,’ Rong Taotao thought. ’He’s getting ready to go on vacation out here beyond Qianshan Pass...’

"Hmph." Rong Taotao scoffed. He took the toothbrush from Gao Lingwei, who had appeared behind him, saw that she had already put toothpaste on it, and stuck it in his mouth.

Xia Fangran, however, called out, "Have you two eaten breakfast yet? I just had some at Qianshan Pass. Tsk, tsk... millet congee, steamed soup dumplings, rabbit meat with egg and fermented bean curd sauce... Ah, it was so good~"