Master of Nine Stars

"Mmm, mmm... *Burp~*" Rong Taotao put down his bowl and let out a burp. Normally, this would be a sign of being full, but for Rong Taotao...

Full?

What was being full?

He wiped his mouth, tidied up the coffee table, packed the food containers into a bag, and looked over at Gao Lingwei, who was lost in thought. He couldn’t help but call out, "Da Wei?"

Gao Lingwei: "Hmm?"

"What are you thinking about?" Rong Taotao reached out and waved his hand in front of Gao Lingwei’s face, asking curiously, "You’re that lost in thought?"

Gao Lingwei took his wrist and lowered it. "I’ll hold on to my Snow Moon Snake Demon Soul Pearl for now. I won’t embed it yet. I want to see what Soul Pearls the school and the tournament organizers award us."

"Mm-hmm, okay." As Rong Taotao spoke, an idea suddenly struck him. "How about I get a small pendant made to put the Soul Pearl on your necklace?"

At his words, Gao Lingwei lowered her head and started fiddling with his fingers. "That’s up to you. Don’t ask me."

"Of course I have to ask you," Rong Taotao grumbled. "The necklace is on your neck. It’s not like I can steal it."

Gao Lingwei said casually, "Don’t you have Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon?"

"Erm..." Rong Taotao pondered for a moment, suddenly at a loss.

’That’s not really how you’re supposed to use Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon.’

It was true that inside the Illusion World, the flow of time was controlled by Rong Taotao. But that was limited to the Illusion World; in the real world, the bodies of Rong Taotao and his target couldn’t move.

Of course, thanks to Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon’s "A Glimpse of Eternity" characteristic, this weakness of their physical bodies being immobile was erased. Or if not completely erased, its impact on both parties was at least reduced to almost nothing.

To any observer, Rong Taotao and his target merely exchanged a glance. Everything that occurred happened within that brief instant. Whatever transpired, and however long it took, all happened inside the Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon World, lasting only a moment in real time.

This was why, during the previous arrest, Rong Taotao had seen Yang Chunxi leave for less than five minutes, only to return with a completely different demeanor.

It’s worth noting that the longer one stays in the Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon World, the more massive the consumption of Spiritual Power.

The target might suffer attacks, physical pain, or even a mental breakdown, but the user will feel fatigued and exhausted. Overuse it, and it’s possible to collapse unconscious on the spot.

So...

Rong Taotao pursed his lips. "So what you’re saying is, to finish your gift, I first have to knock you out with Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon?"

Gao Lingwei gave Rong Taotao a fleeting glance and said softly, "An interesting proposition."

However, Gao Lingwei keenly noticed what seemed to be a flash of dark amber light in Rong Taotao’s left eye.

It was subtle, but Gao Lingwei saw it. And that dark amber glow was quite peculiar.

"All done," Rong Taotao said suddenly.

Gao Lingwei paused, stunned. "Huh?"

Rong Taotao shrugged, gesturing toward her collar. "See for yourself."

Gao Lingwei raised her hand, her fingers grasping the necklace at her throat, and gently pulled it away from her skin.

Sure enough, where there had only been a thin silver chain, there was now a small pendant. In its tiny setting rested a crystal-clear Soul Pearl, within which wisps of snowy mist swirled, emitting a faint, peculiar glow.

Seeing this, Gao Lingwei couldn’t help but let out an amused laugh. "How long can you maintain this?"

Rong Taotao: "Huh?"

Gao Lingwei turned to look at Rong Taotao. "I’ve read up on the Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon Soul Skill. It’s incredibly draining on the mind, so..."

Gao Lingwei held the silver necklace, swaying it gently. The small Soul Pearl on the end swung back and forth. "It will disappear eventually, won’t it? Still, thank you. It’s a wonderful surprise."

She never would have imagined that an even bigger surprise was yet to come.

CLICK! The door was suddenly pushed open, and Si Huan Nian strode in. When she saw Gao Lingwei in the room, Si Huan Nian’s brow furrowed slightly, her eyes locking onto the hand Gao Lingwei had on Rong Taotao’s.

Gao Lingwei’s expression froze. She subconsciously and respectfully greeted her, "Coach Si..."

But a mischievous smile appeared on Si Huan Nian’s face. "Now *this* is a surprise."

As she spoke, Si Huan Nian’s figure began to flicker like a television with a bad signal, before finally vanishing completely.

Gao Lingwei: "..."

’That was a little too real.’

She turned her head to glare at Rong Taotao and snapped, "Let me out."

"Oh," Rong Taotao replied casually. The next moment, the Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon’s Illusionary Space shattered.

However, the two of them were still in their original positions, sitting on the sofa. To Gao Lingwei, it was as if nothing had happened. The only difference was that her hand, which had been holding the silver necklace moments before, was now resting on her lap, fiddling with Rong Taotao’s fingers.

Gao Lingwei’s brows furrowed. After thinking for a long moment, she asked, "How do I know this is the real world?"

Rong Taotao: ???

’That... uh, that really is a problem!’

Rong Taotao thought for a moment. "Look at your necklace again. The Soul Pearl pendant is definitely gone."

Gao Lingwei nodded. "True. But you could also just change all the factors in the illusion and make the Soul Pearl pendant disappear."

Rong Taotao: "..."

’Oh, right!’

’This isn’t just about how Gao Lingwei can confirm she’s back in the real world.’

’It’s about how I can prove to her that this world isn’t an illusion.’

Rong Taotao was astonished to discover that... he had no way to prove it.

He remembered back when they had first enrolled in the Junior Class. While everyone was in the stone house at Hundred Corps Pass, Yang Chunxi had taught the Nine Little Souls a lesson about this very thing.