Master of Nine Stars

Night had fallen, and it was pitch-black outside Qianshan Pass.

Deep within the dense Pine and Cypress Snow Forest, Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao were crouched in the snow, gazing at a natural cave in the distance.

Natural caves like this in the wilderness were usually lairs for powerful beasts. Although the snowstorm was mild at the moment, having such a shelter was a symbol of "status."

Gao Lingwei had her eyes closed, carefully examining the shared vision from her Snowball Cat.

The ability to pierce through the blizzard and see in the dark—the Soul Skill from the Snowball Cat’s Soul Pearl—made Gao Lingwei the queen of the night in the northern Snow Realm.

"Let’s move a little closer," Gao Lingwei whispered. "Don’t worry about our backs. There’s usually a powerful beast laired up in a cave like this, which means other creatures rarely come near."

"Okay. I’ve got you covered," Rong Taotao whispered back.

The pair advanced in a crouch through the Snow Forest, moving from one large tree to the next while expertly concealing their presence. Even when they reached the mouth of the cave, Gao Lingwei still hadn’t detected any creature inside.

After a moment’s hesitation, Gao Lingwei lifted the Snowball Cat from atop her head and whispered, "Go. Go inside and take a look. Don’t startle anything."

"Mew~" With an elegant gait, the Snowball Cat tiptoed into the cave.

After passing through the narrow tunnel at the entrance, the Snowball Cat had just rounded a bend when it heard the sound of something eating.

Unfortunately, the Snowball Cat couldn’t transmit what it heard back to Gao Lingwei.

It crept forward cautiously until it reached another bend in the tunnel. Peeking its little head around the corner, it saw a voluptuous, snow-white figure.

The snow-woman possessed a face so alluring it could captivate the world, but right now, she looked utterly deranged. Her long Snow Fingers were stained with blood as she savagely tore into a Snow Rabbit.

By all appearances, the Snow Rabbit was already dead. It had likely been eaten alive...

"Mew?" The Snowball Cat tilted its small head, its large eyes peering deeper into the cave. It also spotted a massive beast sprawled on the ground, dozing leisurely.

Outside the cave, Gao Lingwei pursed her lips and whispered, "A Snow Charm Demon and a Snow Lion Tiger."

Rong Taotao: ???

’What kind of a team-up is that?’

Gao Lingwei continued, "The fact that this Snow Charm Demon is attached to the Snow Lion Tiger means the tiger must be at least Master-rank Quality. So, what do you think?"

Rong Taotao thought for a moment before saying, "I remember the Snow Lion Tiger has the Snow Step Soul Skill, right? Does that mean setting a trap here at the entrance would be useless?"

Gao Lingwei nodded. "That’s right. But I can activate my Snow Prison Arena and use it as an unconventional trap."

"Hmm?" Rong Taotao said, intrigued.

Gao Lingwei whispered, "A beast like that won’t be mentally prepared. Once I activate the Snow Prison Arena, it will have a hard time adjusting to fighting on two fronts."

"It’s bound to lose physical control, and we can seize that opportunity to kill it."

With a casual wave of her hand, a shimmering glow flashed, and a beautiful White Lantern Paper Cage materialized, circling gracefully above her head. It was an exceptionally lovely sight.

She continued, "The Snow Lion Tiger’s physical stats may be explosive, but its defense is only average. With our combined offense, I don’t think it’ll be a problem. So? Are we doing this or not?"

Rong Taotao grinned.

’Holy crap,’ he thought. ’A creature that’s at least Master-rank Quality, and Gao Lingwei doesn’t even seem to take it seriously. She’s so damn confident.’

’Get a grip! That’s a Snow Lion Tiger, not a Snowflake Wolf!’

"Change of plans!" Gao Lingwei suddenly exclaimed, quickly dismissing the White Lantern Paper Cage circling above her head. The area was once again plunged into darkness. "The Snow Charm Demon spotted Xuerong."

"Then—?" Rong Taotao began.

"Use Snow Burst!" Gao Lingwei ordered urgently. "This creature can break apart into Shuangxue, making it immune to most physical attacks. But in the face of a blizzard-type Soul Skill, it wouldn’t dare do so."

Soon, a Snow Burst Ball had formed in each of their hands.

Meanwhile, inside the pitch-black cave, the Snow Charm Demon had already finished eating the Snow Rabbit and was now noisily crunching on its bones. CRUNCH... CRUNCH...

Her bewitching eyes were fixed curiously on the corner, watching the small head that was peeking out.

"Meeew~" a seductive sound escaped the Snow Charm Demon’s lips as it began crawling on all fours, scuttling over like a humanoid spider.

The Snowball Cat, however, just kept watching the Snow Charm Demon with curiosity, seemingly oblivious to the impending danger.

The very instant the demon and the cat were about to touch, a vicious glint flashed in the Snow Charm Demon’s eyes, and its Snow Hand lunged for the Snowball Cat.

SLAM!

Incredibly, that snowy palm had gouged a sizable crater in the ground.

"Meow~" With a nimble leap, the Snowball Cat dodged the Snow Hand. Its speed was astonishing—like a bolt of lightning, it vanished in a flash.

The Snow Charm Demon was stunned. She had thought the Snow Rabbit was fast, the most agile creature she had ever encountered in her entire demonic existence.

She’d never imagined that this adorable little creature could be so much faster than a Snow Rabbit.

"Aargh!" the Snow Charm Demon shrieked in frustration. How could such a tasty morsel just get away?

The lower half of her body dissolved into a misty frost, and she shot off in hot pursuit.

Deeper in the cave, the soundly sleeping Snow Lion Tiger merely twitched its long tail but didn’t otherwise move. It was probably too stuffed to bother with its so-called "teammate."

The demon and the cat raced through the tunnel, the Snow Charm Demon so enraged that it was screeching, "WAAAH! WAAAH!"

The Snowball Cat was clearly provoking it! As it ran, it kept looking back and meowing, "Meow! Meow!"