Master of Nine Stars

That night, Rong Taotao, Xia Fangran, and Yang Chunxi stayed in a hotel.

Mrs. Gao, Cheng Yuan, had wanted them to stay, but her home was too small. With only two rooms, someone would have had to sleep on the floor no matter how they arranged things.

The trio of teacher and students got two rooms at the hotel. Rong Taotao naturally shared a room with Xia Fangran. Xia Fangran started snoring in the afternoon and didn’t stop until the next morning. It seemed he had truly gotten drunk...

The next morning, the three of them had a wonderful breakfast before heading to the Gao Family’s apartment building. They picked up a packed and ready Gao Lingwei and, with her parents waving goodbye, set off on their journey to the Imperial Capital.

The group took an afternoon flight. By the time they landed in the Imperial Capital, it was already nighttime.

Rong Taotao had expected the Imperial Capital City to also be a world of silver and white, but he was wrong. Dead wrong.

In the sky above the western suburbs of Imperial Capital City, the enormous, blooming Starfield Vortex acted like a giant central air conditioner, regulating both the climate and the temperature.

Can you believe it? In mid-November, there were still people walking around the streets of Imperial Capital City in short sleeves.

’It’s so comfortable!’

Places with a Starfield Vortex have such amazing weather. They’re perfect for retirement.

Xia Fangran was happy again. He could go back to wearing his tank top, shorts, and flip-flops to wander the streets...

The group of four got into a hotel car and headed to the officially designated hotel. Yang Chunxi spoke up, "The competition starts in four days. You two should focus on getting into top condition. Tomorrow, Coach Xia will go register your personal information, Soul Pearls, Soul Skills, and all that. We’re going to do an interview."

Rong Taotao: "Huh?"

Gao Lingwei was also curious and tilted her head to look at Yang Chunxi beside her.

Yang Chunxi smiled. "It’s an interview for Huaxia Main Channel’s *Soul Martial Peak*. Ever since you two won first place in the Outer Region, many media outlets have contacted Pine Soul Soul Martial, but the school turned them all down.

After all, your training schedule is demanding, and you don’t have the time or energy for these things.

Huaxia Main Channel has been in contact with Pine Soul Soul Martial University for the past three months. Now that we’re here, and Principal Mei has accepted, we can’t turn it down. Just treat it as another task to complete."

Rong Taotao had a strange expression. "*Soul Martial Peak*? That name’s a bit intense, isn’t it?"

Yang Chunxi explained with a smile, "The National University League is, strictly speaking, the highest-level competition in Huaxia. Compared to the various commercial league competitions, the university league is the purest.

It also represents the peak combat power of Huaxia’s younger generation at this stage.

Of course, this isn’t an exclusive interview for you two. Huaxia Main Channel has selected some of the most representative teams from the seven major competition zones for interviews.

So, it’s not saying you two are the ’Soul Martial Peak,’ but rather that among all the teams they’re interviewing, there’s a high probability one will reach the peak."

At this, the smile on Yang Chunxi’s face grew wider. "For every university tournament, *Soul Martial Peak*’s predictions have been very accurate. For four consecutive competitions, you could find the champion, runner-up, and third-place winner among the teams featured on this show."

Rong Taotao nodded. "So they have a good eye?"

Yang Chunxi hummed in agreement. "The show is very authoritative, almost equivalent to a prediction from Huaxia’s top experts.

After all, Huaxia has seven major competition zones. Between the three-person, two-person, and one-person events, there are a total of 168 teams. It’s impossible for people to be familiar with all of them.

This program serves as a guide for people, telling the audience which teams are truly worth paying attention to.

Unlike those fly-by-night operations and so-called pundits out there, the Soul Martial experts hired by the Main Channel are incredibly powerful and have sharp judgment.

For the *Soul Martial Peak* production team to seek you two out is basically telling the Huaxia People that you have what it takes to reach the top."

Rong Taotao, however, said, "It could also be that I’m just a hot topic. Whether I have champion potential is another question. In any case, including me won’t hurt their ratings."

From the front passenger seat, Xia Fangran grinned. "Don’t sell yourselves short. That set of Soul Pearls and Soul Skills you two have is more than enough to turn heads!

Back when I was a Soul Captain, I never fought such a well-equipped battle!"

Hearing this, Gao Lingwei nodded in agreement.

Rong Taotao, however, continued to ask, "Have any other doubles teams from the Outer Region received an interview invitation from this program?"

Yang Chunxi replied, "There are others from the Outer Region, but they’re from different categories. In the doubles category, you’re the only team."

Rong Taotao: "..."

’You’ve gotta be kidding me?’

’Are they for real?’

’Seven major zones, a total of 56 doubles teams, and they only picked our team from the Outer Region?’

’Uh... but on second thought, under the combined pressure of the Starfield army and the Magma Team, Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists haven’t really taken first place. It’s been a long time since they’ve reached the top of this so-called Soul Martial Peak.’

’So, I probably just have buzz and a distinguished record, which is why they dragged me in to round out the numbers.’

After all, the show’s official purpose was to select the most representative regional teams. The so-called predictions for the top three were just hidden beneath the program’s content.

The group of four arrived at the designated hotel and checked in.

Arriving four days before the start of the competition was just enough time. The deadline for submitting contestant information was three days before the start.

After Rong Taotao’s and Gao Lingwei’s information was submitted, it meant that they would not be allowed to swap out the Soul Pearls in their bodies during the upcoming national competition.

Even if a Blast Pearl shattered during a match, they weren’t allowed to embed a new one. They would have to continue fighting with an empty Soul Slot and just tough it out.

However, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei’s set of Soul Pearls and Soul Skills was already finalized and wouldn’t be changed at this stage, so it wasn’t a big deal.

That night, before bed, as Xia Fangran was confirming their Soul Pearls and Soul Skills one last time while filling out the forms, Rong Taotao was filled with emotion.

’Talk about an upgrade! From a musket to a cannon!’

Compared to their time in the Outer League, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei had now replaced almost their entire set of Soul Pearls and Soul Skills.

Now, even if someone had studied their previous matches, it would be of little reference value.

Gao Lingwei’s left wrist, from Snow Fury to Elite-Grade: Wind and Snow Blade.

Left ankle, from Snow Burst and Snow Step to Elite-Grade: Snow Wind Charge.

Forehead, from Snow Prison Arena to Elite-Grade: Frost Fearful Face.

Right eye, from Ice Crystal Evil Face to Elite-Grade: Resentful Spirit Entanglement.

A quick look revealed that, aside from the Soul Pet slot for the Snowball Cat, she had replaced the Soul Pearls in four of her five remaining Soul Slots!

And the only one she hadn’t changed was the extremely precious and rare Elite-Grade: Iron Snow Armor!

Honestly, with the loadout Gao Lingwei was submitting, the rarity of her Soul Pearls and Soul Skills was beyond that of a "Soul Captain." She could be called a "Little Soul School."

The vast majority of the Soul Skills in her arsenal were ones that only those at the Soul School level or higher should possess! The support from the Outer Region Soul Martial Association, Pine Soul Soul Martial, and the Snow Burning Army was truly unprecedented!

They had forcibly stuffed Soul Pearls, which should only be embeddable by Soul Schools and above, into Gao Lingwei, who was only at the Soul Captain stage...

In terms of on-paper strength alone, it was no exaggeration to say that Gao Lingwei was a whole tier stronger than the Snow Realm contestants from the past few years!

Was Rong Taotao the reason for some of this?

Was it because of his family background, and the terrifying Talent and potential he had displayed, that the Outer Region Soul Martial Association, Pine Soul Soul Martial University, and the Snow Burning military were providing such a high level of support?

Perhaps that really was the case.

Whether it was to give face to Xu Fenghua or to build a good relationship with a rising star general, all parties were willing to do it.

And as for Gao Lingwei, having been nourished by Si Huan Nian and Rong Taotao for a long time, despite her young age, she had already reached the late stage of a Soul Captain. She really wasn’t lacking anything.

In fact, with her priceless set of rare Soul Skills, she really should have entered the singles competition...

Soul Pearls and Soul Skills are a Soul Martial Artist’s "weapons."

It’s like two soldiers, one with a small handgun and the other with an automatic rifle. Although both weapons are deadly, is their firepower on the same level?

As for Rong Taotao, the Soul Pearl on his forehead had also changed from Pine Snow’s Silence to Elite-Grade: Bailing Barrier / Bailing Vine.

The Snow Fury on his left wrist was also swapped out for Snow Ghost Hand, which was a perfect fit for his fighting style and tactical system.

Spiritual Defense and control combined!

Their two-person team integrated offense, defense, and control. It had almost no blind spots and very few weaknesses.

To describe it in one phrase: Full of potential, with a bright future ahead!

...

The next day, at nine in the morning, Yang Chunxi led Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei into the hotel’s small auditorium.

During the competition, the hotel’s management was very strict, and neither team leaders nor contestants were allowed to come and go as they pleased. But Huaxia Main Channel was no ordinary media outlet. Their ability to get things done was extraordinary. Yang Chunxi had just arranged the interview last night, and they had already sent someone over to conduct it this morning.

In fact, the *Soul Martial Peak* program had already finished all its other interviews. Only Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei’s team was left. If not for Rong Taotao’s immense popularity and buzz, the show would have probably dropped them long ago...

On the other hand, the two were also benefiting from the "perks" of being from the Snow Realm.

People always showed more leniency to contestants from that remote, bitterly cold land.

After all, the Snow Realm wasn’t a place you could enter and exit at will. Just traveling from Aihui City, the northernmost point reachable by public transport, to Pine Soul Soul Martial University took a full eight hours on horseback. Was that a joke?

Ordinary people could easily freeze to death on the way...

The first and middle installments of *Soul Martial Peak* had already aired. The final installment was being rushed into production. After this interview was done, they would have two days to put it together, and it could be broadcast the day before the competition.

The final installment didn’t just feature Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei; it also had other top-seeded teams. This was the main event. If the two of them had arrived any later, they really might have been cut from the show.

"Hello, Gao Lingwei, Rong Taotao." Seeing the auditorium door open, a man who looked like a reporter hurried forward. A friendly smile appeared on his face as he extended a hand to Rong Taotao. "I’m Dai Liunian, a reporter for Huaxia Main Channel. I was the one who broadcast your Outer Region finals. Have you two heard of me?"

’Heard of you?’

’A bit full of yourself, aren’t you, buddy?’

’Do I look like I have time to watch TV?’

Rong Taotao shook the man’s offered hand, looking at the gentle and refined male reporter. "Hello, hello. Well, I’ve heard of you now."

Dai Liunian: "..."

Rong Taotao’s words were already quite generous. Yes, very generous indeed...

"I recognize you," Gao Lingwei said from the side. "You were the one who reported the news when I won first place in the Outer Region high school division."

Dai Liunian smiled and nodded. "That’s right. In the summer of ’10, you became the high school King of Guanwai. In the summer of ’11, you became the university King of Guanwai.

That’s already the highest level. You’re the undisputed King of Guanwai; you can drop the prefix.

A huge leap every year, it’s truly astounding. So, as we head into the autumn and winter of ’11, do you plan to reach the peak of Huaxia?"

Rong Taotao suddenly cut in, "Has the interview started already?"

Dai Liunian chuckled. "No, just some small talk."

Rong Taotao: "Then let’s get started. Don’t want to be late for lunch. The kid’s in his growing phase, he gets hungry easily!

To be precise, the kid is already hungry now. Hurry, hurry~ Start the interview~"

Dai Liunian: "..."