Master of Nine Stars

The moment Rong Taotao leaped down, he lifted his left hand. From the edge of the cliff, a Snow Ghost Hand erupted from the snow, stretching out rapidly to grab them.

In midair, Rong Taotao caught the Snow Ghost Hand while holding onto Gao Lingwei’s palm. They continued their descent, eventually landing steadily as the Snow Ghost Hand shattered.

”Hiss...”

”ROAR!!!” Instantly, a chorus of roars echoed once more from the bottom of the canyon.

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei immediately crouched down, slapping their hands repeatedly on the snow-covered ground.

One Ice Pillar after another shot out from the dense Corpse Tide, sending Snow Corpses flying one after another.

As the Corpse Tide drew closer, Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao made a quick decision and began to retreat rapidly.

They had the advantage when it came to speed.

The Snow Corpses lacked the Snow Step Soul Skill, so they could only wade forward. The thick snow, easily reaching past their calves, proved to be a hindrance for them.

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei, however, ran on top of the snow’s surface, leaving not even a single footprint.

For a while, the two retreated, breaking up the enemy’s formation as they went.

”Snow Trap!” Rong Taotao suddenly shouted.

”Got it!” While casting Ice Pillars, Gao Lingwei also set traps underfoot.

Their goal was to break up the main Corpse Tide formation, and the Snow Trap Soul Skill was perfect for ensnaring some Snow Corpses and separating them from the main horde.

On the cliff above, Li Lie and Xia Fangran had no choice but to follow along, matching the pace of their students’ retreat.

To Li Lie and Xia Fangran’s surprise, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei were incredibly patient. They fought as they fell back, retreating a full 500 meters through the deep snow of the canyon.

Repeated failures hadn’t made them impatient or desperate to prove themselves. On the contrary, it had made them even more cautious.

After retreating for over five hundred meters, Gao Lingwei abruptly straightened up. She looked at the Snow Corpse horde ahead, scattered by Ice Pillars and slowed by Snow Traps. Her gaze was incredibly sharp as she said in a low voice, ”Kill?”

”Jump! High!”

The words had barely left Rong Taotao’s mouth before he shot forward.

”BAM!”

Facing a dozen Snow Corpses, Rong Taotao stomped his foot down—Star-Stepping Split!

”Hiss...”

”Ugh...” A chorus of pained wails arose as several Snow Corpses were thrown back.

”Move!” Gao Lingwei’s icy voice rang in Rong Taotao’s ear.

As she landed from her high jump, her Long Halberd thrust out past Rong Taotao’s shoulder. It pierced into a cluster of Snow Corpses, impaling two of them through the head, before she viciously swung it to the side.

With a strange squelching sound, the two Snow Corpses crashed into a third, and they all tumbled into a heap in the thick snow.

The scene that unfolded next made Li Lie’s heart pound with excitement. ”Yes! Mmph...”

Beside him, Xia Fangran clamped a hand over Li Lie’s mouth. ”Don’t shout! Don’t praise them!”

Li Lie was speechless.

Down in the canyon, the duo, each with a halberd, advanced like an unstoppable force. Facing the thinned-out ranks of Snow Corpses, they never broke their stride.

With skillful, flowing motions, Rong Taotao used minimal force to deflect maximum impact, sweeping aside the Snow Corpses before him and sending them tumbling into each other, crashing into the deep snow.

Gao Lingwei’s assault was ferocious, her killing intent palpable. She impaled a Snow Corpse’s abdomen with her Long Halberd, hoisted her foe into the air, and brutally smashed it to the side.

They stood back-to-back, each defending their own half-circle, carving a path forward like an unstoppable force.

Rong Taotao suddenly flicked his Heaven-piercing Halberd upward, using the momentum of a Snow Corpse to his front-left. His weapon seemed to stick to its arm as he guided it, sweeping the creature into the snow at his side.

In the same fluid motion, as he flicked the halberd, Rong Taotao summoned a Snow Ghost Hand.

The Snow Ghost Hand erupted from the ground and snatched the ankle of another Snow Corpse. Its forward momentum sent it pitching face-first into the snow.

”SHWIIING!” With a casual wave of her hand, Gao Lingwei’s Butterfly Dual Sabers spun through the air, instantly slitting a Snow Corpse’s throat.

A Snow Burst Ball coalesced at Gao Lingwei’s foot. She unleashed a vicious roundhouse kick behind her, blasting away a pouncing Snow Corpse.

”SQUELCH! CLANG! SQUELCH! CLANG!”

The sounds of blades sinking into flesh and clashing against sharp claws were incessant.

On the cliff above, Li Lie’s eyes burned with intensity. The two students in the valley below had already fought their way past the halfway point.

Rong Taotao, in particular, was fighting like a god of war.

He certainly wasn’t killing as many as Gao Lingwei, but the path he carved open was far wider.

From the very start, not a single one of his halberd strikes had been aimed at just one target.

Every one of Rong Taotao’s movements was dedicated to clearing a path, and every attack he made pushed back or hindered more than just one enemy.

Knocking aside two Snow Corpses at once was the norm for him. At times, using the tip and the spinning shaft of his halberd, he could sweep away as many as three Snow Corpses in a single move.

’This is... damn...’

Now more than halfway through, Gao Lingwei could almost see the light of victory.

Rong Taotao, by her side, had undoubtedly become her most dependable ally.

On such a treacherous battlefield, the two were constantly coordinating, their synergy growing to an astonishing degree. The abundance of subtle teamwork made Li Lie’s heart swell with delight.

Rong Taotao’s defensive coverage was already vast, while Gao Lingwei was living up to all expectations as the vanguard.

They were perfectly adhering to their plan, each fulfilling their role. One was ”conquering the land,” while the other was ”guarding it.” They broke through together, protecting each other all the while.

For a moment,

halberds and sabers flew wildly, as Ice Pillars and Snow Bursts wreaked havoc.

”HISSS... ROAR!!!” A furious, savage roar resounded through the valley, piercing the heavens.

Rong Taotao’s eyes followed the sound, only to see a one-armed Snow Corpse.

On its right cheek were four corpse spots!

’It’s you again! We meet again, old friend.’

”ROAR!!”

”ROAR!!!” To Rong Taotao’s surprise, that single roar incited the entire Corpse Tide to roar in unison.

The next moment, the countless Snow Corpses, whether they were in tangled heaps or small groups, all grabbed their nearby companions and viciously hurled them toward Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei.

Rong Taotao was floored.

’This... this is...’

Gao Lingwei’s expression changed drastically. The Snow Burst Ball gathered at her ankle had been meant for a Snow Corpse pouncing from behind, but when she saw the ”Snow Corpse Rain” blotting out the sky...

Gao Lingwei made a split-second decision. She spun around, wrapped an arm around Rong Taotao, and swung her Butterfly Dual Sabers forward with her other hand as the Snow Burst at her feet detonated.

”BOOM!”

The two shot forward. With the Butterfly Dual Sabers leading the way, she instantly decapitated a Snow Corpse.

Propelled by the force of the Snow Burst, Rong Taotao thrust his halberd forward, impaling the already-dead Snow Corpse. He and Gao Lingwei charged forward a good five or six meters, but...

it wasn’t nearly enough to escape the area covered by the Snow Corpse Rain.

A massive wave of thrown Snow Corpses blotted out the sky, densely packed as they rained down and buried Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei, piling up into a small mound.

This time, it was a true pile of corpses...

WHOOSH...

The Snow Carpet was unfurled once more, instantly flipping over the pile of corpses.

But this time, Xia Fangran didn’t manage to pull them out.

Amidst the flurry of Snow Corpses and layers of frost and snow, a Snow Ghost Hand shot toward the sky, grabbing Gao Lingwei’s ankle and hoisting her up to the cliff.

Gao Lingwei gritted her teeth and viciously flung off the Snow Corpse that was biting her arm. Instantly, blood bloomed in the air.

A huge chunk of flesh had been torn from Gao Lingwei’s left arm by the Snow Corpse’s gaping maw!

”Da Wei...”

But Gao Lingwei seemed to feel no pain. Her expression was grim as she let the Snow Ghost Hand deliver her to the cliff, allowing the blood to gush from her arm. ”We failed.”

We failed again!

If there had been no hope from the start, it would have been one thing.

But she had seen the light of victory. She had been on the verge of breaking through the Corpse Tide, only for that detestable one-armed Snow Corpse to obliterate all their efforts with a single roar.

Standing on the cliff, Gao Lingwei’s chest heaved violently. She was clearly struggling to suppress the torrent of emotions churning within her.

She didn’t throw a tantrum or do anything rash, but it was clear a fierce battle was raging within her.

Li Lie landed beside Gao Lingwei. Seeing the silent pair, he stepped forward and pressed a hand covered in a white glow onto her mangled, bleeding wound.

Silence fell upon the cliff.

”Hah...” After a long moment, Gao Lingwei let out a long sigh, finally regaining her composure.

Rong Taotao spoke up. ”It seems that if we want to break through, we have to kill their leader in the process.

”Only when they’re leaderless and in disarray will we have a chance to break through.”

Hearing this, Li Lie and Xia Fangran secretly exchanged a glance.

Three failures. Three brushes with death.

The first time, they found a potential way to break the stalemate.

The second time, they adjusted their tactics, tempered their impatience, and laid a solid foundation.

And this third time, they finally grasped the key point, identifying the core of the problem.

With every failure, the two were growing at a visible rate.

Failure brought them more than just a deeper analysis of the problem, better control of the situation, and tactical adjustments; it was also tempering their minds again and again.

Rong Taotao had suffered one setback after another, yet he continued to think hard, never losing heart.

Gao Lingwei had been filled with rage, but she ultimately suppressed her anger and regained her composure.

Three times. Only three.

Having taught for over twenty years, Xia Fangran knew in his heart that the next time, these two kids would likely succeed.

”Why not throw a little fit?” Xia Fangran said suddenly, looking at Gao Lingwei.

”Hm?”

Xia Fangran shrugged. ”Stomp your feet, yell some curses... even kicking a tree would be a perfectly good outlet.”

Gao Lingwei shot Xia Fangran a cold look before turning her gaze back down to the Corpse Tide below.

”ROAR!!!”

From deep in the valley, the one-armed Snow Corpse stared back at Gao Lingwei, letting out a furious roar.

”Alright, fine,” Xia Fangran said with a purse of his lips. ”With a glare like that, I’ll just assume you’re having your fit.”

Nearby, Rong Taotao walked over and gently took Gao Lingwei’s hand.

To his surprise, she gripped his hand back, squeezing so tightly that it hurt.

It was clear her inner turmoil was far greater than her calm expression let on.

Rong Taotao said softly, ”If I wanted to, I could just summon a Snow Ghost Hand to carry us over the Corpse Tide, flying us from one side to the other. But that would be pointless, wouldn’t it?”

Gao Lingwei said, ”Mm.”

Rong Taotao squeezed her cold Jade Hand and said softly, ”This is the point of our training. It’s the reason we came here to take this top-tier assessment.

”Talent, mentality, and hard work have made us winners, but we’re bound to lose sometimes.

”You’re the high school King of Guanwai, but you placed third in the nationals. You’ve lost before. In the future, we’ll probably lose even more, just like right now.

”Injury, frustration, anger, resentment... and failure. One loss after another, again and again. Eventually, they will become the reason for our success.”

Gao Lingwei replied, ”I’m not as fragile as you think.”

At her words, Rong Taotao broke into a grin.

Nearby, Xia Fangran listened to Rong Taotao’s words with great surprise.

’After all, this special course was designed specifically for Rong Taotao,’ Xia Fangran thought. ’I assumed he’d had a smooth ride, that success came easy to him. But that’s not the case at all.’

Rong Taotao hadn’t always been a winner. Quite the opposite. On the rooftop of that apartment building, for two full years, for hundreds of days and nights, he had been defeated again and again, beaten black and blue by his master.

Whether it was the physical torment of his Martial Arts training or the verbal beatings that hammered at his spirit, he had been struck down time and time again.

The reason Rong Taotao had made it this far wasn’t just due to his Talent or skill; his foundation in every respect was far more solid than anyone else’s.

A comment he’d once read online was actually spot-on: could a tutor hired by a Soul General’s family ever be on the same level as one hired by an ordinary family?

Right now, in the face of repeated failure, Rong Taotao was deeply grateful for those arduous, painful years.

Likewise, Rong Taotao knew that if he took the long view, twenty years from now, when he looked back on this top-tier assessment, he would undoubtedly be grateful for this experience as well.

In fact... it might not even take twenty years.