Master of Nine Stars

"Selected for the national team. Potential Value +5! Current available Potential Value: 12."

Whoa! I'm rich!

Rong Taotao felt the message from his Inner Soul Map and couldn't help but feel ecstatic.

'Great! Everything is ready. I just need my Soul Technique: Ice and Snow Heart to reach four stars, and then I can start spending points to raise the cap on my Soul Skills!'

'All my Elite-level Soul Skills can be promoted to Master-level!'

'And I don't have to worry about the growth rate of my skills anymore. Wherever I hit a wall, I can just spend some points! I never have to worry about being level-capped again!'

'Before, I was "broke" and felt like I had to live frugally. Now, things are much more comfortable. At least I have a safety net.'

'Back when I won first place in the Outer Region, I only got a measly 3 points. But just for making the top eight in the national competition—in other words, getting into the national team—I got a whole 5 Potential Value points. This...'

'If I win the national championship, won't I just take off?'

A hand suddenly landed on Rong Taotao's shoulder, and Gao Lingwei's voice reached his ear, "What's on your mind?"

"Ah." Rong Taotao snapped back to his senses, and suddenly, the world was filled with sound!

Waves of applause and cheers surged from all directions, ringing endlessly in his ears.

Then, Rong Taotao took Gao Lingwei's wrist, raised it high, and thanked the audience.

A slight smile appeared on Gao Lingwei's face as well. She savored moments like this, especially when... their strategy was perfectly planned, and even more perfectly executed.

'Was there anything more satisfying than overpowering a strong enemy?'

It proved that regardless of Attribute matchups, as long as they were dedicated, they could even claim a bloodless victory.

If anyone had predicted before the match that Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao's team could win unscathed, they would have been flamed so hard they wouldn't know what hit them.

But a match wasn't about cold, hard data, nor was it a simple comparison of on-paper strength. It was won through a real, hard-fought battle!

"Rong Taotao is a beast~!"

"That young lady is amazing! She's got great sportsmanship, you know? Now that's how a Soul Martial Artist should act!"

"The Snow Realm's last hope! The pride of the Snow Realm! And the only source of pride for the Snow Realm in this whole competition!"

As Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei were turning to thank the crowd in all directions, he happened to see two ferocious little lolis.

The two of them... well, their injuries weren't serious. The younger sister, Li Zi, still needed some treatment, but the older sister, Li Mu, was completely unharmed. After all, Gao Lingwei had stopped her final Wind and Snow Blade in time.

Surrounded by their concerned coaching staff and the medical team, the sisters' gazes somehow pierced through the crowd and locked onto Rong Taotao.

The two little lolis looked like they were about to shoot fire from their eyes!

Rong Taotao gave an awkward smile and a friendly nod toward the two little firecrackers.

'Everything on the field is a tactic. Off the field, there's no way I'd go out of my way to provoke other girls.'

'Mhm, provoking one Da Wei is more than enough...'

As the Sea Prayer Radiance healed the wound on her abdomen, Li Zi glared fiercely at Rong Taotao.

She puffed out her little cheeks, a fierce look on her face. 'How dare this damn boy smile and nod at me?'

Grr~ How infuriating!

Li Zi snorted and said, "I hate you!"

Beside her, Li Mu was also glaring angrily at Rong Taotao. "You just wait, you hear me? Just wait!"

'Geez, even their threats are so adorably fierce. They could give a Cloud Dog a run for its money.'

Rong Taotao scratched his head. "Wait for what?

You'll be bathing in lava in the northwest, and I'll be getting showered with snow in the northeast. We probably won't ever see each other again in this lifetime."

Li Mu clenched her fists and shouted, "I'll be back!"

Li Zi nodded with a serious expression. "That's right! The top eight! We'll definitely be number one in the loser's bracket! Wait for us! We'll make you pay in the team trials!"

Rong Taotao's expression was strange. 'I already let you two off easy. What, you want another taste of my sharp tongue?'

Rong Taotao pursed his lips and said, "No need. I was born this good-looking."

With that, Rong Taotao tilted his head toward Gao Lingwei and asked, "Hey~ why... am... I... so... good... looking?"

"Oh, please." Gao Lingwei laughed, then grabbed his arm to lead him away and prevent any further conflict.

Behind them, the exasperated voices of the two fiery lolis could be heard: "Argh! I'm so mad!"

"Gao Lingwei! Rong Taotao!" The moment the two stepped off the stage, a crowd of reporters swarmed them. "An amazing match! Simply amazing!"

"That was a textbook example of an Opposite Attribute battle! This was your first time using the Snow Ghost Hand Soul Skill, and it had such a miraculous effect! Were you holding it back in the previous matches?"

Rong Taotao was already experienced with this. He used one hand to clear a path with his Douxing Qi, but he wasn't too rude about it and didn't knock any reporters over. He simply responded as he walked, "This Soul Skill was a strong recommendation from our Pine Soul headmaster. As expected of the old headmaster, he has a wickedly sharp eye. This Soul Skill really is a great fit for me.

But after leaving the lands of the Snow Realm, the opportunities to use the Snow Ghost Hand are limited. I was only able to use it just now thanks to the field of Shuangxue that Gao Lingwei left for me."

"Gao Lingwei! You stopped your attack at the last moment, preventing a potential tragedy. What made you pull back so quickly?"

Gao Lingwei kept her head down and walked forward with large strides, replying, "The referee's whistle. If anyone else had been shouting next to me, I might not have heard them, since my focus was so intense at that moment. But the referee's whistle is very sharp, so it's an effective reminder."

The reporter suddenly asked, "But isn't Rong Taotao always shouting commands on the field? How can you hear his directions? You even seem to react to them subconsciously."

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