Master of Nine Stars

"One more match. Win the next one, and we’ll have three left." Rong Taotao looked at Yang Chunxi and grinned.

"Heh." Yang Chunxi gave a helpless laugh. All along, she had been trying to manage Rong Taotao’s expectations, giving him a safety net. It wasn’t that she actually wanted her boy to perform poorly; she was just trying to relieve his stress.

But once he stepped into the arena, Rong Taotao just put more pressure on himself.

Thinking of this, Yang Chunxi said, "Don’t say things like that in the arena anymore. Leave yourself a way out. Your life is still very long."

Rong Taotao took a large bite of his chocolate bar. "But a competition like this only happens once, doesn’t it?"

Yang Chunxi’s eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened. "Don’t talk back!"

When someone who was always so gentle suddenly got strict, it was incredibly intimidating.

Rong Taotao pouted and mumbled meekly, "Okay..."

BUZZ... BUZZ...

Yang Chunxi pulled her phone from her pocket. She was a bit taken aback when she saw the caller’s name.

She hesitated for a moment, then stepped out of the locker room.

A moment later, Yang Chunxi walked back in, phone in hand, with a complicated expression on her face. Instantly, all eyes turned to her.

Yang Chunxi hesitated before saying, "That was a call from Principal Mei."

"Ooh?" Rong Taotao’s eyes lit up. "What’d he say?"

Yang Chunxi huffed, clearly not wanting to fuel Rong Taotao’s ego. "He just said a few words. That you fought pretty well and to keep up the good work."

"Hehe, ’A Cut of Plum’ did the trick," Rong Taotao said, tilting his head toward Gao Lingwei with a grin. "We’ll be getting more Soul Pearl rewards when we get back."

Gao Lingwei said nothing, but Yang Chunxi almost laughed in exasperation.

’I thought you were a good student who knows how to show gratitude. I can’t believe you’re just after Principal Mei’s Soul Pearls!’

After having their wounds treated by the medical staff, the group of four quickly returned to the hotel.

Having been a spectator before, Rong Taotao had no desire to watch the matches live again. Including the rest of today, he and Gao Lingwei had a full two and a half days to rest and prepare for the third round.

And this third round... was practically the round that decided their fate.

Well, every round decided their fate, but this one was especially important.

Win this, and you secure a spot on the national team!

Of course, even if you lost, there was no need to be too pessimistic. After all, the national team needed eight teams, but the third round would only narrow the field from fourteen to seven.

That meant the final team would be decided from the seven teams in the loser’s bracket. Through a series of elimination matches, the top team from the loser’s bracket would fight their way back to claim the last spot on the national team.

But as for Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei, they had no intention of ending up in the loser’s bracket.

Winning! That was their only goal!

The highly anticipated World Cup was also held every two years, and the upcoming one was scheduled for July of next year.

This gave Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei a full six months to train and grow. Rong Taotao was certain that after half a year, when he emerged from the Snow Realm again, he would be completely transformed.

Back at the hotel, Rong Taotao enjoyed a nice long nap that afternoon.

When he woke up, he didn’t get out of bed, just stayed there to rest and nurse his wounds. And, um... to browse on his phone.

He noticed online that he’d picked up another nickname...

Dumpling Taotao?

’Sheesh, they might as well call me Tianjin Rice.’

"Dumpling Taotao, when are you coming to Qilu? Come visit us on Qin Island, and I’ll treat you to dumplings! Authentic, big ones with Spanish mackerel filling!"

"That’s all fluff. You need to come to the end of the universe. Our chive and egg dumplings are the real deal!"

"Our Jingchu goldfish dumplings have to be represented!"

"You fools, shrimp dumplings are so good and you don’t even appreciate them..."

"Are you guys still talking about dumplings? Taotao is the last one standing! The only hope of the village! Waaaah~~~"

"Hm?" Rong Taotao’s scrolling finger paused. He hurriedly grabbed the remote from the bedside table and turned on the TV.

’Crap, I ate lunch and fell asleep. I completely forgot about their match!’

Rong Taotao turned his head and saw Xia Fangran fiddling with his phone. ’He’s not watching the Yuan Brothers’ match either?’

’Yang Chunxi and Gao Lingwei must be watching in the next room, right? Dammit, Xia Fangran really takes his Personal Bodyguard duties seriously. Does he do anything besides stick to my side 24/7?’

Rong Taotao turned on the TV and frantically flipped through the channels, but the match on screen was already over.

The announcer was saying with great emotion, "They’ve lost. The Yuan Brothers from Songjiang Soul Martial University have ultimately been defeated."

"We can see they’re being carried from the arena on stretchers, but that doesn’t stop us from paying our respects to the Yuan Brothers and to these Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists!"

"They fought against an Attribute disadvantage until the very last moment! They knew the odds were against them, but they showed no fear. They knew they would be injured, but they didn’t back down one inch!"

"The Yuan Brothers have shown us the quality every outstanding Soul Martial Artist should possess. Please join me in wishing them a swift and full recovery."

As the announcer spoke, the TV screen showed footage of the Yuan Brothers.

One of them was on a stretcher, his face covered in blood and his body riddled with injuries. It was a ghastly sight.

The other limped alongside, anxiously following the stretcher and glancing down at his brother from time to time.

Amidst the applause and well wishes of the audience, the medical team escorted the two brothers into the player tunnel.

The announcer’s voice came through again: "Injuries are a part of Soul Martial competitions. When you choose this dangerous profession, when you choose to fight your way to the top, there will be failures, and there will be scars."

"The defeated leave the stage. We hope they rest well and come back stronger. But right now, let’s give an even bigger round of applause to our victors!"

"From the Huazhong Division, brothers Chen Zhaowu and Chen Muge! Celebrate! Your performance was worthy of this victory!"

The screen showed two men in tattered clothes. While not exactly dripping with blood, they were also covered in wounds and weren’t in much better shape.

But the brothers’ eyes burned with fiery intensity as they stood in the center of the arena, soaking in the thunderous applause that washed over them from all sides.

"The Yuan Brothers lost?" Xia Fangran, on the other bed, finally looked up from his phone toward the TV.

"Yeah. They were facing the top team from the Huazhong Division, after all," Rong Taotao said, looking at the puddles on the arena floor. "On the surface, it was an ocean-type home field, but the whole arena was under the influence of a Starfield Vortex."

Xia Fangran didn’t seem surprised. He had probably anticipated this outcome yesterday after the draw determined the matchups.

He just found it a shame.

Xia Fangran sighed. "Ai... It would’ve been great if they could’ve just made it to the next round. Even if they lost there, they would’ve had a shot in the loser’s bracket to fight for a spot on the national team."

With that, Xia Fangran turned to Rong Taotao. "Now, you and Gao Lingwei are the only Snow Realm team left in the national tournament."

Rong Taotao: "Mm."

Xia Fangran seemed to get worked up all of a sudden. "Dammit, and you’re not even a real Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist. You just train in the Snow Realm."

Rong Taotao turned to look at Xia Fangran. "I am a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist. My Soul Skills are from there, and so are my Soul Techniques. I was born in the north and raised in the Snow Realm."

Xia Fangran stared at Rong Taotao’s earnest expression for a long moment before shrugging. "Maybe so," he said nonchalantly.

On the TV, Chen Zhaowu and Chen Muge finally began to exit the arena. The sight of them limping was poignant, but a swarm of reporters still surrounded them, stopping the brothers at the edge of the field.

"Congratulations on your victory and for defeating the team from Songjiang Soul Martial, one of the four top-tier universities. Do you have anything you’d like to say?"

The brothers, Chen Zhaowu and Chen Muge, exchanged a look. Then, one of them looked into the camera, but it was as if his gaze was fixed on one specific person.

He spoke, "To be honest, the ones we really wanted to face are on the other Snow Realm team."

"Oh-ho!?" Xia Fangran’s head shot up, his eyes glued to the TV screen. "Is he issuing a challenge in front of the whole country?"

On screen, the man continued, "Just make sure you don’t lose before you run into us."

Rong Taotao pressed his lips together. ’Good. Very good!’

’You’re right. As long as we keep winning, we’re bound to meet.’

’And when that time comes...’

’I’ll give you a welcome of the highest caliber!’

...

Thanks to Shanks-yo-da-meng for gifting the character Rong Taotao 100,000 coins! Thanks for the support! *fist clasp* Your contribution helped Rong Taotao celebrate his birthday, haha.

After you finish the Chapter, please give Taotao’s character card a heart. His birthday is in April, and he’s still a long way from his Star Shining Value goal~