Master of Nine Stars

"Oh?" Su Wan's interest was piqued. She asked curiously, "And how did Rong Taotao respond?"

Dai Liunian, however, gave a helpless smile and said, "Rong Taotao's reply was very interesting. He said: Everyone gets lucky sometimes."

"Er..." Su Wan hesitated for a moment. She harbored goodwill toward Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei, so she tried to put a positive spin on it. "Perhaps he's just being modest. After all, Rong Taotao already won first place in the Outer Region. By giving such a clever answer, he's showing that he was lucky, while also avoiding greater conflict."

Dai Liunian, however, said, "Or perhaps, this reveals Rong Taotao's ambition for this match? As you said, under the guise of luck, he still intends to win this match and become the true number one of the Outer Region?"

In the locker room, Gao Lingwei looked at Rong Taotao and said, "What were you really thinking?"

Rong Taotao rubbed his eyes and said, "After the last match, a lot of people said I was a little Arrogant, so I decided to be a bit more humble."

Yang Chunxi didn't understand. "Why did they say you were Arrogant?"

Rong Taotao grinned. "It was before the match started. Gao Zehua said he'd never lost, so I just replied, 'Don't worry, that changes today.'"

Yang Chunxi was stunned for a moment. "Shouldn't they have called Gao Zehua Arrogant, then?"

At their side, Xia Fangran spoke in a low voice, "You don't understand the world of trolls. All we need is one thing to latch onto, and we can rant for days on end."

For a moment, everyone in the locker room looked at each other, speechless.

'Leave it to Xia Fangran!'

'Actually calling himself a troll...'

'Well, at least he's self-aware.'

Yang Chunxi composed herself and looked at Rong Taotao. "Remember our strategy. You are crucial in this fight.

"Whether or not we can win this match smoothly depends on whether you can take down Bai Ming. She has no chest Soul Slot, no full-body Defense Soul Skill. You just need to get close. You just need one chance. Just one!"

"Don't worry." Rong Taotao flashed his signature smile and gave a thumbs-up. "When it comes to Zhan Mei, I'm a professional!"

Gao Lingwei: "..."

'Zhan Mei-style diplomacy?'

'It seems that most of Rong Taotao's stories with girls start with Zhan Mei?'

'It was like that for me, and for Ye Nanxi, too...'

'Er... if he can gain some powerful friends this way, maybe it's not a bad thing for him to keep on with this 'Zhan Mei' thing?'

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~" The voice of a staff member came from the locker room door. "Pine Soul Soul Martial, Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao's team, please follow me to the arena."

Rong Taotao shot to his feet and looked at Gao Lingwei. "Let's go, Da Wei! Time to get lucky~"

Gao Lingwei smiled and rolled her eyes at Rong Taotao, but she also stood up and, taking the lead, pushed the door open and walked out.

The familiar Imperial Capital Olympic Sports Center, the familiar Starfield arena, the familiar dim players' tunnel, the familiar light in the distance.

'Just one more thing was needed: a familiar victory!'

The two quickly walked out of the tunnel, their figures bathed in sunlight.

Looking at the dark, dense sea of spectators on all sides, Rong Taotao couldn't help but recall watching Ye Nanxi's match two days ago. For a moment, the feeling of being packed in with the crowd rushed back into his mind.

He never wanted to be a spectator again.

'A young man's place is in the spotlight, bold and brilliant!'

He had trained so hard in that bitter, cold land precisely to become the center of everyone's attention, not to hide in the crowd watching others achieve godhood!

After putting on their miniature microphones, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei walked onto the field.

Although the green turf had been repaired, you could still occasionally see withered grass and scorch marks.

The area of effect from the battle between those two adorable young girls earlier was simply astounding; traces of their fight were everywhere.

However, after this battle, this so-called Starfield home ground would also become a field covered in water, frost, and snow.

On the west side of the field, the brother, Baishan, whose skin was unnervingly pale, raised his arm and waved in a friendly manner. "Speak of the devil, huh?"

Rong Taotao nodded. 'Perhaps it's fate.'

The battle from the Outer League was continuing into the national tournament. After this fight, the dispute over who was number one in the Outer Region would be settled once and for all.

Baishan said, "You've changed all of your Soul Pearls and Soul Skills. You also switched the Soul Skill on your forehead. A Spiritual Defense type. A very wise choice."

Rong Taotao, however, ignored Baishan and instead looked at his sister, Bai Ming, behind him. "I looked through your past matches. You're a good singer."

Bai Ming smiled and nodded. "Thank you for the compliment."

Rong Taotao: "What are you planning to sing in a bit?"

The Ocean Soul Skill - Sea Maiden's Smile. Although it was called a "Smile," it attacked the opponent in the form of a song.

As for why it was called "Smile," it was because the accompanying action when casting this Soul Skill was a smile.

It was a very interesting Soul Skill. The accompanying actions for other Soul Skills were things like waving a hand, kicking a leg, kneeling on one knee and pressing a palm to the ground, or spreading both arms and tilting one's head back to embrace the sun.

A Soul Skill with a "facial expression" as its accompanying action was extremely rare.

What was even more interesting was that the Soul Pearl for Sea Maiden's Smile was embedded in the eye.

The singing distracted the enemy, that was one aspect. But only when her eyes were locked on an opponent would the beautiful song carry a Spiritual Attack Attribute. If Bai Ming's gaze wasn't on an enemy, then her song was just a song, posing no threat whatsoever.

Of course, she only needed to lock her gaze on the opponent; she didn't need to make eye contact. This was the greatest advantage of the Ocean Soul Skill - Sea Maiden's Smile!

You had to understand, the vast majority of Eye Soul Skills required direct eye contact with the enemy to be activated, which was undoubtedly a drawback of Eye Soul Skills.

And in this national tournament, looking around, was there anyone who could turn invisible?

Hearing Rong Taotao's question, Bai Ming thought for a moment, then asked, "Is there anything you'd like to hear?"

These words were transmitted through the miniature microphones into the live broadcast signal, reaching thousands of households.

The atmosphere of this Outer League civil war was unbelievably cordial. Online, the fans were already at each other's throats, yet the two sides on the field were being so friendly?

'This...'

Rong Taotao spoke up, "There's a perk like this? I can make a request?"

Bai Ming smiled and said, "My song will corrode your minds and tear at your nerves. Since harming you is a foregone conclusion, perhaps I can offer you some psychological comfort?"

Rong Taotao nodded in agreement. "How about 'A Cut of Plum'?"

Bai Ming: "Oh?"

Rong Taotao: "To dedicate the title of the true number one of the Outer Region to Principal Mei Hongyu up north, and to thank him for his dedicated nurturing."

"Heh heh." Bai Ming smiled and shook her head. "Why not leave yourself an escape route? The match hasn't even started, and a winner hasn't been decided."

Without her even singing a note, Rong Taotao's words had just put himself on a precarious pedestal. In the eyes of outsiders, this was a very unwise choice. If he lost, he would become a huge laughingstock, and it could even affect the rest of his life.

Rong Taotao shrugged. "Maybe more pressure is what I want?"

Bai Ming gave a charming smile and shook her head. "No, I won't sing it. I know how the Guan Brothers lost. I'm not going to create trouble for myself, you insidious fiend."

Rong Taotao also grinned. "Too late. I've already said it."

'Whether she sings it or not doesn't really matter anymore.'

Bai Ming pouted and ignored Rong Taotao. "Hmph~"

"Damn it." On the substitutes' bench, Xia Fangran slapped his thigh. "Just like that? Does he even need other people to stir up drama? Rong Taotao is doing it all by himself..."

Yang Chunxi lowered her head, her hand on her forehead. "What happened... what happened to being humble? How did he become a completely different person the moment he stepped onto the field..."

On the field, Rong Taotao was quietly humming to himself, "Snowflakes Falling, north wind howling~ A world of endless white..."

His voice was very, very soft, so soft that even Gao Lingwei beside him couldn't hear it clearly, as the stadium was too noisy. However, the sound of his low singing was faintly transmitted through the microphone to the televisions in thousands of homes...

Even so, the quiet voice faded in and out, making it really hard to hear clearly.

Just as people were turning up the volume, preparing to listen closely, Rong Taotao suddenly threw his head back and roared, "NO!!!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

"SCREW YOU!"

"Geez! So dramatic! You scared the life out of me!!"

...