The Strongest Talent Tree

The entire arena was deathly silent. No one could have imagined such an outcome.

Given the circumstances, no one believed Feng Hao could escape the Illusion Techniques. Yet, in a complete reversal of expectations, not only did Feng Hao break free, but he also inexplicably struck Yanziqing down.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! With Feng Hao’s Divine Sense strength, how could he possibly have escaped Yanziqing’s Illusion Techniques?"

"What happened to Yanziqing? Why did he suddenly collapse?"

"Can anyone tell me what happened? Why did Yanziqing lose so inexplicably?"

The spectators were stunned. The other contestants were stunned.

Over with Lu Linfei’s group, Ming Xin Yan’s jaw dropped, her delicate features a mask of shock and confusion. "What method did Feng Hao use? To be able to inflict such a severe backlash on Yanziqing?"

"Wow, Brother Feng won! Brother Feng won!" Ting Xiaoxue cheered, dancing with joy.

"I knew Brother Feng wouldn’t lose that easily," Lu Linfei said, just as excited.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Fang Jie and his group stared wide-eyed, completely unable to comprehend the situation.

They had thought Feng Hao’s defeat was certain, but reality had slapped them hard in the face. Fang Jie, in particular, was in a state of utter confusion. After all, even he wasn’t confident he could counter Yanziqing’s Divine Thought Secret Technique, as his own Divine Sense wasn’t very strong.

"H-How... did he do it?" Fang Jie gulped in disbelief.

One of his underlings said with a dazed expression, "No way. I must be seeing things!"

Not far away, Huang Danian and his group were also watching Feng Hao’s match. After losing to Feng Hao before, he had been unable to sleep at night. No one wanted Feng Hao to lose to Yanziqing more than he did.

According to the current point standings, he would only have a glimmer of hope if Feng Hao lost a match. After all, only the top three contestants from the point-based matches could advance to the Thief Peak Contention a year later.

Just when it looked like Feng Hao was about to lose, this sudden turn of events occurred. Only he could understand the feeling of falling from Heaven into Hell.

"Damn it, how did he win? What the hell was Yanziqing doing?" Huang Danian said, his face ashen.

While everyone was still dumbfounded, Feng Hao, on the stage, had also regained his senses. The scenes from the Illusion Techniques were still vivid in his mind, hanging over him like a nightmare.

To be honest, even he didn’t understand what had happened. He only knew that when Yanziqing had tried to probe his memories, the black shadow in his sea of consciousness had reappeared. It had easily repelled Yanziqing’s Divine Sense probe.

’Who is that black shadow?’ Feng Hao wondered in alarm.

If he remembered correctly, the black shadow hadn’t appeared in the two years since his bloodline had awakened.

’I thought the black shadow was just a vision from my bloodline awakening, but now it seems it’s definitely not that simple.’

He closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness. Above the Genetic Tree, he saw a new, dim gray ball of light. If he wasn’t mistaken, it must have been formed from the black shadow just now.

Feng Hao frowned in deep thought. ’Judging from what just happened, the black shadow was protecting my sea of consciousness, so it probably doesn’t have any malicious intent. But I really can’t figure it out. Why would this black shadow appear in my sea of consciousness? When did it get in here?’

While Feng Hao was racking his brains, the Referee Elder had already announced the match results. Yanziqing was still unconscious.

He stepped down from the stage under countless astonished gazes and rejoined Lu Linfei and the others.

The young couple, Lu Linfei and Ting Xiaoxue, didn’t ask any questions, both simply looking overjoyed. But Ming Xin Yan was more curious. Her beautiful eyes scrutinized Feng Hao strangely, as if trying to see through him. "How did you do it?"

"To be honest, I’m not sure myself. I just won somehow," Feng Hao said, scratching his head and playing dumb.

Seeing that Feng Hao was unwilling to answer, Ming Xin Yan didn’t press further. She just gave him a deep look, pursed her lips, and said, "If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t."

"I really don’t know," Feng Hao said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Ming Xin Yan clearly didn’t believe his nonsense. She let out a soft hmph and gracefully walked away.

Meanwhile, the matches on the other stages were also concluding. Feng Hao’s mind, however, was consumed by thoughts of the black shadow. After checking the next day’s schedule with Lu Linfei and Ting Xiaoxue, he quickly returned to Thief Peak.

After today’s match, Feng Hao’s name spread throughout the entire Thief God Hall. Everyone was discussing the bizarre match.

Some even guessed that Feng Hao possessed some powerful treasure that could resist the interference of a Divine Thought Secret Technique.

In any case, no one doubted Feng Hao’s strength anymore. Even the previous rumors about him being a fixed winner became insignificant. After all, people only get upset when someone without strength is a fixed winner. But when someone with real power is chosen, no one dares to complain.

As for who would win the championship, Fang Jie or Feng Hao, opinions were now divided.

Before today, everyone would have thought Fang Jie was guaranteed to win the championship. It couldn’t be helped; a Divine Soul Weapon was no joke.

But after today’s match, many people began to waver. Feng Hao’s strength was simply unbelievable. Especially the scene of him defeating Yanziqing; no one could figure out what had happened even now.

In the Thief Peak training grounds, Feng Hao sat cross-legged in the rest area with a grave expression, frantically investigating the gray light in his sea of consciousness.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t probe a single shred of information from it.

’Maybe I should try the game panel?’

After repeated failed attempts to probe it, Feng Hao subconsciously thought of the game panel. In his experience, the game panel could analyze almost anything that his Divine Sense couldn’t probe.

But when he tried to summon the game panel, he discovered that it had vanished.

"Crap, where’s my beloved game panel?" Feng Hao exclaimed, his face paling in shock. "What’s going on? Why is the game panel gone?"

He had always considered the game panel his golden finger—his cheat—since transmigrating. For it to suddenly disappear for no reason, how could he not be anxious?

In his panic, Feng Hao tested his Alchemy Techniques and bloodline talent and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew~, good thing my Ninth-Level Alchemy Techniques and bloodline talent are still here." Feng Hao patted his chest and frowned in thought. ’Could the game panel be related to that black shadow? If so, that would explain everything.’

Just as Feng Hao was mentally analyzing the various possibilities, a ripple from a Listening Stone came from his sea of consciousness.

He subconsciously extended his Divine Sense into the Listening Stone. It was a Stone Listening Communication from Xiyue Frost. "What is it, my lady?"

"What else could it be? It’s about Yaoyao," Xiyue Frost said with a soft hmph.

"What? Did Yaoyao cause trouble again?" Feng Hao asked, startled.

Xiyue Frost said irritably, "Thanks to you, Yaoyao has been very well-behaved lately, training diligently every day."

"Then why are you calling me?"

Xiyue Frost suddenly went silent for a long time. Her tone was slightly odd when she spoke again, "This morning, Yaoyao broke through to level forty, and she awakened her bloodline."

"Yao Girl awakened her bloodline? That’s wonderful news!" Feng Hao said joyfully.

"Awakening a bloodline is indeed wonderful news. The thing is... Yaoyao’s bloodline seems to have mutated, too," Xiyue Frost said strangely.