The Strongest Talent Tree

On the vast plaza of Thief God Peak, the majestic Thief God Statue stood tall, looking down upon the younger generation of thieves below.

Meanwhile, on the high viewing platform to the side, numerous higher-ups from the Grand Hall were already waiting in anticipation, idly chatting about the matches on the stages. Thief Master and Jing Lou were among them.

Jing Lou had now completely come to accept Feng Hao. He had no choice; Feng Hao’s performance had been simply too stunning. What surprised him even more was that Feng Hao was also an Alchemist who possessed Ninth-Level Alchemy Techniques and had even contributed a powerful pill like the Life Spirit Pill.

What did Ninth-Level Alchemy Techniques signify? It was something that didn’t exist in the entire Thief God Hall.

Due to various prejudices and historical reasons, the Thief God Hall’s relationships with the major secondary profession associations weren’t exactly great. Other professions were manageable, as the Thief God Hall had its own share of skilled secondary-profession Mages. In the fields of mechanics and Demon Pattern Arrays especially, with Elder Jiang and Elder Yin presiding, they were in no way inferior to the Mechanician Association and the Array Master Association.

Only alchemy was an incredible sore spot. Over the years, the Thief God Hall had tried to recruit many Alchemists, but not a single truly top-tier one had joined.

Because of this, the Thief God Hall was at a major disadvantage when it came to pills every year.

Fortunately, the thieves from the various branch halls were quite ambitious. They often went in groups to "visit" the Alchemist Association, which did alleviate some of the pressure.

But this practice also caused the Alchemist Association’s hostility toward the Thief God Hall to grow, almost to the point of them being as incompatible as fire and water.

In short, Jing Lou found himself admiring the Thief Master’s judgment more and more.

On the stages, the competition was in full swing, but Jing Lou and the Thief Master weren’t paying much attention. Feng Hao’s match against Fang Jie was scheduled for later.

"By the way, Thief Master, we received news last night. It seems something has gone wrong on Xiaolin’s end," Jing Lou said suddenly.

The Thief Master was taken aback and couldn’t help but frown. "It’s just the outpost of a second-rate sect. Could they possibly fail with their level of strength?"

Jing Lou’s brow furrowed. "You may not be aware, Thief Master, but this organization called the Celestial Eagle Team is much stronger than we imagined. Over the past year or so, the Grand Hall has issued countless extermination missions, and not one has succeeded."

"Are you saying this so-called second-rate sect, the Celestial Eagle Team, is not as simple as it seems?" the Thief Master asked, looking up.

"That’s right." Jing Lou nodded grimly. "According to the reports from the branch halls during this period, the number of casualties from the extermination missions is constantly increasing. A preliminary estimate suggests the Celestial Eagle Team has the strength of at least a first-rate sect, and they have already begun to counterattack us."

Hearing this, the Thief Master’s expression turned grave. He pondered for a long moment before speaking. "This matter certainly warrants attention. Let’s wait for Xiaolin and his team to return. They should be able to bring back a lot of useful information."

"That’s what I was thinking as well," Jing Lou said with a nod.

...

Meanwhile, Feng Hao was waiting patiently below the stage, flanked by the young couple, Lu Linfei and Ting Xiaoxue, and Ming Xin Yan, who were all cheering him on.

Besides them, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered nearby. After all, Feng Hao was the main event of today’s matches, so it was only natural that he received so much attention.

Just like Feng Hao, Fang Jie was also surrounded by a crowd of excited spectators not far away.

Ming Xin Yan seemed very curious about Feng Hao’s cultivation speed. Her eyes filled with puzzlement as she asked, "If I remember correctly, you were only level thirty-eight just over a month ago. How did you manage to advance to Rank 4 so quickly?"

"It’s nothing strange. I’ve been training in an Enhanced Cultivation Pod this whole time," Feng Hao said with a slight smile.

"No wonder." Ming Xin Yan nodded in realization, then asked curiously, "I heard the Enhanced Cultivation Pods on Thief Peak can increase Magic Crystal absorption speed by 1.5 times. Is that true?"

Lu Linfei clicked his tongue. "It’s true, but it causes intense pain. Most people can’t endure it."

"Compared to increasing your cultivation speed, what does a little pain matter?" Ming Xin Yan said dismissively.

"Er..." Feng Hao chuckled and shook his head, then said teasingly, "If you want to go train on Thief Peak, you can just tell me directly. If you just want to raise your level quickly, though, I have an even better way."

Ming Xin Yan’s eyes lit up. "What way?"

"After today’s matches are over, I’ll give you a few magical pills to try," Feng Hao said with a mysterious smile.

"Pills?" Ming Xin Yan said, not understanding.

Seeing Ming Xin Yan’s confused expression, the young couple, Lu Linfei and Ting Xiaoxue, exchanged a knowing smile. They clearly knew what Feng Hao was talking about.

Ting Xiaoxue, who got along well with Ming Xin Yan, leaned in with a light laugh and began to explain in her ear.

After learning about the miraculous effects of the Life Creation Pill, Ming Xin Yan couldn’t help but gasp, looking at Feng Hao in disbelief. "Does such a magical pill really exist?"

Feng Hao simply smiled without a word.

Ming Xin Yan struggled to calm her excitement, her gaze complicated. "With my current strength, if I take that pill, I could break through to Rank 5. Aren’t you afraid of losing to me in the battle for Thief Peak a year from now?"

"Who can say what will happen a year from now? Maybe I’ll be even stronger than you by then," Feng Hao retorted confidently.

"That’s true. Your strength really can’t be judged by ordinary standards." Ming Xin Yan gave a wry smile and shook her head. Her interactions with Feng Hao over this period had given her a deeper understanding of his power, and the more she understood, the more terrifying she found him to be.

’Who would have thought that the unremarkable little thief who was asking her for directions a month ago would fight his way to the top of the preliminary matches a month later, becoming someone that even she couldn’t stop?’

As they spoke, the matches on the other stages concluded one after another. Next up was the showdown between Feng Hao and Fang Jie.

In an instant, the entire Thief God Peak erupted. A massive, surging crowd of spectators gathered around Ring Five, while the areas next to the other rings were practically deserted.

Even many of the contestants on the other stages gave up their own matches and flocked to Ring Five.

"After waiting so long, it’s finally starting!"

"Yeah! I got excited the moment I saw the schedule yesterday. I couldn’t even sleep last night."

"Who do you guys think has a better chance of winning, Feng Hao or Fang Jie?"

"I think Fang Jie has the edge. A Divine Soul Weapon is no joke."

"I actually think Feng Hao has a better shot. To this day, nobody knows how he defeated Yanziqing. I feel like he must have a powerful hidden card."

"What good is a hidden card for fighting a Divine Thought Mage? Fang Jie is a monster wielding a Divine Soul Weapon. One scratch could leave Feng Hao nearly dead."

"That’s true. The damage from a Divine Soul Weapon is truly despair-inducing."

...

Amidst the crowd’s cheers and anticipation, Fang Jie was the first to ascend the stage. He immediately brandished his Divine Soul Short Saber, its golden light flowing, drawing a fresh round of cheers.

Feng Hao didn’t waste any words. After giving a reassuring look to Ming Xin Yan and the others, he leaped into the air and landed smoothly on the stage.

With both combatants on stage, the audience below grew even more excited, wildly shouting both of their names.

On Fang Jie’s side, he couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly upon sensing Feng Hao’s Rank 4 aura. ’Hmph, what a time to have a breakthrough!’

"Can’t be helped. My luck has always been pretty good," Feng Hao said with a teasing grin.

"So what if you broke through to Rank 4?" Fang Jie sneered. "In front of my Life-taking Short Saber, it makes no difference."

"Is that so?" Feng Hao replied with a playful smile.