The Strongest Talent Tree

After Fang Wen Jie had walked some distance, Feng Hao came to his senses with a somber look. "Fourth Sister, do you think letting him go like that is a good thing or a bad thing?"

"For a heart sustained only by hatred, any outcome—life or death, success or failure—is a form of release," Mei Meimei remarked with a quiet sigh.

"But I have a feeling there’s more to him than meets the eye," Feng Hao said, frowning.

"Oh, really?" Mei Meimei smirked, then summoned her armored hovercar with a wave of her hand. She expertly slid into the driver’s seat and beckoned to him. "Come on, stop overthinking things. Don’t you want to get back to Five States City?"

"Ah." Feng Hao froze, then slapped his forehead. He had almost forgotten about their actual mission.

The armored hovercar quickly took off, but they didn’t head back to town to report what had happened. For one, time was short. For another, there wasn’t much to report. The Cultist Temple had been destroyed; the nearby residents were bound to notice soon enough.

By evening, they finally reached the borders of Beilang Country. The continuous Divine Seal Mountain Range sprawled across the horizon like a colossal dragon, exuding an intangible sense of dread.

Once they were back within the range of an [Origin Node], Mei Meimei reported everything she had seen and heard to the Thief Master.

The Thief Master took this organization called the True God Sect very seriously. Fang Wen Jie’s situation in particular left him astonished.

"It seems the Root Cutting Cult is even larger than we imagined," the Thief Master replied, his tone grave. "An operation of this scale couldn’t have been established in just a year or two. There must be a massive conspiracy behind this."

"What are you planning to do, Master?" Feng Hao asked.

The Thief Master mused, "First, we need to figure out the situation. Then we can discuss a strategy. By the way, Sanmei, once you’ve dropped off Xiaofeng, return to the Grand Hall immediately. The task of investigating the True God Sect would be best handled by you."

Mei Meimei, of course, wouldn’t refuse. She patted her chest and promised, "Don’t worry, Thief Master. Leave it to me!"

"Good. You two continue on your journey. I’m going to brief Jing Lou and the others," he said, before cutting off the Stone Listening Communication.

...

Within Five States City, it was time for the annual entrance exams, and students from all over Beilang Country had gathered.

However, due to the recent chaos caused by the Celestial Eagle Team, there were noticeably fewer prospective students this year. Of course, for a major metropolis like Five States City, even the greatest of upheavals rarely had a direct impact.

The Alchemy Department Branch was as quiet and deserted as ever. In the vast examination hall, there were fewer than a hundred applicants.

Just then, as the alchemy test was entering its final phase, a sudden gasp echoed through the hall, drawing everyone’s attention. Sun Yaowen had instantly appeared in front of a young man, his eyes shining. "Well, I’ll be! To think you could actually refine a Top Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill!"

His words sent a wave of shock through the hall. All the other applicants stared at the young man in utter disbelief.

"A Top Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill? Did I hear that right?"

"How is that possible? The Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill is an unranked pill. Even a Sixth-level Alchemist can’t guarantee they can successfully refine one, to say nothing of a top-grade one."

"Yeah, but could Dean Sun have gotten it wrong?"

"Dean Sun is a genuine Eighth-level Alchemist. How could he possibly be mistaken?"

"But a Top Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill... that’s just too unbelievable, isn’t it?"

Amidst the pointing fingers and murmurs of the crowd, the young man remained exceptionally calm. That’s right, this incredibly impressive applicant was none other than Miao Feng.

Miao Feng was now a Sixth-level Alchemist. And unlike those Alchemists from the Alchemist Association who had the rank but lacked the skill, Miao Feng, much like Sun Yaowen himself, was the real deal—a Sixth-level Alchemist through and through.

’I can’t believe another monstrously talented young alchemist has appeared.’

At that moment, Sun Yaowen was practically bursting with excitement. He recalled how Feng Hao had refused to become his disciple and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. ’Hmph. Feng Hao, Feng Hao... did you really think I wouldn’t be able to find another talented prospect without you?’

Snapping out of his triumphant daydream, Sun Yaowen turned to Miao Feng with an amiable expression. "Young man, what is your name?"

"Dean, my name is Miao Feng. I am from Rongcheng in Jinzhou," Miao Feng replied respectfully.

"Rongcheng?" Sun Yaowen paused, a sudden bad feeling washing over him. He pressed urgently, "Don’t tell me you know that little rascal, Feng Hao."

Miao Feng chuckled. "You’ve guessed correctly, Dean. Feng Hao is my... er... Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother?!" Sun Yaowen’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he almost fainted on the spot.

Seeing Dean Sun’s face turn deathly pale, Miao Feng couldn’t help but ask, surprised, "Dean, are you feeling unwell?"

Sun Yaowen struggled to compose himself, a corner of his mouth twitching. "It’s nothing. I was just reminded of some... unpleasant memories."

"Oh." Miao Feng nodded in understanding, then looked up. "By the way, Dean, my Top Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill should be enough to pass the assessment, right?"

"It’s enough, more than enough," Sun Yaowen said through clenched teeth. Still not ready to give up, he added, "Your Alchemy Techniques are truly impressive. Are you interested in becoming my disciple?"

"I’m sorry, but I already have a master," Miao Feng said, shaking his head apologetically.

A muscle in Sun Yaowen’s cheek twitched, and his temper finally exploded. "Damn it! You’re cut from the exact same cloth as Feng Hao!"

"Er, what do you mean by that, Dean?" Miao Feng asked, frowning in confusion.

"It means nothing!" Sun Yaowen snarled through clenched teeth, then turned and stormed off.

Yang Caide, who was supervising the test from a short distance away, quickly called out, "Dean, where are you going? The assessment isn’t over yet!"

"I don’t care anymore! I’m too irritated!" Sun Yaowen huffed back, striding out of the examination hall.

He left behind a hall full of stunned applicants and a very confused Miao Feng.

Meanwhile, a different scene was playing out at the examination grounds for the Strength Department.

Unlike the deserted atmosphere of the Alchemy Department, the Strength Department was practically overflowing, with thousands of applicants bustling between the various test stations.

Xi Yueyao trailed distractedly behind Xiyue Frost and West Moon Ridge, her bright eyes constantly gazing past the academy gates, as if waiting for someone.

Xiyue Frost and West Moon Ridge could only exchange helpless glances. Xi Yueyao had been like this for a while now.

"Sister, why isn’t the medicine-seller back yet?" Xi Yueyao asked, her expression so pitiful it looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

Xiyue Frost gave a wry, helpless smile. "I just contacted Feng Hao. He said he ran into some trouble on the way and probably won’t be back until tomorrow."

"I don’t wanna hear it! I don’t wanna hear it! You’re lying to me again, aren’t you?" Xi Yueyao whined, shaking her head.

"Why would Xiaoshuang lie to you?" West Moon Ridge said, patting the girl’s head and comforting her gently. "The major sects are all cracking down on the Celestial Eagle Evil Cult right now. The entire Ancient Cang Realm is in turmoil, so it’s perfectly normal for Feng Hao to run into a bit of trouble."

Xi Yueyao froze, her face filled with panic. "Then... he’s not in danger, is he?"

"Don’t worry. That kid is very sharp. Besides, he has experts from the Thief God Hall escorting him. He’ll be fine," West Moon Ridge said with a radiant smile.

"Oh, good. That’s good." The little girl finally calmed down.

West Moon Ridge decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Now be good and go take your test. You don’t want Feng Hao to come back and see you’ve accomplished nothing, do you? How embarrassing would that be?"

"You’re right! I can’t let the medicine-seller look down on me." Realization dawned on Xi Yueyao’s face. She clenched her fists and, with a WHOOSH, darted toward the line for the test.

Then, to their astonished gazes, Xi Yueyao reverted to her little tyrant persona, swaggering to the front and cutting in line. "Out of the way, out of the way! This young lady goes first!"

"..." West Moon Ridge and Xiyue Frost looked at each other, utterly speechless with exasperation.