The Strongest Talent Tree

At that moment, Feng Hao felt torn. He knew it was a sales tactic, but he couldn’t resist buying a pair for fun.

What could he do? He was no longer a freewheeling bachelor, and many things were no longer up to him.

"I’ll take them. The price is twelve Level 3 Magic Crystals, right?" Feng Hao said, gritting his teeth and making up his mind.

The salesgirl was slightly taken aback, then her face immediately broke into a delighted smile. Her eyes turned sultry as she said, "You have excellent taste, sir. With this pair of rings, you’re sure to win any girl’s heart."

"Bullshit. I already have a girlfriend, you know?" Feng Hao said with a smug grin. He casually tossed down twelve Level 3 Magic Crystals, grabbed the matching rings, and started walking out.

The salesgirl, mortified, hastily called out, "Don’t be in such a hurry, sir! I haven’t wrapped them for you yet!"

"No need." Feng Hao waved his hand dismissively, his interest already gone, and swaggered away.

After leaving Jinyu Pavilion, he drove his Mansa straight back to the general store.

Business at the Treasure Pavilion next door was still booming, but the blacksmith’s shop on the other side remained closed, much to Feng Hao’s frustration.

’I wonder where Elder Tang went?’ Feng Hao sighed wistfully as he pushed open the door to his general store.

Ever since he learned how sought-after Blacksmiths were outside the Ancient Cang Realm, he had been wanting to confirm it with Elder Tang and hopefully learn some advanced techniques from him.

But Elder Tang had disappeared, leaving Feng Hao feeling helpless.

After more than half a month, the general store was covered in a layer of dust. After a quick cleaning, Feng Hao returned to his room to cultivate.

But before cultivating, he needed to refine the newly bought matching rings.

After fusing the Earth Breath Beast Essence into the silver-black ring, its enhancement attributes instantly jumped a level:

[Devotion Ring - Male] (Taixu)

Tier: 5

Qi Blood Bonus: 15,300

Defense Bonus: 613

Vitality Bonus: 163

Hidden Strength: 121

Soul Pressure: 18

’The Earth Breath Beast really lives up to its name as a 113-star Taixu Spirit Beast. The enhancement effect is just insane! After putting on the Devotion Ring, my Vitality shot straight up to 327. On top of that, my Qi Blood and Defense have also increased significantly. Getting so many stats for just 18 Soul Pressure... what a bargain!’

’Yaoyao should be really happy when she receives this gift, right?’ Feng Hao thought with a slight smile, and began to cultivate with peace of mind.

But he hadn’t been cultivating for long when he heard a knock on the door downstairs.

Puzzled, he went downstairs and opened the door. To his surprise, it was the father and daughter pair, Xue Qingshan and Xue Xiaoyun. "Huh? When did you two get back?"

"We just arrived the day before yesterday. We heard from some folks that you were back, so we came over to see you," Xue Qingshan said. His face was a little pale, and his voice was weak.

Feng Hao quickly noticed Xue Qingshan’s injuries. After inviting the two into the store, he asked, "What happened, Brother Xue? Are you injured?"

"Hah, we were ambushed by the Celestial Eagle Team on our way back. Fortunately, we were being escorted by experts from the Holy Hall, so we didn’t suffer any major losses. I just sustained some minor injuries," Xue Qingshan said with a bitter sigh and a shake of his head.

"The Celestial Eagle Team is still making trouble?" Feng Hao asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Xue Xiaoyun, who was standing to the side, retorted irritably, "Making trouble? They’re getting more and more rampant."

"That can’t be right. Aren’t the Five Great Sects constantly trying to suppress them?"

"There’s something you don’t know, little brother," Xue Qingshan explained with a sigh. "The Celestial Eagle Team’s strength far exceeds our imagination. The Five Great Sects have suffered heavy losses recently. I heard they’ve even dispatched their elite disciples."

"Is that so?" Feng Hao’s expression darkened. He hadn’t expected the Celestial Eagle Team to be so powerful that they could even withstand the combined suppression of the Five Great Sects.

’It seems the Celestial Eagle Team’s true power is far beyond that of a simple first-rate sect.’

"Oh, right. The Special Envoy asked me to bring this to you." Xue Qingshan suddenly pulled out an exquisite bracelet.

Feng Hao froze for a second, then subconsciously took the bracelet. With a strange expression, he asked, "What is it?"

"It’s from the Special Envoy. We wouldn’t dare take a look," Xue Qingshan said with a smile.

"Oh." Feng Hao nodded thoughtfully. He really couldn’t understand why West Moon Ridge would send him a gift.

The father and daughter pair, Xue Qingshan and Xue Xiaoyun, didn’t stay for long. After a few simple pleasantries, they took their leave. Before they left, they gave Feng Hao a large share of their Magic Crystal profits.

’Unfortunately, to the current Feng Hao, this bit of pocket change was hardly worth a second glance.’

After seeing the father and daughter off, Feng Hao began to study the bracelet from West Moon Ridge. Judging by its material and Magic Pattern Circuits, it seemed to be a device similar to a Spatial Ring, yet different from an ordinary one.

’What a peculiar mechanical device. Why would West Moon Ridge send me this?’ Feng Hao wondered, perplexed.

He studied it for half the day but still couldn’t figure out the bracelet’s mechanical structure. Helpless, he gave up and decided to try injecting his Magic Power into it, just as he would with a Spatial Ring.

It turned out his guess was correct. After he injected his Magic Power, a faint spatial fluctuation rippled from the bracelet.

Then, before Feng Hao’s astonished eyes, a black shadow shot out.

The black shadow darted all over the store, and in just a few moments, it had turned the entire place into a complete mess.

’What the hell? What is this thing, a terrorist?’ Feng Hao thought, his face darkening with exasperation.

The black shadow continued to zip around at an incredible speed, making it impossible to see its form. Wherever it passed, pots and pans, tables and chairs were sent tumbling. In an instant, the whole general store looked as if it had been ransacked.

Seeing his store being wrecked, Feng Hao’s temper flared. "What manner of beast are you? Stop this instant!"

The black shadow seemed to understand him. It immediately stopped its rampage and, with a WHOOSH, landed on a toppled chair in front of Feng Hao.

When Feng Hao got a clear look at the black shadow, he was left utterly speechless.

On the overturned chair sat a small, pitch-black creature. A pair of bright green, vertically-slitted eyes curiously sized up Feng Hao as its tail swayed back and forth, looking utterly adorable.

"Stop pretending, Chief Black Cat. I know it’s you," Feng Hao said with a cold laugh and a snort.

"Meow~?" The little creature tilted its head up, its eyes filled with confusion.

"Heh, you’re really getting into this act, aren’t you?" After saying that, something suddenly occurred to Feng Hao. He stared, dumbfounded, and exclaimed, "Holy crap, don’t tell me you’re Chief Black Cat’s kid?"

The little creature was clearly unfamiliar with the name "Chief Black Cat." It thought for a moment before nodding in affirmation.

After confirming the little creature’s origin, Feng Hao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He began to circle it curiously, and the little one’s head swiveled to follow him, its gaze a mixture of puzzlement and curiosity.

"Well, I’ll be. You look exactly like Chief Black Cat," Feng Hao marveled, clicking his tongue as he observed it. "By the way, little guy, are you hungry?"

"Meeow~!" The little creature nodded in response.

"Hahaha, you really are Chief Black Cat’s kid. So smart!" Feng Hao said, overjoyed. "Don’t you worry. Stick with me from now on, and I guarantee you’ll live the good life!"

Feng Hao certainly wasn’t stingy. He took out a large pile of medicinal pills all at once. "I’ve got all kinds of pills here. See which one you like best."

The little creature’s eyes lit up. With a WHOOSH, it dashed in front of the pills and began to munch away. MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH.

"Not bad, not bad. Just like your dad... uh... your mom, you like eating Qi Recovery Pills." Feng Hao nodded in satisfaction. ’I’ll have to find some time to refine a large batch of Qi Recovery Pills to use as cat food.’