The Strongest Talent Tree

Xi Yueyao kept clamoring, "Pill-pusher, give me Xiaomiao right now!"

"Knock it off. Xiaohai is tiny. You think he can handle you roughhousing with him like that?" Feng Hao snapped. "Besides, don’t you have a whole crew at the academy? Why do you always have to mess with your own people?"

Xi Yueyao pouted. "You think I want to? Fatty and the others have been gone for days, and I can’t find them anywhere."

"Huh? They didn’t tell you?" Feng Hao frowned in surprise.

"Don’t even get me started." Xi Yueyao gritted her teeth. "They went off to have fun without me! When they get back, I’m going to show them the meaning of pain!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Fatty and the guys have worked their butts off for you for years. Don’t be so quick to get rough with them," Feng Hao said with exasperation.

"Hmph! Since you’re asking, I’ll let them off the hook this time," Xi Yueyao nodded grudgingly.

Feng Hao shook his head helplessly, soothing Xiaohai in his arms. He looked up and asked, "By the way, I thought you hated studying. How come you’re suddenly obsessed with Demon Pattern Arrays?"

"Who says I don’t like studying? I’ve always been a model student, a paragon of virtue and knowledge," Xi Yueyao huffed.

Feng Hao couldn’t help but snort with laughter. "Alright, whatever makes you happy."

"Of course. Nothing is more important than my happiness," Xi Yueyao huffed, pouting her small lips. "Since you won’t let Xiaomiao play with me, then you’ll have to do it yourself."

"..." Feng Hao’s face darkened. "No way. Go play with Three-second Fire instead."

Feng Hao shivered involuntarily and yanked Three-second Fire straight out of his sea of consciousness. "What are you glaring at me for?" he snorted. "Hurry up and play with my girl, or you’ll get the Tightening Spell!"

"Fuck! What did I do in a past life to deserve a master like you?" Three-second Fire cried out in despair.

"Cut the crap. I’m doing you a favor by sending you. What are you gaping for? Go on!" Feng Hao sneered.

But just then, Xi Yueyao shook her head, refusing. "No, I don’t want to. The Little Fireman is no fun at all."

Feng Hao was rendered speechless, but Three-second Fire looked like he’d just been pardoned from death row. He gave a thumbs-up and said, "The boss lady is wise and mighty!"

Xi Yueyao skipped over to Feng Hao, shaking his arm coquettishly. "Brother Feng, please, just play with me for a little while!"

"Damn... just for that ’Brother Feng,’ I’ll play whatever you want!" Feng Hao said, his breath hitching.

He couldn’t help it. The name "Brother Feng" had always been his weakness, especially coming from the Yao Girl’s lips. It was enough to make his heart melt.

And the Yao Girl knew it, too. She used this trick every time she wanted something from him, and it never failed.

"Hee hee." Xi Yueyao smiled in satisfaction and eagerly began to construct a Demon Pattern Array, muttering, "Just wait a second. I just learned a new Weakening Array today. You can help me test it."

"No problem," Feng Hao said without hesitation.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, a frantic pulse came from the Listening Stone in his sea of consciousness. "Hold on, a message is coming in from Fatty."

Xi Yueyao stopped what she was doing, stunned, and blinked up at Feng Hao.

Feng Hao quickly connected to Zhang Meng’s Stone Listening Communication. He frowned. "What is it, Fatty? What’s wrong?"

"Boss, we need backup, fast! We’re under attack by the Celestial Eagle Team!" Zhang Meng’s voice was urgent.

"What?" Feng Hao’s expression turned grim. "Where are you?" he asked urgently.

"Just north of the city, about a hundred li or so from Five States City."

"Got it. Hold on as long as you can. I’m on my way," Feng Hao said, immediately cutting the connection. His face was grave. "Fatty and the others are in danger. I have to go help them."

"What?" Xi Yueyao gritted her teeth. "They dare to bully my crew? No way. I’m going too."

Feng Hao considered for a moment. "You should go find some backup. I’ll head over first to check out the situation."

"No problem. Manpower is the one thing I’m not short on," Xi Yueyao said with a proud smile. She dashed out the door, hopped into her Bumblebee, and flew off toward Five Provinces Academy.

Feng Hao didn’t dare waste any time either. After locking up the shop, he sped north of the city to provide backup.

The situation was urgent. Feng Hao completely ignored the flight speed limits within Five States City, pushing his vehicle to full throttle and racing toward the city outskirts at top speed.

’I’ve been hearing a lot about the Celestial Eagle Team causing trouble lately,’ he thought, ’but I never expected them to mess with my people.’

’All I can do now is hope Fatty and the others can hold out a little longer,’ Feng Hao thought, his heart racing with anxiety.

Fortunately, his Mansa was reasonably fast, and it wouldn’t take long to cover a distance of over a hundred li.

When Feng Hao arrived on the scene, he saw Zhang Meng and the other two struggling to hold their ground against a group of about a dozen strangely dressed thugs from the Celestial Eagle Team.

Seeing that his three brothers were safe, Feng Hao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He immediately leaped from his Mansa, diving down from the sky. His main and off-hand Su Mu Daggers appeared in his hands in a flash. "What kind of bastards are you, daring to touch Grandpa Feng’s people?!"

"Boss!" Zhang Meng and the other two were overjoyed to see Feng Hao descending from the sky.

The Celestial Eagle Team thugs, of course, saw him too and burst into laughter. "Hahaha, another one here to die!"

After a wild laugh, the leading Sixth-rank Mage raised his hand and unleashed a Secret Technique. A swirling, whistling disk of sky-blue light smashed down toward Feng Hao like a millstone.

"Is this the best the Celestial Eagle Team can do?"

Feng Hao sneered. The moment he landed, his eyes turned into black holes. He activated [Shadow Step] and vanished from the Celestial Eagle Team’s sight like a phantom.

When he reappeared, the leading Sixth-rank Mage’s face had already gone pale.

The next moment.

A cold glint of light flashed past.

Blood bloomed like a red plum blossom—

The leading Sixth-rank Mage collapsed, blood spraying from his throat.

The entire scene fell silent. Everyone was dumbfounded, unable to believe what had just happened.

As for his three brothers, Zhang Meng wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of admiration. "The boss is still the boss. Always a total badass."

"Save the amazement for later. Let’s waste these bastards first," Li Mufeng said, gritting his teeth. He swallowed a Blood Recovery Pill and raised his Magic Energy Gun, unleashing a barrage of fire.

In an instant, countless bolts of light exploded among the Celestial Eagle Team members.

Zhang Meng and Tu Xiaoshan wasted no more words, roaring as they charged the Celestial Eagle Team thugs. Tu Xiaoshan led the charge, his body wreathed in a faint yellow Gang Qi as he slammed into the crowd like a cannonball. Zhang Meng’s Secret Technique followed close behind, catching the Celestial Eagle Team completely off guard.

"Bastards, kill them—!" The Celestial Eagle Team members finally snapped out of their shock, shrieking as they swarmed the four of them.

However, what greeted them was a cluster of dark red light—it was [Shadow Sparks], empowered by Three-second Fire.

BANG!

Shadow and firelight erupted amidst the Celestial Eagle Team. In an instant, the crimson flames of Three-second Fire latched onto five of the thugs.

In the next moment, screams filled the air. The fire damage, over thirty thousand points per second, instantly incinerated three of them, while the remaining two were left barely clinging to life.

"This flame... it’s a Fire Seed!" one of the Celestial Eagle Team thugs suddenly shouted. "Call for backup! We can’t let him get away!"