The Strongest Talent Tree

After witnessing Solos’s power, the trio grew even more curious about Feng Hao’s origins. Man Tiaotiao, in particular, pestered Solos almost constantly, asking about this and that, much to his extreme embarrassment.

Feng Hao took it all in. He seemed to have an inkling of what was going on, but he didn’t say a word.

"Wait, I sense the presence of Ice Crystal Ore over there," Xiyue Frost suddenly said, stopping in her tracks. Her eyes were filled with delight.

Feng Hao was speechless. He had to admit, the luck of the Xiyue Family sisters was just too good. It seemed that whenever he went adventuring with them, they were bound to find some kind of precious mineral.

Hearing the three words "Ice Crystal Ore," Houhuiyao and Man Tiaotiao also grew excited.

Then, to Solos’s astonishment, the three of them each pulled out a mining machine and got to work. The WHIRRR of the machines echoed across the snowscape.

"What are they doing?" Solos asked, his eyes wide with amazement.

Feng Hao clicked his tongue and explained, "Mining."

"Mining?" Solos was taken aback. "Such a small device can be used for mining?" he asked in disbelief.

"..." Feng Hao was speechless for a moment, then patiently explained to him how the mining machine worked.

Once he learned about the wonders of the mining machine, Solos grew incredibly excited. He circled the trio curiously, watching them work. From time to time, he would use his Divine Sense to probe the conditions beneath the ice, clicking his tongue in amazement. "What a miraculous piece of machinery! It would be great if we had these on Earth."

Hearing this, Houhuiyao laughed heartily. "Haha, so you’re interested in the mining machine, Solos?"

"My planet is relatively backward, so yes, I’m very interested," Solos replied honestly.

"Alright then! Once we’re done mining this Ice Crystal Ore vein, I’ll give you this machine. Consider it payment for your tutelage these past few days."

Solos was stunned. "Oh, I couldn’t possibly accept that."

"Bah, it’s nothing," Houhuiyao said dismissively.

Seeing Solos’s conflicted expression, Feng Hao stepped forward with a light chuckle. "If he’s offering, you should just take it," he explained. "This kid’s a rich heir. A single mining machine is nothing to him."

"Alright, then." Solos nodded hesitantly, his eyes filled with excitement.

...

「Meanwhile, inside the general store in Five States City.」

Yao Ying stared at the dense crowd of customers outside, her pretty face a mask of exasperation. Feng Hao had been gone for over ten days, the store’s inventory was completely sold out, and this was the third day they had been closed for business.

Initially, Yao Ying had been happy about it. After all, being closed meant she could finally get a few days of rest.

But she never imagined that from the day they closed, she would be effectively trapped inside the store, completely unable to leave.

’That damn Feng Hao,’ Yao Ying grumbled, grinding her teeth. ’If you don’t come back soon, I’m going to be eaten alive out here!’

Over the past ten-plus days, the general store’s business had exploded to an unbelievable degree. Word of its two medicines in particular, the Life Spirit Pill and the Snow Frost Ointment, had spread throughout the entirety of Five States City.

During that time, the Alchemist Association had sent representatives on several occasions, but Yao Ying had turned them all away with the excuse that the owner wasn’t present.

However, to Yao Ying’s surprise, the Alchemist Association showed no signs of giving up. They continued to send people for several days in a row, each visitor holding a higher status than the last, clearly determined not to stop until they achieved their goal.

It was because of this that Yao Ying truly began to understand the importance of the Life Spirit Pill and Snow Frost Ointment, which in turn only made her more curious about Feng Hao.

All this time, she had never taken Feng Hao seriously. The only reason she had deigned to work in his store was to get revenge for the two kicks he had given her.

But after this period of time, she was discovering that Feng Hao was far more mysterious than she had ever imagined.

Especially after Xiong Tianfang and Xu Zhenzhen visited a few times. She had managed to subtly fish for information and learned that the previous design schematics and dance techniques were, in fact, truly connected to Feng Hao.

This only strengthened her resolve to get close to him. She believed that if she could make Feng Hao fall for her, he would surely tell her all about the design schematics and dance techniques. Then, she could not only get her revenge but also learn the origins of the schematics and techniques. The very thought was thrilling.

Unfortunately, her excitement was short-lived, as the store soon ran out of stock and had to close.

Gazing at the endless sea of people outside, all she wanted now was for Feng Hao to hurry back and deliver her from this torment.

In contrast to Yao Ying’s predicament, a drama of pure envy was unfolding next door in the Treasure Pavilion.

Inside the second-floor chamber, the windows were wide open. Staring at the congested crowd outside the general store, Xue Qingshan found it impossible to calm his heart.

For days, he had been observing the general store’s every move, and the more he watched, the more astonished he became. In just over ten days, its customer traffic had increased dozens of times over, and its rate of repeat customers had reached a staggering one hundred percent.

As the Shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion, he had only ever seen such a spectacle during his own store’s grand opening.

"They’ve been closed for three days, and not only has the crowd not thinned, it’s actually growing steadily... This..." Xue Qingshan said, his eyes filled with envy.

If the Treasure Pavilion could attract this kind of traffic—forget all of it, even just half—he would have a chance to be promoted to the Treasure Pavilion headquarters based on his performance.

Beside him, Xue Xiaoyun wore a strange and complex expression. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would have found it impossible to believe the general store could be this popular.

Just half a month ago, it had been a tiny, deserted shop that no one ever visited.

"Are those two medicines really that incredible?" Xue Xiaoyun asked in disbelief.

"What do you think!" Xue Qingshan shot her an irritated glare, his eyes glinting. "A pill that even the Alchemist Association can’t figure out—how could it possibly be anything less than extraordinary?"

Xue Xiaoyun gasped. "For real?"

"Would I lie to you?" Xue Qingshan snorted. "The entire Alchemist Association has been thrown into chaos because of the Life Spirit Pill and the Snow Frost Ointment."

"There’s a medicine in this world that the Alchemist Association can’t understand?" Xue Xiaoyun said in disbelief.

"How should I know?" Xue Qingshan snapped. "Behind that kid, Feng Hao, there’s very likely a reclusive Alchemy Master. Since you know him, don’t let this connection go to waste. Find an opportunity to talk to him."

"I’m not going," Xue Xiaoyun said petulantly. "Whoever wants to go can go themselves."

"Be a good daughter," Xue Qingshan said, his tone turning serious. "If we can secure a partnership, I can be transferred back to headquarters. Only by returning to headquarters will I have a chance to see your mother."

"...Then I’ll try." Hearing this, Xue Xiaoyun no longer hesitated and earnestly agreed.

...

On the Central Square of Five Provinces Academy, Feng Hao and his three companions emerged from the Origin Node. After enduring more than ten days of bitter cold, the sensation of warm sunlight on their skin was something ordinary people could never truly appreciate.

All in all, the rewards from this expedition to the Secret Realm were quite substantial. Not only had he condensed his Taiyi Power, but they had also harvested many high-quality spirit essences and materials, and even captured an Ice Attribute Magic Soul.

Most importantly, he had met Solos, which allowed him to learn about the current state of Earth. When they parted ways, they made a point of exchanging Spiritual Marks so they could stay in contact.

Unfortunately, due to ancient restrictions, communication between the Ancient Cang Realm and the outside world was quite difficult.

Only after using a Listening Stone to ask his sworn brother, Lin Luo, did Feng Hao learn of the method the five great sects used to maintain contact with the outside world.

According to Lin Luo, at regular intervals, the five great sects would dispatch liaison personnel to a designated Secret Realm. At the same time, people from the outside world would enter that same Secret Realm. Only then could a Stone Listening Communication be established. This was the only way for the Ancient Cang Realm to make contact with the outside world.

Therefore, Feng Hao and Solos agreed to make contact at the end of each month in the second-level Taiyi Secret Realm.