The Strongest Talent Tree

Normally, the two cronies wouldn’t have dared to charge forward like this. After all, Xie Xiaoyu’s strength was plain to see.

But today was different. The moment Xi Yueyao took out her Divine Soul Weapon, they knew victory in today’s brawl was guaranteed. With Xi Yueyao backing them, the cronies’ confidence swelled to no end.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Brothers and sisters of the Magic Damage Department, it’s time to maintain order in the academy! Everyone, charge with me!"

Xie Xiaoyu angrily waved her Magic Staff. A brilliant, soft magical light instantly condensed into a Fireball. The five- or six-meter-wide Fireball rolled toward the two cronies like a giant snowball, ready to crush them.

At the same time, the Magic Damage Department freshmen also began to unleash all sorts of Secret Techniques, and the magical light that filled the air blotted out the entire sky.

"Hahaha..." Xi Yueyao suddenly let out a wild laugh. Waving her long whip, she commanded, "Brothers of the Array Department, it’s your turn!"

The words had barely left her mouth when pillars of light erupted from within the crowd of onlookers. These pillars shot into the sky, converged above the crowd, and quickly condensed into a shimmering, water-like barrier.

The next moment, all the Secret Techniques unleashed by the Magic Damage Department were absorbed by the Barrier Array.

Seeing their attacks absorbed by the array, the faces of everyone from the Magic Damage Department changed drastically, Xie Xiaoyu included. "You damn girl, you’re playing dirty!"

"What do you mean, playing dirty?" Xi Yueyao sneered dismissively. "This is called being outsmarted. Get it?"

"Shameless!" Xie Xiaoyu seethed through gritted teeth.

"Hehe, I suggest you obediently become my Ma Zai. Otherwise, this young lady’s whip might not be so discerning," Xi Yueyao said with a smug look.

"Dream on!" Xie Xiaoyu shouted angrily. She turned to the Magic Damage Department freshmen behind her and said, "Everyone, use your strongest Secret Techniques together! I refuse to believe this Array can withstand an attack from so many of us."

At her words, the several hundred Magic Damage Department freshmen all unleashed their strongest Secret Techniques, smashing them against the watery light barrier above their heads.

Simultaneously, a sinister, cold aura erupted from Xie Xiaoyu. Accompanied by the freshmen’s Secret Techniques, a great gust of chilling wind appeared out of thin air, sweeping the two cronies high into the sky.

Before the two poor cronies could even react, the chilling wind had already battered them until they were critically injured.

"Big Sis, save us—!" the two cronies shrieked desperately for help from mid-air.

Naturally, Xi Yueyao wouldn’t just sit back and wait. Pointing her long whip at the Magic Damage Department, she led the charge. "Brothers, get them!"

Hearing this, the students from the Strength Department roared and charged toward the Magic Damage Department’s ranks as if they were on steroids.

The melee erupted instantly. Xi Yueyao was at the forefront, her Jade Lotus Water Pattern Whip dancing with a golden light, aimed directly at Xie Xiaoyu, who was still enveloped in the chilling wind.

CRACK! CRACK!

Two afterimages of the whip flashed past. The Jade Lotus Water Pattern Whip extended a golden tail, increasing its attack range by a full half, and easily lashed against the Gang Qi shield protecting Xie Xiaoyu.

Xie Xiaoyu’s Gang Qi was naturally no match for an attack from a Divine Soul Weapon. It shattered and collapsed in an instant.

The two golden whip afterimages flashed past one after the other, lashing Xie Xiaoyu until she was critically injured.

"You damn girl, if you have any guts, stop using your Divine Soul Weapon!" Xie Xiaoyu’s face was deathly pale as she roared in fury.

But Xi Yueyao was only getting more fired up. Taking light, quick steps, she swung the Jade Lotus Water Pattern Whip again. Just as she was about to strike Xie Xiaoyu, she used a shadow-step to appear at her side, preparing to land a finishing blow.

Just then, Feng Hao, who had been hiding in the crowd, finally made his move. He had no choice. If he didn’t intervene, Xie Xiaoyu would very likely be killed.

SWOOSH!

Feng Hao shot into the battle like a black shadow. The instant before Xi Yueyao could strike Xie Xiaoyu, he swept her into his arms and used a three-part shadow-step to pull her far away.

"Dammit, all of you, stop!" Feng Hao roared, his angry gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Hearing this, both sides in the melee immediately stopped fighting, all of them looking at Feng Hao in confusion.

After stopping the brawl, Feng Hao finally turned his gaze to Xi Yueyao, who was still in his arms. He snorted coldly. "You little rascal, you even dare to ignore your husband’s messages? Feeling rebellious, are we?"

"You medicine seller, let me go! I was about to win!" Xi Yueyao complained, unwilling to give up.

"Nonsense!" Feng Hao said irritably. "If that last whip strike had landed, Xie Xiaoyu would be dead. Do you realize that?"

"For real?" Xi Yueyao blinked, wondering to herself, ’Am I really that strong now?’

"Duh. Did you think a Divine Soul Weapon was some kind of joke?" Feng Hao snorted.

"Oh. Then forget it." Xi Yueyao nodded resentfully, pouting and glaring at Xie Xiaoyu before falling silent.

Although she and Xie Xiaoyu were like fire and water, she couldn’t actually bring herself to kill her.

Don’t be fooled by Xi Yueyao’s constant talk of fighting and killing. Deep down, she understood perfectly well that if Xie Xiaoyu were to die, there’d be no one left to oppose her. And if no one opposed her, wouldn’t her life at the academy become incredibly boring?

Meanwhile, Xie Xiaoyu had been filled with despair, because she could feel the terrifying power in Xi Yueyao’s last whip strike.

But just when she thought she was about to die, a tall, imposing figure had appeared and rescued her from the fear of death.

At this very moment, a strange feeling welled up in Xie Xiaoyu’s heart. It was somewhat similar to the feeling her brother, Xie Kuangfeng, gave her, yet completely different.

Of course, at her current psychological age, she was incapable of understanding this peculiar feeling.

’My brother is the worst. All he does is run around all day; he never comes to help me.’ Seeing Feng Hao and Xi Yueyao being all lovey-dovey in the distance, Xie Xiaoyu felt a pang of jealousy and started complaining to herself about her older brother, Xie Kuangfeng.

"Hey, you... medicine seller guy, do you know where my brother went?" Xie Xiaoyu asked with a huff.

Feng Hao, who was in the middle of scolding Xi Yueyao, paused for a moment and looked at Xie Xiaoyu, stunned.

But the Yao Girl by his side was not pleased. She let out an indignant cry and thrashed about in Feng Hao’s arms. "You damn girl, who are you to call him a medicine seller?"

"Hmph!" Xie Xiaoyu snorted and turned her head away.

Feng Hao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He irritably pinched Xi Yueyao’s cheek and said, "It’s just a nickname. Look how worked up you’re getting."

"Hmph, only I get to call you a medicine seller," Xi Yueyao said with a pout.

"Alright, alright." Feng Hao smiled, ignoring the strange looks from the crowd as he carried her and walked toward the edge of the throng.

Seeing the two of them about to leave, Xie Xiaoyu smacked her lips and complained, "Hey, you still haven’t told me where my brother went!"

"Uh." Feng Hao stopped in his tracks, a strange expression on his face. "You should have his Spiritual Mark, right? Why don’t you just ask him yourself?"

"If I could contact my brother, would I need to ask you?" Xie Xiaoyu said huffily.

"What? Brother Kuangfeng isn’t receiving messages?" Feng Hao’s expression turned serious.

"Yeah," Xie Xiaoyu said, her face crestfallen.

Feng Hao’s face fell. He tried to contact Xie Kuangfeng using the [Listening Stone], but there was no response. It seemed he was outside the range of the [Origin Node].

Thinking of this, Feng Hao couldn’t help but ask with some concern, "When did you lose contact with him?"

"It’s been a few days now," Xie Xiaoyu answered honestly.