The Strongest Talent Tree

The man administering the test was middle-aged. He glanced up, sizing up Feng Hao and his companion, his expression calm. "The test fee is 10,000 Magic Crystals. You can’t enter if you don’t meet the standard."

Feng Hao pursed his lips and casually tossed out a Level 2 Magic Crystal.

The middle-aged man accepted the Magic Crystal and pointed to a nearby apparatus. "First, place your palm on the magic orb to test your level. Then, attack that iron plate. No weapons allowed."

Feng Hao nodded reluctantly and strode over to the apparatus. He placed his hand on the magic orb, and a nearby screen quickly displayed his gene level, followed by a line of text: "Please strike the test plate three consecutive times. Use of weapons is prohibited."

"Huh, pretty smart," Feng Hao quipped, then swung his fist and smashed it into the iron plate.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

With three consecutive punches, the nearby gauge jumped five times—a clear result of his Dark Force Fifth Layer.

A progress bar then appeared on the screen. Once it was full, a series of scores popped up: Thirty-Level Dark Force Mage. Three assessments: Level Five, Level Five, Level Five. Final Rating: Level Five. Awarded: Tier Three, Level Five Badge.

The middle-aged man froze for a second, his eyes wide with surprise. "Not bad, kid. A Tier Three, Level Five rating... your potential is limitless!"

"Too high, way too high. I think I can score lower," Feng Hao said, looking annoyed. ’For those three punches, I deliberately didn’t use my talent to double Dark Force damage, yet I still got a Level Five rating.’

Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s brow furrowed instantly. He said in a cold voice, "A retest will cost ten times the original fee."

"Never mind then. Level Five it is." Hearing it would cost ten times more, Feng Hao immediately gave up on the idea.

"Here’s your badge. Keep it safe. You can get retested once your strength improves."

Feng Hao pursed his lips as he took the bronze badge, which was imprinted with five stars. ’I already think Level Five is too high,’ he complained to himself. ’Why would I ever get retested?’

Houhuiyao gave Feng Hao a thumbs-up. Then, following the middle-aged man’s directions, he went to another apparatus to begin his test.

The test for a Healing Mage was very simple; one only had to channel their healing Magic Power to get a result. With Houhuiyao’s pure healing talent, his score was bound to be high.

A few minutes later, a Level Seven rating appeared on the apparatus’s screen, leaving the middle-aged man stunned.

"A Level Seven healing rating," the middle-aged man said with admiration. "Keep working hard, kid, and you could become a top-tier doctor one day."

"Heh heh, it’s nothing special," Houhuiyao said, unable to stop himself from looking smug.

Feng Hao, however, snorted in disdain. ’Top-tier doctor, my ass. Isn’t Houhuiyao supposed to be the man who becomes the strongest support healer?’

With the test over, the two of them pinned on their bronze badges and entered the Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall.

The moment he stepped through the door, Feng Hao was stunned by the sight before him. He’d seen his share of grand occasions, but the scene that greeted him was shocking beyond words.

"Are you sure this is a martial arts hall and not some high-end club?" Feng Hao asked, dumbfounded.

Houhuiyao fiddled with the badge on his chest. "Of course it’s a martial arts hall. This is just the lounge area for the elites to chat and relax. See all the beautiful women around? Every one of them is the total package—powerful and gorgeous."

Feng Hao glanced around, his Crystal Eye flickering, and a hint of confusion appeared on his face. "Something’s not right. Why is everyone here a Mage below the fifth tier?"

"Anyone below the fifth tier only gets a bronze badge and is restricted to the first floor. The High-level Mages are all on the second and third floors."

"That’s ridiculous. Why create so many different tiers?" Feng Hao said, not getting it.

"They say it’s divided by rank, but it’s really divided by age. You wouldn’t want to be stuck making small talk with a bunch of old men and ladies, would you?"

"That’s a fair point," Feng Hao nodded in understanding and began to wander about leisurely.

Everyone who could get into the martial arts hall was an elite of the younger generation. Each of them wore a faint air of arrogance as they sat around, casually chatting and laughing.

The arrival of two newcomers naturally drew some attention, but once everyone saw their ranks, they all turned away dismissively.

"Damn, just a bunch of show-off kids," Feng Hao muttered, turning to Houhuiyao. "This place isn’t for us. Just take me to the Monster Simulator."

Houhuiyao suddenly scratched his head in embarrassment. "Heh heh, well, actually... I don’t know where the Monster Simulator is either."

"..." Feng Hao rolled his eyes, speechless. "Then why did you bring me here? You made me waste ten thousand Magic Crystals for nothing."

Houhuiyao gave a sheepish grin and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "There’s a reason, Brother Feng. A lot of the top experts from the academy hang out here. And most importantly, Senior Sister Bai Yin is a member, too."

"Do you want me to beat you to death?" Feng Hao snapped.

"No, no, don’t! Let’s just ask someone. Maybe there really is a Monster Simulator here," Houhuiyao said frantically.

Feng Hao couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He turned and walked over to a table of one man and three women, putting on what he believed to be a friendly expression. "Hey, man," he asked, "can you tell me where the Monster Simulator is?"

The man and three women, who had been laughing and sipping wine, instantly fell silent and turned to frown at Feng Hao.

The young man at the head of the group, a fourth-tier with a Seven-star Badge on his chest, looked particularly displeased. He had been right in the middle of charming the ladies when some third-tier newbie interrupted him; it would have been a miracle if he were happy about it. But with the girls present, he couldn’t just fly off the handle.

"Up ahead, take a left, then another left. You’ll see a sign," the fourth-tier young man said impatiently.

’Heh, so they really do have a Monster Simulator,’ Feng Hao’s eyes lit up. He offered a quick thanks. "Appreciate it, man!"

Just as Feng Hao was about to leave, one of the pretty, third-tier girls beside him called out, "Hey, handsome, wait up."

"Yes? Can I help you?" Feng Hao asked, looking puzzled.

The pretty, third-tier girl pointed to his gear, her eyes shining. "Your armor is really cool. Where’d you get it?"

"Oh, this?" Feng Hao gestured to the Assassin’s leather armor he was wearing and replied casually, "Isn’t there a Wind Clothing Store on the next street over? This model will probably be available there next month."

"You have an inside connection at the Wind Clothing Store, handsome?" The pretty, third-tier girl’s eyes were practically glowing. Her two less striking friends also looked at Feng Hao with curiosity.

"Something like that," Feng Hao replied with a nonchalant shrug, putting on a cool air.

At his words, the three young women immediately squealed with excitement and swarmed around Feng Hao, chattering endlessly.

"Really, handsome? I heard the Wind Clothing Store only releases a limited number each day. I’ve been trying for over a month and still haven’t gotten lucky!"

"I know, right? I finally managed to buy a set last month, but then a few days ago I saw another one I just had to have, and I can’t get my hands on it for love or money."

"You brat, stop rubbing it in our faces!" the other two girls grumbled.

Before long, the young women at other tables overheard the conversation and excitedly rushed over. In an instant, Feng Hao was completely surrounded, the air thick with a dozen different perfumes.

A short distance away, Houhuiyao watched, dumbfounded. He was filled with a whole new level of admiration. ’Holy cow, so Brother Feng is the real master of picking up women, just hiding in plain sight. If I could learn just a few of his moves, I’d never have to worry about finding a girlfriend again!’

Meanwhile, the fourth-tier young man’s face had gone pale with rage. He’d spent ages building up his image, only to have his thunder stolen in the blink of an eye by some third-tier newbie.

Watching Feng Hao surrounded by all the women, the fourth-tier youth felt like he was about to explode with rage. "Don’t listen to his nonsense, everyone!" he shouted. "The Wind Clothing Store is a high-class establishment! How could someone like him possibly have a connection there?"