The Strongest Talent Tree

At this moment, Feng Hao felt incredibly awkward. He silently put away his mining gear and decided to seriously appreciate their performance.

Xiyue Frost quickly finished her calibrations and began channeling Magic Power into the mining machine, simultaneously using her Divine Sense to control it. Moments later, Houhuiyao started digging as well.

Extending his Divine Sense underground, Feng Hao could clearly feel two bizarrely shaped drill bits digging downward at an incredible speed.

"So, how does this thing bring the ore back up?" Feng Hao asked, leaning in curiously.

Xiyue Frost explained calmly, "There’s a spatial module inside the drill bits. Any ore they dig up is automatically collected."

"Oh." Feng Hao nodded dumbfoundedly, though inwardly he was reeling from shock. ’Black technology really is black technology. It’s definitely not something a person with a scientific education like me can comprehend.’

Compared to the mining machine in front of them, his own mining gear was practically prehistoric.

Feng Hao pressed on, "This thing must be expensive, right? When did you buy it?"

"I didn’t buy it." Xiyue Frost said with a casual air, "My great-aunt took me to visit a friend once, and a senior Mechanic gave it to me as a welcoming gift."

"Uh, alright then." Feng Hao was speechless.

He had to admit, West Moon Ridge’s connections in Five States City were simply insane. From Shi Lingyun on the first day of school to Head Dean Xuchang, and even the City Lord that Xiyue Frost mentioned when she helped him secure his storefront—he already knew of five or six influential people in her network.

...

Meanwhile, Five Provinces Academy was in the grip of a different kind of craze.

Inside Xiong Tianfang’s dorm in the Artifact Refining Department, Yao Ying had gotten her hands on her "Nude-Look" set of equipment. She was turning it over and over in front of the mirror, dying to put it on immediately.

Xiong Tianfang, who had raked in a large number of academic credits, was just as happy, but he found Yao Ying’s presence a bit of an eyesore. "Hey, if you want to try it on, go do it back in your own room. Stop hanging around here."

Yao Ying gazed at her reflection in satisfaction. With a graceful turn, she was like a blossoming rose, beautiful beyond compare. It was just a shame that in Xiong Tianfang’s eyes, she was, at best, a spinning top.

"How about you give me those design blueprints?" Yao Ying asked, turning back with a charming look.

"No way." Xiong Tianfang naturally refused. Although those "Nude-Look" design blueprints were of little use to him, they were still Feng Hao’s work. There was no way he could just give them away.

Yao Ying looked slightly disappointed, her watery eyes taking on a pitiful look. "But I really, really like them!"

"Stop trying to act all seductive with me. Master Xiong isn’t falling for it," Xiong Tianfang said with a look of disdain. "If you’re leaving, then hurry up. Don’t get in the way of me making money."

"You clueless brute." Yao Ying pouted helplessly, then packed up her Nude-Look equipment and drifted away.

After seeing Yao Ying off, Xiong Tianfang looked out the window at the jam-packed crowd and couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh bitterly. "Sigh, when will these days ever end!"

Meanwhile, after returning to the Arts Department, Yao Ying couldn’t wait to change into a set of the Nude-Look equipment.

First, she admired herself in the mirror for a while. Then, with her head held high and chest puffed out, she walked out of her dorm and began strolling around the Arts Department.

As the department with the highest proportion of female students, the Arts Department was practically overflowing with them. What’s more, they were all stunning beauties, as appearance was a major criterion in the Arts Department’s entrance examinations.

When Yao Ying appeared on the streets and alleyways of the Arts Department wearing the Nude-Look equipment, it was like dropping a bomb into a placid lake.

All the female students were instantly thrown into a frenzy. The Nude-Look equipment designed by Feng Hao was already beautiful on its own, but when worn by a beauty like Yao Ying, the two complemented each other perfectly, drastically elevating the equipment’s dazzling appeal.

"Look, look, isn’t that the slut Yao Ying? Her clothes are so pretty!"

"I can’t stand her, but I have to admit that set of equipment really suits her."

"Ahhh, I can’t take it anymore! If I wore that set, I’d definitely look ten times better than her."

"Does anyone know where Yao Ying bought her equipment? It’s even better-looking than Xiong Tianfang’s other stuff."

"Hmph, how can this kind of slutty equipment compare to the cool stuff!"

"I just saw her coming back from the Artifact Refining Department. Don’t tell me Senior Xiong Tianfang made this set too?"

"It’s very possible. Who’s going to go ask?"

"If you want to ask, go yourself. I can’t stand that slutty act of hers."

And so, a few brave female students chased after Yao Ying and asked, their eyes full of envy, "Senior Sister Yao Ying, your equipment is so beautiful! Can you tell us where you bought it?"

Yao Ying smiled proudly, casually showing off the equipment on her body. "You should be able to guess."

"Senior Sister, do you mean Xiong Tianfang made it?" a few of the female students exclaimed, covering their mouths in shock.

"That’s right," Yao Ying said with a dazzling smile. Swaying her magnificent figure, she gracefully departed, leaving behind a group of female students with shimmering eyes.

Yao Ying was very pleased with the effect she was having, and she had a great time throwing flirtatious glances at the male students on the roadside.

Soon, the Nude-Look equipment craze spread rapidly throughout Five Provinces Academy. Countless fashion-loving female students went wild for it, and in just one day, its popularity completely eclipsed the "Cool Equipment."

Even though they knew the Nude-Look equipment had serious combat deficiencies, it did nothing to dampen the female students’ enthusiasm.

It got to the point where many male students started going crazy for it too. It couldn’t be helped—the Nude-Look equipment was incredibly sexy. Having their girlfriends wear it would be an absolute feast for the eyes. Most importantly, it could add a lot of spice to their relationships!

And just like that, without their girlfriends even having to wheedle or threaten them, a massive throng of male students was already marching on the Artifact Refining Department.

Meanwhile, Yao Ying, the instigator of this craze, had unwittingly become the poster girl for the Nude-Look equipment. As her popularity soared, she attracted countless hot-blooded pursuers.

Yao Ying was extremely satisfied with this outcome, which only strengthened the confidence she had in her own beauty.

At the same time, behind this craze, countless people were searching for the mysterious designer. It reached a point where many of the beauties on the campus belle ranking publicly declared that they would promise themselves to the mysterious designer if he would personally design a set of equipment just for them.

...

While the design storm was still brewing in Five States City, the mysterious designer, Feng Hao, was still out training in the Secret Realm.

With the help of the two mining machines, the entire mineral vein was excavated in less than half a day. Feng Hao truly felt the power of the black-technology miners and secretly made a resolution. ’When I get back, I have to buy one of these for myself, no matter what.’

"Around a thousand tons of cold silver ore. Not a bad haul," Xiyue Frost reported after taking inventory.

Houhuiyao nodded excitedly. "If it’s refined properly, we’ll get at least six hundred tons of cold silver. If we sell that to an Artifact Refiner or a Mechanic, we’re looking at an income of at least twenty billion Magic Crystals."

"That much?" Feng Hao exclaimed, stunned.

"Cold silver is a high-grade metal. Twenty billion is just a conservative estimate," Xiyue Frost analyzed with a frown.

Feng Hao sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes gleaming. "Why don’t we forget about finding Spirit Beasts and just focus on mining?"

Lines of exasperation seemed to form on Houhuiyao’s head. "Brother Feng, you’re getting carried away. The Secret Realm may be rich in mineral deposits, but it’s not like you can just stumble upon them everywhere."

"Alright." Feng Hao pouted in disappointment. He thought he’d found a path to riches, but it seemed he had been getting ahead of himself.

Having dealt with the mineral vein, the three of them discussed their next move and prepared to set off again.

But just at that moment, several ostentatiously designed Magic Energy Flying Vehicles landed around them. A group of men and women emerged, surrounding the trio with obvious ill intent.