The Strongest Talent Tree

In what felt like no time at all, most of the contestants had already gone inside. Soon, it was Feng Hao’s group’s turn.

Gazing at the magnificent Thief God Statue and the entrance to the Saint Realm before him, Feng Hao couldn’t help but feel curious. "By the way, what kind of place is this Thief God Realm?"

Lu Linfei was about to explain, but Ming Xin Yan beat him to it. She gazed up at the Thief God Statue, her eyes full of reverence. "The Thief God Realm is a special dimension left behind by our Founder to temper exceptional disciples. It’s said that many of his spoils of war from back then are buried inside. It’s a shame the competition is restricted to the outer zones; otherwise, we might have stumbled upon a great opportunity."

"Damn, the Founder was that incredible? He could even create his own dimension?" Feng Hao exclaimed in awe.

Ming Xin Yan said scornfully, "Of course. The Founder was a once-in-a-generation genius. He reached level 100 in just over a decade, and after that, he successfully achieved enlightenment. For an Enlightened Powerhouse, creating a dimension is nothing special."

’An Enlightened Powerhouse, huh?’ Feng Hao was surprised. He couldn’t help but think of the Old City Lord. Although he didn’t know the Old City Lord’s exact strength, judging from the Thief Master’s comments, the Old City Lord had at least reached the level of creating his own dimension.

’Creating a dimension... what an incredible ability.’ Feng Hao grew excited just thinking about it.

By this time, the people ahead of him were entering the Saint Realm one by one. Feng Hao didn’t stand on ceremony. He bowed to the Thief God Statue with everyone else, and then, just as he did when entering the Origin Secret Realm, he leaped into the black vortex.

On the high platform, the Thief Master and Lin Luo’s group of four had been keeping an eye on Feng Hao. Jing Lou, who sat in the center, naturally noticed this.

"Thief Master, are you certain you want to make this kid a Thief?" Jing Lou asked, seeking confirmation once more.

The Thief Master raised an eyebrow. "What? You have a problem with it?"

"It’s not that I have a problem, I just don’t get it." Jing Lou shook his head with a wry smile. "You’ve seen for yourself. Out of all these young thieves competing, every single one of them is level 40 or higher. But he’s just a Third-tier Mage."

"It’s just a number. He can catch up if he puts his mind to training," the Thief Master said dismissively.

Jing Lou looked conflicted. "That may be true, but the kid’s aptitude is average at best. I really can’t see anything special about him."

"That’s because your eye for talent is lacking," the Thief Master said with disdain.

"..." Jing Lou was speechless. He changed the subject, saying, "Then look at that young thief over there in the long white robe. His name is Huo Yuanjia, level 47. He’s made quite a name for himself in the Dust Wind Country, even overshadowing many disciples from Thousand Blades Valley. What’s more, according to our Dust Wind Country Branch Hall, the boy has an extraordinary comprehension of the ’Swiftness’ legacy and has already integrated it into his own martial arts."

The Thief Master glanced instinctively at Huo Yuanjia and nodded in approval. "He is indeed quite good."

"See? That’s what I think, too." A look of delight crossed Jing Lou’s face as he prepared to press on and convince the Thief Master to change his mind.

"Too bad he’s no match for Xiaofeng," the Thief Master said with a straight face.

Jing Lou was speechless again. He could only press on. "Alright, then take a look at Huang Danian over there. That young man is a rare defensive prospect for our Thief God Hall. He’s awakened the ’Rebound’ talent, and his combat power is immense. Even the Palace Master of the Celestial Cyan Country has sung his praises."

"And Ming Xin Yan, who just entered. Don’t underestimate her because she’s a girl. When she goes wild, even the elite disciples of the Holy Hall have to give her a wide berth."

The Thief Master seemed quite interested in Ming Xin Yan. He looked up and asked with a smile, "Ming Xin Yan? Is that the girl with Xiaofeng?"

"Correct." Jing Lou’s face lit up, thinking the Thief Master was finally changing his mind.

But the Thief Master’s response immediately dashed his hopes. "Not bad at all. Teaming up with Xiaofeng proves that girl has better judgment than you do."

"..." Jing Lou felt like crying but had no tears. He turned away in embarrassment, deciding not to court any more humiliation.

Lin Luo’s group was standing nearby and had overheard the entire exchange. If it weren’t for the formal nature of the event, they would have burst into laughter.

"Boss, do you think Fifth Brother will be okay? I noticed he only has two teammates," Wang Tongqian said, his expression grave.

Lin Luo said thoughtfully, "Brother Feng is always level-headed. He must have his own reasons."

"But I still feel uneasy," Wang Tongqian said with concern.

"Relax, Brother San," Mei Meimei said casually. "With my Pulse Wrist Guard, Xiaowu will be perfectly fine."

The other three froze and stared at Mei Meimei in disbelief. "Isn’t your Pulse Wrist Guard notoriously unstable?"

"Sheesh, so it’s exploded a few times? It’ll be fine," Mei Meimei said, completely unconcerned.

The faces of the other three darkened instantly.

Kang Shuai snapped, "Sanmei, can you be reliable for once? If anything happens to Fifth Brother, the Thief Master will skin you alive!"

"Relax! I’ve optimized the Pulse Wrist Guard tons of times. I guarantee nothing will happen," Mei Meimei said confidently.

Wang Tongqian shot back, "You say that every damn time, and every damn time, something goes wrong!"

"Geez, can’t you guys show a little faith in me?" Mei Meimei pouted.

"This isn’t a question of faith. Fifth Brother’s safety is on the line," Lin Luo growled, clenching his teeth.

"Hmph!" Mei Meimei turned her head away in a huff and muttered, "Well, I have confidence in my own work, anyway."

"You—!" Lin Luo was too furious to speak.

Wang Tongqian shook his head and smiled bitterly. "See? I told you there’d be trouble."

"You and your jinxes," Lin Luo grumbled, glaring at him. His eyes were full of resignation as he said, "All we can do now is pray that Fourth’s piece of junk doesn’t malfunction."

「Meanwhile」

Thousands of contestants had now entered the Thief God Realm, and the first round of the preliminaries officially began.

Two level-80 Elders bowed to the Thief God Statue, then joined forces to seal the entrance to the Saint Realm. Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, they activated the Thief God Realm’s special Array.

The instant the two Elders poured their Magic Power into the Array, a massive projection materialized in the hands of the Thief God Statue.

The projection provided a clear view of the events inside the Saint Realm. Everyone’s position and actions were displayed with perfect clarity.

"Look, Huo Yuanjia is already making his move!"

"Heavens! He dropped his opponent to half health in a single punch! That’s an insane amount of damage!"

"As expected of a favorite to win. I’d say the title of Fifth Thief is his for the taking."

"You’re speaking too soon. Ming Xin Yan of Nanyue Country and Huang Danian of Celestial Cyan Country are also strong contenders."

...

Amid the crowd’s excited chatter, a pale, silver-haired young man tumbled out of the entrance portal. He quickly swallowed a Blood Recovery Pill to recuperate—it was the same thief who had just been crushed by Huo Yuanjia.

This was the unique feature of the Thief God Realm: everyone who entered had a final sliver of their life force preserved. The moment their health dropped to that last point, the realm’s rules would automatically teleport them out.

The silver-haired youth’s elimination was only the beginning. Soon after, contestants were teleported out one after another.

It couldn’t be helped. The outer zone of the Saint Realm had limited space, so with thousands of contestants, encounters were inevitable. Most of those eliminated in the first wave had simply had the misfortune of running into a powerhouse like Huo Yuanjia.

Fortunately, all contestants were teleported to random locations upon entry. If they had been able to form cliques and start large-scale battles right away, the elimination rate would have been far more terrifying.