The Strongest Talent Tree

Chapter 50: Chapter 48: Night Talk

Arriving at Yue Linglong’s office, Feng Hao raised his hand and knocked on the door.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

A chaotic rustling came from inside the room, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. The door slowly opened to reveal Yue Linglong, a blush on her face. Her breathing was uneven as she said, "Feng Hao, you’re here? Come on in!"

"Has Teacher Yue been waiting for me?" Feng Hao smirked, swaggering into the office.

Yue Linglong closed the door, looking a little nervous. She returned to her desk with a trepidatious expression. Faced with Feng Hao’s invasive gaze, she grew even more constrained. "Have a seat first, then we can talk."

Feng Hao glanced at the chair, which was a good distance away. A mischievous smile touched his lips as he casually pulled it right up to her desk and sat down, face-to-face with her.

"Feng Hao, please mind your conduct!" Yue Linglong’s heart pounded wildly as she averted her gaze.

"How are we supposed to chat from that far away?" Feng Hao said teasingly. "Besides, Teacher Yue did say that if I won, I could do whatever I wanted."

Yue Linglong’s slender frame trembled slightly, and she began to fiddle with her fingers. Although she was a teacher now, she had only just graduated from the Advanced Academy. At twenty-five, she was still a young woman in the springtime of her life. How could she possibly endure this kind of teasing?

"What exactly do you want?" Yue Linglong was incredibly nervous, her voice trembling slightly. "I’m your teacher."

"What’s so special about being a teacher that you have to keep bringing it up?" Feng Hao continued to tease, laughing inwardly.

At his words, Yue Linglong grew even more flustered. Her eyes filled with a mix of shame and indignation. "A teacher is your elder! You... You can’t do anything reckless!"

"Reckless?" Feng Hao grinned wickedly. "So Teacher’s mind is that filthy."

Yue Linglong suddenly realized what he meant and was mortified. In front of Feng Hao, her image as a teacher had utterly collapsed. She could no longer face him with the mindset of an instructor.

"Teacher Yue?" Feng Hao called out softly when he saw her lower her head in silence.

"Just tell me what you want. I keep my word," Yue Linglong said, not daring to look up, her face a sheet of crimson.

Seeing her expression, as if she were bravely facing her doom, Feng Hao felt a wave of exasperation. "Alright, alright, I’ll stop joking! I just have a few questions for you, Teacher Yue."

Yue Linglong froze. She quickly understood and her eyes flew open, filled with indignation. "You were messing with me?!"

"Er, don’t tell me Teacher wanted it to be for real?" Feng Hao asked with a grin.

"Pfft, as if! Who would want to with you..." Yue Linglong nearly lost it, gritting her teeth. "If you have questions, just ask."

Feng Hao had teased her enough. He adopted a serious expression and asked, "I wanted to ask, if I’m admitted to an Advanced Academy, do I have to be officially enrolled as a student?"

"Of course." Yue Linglong nodded, then frowned. "Why? You don’t want to be enrolled?"

"Congratulations, you guessed right," Feng Hao said with a playful smile and a nod. "Is there a way to get into an Advanced Academy without being officially enrolled?"

Yue Linglong looked at him, completely baffled. "Why are you so against being enrolled?"

"I’m actually planning to join the Thief God Hall," Feng Hao answered truthfully.

"The Thief God Hall?" Yue Linglong was taken aback for a moment, then it dawned on her. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you, the Thief God Hall has a terrible reputation. Are you sure you want to join them?"

Feng Hao just nodded and pressed, "Do you know of a way?"

Yue Linglong gave Feng Hao a long, searching look, her expression tinged with melancholy. "There is a way. I remember you’re an Alchemist. If your alchemy skills are good enough, you can apply to the alchemy department. They don’t have a strict enrollment requirement."

"Ugh, you should have said so sooner!" Feng Hao was speechless, grumbling resentfully, "If I’d known I could get into an Advanced Academy through alchemy, why would I have needed you to get me a recommendation letter?"

Yue Linglong smiled faintly. "Applying to the alchemy department requires a graduation record from a junior academy or a recommendation from a level-six or higher Alchemist from the Alchemy Association."

"..." Feng Hao was rendered speechless. So, after all that, he still had to rely on Yue Linglong’s recommendation letter.

"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the recommendation letter for you," Yue Linglong said with a smile. "Any other questions?"

Feng Hao snapped out of it with a wry smile and looked up. "Today, during my fight with Xiyue Frost, I noticed her health was as high as 168. At her level, it shouldn’t be that high."

"Many of the teachers are aware of this," Yue Linglong explained with a soft chuckle. "Xiyue Frost’s first-tier talent is a ’Gene Add-on’ type. For every base point she has in physique, she gains one point of health."

"There are even branch talents like that?" Feng Hao asked, amazed.

Yue Linglong smiled beautifully and continued, "It’s not that strange. Gene Add-on talents are quite common. My first, fourth, and fifth-tier talents are all ’Gene Add-on’ types."

"In a way, Gene Add-on talents are a supplement for one’s Innate Demon Foundation aptitude. Many powerful unaffiliated experts have risen to prominence through them."

The more Feng Hao listened, the more excited he became. He had been agonizing over his poor aptitude, but it seemed there were ways to compensate for it after all.

’And with my Mutated Black Pupils,’ he thought, ’I can compensate for genetic defects even better!’

"Any other questions?" Yue Linglong asked with a radiant smile, her beautiful eyes involuntarily sizing up Feng Hao. A strange, unfamiliar feeling stirred in her heart.

"Oh, right." Feng Hao pulled himself out of his scattered thoughts and retrieved a Magic Soul Crystal Bottle from his Spatial Ring. "How do I use this?" he asked excitedly.

Yue Linglong composed herself, afraid Feng Hao might have noticed her odd behavior just now. "Refining a Magic Soul is actually very simple. You just have to pull the Magic Soul into your sea of consciousness and seal it within the corresponding Secret Technique Mark."

"I thought it would be more complicated than that! I’ll give it a try when I get back," Feng Hao remarked, lips curling.

"You’re not thinking of wasting a Magic Soul on a Basic Secret Skill, are you?" Yue Linglong asked, astonished.

Feng Hao paused, slightly stunned. "I can’t?"

"The Extension potential for Basic Secret Skills is very poor. Fusing a Magic Soul with one is a complete waste!" Yue Linglong said, exasperated at his squandering talent.

"Why not? I think the basic Dark Energy Secret Technique is a perfect fit for a Magic Soul," Feng Hao said with a grin. "Besides, don’t I have three of them?"

"You can’t waste them like this even if you have three! Every single Magic Soul is incredibly precious!"

Seeing her pained expression, Feng Hao found it amusing. He casually pushed the Magic Soul Crystal Bottle in front of her. "It seems Teacher Yue likes them so much, why don’t I give one to you?"

"Huh?" Yue Linglong froze, the strange feeling in her heart intensifying. She quickly gathered her thoughts. "I appreciate the sentiment, Teacher, but the Dark Moon Soul is more suited for close-combat Mages. I wouldn’t be able to use it."

"You really don’t want it?" Feng Hao asked again to be sure.

Yue Linglong’s heart pounded wildly and another blush colored her cheeks. "N-No, I don’t need it! You should keep it for yourself!" she said, her voice flustered.

"Alright then. It’s getting late, so I’ll be going." Feng Hao didn’t press the issue. He stood, put away the crystal bottle, and turned to leave. He’d done enough teasing, and he’d gotten the answers he needed. There was no reason to stay any longer.

Seeing Feng Hao about to leave, Yue Linglong finally breathed a sigh of relief. But then she suddenly remembered something and quickly called out, "Wait."

"Is there something else?" Feng Hao had just reached the door and stopped, puzzled.

"Since I started my career in education, you’re the first student who has made me truly proud. Keep it up!" Yue Linglong’s beautiful eyes sparkled, her lovely face filled with sincerity.

Feng Hao chuckled, taken aback. He nodded in response. "Thanks. You’re also the first teacher I’ve ever truly respected. A truly qualified educator."

With that, he opened the door and left.

Gazing at Feng Hao’s departing back, a stunningly beautiful smile blossomed on Yue Linglong’s face. All her earlier annoyance at being teased had vanished, and only his final words lingered in her mind.

It was the joy of having her dedication and her dreams recognized...