The Strongest Talent Tree

Chapter 56: Chapter 54: Old City Lord

On the most remote street of Rongcheng’s commercial district, the familiar cries of vendors were incessant.

It had been a long time since Feng Hao had last been back, and a sense of warm familiarity couldn’t help but well up inside him. He followed the smooth flagstone path and soon arrived back at the entrance of the Miao Medicine Tower.

The Miao Medicine Tower was now the most prosperous pharmacy in Rongcheng, with countless Mages coming and going daily. However, the scene before him was rather unusual.

Reminiscent of the day Feng Hao first met Miao Feng, a bustling crowd was gathered outside the shop. Many passersby had also stopped to join the onlookers, curious about the commotion.

"What’s going on?" Feng Hao frowned in confusion and quickened his pace. Miao Feng followed behind him, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Squeezing through the crowd, Feng Hao was left dumbfounded by the sight before him. A wildly cool and stylish luxury sports car was parked at the entrance. Its body was pitch-black with sharp, angular contours—understated, yet undeniably elegant.

If the scenery around him hadn’t remained the same, Feng Hao would have sworn he’d been transported back to Earth. ’Holy hell, this is literally a sports car!’

After a moment of shock, Feng Hao couldn’t help but ask Miao Feng beside him, "Xiaomiaozi, what is this... sports... uh, this thing?"

"That’s the client’s Magic Energy Flying Vehicle, the most popular mode of transportation at the moment. To be honest, I don’t know much about them, but judging by its looks, it should be the latest model—the Night Devil 63 racing vehicle. I hear the price is frighteningly high," Miao Feng said, scratching his head as he thought.

"Magic Energy Flying Vehicle?" Feng Hao was astounded. He pressed on, "So those streaks of light that sometimes flash across the sky... that’s these things?"

"That’s right," Miao Feng nodded.

Feng Hao paused, puzzled. "How come I’ve never seen one in Rongcheng?"

"There are plenty in Rongcheng, but they’re all the most basic models. A high-end product like a flying vehicle isn’t something just anyone can afford."

Feng Hao understood instantly. For one, Rongcheng was just a backward little border city. For another, he hadn’t really explored the city since he’d transmigrated, having at most a vague impression of Rongcheng Academy and the commercial district.

The Crystal Eye that Yue Linglong had given him had already revealed the wonders of Demon Pattern Technology. He just never expected something so similar to a sports car to exist.

Compared to the Magic Energy Flying Vehicle before him, the supercars from his memories of Earth were complete garbage. The ability to fly alone was enough to blow every sports car on Earth out of the water. This was the fighter jet of sports cars!

’Hmm, wealthy, influential, and powerful.’ Feng Hao mused. "Let’s go. We’ll go in and see who we’re dealing with." He then stepped into the Miao Medicine Tower.

Back inside the Miao Medicine Tower, a familiar and comforting feeling washed over him. He looked up to see a handsome man seated nearby, flanked by two guards with powerful auras. Wang Gui and a group of shop clerks were waiting on them with the utmost respect.

Seeing Feng Hao and Miao Feng return, Wang Gui hurried over to greet them, wiping beads of nervous sweat from his brow. "You two bosses are finally back!"

"Right. There’s nothing for you all to do here. You can leave us," Feng Hao nodded, signaling for them to withdraw. He then looked toward the handsome man and scanned him several times with his Crystal Eye, but it yielded no information. A knot of apprehension tightened in his chest.

The man clearly noticed Feng Hao’s scan, a faint smirk gracing his androgynously handsome face. "Another little second-rank fellow. You’d better go get your master."

"My master is away on business. You can discuss whatever you need directly with me," Feng Hao said, taking a few steps forward, unafraid in the face of danger.

"You can call the shots?" the handsome man chuckled, amused, as he elegantly set down his teacup.

"Of course," Feng Hao nodded with confidence.

The handsome man sized Feng Hao up with a hint of surprise, then with a flip of his hand, he produced an Experience Pill and placed it on the table. A strange smile touched his lips. "I want the formula for this pill and the detailed refining method. As for the price... that’s negotiable."

Feng Hao’s pupils contracted the moment he saw the Experience Pill. ’After our last warning, the Beixing Clan shouldn’t have dared to leak any more news about the Experience Pill. Could this person be from one of the five great sects, here for revenge?’

"And you are...?" Feng Hao asked, his brow furrowed.

The handsome man simply smiled faintly without a word. The middle-aged man in black beside him spoke in a low, stern voice, "Don’t ask questions you’re not supposed to."

"Then I’m afraid I’ll have to show you out!" Feng Hao sneered, though his heart was pounding. His opponent’s strength was unfathomable, and his sworn brother, Lin Luo, wasn’t in Rongcheng. Speaking so boldly was a complete gamble.

"You’re courting death!" The two middle-aged guards erupted in anger, looking as if they were about to strike.

Fortunately, the handsome man raised a hand to stop them, causing Feng Hao and Miao Feng to let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"You’re an interesting one, Little Alchemist," the handsome man said, looking at Feng Hao with amusement. "An Elder from my Ghost Realm perished here not long ago. I imagine there must be a master garrisoned in this place, wouldn’t you say?"

"Ghost Realm?" Feng Hao’s expression froze, and he turned to Miao Feng with a questioning look.

Miao Feng, drenched in a nervous sweat, whispered an explanation to Feng Hao. "The Ghost Realm is Wanglao City—one of the five great sects."

Hearing this, Feng Hao’s heart clenched. ’So they really are from one of the five great sects.’ But there was one thing he couldn’t understand. ’Why haven’t the other three sects made a move?’

The handsome man’s slender eyes glinted as if he had seen right through Feng Hao’s thoughts. His gaze was playful. "Don’t worry. The people from the other three sects are already... sleeping on the road."

"..." A chill went down Feng Hao’s spine. The handsome man was clearly making a show of force.

"We of the Ghost Realm are always direct. I hope you’ll consider my offer carefully," the handsome man added with a cold smirk.

The atmosphere in the shop grew tense. Feng Hao frowned, lost in thought. ’Honestly, given Miao Feng’s personal experiment, even if I hand over the Experience Pill formula, no one else can refine it. The real problem is whether they’ll kill us to tie up loose ends after they get the formula.’

The three from Wanglao City, led by the handsome man, watched him with mocking eyes, their expressions showing they were certain of victory.

Just then, a powerful presence filled the Miao Medicine Tower. Simultaneously, an illusory figure materialized before them. The phantom appeared ancient and frail, yet his aura was immense. It was the Old City Lord, who had presided over the entrance trial.

"Who’s there?!" The faces of the trio from Wanglao City changed drastically as they stared in disbelief at the Old City Lord’s phantom.

Feng Hao and Miao Feng were just as stunned. They never imagined the Old City Lord was so incredibly powerful.

The Old City Lord’s phantom smiled at Feng Hao before turning a cold gaze upon the trio from Wanglao City. "Rongcheng is not your Ghost Realm. We don’t tolerate Mages of the eighth rank or higher running wild here. The three of you will leave at once. Don’t force this old man to get rough."

"Senior, we deeply apologize for the offense." The handsome man’s face was ashen as he stepped forward and bowed respectfully. The two middle-aged guards behind him did likewise.

"Get lost!" the Old City Lord uttered two sharp words.

A boundless pressure bore down on the three, leaving them struggling to breathe. They hastily retreated from the Miao Medicine Tower, then fled as if for their lives, speeding away in the Magic Energy Flying Vehicle.

With the crisis averted, Feng Hao and Miao Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief. They bowed and stepped forward to offer their thanks. "Thank you for your intervention, Old City Lord."

"Haha, it was nothing," the Old City Lord said with a smile, his eyes crinkling. "It seems this old man is still of some use in guarding Rongcheng. Little fellow, remember to come visit me at the City Lord’s Mansion when you have a moment. This avatar of mine cannot be maintained for much longer."

"Yes, sir! I’ll pay a visit right away," Feng Hao nodded excitedly. ’Just like in the wuxia novels, the Old City Lord is clearly one of those hidden, reclusive masters.’

An opportunity to meet a reclusive master was a godsend. There was no way he would miss it.

"Very well. This old man will be waiting for you at the mansion," the Old City Lord chuckled, his form slowly dissipating along with his voice.

...

High in the sky outside the city, inside the Night Devil 63, the three from Wanglao City all looked as though they had just escaped the jaws of death.

"I never imagined a small border city would harbor such a powerhouse. That was terrifying!" the handsome man said, a lingering fear in his voice. "Uncle Wen, what was that old man’s level of power?"

The middle-aged man piloting the vehicle replied with a grave expression, "Level 100, at least."

"You mean... that old man is already an Enlightened Powerhouse?!" the handsome man exclaimed in horror.

The other middle-aged man gave a wry smile. "Only an Enlightened Powerhouse can condense an avatar of themselves from a great distance."

"Rongcheng, is it?" the handsome man murmured thoughtfully. "My two uncles, once we return to the Ghost Realm, I want you to gather all available information on this little city."

"Understood," the two middle-aged guards replied in unison.